#is set after ren's therapy session w bigb in double life session 3

[mosscloakenthusiast]

Treebark Week day 5 - stay/run

The sun was setting, painting colours across the sky. Martyn was trying to rest, staring out of his small windows to watch the sun sink towards the horizon. For the first time in a while, he felt at peace-

“MARTYN!” 

He barely had a second to turn before Ren had climbed his way into the Bleeding Heart Bastion, panting from the effort of getting up to his isolated base. He looked exhausted - eyes near filled with tears, usually well-kempt hair a mess down his back, sunglasses somehow cracked. Part of Martyn noted that he still looked pretty. He ignored that part. His friend clearly needed help.

“Martyn, I’m sick of this GAME!” It was one of those monologues, then. Martyn sat down on the floor, beckoned for Ren to do the same. “I can’t sit right now dude, I’m STRESSED!” Ren began pacing, Martyn settled into watching and being occasionally supportive. “I’ve just come from THERAPY with SCOTT-”

“Oh was it you I heard across the cliff?” Ren pauses pacing to shoot him a pained look. “Ah. I see why you’re here.” Martyn took a deep breath. He had heard two people fighting during what he had assumed was one of Scott’s therapy sessions. Clearly, he had assumed correctly.

“Yeah, dude. BigB is CHEATING ON ME, and now I don’t know where to GO!” Ah. Not great for Ren - Martyn tried not to seem happy that Ren’s new relationship hadn't worked out. Told himself he still didn’t have a chance, Ren would have asked him ages ago if he was even somewhat interested-

“Run away with me.”

What?

“What?” 

“Run away with me. Leave this blasted server and stay with me instead.”

“I - Ren -  there’s a border?”

“Yes. Right. So, we run to a corner of the world, build walls, and work until we can figure out how to break it.” Ren paused, as if trying to analyse Martyn’s reaction before continuing, “Look. We’ve been close since day one, right dude? And we have that whole broken hearts club thing, so it’s not like we’re caring about the ‘no previous alliances’ rule, and BigB told me I dress like you and I think it’s because I miss you and-”

“Ren.”

“Right, sorry, just - angry. Confused. You’re looking really beautiful in this lighting-” He gestured towards the window, where the last of the sunlight was seeping in “- and there’s just no-one else I’d trust enough to leave with me, basically.”

The guy Martyn’s had a crush on since he'd known him was asking Martyn to run away with him. He called him beautiful. Martyn wanted more than anything to do whatever Ren asked. But he knew he couldn’t, and he could feel his heart breaking as he realised the situation Ren had put him in.

“Ren, hanging out with Pearl because we think she’s a witch is different from running away together. We can’t break the no-alliance rule. You know that. This isn’t fair. You’re making me make the decision so you don’t have to, and you’re only asking me because you don’t like Scott and you think I’m the next most likely to break the rules-”

“That’s not true-”

“Well, Scott broke the rules. They killed him at the end of the last game.”

“I don’t care!”

“I’m sorry, Ren. I can’t. You know I can’t. Cleo would kill me- I-”

“I love you.”

Fuck. What was he supposed to say to that?

“You don’t mean that.” He settled on. Because he didn’t, right?

“I’ve loved you since Dogwarts. I didn’t know how to tell you, but hey, it could be worse than “quit your soulmate, run away with me”, right?”

Martyn sighed, standing up so he’s face to face with Ren, who had stopped his pacing again.

“I love you too. Always have. But, and I hate myself for it, I can’t follow you on this one.”

Ren paused. Took a step away. “I hate you too.”

“Well, that makes this easier for you, then.”

Ren stared at him for a moment, then left. Martyn waited until he couldn’t see Ren from his window before he started crying.