Work Text:
Poppy walked away from the elimination area, feeling a sense of pride that quickly washed away the more steps they took. They escaped their elimination by a hair, and they were happy to still be in the game of course, but something heavy weighed on their mind that soured their mood.
Metag. The robot who got put in cuffs for trying to reach out to someone of their own kind, Poppy still had so many unanswered questions about the mysterious person they talked too. But all of those questions would never be satisfied, because of what happened to fan.
They really felt guilty about it, but they felt like they didn't know how to approach it, especially to how paper reacted to it. Imagine if the whole community knew, not like poppy doubted paper would be telling he knew and everyone he didn't know about the entire ordeal. Bot covered for them because they probably knew it would get worse for them, but in the end they still became even more isolated. The more they walked the more their mind spiraled.
Tapeys one moment to poppy felt good to let out, because she more let poppy know exactly what would happen if poppy was caught being vulnerable. Tapeys words after that felt hollow, like she was pretending and just felt pity for them.
Poppy crossed their arms, gripping their arms tight as their nails dug into their skin under fabric. They suddenly stopped in their tracks. NEVER again, they had declared in a spur of the moment. Never again will I confide in anyone. It only ends up with me hurt.
…
Metag was the exception though, huh?
Metag took the blame for you.
You're the one who should be in cuffs.
You're the reason fans in the hospital, even if you don't want to admit it.
Just because you didn't directly cause it doesn't mean you didn't cause that to happen.
It's your fault, and when everyone finds out, you'll never have anyone look your way again.
… except metag, though.
With newfound determination, poppy put their arms to their side, and sped to the calm down corner.
“Metag! “
They Said, loudly but not loud enough to alert anyone but them, metag was propped up on a round metal stool, cuffs on their arms, behind their back, metag quickly looked up to poppy, Seeming surprised by the way they straightened up. But quickly calmed down when they saw that it was just poppy.
Poppy walked up to metag,standing in front of them and putting their hands on metags shoulders.
“Are you alright?.. “ poppy asked, clear worry laced in their voice, metag felt.. Frustrated. Frustrated that they let that happen to fan, that they let someone get hurt like that. they were trying to help poppy, to call someone to bring them somewhere safer, but it all threw them right back in the head.
Poppy had stayed silent with metag as they contemplated, before peeking behind to see the cuffs on metags hands, face scrunching up.
“They really didn't need to do that.” Poppy said, this time sounding like a mix of dissatisfaction and anger, walking behind metag to investigate the cuffs.
Metag moved their head, shaking at poppy, it was fine. Just cuffs. It wasn't like metag was being tortured or anything. But it looked like poppy just wasn't having it.
Poppy looked down to the grass, and saw a few Pebbles and stones nudged in the corners of the calm down corner, without words, grabbed one and bashed it against the links.
Metag was now shaking their head frantically, begging poppy to not get them into anymore trouble than they both were already in, but poppy was unconvinced, Throwing one final hit, they broke the cuffs, pausing after they had, they really didn't expect it to be so weak.
Metag brought their wrists to their face, looking at the broken cuffs with worry, looking up at Poppy, throwing their hands up in a remark of asking why.
Poppy simply rolled their eyes, “They'll never notice. You don't deserve to be chained up here anyway. “ they had ended that statement with their voice turning softer, being genuine about not wanting metag to be cuffed all the time in here, they added. “Besides, how is this helping you anyway?! Sure let's lock people up and shove them into a corner, that'll magically make them good again! “ poppy seethed, mocking the redemption system they found flawed.
Metag simply stared at them for a moment, shaking their head, but more in an exhausted way now. This person they were so insistent on helping was gonna be stubborn till the end, huh? Probably something metag would never do without orders.
They kind of admire Poppy's stubbornness.
“.. You wanna go back inside?. . “ poppy asked, clearly hoping for a no. Metag shook their head, also not wanting to return so soon either.
They both looked into the forest clearing, poppy went there sometimes, whenever things got too much for them.
Sometimes, metag would find them there, laying in the grass, inviting metag to join them.
Those times might be the most metag is simply at peace, no objective or task to complete.
Poppy put their hand on metag, and they returned the hold, Interlocking their fingers together, poppy widened their eyes at this, looking away as a slight blush appeared on their face.
Without a word from either of them, metag slid off the chair, and they walked into the dense forest, hand in hand.
________
They had been walking for a good minute now, dodging trees and shrubs, but never letting each other's hands go for a second, poppy having an iron grip on metags.
Poppy's legs had been starting to ache, so they slowed down, metag was naturally faster than them, so they stopped when they noticed poppy slowing down.
Poppy huffed, “Is here good?” The spot they stopped was in front of a large tree, surrounded by bushes, metag dragged them a little longer, going behind the tree and shrubs, like they were hiding away from it all.
Both poppy and metag sat down on the soft grass, roots from the tree surrounding the place where they settled. They both sat in silence for a good bit, just processing everything, it was easier with the other around.
Poppy's mind felt clearer when they sat next to metag, their shoulders brushing against theirs. Sometimes, or a lot of the time it felt like poppy was an outcast, even when they were accepted into the game and the society, they never felt truly accepted. They noticed metag wasn't fully accepted either. That makes two of them.
Two outcasts, both attached to horrible memories.
Two outcasts who really had nowhere to go, accepted probably as an act of pity.
But with each other, it felt easier.
Poppy directed their attention to metag's face, they seemed lost in thought, as still as the air tonight was. Poppy slid their hand on top of metags,which caused their hand to flinch a bit. Poppy was about to move it away before metag moved their other hand to cling onto poppies.
Metag shifted their body to look at Poppy fully, and hesitated as they kept both of their hands holding the other's hand.
Poppy felt their face heat up at the touch, waiting for metag to do something.
Metag tapped their fingers, clearly nervous, but still moved their hands to Poppy's forearms, testing the waters.
Poppy, not quite grasping what metag was getting at here, moving their hands to metag's shoulders, seeing what they'll do. More silence, metag taps their fingers on poppy forearms, almost twitchy.
Metag finally moved closer to poppy, their hands releasing their forearms to wrap around their back, poppy quickly realized they had wanted a hug, but didn't know how to ask for it, they huffed with a smile before returning it without a second thought, poppies arms wrapping around metags neck.
Poppy quickly realized metag's faceplate was warm, unusually warm, actually. It almost felt like it was steaming, poppy actually started to panic at the thought of metag overheating, quickly pulling away to cup metags face.
“Are you alright metag!?Your faceplate is unusually warm and-” poppy was quickly shut down by metag shaking their head, trying to insist they were fine. If poppy looked more they probably would've noticed metags face being a shade darker the moment they sat down. A telltale sign of a metag's faceplate warming up.
Poppy sighed, “Gosh, I got worried, really! Tell me when you're feeling off and I'll take care of you. “ Poppy muttered. Metag sighed, the noise being like a faint whistle of a machine, metag felt well comfortable to rewrap their arms around poppy and lean down, getting comfortable seeing as they weren't returning to the community for a while. No matter how many people searched for them.
Poppy's face started warming up again, and they got nervous very fast as metag leaned onto them, shifting into a comfortable position, their legs loosely fitting together like puzzle pieces. Metag fitted themself on poppy chest, arms loosely wrapped around poppies waist.
Poppy had been leaning onto the tree, it wasn't the most comfortable of walls, but poppy would endure having spikes embedded into their back if it meant staying with metag like this.
The air was so cold, but they felt so warm, fitted together like they always belonged.
Poppy looked down at metag's faceplate, feeling an overwhelming mix of cuteness aggression and a want to kiss them. They didn't care if metag didn't even have lips. They'd kiss that plate for the entire night-oh my God what are you thinking.
Poppy quickly looked away, holding metag tighter.
They couldn't kiss. Not now.
.. But poppy hoped they could sometime later.