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Blackrock was always cold. Its weather was cold, its people were cold. Everything was freezing, below zero. Snow covered it all year long and on a good day it'd rain which would make the snow melt and the temperature rise for a while. So Hyperlaser was used to cold places and cold personalities.
This phight was taking place on Banlands, a place surrounded by hot flaming magma. Its ground was also hot, while the air was almost suffocatingly warm. A pretty unusual environment for a Blackrockian like Hyperlaser. Some would think that his helmet would make things even worse. However, it was quite the opposite.
You see Hyperlaser's body is used to cold and freezing temperatures. His helmet cools off the warm air entering, allowing him to breathe without any difficulty. Said helmet also allows his body to stay cold, in case a drastic temperature change like this, was to happen. Unfortunately for him, the only part that was not protected from the immense heat, radiated from the lava below him, was his hands.
He had picked a good spot on the map. It was a tall, ready to fall apart, pillar near the point. His aim was good as always, years of killing and snipping people would grant one that skill. Today his aim was kinda off, not enough to distract or mess his headshots and hits but enough to bother him. The nerves on his fingers and hands were acting up due to the temperature change and his gloves seemed to not help like they usually did.
. . .
Valk and Dom announced the end of the phight. Hyperlaser's team had won with the most kills. Katana's team had lost with 4 kills difference. Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief they were holding since the start of the match.
Hyperlaser, though, had immediately darted his eyes towards Katana, checking him for any serious injuries. It was a habit they had of sorts. They would both check if the other was okay before making sure they were fine themselves. Katana had quite a few wounds here and there. Being frontline causes that to a person. He felt his stomach sink slightly. Was him being concerned? Was it him worrying? Was it love? Hyperlaser shook his head to brush these thoughts away.
. . .
As the match finished, Katana looked around, trying to spot Hyperlaser which he did rather quickly. He was pleased and relieved to see no serious injuries on him. On the other hand, he was quite bruised up, nothing he could not handle though. He could not tell what Hyperlaser's reaction to that was because of his helmet, however the consistent staring towards him, told Katana a thing or two. He nodded his head towards his worried buddy, reasurring him that everything was okay and under control. Was Hyperlaser concerned? Was he worried? And why was that?
It could be love.
. . .
The place and the mood around was a little more bright and chatty. Almost everyone was getting fixed up by the healers so there was a big queue in front of Medkit and Vine Staff. Some people like Ban Hammer were trying to act tough in front of the doctors, only to get scolded and yelled at. It was mostly Medkit doing that though.
Hyperlaser got to Medkit first. He did not have any injuries, just wanted something for his aching and trembling hands. The doctor had grown used to what Hyper required after a phight, so he just handed him a teal crystal.
"You know the drill, hold it into your hands until the glow fades, then get rid of it." Said the doctor with his tired gaze and lazy British voice. Hyper did as he was told.
He looked at the queue behind him, spotting Katana chatting with Shuriken and Slingshot. Hyper looked back at Medkit through his helmet.
"Make sure Katana is treated carefully, doctor." Hyperlaser's voice came from inside his helmet. It did not sound like a threat, more like a warning. The doctor sighed and crossed his hands in front of his chest. He muttered something under his breath before shooing Hyperlaser away to continue healing and treating his other patients.
. . .
A bandage was delicately being wrapped around his abdomen by Medkit. It did not hurt too badly so Katana kept insisting that it is not needed. Medkit muttered something about him being the expert and not the swordsman who was being treated at the moment.
Katana had the itch to ask about Hyperlaser which he ended up doing. He was worried and curious even if his secretive and quiet demeanor would not admit it.
"Was the Blackrockian mercenary injured by any chance, doctor?" Katana questioned, keeping his voice down as to not be heard by Vine Staff, his dear neighbour and friend who was nearby treating someone else, knowing how she would react if he was to bring up Hyperlaser to her.
The doctor did not seem very pleased with the red horned demon's question. He raised an eyebrow before pinching the bridge of his nose. He seemed done with everyone and everything. He did not answer Katana's question, instead he finished patching him up.
"He told me to treat you carefully." The doctor said while tiding up his stuff after Katana's treatment. "And no, he did not suffer from any injuries. Just his usual stuff." Medkit shrugged and looked at Katana, nodding towards the door telling him that he was all done and that he could leave.
. . .
Katana headed to the place he usually had drinks with Hyperlaser. It was a bar in crossroads, the mood inside was cozy and it was not very crowded most of the time. They both liked it for its drinks and bartender who had memorised their prefered drinks by now. Katana went in hopes of seeing Hyperlaser, if he was going to be honest.
He placed his not so normal sized katana next to him and had a sit. Like usual he had a chair close to him, saving it for his drinking buddy if he was to come and drink with him. Luckily for the swordsman, the mercenary walked into the bar a few minutes after he did.
Hyperlaser placed his railgun next to the katana and had a sit next to the red horned demon. He nodded towards Katana greeting him before the bartender spotted them.
"The usual?" The bartender asked with a smile. They usually got something like rosé wine with a pinch of stronger alcohol, along with something fruity like pomegranates or vanilla juice. They had similar tastes in alcohol, they did not like very strong drinks, just fancy, sweet ones.
. . .
They chatted a bit about the phight, occasionally sipping from their drinks. They pointed out things they could have done differently and parts they liked the most. Katana could tell that Hyperlaser's aim was off during the match, as he missed quite a few shots while aiming for him. He did not seem to mention it though.
"Would you like to pay a visit to my house after we finish our drinks?" Katana asked instead. It has been a while since Hyperlaser last visited him due to Blackrock being far away from Thieve's Den. The weather did not seem to help either, the constant snowstorms made it hard to commute out of the city, let alone inside of it.
Hyperlaser seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a second, which he only did around Katana. He had his guard down for a bit, Katana could sense it as his shoulders were relaxed and not tense for once. He knew almost everything about Hyperlaser.
Hyperlaser was thinking about his fluffy girl at home, Princess. He could clearly remember that he had left enough food and water for her to last without him around. He then thought about Blackrock. They did not have any plans or missions for now so he was free, he had no reason to decline Katana's offer.
"I would love to." Hyperlaser said with a small smile, hidden by his helmet. Katana also had a grateful smile behind his mask.
. . .
The walk from Crossroads to Thieve's Den was not short but not long either. It was long enough for Hyperlaser to sense the difference in temperature again. Thieve's Den was pretty sunny and warm. People there were also warm, they had smiles on their faces and seemed overall happy. The buildings had different colors while flowers and greenery were all over the place. Hyperlaser compared it to the dull gray buildings and cement in Blackrock. Thieve's den made him feel at ease, Katana's presence made him feel at ease. He was holding Hyperlaser's hand when it was getting a little too crowded and he started receiving stares from the residents. His fancy suit, huge railgun on his back and helmet kind of stood out.
. . .
They eventually made it to Katana's house. It was a pretty normal apartment just above Vine Staff's, her brother's and Slingshot's apartment. There were hanging flower pots gifted by Vine to the swordsman and multiple pretty graffiti all over the building from Shuriken and Slingshot. His neighbors always kept something aside for him. It could be food, tea or a small gift for a local celebration.
They walked inside the house. It was cozy but also very well kept and clean. Everything was organized and there was not an ounce of dust on the furniture nor the floor. Unlike Hyperlaser's apartment that was full of cat hair, from his beloved cat Princess, and scattered guns all over the place, used for different missions he was assigned and phights he took part in. It was also warm, not too much but the temperature was noticeably higher than it was in his own home. He kinda liked it.
Katana turned his attention to Hyperlaser after positioning their weapons neatly in a corner. He looked at Hyperlaser's clothes and then back up, at where his eyes were supposed to be. He had an idea but maybe Hyperlaser would not like it.
"Would you mind if.. we were to cuddle?" Katana questioned Hyperlaser. It was kind of a weird request coming from the swordsman as he usually did not ask for things like this. He was usually closed off from everyone, a bit more open for the blue horned mercenary but still very secretive about personal stuff like this.
The mercenary was skeptical. He did not like his helmet off. Unless it was Katana who saw him without it. It was still a risk as his identity and weakness could be revealed to people like Katana's neighbors. He could not only lose his job but also make himself look vulnerable in front of others.
"I will make sure the door is locked." The swordsman added, as if knowing what Hyperlaser was spiralling about. As if he always knows what he thinks and feels about certain things. A hum of approval came from the mercenary's mouth.
. . .
And there they were, laying in Katana's bed. The swordsman lended Hyperlaser one of his robes as his formal clothes were too uncomfortable for cuddles. They were both facing each other, both their masks put aside. Katana was holding the mercenary close by his waist and Hyperlaser had his hands around the swordsman's neck.
Hyperlaser was not able to see without his helmet. He put a lot of trust in Katana, not only allowing him to see his scarred face and broken horns which revealed his identity but also for relying on him and letting his guard down for a few hours.
Katana allowed Hyperlaser to touch his face every time they both had their masks off. Due to the blue horned demon's inability to see, he had memorized every scar and old burn on Katana's face by just gently tracing them over and over again. And the swordsman liked feeling the blue horned demon's colder fingers on his face. Only Hyperlaser was allowed to do this to him. It could be love.
Hyperlaser's usual cold and stiff body, is now warm and relaxed against Katana's larger frame. They were complete opposites, yet had so many things alike. They were like warmth and the cold. Like the sun and the moon. Yet they understood each other better than anyone else did.
Hyperlaser could feel Katana's warm breath against his face, a sign that he was alive and in front of him. It was oddly comforting. The mercenary carefully brought up his hand to the red horned demon's face, feeling his cheek first and then moving to his lips, touching them softly. There was a scar on Katana's lower lip slightly to the left, he remembered that. He traced over the mark before bringing himself closer and giving the swordsman's lip a soft quick peck on the scar.
Katana did seem rather surprised at the gesture. He had not received this type of affection in lots of years. And the people who had once offered it to him were now gone. He let a soft chuckle out. He could not say that he hated it.
The mercenary did seem a little satisfied even if he tried to make his expression seem neutral. Only Katana could tell how happy the blue horned demon was from just this small kiss. Even if it was not a full on kiss it left both of them pleased. They both needed the attention and affection and they found it in each other.
It could be love.