Chapter Text
Everyone looked at the clock: 10 minutes.
“Alright, everyone! Gather around!” Guest announced in his alarming, military drill sergeant voice.
Everyone gathered around the chalkboard.
“Okay, David, go ahead.” Guest 1337 nodded to Builderman.
Elliot barely listened as David BUTTCHEEKS (mb my hatred for David Bazuki came out) started speaking. He stayed close to 007n7, unable to pull himself away, his eyes fixed on him. Something in him had flipped the moment they’d made up, and now he couldn’t look at anyone else.
Shedletsky turned around and snapped playfully in Elliots face, he jumped. “Hey, kid. Pay attention. don't fail class now,” he joked.
“Hmm. Sorry, Mr Shedletsky,” he responded, snapping back to reality.
“Dont fret it. And p.s. Just call me Shed. no need for the silly honorifics,” he waved his hand, and turned back around to pay attention.
Some yappage later.
“Alright, team! Go get yourselves mentally prepared. And good luck!” Builderman closed the discussion, sending everyone off to do their own things.
007n7 sat down on the couch, with Elliot following behind. n7 smiled softly, finding it amusing how he went from hating him to following him around all within 30 minutes. Elliot didn't say anything, though. He just stared.
“Have you noticed how Elliots really clingy to Seven?” Shedletsky asked his small talk circle, consisting of Dusekkar, Guest 1337, and Builderman.
“I noticed Elliot rushed out of here earlier, and Seven slipped out after him a couple of minutes later,” Guest commented.
Chance was sitting on the stairs near the older men, eavesdropping as he loaded gunpowder into his flintlock. He poked his head in. “I was going to go check up on Elliot earlier, but I heard him crying, like, really crying,” he said, seemingly unfazed. “I guess our lovely hacker beat me to calming him down,” he shrugged. “But what I’m wondering is what happened in there. The guy’s like my brother; he tells me everything. He told me everything about what happened with him and Sev in the past.” Chance clicked his tongue, thinking. “Maybe I can ask him during the round.”
He tilted his head up in that weird aura-farming thing he does, where the light hits his shades just right so it looks like there are 7’s on them. He does it all the time.
“Alright, chance.” Builderman sighed. “Go do that,” he waved him off.
______________________________
Elliot’s eyes were still red, and there was still a lump in his throat. He swallowed, staring into the fireplace, his eyes growing warm. He thought about his actions today—what he’d done, what he’d said. He began to sweat.
Did he like 007n7? The same man who’d brought him pain. The man who had cost his family thousands of dollars. The one who had indirectly killed him.
Elliot tried not to think about it; he wanted to move on from the past and focus on the future. He was stuck with this man for the rest of eternity, anyway.
He felt a flutter in his chest as he thought about them together. “Oh telamon, what am I thinking?” he thought to himself. He shook his head, snapping back to reality, turning to look at 007n7. n7 held up a thumb, quietly asking Elliot if everything was okay. Elliot nodded, smiling slightly.
“Guys! 30 seconds!” Guest called.
007n7 tensed his shoulders, getting ready for the teleportation to the map.
Tick, tick, tick.
_____________________
Elliot shook. Why this map, and why now? After his worst episode yet? Why now? He clutched his heart and began to hyperventilate.
No. Not here. Not here.
He saw Chance approaching him, holding a soda. Elliot tried to calm himself down, breathing heavily.
“Hey, brother!” Chance pointed finger guns at him and clicked his tongue. “You alright, bud?” He sounded concerned.
“I—uh… I… I’m fine. I’m alright.” His thoughts were getting fuzzy.
“I brought you a cola… if ya want it.”
“Thanks, man,” he replied, out of breath and exhausted.
Chance tipped his fedora and strutted away, flipping his coin. Elliot exhaled and slowly calmed down. Thinking about n7 helped him relax.
“Stop it. Do your job, Elliot,” he lectured himself.
He grew closer and closer to the pizza place, beginning to sweat. He took a deep breath, calming himself.
Suddenly, he saw the highlight of a damaged survivor. Noob needed help!
Elliot approached them, scrambling to open his bag and grab the pizza box, ripping off a slice and tossing it in their direction.
“Thanks, Elliot!” Noob waved at Elliot as they stumbled to get the pizza, as they ran.
Elliot smiled and began to walk away until he heard laughter. Children’s laughter.
He froze; time stopped.
He looked up in the direction of the laughter.
C00lkidd rounded the corner.
He began to shake.
“Don’t see me.”
“Don’t see me.”
“Don’t see me.”
The boy giggled he pulled out the c00lGUI, tail wagging playfully.
Elliot couldn’t move.
“Here I come!!!” The boy giggled, pulling out his sword and rushing towards Elliot.
Seconds felt like hours.
He couldn’t move. Just like his final moments in the pizzeria.
He closed his eyes and braced for impact.
“Gotchya!!”
His body burned, pins and needles everywhere. He ran—to the best of his ability—to the rest of the survivors. He saw Taph had booby-trapped the supply station.
His breath quickened. His heart raced. Tears running down his face.
He couldn’t do it. He wanted to crumble to the ground and give up.
C00lkidd giggled behind him. Skipping playfully.
007n7 looked up from his generator; he heard c00lkidd’s faint giggles; they made his heart sink to his stomach. He checked the survivor list; Elliot was rapidly losing health. n7 looked around.
Taphs traps! He’s definitely heading there. He picked up the medkit he had next to him and ran. He ran for Elliot’s life. He can’t let him die. Not again.
-
The other survivors noticed Elliot running panicked to the supply station.
“Get ready!” Guest called.
The other 4 people perked up.
Shed raised his sword, Builderman added the last touches to his sentry, Dusekkar raised his staff, and Taph hid in the corner.
Guest locked eyes with Elliot. He could read Elliot perfectly.
He was going to collapse, or at least give up.
Guest panicked internally as Elliot’s running slowed to a painful jog.
Suddenly, 007n7 ran into the scene, catching Elliot as he collapsed. He looked over at the others inside the building, silently screaming at them to do something.
“Dad?” C00lkidd tilted his head, confused. n7’s eyes widened in fear. They stood there for a couple of seconds, 007n7 was holding a shaking, fearful Elliot. He examined his son, or at least what looked like his son, for the first time. C00lkidd's body was stretched and bleeding. His horns were constantly on fire, and his legs were broken to look like those of a goat. He was missing patches of fur. This wasn’t his son.
Suddenly, Guest came up and stood in front of Elliot and 007n7. He turned his head around to look at the two. “Get outta here!”
007n7 understood the message and ran the best he could as he held Elliot by the waist.
He found a patch of dry grass to sit down on.
“Elliot? Are you with me?” He said in a calm yet concerned voice.
Elliot sat there on his knees with his head down, hair covering his eyes. His back was burned, and his sleeves were slightly cut. Luckily, his apron and undershirt saved him from having his worst scars revealed.
Elliot looked up; his eyes were wide in fear. He stared at n7 for a moment, then lunged for a hug, wrapping his arms around him.
After a long moment of silence, he whispered
“…thank you,” he smiled
007n7 laughed shakily. “What happened out there?” He asked softly.
“I don’t know… I just kind of froze when I heard him.” Elliot shuddered. “Im sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?” n7 questioned gently.
“Well… he’s your son… and…” he held on tight.
This was… confusing. To say the least. Elliot once told 007n7 to fuck off and that his son was a spawn of the devil. What happened to him? Is this all because of what happened in the bathroom? 007n7 couldn't deny that he liked how Elliot clung to him and his kindness.
“It's alright, Elliot, really. I understand where you're coming from. I can't begin to imagine the pain that he’s caused you. And now we’re here, at this map, with him. I get you, truly.” he pulled away from the hug to hold Elliot's face for a moment. He let go, “I have a medkit for you,” he said, placing it in his lap. “Do you need help with it?”
Elliot thought for a moment. “I uh…” You could see the gears turning. “You can… help… if you like.”
n7 nodded, standing up, then offering a hand to Elliot. But once Elliot got up, he didn’t let go.
“I’ll just… take you somewhere so that no one sees, okay?” he smiled softly.
He found a building that they could hide behind. Kneeling so he could properly open the medkit.
“Alrighty.” he grabbed the bandages and some disinfectant from the kit. He turned back to Elliot, staring blankly for a second.
007n7 hesitated, the roll of bandages sitting heavy in his hands.
“Um… I gotta wrap your back and stuff,” he said quietly. “I gotta clean the burns. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Elliot’s fingers tightened in the fabric of his apron. He knew what had to happen if he wanted to actually be patched up, but the thought of revealing his scars again made his stomach turn.
He shuddered. “Okay. Fine,” he calmed down, it was only n7, he'd already seen them.
Elliot fumbled with the tie of his apron, loosening the knot and lifting it over his head. He exhaled, pumping himself up in a way. “Phew ok.”
He took off his shirt and undershirt, and the cool air hitting his arms was refreshing.
The next obstacle: his binder. He sweated. Elliot didn’t like remembering it. He sighed. It was going to happen sooner or later.
“Can you uh… unzip… it…” he turned around, moving his ponytail out of the way of the zipper. 007n7 nodded and quickly unzipped the binder, helping Elliot slip out of it.
“Alright, this won't take long, I promise.” 007n7 smiled, unrolling the bandages and beginning to wrap them around Elliots chest. Elliot gulped slightly and blushed. 007n7’s touch was light and soft. Every touch sent electricity through his body, making him feel warm and fuzzy.
Just as quick as he started, he finished, ripping off the bandage from the roll and tying it into a knot.
“Oki doks. I'm done now,” he put his hands on his hips, proud of his work.
Elliot quickly put his binder back on and zipped it up, then grabbed his clothes and put them on quickly. He turned around to face n7, smiling.
“Thank you so much,” he blushed, grabbing his bag off the ground.
“It was the least I could do.” n7 scratched the back of his neck.
“Hm,” Elliot tilted his head. Then he got an idea, a wonderful idea. Maybe not now. “Let's get back to the others now, shall we?” he grinned and waited for the other man to follow.
Round end! Survivors win!!!
A pathetic confetti rained from the ceiling. Everyone looked annoyed, to say the least.
“Whos up for Jenga, everyone?” Chance raced up the stairs, mostly everyone said yes, except the guys we’ve been following the whole time 🥹
Elliot and n7 went to sit on the couch, warming up by the fire.
Elliot was nervous, to say the least, fidgeting with his fingernails and picking skin tags. He took off his visor and placed it next to him.
“Elliot?”
“Hm?”
“I just want to apologize again. I feel like, however many times I apologize, it won't ever be enough and it won't ever fix anything, but I just want to tell you again how much I’m sorry for everything. I just feel so terrible about everything, and I couldn’t save you. I’ve hurt you terribly, and I don’t know what to do.” His voice broke slightly
Elliot sat up and turned to face the other, cupping his face in his hands.
“You did save me, silly. Maybe not back then, but today. I don't know what you did to me, but I… you helped me, seven. At my lowest point, you pulled me out of the mud. You’ve helped me more in 20 minutes than anyone else in 27 years. I don't know what you did, but it worked.” Elliot paused for a moment, thinking. Elliot’s thumbs brushed along 007n7’s cheekbones as he held his face, letting instinct take over.
For a second, neither of them spoke. The crackle of the fireplace filled the space between them, warm and soft.
“You did save me,” Elliot repeated, quieter this time. He looked n7 in the eyes lovingly, the first time since high school. He grew closer to him, pressing their foreheads together.
Elliot closed the gap between the two.
The kiss was clumsy and desperate and over way too fast, because creaky footsteps approached. “Yo, you guys seen-” Chance froze halfway down the stairs, eyes hidden behind his shades, but his entire posture screaming oh.
“Oh,” he repeated out loud. “My bad. Didn’t mean to interrupt… uh… team bonding.”
Elliot practically flew across the couch away from n7, “Chance!”
007n7’s tail was shaped like a startled cat. “We were just-”
“Yeah, yeah, sure. Totally. Just apologizing extra hard, I get it,” Chance said, smirking. “Carry on, lovebirds.”
He backed out, walking up the creaky stairs backwards, making sure he wouldn't trip on any stairs.
Silence dropped heavy between them.
“I’m going to kill him,” Elliot muttered into his hands.
n7 giggled. “You can't really do that if yer both dead,” he covered his mouth slightly to hide his laughs
“Shut up,” Elliot said, but he was smiling.