"H-Huh?" Cas looked up at Zachary, terrified and confused. "Then… then we should stay outside, r-right? We don't want to do that, and… and technically we already obeyed, right? I mean, we're here. I don't think she ever said we had to go inside, right?"
Zachary nodded quickly. He raised his hand to gently cup Cas's cheek, not coming out of the house.
"Please, please don't come in. I… I love you, Cas…"
(Don't you dare kill Zachary you monsters!!)
(asdfghjkjhg in this world death is an illusion and nothing is every permanent)
"Can't you come back out, Zachary?" Cas asked, beginning to grow a bit panicked. "Zachary? P-Please come back out… we can… we can stay out here. We'll be fine, right?"
"I love you so, so much," Zachary said, tearing up some. "I'll fix this, I promise…" Zachary left his hand on Cas's cheek, rubbing him gently with his thumb.
"I… I-It'll be okay, Cas…"
"Zachary, what are you doing?! You have to come back out!" Cas insisted, his eyes stinging with tears. "P-Please, come back out… you can't… you can't stay in there, Zachary, please…"
Zachary shook his head a bit.
"I… The farther I get from him now, t-the faster it'll be," he explained, a few tears rolling down. "I… I love you so much, Cas…" Zachary let his hand slowly fall from Cas's cheek.
"N-No, please…" Cas whispered, a couple tears rolling down his cheeks. Is he… going to die? "Please, Zachary, I… I-I can't lose you. P-Please come back out here…"
(screams)
Zachary shook his head slowly.
"I'll c-come back out as soon as I've fixed this," the minor god promised softly. "I love you so, so much, Cas, and you've got to make sure Nix is safe, okay? D-Don't let Derlik hurt him, and don't let him h-hurt you."
"Zachary, no…" Cas whispered, more tears rolling down his cheeks. "P-Please don't do this… what are you going to be able to do, anyway? What if… what if he hurts you?" He asked weakly. Nix huddled closer to Derlik, obviously afraid.
"I… I don't know… but, I'll do anything to make sure I can g-get you back, okay? There's no way I'm not going to be hugging you again soon…" Zachary let out a shaky breath, moving to close the door.
"I could help," Derlik said, calmly. Unaffected by what was going on.
Cas hiccuped weakly and rubbed at his eyes, looking up when Derlik said he could help. He didn't trust the god, but… he also didn't want Zachary to have to go through this. "W-What could you do?"
"I could heal Halm from whatever's going on. It's something all gods can do." Derlik still held Nix close, looking at Cas and the minor god hidden slightly behind the half-closed door.
"Well… go ahead and do that, then. And leave Nix here, preferably. I don't want him to feel… w-whatever is going on in there." Cas looked up at Zachary weakly.
(Derlick you had better play nice!!!!)
(Mhmm >:3)
Derlik nodded, looking down at Nix.
"I'm going to fix this, okay? Can I set you down?" Zachary watched Derlik wearily, looking back to Cas with tears in his eyes.
"I…"
Nix hesitantly nodded, allowing Derlik to set him down in the grass. Cas kissed Zachary's cheek and stepped back, trembling with fear. He held onto Nix's hand to comfort both of them.
Derlik lightly patted Nix's head and kissed the spot, moving over to the door. Zachary stepped out of the way, ending up out of Cas's line of sight. The door was closed, and the two were left alone.
Cas whimpered softly in fear, a couple more tears rolling down his cheeks. Nix glanced over at him and hugged him tightly, purring to comfort him.
It took time. Derlik was in there for what looked like forever, but eventually he and Zachary made their way out. Zachary hurried to Cas and Nix, hugging them both tightly.
Cas hugged Zachary tightly, burying his face in his chest as he sobbed. "Oh my god… t-thank god you're okay…" He whispered. "W-What did you do?" He asked. "To… to Halm?"
"I'm right here," Zachary said softly, holding him close. "I'm okay…" He paused as Cas asked about Halm, tucking his head close so Nix couldn't hear.
"He… He was almost dead," he whispered softly. "It looked like he'd tried to… you know… but he passed out before he could finish. Derlik helped us patch him up… He's still unconscious, in his bed now."
Cas paled a bit, holding tighter to Zachary. "What… w-what would happen to us?" He asked in a shaky whisper. "If he… if he died? Since we're his claimed souls and all…" Nix wandered over to Derlik and hugged him as well as he could considering the size difference.