[Gift] hold me like water or hold me like a knife

“Hollis, the elevator’s this way,” Sable said, a nervous smile fluttering on her face.

The other bun looked up from the weeds they were admiring. The overgrown stems were easily half the height of their bun form, and stretched up from between the sidewalk cracks, seeking sunlight. “Huh… yeah, guess you’re right,” they said, and picked one of the bright yellow dandelions before meandering after her.

Hollis put it in their mouth and started chewing, and Sable began to think that inviting them to the Garden of Virtues was maybe a bad idea. It was too late now though; they were already running late. Canceling on Primrose now would just upset him.

Hollis eventually made it over to her, after what felt like an eternity. Sable let out a breath, hand tightening on Churro’s harness. The service imp in question was looking up at her expectantly, and Sable just smiled at him and started walking. Hollis continued to follow her, thank the demons, and there were less plants around now for them to be distracted by. Small mercies, she supposed.

The two buns rounded a corner, and Sable was relieved for once when she saw the elevator tower looming ahead. Beside her, Hollis let out a low whistle. “Woah, that shit’s tall.”

“Sure is,” Sable said with a huff of laughter. You’re so cute.

She bit her tongue to avoid saying that last part, and instead led them to the elevator— the door was so much bigger in her bun form. She’d never been to the Embassy in it before. The doors slid open with a soft chime, and Hollis toddled inside, Sable quick to follow. The doors slid closed again, and as the elevator began its climb, Churro began pawing at her leg. Sable blinked down at him, a question on her lips. “Huh? What’re you— oh, meds! Thanks buddy.”

Churro let out an arf and did a happy wiggle, rocking back on his heels while she dug around in her pack. She found the water bottle quickly enough, and her meds soon after. She downed them both in quick succession as the doors slid back open with a soft chime. Sable shoved them back into her purse, then blinked at Hollis, sprawled out on a patch of clouds in front of the elevator. “Um… Hollis?”

“Have you felt this, Sable?” they said, voice muffled by the ground. “The grass is sooooo nice here…”

“I, um… haven’t lay on the ground, no…” Sable said, and Hollis rolled one way, then the other. She wasn’t sure how they managed to roll around with their horns being so big, but they did.

“Soft… you gotta try this sometime,” Hollis said, staring up at the ceiling, pupils blown.

Sable giggled, tail flicking as she walked over to them. “What did you eat before coming over?”

Hollis hummed. “No idea. S’ a nice high though… wow…”

“I’m sure,” Sable said, amused, ignoring the bite of anxiety at her heels that said Primrose won’t like this. Instead, she offered them a hand. “Here, let me help you up.”

“Ohhh… thanks Sable, you’re so nice,” Hollis mumbled, and Sable also ignored the flutter of her heart when they took her hand. Seemed ignoring things was the strategy for the day. 

Sable let out a little noise of effort as she hefted a very floppy Hollis to their feet, that noise morphing into a squeak when they flopped directly onto her. “Woah, gravity’s doin’ stuff… sorry,” they said, and Sable felt their voice rumble in their chest as they took a step back.

She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the sudden dryness there. “Primrose is expecting us,” she reminded them, voice gentle despite her words. 

“It’ll be fine,” Hollis drawled, leading her by the hand down the street. Sable let out a nervous little giggle, and tugged them in the direction of the gardens instead. She was not thinking about how nice it was to hold hands. Definitely, 100% not.

Sable did pick up the pace a little though, and soon enough they were standing in front of the stained glass greenhouse doors, the designs on them now familiar to her at least. She let Hollis have a moment to admire them, even though she could see the pale shape of Primrose in there, probably impatient for her arrival, but it would be rude to not let Hollis have a second because the architecture was truly a wonder—

“Saaaable?” Hollis said, waving their hand in front of her face. It snapped her back to Burrowgatory, and she looked at them, face growing hot. 

“Uh- um… yes?”

“We gonna go inside or what?”

“Ah! Sorry, of course, hold on!!” Sable said, and let go of their hand to open the door for them. 

“Nothin’ for bein sorry for,” Hollis mumbled as they wandered into the greenhouse, which Sable ignored, closing the door behind them.

“Sable, it’s about time!” called out a familiar voice. “Where have you—”

Primrose cut himself off, looking between Hollis and Sable. “Oh, well- who’s this?”

Sable took a deep breath, Churro pressing himself against her leg. “I’m sorry Primrose, this is Hollis, they’re um— a friend of mine. They wanted to see your gardens.”

Primrose puffed up with pride, smiling like a sunrise. “Well, why didn’t you say so? I’m always happy to show my garden to curious buns. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hollis– perhaps a tour is in order after we’re finished with the watering.”

He held out a hand for Hollis to shake, and Hollis gave them a fist bump instead. “Sup.”

Sable withered and died on the spot.

“Right… I, well, yes,” Primrose stammered, visibly gathering himself. “Well… today is watering day for the ambrosia flowers we watered months ago, as we discussed, Sable. I expect you’ll be helping as well Hollis?” He glanced at Hollis’ leaf earring, then their mushrooms, and yeah, that was a fair assumption.

“Whatever ya need, bossman,” Hollis said with a little salute, and Sable nearly facepalmed.

Primrose’s hum in response bordered on disapproving, and Sable wanted to sink into the floor. “…Yes. If you’ll both follow me then, I’ve already prepared what we’ll need.”

Sable and Hollis both followed after him, Hollis almost bumping into a table full of gardening equipment before Sable pulled them back on course. Hollis grinned at her, then walked a little faster, trying to keep up with Primrose. “Soooo, how much water do these lil’ friends take?”

“While you can water these flowers with plain water, it’s actually best to mix in small amounts of ambrosia,” Primrose said, handing each of them a watering can. “We often use the dregs left behind after the distillation process for this purpose.”

“Coooool,” Hollis said, wide-eyed, and looked at their watering can with renewed interest. 

Sable nudged them with her hoof, and shook her head. ‘Poison,’ she mouthed. 

Hollis shrugged, mouthing back ‘Not all poisons kill you.’ They lowered it again though, which Sable took as a win.

Blissfully unaware of their silent exchange, Primrose was still talking.

 “We’re as of yet uncertain why mixing trace amounts of ambrosia in with their water helps them so much, but we suspect it’s something to do with ambrosia’s chemical composition. Nevertheless, I expect you both to only water them the amount I tell you to— ambrosia is cherubun medicine, and I cannot spare more to use for watering. Am I clear?”

“Understood.”

“Yes chef.”

Primrose’s eye twitched, and Sable once again wished for death. “Anyway, the ambrosia flowerbeds are over here.”

The flowerbeds themselves were much like Sable remembered them— save, of course, for the ambrosia flowers themselves. They were starting to blossom, resembling lilies in all but size and color— these were much larger, and glowed silver-white in the dim greenhouse, as if moonlight itself were caught and cradled within their petals. “Beautiful,” Sable breathed, reaching out to gently trace one of the pointed petals.

“Aren’t they just?” Primrose said, admiring his garden with all the pride of an artisan before their masterpiece. 

“Kinda remind me of moonflowers,” Hollis said, crouching down to study one closer. “Except the petals are all separated.”

Primrose frowned at them. “Moonflowers?”

“Yeah, y’know, thornapple, devil’s trumpet, moonflower? Wildly poisonous but also give a crazy good high? Those flowers?”

“I- I know what those are!” Primrose sputtered, crossing his arms. “I was simply… surprised it’s still called that down here. You people don’t exactly have a moon.”

“I, um— I believe it’s called that from the stories,” Sable piped up, shifting on her hooves. “We have some in the Church libraries…”

“I see… well, shame it’s in that church. I wish I could visit,” Primrose said, sniffing disdainfully.

Hollis looked up at him, blinked with one eye, then the other. “Y’ ever thought about, like, chilling out a little? I got some plants for it if you’re interested. Might even grow here!”

Their words were followed by a razor-edged silence, punctuated by Hollis’ entirely too earnest smile. Sable took a tiny step back, swallowing back an apology, trying to focus on Churro’s warm side against her leg.

“...I will keep that in mind,” came Primrose’s response, clipped to the same harsh perfection of the plants in his garden. 

“Okie doke,” Hollis said, their grin turning lopsided. “How do ya water these lil dudes, then?”

“I’m very glad you asked,” Primrose said, voice still too harsh on its consonants. But as he began to explain the proper techniques, his words smoothed out, and he knelt to show them exactly how it was done. Hollis followed soon after, and both Sable and Primrose were surprised at how easily they seemed to take to this method. 

Sable fumbled to follow their example, and the three of them worked in a silence that was far friendlier and far softer than the one before. In the rhythm that came with working with her hands in the dark earth, Sable’s thoughts took center stage. Hollis… they really didn’t care what other people thought of them, did they? Not even what Primrose thought. Jealousy sat in her chest like stomach acid, bitter and burning. She took a breath, and forced it back down. Maybe… maybe she could be like that someday. 

It seemed distant, though. Like the horizon. Like the heavenly meadow. 

Hollis caught her gaze at some point, and gave her a bright smile that burnished Sable’s insides to golden warmth- and after all was said and done, Primrose did end up giving them that tour. So maybe he did end up liking Hollis after all.