(A/N : Carolina pepper is officially the world's spiciest pepper. Imagine how red your face would be if you tried eating one!)
"Don't worry about it, i was ...thinking. About- a-about..."
Tree realised he was just embarrassing himself and stopped talking, his face still somewhat red. O/N tilted their head.
"Are you embarrassed? Uncomfortable? Uh-"
"No- I guess it's just a bit hot today?"
"Tree, it's december."
"..."
Tree could've made up a lie about trees feeling temperatures differently, but on the moment, his mind was blank and his heart pounding and it was difficult to form a proper thought.
"...Don't worry 'bout it, O/N."
"You can talk to me about it, you know-? AH-"
O/N tripped on a rock, seeing their fragile life flash before their eyes for the millionth time, but instead of meeting the ground and slipping in that cold endless void again, O/N met Tree's arms.
"S-sorry... um..."
O/N was the one flustered this time. They stared that their knees as they spoke, too embarrassed to meet Tree's gaze.
"See, i did it! I prevented your death!"
"Are you only helping me for death preventing reasons?..."
O/N felt hurt at the thought. They genuinely enjoyed Tree's company and help and would hate to simply be saved for the sake of a pact.
"Also because i care about you."
A terribly awkward silence followed.
"...O/N please say something this is embarrassing."
"I care about you too. And thank you for looking out for me."
O/N hugged Tree. That was the first time they ever did that and it felt magical.
Tree wrapped his arms around O/N in return, being gentle. He knew that if he wasn't cautious enough, O/N would shatter right here in his grip.
"I'll keep preventing your death, okay O/N? You won't die as long as i'm near."
"Thank you Tree. You know, we can hang out for other stuff than trying to keep me alive, y'know? Ever heard of a date?"
Tree had indeed heard of dates before, but never went on one himself. His face flushed redder than earlier as he looked away to avoid meeting O/N's eyes.
"I have. Why would you ask me this?"
"I'd like to go on one with you. At my hotel room or something, i have less risk of shattering there."
"Y-your... room?"
The implied privacy made Tree infinitely more flustered, but he just couldn't refuse such an opportunity!
"That sounds nice! When-"
"How about right now? Let's-"
O/N grabbed Tree's hand to start walking, yet tripped on the exact same rock as earlier and shattered yet again. Tree sighed with a tiny smile. This time, the O/M shards were from O/N being too eager to date him. The thought was sweet, but Tree should probably recover O/N now...
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Hi there! Do you like the art you see at the end of chapters? Do you want to see more of it? I recently started an artbook! There isn't much posted on it for now, but more is to come!
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