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Robert would think that after everything he’d been through, another bar fight would be the least of his worries.
Over excited chatter went in one ear and out the other as the Z-Team gathered around the entrance to the bar they had just wrecked the interior of. Some Red Ring members had taken it upon themselves to enact revenge upon the group, technically making them innocent for once. If one neglected the amount of property damage that would definitely be forwarded to the finance department.
Robert found himself leaning against a wall after a particularly hard blow to the side. He was slowly testing his ribs to make sure they weren’t broken when a hand slapped his shoulder, pulling him forward.
“Come on, we’re bar hopping,” Courtney’s amused voice filtered through the commotion.
Just for Robert to lose his footing and fall nearly face first out the entrance. He groaned, the concrete unkind to his bruised side.
“Ooh, ouch. You didn’t get hit in the head again, did you?” Malevola moved closer, seemingly the only concerned one of the bunch.
“Damn, just when I thought you couldn’t get any less pathetic,” Chad interjected, the closest to the entrance and uncaring of the group’s odd looks as he held a hand out.
Robert took the offering with a clap, Chad pulling him up easily. He nearly lost his footing again when he went to put weight on his right leg, almost stumbling into the man again before righting himself.
The uncharacteristic silence had him glancing up just to find everyone looking down at something.
“Is your leg supposed to do that?” Alice spoke up, gesturing to it with a grimace.
“Shit, dude, do we need to drop you off somewhere?” Bruno interjected, managing to look worried.
He looked down, finding his foot just shy of a 180 degree angle in the direction it shouldn’t go.
“No, it’s alright,” Robert simply supplied, leaning against the door frame and hiking his right leg up. He then reached down and twisted his foot back into position, much to everyone’s sounds of disgust.
“Robert, I’m serious when I say I don’t think that’s normal,” Chad looked down at the offending limb before checking his face and assessing his expression with one of concern.
“I’m serious, you guys. I’m completely fine,” Robert huffed a laugh, dismissive. Just to reassure them, he shifted his weight onto his right leg, taking a few steps forward and spinning around once, throwing his hands out in emphasis.
“See?”
“Yeah, knowing your track record, I think it would be best to at least get that checked out,” Colm added, earning a few nods.
Courtney walked into his line of sight, approaching his side and lifting a brow, looking unamused. She gave him an expectant look, well aware of his hesitance.
With a sigh, he grabbed his right pant leg, everyone’s attention zeroing in on the movement.
“I better not get any shit from this, or else I’m filing it with HR,” he provided with a tired lilt, lifting the fabric high enough to expose the metal leg.
“What the fuck? You’ve had that, like, the whole time?” Victor suddenly spoke up, studying the spot before Robert let go, obscuring the prosthetic from view.
“Well, yes. I thought you all would have known by now, considering,” he trailed off, the news of his mech being blown up, and some having caught sight of his maimed body amongst the chaos had made it into some news articles, reporters even asking if his disability was what led to his temporary retirement.
“I did. I just didn’t want to be rude,” Janelle spoke evenly with a shrug, a few odd looks thrown her way at the casualness.
“I feel like I would’ve known by now, that you were missing a whole fucking leg,” Chad grumbled besides him, having almost forgotten he was there for his previous silence.
“I’m still surprised you managed to hide that for as long as you have. That’s impressive,” Malevola offered an easy smile, relieving the tension slightly.
The group turned to talking amongst themselves instead as Alice declared where they were headed. Courtney offered Robert a small smile, rolling her eyes before rejoining the team now a few paces ahead of him, leaving him with Chad.
“Hey,” Robert risked a glance over to the other man, taking in his furrowed expression.
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you tell me about that?” Chad gestured to his side, frustration coloring his tone.
“Is that why you never took those awful pants off ever?” He more so grumbled to himself, Robert finding the anger wasn’t fully pointed at him.
The two had been at a point in time where Chad would visit his apartment at times, stating he was just ensuring their Dispatcher didn’t die during the week with an offering of food. He’d often stay for longer than necessary, sometimes forcing Robert to join him on errands. At work, he’d even drop off fresh coffee for him when he thought he wasn’t looking. The odd hours led to Robert keeping on his prosthetic majority of the time, making the mental excuse of being too tired to bring it up or not wanting to face whatever look Chad would throw his way at the information. They weren’t good excuses, but he felt the guilt weigh slightly on him. It was information about himself he often logged away without thinking. A weakness he would purposefully overlook, so he wouldn’t have to think too hard about it and consider it a set back. Sure, it took months to heal and adjust to and even longer to get used to his prosthetic, but he functioned at what could almost be considered normal. The slight limp was almost untraceable unless someone was really looking for it.
“I just didn't know how to bring it up,” Robert managed out, avoiding the odd look being shot his way now as they walked.
“You could have literally thrown your leg at me, and I wouldn’t have cared, Mecha-dick,” Chad slapped his arm in feigned offense, making him laugh.
“Okay, I’m sorry, but now you know,” Robert offered a small smile, watching it mirror back on Chad’s face, still slightly unsure.
A few beats of silence pass as he takes the time to realize how far Alice was leading them. At this rate, he’d have to tap out early and get a ride home with the amount of irritation already evident in his leg from the bar fight alone.
“I’m still mad at you,” Chad scowled, breaking Robert out of his thoughts.
“Look, I just didn’t want you, or the team, to think any differently of me. I’m already the ‘delicate normie’, so I didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire,” he provided with a frown, discomfort settling in.
“I watched you bite off a guy’s thumb. I think we’re past that point,” he said with a disgusted look, making Robert laugh.
“Don’t let that get to your head, though. You’re still a bitch,” Chad grinned, earning a laugh from him.
“Ego checking from you of all people. I’ll take your word for it,” Robert chuckled, something soft settling in his chest.
He only had a few drinks at the new bar, settling for remaining in the booth as his leg ached from all the action of the night. Another shot of whiskey appeared in front of him, glancing up to find a familiar face.
“You look pathetic over here, by the way,” Chad spoke over the noise of the bar, slinking into the seat across from him.
“I was purposefully testing how pathetic I could look in one night to get you to come over here ,” Robert smiled, accepting the glass with a welcome swig.
“Eh, I’ve seen worse,” Chad shrugged, Robert scoffing as his grin only widened.
“There a reason you’re visiting the pathetic corner then?” He checked over his shoulder at the commotion, finding Malevola and Colm going shot for shot. He grimaced at the sight, grateful it wasn’t on his tab.
“I know my limits,” Chad wearing a similar expression, watching Alice record the moment as the surrounding group cheered.
“Speaking of limits, I think I’m going to head out soon. Today’s been longer than I anticipated,” Robert sighed, throwing back the rest of his drink before using the table to force himself up with a grunt.
“You sound fucking ancient, you’ll be joining the same ranks as Chase soon,” Chad retorted, shifting to stand as well with a calculating look on his face. This pulled a laugh from Robert, suddenly facing him.
“Making sure I manage to get to the door, or did you change your mind about shots?” He glanced over to the group, Colm looking a bit sick now as Malevola triumphed.
“Eugh, no. Maybe I just want to make sure you don’t get lost,” Chad answered with a frown, suddenly defensive.
“When you say it like that, it almost sounds like you care,” Robert threw back just to watch Chad’s scowl deepen.
“Whatever, bitch. Go have a heart attack in an alleyway for all I care,” he glowered, though lacking any real heat.
“Ouch, that one hurt,” Robert feigned offense, hand over his heart and an exaggerated frown aimed his way as they exited the bar.
“It’s a wonder we put up with you,” Chad grumbled, distracted by the new surroundings now to miss the look on Robert’s face.
He couldn’t help the flicker of hurt at the words, no matter if they were genuine or not, they held some truth to him.
A few blocks down, Robert felt himself begin to slow down, limp becoming more prevalent as Chad shot more unreadable looks his way. He finally gave in and leaned against a wall of some office, closed and unaware of his presence as he took the weight off his bad leg.
“Okay, I might actually need to get a ride,” Robert shuffled a bit to lessen the pressure, leg aching where it made contact with his prosthetic. He pulled out his phone, ready to request a Lyft.
The phone was then covered by a larger hand, missing two fingers.
“Don’t bother, I’ll just pull up my car,” Chad offered, still sporting that slight frown.
“You’re sure?” Robert asked, hesitant. Whatever it was between them still felt delicate, unsure if he would accidentally cross a line somewhere with needing help.
“Yeah, just parked two blocks away from here. Try not to get jumped for a few minutes,” Chad nodded with a grin, walking at a quicker pace down the road and leaving him behind.
Robert let himself sag slightly against the cold wall, discomfort crawling under his skin for other reasons now. He was suddenly glad Beef was with Chase for tonight, having happily taken him under short notice with the team’s invite. The poor guy would probably be pacing worriedly in the empty apartment as he got back later than usual.
He couldn’t help but feel both enamoured and bothered by the notions. The thought of the man made Robert absently scratch at the scar on his side, hidden beneath the fabric and dulled by damaged nerves. Some of the flames Chad had thrown his way all those years ago had managed to get into the suit just enough, singing up his side from his hip. It was larger than most of his marks, but easier to miss amongst the worse scarring around it. In his mind, he called it Flambae’s mark, more out of fondness than anything bitter.
A familiar white car rolled up to where he stood, window rolled down to allow Chad to see past the dark tint.
“Get in, Mecha-bitch. I don’t have all night,” he called out, causing Robert to chuckle.
“Such a gentleman,” he mocked, half hobbling over to the door and practically falling into the seat.
“I can be a gentleman when I want to, you just haven’t earned it yet,” Chad shrugged, patiently waiting for Robert to put his seatbelt on.
“And this isn’t that?” He responded with a grin, watching Chad’s hand tighten around the wheel with an indecipherable grumble under his breath.
Chad somehow knew the route to Robert’s apartment despite being in a different area than usual. He watched him drive easily with one hand on the wheel, the other leaning on the middle console as the radio quietly hummed some song Robert didn’t recognize. Chad pulled up into a guest spot in the parking garage, pocketing his keys and exiting the car. Just when he was about to pull himself out, the door swung open, the other man having beaten him to it. He reached a hand out then, Robert getting Deja vu.
“I’m not a cripple, you know,” he scoffed, taking the offered hand anyway and silently grateful for the assist, even if it cost him part of his dignity.
“Didn’t feel like watching you struggle. That would just be cruel,” Chad replied, insult sounding softer than usual as they entered the building.
After many visits, Chad had both moved and added enough things to Robert’s apartment where it looked like someone else lived there. Shampoo bottles and spare clothes had suddenly appeared, Robert not caring much anymore, as long as Chad didn’t clog the drain with his hair when he decided to shower.
As if hearing his thoughts, Chad studied him for a few moments after they had entered his apartment. Robert had practically fallen onto the couch, propping his bad leg up while the other dangled off the side. Once satisfied with whatever it was he was looking for, he entered the bathroom, closing the door. The sound of running water started up, allowing time for Robert to close his eyes.
He must have fallen asleep when he was startled awake by clothes hitting him in the face. A spare t-shirt and shorts from his room. He looked up to find Chad standing there, drying his hair with an unfamiliar towel. Shit, just how much stuff was new in here that he hadn’t noticed?
“Change, you’re not sleeping in that,” he ordered easily, voice devoid of any real force.
He could only let out a sigh, unable to withdraw his gaze from Chad’s now product-free hair, still damp. He made it a point to shower after every shift as to remove whatever it was he put in it to avoid the effects of his abilities. Chad had explained it was more resilient than regular hair, but with extensive use of his powers, it would eventually burn. Robert frowned when he watched the towel get blindly flung into the bathroom, hoping it wasn’t on the floor for him to pick up later.
“You hard of hearing too?” He spun around, unimpressed brow lifted expectantly. Robert just took notice now that he had changed into a loose tank top and sweatpants, part of the growing collection of clothes in his apartment.
Something seemed to cross his features, a deer caught in the headlights, as a smug look overtook his face.
“Like what you see?” Chad teased, pausing with his motions, halfway through combing something through his hair.
“Fuck off,” Robert grumbled, shifting his attention to begin unbuttoning his shirt.
He shrugged off the uniform button up, tossing it into the corner just to irritate Chad. He hesitated before removing his undershirt, risking a glance up.
“Do you want me to turn around?” Chad asked, half teasing but softened just for him. The man stood with his arms crossed adjacent from where he sat, that expression from earlier still evident.
Letting out a huff, Robert shook his head.
“No, it’s fine. Just not used to an audience,” he couldn’t help but tease, easing the tension in Chad’s shoulders.
He pulled off his undershirt, tossing it as well. Robert heard a sharp sniff in front of him, attention now pointed towards the barely contained look on Chad’s face. Amber eyes were trained on his side, causing Robert to shift just enough to cover the mark, tugging on his new shirt.
“I’d say we’re even, but that wouldn’t really feel fair,” Robert offered a grin, watching Chad’s face darken in realization.
“That was me?” He blinked, disbelief in his features forming into something like remorse.
“Yeah, I kind of deserved it though,” Robert added while he removed his belt, shimmying out of his pants as he awkwardly pulled it over his prosthetic, getting caught a few times. Chad looked ready to help, but stopped when Robert shook his head. The pants joined the heap on the other side of the couch as he pulled on the pair of worn, black shorts. Without much precedence, he tugged off his prosthetic, beginning to remove the sock and liner meant to help with the friction. He grit back a hiss as the irritation and soreness renewed at the contact, stuffing everything into the cavity of his leg for now to be dealt with at a later time.
“You honestly went through the trouble of keeping your leg on almost all the time just so I wouldn’t see it?” Chad spoke up, sounding angry but mainly hurt. Amber eyes met his own as he kneeled in front of him, now at eye level.
Robert grumbled out what could have been a ‘yes’, making the other man sigh. The air brushed against his leg, warm and familiar.
Chad reached out, hovering over the stump, eyes awaiting permission. He nodded stiltedly, gaze trained down to avoid the discomfort rolling around in his gut. Warm hands pressed against the stunted muscles, biting back a grunt at the contact. They slowly eased the ache, unable to hold back the sigh of gratitude as the warmth seeped into his bones.
“You didn’t deserve that, just so you know,” Chad managed out, discomfort towards the admission evident in his tight expression.
“Just like you didn’t deserve me doing what I did either,” Robert offered, watching the man pointedly avoid his gaze.
Chad only grumbled, seemingly unconvinced.
His hands then pulled away, turning to sit besides him on the couch now. Robert had shifted his attention to the tv Victor had brought over, still on the floor since he didn’t have anything to put it on and refused to lose his security deposit because they decided to bolt it to the wall themselves. He wasn’t sure the walls were even thick enough to hold the weight of a tv, let alone a picture frame.
Settling on some reality show reruns he remembered Chad mentioning he liked, he stretched before fully relaxing into the couch.
He was about to lean over and ask if Chad had seen this already, aware he probably knew the answer before he glanced over, not meeting his gaze. Instead, amber eyes were trained down at Robert’s missing leg, quickly averting to meet his own, caught in the act.
“I can cover it up if it bothers you,” Robert offered in earnest, forcefully pushing away the twist in his gut at the idea.
Chad then looked alarmed, eyes widening.
“Shit, I didn’t mean- That’s not what I was-“ he uncharacteristically tripped over his words, attempting to salvage the situation.
“Hey, it’s fine, really,” Robert offered with a smile he hoped was reassuring, twisting to reach for the blanket Janelle had made for him some time ago on the back of the couch.
The motion was stopped by a warmer than usual hand, even by Chad’s standards.
“That’s not what I meant,” he managed out, leveling Robert with an even look.
“Also, that would make me a hypocrite,” he tacked on, looking away for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.
“Look, Chase doesn’t even like seeing it. I’m not going to do some fucked up exposure therapy just because I want you to hang around here more often.” Chad’s attention snapped back to him again, looking conflicted.
“First of all, what the fuck? Second of all, you want me here more often?” Chad gave him a smug expression, earning a much too fond eye roll from Robert.
“If it means you staring at my leg like I’m a Make A Wish patient, then I might need to reconsider,” he leveled Chad with a dry look, studying his face now.
“I’m not staring at you like anything. It’s just-“ Chad gestured vaguely in the air, not making his point any clearer.
“I’m more mad at myself for never noticing. I thought you just had chicken legs after skipping leg day too many times,” he huffed, unable to sneak an insult in.
“Okay, rude. You’ve literally seen me run on the treadmill before,” Robert grinned.
“Avoiding the point though,” he added, pressing again.
“I guess I had this image of you in my head. Like when I found out you were Mecha-man, I had already built up this idea of who he was. Finding out he was the malnutritioned and sleep-deprived bitch Dispatcher took me some time to get used to,” despite the insults, Chad looked conflicted, continuing.
“Like ‘duh’, why wouldn’t that make sense? But it was like my brain was hitting a wall it didn’t know how to get over. You know how many people I’ve watched you kick with that leg? How the fuck did you make it through two bar fights without someone ripping it off?” He asked, looking incredulous.
Robert let out a sigh, scrubbing a hand down his face.
“It’s probably closer to five, and I didn’t want you, or anyone else, to know. It didn’t seem important at the time,” he replied instead, feeling like they were talking in a circle.
“I know. It’s just…different seeing it.”
This made Robert prickle, looking away with a guarded expression.
He dragged the blanket into his lap now, obscuring the scarred stump.
“That’s not-“ Chad let out a frustrated noise, sparks rolling off his shoulders in a huff before immediately extinguishing.
Robert leveled him with an expectant glare, crossing his arms.
He watched the man worry his lip between his teeth for a moment, looking anywhere but at Robert as he waited. He couldn’t say he had ever seen the other like this before. Chad had a tendency to easily recover that inflated bravado of his, even when the moment didn’t call for it. This seemed like one of those rare moments where he realized that wouldn’t work.
“It makes me…mad..that I should have noticed… because I’ve been trying not to care so much,” Chad grit out, looking pained. Robert was impressed, eyebrows shooting up in slight awe.
“Wow, you didn’t even insult me that time,” Robert added sagely, just for a heated glare to be thrown his way.
“Bitch.”
“Almost,” Robert couldn’t help but crack a small smile, warmth replacing that twist in his gut.
Or maybe that was Chad overheating from indignation.
“You wouldn’t have told me if tonight didn’t happen,” he huffed, apparently still stuck on the detail.
“Well, I wouldn’t have told you tonight,” Robert shrugged, glancing over at the tv as it flickered to a SDN ad he was much too familiar with at this point.
“So you wouldn’t have told me at all,” Chad deadpanned, having scooted closer to him.
“No, I just meant not tonight,” Robert replied, voice softening as he suppressed a yawn. He let out a deep sigh, leaning into the nearby warmth and laying his head against Chad’s shoulder.
“I fucking hate you,” the man muttered, an arm still reaching out to wrap around him, pulling him closer.
“Uh-huh,” Robert added, eyes feeling heavy.
“I can’t stand you,” Chad leaned against him, feeling warmth against his temple.
“Hmm,” he vocalized, tv light flickering behind his eyelids.
“I’m going to burn down your apartment with you inside it,” Chad provided, reaching around him to find the remote and turn off the tv before returning to his spot and pulling Robert to lay down.
“Can’t wait,” Robert murmured, cheek squished against a warm chest.
“If you drool on me, I definitely will,” Chad replied, running a hand through auburn hair before resting it against his back.
He wasn’t met with a response as Robert fell asleep in record time, still an unusual occurrence to Chad due to how jumpy the man was on top of his more than evident insomnia.
Just another thing for him to add to the growing list of things he was learning about Robert.