Work Text:
Today’s match had been especially tough. The Gamekeeper wasn’t the type of hunter to make it any easier for the survivors. No, he wasn’t as laid back as the Photographer, for example, who would sometimes disappear into his Camera World and not show up until the end of the match (when he’s in his indifferent, somewhat detached mood), or, more often than not, just pay attention to the Embalmer alone, escorting him quietly only asking the younger for permission to take some pictures of him while decoding. However, Bane usually took the game seriously, so it was no surprise that the Mercenary had quite a hard time rescuing his friends multiple times.
Mechanic, Doctor, and Gardener were chaired one by one within the first 5 minutes of the game. The first one to go was the Mechanic, but as the others got terror shocked while trying to rescue (despite the Mercenary having already spammed ”Don’t move, I’m coming!” quite a few times), the small man had thrice the work he’d typically have. He managed to get the Doctor to survive a little longer as she could heal herself away from the hunter, but she ended up being caught nonetheless when there were still three ciphers left. Oblivious to deciphering as the Mercenary was and already upset enough with the match’s outcome, the brunette had no choice but to look for the dungeon, which he gladly found in no time. So when Naib Subedar was finally teleported back to the manor, the results were already predictable as the word ”LOST” in capital letters was shown in a large panel behind the four survivors.
The Mercenary let out a barely audible sigh, as he didn’t want his teammates and friends to listen and figure he was, well, actually a little pissed off. He didn’t really care about losing, nor did he care about his win rate that much (despite the fact his was one of the highest amongst survivors). He also wasn’t one to demand much from his team at all, as he’d always overwork himself if needed in order to assure everyone’s safety. But this wasn’t the first time he felt like his efforts were futile, as his teammates (he thought) didn’t seem to trust him enough on his assigned job.
As the girls start to leave the table chatting about how much of a burden the Gamekeeper can be (and the Mechanic was quite enthusiastically trying to prove her point), the Doctor approached Naib and softly placed one of her hands on his left shoulder. She gently smiles as if she intended that to be a silent apology. The Mercenary, otherwise, didn’t quite understand the meaning of that act alone, as he just stared questioning and dumbfounded at her, but by the time he opened his mouth in order to ask, Emily Dyer had already turned away. So he just laughed awkwardly to brush it off and waved goodbye to the people still standing next to him.
“Naib! Aren’t you gonna come to eat with us today? I heard we’re gonna have lobster tails for dinner!”
The Gardener singsonged cheerfully. She didn’t seem bothered by today’s match’s result. Usually, she’d take those issues very lightly and the girl was also way less observant than Ms. Dyer. It wasn’t surprising she acted just as ordinary. The Mercenary, on the other hand, used to act almost just as enthusiastically whenever the word ”dinner” was mentioned, but today he just faked his typical wide smile and quickly replied he wasn’t hungry and lied about having had a snack before the match had started. He definitely didn’t want to look troubled. Although both girls looked surprised enough by him skipping a meal, neither of them made a fuss over it, as the Gardener kindly assured the man she’d save him a piece of dessert.
While Naib was on his way to the bedrooms’ hall, he recognized a familiar, serene, and slightly deep male voice. It was his best friend’s, the Seer, Eli Clark. The owl on the other’s shoulder blinked and hooted softly, seemingly greeting Naib as well.
”Hey.” The other male said casually, with a small gentle smile sitting on his lips. ”Are you sure you’re alright?”
Naib found himself startled by how straightforward the Seer’s question was. Somehow it always looked like Eli just knew when something was different. For a second the Mercenary was glad his friend wore a blindfold, as he wouldn’t be able to avoid the Seer’s gaze when he was caught lying.
”Yeah.” He replied while rubbing the back of his head, letting out an awkward laugh for the second time on that day. Sure, he knew his friend would be there for him whenever he needed to talk. But he couldn’t bring himself to, not right now. It wasn’t that much of a big deal, right? He was convinced he could deal with it by himself. ”Just not hungry, y’know? It’s been quite a day and I’m a little tired though. So, huh, I’ll be in my room”.
The Seer didn’t seem to take the excuse, as it took him a few moments to nod quietly. It was obvious by now he knew he was lying (the Mercenary himself was such a poor liar, to top it off), but if his friend wasn’t ready to talk about it he’d rather not insist. At least not for now.
“Alright,” Eli replied simply, but yet he extended his arm towards Naib. His gloved hand was holding something round, the shorted man figured. A fruit. An apple. ”But at least eat this later, would you? I know you haven’t eaten before the match as well. If you keep making so much effort without eating properly you might just pass out in the middle of a match. And despite being so short, you’re still kind of heavy. I’d have a hard time carrying you.”
The Seer smiled fondly.
”Unbelievable. You really are like a mom.” Naib smiled back, this time not having to fake it. He still took the fruit, however. ”I’ll take this. But jeez, you worry too much. Look, I’m going to go take a rest right now, okay? I’ll be fine. Night”.
In no more than a few minutes, Naib was already in his room. But the emptiness of the white walls only tinted by the dim light of the antique candlesticks amongst the thin darkness of the nightfall felt strangely suffocating at that time. The Mercenary felt like he needed some fresh air, so he opened his window and peeked at the view. His room was on the second floor, giving him a good view of the manor’s private garden. Nothing wonderful, though.
Not thinking twice, he effortlessly climbed up to the window, finding a safe spot to sit down. It was like a small dusty balcony, with no railings. It fitted a small figure like Naib just fine. Finding little spots to hide by his own in the manor whenever he needed was something the Mercenary was somewhat proud of, and this one happened to be just by his room. Blinking a few times, he looked up at the sky. It wasn’t entirely dark yet despite the fact it was already reasonably late since they were in the middle of summer. What a shame, he would love to watch the stars.
As he sat down, the man remembered he still carried the apple his friend had given him. It was abnormally placed in his thin coat’s shallow pocket, creating a bulge. It was almost falling out of it. Without paying too much attention, he took it out and took a small bite. While he chewed at it quietly, the brunette absently directed his eyes to the garden whilst his mind floated away.
”Why is it that this keeps happening?” He thought to himself. Naib couldn’t help it but sigh before taking another bite. The man was frustrated. He wasn’t mad, nor did he blame anyone else for what he’d been feeling. Maybe he blamed himself. Rescuing people was his mission, right? He was supposed to do his best in order to get everyone out safely. And his best he did, every single time, even when that meant sacrificing himself. So if it was his mission, and his teammates were supposed to know that, why would they still risk everything in order to try saving each other over and over again? Did they just not trust him enough? Or maybe they were just so sure he’d fail if he tried they’d rather take the risk and do it themselves.
His friends always tried to remind him that he did his best. But what if ”his best” just wasn’t enough? He might not be suited for saving people after all. He should’ve known it since the war.
The Mercenary found his breathing unsteady. He was holding the apple staring at nothing.
Silently, the man took one more bite. At this point, it felt pointless to eat, as not being hungry wasn’t only a lie in order to avoid people anymore. He felt sick to his stomach as his thoughts took over his head. So he just took a deep breath and carelessly threw the apple away. The fruit fell from the second floor onto the garden, but what made Naib jump a little was the sound that came right after.
”Ouch!” Said a voice that sounded somewhat familiar. He could hear the other's annoyed grunts.
That’s when he discerned a figure coming out of nowhere from what seemed to be a mysterious fog. A very tall, moderately skinny raven-haired man. It took Naib a few seconds to find out who he was. ”Ah, it’s the Ripper”, he quickly figured.
Of course, it had to be him. The Mercenary could recall his ability to turn himself invisible in the game. That had to be why he hasn’t been seen although Naib was out there for a while. But what was the hunter doing here, at the survivors’ side of the manor? And, what intrigued Naib the most, without his mask?
The survivor was indeed a little curious about what he was seeing. It was getting dark, but he still made an effort to take a more precise look at the other. The hunter looked fairly... Human? His skin was light, contrasting with his black, only slightly waved hair. Thin lips and lively eyes. He had handsome masculine features and would still be wearing a hat on the top of his head, hadn’t the apple knocked it down.
The two men weren’t strangers to each other. In fact, as the Ripper was an easygoing hunter, he’d sometimes spare the Mercenary and just talk to him before leading him to the dungeon or to an open gate. Most of the times, not missing the chance to tease the other about whatever topic he felt like bringing up. He’d tease him about his new looks whenever he showed up wearing a new costume, or even about the sounds he made while he tried to struggle from the balloons.
Naib’s face heated at that memory. He didn’t know if he felt grateful or even more uneasy now that he was aware of who the stranger was.
The brunette didn’t, however, have the time to act properly before the hunter, searching for the source of his ”problem”, brought himself to look up and find it. He was visibly surprised and it took him a short span to acknowledge what had just happened. A mischievous smirk then bloomed on his face. He was relieved to see the Mercenary, as he believed it would be more unlikely of him to report him to the owner than other survivors. So the taller man collected his hat from the grassy ground and proceeded to salute the smaller man while placing it back on his head.
“Oh? Hello there,” He hummed. “Looks like I hadn’t been the only one wandering around tonight. What a pleasure to meet you, Mercenary. But I’m afraid you didn’t have to attack me with your fruit in order to have my attention for yourself. I’m all yours”.
“Cut it out, Jack.” Naib gritted his teeth. He didn’t know what the other was doing at their place, but it was none of his business. Damn, all he wanted was to be left alone and sort things out in his head. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the Ripper’s silly teasing right now. Not that he ever was, though.
The male figure in the garden approached the balcony languidly. As he was indeed very tall and the place itself was reasonably silent now, none of them had to speak very loudly, although Naib’s voice tone wasn’t typically low whatsoever. The raven-haired glimpsed at a faint light coming from behind the other, inside his room.
”My my, is this your bedroom? If I had known it before I would have come to visit you sooner.” Jack replied, not a bit intimidated by the man’s fretfulness. He was used to Naib acting up whenever they talked. Yet, he was certain the other didn’t actually mind it as much as he often tried to show.
The Mercenary would complain, curse him and start swearing at him, yes, but he never ran away even though he could, if he wanted. The Ripper would carry him around on matches after getting him down for the first time, but it he ever struggled free he wouldn’t try to get him down again. He’d let him do whatever he wanted. Even then, he’d stay. He always stayed.
So what Jack was expecting right now, of course, was for the other to grumble and scold him like he always did, but instead he stood silent. When the hunter looked at him, he seemed absent-minded, lost in thought. Well, that was unusual.
He watched the survivor curiously.
”Hey.” He had waited for a few instants and then slowly called. This was getting him intrigued. He swore he could catch a glimpse of melancholy on the other’s face. And it was not common altogether for Naib Subedar to let himself show any signs of weakness in front of others. The Ripper knew it. He could recollect the former warrior bleeding and out of breath, but still carrying his teammates like it was nothing. His voice reassuring his fellow survivors echoed in the hunter’s head as that was one of the very first remarkable impressions he got from the man. ”Such a strong, stubborn little thing”, he thought back then. What was it that made him suddenly look so small? And what sorts of things did seeing him like that made to the hunter’s heart. A hunter was supposed to hunt survivors down, and Jack was a murderer. So where did this urge to embrace the little figure come from?
The silence remained for no more than a couple of seconds, though.
”Do you,” His voice was distant as he paused. Reluctant. He wasn’t looking at Jack, he was looking at nowhere. ”Do you think I’m any good at all?” The male let out a heavy breath he had been holding for a while. ”If I were any good, people would trust me, right? But they don’t. They’d rather risk it all and die because they think I’m so fucking worthless.”
The Mercenary let out a bitter laugh. It was almost pained, tinted with frustration and regret. It didn’t sound like he was upset with his colleagues, however. He sounded rather upset with himself.
Jack was dumbified. Astonished, to put it properly. He wouldn’t have guessed this stuck-up little man would just spill his feelings off like that. To him, from all people. Before he could think of an answer though, Naib yet again surprised him with a growl. He finally seemed to have realized the situation he was into.
”Nevermind, forget about what I just said. It was stupid of me. I was just thinking out loud.” He cleaned his hands on his clothes and stood up, sitting back on the open window’s wooden frame without turning his back, his legs swinging outside. ”It’s not like you’d understand after all. You’re a hunter. I’ll get back to my room and you better do so too or I’ll tell on you, I don’t care if you’re screwed.”
An unexpected laugh came from the taller’s lips.
”It was, indeed, foolish of you”. This time, the astonished one was Naib. Confusion showed itself on his yet defying face. ”To think of yourself that low... It is certainly a little too funny.” The Ripper chuckled. ”Dearest Mercenary, you have no clue how much trouble you give us. On my side of the manor, they would scold me if I told them I want to have yet another match with you. But still, so I do if I get to see this pretty face of yours again. I’m sure the little scared rabbits you call friends don’t find you worthless under any circumstances. They might just regret having you do all the, ah, dirty job. So all they do is try to help. But they’re not you, thus, they are bound to fail. Too bad for them, I’ll have you for myself a little longer.”
The grin on Jack’s lips was obvious even though the darkness of the night fell upon them, softened only by the mild light of the garden’s rusty aged lamps. As evident as that grin was Naib’s reddening face.
”Did I perhaps say something wrong?” Jack said mischievously.
”S-Shut up.” The Mercenary stammered nervously. He was not used to being complimented. Even though he had replied roughly, he also couldn’t stop a timid smile to finally show up. Why did his chest feel lighter? ”I mean...” He bit the insides of his cheek as he’d sometimes do when he was unbearably embarrassed. ”Shit, you said nothing wrong. Ugh. It’s just... Annoying to have you talk to me like that. I barely even know you.”
”So, do you wanna change that?”
”Fuck you, Jack.”
”You can’t hit me though, it looks like you’re already out of apples.”
The brunette didn’t mean to, but he found himself laughing sincerely. He indeed felt much better, for whatever reason. And when he lifted his face to look back at Jack, he came across the warmest smile he recalled having ever gotten from someone. So his cheeks started heating up again.
“Well... I guess I should be going back now.” Naib started withdrawing back to his bedroom, not before noticing Jack perform another salute while taking off his hat only to put it back into place.
”Farewell, my dear Naib Subedar.” He said gently.
Even though the smaller man honestly found that a little cheesy, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling after turning his back. Then he suddenly had an impulse to say something.
”Jack.”
”Hmm?” The Ripper hummed in a bit of a surprise, as he didn’t expect to have another word come from him.
”Thank you.”
Naib didn’t turn to see his startled expression. He hurriedly closed the window and let the silence rest amongst them.