The battlefield was quiet.

Steven leaned back against a small cliffside, wincing as sharp stones dug into his back - as if it could compare to the pain in the rest of him. His hand clamped down on his thigh, trembling, trying to stop the flow of blood. He had snapped off the tail of the arrow that had hit him, wrapped the area in his uniform's scarf as tightly as he could, but blood continued to flow. He felt colder by the minute. He may have prolonged his survival temporarily, but he knew without proper medical care he was still going to die. Funny how, in the moment, that didn't seem like such a scary thing anymore.

Bodies stretched out before him, nearly as far as the eye could see. It wasn't even clear who had won - he could see an equal amount of his own colors and the enemy's. It seemed that both sides had elected to cut their losses and retreat, leaving the dead - and wounded - behind. Though, as far as Steven could tell, he was the only one still moving.

He'd heard of having a sense of peace in one's last moments, and until now hadn't really believed it - he was a fighter, and he was only 24, he wasn't ready to die yet. But now, sitting here slumped against the cliffside, hunched around his bleeding leg as he felt the life slowly ebb from his body, he found that he was ready to let go. He wasn't giving up, just… accepting his inevitable fate. He knew that his soul was in good hands. He only wished…

"Steven!" The distant shout, desperate, had his chin jerking up in shock. He was still alive? And still- here? Steven braced a hand on the cliffside, trying to drag himself to his feet, but the source of the voice appeared within view before he could even attempt to walk.

"Brian!" He shouted. Immediately, his brother's face whipped around to face him, and the look of panic on his face melted into relief.

"Steven." He broke into a run, picking his way through the bodies to reach his brother's side. Steven lowered himself back to the ground, studying Brian's body anxiously as he approached, but he seemed to be unharmed.

"What are you doing here?" Steven demanded as he got close. "I thought you retreated."

"We did. I couldn't leave you behind." Brian dropped to one knee next to him, a grin on his face that faded when his green eye found the arrow wound. "You're hit."

"I am." Steven gave him a thin smile. "It's… don't bother. I'm not going to make it."

"Oh." Brian sat back on his knees, studying the wound quietly. Steven let the silence stretch out for a few moments before asking,

"Did you disobey a direct order?"

Brian scoffed quietly. "Maybe."

"Brian, that's desertion."

"Who cares?" Brian shifted to sit down beside him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "I couldn't let you die without me." Steven leaned into him with a sigh.

"What are you going to do after, though?"

"I don't know." Brian shrugged, staring at the first rays of sunlight where they peeked over the distant horizon. "What are you supposed to do when your twin dies?" Steven didn't really have an answer for that.

His grip on his thigh tightened a bit, as if he could stop the ever-present flow of blood with his waning strength alone. He knew he was going to die, he'd accepted it, but… he couldn't in good conscience not try to give his brother as long as possible.

"I always thought you'd be the one to die first." He murmured. Brian snorted a laugh.

"Me too." He admitted. "Especially after my eye…" He traced the patch over his eye, guarding the nasty scar he had received during a previous battle.

"I guess Notch really did give you nine lives." Steven's voice was beginning to thin, and he struggled to keep it steady. "Just t-try not to go through them too quick for me, mm?"

"Yeah, sure." Brian shifted to take more of his brother's weight. "…does it hurt?"

"Yeah." Steven gestured aimlessly to his leg. "There's an arrow in me."

"I know, that's not what I meant." Brian sighed. "I mean… knowing."

"Oh." Steven shook his head. "No, it doesn't." He hesitated before asking, "What about you?"

"Knowing?" Brian asked. His twin nodded. "I… don't really feel anything." He said with a small laugh. "I guess it'll probably set in later." Steven gave a small nod.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Brian told him. "Better this than… not knowing, or finding your body instead." Steven made a face at the thought. "Is your life flashing before your eyes?"

"No." Steven shook his head. "But if it was, it would probably be a series of you doing stupid stuff."

"Probably." Brian agreed cheerfully. Steven managed a grin, but the increasing chill was making it harder and harder to focus.

He wrapped his free arm around his chest, hugging himself tightly. "Guess from now on you'll have to make up all the stupid for the both of us." He mumbled.

"I'll do my best." Brian leaned closer, trying to share his living warmth, but it couldn't replace the blood that Steven had lost. The cold was beginning to turn into exhaustion, but he refused to close his eyes just yet. If he fell asleep, he knew he wouldn't wake up again.

Instead, he gazed out over the battlefield through half-lidded eyes. So many soldiers, both from his own side and the enemy's, hadn't gotten the chance that he now had. Either they'd been hit and died instantly, or they had perished cold and alone, left to be forgotten as their living companions fled to save their own skins.

Such a pointless waste of life. If the king and his officials knew what it was like out here, maybe they wouldn't have insisted on this war.

"'F you make it home-" Steven's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "Tell Mari I'm sorry."

"Of course." Brian murmured. A beat of silence, then he added, "And I'll remind her that I'm still single." Steven scoffed.

"I- well, I can't argue with that." He hesitated. "'Long as you care of her."

"I will." They lapsed into silence again. Steven could feel his strength fading, he could barely lift his head anymore, and his hand on his thigh was all but limp above the site of the arrow wound. "I came out here expecting to find you dead." Brian spoke up softly. "I'm glad… you're not yet."

"Me too." Steven murmured into his shoulder. He felt like there was something he should say - 'goodbye', or 'I love you', but the words stuck in his throat when he tried to get them out. Like as soon as he said them, that it would be over. "I'll see you… o-on the other side." He choked out instead.

"Yeah." Brian's arm tightened around him. "Is it time?"

"Almost." Saying it aloud made his throat close up. He wasn't afraid of dying, but he didn't want to leave his twin alone. "P-promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"Promise." Brian agreed automatically.

"Good." Steven gave a weak nod. "And if I find you're not, I'm haunting you." Brian managed a little chuckle at that.

His heartbeat seemed to be slower now, and the glorious rays of sunlight were beginning to darken before him. "I love you." Steven whispered.

"I love you too." Brian rested his cheek on top of his twin's head. Steven exhaled, satisfied with his goodbye, and he let his eyes fall shut.