Work Text:
One would think going to a nice mansion in the snowy mountains for a week full of Christmas celebrations and relaxation would be more exciting than it is. The last three days Skittery has seen nothing but snow, trees, more snow, Christmas decorations and lights that almost burned in the eyes, and not to forget: snowfall.
It was nice, technically. Much more calm than in the city, and his mother clearly enjoyed being all lovey-dovey with James, her new husband as of half a year ago, and his little brother Benny was playing with the gardener and keeper of horses outside almost every day, but for someone who was almost an adult but also definitely single and alone here, there wasn’t much to do but hope for something to happen. Or read or listen to music staring outside and watching the snowflakes trickle down.
His mother would say something about his mind and life ruined by blinking lights and bustle of the city if he told her how bored he was. But at least something was happening today and tomorrow.
Today was Christmas Eve and he had a feeling he’d get at least a small present today instead of tomorrow and – after a family breakfast tomorrow morning – there was a Christmas Party scheduled with some of the other families having their big winter mansions somewhere in the hills close to here or living in the cozy town that looked like it belonged to the north pole.
That meant both new people – and as much of a grouch and Scrooge Skittery could sometimes be, he’d appreciate seeing someone new after three full days of snow – and activities planned, big feasts and probably a dance and music, the latter of which he’d even hear if he had to go away after the burst of new people and laughter inevitably got too much for him.
It was getting dark out when the door to the sitting room Skittery was hiding out in was opened. It was James, smiling as he saw him and checking on the still burning fire before coming up next to him. James was his mother's new husband, they'd met because he was Skittery's psychiatrist, or rather she'd met him again that way. She had worked on a case with him before and they got along well as they saw each other whenever Skittery went to his check-ups. James was alright, and it wasn't like he missed his biological father anyways.
James held out a small box, wrapped with golden paper. "I have a little something for you I got recently. It's not quite Christmas yet, but it's not like it matters, right?"
Skittery smiled a bit because it felt appropriate. Taking the box, he noticed it was quite light, weighing less than some decorations on the tree. He tore the wrapping and opened the box, finding a small, wooden figure inside. Holding it to the light he saw it was a nutcracker in a blue uniform, with black hair and a sword at his side.
"That's well made. You can even move all his limbs. Thanks James." He wasn't too sure what to do with him, but he would at least make a nice decoration.
It was a few hours later, the sun having gone down fully now and the nutcracker sitting on the couch table next to Skittery who was trying to read a book he’d found in the library, when his little brother tumbled in. He was having a figurine in his hand, making plane motions so it was probably some sort of superhero flying, and of course he landed with Tumbler jumping on Skittery’s legs. He put the book away, ruffling the kid’s hair and pulling him close even as he tried to wriggle away laughing.
“And what do you think you’re doing, Benny?” Tickling him under his thick winter sweater, Tumbler really felt like a wriggly noodle trying to escape his grasp.
“Nooooo, Andrew sto- stop it.” He was interrupted multiple times by his own giggling and Skittery decided to be merciful and let him catch his breath. “Just… just wanted to play superhero! And-“ His kid brother’s eyes grew wide as his eyes wandered to the table where the nutcracker still was. “Oh, look at him he looks like… like like like a fancy general! You think I can make him hold that sword?”
Before waiting for an answer, Tumbler grabbed the wooden toy and moved his arm this way and that way, trying to also get the sword out when a small crack sounded. A joint in the arm must have broken or at least teared a bit, the arm now hanging more limply from the side and Skittery grabbed the nutcracker from Tumbler. “Be careful with him.”
“I- I’m sorry Andrew, didn’t mean to.” Tumbler wasn’t trying to look pleadingly up at him, he knew he’d done something wrong by playing too rough, but Skittery wasn’t too mad at him. The little broken man in his hand did deserve better though.
“It’s fine, I’ll fix him up. Go and play with your toys for now though, kay?” Skittery kissed his head and ruffled his hair again, waving him off to search for some miniature med kit supplies. Even if he hadn’t been that invested before, he felt sorry for the little guy with his broken arm. Being broken, no matter in what way, sucked. And, well, he felt like he had to help him just a bit.
Skittery got a blue ribbon from one of the branches of the big Christmas tree decorated in the house and a bit of wood glue, carefully applying what was hopefully enough and then holding the arm in place with the blue ribbon as if it was a sling.
“There you go.”, he whispered, kissing the head of the figure – he was embarrassed about that a second later, but it was just second nature when Tumbler injured himself and he patched him up – putting the nutcracker on the table again, watching him stand up, arm now not hanging down but cradled to his face a bit like he was saluting – if there wasn’t the sling.
Not sure what to do now that he had been interrupted and also distracted, Skittery laid down on the couch again, no book or lights this time, just staring at the ceiling and looking at the little figure. It was odd, in a way. It almost seemed more realistic than when he’d got it, features just a bit sharper and less cartoony.
But it was probably just the light.
Skittery held the figure closer again, trying to ease his mind about any weirdness, and felt himself getting increasingly more tired. It was late, completely dark outside, and the others had probably eaten already or would soon. But he could just take a quick nap and get food later, that wouldn’t be a problem, surely.
His eyes drifted close, the nutcracker still lying beside his face where he’d looked at it closely and Skittery fell asleep to the crackling fire in just a few minutes.
The nutcracker opened his eyes truly – not just what was painted on him – and found himself next to the sleeping boy that had just repaired his arm, bowing out of thanks and respect to the kind boy before climbing down the couch by a loose string. He had somewhere to get to, urgently, to stop all this madness, especially since he could already hear them move closer, coming through the walls and ultimately from under the fireplace.
It would be worse with the injured arm, but he could still use his sword with the other just as well.
He got to the fireplace as the first rats ran in, fighting them back and already hearing the laughter of the rat king.
"The little block of wood still hasn't died I see. Cut him up and throw him in the fire."
Bumlets fought even harder than before, not wanting it to end that way nor wanting to let them in. Whatever the rat King wanted from this place, it could never be good.
It was inevitable that he got pushed back, closer to the couch again, and some rats could escape of the sides, the King still laughing at his demise.
They all startled when a giant foot kicked back the rats he was just fighting, the boy having woken up and clearly not enjoying rats in his room.
A red light appeared from the Rat King's wand and the nutcracker remembered the feeling of his blood turning cold and dry, his skin going solid, his limbs straightening and deforming, most feeling disappearing from his body, any feeling of warmth or cold but a faint memory.
He wasn't sure if the King would turn his saviour into a toy as well, but it was a fate he wished not even his worst enemy.
"Watch out!"
The young man held his hands in front of him, but it was no use, the light engulfed him and started to shrink him. Even while growing smaller and smaller he ran to the rat, anger on his face, and Bumlets ran the same way, hoping to maybe startle the fake royalty and overtake him.
But it seemed the spell had made the boy dizzy, his steps and swings of his arms growing more uncoordinated and suddenly his objective switched from attacking to defending. He was shrunk as he tried to help him, and the nutcracker would repay him in kind.
There was barely a moment to react when he ran in, sword held up to divert the wand, aiming to finish what the King started.
"Go back before I kill you, rat.", he threatened, pushing the wand back and slashing forward, only hitting leather as the King backed away.
"Retreat!" The rat yelled, his men carrying things he couldn't make out, after just a few seconds leaving the room silent like they'd never been there at all.
Sighing with relief - or at least going through the motions as he had no lungs anymore - he turned to the boy who'd helped him, finding him passed out.
The only way to revert the Rat King's curse was the Sugar Plum Fairy's magic, and if he took him to the lands with him...
It was the only way to repay him and repair the damage he'd caused.
The nutcracker put his sword away, cradling the unconscious man in his arms - the left arm maybe couldn't move properly, but it didn't hurt to hold something against it for his lack of nerves - and they went after the rats into his old kingdom, the former prince turned nutcracker wracking his brain for ways to fix his wrongdoings.
Even knowing he shouldn't, Bumlets felt himself smile at being back in his home. It wasn't truly the home he knew, changed in ways he couldn't prevent, no matter how hard he'd tried, but... it was still his home. He did his best not to jostle the young man in his arms, unsure how it must feel to be carried by a wooden toy.
It couldn't be very comfortable.
He stepped foot into a freezing cave, sunlight filtering through the entrance, feeling what he knew were tears - if he could still shed them - well up at the first small glimpse of the outside. It seemed like they were somewhere close to the Lands of Sweets.
A sudden movement caught his eyes, tiny wings fluttering by him and dancing in the winds, snow fairies doing their never ending beautiful dance. It made his heart ache, thinking of a friend whose he had no clue about. Was he okay? Had he even been at court when the mouse king attacked?
The boy in his arms stirred, looking at the dancing snow fairies, taking a few moments before realizing he wasn't seeing things. "Wait what-"
He almost fell out of Bumlets' arms as he jerked up, more confused than scared, luckily.
He set him down, offering an arm to lean on, which he only took after a dangerously unsteady step. "Who are- where am I?"
“You’re in my home. Now also the kingdom of the mouse king, unfortunately.”
That didn’t seem to help him make more sense of it. He furrowed his brows, looking over the cave and out into what he could see of the forest and the kingdom. “That wasn’t… that mouse actually shrunk me! And you’re actually… walking. And talking.”
Bumlets had to admit that he also wouldn’t have believed a wooden man to be moving of his own volition, if it wasn’t his current life. “I am.”
“So you’re… a sentient nutcracker?”
Bumlets shrugged. “I wasn’t always one. But I am now. The mouse king cursed me as he cursed you.”
That didn’t seem to calm him. Understandably. “And can we do anything about that?”
There was only one thing, he knew that. It was the only thing he’d been able to come up with, even with all he knew about these lands. “The one thing that can reverse the Mouse King’s magic is the magic of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I’ve been trying to find her, but no one knows where she is.”
“You know what? Sure. Sugar Plum Fairy. Great.” The boy threw his hands up. “Then we gotta find her. Is there anything I can call you while we search for her?”
He could already feel his mouth clenching, turning to solid wood, even trying to think of answering with his given name. “You can call me Bumlets. And you? I’d like to properly thank you for helping me.”
“Andrew, but just call me Skittery. Finding a Fairy to fight mouse magic. Great.”
“You’ve accepted this easier than I expected.”
Skittery sighed. “Do I have any other choice? I’m talking to a nutcracker and snow fairies are dancing above our heads, what am I supposed to do here?”
They got out of the cave and into the forest, the snow fairies following them, still locked in their dance, much freer with the bigger space and knocking new snowflakes off the trees to join them.
“Are they always doing this?”
Bumlets nodded. “It’s their favourite pastime. They don’t have to dance, but they love it.” He’d always loved hearing from other beings, but he’d been especially enraptured when his friend had told him about the dance, the feeling of being carried in the wind, dancing together without words. He missed those times.
As they got closer to the edge of the forest they could see the beginnings of a town, no soul out in the streets, sugar canes broken on the ground, broken windows, thrown over carts. But the quiet was the worst of it. Nothing seemed alive, it felt eerie, getting thrown into a ghost town.
Skittery hadn’t known what he should have expected, but war-torn cities weren’t part of it. “Is anyone…” He didn’t get to finish his question, when a snowball hit the side of Bumlets’ face.
“Get out!”
Based on the fact they weren’t attacked by swords or sugarcane-guns or whatever, Skittery had the feeling this wasn’t the town guard asking them. Still, he ducked, having had far too much experience getting attacked by random things his little brother threw. Even the height the snowballs were hailing from was similar to a few years ago, when Tumbler really tried ambushing him every chance he got and… yeah. He saw a little head peak out just a second before a snowball his Bumlets in the chest, the snow not really doing much to him.
“We’re not here to attack you! Did you get ambushed by the mouse king’s troops?”, Bumlets asked, halting the attacks for a moment.
Skittery saw two heads briefly look out from their hiding place, judging them, and how truthful their words might be. They looked at most a year older than Benny was now, and to think they had been there when the town had been raided… Skittery hated the thought. They were too young either way.
“Who are you?”, the blond boy demanded, lastly.
“We’re just passing through.”, Skittery tried, before he remembered he didn’t really… know anything about anything happening at all. “Just trying to find someone.”
“Oh yeah?”, sneered the other boy, clearly trying to look tougher than he felt. “You could be spies for that rat!”
Bumlets stepped closer to them, almost reaching out, and Skittery couldn’t think of a reason why. At least no reason except wanting to protect the kids in some way, like he also felt, because they reminded him of his little brother. But it seemed more than that. Before he got too close, he caught himself, though, and looked to the side. “I promise you that we’re not. But we need to find other survivors, is there anything we can do to help-“
A loud crash had him whirl around and draw his sword, eyes flitting around until he caught movement in a side street, a giant rat-mouse-whatever coming out of it. Skittery had liked mice a lot more when they were actually mouse sized instead of as tall as him.
“Skittery, take Flipper and Boots and protect them, please.”, the nutcracker plead, quietly enough that the boys didn’t hear and leapt into battle, leaving him confused.
The boys hadn’t said their names, and he hadn’t asked either. They didn’t recognize him, so they obviously didn’t know him… right?
Still, he did as he was asked, running to the boys and urging them up a building, guessing rats weren’t the best climbers. “I hope you’re as good at aiming at him than at aiming at rats. Come on.” He balled up some snow and threw it at one of the mice, the boys quickly following his example. This still felt like a fever dream, and maybe he was back in their winter home, sleeping off a cold, plagued by delirious images of giant mice and sweets, but no matter if this was truly real, he wouldn’t let the nutcracker be overwhelmed in his fight.
He fought valiantly, it mesmerized him, almost, even if he winced whenever their protector was hit. There were some merits to being cursed to be made of wood though, it seemed. He didn’t bleed or hurt like he would usually. Skittery tried to hold back the thoughts of what would happen if they turned him back, if he’d keep the notches in his wood as ones in his flesh, if they’d heal or not. Magic was weird, but he hoped good magic like the one he said the Fairy had would heal him, too.
Eventually, the mice were defeated, retreating back into the shadows from whence they’d emerged from, leaving their knight bruised, but very much alive.
Skittery hurried down from the roof, the boys following. “Are you okay?”, he tried to ask, but the boys were louder.
“That was so cool! You moved so fast, even- I mean I didn’t think you could.”
“And they ran with their tails tucked between their legs! Serves them right.”
Just like before, the smile Bumlets gave them gave Skittery the impression that he knew them, somehow. Or at least knew kids like them. “Thank you. But I’m just glad neither of you were harmed. But we can’t stay here. Where did you… is there anywhere you stayed?”
The boys looked at each other, before looking at them again. “We’ll trust you. Follow us!”
They ran with the speed only kids could want to move at all the time, and Skittery sighed at just the memory of having to catch up to Tumbler whenever he wanted to show him something. They kept up, even if they moved slower, and Skittery used the small moment of solitude to ask the Nutcracker if he was alright.
Bumlets looked at the notches in his arms, one even on his torso, soiling the perfect woodwork and paint. “It doesn’t hurt, not like it did before. It heals, too, even if I don’t understand how. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.”
He wanted to tell him that he needed worrying about, too, that he deserved to be worried for, but they’d already caught up to the boys. They showed them a carriage with a horse, light brown like milk chocolate and with a harness looking like straps of candy and bonbons.
“We um… lent the carriage. We wanted to scout. We’ll take you to where we’re staying, it’s with lots of others.”
As they got in, Skittery remembered he hadn’t asked the boys for their names yet. And even if the names he’d heard were correct, he wouldn’t know which boy they belonged to. “I’m Skittery, by the way.”
The boys shared another look, and the dark blond one answered first: “I’m Flipper. And he’s Boots. Sorry we didn’t say. And for attacking you.” He looked at Bumlets, shoulders hunched. “Especially you. We thought the Mouse King sent you.”
With a soft kindness Skittery had started to expect of the other, the nutcracker just waved their apologies away. “It’s better to ask questions before you trust someone. At least we all made it out alright.” Skittery still wondered how he’d known their names, how any of this made any sense. But he wouldn’t get those answers for a long while.
Their travels ended in a small, clearly quickly built village, the townspeople looking at them questioningly, most of them armed with anything they could find. The boys drove them to a small stable, another horse there as well, where an old man in a military uniform waited. “Where did you think you were going with this, boys?”, the man hollered, louder than Skittery had expected of his old stature.
Boots and Flipper flinched and lowered their heads. “You’re just lucky you didn’t get hurt or missin’. Come out here and tell me what you did.”
The boys spoke over each other, trying to explain their, of course, genius plan and stumbling out of the carriage.
“Let them arrive first, Kloppman. It looks like they’re fine and brought friends.”, a voice Skittery could only describe as something he’d hallucinate during a winter snow storm, luring him somewhere, not sure if somewhere safe or dangerous, spoke up.
A young man stepped to them, slight frost all over him, his dark hair looking to be perpetually filled with snowflakes. He was gorgeous. It didn’t confuse Skittery any less, but it was a fact he willingly accepted as truth.
Distracted by his arrival he didn’t even notice his companion’s sudden silence and tenseness.
Bumlets was glad to see his friend in once piece, safe and mostly sound, his grin dulled only the slightest bit and his hair snow-covered as always. He’d missed him, missed him more than anyone else, and seeing as Swifty’s eyes only glanced at him briefly, even he didn’t recognize him. Not that he’d wanted it, not that he deserved it, but some part of him had wished that there was at least one person to know him, regardless of the curse. If there was, it wasn’t his long friend, his friend he’d longed to be more with for a long time.
Flipper and Boots had been bad enough, the boys had always been little troublemakers running around everywhere and laughing at his jokes, eyes shining when he showed them how to fight with wooden swords. A bit ironic, now.
And Kloppman… with how the old man looked at him with furrowed brows, he knew that the general found him odd, but that didn’t have to mean anything more than finding a walking wooden man peculiar.
Seemingly having missed a piece of conversation, he only snapped out of his thoughts when Skittery stepped forward, waving a bit awkwardly. “I’m Andrew. Skittery, mostly. I got here accidentally, kinda… Bumlets, the nutcracker, fought the Mouse King guy in my home and I tried to help him.”
That made the boys gasp and Kloppman look even more suspicious. “You’ve fought the rat?”
Bumlets saluted to him before explaining. “He’s cursed me, I hoped tracking him down and defeating him would help break it. Andrew helped me greatly and got cursed for it, too. Now we’re searching for the Sugar Plum Fairy to reverse the curses.”
Kloppman scoffed. “She’s a myth. And even if she wasn’t, there are more important things to do. Like finding another ruler to usurp the rat, as evidently the Prince didn’t manage to keep it away from it’s grubby fingers.”
“I’m sure whatever happened to him, he did not let the Mouse King take his kingdom willingly. He’d never do that. He’d try everything to stop that.”, snapped Swifty, frost radiating off of him with his sour mood. Bumlets’ heart couldn’t help but jump at him defending him, wooden or not. He’d truly missed him.
The general sighed, annoyance bleeding away to a more sorrow expression. “I know, I know. We still need to stop him. Make plans to take the kingdom back, we can’t do that with fairytales. No matter how wonderful.”
Bumlets stepped forward. “Excuse me, but from all I … heard from the Sugar Plum Fairy, she’s the most powerful magic user in the lands. If there’s even one chance she exists…”
Before Kloppman could complain, Swifty stepped in again. “I heard the King tell Prince Alejandro about her once. He really seemed to believe in her, and if the King did… we’ve tried everything else, General. Might as well try this, too.”
Even if he still didn’t seem convinced, the general seemed to accept that arguing wouldn’t get him far. “I won’t search for her. But you can do what you want, I won’t stop you. I need to plan for our reality now. Go, boys.”
Skittery slipped out first, and before Bumlets could fully follow, Swifty grabbed his arm, looking more nervous than he was used to with his old friend. “Sorry to ask, but you must’ve heard of the Fairy from the Prince, right? It was only known in the palace, and even there just barely. Please, do you know what… happened to him?”
Bumlets knew he could come clean, could admit to everything and receive a vow to help and probably a relieved hug, but he knew he didn’t deserve it. He knew he wasn’t who his friend was looking for, not really, just a shell of who he was supposed to be. “The Mouse King destroyed him.”, was all he got out, wishing he could take it back upon seeing Swifty’s expression fall, shock and horror upon it at the news.
“What? No he- he’d never-“ Swifty clasped a gloved hand in front of his mouth and his eyes snapped shut. It was clear that the only thing holding him together was the public place they were still in, at the very least Kloppman seeing them and Skittery just outside with all the other people, possibly even hearing them. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll… take my leave.”
Swifty barely kept from running to where Bumlets assumed were his rooms in the hastily built camp, and if he wasn’t who he was cursed to be he’d be running after him, telling him he was still there, holding him until he’d calmed down like he’d done just once or twice when Swifty’s jokester persona had broken for one reason or another, leaving an all too real person underneath who not often dared to show his emotions that freely, not just to anyone. Bumlets knew he’d been special then.
He wasn’t allowed, not now. Now when he’d failed to protect everything he’d ever known.
He knew he should be sleeping. Wherever they were going tomorrow was probably even more dangerous than yesterday, but Skittery couldn’t fall asleep, constantly wondering if time outside went the same as here, if his Mom was already missing him, if Tumbler was crying or in any problems, if they were searching for him instead of celebrating. He hoped it was a Narnia situation, and he’d come back to almost no time passing. But he didn’t know.
Taking a walk might help. Seeing the giant moon, the foreign lands and the cold air, especially cold seeming when he passed the room of Swifty, which was probably due to him being some kind of frost being, might help him sleep.
For now, it only helped him find the nutcracker. Who, he was pretty sure now, was more than he let on.
“Can’t sleep either?”, he asked, sitting down before he could think about it.
Bumlets just shrugged. “I’m made of wood. Sleeping hasn’t made much sense since then.”
Skittery hummed, looking at him, his eyes sad, and even though he couldn’t see them glistening with tears he knew he would be close to them. “But you haven’t always been… Prince Alejandro.”
The nutcrackers head snapped to him, and that about confirmed his suspicions. He’d known just a bit too much. “How did you…”
“Why didn’t you tell them? Yeah, Kloppman seemed a bit mad, but a lot of them clearly missed you.” Swifty clearly missed you, he thought, but didn’t say, knowing it might be cruel.
He hesitated, putting his words in an order he probably thought was going to explain what he meant before saying them. “I don’t deserve it. I wasn’t a good prince, I couldn’t keep my kingdom, and if I can’t bring anything back… there’s no use in letting them know.”
Being who he was and having shouldered his own fair share of doubts, Skittery knew insecurities when he saw them. “You’re fighting for them. Trying to find a solution to something no one can solve. You’re doing the best you can, that’s more than a lot of people can say.”
While it didn’t seem to convince the nutcracker that he wasn’t a failure or undeserving of telling the people he knew who he was, he at least didn’t argue it. “It’s not enough. It’s too little, too late. But I…suppose I can see what you mean.” The nutcracker turned to him, slight smile on his face. “Just because I can’t sleep doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Don’t let me keep you up.”
Skittery shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. I can try again but… not sure if it’s worth it.”
“I can stay with you. We can talk if you really can’t fall asleep.”
And it wasn’t the worst idea, so Skittery agreed, barely able to think how weird it was to feel calm with a living wooden toy sitting by the edge of your bed wishing you a good night before he fell asleep.
They had already been preparing to head out the next morning, when a knock sounded on Skittery’s door. He wasn’t sure what Swifty could want from them, except some tips to traverse the land or, maybe more likely, more questions about the prince’s ‘death’ to Bumlets. Skittery was glad he didn’t look like his heart was being torn apart anymore. He hoped it wasn’t just for show.
“I’ll come with you.”, the snow fairy declared, not taking any room for complaints.
“You really shouldn’t-“
“I’ll come with you.”, he interrupted Bumlets’ complaints. “If Ale-… if the prince and the King trusted in the stories of the sugar plum fairy enough to believe she could end this, I want to help find her, to help save our home. For them.”
It wasn’t Skittery’s place to deny or refuse, just as it wasn’t his place to tell Swifty what he knew about the nutcracker, so he waited to see what Bumlets would say.
“I suppose I can’t stop you. If you want to help, we’ll be happy for it.”
After that, getting on the way didn’t take long, they only got supplies, some last good-byes and tops from Kloppman and the kids and they were on their merry way to… the coast from all Skittery understood. They knew the land better than he did, he wouldn’t question their ways.
Or at least he hadn’t been about to do it until they ran right into a giant ravine, cliffs going down seemingly endlessly, a river looking like a tiny stream from up where they were at the bottom. The only way across a seemingly magical floating rock-bridge.
“Maybe we should try to find a way around.”, tried Bumlets, but Swifty shook his head.
“It’s the only way across for ages, I can’t see anything else in either direction. It’s this or climbing down and then up the other side.”
Bumlets sighed, adjusting his small backpack. “At least let me go first. I might even survive the fall if it’s unstable.”
“Don’t just say that.”, Skittery groaned but let him go first, the stones surprisingly sturdy, only slightly wobbling left and right.
It would have been fine, Bumlets had even practically made it to the other side when Swifty’s shoe slipped on one of the stones, his foot twisting and his body falling faster than Skittery could react, still a few feet behind on the bridge.
Bumlets ran back, Skittery surprised he didn’t fall off himself, reaching down with his arm. “Take my hand!”
Even from here, Skittery could see it was far from being enough. They could use the backpack, or maybe Skittery could throw them his shirt and hope it wouldn’t rip-
But before he could decide what to do, Bumlets had ripped his own left arm off, holding it with his right and reaching down to Swifty, far deeper than before. He didn’t know if he should be shocked that he could do that or shocked that it worked, almost stumbling himself, trying to get to the other side to make sure they were both okay.
Maintaining both the carefulness needed to not slip himself and the quickness his head urged him to as he saw Swifty shake slightly, clinging to Bumlets’ arm was difficult, but luckily luck seemed to be on his side and he made it without any injury.
When he set foot on solid ground, Swifty was sitting on the ground, Bumlets obviously unsure what he should do, even if it seemed clear he just wanted to hold his arms steady and tell him he was okay. Skittery decided to at least take over part of that, kneeling in front of him so Swifty had to look at him. “You’re okay. We’re all on the other side.”
Swifty shook his head. “Yeah, yeah I know. I know I’m okay. That was- we made it out.” He took a deep breath and then looked up at the nutcracker. “You could have told us you’re able to detach your limbs.”, he tried to joke, slightly falling flat at his still shaky voice.
Bumlets took the change of mood gladly, though. “I wasn’t sure if I could still grip you properly with it, but it was the only way to reach you. I haven’t tried it with my legs though, don’t make me do that again, please.”
The hint of the mischievous grin usually on the boy’s face returned to it. “Can’t promise that. Seeing you go all heroic on me was too nice to only see once.”
Skittery interrupted Bumlets’ clearly flustered stuttering – even if he couldn’t blush – to save his friend’s face. And possibly identity. “We should keep going. I don’t like staying near this cliff.”
Most of the rest of their travels for that day went easier, calmer. It was also devoid of cliffs, even if they had to scale a lot of hills. Skittery was glad for the new shoes he’d gotten in the little camp, he was okay in his clothes from home, even if a lot of places were snowy, they weren’t really cold, but he still would have walked multiple blisters if he’d been here in his socks with thin slippers.
He liked travelling with the Nutcracker and the Fae, learning some about Swifty on the way – Bumlets was silent about most of his history, acutely aware that his old friend would recognize a lot of it. Skittery was okay with that, he learnt enough about Bumlets from just watching him take the lead, carefully watching where they were going and offering his hand for any steep steps, sometimes quickly walking ahead to move a branch or stone out of their way. If he didn’t know he couldn’t sleep, Skittery would force him to rest, but there was no plausible reason to stop him from overworking himself like that. He didn’t grow tired, he didn’t ache, he didn’t hurt. Skittery didn’t envy him for it, just the thought of his body changing like that making him nauseous.
Swifty, on the other hand, did everything to not let it show if he was troubled, making little jokes or jabs, and sometimes even naturally going for a flirt during it, having even Skittery smiling at him. Every time he smiled it hit him that he probably shouldn’t, that he had to be focused on getting back to his Brother, to his Mom, but he enjoyed their company too much. He was far from tired and bored, like he’d been, sitting at the window, staring outside in his room.
It was nice.
“Is something wrong?”
Swifty had stopped, looking down into a dry and deserted looking valley, a troubled look on his face. “I don’t… can we go down there? I feel like something’s wrong, somehow.”
Before Skittery could even say anything, Bumlets was already marching ahead.
“This… used to be an orchard. What happened?”
Once again Swifty wondered how the Nutcracker knew such things about the land. Swifty had been here, long ago, but only remembered because of a well in the middle of it. And he’d been to lots of places in his years, but most people weren’t as well travelled as him. There was something he needed to find out about the wooden man, at the very least he had to know how he’d known the prince and how he’d been there when he’d… died. Swifty had tried to find him desperately, but before he could, it was already too late. The Mouse had won.
He'd find it out, after he’d fixed whatever felt wrong about the orchard. Something was calling him to the well that Skittery was already looking into. “It’s blocked off. Can you-“
Swifty was already next to him, gripping the iron lid on the well, glad for his gloves. It fit tightly and was heavy, but they were slowly moving it, heaving it up, almost letting go of the lid again when a colourful storm of lights broke free at the first inches of freedom.
Throwing the lid to the ground, Swifty could finally see why he’d felt the need to come here. Dozens of Flower Fairies were pouring out of the well, flitting around and clearly exhausted. A few kept their distance from him, huddling together and talking quietly.
“I’m not going to freeze anything.”, he mumbled, crossing his arms.
A distraction from his slight annoyance quickly presented itself as he saw more of the little fairies flitting around Skittery, messing up his hair by sitting in it for a moment, one young fairy even hugging his cheek. The colourful lights and glitter in his hair took Swifty’s breath away for a moment, surprised. He hadn’t really… looked at him much, too busy trying to hold things together, trying to find out what happened to his old friend, almost dying and then wondering about the Nutcracker.
He looked beautiful like this, and Swifty knew that now that he’d seen it once he wouldn’t be able to ignore it any longer. A little pang of guilt in his heart reminded him of how he’d felt looking at his old friend’s smile or his Prince’s excited ramblings when he’d visited an exciting place or found a book he enjoyed, how he’d never said anything, not knowing if he should, one of the only things in his life he now regretted.
He’d always thought they had more time.
Maybe, if their travels gave him an opportunity, he should use it to not be quiet this time.
The fairies rejuvenated the orchard, something Swifty loved to see, even if some of the little girls still looked at him warily as if he’d freeze it all the first chance he got. At least they also threw and apple at the Nutcracker’s head. It felt a bit fairer this way, with how much they loved Skittery. Not that he could blame them, he was amazed at them and was very gentle when talking to them or touching him.
And that even made them a bit nicer to him and Bumlets, if only enough that they even tapped on their heads while flying by or giggled when flitting by their clothes. They did also lead them to fully functioning hot air balloon, so he’d forgive them any looks and pranks. Honestly, he wondered what that balloon was doing there, but he was also aware he shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth by thinking about it too hard. It was helpful, it was great, and they could actually cross the ocean with it. That was all that was important.
Only when they were already preparing to light the fire and set off, did Skittery speak up: “I uh… am a bit afraid of heights. Just a warning if I do dumb stuff up there. It’s not- well, you know…” He shrugged, wrapping his arms around himself.
Swifty didn’t like seeing him like that. “You can always sit down or grab onto my arm if you need it, scaredy cat.” Evidently his attempt at flirting hadn’t hit the mark perfectly, as Skittery pouted and stood bravely as far away from Swifty and Bumlets as he could in the small basket. At least he wasn’t looking as timid anymore.
The pout actually looked cute on him and Swifty smiled a bit, imagining himself putting some hair behind Skittery’s ear and pecking his lips.
Maybe he was going too far too fast, he’d barely pushed his best friend’s and crushes’ death to the backburner on his brain to hopefully not break down until they were done with this whole ordeal, but he also wanted to flee into something easy, something nice and, in a way, he also knew it couldn’t last. Skittery wasn’t from here, he wouldn’t stay for someone like him. But it would be nice. It would be a good thing.
Skittery grabbed onto Bumlets’ arm though, and not his, to which he only teased him a tiny bit. He couldn’t have him get the wrong impression, if anything Swifty teased and messed with the people he really liked even more.
Pushing down a memory of himself dousing the prince in fresh snow, both laughing about it after a moment even if Alejandro had to be in a meeting about ten minutes before already, he looked down onto the faraway landscapes, places he knew and didn’t drifting by. Frosted hills, forests full of candy trees, a giant stone golem walking in their direction, fields of tulips next to fields of sugar flowers.
Wait.
“What the fuck is that?”
Both his travel companions rushed to his side of their mode of transportation, Skittery stumbling a bit and just holding onto his wooden knight tighter. They took a second to see the building-tall stone monster on the horizon that was definitely on the way to them. And it was closing in fast.
“Do you think the mouse king… can he even do that?”
“Don’t care if he can, but that thing is there and it’s going to swat us out of the sky, we can’t get high enough for it to not get us if it jumps.” Skittery’s knuckles were white with how tight he held onto the railing. “We’re almost at the ocean, right? Can it follow there?”
Swifty shrugged. “It’s not breathing, I’m guessing. It could just walk into the water and follow us. I don’t… I mean the sea is deep, but I don’t know how deep.”
“Deep enough to hold it. There’s giant trenches a bit out, I doubt it could get out.”
Swifty furrowed his brows at the nutcracker’s comment, still wondering how he knew so much. “He might stop before those. And wait until we have to pass him on our way back.” But possibly…
After reaching up to lower the flame over them, Skittery tried to swat his hand away, the urgency apparently making his steps a bit more steady. “What are you-“
“If the ocean is frozen over, we could trap him under the ice. He’ll break in when we want it, but I need to get closer to do anything.”
It was risky, and he wasn’t sure if he could do it, but it was better than the stone giant potentially waiting for them or following them after all. If he was under a thick layer of ice, he couldn’t do anything until they defeated the rat. He reached his hand down, breathing deeply and trying to tap into his powers.
Here, he was alone, it would be a monumental effort to freeze an entire sea, or even just the closer vicinity. But it was the only choice he had.
The shoreline started to freeze over, Swifty trying to keep the ice thick enough that the giant wouldn’t break in immediately but also not thick enough that he couldn’t undo it. His legs gave out under him, but he had to keep concentrating, had to pour everything he had into this for one little chance to win this.
Sweat collected on his brows, his hair feeling damp, like he was slightly melting and his arms grew hot even if the palms of his hands were freezing, and something warm was on his shoulder- Skittery had gripped his shoulder, squeezing it. “There’s other fairies flying here, you can do it.”
Swifty opened his eyes, seeing white and blue lights flitting closer, a lot more of the sea freezing and lifting the weight on his body, his temperature going down again while he tried to get up with Skittery’s help. Keeping a hold of his hand, he kept pouring his magic out the other, doing his best to keep it steady, and have the outer reaches of the ice weaker than the start.
“It’s working, he stepped on the ice!”, Bumlets yelled, Swifty having to blink to get his eyes to focus. His friends had done a good job, he was walking without any problems. Now he just had to break in before he reached them, their height having dropped dangerously low if he got any closer.
“Is he going to break in?”
“I d-don’t know, I tried to make it weaker, but I can’t- I didn’t know how heavy he is.” Bumlets’ wooden hand on his shoulder gave him a similar grounding effect as Skittery’s hand still in his.
Probably looking down on the ice, Bumlets remarked: “It should be deep enough to bury him in a bit. Keep trying to make it weaker, I’ll make sure he falls in.”
“Make sure…? How are you-“
But before Swifty could do much more, Bumlets had thrown the rope ladder from their balloon, gripping the sides and sliding down as fast as he could. Forcing himself on his feet, Swifty had to be yanked back by Skittery to not look too far down, seeing the Nutcracker land on the ice, sword first, breaking a small portion of it. Yanking his sword out again and quickly gripping the ladder, Bumlets couldn’t get a proper grip on it, the stone giant getting closer, reaching his hand out, its feet almost on the crack-
“Hurry!”
Bumlets gripped the ladder and started climbing the same moment the giant set foot on the crack he’d made, the ice breaking under its weight, pulling it into the ice-cold sea below, just as planned. The water froze again only moments after its hands and head had submerged, the frost fairies apparently not done with the sea yet. Swifty wouldn’t have had the power to do it again.
As soon as the Nutcracker had climbed back into the balloon, Swifty held out his hand, the other gripping the side of the basket. “I haven’t properly thanked you yet for earlier. And now you’ve not just saved me, but all of us, again.” Bumlets took his fingers, his wooden joints a strange feeling, even with Swifty’s gloves. “While I don’t understand things about you, or know how you know this much, I trust you, and I’ll fight with you until we’ve not only found the Sugar Plum Fairy but also defeated the Mouse King.”
If the Nutcracker knew as much as he seemed he did, he knew promises from his kind weren’t to be taken lightly, more an oath then a simple promise. And as much as Swifty still hurt from what this war had taken already, he knew not just for himself, or the Nutcracker, but also for his old friend, his love, and maybe his new crush he had to do everything in his power to save this place. To find some new king.
Eventually, they sat foot on an island, far across the sea that allegedly no one had crossed before. It wasn’t touched by ice and snow, seeming to be in full spring, trees full and growing apples, flowers blooming and a river glistening in the fading sunlight.
“We should rest before continuing. Even if it is the right island, it could be dangerous.”, Bumlets declared, already grabbing sticks and stones for a small fire. Letting the man made of wood make a fire might not be the best idea, so Skittery and Swifty took it from him quickly.
“Fine. I’ll patrol the area, see if anything’s odd. I think it’s dangerous, but… we’ll see. I don’t need sleep either way.”
Swifty couldn’t really fathom how he was running if he couldn’t sleep, didn’t need it, what he usually did all night. In a way they kept him from being faster, reaching their goals as soon as possible. But Swifty was still glad they were there, here to accompany him.
With the nutcracker out of sight, Swifty and Skittery built a small campfire, their hands brushing more often than not. Swifty had pulled off his gloves, not wanting to dirty them and having more feeling without them, the warmth of the other’s fingers sending sparks through him.
“You were really brave. You might have been afraid going into the balloon, but you even pulled me further in at the end.”, he said softly, lightly shoving Skittery by his shoulder where they were sitting.
“It’s a silly fear to have.”, the boy just said, looking into the fire.
Swifty thought back to not wanting to risk losing another chance again. “Maybe. But we’re all afraid of something. We’re all scared, and it’s brave to stay up, even when you’re scared.”
“You’re different.”
Swifty laughed. “Not different. Just tired. I can’t keep up being a beautiful chaotic nuisance all day, it’s an exhausting job.”
Skittery rolled his eyes but looked him in the eyes, his small smile making Swifty’s heart beat faster. “I doubt the ‘beautiful’ part is very taxing.”
“It comes natural, but I still need my beauty sleep. Though it’s even better if I share my bed with a pretty boy.”
That startled the other slightly. “Wait, are you- I’m not- and isn’t it a bit early-“
“I just meant sleeping close together. But yes, I am flirting. We’ve had gruesome weeks and another day where I feared we might not make it. I want to try having any happiness I can have. You don’t have to indulge me, I’m not really good at warming through cuddling anyways. Might get a bit cold for you.” Swifty looked past the fire, the warmth only warming his outer skin, his body still colder than most. He’d said his part, now it was all in Skittery’s hand. He’d wait to look at his dark brown eyes dancing with the campfire until he knew where he was at.
Skittery took his hand, nervous, but holding it nonetheless. “I want to. But…I mean correct me if I’m wrong, but you and the prince-“
Not wanting to hear the rest of it, not wanting to think of it again, Swifty leant forward and kissed Skittery, effectively shutting that thought off. He missed Alejandro, he really did, and there was no way he was going to fall out of love with him, but he liked Skittery more than enough too. And they had this one night.
He cupped Skittery’s face and angled his head, the other slightly shivering until Swifty’s hands got warmer. The kiss wasn’t hurried, not even overtly heated, just something that tethered them both, affirmations of something there, a promise for when they had more time. The ground was soft when they laid down, Swifty slinging an arm around them and Skittery swiping hair out of his eyes while they traded quick kisses until they fell asleep, completely forgetting they weren’t alone where they were. And forgetting there were still things they should have talked about.
Bumlets wondered if a heart made of wood was able to break, or if it would splinter, rather, when he saw both his years-long crush, his oldest friend, and the boy he’d grown to appreciate, had seen how easy it was to fall for him, kiss. Yes, he knew he didn’t deserve this, even if they hadn’t kissed, he wouldn’t have been able to be in their stead, he didn’t deserve to get it, to receive affection or affirmation like that, not until he’d righted his wrongs. But even then, it would be too late, now. They had each other, not him, and even if Swifty would surely apologize as soon as he knew who he was, there was no way to undo it. They were both caring, courageous, beautiful, more deserving of each other than he could ever be.
He held watch over them diligently until the day broke again, his eyes drifting to their soft embrace often, wishing he could even just feel their skin, their hair, hold any of their hands without it just feeling like a strange throb in his wooden joints. Even if he couldn’t have what they now had, he thought to himself that, should they safe the kingdom and return him to his usual form, he’d at least hug both of them, feeling them again, feeling the warmth and comfort of people he trusted and loved, no matter if they shared these feelings.
There were more important matters to attend to, now that the sun had risen again, anyways. He prepared some of the apples the fairies had given them before their flight before he woke them, careful to be respectful and in that not noticing Skittery wanting to talk to him, instead patrolling again as soon as they were awake.
It was better that way.
The castle was a beautiful building, pink and violet, of gigantic proportions, and even if there seemed something off about it, Bumlets stepped in. Maybe, if he hadn’t been as distracted, trying to focus only on going forward and completing the vision, he would have seen the trap coming, could have pushed Swifty out of the cage, anything.
But his only thoughts when they were carried away in this comically large cage was, that even if Swifty was there with him, at least Skittery wasn't. This wasn't his fight, not really, and no matter how their captors had forgotten about him, Bumlets hoped he'd find a way off that island. A way home, hopefully bigger than he was now. Even if it had to be painful to leave when he'd just found Swifty.
"Before we... might not make it out of here, I wanted to say you two looked really happy. Congratulations."
He hadn't really thought it would end like this, behind a magic wall, in a prison cell, with his long lasting childhood crush, sentenced to death by fire at the Mouse King's earliest convenience.
He'd made his own life harder, turning the prince into wood. He couldn't bleed, he couldn't be cut.
But he could burn, only molten bits of metal surviving from his Nutcracker hat, all wood turned to ashes. Hopefully it would hurt him less than a human. And hopefully Swifty wouldn't meet the same fate.
"You saw?", the other asked, quiet in the face of their complete and utter loss. No Sugar Plum Fairy and no way to return to the rebellion. Or Skittery.
"I was patrolling. I didn't just say that."
Swifty hummed. "I really like him. Even though I feel a bit like I'm using him to get over- I mean how am I supposed to get over him, he's dead! Died protecting the thing he loved most. His country. His people."
Even trying to find a different explanation, Bumlets wasn’t able to. Swifty was talking about him. Of course he’d… thought it, sometimes. Maybe wished it. But this was by far the worst time to find out the person you had been crushing on for years had felt the same. About to die in a few hours, having just witnessed him kissing another.
Bumlets wanted to confess more than anything, tell Swifty he was here, he hadn’t died, not yet, but before he could, he thought of how much a second death, this time most likely having to be watched by Swifty, directly, would hurt him. If he knew he was alive, he’d hit him for hiding it from him and then hug him as tight as he could hug a piece of wood, demanding he never do so again. And then he’d watch him burst into flames, a few hours of happiness, possibly, for a moment that would break his heart even more.
“Vincent, I’m sure he would want you to-“
The fairy quickly turned to him, arms crossed protectively in front of himself. “How did you- you’re not supposed to know…” He shook his head, eyebrows scrunched together. “I never told you that. You can’t know that. You couldn’t know a lot of things, you- who are you?” There truly was no way he could know.
Before Bumlets could even try to fix his slip up, already wanting to reverse time, do anything to not have Swifty look so wary of him, part of him even scared now, the door slammed open.
The past few hours Skittery had probably been filled with more adrenaline than the entire rest of his life. And maybe that would continue, he wasn’t sure yet. First he almost had a panic attack watching Swifty and Bumlets get taken away, in a cliché giant cage which he couldn’t even laugh about in his current situation, crouched behind a bush.
Then the kind flower fairies offered to fly him back to the mainland, specifically the Mouse King’s castle, because his balloon wasn’t easily operatable alone – which was a lot scarier than he’d thought, not seeing anything below him and only being carried by a dozen or so little fairies and a flower garland. Maybe through all that exposure therapy in the last two days he’d fight off his fear of heights.
And now he’d infiltrated the Mouse King’s castle, avoided any rats on the first floors and now lied to the guards in front of the prison cells, trying and succeeding to make them more scared of the rat than suspicious of him.
Lastly, he wanted to punch the wall after breaking into a seemingly empty prison cell, his hands only saved by his thoughts not wanting to believe anyone would be dumb enough to guard a completely empty cell this heavily. It was possible, but he didn’t want to believe that even a rat would do things that weird.
A muffled sound came from somewhere in the room, similar to when Tumbler would knock on his window whenever he was out in the garden in summer and wanted to show him some bug, just way quieter. The cell itself didn’t have any windows, except for one in the ceiling where the grey-blue sky shone through, no one to knock on there in sight. As long as they weren’t up there, somehow, it had to come from further in the cell.
He ran right into an invisible wall, maybe some kind of weird mirror, and glared at it, looking around the room for anything to hit it with. Luckily someone had left a chair there, maybe it had been for the Mouse King to gloat at his victims, whatever, it was a godsend in this moment as he hit the barrier with it as hard as he could, the shield breaking like colourful glass, the shards disappearing into thin air before they could fall anywhere, revealing his nutcracker and snow fairy companion. Romantic interest? Crush? Boyfriend? Something.
Swifty ran to him as soon as he could, looking shaken in a way he hadn’t seen before, but before he could ask, the tall boy just hugged him tight, body sagging as he released an anxious breath he was holding. “You’re okay.”
“Are you okay?”, he asked back, raising an eyebrow at Bumlets who looked guilty, but not ready to talk about it.
“It’s… later. We need to get out.” Swifty took his hand, kissed the back of it and before Skittery could feel embarrassed about all he did in front of Bumlets, who he knew for sure had a crush on Swifty, he was pulled out of the room.
Of course the other two knew the castle much better than he did, pulling him along secret passages and by patrols he wouldn’t have known to avoid otherwise until they came upon the top of a walkway looking into the courtyard.
A giant pile of wood sat in the middle, ready to be put on fire. A chill ran down Skittery’s spine as he looked to Bumlets, knowing if he hadn’t found him… he’d likely be down there in a few minutes.
They had almost passed when Bumlets saw the Mouse King, bringing civilians in, many he recognised from the rebellion camp they’d previously stayed at. Two short ones the boys they’d met, Flipper and Boots. If they left… there was no telling what would happen to them.
“Is that how you rule your kingdom?”, yelled Bumlets, motioning for him and Swifty to stay back, already getting on the railing, sword in hand.
The Mouse laughed at his entrance. “Oh? You’ve gotten out of your cage and right to your burning! A perfect time to start my rule over all these little rebels.”
“Ruling takes more than a crown, Mouse.”
“Oh and you’d know?”
Bumlets jumped down, attacking with his sword and Skittery tried to find a way down without having to break his legs. Why did his Nutcracker have to be so damn chivalrous and brave all the time? For once he could have waited, they would have found a way… but that just wasn’t who he was. It was part of why he liked him so much.
Maybe he shouldn’t have yelled down, Bumlets thought, as he hit the Mouse as hard as he could and wished he had attacked him from behind. But that wouldn’t have been fair, no matter how unfair the Rat was, and he had needed to protect his people, desperately. He fought and pushed the Mouse back, almost getting to grab his staff before two spears crashed in front of him, not doing much more than a scrape, but making him stumble back, breaking his balance enough so that the King could close in, wanting to hit him.
A piece of wood hit him in the head and then another on the back, Bumlets looking to Boots and Flipper yelling at the Mouse and throwing everything in their vicinity at him.
The Mouse King barely spared a glance at them before waving his wand and turning them into stone.
No.
Bumlets got up, swiping at his sceptre, but it was too late, the boys were statues, unmoving but still in the pose as if they were about to throw more at him. The poor boys, they just tried to help and now he couldn’t protect them again, probably causing their death-
Something hit him in the back and made him slide to where the fountain used to be, now a giant stake. His sword slipped out of his hands, not far away, but he would have to reach over to get it, risking an attack he couldn’t block.
“Time to burn you once and for-“
Skittery came running from the stairs, kicking the Mouse in the knee and attempting to wrestle the wand from him, almost getting it before getting thrown off, landing in front of Bumlets who had quickly regained his sword in his moments of safety.
“You again! I haven’t made you small enough, youuuu!” The Mouse aimed at Skittery, waving his wand, channelling another spell to make him even smaller, but Bumlets saw one way he could prevent it. He grabbed Skittery, pulling him back and intercepting the spell’s way with his sword, reflecting it right where it had come from.
Evidently, that was the one thing the Mouse King hadn’t expected, trying to aim his wand somewhere else already, but too late, the magic already cast and coming back to him, no amount of fleeing saving him from being hit by his own spell.
He shrunk and shrunk, just like Skittery had, a few days ago, until he was half as small as the bat often fluttering by him, quickly slinking away, crown and sceptre left behind, far too big for him now.
Was it… over?
Bumlets wasn’t sure, breathing heavily – more out of habit than anything else – and sinking against the wall by the giant wooden stake put up for him. The rat was… somewhere, too small to do anything, Skittery was next to him, and Swifty-
He was alright, apparently having been involved in a fight with one of the guards, if the sword in his hands was any indication, and at least looking less afraid of him. Could he explain it now? They’d won, even if he was still… what he was.
Skittery grabbed his arm, right under the spot where his ribbon had been the entire journey. “Are you okay? This… we did it, you did it.”
Looking at the townspeople turned to stone, he wasn’t quite so sure. Did they have a way to reverse it? Was there anything he could have done? “I’m still just a wooden toy soldier. If you hadn’t-“
“We both know you’re more than that.”, Skittery started, glancing at Swifty, “You’ve been fighting to save your kingdom this entire time, Prince Alejandro.” The other gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, meaning to hold his hand out to help him up, but Bumlets couldn’t take his hand.
His movements were halted, a strange warm and fluttery feeling coming into his limbs, as if they were waking up from a sleep. His joints starting to feel less wooden, less perfectly straight and stiff, once again able to move, and his blood feeling hot under his new skin, every inch of it feeling, once again. He breathed, manually, coughing out a laugh at the joy of being able to do so again, moving more than just a block of wood, moving a living body, needing air and sleep and warmth.
There was a feeling of cold again, under his legs, and of warmth where Skittery was holding onto him, half forgotten in the time he’d been turned. Bumlets had missed it. And another thing he’d missed, above all, ran to their sides, clearly between hitting him and hugging him as close as he could, but before he could decide which he’d do, Bumlets grabbed Swifty’s face, pulling him in a clumsy kiss, neither boys truly prepared for it, especially with how uncoordinated he felt, having moving fingers and lips again.
He still delighted in the burning sensation on his lips, the quick pounding of his heart, the breath he lost when he leaned back again.
And all that thanks to… “Skittery?” He turned, blinking his eyes, blinded by a pink sparkle washing over his friend, the other barely seeming to notice until it changed his clothes, leaving a glittery, pink and silver suit, the glitter spreading to the rest of the yard too, but that wasn’t important in the moment.
Of course. The one thing that could help destroy the Mouse King was him.
Skittery felt a bit sluggish, not quite understanding how his clothes had changed or why. There was something going on, but he could only concentrate on Bumlets, himself again, he assumed, and gorgeous in his dark blue uniform, looking at him like he’d just revealed all the secrets in the world to him. And Swifty, about as confused as himself but with tears in his eyes, not letting go of the Prince. Not again.
He’d assumed his heart would ache, seeing them kiss, maybe he’d even want to cry, but even now he couldn’t, just happy for them, always having known it was about to happen. If they could just talk a bit, if he could just think of things to say he could tell them he loved them, and them together, and then they could… why was it getting so hard to think?
Bumlets, the prince, stumbled up, asking him something, but Skittery couldn’t hear it, just slowly shaking his head, feeling as if he was floating somewhere far away, letting himself be pulled by it, and by the prince, pulling him forward, look slightly panicked, a hand on the back of his head.
He could almost feel it, a ghost of a breath already against his lips, when the force pulled him under.
Skittery’s eyes snapped open, the warmth of the fireplace having him sweaty under his Christmas sweater, the lights of it dancing against the big tree, making the figures it was decorated with dance.
He was… home.
Was it evening? The next day? Had his family worried for him? Where were Bumlets and Swifty, where was-
Skittery bolted up, feeling all over the couch and trying to spot his nutcracker, knowing it had to be there, no matter if this had been real or not. If he wasn’t there, had nothing happened at all, had he dreamt even getting him? Or was him not being there the sign it had happened? That he’d really gone with him through the hole in the wall into a magical place, saving a kingdom, falling just a bit in love.
Almost falling as he ran out the room, he practically ran into his Mom, in a pretty dark green dress, blond hair done up. “Andrew? There you are. Did you get some rest Mäuschen?” Skittery felt like laughing at the age old pet name that his grandma had originally started with, given the circumstances.
“No, I mean, yeah. Have you seen Benny?” If anyone had his nutcracker except him, it would be his little brother.
“James is helping him get ready for the party. You should too, I already put something nice out, the guests will be here soon.”
It took a while until he remembered the holiday ball/get together thing his mother had planned, hosting for a few of the families celebrating near here. He hadn’t really looked forward to it, except to having the quiet snowy silence broken, but especially right now he had more important things to find out.
Of course, she didn’t let him find those things out, just shooing him to his room and promising to tell Tumbler he’d searched for him.
There was a dark pair of pants on the bed as well as a white shirt and a vest Skittery was very sure he’d never owned, pink and with details in silver, just like… Just like what he’d worn after they’d turned Bumlets back. Luckily not as a whole suit, but just as the vest, but there was no way this was all a coincidence.
A cruel joke, possibly, but not a coincidence.
He wore it anyway.
Barely brushing his hair he ran out to Tumbler’s room, not seeing his little brother – or the nutcracker – and running further to the stairs, hoping he’d make it without anyone seeing.
“Andrew! Just one second, I need to introduce you!”
Skittery clenched his teeth, smiling as he went to his Mom, awkwardly. She was just greeting a Hispanic looking couple, he didn’t think he’d seen them before. And it wasn’t like they were here to see him anyways, he just had to be polite for a minute before he could disappear.
“That’s my son Andrew, he’s in a bit of a hurry, evidently.” His mother ruffled his hair and they all laughed.
The man held out a hand to him, but the woman talked to him first: “It’s nice to meet you Andrew. All our daughters are already inside, but our son – well the one that’s here now, Dante is coming later with our eldest, Carmen – should be right here, he just hung up our jackets. Ah, there he is! Mijo, come here, meet Angelina and Andrew!”
Skittery was just about to wish he could get out of this conversation faster to try to find out what happened, when he saw their son.
And, while he hadn’t spent a lot of time with Bumlets, while he had been a human, at least, he instantly recognized him. Dark greys and reds suited him even better than the blue uniform Prince Alejandro had worn. This wasn’t possible, in any reasonable way, but here he was, smiling widely and his hand as warm as what he’d felt just a moment before slipping away.
“Nice to meet you Andrew. Nice… vest.”
His startled laugh probably surprised his mom – or made her think he was having a crush at first sight, which wasn’t even really that wrong – but luckily she offered to show the Garcías around and to the other guests who had already arrived.
“Should I…show you the garden, Alejandro?” He only noticed that no one had told him the others name when he’d already said it. Luckily, their parents were already gone and the boy only smiled, relieved.
“That’d be nice.”
Almost as soon as they were out of sight, by the big windows looking into the snowed in garden, he took his hand. “Do you remember? Really remember?”
Skittery’s heart was beating out of his chest, from being this close to the pretty man, from knowing they both remembered, from being relieved he hadn’t only imagined developing crushes on a nutcracker and a frost fairy. “I do. And you’re made of more than wood after all.”
Bumlets laughed, only making himself more beautiful and getting closer to Skittery, almost drowning him in his dark eyes. “I am. Even if I felt like my limbs were stiff and weird after waking up. I don’t… know how to explain any of this, but there was something I didn’t get to do before you got torn away. Can I…?”
Skittery just nodded, already leaning down, Bumlets’ hand once more on the back of his neck, pulling their lips together and, this time, connecting before something could interrupt them, Skittery smiling into the kiss and holding the former nutcracker close by his shoulders. It was happy, and soft and careful, and all he already knew Bumlets to be. He smelt slightly of dark wood, and he wasn’t sure if that had always been something or if it was new, but he loved it.
“Always late to the party, aren’t I?”, another familiar voice drifted to them, just as Skittery had chased after Bumlets’ lips, not wanting to stop kissing him just for some air.
Swifty was there, too, even if he was clearly different from the fae he’d seen in the magical kingdom. His hair was only dark, no snow except a tiny dust that was already melting, his cheeks red from the cold outside.
Bumlets ran to him and hugged him, lifting him slightly off his feet even with the roughly four inches Swifty had on him. “You’re here!”
“And you’re- oh god- stronger than you look, hug on the ground please, I’m not used to flying anymore.” His grin was just as infectious here as it had been, and Skittery couldn’t help but kiss his cheek while he was still distracted, feeling how warm he was now.
“We should … talk. About a lot.”
Bumlets nodded. “Let me get something to drink. I’m just… so glad you’re here. And we don’t have to juggle nobility politics and different universes with also all having kissed each other that’d be awful.”
Swifty looked after him fondly and took Skittery’s hand. “Of course he thought about what issues it’d bring if he, the prince – or king – was falling for definitely not princes. Or maybe you count. Don’t know what rank a Sugar Plum Fairy has.”
Swifty wiggled his eyebrows, obviously teasing him about all that pink glittery magic he’d allegedly caused.
“Being a Sugar Fairy and a princess would be a bit excessive.” Skittery just squeezed his hand. “Do you… remember everything? Even the entire thing happening years before I got there?”
Swifty shrugged. “I think. Those are less clear, now more just things I know happened but haven’t seen myself. Everything since I met you and him was me, the rest… might have been magic. But falling in love with a prince, knowing he’d far above you and still being his friend is a great story. Even if I still don’t forgive you for making me think you died, Alec.” He aimed the last part right at Bumlets who’d just come back with three glasses for them.
“We have to talk. A lot. I just couldn’t tell you, but you deserve to know why. I’m sure Skitts can find a quiet place for us, right?”
Even if he couldn’t, he’d make sure no one would interrupt them, somehow, at least not until he was sure this was real now and that they would keep kissing each other.
He still wondered where the small nutcracker he’d gotten was, or if he’d existed in the first place, but asking Tumbler was a lot less important, now that he had his life-sized version as well as his snow fairy in his house, at a party set to last a lot more hours.
He also knew, the second he saw that James was watching them go upstairs, where his room was, with a raised eyebrow, that he’d have a lot of explaining to do later, but there were far more important things to do.
The kiss he got as soon as they’d closed the door was proof of that.