Chapter Text
Sunlight seeps through the cracks in silk curtains, shining directly onto a sleeping Medkit’s face. Scrunching his nose at the disturbance, he attempted to stretch his arms, only to pause as he was stopped by a heavy weight against his chest. Blearily opening his eye, he was greeted with the sight of Ban Hammer clinging to him like a pillow, head nestled into the crook of the healer’s neck.
He tried in vain to wiggle free from the cage of limbs around him, but no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t get him to budge.
Sighing in defeat, he let's his head fall back against the pillow with an indigent thump, his gaze drifting about his surroundings as his thoughts grew more coherent.
There were two completely full bookshelves, with another newer one that had just recently been added to support Medkit’s ever-growing literature collection sitting empty next to them. The walls had been painted a muted blue, almost gray, the colour having been suggested by him after reading about how certain shades can invoke feelings and have calming effects.
Photos of Ban Hammer’s loved ones hung in nearly every room in the house, proudly on display for any guests to see. His attention is caught by one of the most recently added pictures resting atop their bedside table next to Medkit’s glasses, one of them both smiling at the beach.
He's asked him why he felt the need for so many pictures multiple times, always finding the amount excessive and unnecessary. Each time, he got the same answer.
-
“So I can look back at my favorite memories whenever I want!” Ban Hammer huffed out, leaning forward futher over the table to place down another piece of the puzzle they'd been steadily chipping away at.
“And you need a visual to remember something we just did?” comes Medkit's clipped reply, squinting at the image on the boxes lid to see how it matched up with the piece in his palm.
“Well, it’s not just that! C’mon, how are we gonna show our grandkids that we were also young and hot once?”
“Are you implying that we’re going to have children?” he mutters boldly, watching with slight satisfaction as the piece easily snaps into place with another, confirming his suspicion that it was meant to go along the edge.
“Wh — I, uh. Well..."
“Because in order to have grandchildren, you —“
“I know how it works, smartass!” He scoffed, blush gradually dusting his cheeks from his slip-up.
The medic laughed quietly, a once rare sound that had now become a fairly common occurrence for him. A pause follows, his gaze drifting up to meet the Warden’s, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.
“Are we married in this scenario?”
“Huh?”
“In the future you’re imagining.” He clarified, folding his hands together in his lap.
“We don’t have to do any of that if ya don’t want to.”
“… I never said I didn’t.”
-
A groan brings him back to the present, the source of the noise shifting against him under the blankets.
Glancing at the clock on their bedside table, it read 6:24 AM. The warden would be late for work if he didn’t get up soon. A shame, really. Although he wouldn’t admit it, he quite enjoyed getting to indulge in some cuddling before inevitably having to face the day.
Blinking the sleep out of his eye, he taps on his shoulder.
“Ban.” He croaks, internally cringing at how hoarse his voice sounded from underuse.
“Mnh… Whuh?”
“Ban, you need to wake up.”
“Jus’ a few more minutes...” He rumbles against his neck, warm breath tickling Medkit’s skin.
“You’re crushing me.”
Some of the pressure on his chest was alleviated as Ban Hammer lifted himself up slightly, half-lidded eyes on Medkit.
He leans down, first pressing a kiss onto the deer’s perpetually closed eye before moving to his lips, only to be stopped by a hand pushing his face away.
“Brush your teeth first.” He chides, gaze narrowed
Ban Hammer frowned as he grabbed Medkit’s wrist, lazily pulling his hand away. Judging by the way he glared down at the medic; he was not going anywhere without a morning kiss.
To his slight annoyance, it had become a part of their routine. They’re both very stubborn demons, but lately, Medkit has found himself being the one to relent more and more often when it came to this cheesy habit.
Letting out a long, dramatic exhale, his arm limply fell back down against the bed.
“Fine.”
Ban Hammer wasted no time to clumsily plant his lips onto his, the unpleasant morning breath taste immediately hitting Medkit’s tongue. Gross…
The only reason he tolerated it was because of how happy it made Ban Hammer. The way his long dragon tail rapidly wagged back and forth like a puppy was oddly adorable to the healer.
When air became more of a need rather than an afterthought, they pulled apart, breathless and flushed.
Finally, Ban Hammer rolled off him, grunting as he did so.
“Tell ‘em I died or something…” The warden’s voice was muffled by the pillow he shoved his face into.
What a pitiful sight.
Medkit sat up, placing a hand on the back that faced him. While he wanted to scold him for being lazy, seeing him in such a pathetic state unfortunately stirred sympathy within the medic.
“Rest a bit longer, just come down before breakfast gets cold.”
That made the latter perk up, head slightly lifting off the pillow, “'Yer cooking?”
Ah, now he’s getting somewhere.
“Mhm, I’ll make your favourite.”
Ban Hammer grumbled, sitting up with a slightly disheveled expression. The purple demon stretched, sighing in satisfaction when his back popped.
Medkit pushed himself off the bed, landing atop a fluffy white rug, then forcing his aching body to trudge its way towards the ensuite bathroom.
Said room was probably the smallest in the house, though it was beginning to look more pleasant thanks to the decor he'd slowly been adding (after practically begging Ban Hammer to let him), such as the floral wallpaper and a few potted plants to sit on the windowsill.
Squeezing a dallop of toothpaste onto the toothbrush, he avoided looking at the mirror for fear of staring too long, scrutinizing every detail and feature of his face. Of course, his eye wandered there anyway.
Strangely, he did not feel resentment at the reflection that greeted him.
His eye bags had faded quite a bit now. His free hand reached up to run its fingertips through his hair while he brushed his teeth, noting how much softer the texture felt compared to how it used to, curls defined and healthy. Maybe it was from eating more? It could be providing his body with the nutrients he was missing. That may be why his nails and horns were growing at a faster pace…
He spit into the sink, running the water to clean off the brush and any excess toothpaste around his mouth.
He wasn’t sure how to feel about these changes.
He hadn’t really noticed it until one date night when he tried to put on one of his favourite pairs of jeans, only to discover they didn’t fit anymore. It’s not that he was large by any means, but compared to how underweight he was when they first met, he was a lot closer to a healthier size.
-
Medkit huffed, out of breath from over-exertion as he struggled to pull jeans over his hips. With a groan of frustration, he gave up, letting go of the fabric.
“Gods…”
“It’s no big deal, we can always buy ya some new clothes."
“I know, but it’s just weird. I know this is supposed to happen, but I feel… Guilty?”
“Guilty?” He parroted, brows furrowing.
Medkit nodded, avoiding eye-contact.
“Meds, seriously, don’t be! Ya look better with some meat on 'yer bones anyway.” Ban Hammer quickly assured, a warm smile on his face.
“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”
“Wh — of course not!”
The medic sighed, shimmying out of the jeans before tossing them into the ever-growing pile on the bed. Walking back to the dresser once again, he rummaged through his wardrobe for something else to wear.
A task that should be simple, really.
A pair of tights was what he ended up pulling out of the drawer. Ban Hammer kept his lips sealed shut as he watched Medkit nearly fall over putting his legs into each of the holes, the only thing breaking the silence being the deer’s hurried breathing. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he pulled them up, grip painfully tight on the hem of the pants.
And then it happened.
He heard something, something that made him freeze. The sound of fabric ripping.
Eye blown wide, he slowly tilted his head down to confirm that yes, that did just happen. Sure enough, he was greeted with the sight of two large tears along the seam line.
How humiliating.
“Fuck…” Is all he managed to choke out, arms dropping limply to his sides.
A snort made him snap his gaze up to see the warden slapping a hand over his mouth, stifling his amusement at Medkit’s situation. Must not have stifled it very well seeing as he burst out laughing seconds later, chortling obnoxiously loud.
Medkit grit his teeth, taking the torn tights off before shoving past the nuisance, stomping back towards the dresser. Again.
“Meds — "
The teal demon spun around to face him, expression pinched with a mixture of anger and sorrow.
“Shut up. Just — ugh, you’re such an asshole. Go without me, I don’t even care. I don’t want to go anymore. This is stupid, I look stupid, I’m stupid!”
Ban Hammer flinched at the sudden outburst, face slowly falling.
"… Shit. M' sorry.”
The medic bit his lip, tearing gaze away in both guilt for snapping at him and embarrassment for the whole situation.
The silence that settles between them drags on for an uncomfortable amount of time, punctuated by his heart pounding in his ears and his face growing burning hot with what he knows is unshed tears, made especially clear with how tight his throat felt. How childish of him.
He swallows back the sob threatening to spill past his lips, refusing to cry in front of him over something so trivial.
Seems the Warden noticed anyway judging by how he opened his arms up wide and beckoned him into a hug, lips pursed and eyes shining with worry.
Begrudgingly, he stepped forward, tensing momentarily as the embrace enveloped his body. It didn’t take long for him to practically melt into it, hands scrabbling for purchase on his back, soon grabbing fistfuls of the fabric as he takes in shaky gulps of air in an attempt at calming down.
“Let’s just stay home tonight, yeah? Watch some of those tele-no-whatever’s ya love so much?” Ban Hammer’s tone was uncharacteristically soft, hand running its claws through the deer’s hair.
-
The bathroom door swung open, making Medkit jump in surprise. He quickly slipped on his eye patch, turning to face Ban hammer.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle ya! Takin’ so long, I started to get a little worried.”
“It’s fine, I just… Zoned out a bit.”
Ban Hammer stepped closer, that stupidly charming smile ever-present. He gingerly placed a hand on the medic’s cheek, tilting his head up to get a better look, thumb rhythmically sweeping across his cheekbone.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh nothing, just admirin' yer’ pretty face.”
He rolled his eye in spite of how his stubby tail wagged behind him.
He had to resist the urge to squirm, the loving gaze meticulously examining every part of him, seeing every piece of him, yet continuing to shower him in affection was quite overwhelming for the healer. His face grew warmer the longer the warden stared, hands fidgeting in an attempt to keep him somewhat grounded.
“… Are you done yet?”
“How can I ever be done when yer’ so perfect?”
“Ban.”
“Alright, alright! I’ll let ya go.”
Medkit sighed as his hand left his face, secretly already missing the contact. He would never admit that though.
Brushing past the taller demon, he walked back into the bedroom, heading towards his dresser.
What does he want to wear today? He doesn’t have to go anywhere, but he still wanted to look nice... Maybe he should try some of the new clothes he bought at the mall last week.
A pair of khaki wide leg pants, a white button up, and a plain black vest is what he settled on. Insecurity fueled his apprehension as he slipped on each piece of clothing, afraid of them not fitting or looking unflattering.
Once he finished, he turned to look at himself in their full-length mirror hung on the wall. He tilted his head, turning his body to different angles a few times. Hm.
“Lookin’ good, doc’!” Ban Hammer grinned, peaking his head out the doorway of the bathroom.
“I don’t hear any teeth being brushed,” He chided, eliciting a scoff from the other. “But thank you.”
The sound of an electric toothbrush grew further away as he sauntered out of the bedroom and through the hallway.
He made his way downstairs, every step into the kitchen weighed down by drowsiness. Which is why he decided brewing a pot of coffee would be best to do first.
Tapping his nails impatiently against the smooth countertop while he waited for the machine to produce the life-saving drug known as caffeine, his gaze wandered to the pink apron hung on one of the pantry doors. “Kiss the cook!” it read. A gag gift that ended up being useful considering how many times he’d accidentally created messes.
Cooking wasn’t his strong suit.
During his early years at Blackrock, he might’ve occasionally scrambled an egg or two, but he usually ended up grabbing something from the cafeteria. Then when he started working for Scythe, his workaholic tendencies were enabled further by the desire to please his boss to keep his protection, barely giving himself any time to eat. Or take care of himself, for that matter.
But, his schedule was a lot more flexible these days, to say the least. Ban Hammer had encouraged him to take time for himself and to explore his interests rather than immediately searching for another job like he initially planned, reminding him that his salary provides more than enough for the both of them to live comfortably.
So, after much research and countless nights spent awake mulling over everything, he eventually decided that he wanted to go back to school and become a teacher.
He was honestly quite worried about telling Ban Hammer about it, but when he finally did end up sheepishly admitting to wanting to realize his dream, the Warden was elated at the idea.
He's been more than accommodating throughout the process; driving him to and from lectures when needed, buying him supplies whenever he ran low, supporting and reassuring him whenever he doubted himself, it... Was more than he could've ever hoped for. He had no idea how he could ever repay him for it all.
Since a majority of the classes assigned to him were online, he could work from home. Unfortunately, that meant he no longer had an excuse to not learn how to cook. He much preferred baking, really, especially due to the chemistry aspect.
What is that dripping sound? Oh. Coffee. It’s ready.
He poured the freshly brewed coffee into a mug, taking slow sips to avoid burning his tongue. Delicious, as always.
Once he was finished, he set the mug down onto the counter and headed over to the pantry to retrieve the apron, slipping it on with ease. His body went into an autopilot as he went through the motions. Washing his hands, turning on the burner, selecting a good pan, getting butter out of the fridge, grabbing the box of pancake mix…
He hadn’t exactly quit his old job. He sort of… Ghosted them?
He was already trying to distance himself from them before he got with Ban Hammer. The apartment he rented in Crossroads sucked, it really did, but he needed to escape their grasp.
He didn’t tell the cult he was moving when he finally accepted Ban Hammer’s offer, simply deciding it would be best to silently disappear. The only other inphernals he told about where he slipped off to was his brother, Sword, and Rocket, giving them his new number to contact him before he vanished from the public-eye.
… Maybe he was a coward. Running away from his problems once again for a better life. Though this time, his life really was better. The cult never delivered on that promise.
You would think he would have known better after such a gut-wrenching betrayal from the one he loved, but he was desperate back then. Young. Naive even. His whole world had been turned upside down. Having your eye torn out simply for desiring to make the world a better place really changes your outlook on life.
It was almost funny. He fought back and fled from one toxic situation just to get himself trapped in another.
-
Chest heaving, he stumbled into an alleyway, collapsing onto his knees against the cold brick wall. The rain — at least, that's what he was told it was called — was relentless, mixing with the blood and tears staining his cheeks until he couldn’t tell them apart, the scent of petrichor and iron overwhelming his nose. He clutched his hand over his empty socket, sobbing quietly.
He knew that he would get an infection if he didn’t tend to his wounds soon, but right now that felt like the least of his worries. His life is over. It must be. He can’t go back. If he doesn’t die from blood loss, he’ll die when Blackrock inevitably finds him.
Heartbroken didn’t even begin to describe how he felt.
Subspace… He shook just from thinking the name, throat painfully tight. He would never, ever forgive him. Not like he would be forgiven either, considering how he retaliated —
Footsteps. Someone’s coming.
Alarm shot through his bleary mind immediately, head snapping up towards the direction of the sound. Dazed, he blinked rapidly trying to clear his blurry vision to be able to see who the stranger was.
A man. Black dress-shoes, teal pants, teal button up, black vest, and a tie. He had a strange x shaped scar above his glass eye, and two large dark horns that curled backwards. He adorned a warm, friendly expression, but something about it seemed wrong. Unsettling.
The man crouched down in front of him, cocking his head to the side with a grin.
“Oh, you poor thing!" He croons, crows feat deepening, "Do you need help?”
Medkit scooted as far back as he could against the wall to keep as much distance as possible between them, breath stuttering. The man giggled in response, amused by the medic’s fearful actions.
“It would be a shame to let your potential go to waste. Unfortunately, my services aren’t free! I would love to save you, but you need to do something for me in return…Perhaps a deal is in order.”
“… Who are you?”
“They call me The Broker.” The man held out his hand towards Medkit, offering a handshake. “Pleased to make your acquaintance!”
-
Arms wrapped around his torso from behind, a weary sigh coming from the Warden as his head came to rest on Medkit’s shoulder. The medic simply rolled his eye, flipping the pancake currently sizzling in the pan.
“Could ya add chocolate chips to the next one?”
“Really? Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
“Maybe, but it tastes good!”
Letting out a long exhale through his nose, his free hand opened one of the cupboards, retrieving a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. A compromise between Medkit’s preference for dark chocolate and Ban Hammer’s for milk chocolate.
“Coffees in the pot.”
A short kiss was planted on the healer’s cheek before the warmth around him slinked away towards the fridge to presumably retrieve some creamer.
Using a spatula to transfer the finished pancake onto a plate, he quickly started on another, sprinkling a few chocolate chips this time. He closed his eye, listening to the sound of the batter sizzling in the pan, the coffee splashing as it was poured into a mug, and the Warden’s absentminded humming.
But then it got a bit quiet. Too quiet.
He quickly whipped his head around to catch Ban Hammer as he was sneaking up behind him, just before his hand could make contact with Medkit’s rear.
“Don’t you dare.”
The Warden’s expression looked like a child who had just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, though he seemed more disappointed that his plan failed rather than guilty. The medic glared at him, grip tightening on his spatula.
“I will not hesitate to throw a pancake at you.”
“Sounds like a waste of food.”
“Ban Hammer.” He warned, lips pursing.
Said demon stiffened at the use of his full name, raising his hands up in surrender. That always seemed to work.
Twisting the burner’s knob to turn it off, he transferred the last pancake onto a large stack he had made on one of the two plates set aside. Wasting no time grabbing the plate with the larger portions, he practically shoved it into the Warden’s hands, narrowing his eye.
“Maple syrup is on the table. Quit ogling me and go eat.”
“Fine…”
Ban Hammer dragged his feet the whole way as he slowly trudged into the dining room. Medkit followed with his own breakfast in hand, settling down in the seat across from him at the table.
His thoughts always seemed to slow during moments like this, a welcomed reprieve from the usual ideas and emotions clamoring around for space inside his mind. The break from the exhausting worries was welcomed, and so was the silence that settled around them once again. Methodically chewing on a piece of pancake, he watched in slight-horror as Ban Hammer made quick work of his own stack.
Unfortunately, the Warden’s terrible manners are something he has yet to correct.
Once they were finished with their meals, Medkit collected their plates, heading back into the kitchen as he heard Ban Hammer mumble something about grabbing his keys. Footsteps grew further away from the Medic, but he paid them no mind. He placed their dirty dishes into the left of their sink set before turning on the faucet to fill the right with hot water, being sure to pour a generous amount of soap in as well.
He really couldn’t understand how Ban Hammer could stand not wearing gloves whenever it was his turn to wash them. The idea of bits of food grazing his hands left him absolutely repulsed!
He took his time examining each dish after rinsing it, making sure he didn’t miss anything. It was probably excessive, but it was an extra precaution he would take to soothe his paranoia around anything unclean.
He must have been about 5 plates in when a hand squeezed his backside, making him jolt. He turned his head to see Ban Hammer snickering behind him, cocking his head to the side with an irritatingly smug Smirk. While Medkit would have liked to backhand him in retaliation, he would rather not splash water everywhere like the last time.
“Was that really necessary?”
“Of course it is! It’s my good luck charm.”
“Really? So, feeling me up is an essential part of your routine?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re ridiculous.” He breathed out, shaking his head despite the way his lips curled up.
A beat of silence passes. Well, silent aside for the soft trickle of running water and the light splashes from Medkit scrubbing a pot, though it was more akin to white noise by that point.
“… I better get going, huh?”
“Mm, yes. You’ll be late if you don’t.” He sighed, placing a bowl onto the dish rack.
The Medic turned around to face the Warden, letting the latter place a short kiss on his lips.
“I’ll see ya tonight, Meds. Love ya!”
“Right. Love you too.”
.
.
.
Ban Hammer must have left about 15 minutes ago now. Medkit had just finished up the last dish, placing the plate on the rack with the rest, when the home phone rang.
Already, it struck him as odd. The home phone almost never rang save for the occasional scam call or incorrect number. If one of them were being called, it was always through their own phones. Furrowing his brows, he slipped his dish gloves off, walking towards the phone hung on the wall.
Hesitantly, he answered the call.
"Hello?”
Nothing could have prepared him for the voice on the other end of the receiver, one that made his blood run cold.
“Oh Medkit, did ya really think you could avoid us forever?”
Broker.