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It was dark. Rakks had already begun their spiral around the highest part of Sanctuary, ready for the late night feast on the duelling skags and the rare unlucky bandit caught in the middle.
Mordecai rolled over on his cot and groaned softly. He hadn't drank, but instead had a migraine; not uncommon for him, but still unbearable. Every time he felt himself dozing, a pang of shocking pain rang through his skull, waking him.
He squinted in the direction of Roland and Brick, both of whom were snoring. The noise didn't bother him. It was soothing, actually, as a reminder that for once he wasn't alone in the world. Without his goggles he was blind as a bat, but he knew the layout of their room. He could feel the vibrations of their sleeping sounds. It was nice.
He flopped over again onto his back and closed his eyes. Headaches were a normal thing with the cybernetic sensors above his ears, sure, but he could still hear the drills in his skull as loud as ever years later and it did not help the pain.
He covered his face with his pillow to muffle a louder groan. It sounded more like a low whimper, though, and he immediately cringed at himself. He's been through worse. He can do this. Just... think of something else. Get his mind off of the pain.
-
Brick was the only one who knew about the optics. He had found Mordecai blacked out on their bedroom floor months ago and removed the goggles to let him sleep without indenting his skin or breaking them, only to have Mordecai startle awake and stare in his general direction with wide, white eyes.
"Mordy...?"
Mordecai winced as he remembered drawing his dagger out at Brick. At the time he was too drunk to recognize the voice, and was ready to attack. Why did his brain pick this memory? This was years ago. How did it go? Oh, right:
"Mordy, it's me. Brick. Can you see me?"
He remembered staying in that panicked pose, blade raised, eyes darting around frantically.
"...you can't, can you?"
A brief shake of his head led Brick to reach out and take his other hand to give him the goggles. Mordecai immediately grabbed the outstretched wrist and sliced in self defense. There was a deep gasp and Brick recoiled back.
"Shit! I'm tryin' to give you your goggles, Mordy, calm down!"
Mordecai paused, then held out his hand as far from his body as possible. Without hesitation, Brick set the optics in Mordecai's hand, and he put them back on and looked up at the big guy.
"...oh. Hey. Lo siento."
"It's all good, I got a medpack. You really gotta stop overdoing it, though. You're on the floor. Again."
"Lo siento."
"Don't apologize to me, apologize to your back tomorrow."
Brick had bent down and lifted Mordecai, bridal-style, and started moving him to the bed.
"Y'know, I'm half-blind too. Can't see depth. Part of why I use my fists for all my negotiating."
He laid the thin man down.
"That, and it's fun. Goodnight, Mordy."
"Uh... night, Brick."
-
Smacking himself gently, Mordecai snapped himself out of it. No use recalling that. It just made him feel pathetic. Weak. Small.
He started to feel a lump in his throat and he forced it down. How pathetic was that? Crying over a stupid memory about someone he trusted with his life. Brick didn't even judge him about it when he saw it. He was more worried about his lack of self control than his prosthetic optics. He had also kept it secret, to Mordecai's relief.
That's what Mordecai wanted, right? Someone who cared about him as a man and not his disability? Why was he crying? It was stupid. He rubbed his face in anger, probably harder than necessary, and sighed.
He needed a drink. Emotions were not on his menu tonight.
As he sat up, he felt a soft pressure on his chest. He jumped back.
"Shhh. Sorry to scare ya."
It was Brick.
"Oh. Hey Brick. Did I wake you up?"
"I don't care about that. You good?"
Mordecai rubbed his face again, harder, before Brick grabbed his hand with a hushed tone:
"Stop, you're gonna hurt yourself."
"I'm good. Let go of me."
"Only if you stop."
Mordecai sighed and nodded his head. "Okay. I'm fine though, really."
"You don't look fine. Scoot over."
Before he could ask, Brick was pushing Mordecai near the edge of the cot to get room.
"What are you doing?! I'm gonna fall-"
"C'mere."
Brick had opened his arms while lying on his side, though after no response, he remembered Mordecai's blindness and took the small man's wrist, pulling him into his chest and wrapping his own arms around him.
Mordecai, surprised, did not fight back.
"...what are you doing?"
"I wanted to cuddle. Sounded like you had a nightmare."
"I was awake, amigo. Not a nightmare if I'm not sleeping."
"Mmm."
Brick held Mordecai close, and eventually Mordecai relaxed as well. He even tucked his face into Brick's chest.
"Hey, Mordy?"
Mordecai moved his head slightly as a response, but stayed quiet.
"Tea ammo."
Damnit. There went the tears again. This time, though, Mordecai was fairly certain it was being moved by Brick's attempt at Spanish.
Mordecai buried his face into Brick, wrapping his own stringy arms around his waist. Brick began running his large fingers through Mordecai's dreads in an attempt to soothe him.
"You're okay, I gotcha. I won't let go of you. You're safe."
After a few minutes, Mordecai relaxed once again. His tears stopped. Brick held on regardless as they breathed in time with each other, and soon Mordecai was dozing. Softly, under his breath, he finally responded.
"...te amo, Brick."