Chapter Text
“Please Bass…”
He was laying back in the bed. Even though he ruined the sheets with the oil they let him back in. Maybe it was because they felt sorry for him.
“....”
“Please… say something…”
“Something.”
“How could you be joking at a time like this?! You look awful, please, please, let us do something…”
He stared at the ceiling in ‘his’ room. He could feel those flowers again resting in his chest. Auto told him once those come up he would be done for, and he believes it.
Meanwhile, Megaman still begs for him to reconsider.
He probably should confess, but it's a constant struggle between himself. The parts of him that still tell him he could do it, if he put in the effort he could kill him and not die a failure.
But then there are the parts of him that ache and want to take his hand and capture his lips before he leaves this fucking bitch of an earth.
Treble yips at him.
“Tell him!”
It’s not that easy. He scowls at him.
Everyone else's words echo in his mind. Protoman, Dr. light…
This should be easy. It’s death or... death.
Maybe he is afraid of death, maybe he’s also afraid of dying like how everyone else is. On the battlefield, death was the last thing on his mind. He could be rebuilt. Their legendary battles that people talk about over and over and over would never truly die. Even if he was slightly off, who he is as a robot master changed... as long as he had his protocol, his very meaning for existence, he could be fine. He would know who he is and what he was made for.
If he dies he can’t ever come back now. Wily wouldn’t put in the effort to make him again after the hell he’s gone through. After learning of his greatest weakness…
He stares into those baby-blue eyes. Megaman squeezes his hand.
“Please Bass. Please."
"...How long until it’s Christmas now?” his voice sounds glitched, parts of words sounding more soft and other parts sounding louder. His volume levels are out of control so it's likely the flowers have started corrupting his motherboard.
"It’s Christmas Eve… I wanted you to be able to join us. Auto told me that more of those roses will come up and when they do…” he swallows. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll just have to watch you die I guess and I don't want that to happen. I want you to live. I wanted us to finally be friends. I was… I wanted so badly for that to happen when Blues brought you here… I knew you would be stubborn. And I can’t blame you for that. But… I was wishing… eventually… Eventually…” he sniffed. “And now you’re going to die. And I can’t do anything because you won't let me…”
“That’s exactly right,” Bass says. “There is nothing you can do. Megaman can’t save everyone in this world.”
“Bass… You’re such a jerk sometimes.”
"...” he can feel those flowers coming up.
It’s now or never.
To be or not to be.
In his last moments use the last of his energy to complete his protocol. To end his existence. Megaman would just be rebuilt, but it would be one last act of betrayal to make sure that he knows, he knows he's too far gone.
Or, to disappoint Wily one last time.
The choice was his.
He took one last look to Treble. He rested his chin on his leg.
Bass sighed.
“Do you remember the first time we fought?”
“...” Megaman nodded, hesitantly. “I do…"
"That’s the first memory I have. I don’t remember anything before that.”
“Bass…”
“I remember hating you so fucking much. I hated you more than anything. It was the first time I felt hate when you beat me. Wily told me so many times I was the superior one. With the strength and specs to prove it. But it was all a bunch of fucking bullshit, wasn’t it? All you had was your buster, your armor, and your weapons. Your dumb dog too. But you did. It was the first time I hated anything.” his voice chip was starting to sound more and more glitched by the second. Voice fuzzy and static-like. Almost like a TV with no signal.
But Megaman was silent.
“But eventually… I stopped hating you. I’m still not sure what happened. But I felt more… respect. I mean, you did all that when you are supposed to be your dad or whatever lab assistant. You weren’t built with combat in mind. Certainly are too…”
He wanted to say adorable and bit his tongue.
“...Too what?”
Bass remained silent for a moment.
“...Then all I could think about was you. I started following you around the city- just to watch you go to the arcades, the shops. Mess around with your sister. At first, I thought I could’ve learned your weaknesses that way. I don’t know how it happened, but then,”
Megaman gulped.
“...Then I heard about that fucking disease. I thought, there was no way anything like that could happen to me. It was fucking laughable. I thought those robots were stupid. They were idiots, it was their fault that had happened to them. If they just had better control over themselves they wouldn’t be in this fucking mess. I found out that was a fucking lie when I started coughing up those petals.”
He coughed once, into his hand, a splatter of oil was all over his hand. He preserved, as the flowers threatened to come up, he can taste the sweet petals and smell the sickly black substance. He needs to hurry. He was shaking but fuck as if he understood why. Megaman looked like he was going to cry but he couldn’t stop talking now. Treble looked at him with curiosity.
“But now…”
“Eh?”
Bass reached out and felt the back of his head. His synthetic hair felt like real hair, and not in the sense of how Wily’s never washed his. It was soft and felt nice.
“Bass?” Megaman blinked at him, blue eyes gazing innocently at him.
“Fuck it. If I’m going to die I’m taking this first.”
“What d-”
Bass growls and forces him down to meet at his lips.
“MPH-” Megaman makes a surprised sort of noise and attempts to pull from Bass’ grip. He keeps it on him, surprised and in awe of the electric tingles that his lips receive through their synthetic skin. It jumps through all the neurons in his body, feeling so fucking good and warm.
Then he feels his lips move against his, and he completely freezes.
What?
He stops completely as Megaman- Rock- squeezes against him, wrapping his arms around his waist and, oh god, this feels…
Even with his mind blank and thoughts swarming in his head, his core swells and he can feel it vibrating, thrumming loudly and pulsating with energy like its the first time it’s come alive in a very long time. His mind screams at him to shoot him, this is it, the ultimate vulnerable position, he is defenseless, willingly melting against you. Take advantage of it!
He told it to shut the fuck up. Fuck the protocol. The pain disappeared from his chest and in an instant, he looks like he just came back from the greatest recharge in his life.
He pulled away for what feels like an eternity- but was probably only 30 seconds.
“Um was that… Okay?” his face was bright red.
Bass just blinked at him.
“I’ve never done that before so… I was worried that I would mess it up. But it felt...” he grinned, “And you...”
Bass felt his face burn “Well I didn’t- I don’t… I… Still don’t understand.”
“ I don’t understand it either. But Blues told me that feelings are like that.”
“I wasn’t talking about that! You- why would you-”
His blue eyes twinkled and he smiled gently and kissed the gem on his helmet. Bass felt his cheeks redden further and sputtered incoherently.
“It’s hard to uh... Say… Er, put in words, that is.” He blushed and twiddled his tingers, occasionally scratching at the inside of his palms as his face turned red. “I mean… I r-really admire your strength and determination, and although you are frustrating I like that too? You're... Innocent about things outside your comfort zone and I think that's also adorable.”
“H-huh?! Adorable?! Like hell I am that’s you-” he clamps a hand over his mouth and he thinks he could die right there.
If it wasn't for that smile. “That’s the first time you’ve complimented me.” And he feels like a puddle of goo on the bed.
“Oh! By the way, are you feeling better now? I don’t know how this disease works so…”
“I do.” He scowled, realizing it was true. The pain was gone, the kiss had brought him to life like that stupid sleeping beauty movie.
“Can you walk?”
He leaped off the bed only for his legs to buckle underneath him.
Treble laughed.
“Oh, I guess that would happen… They may have atrophied due to the amount of non-use…” he mused.
“I-I can walk just fine!”
“Don’t push yourself, I can carry you.”
Bass didn’t object when he bent over and lifted him into his arms. He forgot how strong he was under how small his frame appeared to be. For a moment Rock was off-balance and Bass reacted instinctively by wrapping his arms around his neck.
“...Can I kiss you again?” Rock squeaks out.
Bass stuttered, not sure what he was supposed to do. He supposed he wasn’t against that.
“Y-yes.”
Their lips met again, it was imperfect but there was nothing else like it. He was in deep euphoria as he was in his warm comforting arms, the slightly acidic taste of energy on his tongue. Feeling his core in his chest and those eyes, that less than an anxious smile, and the reassurance that everything was fine. His legs suspended in his air and him cradling him so gently-
FUCK.
This is it.
It’s all over now.
Wily and everyone else is being left behind now. Those dumb games of uno and their fighting and yelling...
“What do I do now?” he asked aloud.
Megaman- Rock, he didn’t know which to call him. If he started acting like a real idiot he might make the mistake of saying Rocky- he blinked at him.
“What do you mean? You’re going to stay here right?”
“I…”
“You don't have to but… I want you to stay here.”
“What about your sister? Your brother and… All those other guys that stop by.”
“They’re my friends and my family. They may not like it but true friends and family always stick by your side no matter what.”
“They do?”
“I guess you wouldn't have experienced that… Well, it’s supposed to be like Treble. He always has your back right? That should be for the rest of your friends and family too.”
“What are we then?”
“I guess we can figure that out.” The lab was empty. He set him down on a table and kissed him on the power gem on his helmet.
Cold.
He tried to hang onto him.
Megaman chuckled, “We could be friends. Maybe even-”
“A couple?”
Megaman weakly nodded, “That is if you want to be…”
“...” really the decision is pretty clear cut. Can he go back to the life he was living before all of this? Back to following him around the city? Lonely times in his room with him and Treb? Listening to loud uno games down the hall?
“But I don’t fit in with your friends or your family.”
“That’s okay.” Megaman squeezed both of his hands. “Sometimes I even feel like I don’t fit in. You’re not the only one” he pauses. “You’re still cold… That reminds me, I almost forgot I need to-”
Bass pulls him back down when he tries to sit up.
“Bass, I need to-”
“No. This is now, that can be later.” Bass pulls him down, forcing precious little Megaman into a tight hug, which somehow still doesn’t feel enough even though they are pressed against each other on the table.
Rock doesn’t bother to struggle any longer and sighs, resting his chest on his power gem.
“I still can't believe this,” Bass said, staring out of the window-like ceiling. “I mean., this is… Nice….? It just… feels weird…”
“Weird how?”
Shoot him! Shoot him! His stupid processor eggs him on. He ignores it.
“I’ve never wanted to kiss or hug someone before. So for it to be you out of everyone, so fucking weird. What’s worse is that I like it.”
“At least you’re honest,” Rock responds. “And I like kisses and hugs, so if you want one all you have to do is ask.”
“I hate that old man. But at the same time, I can’t get him out of my fucking head. My processor keeps screaming at me to shoot you and I don’t fucking want to."
“Dr. Light could probably remove that.”
“...I don’t know about someone going through my head like that.” Bass replies honestly.
“It’s just something to think about.”
“It did serve me well while I was fighting you.”
“Do you want to fight me?”
Bass considered this.
“...not right now. Too warm, too nice.’
Rock laughed.
“‘Alright. I'm so happy right now… you don't know how much it hurt to see you in pain. How much I wanted to tell you…" Rock snuggled closer to him if that was possible.
"I think I’ve got an idea."
Kiss him.
He took the initiative of kissing him on the forehead and Rock pleasantly hummed.
They heard a loud gasp, Megaman turned to see Roll with a red face.
“A-ah Roll! This isn't-"
"I’m telling Dad!”
“No, wait-” he leaped off the table. “Let me tell him first-’
Roll ran out of the room yelling on top of her lungs, "DAD! ROCK WAS KISSING BASS!"
"NO, I WAS NOT! I WAS JUST HUGGING HIM!"
Bass couldn't help it, he laughed hysterically. He doesn't know if it was because his systems going nuts but he was still laughing when Rock and Roll ran back in, clamoring to speak to Dr. Light.
“What are you laughing about?!” Roll yelled at him.
“I have no fucking idea! But goddammit- I am alive right now!
“Where did that come from?"
"No idea! I think I´m going fucking insane!"
Roll watched as they removed the plate on his chest again, Bass was still giggling and this was increasingly starting to worry Rock and annoy Roll but holy fuck. The world sucks. Nothing even matters at all.
“Well lookie there. They all just up and vanished!” Auto looked curiously into his insides. “Although, we’re going to have to do a lot of work to get rid of all that oil and get rid of any systems that may have shut down… "
"Are you alright with us doing that?” Dr. light asked.
Bass smirked, "I don't know are you alright with me kissing your son?
"Bass!” Megaman yelped and almost dropped the screws in his hand and Roll glowered at him.
"Well gee, you were right Dr.Light. He did like him…” Auto scritched the side of his head his large mouth open in shock.
"I think I would know my son." Dr. Light laughs and places a hand on his shoulder. Megaman groans,
"Daaad…"
"I think I might have a few screws loose but fuck it! Why was I doing any of this at all- this is hilarious! I was here- fucking wasting away with goddamned FLOWERS in my chest when this whole time- this whole time-” He threw himself into a giggling fit, his bright purple core flashing colors, his voice chip was still damaged so at times his voice drooped to lower volumes and he sounded like he was laughing demonically. “and what for?! For some stupid protocol that keeps yelling at me? For an old man that's an asshole? Why was I doing any of this?! Man, maybe I am stubborn!”
“Doc I think we need to force shut down on him.”
Bass didn't protest and kept giggling as Dr. Light plugged a port into the back of his head.
“How many watts was it again?
“1000 is the max needed to force into shut down.”
“Was my motherboard malfunctioning or something?!? Why didn't I just say Oi, Rocky love you-”
In an instant 1000 watts of electricity coursed through his body, frying his circuits and overwhelming his systems until he shut down.
And everything went black.
...
“I’m not going out there."
Rock was wearing a blue and grey sweater with a penguin design around the neck. They wore blue scarves, and the ends of the scarves were brought out as loose strings, giving it a 3d effect.
“Oh come on, it will be fine!”
“They hate me.”
“They do not.”
“Not yet anyway.”
“Don’t be such a sour puss!” Rock grasped his hand and yanked it. “They’re opening gifts soon!”
“No.”
“Don’t you wanna premium E-tank?”
“...No.” he lied.
“Come ooooon…”
“Quit giving me the pouty face!”
"Pretty please?"
"..." Bass stared out of the window, to the ice and snow. The sun was shining and the snow gleamed like shiny frosting on a doughnut.
"...Fine. Who's out there?"
"Let’s see-" a loud erupt of laughter came from downstairs and Rock blinked, smiling fondly. "That must be Dr. Cossack… He said he's only staying a bit but that's a lie. Dr. Lalinde is also here, Tempo too. And all the guys! Cutman, Elecman, Gutsman, Bombman, Fireman, Iceman-"
"The coward."
Rock gave him a disapproving look, it was eerily similar to a few of the looks Roll gave him.
"He already feels awful over it. Don't say anything like that to him okay?"
"Fine, I won't call him a coward."
"Don’t call him anything!"
"Didn't you say you wanted to go out there already?"
"So you do want to go…?"
Bass had to look away from that gleam in his eyes. "I don’t but I don't want you on my case anymore."
Rock shrugged, "Good enough then. Let’s go!"
“Wait hold on- is that shithead out there?!”
“Blues? Oh no, he hates the crowds, he usually shows up when everyone else has left. Always been like that… We’re lucky he shows up at all. By the way- I know you don’t like him but please don’t call him that.”
“...”
That didn’t soothe his nerves all that much. He should be happy his dumb fucking smug face isn’t there to rub it all in couldn't help but swallow. He should be too focused on Rock holding his hand to think about anything else, but despite the absence of flowers in his chest, it felt swollen and heavy. What was this? Nervous? He felt fucking nervous?!
Holy shit.
He inwardly groaned but hardened his expression as to deflect the crowd gathered around the living room. The tree in the corner winked at him with itś cheery lights. Tinsel draped around the furniture also smiled merrily at him, and the presents under the tree danced, sparkling lights flickering, creating patterns and shadows against the paper wrappings and shiny bows.
Ugh.
The adults were immersed in conversation around the coffee table, holding big cups of the stuff, wrapped in obnoxious sweaters and laughing about something. Roll, Kalinka, and Tempo were conversing off the side with each other. When they entered Roll gave Bass a dirty look and mouthed something to Tempo who regarded him with underwhelming surprise. Her eyebrows hardly moved.
Auto was doing something outside with the mutt, and- is that fucking Treble?!
His eyes weren't malfunctioning, Auto was throwing something (probably a stick) and Rush and Treble were going nuts after it to chase it. He could at least be satisfied that Treble was coming back first. But fucking-
"Oi! Megs!"
A bright-orange bot wearing tinsel and a red bow around the giant shears on his head rushed over to Megaman when he entered, beaming.
"Woah! Is that Bass?!”
This caught the attention of the adults who looked at Bass with wide eyes.
“So it is Bass…” Cossack stood and adjusted his glasses, approaching Bass and examining him closely. “He doesn’t look to be suffering from the disease…”
“Er, well… It was settled yesterday.” Dr. Light said nervously.
“Oh, so you gave him the surgery?”
“Y-”
“I’m not cowardly enough to do that- get away from me,” he growled at him. Rock nudged and pulled on his arm, hissing for him to be quiet.
“...Oh, so I see… What a surprise. Such a shame though, I would’ve liked to see how it-”
“Oh heavens you don’t want to see that.” Light shook his head. “It was a dreadful sight… Beautiful but dreadful.”
“I certainly don’t want any of my creations to be afflicted by it.” Dr. Lalinde set her mug down. “Such a difficult decision to make. I don’t know if it’s more stupid or brave-”
Before Bass could protest Dr. light clapped his hands together.
“I think it’s about time we open gifts shall we?”
Bass watched as they opened their gifts. The three doctors didn’t move from where they were and mostly watched while slowly opening their gifts. The- whatever-their-names-were-mans occasionally glanced at Bass while tearing open their packages but he ignored them. He mostly stared at Rock and his bright and sunny face, lighting up as he unwrapped the box.
“Woooooah! A play-us station 22?! Thanks, Dad!”
He felt like he was in a movie, it was so sickly sweet it nearly-
Oh, wait he can’t throw up flowers anymore.
He almost forgot about that. For so long now and then…
A part of his brain urged him to back to Wily, he ignored it, favoring Rock instead calling to him,
“You wanna play it with me some time?!”
He was aware of everyone looking back at him. Roll whispered something to Kalinka who gasped and whispered back.
He hated this.
“...Depends.” he didn’t know what the fuck that was. Suddenly Rock bolted up and fled the room. No one seemed to notice as Roll stood up and announced that she was going to start cooking.
“Oh! I’ll help!” exclaimed the blue one in the parka.
“Oh me too!” Exclaimed the one with scissors on his head.
Soon the entire kitchen was audibly filled with people, and judging by the yelling they weren’t doing all that good at helping out. Auto came back in and Bass was never more grateful for Trebles' presence. Auto listened in on the scientist's conversation, he caught a few snippets but found it be boring almost immediately.
“Here!”
Bass looked up from his seated position and to Rock’s sort of nervous face. He had that nervous smile he usually had in pictures and a light blush on his cheeks. In his hand was a gift. It was decorated in penguins like on his sweater, repeating a scene of a snowball fight over and over. The tag read “Merry Christmas!” and who it was to and from. He yanked it from his hands and examined it’s lackluster square shape like it had clues to its contents. After a moment he looked back up.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s a gift.”
“...Feh.” he brushed it aside and crossed his arms. “I don’t have anything to give you back. So don’t bother-”
“I don’t care. You already gave me something, it might not have been in a box but I could feel it all the same.”
“...” the adult's conversation nearby had become quiet. Whatever they could eavesdrop all they want, he felt his cheeks burning but didn’t care, tearing open the box for a-
Blanket?
He unfolded the plush material, it was simple, purple, his favorite color (although he’s not sure how he would’ve known that. Maybe just a lucky guess). Bass looked from the blanket to him and he flushed a darker hue.
“I-I thought since we don’t have any spare blankets… And I didn’t want you to be cold anymore…”
“...” It was soft. It was also warm, with it settled around his shoulders, he was starting to think perhaps this day won’t be so bad after all.
“...Thank you.”
Rock beamed, “You’re welcome! I’m glad you liked it, you don’t know how hard it was to shop for you.” he sat next to him, so they were barely an inch apart, on the side Treble wasn’t occupying.
“Must’ve not been that hard. You got my favorite color.”
“I did? I thought black would’ve been it.”
“Blacks boring.”
“I guess. I like purple too.”
“Not as much as blue though.”
“I guess?”
“What do you mean you guess? I never see you without something blue on. You’re wearing blue right now.”
Rock glanced down at his shirt and considered his words, “I guess you’re right.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“So are we-”
“Did you-”
They both spoke at the same time. Sheepishly, Rock let Bass go first.
“...Are we… You know… Doing this?” Goddammit, why was he nervous?!
“You mean a couple? I don’t see why not.” Rock’s face flushed, “Unless you don’t-”
“I thought I made that obvious.”
Rock laughed, “You did. I was just making sure is all…”
“Fucking weird to think about..”
“Why’s that?"
“Never thought it would happen. You and I, or really anyone.”
Rock nodded wisely, “I understand. I always thought I was too young.” he found his hand and squeezed it. His gentle touch sending electrical impulses right to Bass’ core. “But I don’t know if it was that or if it was because I hadn’t found the right one.”
“...You’re so gross.” Taking one arm, he wrapped it around Rock, squeezing them together under the small blanket.
If anyone else had anything to say about it he didn’t give a fuck, because Rock was leaning onto him and you know what? Shit felt great. Conflicting yes, mind still screaming at him as always. Felt both wrong and right somehow. Kinda weird- was he able to feel so many things at the same time? He doesn’t even know where the thought to do this came from, he just did it and it is really warm…
“Who wants an E-tank?!”
“Me!”
“Hold on I’m getting one first!”
“Nuh-uh!” Rock stuck his tongue out at him, “I am!”
Wily’s got enough robots there anyway. He’ll be fine without him.