Work Text:
You had meant to surprise them.
You stop by their apartment at around five. They had won a game recently and the spoils had allowed them to upgrade to a larger suite. Just a week ago they offered you the key over coffee. You took it. The cool bronze felt right in your pocket.
The hallway is dark. You look down it for a long time- searching for any signs of them, straining your ears for footsteps. They’re good at sneaking up on you, coming from behind and pressing a hand against your shoulder or around your waist. A kiss to your neck or something more. It’s always them surprising you, delighting you. This time, you want to surprise them. You slide the key in.
The lock clicks and you slip inside. The lights are off, cardboard boxes sit half-opened in the living room. You peek inside one, not much is there- pillows and blankets, a photo album you’re sure not to touch. If anything was moved, they’d notice and the surprise would be ruined. You move through to the bedroom.
The room was bigger than in their old apartment. The sheets of their new bed were rumpled from the morning before. You wish you had been there to see it. No time of day looked more beautiful on Bloodhound than the mornings.
The front doorknob rustled against a new key. Quickly, you fit yourself into the closet and shut the doors.
What can only be Bloodhound enters. They move like a fox through the apartment, you try to keep track based on the sound but can’t. Then the lights flick on and the bedroom is flooded with light. You hold your breath, there they are. You’ve never seen their outfit in real life. Sometimes you’d catch the Apex Games on TV when it looked like Bloodhound was poised to win. That was the only time you saw them in their beige and greens, gathering loot or polishing their pistol.
It looked rumpled in real life. You could see the little bits of string where they had sewed holes up. They had already removed their hat and gloves, rustling through red hair that had grown long. They glanced around, paused, cleared their throat.
Then removed their mask. There was a small device that was attached to the mask through a tube- they severed it to take a breath in the room. They had a belt of pockets around their shoulder which they unbuckled and laid on a moving box nearby. Then they removed their coat, button by button it came undone, the heavy padding slipping from their shoulders until finally, it was off. Their head fell back, sighing, massaging their shoulders. They sat on the bed to remove their shoes. Then the knee bracers and then the belt around their waist.
It’s when the belt lolls open that you realize this might have been a bad idea. Standing in the closet, watching- intruding. Bloodhound had never undressed in front of you, not like this. This was private, it felt like something you shouldn’t see. You think to close your eyes, or to text someone and beg them to draw Bloodhound out of the apartment. Then you could escape, apologize- or pretend it never happened.
Their fingers played idly with the top button on their trousers. Gloveless, the button must have felt as cool as the key they gave you, buried in your fist and creating an indent as they rubbed. The hem of their underwear peaked from the opening. Slowly, they peeled a black long-sleeved shirt up from their torso, each muscle stretching as they did so. Their chest and stomach were covered only by an undershirt now. You try to keep your eyes closed and fail- the cloth was so thin.
They massaged their arms, their biceps are covered in skin cracked like ice. If it hurt once, it didn’t anymore. You could see the skin sink into their fingers and knead like dough. You leaned closer to the door as they turned their back to you, hands down to the bottom of their undershirt as they pulled up and tossed it aside. The crack marks again webbed everywhere across their body.
“So.” Bloodhound’s voice rang through the room. “How naked would you like me to become?” They turned to face you through the crack in the closet. You froze in place, drawing back from the door.
“You do remember who I am, no? You have watched the games?” They stared. “Come out to me.” You pull against the door and exit. You see them fully now, no wooden shade blocking you.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t- I shouldn’t have.”
“The key works.” Bloodhound said.
“Yeah.” You say, uncurling your fist. “Here, I’m sure you’d like it back.” You held it out for them. It had grown warm in your palm, it was just starting to become yours. Your heart rattled like a scraped paper against a draft.
“This key.” They curled it around your fingers. “It is for my love.”
“You’re not angry?”
“No. I sensed you long before, in the halls.”
“I’m sorry again. I shouldn’t have even done this, I just. You always surprise me and I thought- I wanted to surprise you for once.” Bloodhound laughed, coughed a little, and took an inhaler from their pocket.
“I am always surprised by you.” They said softly after a breath. They held out a hand and smiled. You took it and let them draw you in, close to their chest. “When you did not stop me from undressing. That was surprising.” They laughed again. “How far would you have let me go?”
“Stop- I don’t even know.” You say, covering your face. You share a laugh.
“I’m never going in a closet ever again.” You said quietly, resting your forehead against their chest. You can feel their heartbeat there, a steady rhythm.
“Good.” They said softly, rubbing a finger across your cheek. “I like you most when you’re not hiding, my love.”