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There were quite a few rules.
1. Battat gets a ten minute headstart to run, hide, barricade himself, anything to avoid being “hunted down.”
2. After the ten minutes are up, Friend can begin searching the open space. They have one hour to not just find, but completely restrain Battat for multiple seconds.
3. Friend can use their tail, but only at its natural length. The same applies to their claws, and anything else regarding their physical form.
4. Likewise, Battat can use anything around the chosen environment to his advantage. He can also use as many items that can fit in his pockets. How he chooses to utilize that space is up to him, and Friend doesn't know what he has on him.
5. Friend cannot teleport, shapeshift, or use any magical abilities.
6. Going too close to or in big bodies of water is not allowed, as it is far too dangerous for both parties (not only due to the obvious risk of drowning, but because Friend and Battat don't do well in the water anyway, for completely different reasons.)
7. Going out of bounds is an immediate loss. Battat is allowed to backtrack, but only within a certain distance beyond the starting point.
And 8. The moment either person is shown to be seriously injured, or experiences extreme discomfort, the game is done. Otherwise, they can opt out at any time.
This is far from their first rodeo, but to keep it exciting, it's not done often. It takes a lot of planning on Battat's end, anyway, and Friend knows how much he likes to take his time with these things to make sure it's as perfect as it can be. They're both equally committed to their roles, and equally thankful for it. Right now, they're both at a tie. This game will be the last one of the year, resetting their progress in the end. So it's a pretty important one to win. For no other reason than to brag, obviously. The setting of choice being a forest in the middle of winter, with a few inches of snow at their feet.
Battat checks the watch on his wrist, watching the seconds count up until the time changed from 5:49 to 5:50. The watch is how he keeps track of the time left throughout the game, with Friend not wanting to know at all, unless it's to see how much longer Battat needed to last once they've officially won. They'd rather not stress, and just have fun with it! Besides, they have a pretty good internal clock.
“Good luck, gorgeous!” They call out to him, watching him walk instead of run into the expanding forest. He gives an apathetic hand-wave in response, and though his back is turned, Friend is almost positive that he's smiling.
“Don't need it. Get ready to lose.”
They simply laugh, and watch as he disappears from view. They can't wait to see what he's been working on, and the look on his face when he eventually loses.
This entire thing, it was Battat's idea, as a way to solve a particular problem of Friend's. While they don't like the comparison of a cat, they can't deny the similarities. They enjoy acting less like a person and more like a wild animal. That is, acting on impulses and existing in nature without consequences. To express certain amounts of energy and other strong emotions without any judgemental eyes.
Recently, they they've been having...unsettling thoughts. They know in their heart that they love Battat more than anything, but it's perhaps because of that love that they've gained this uncontrollable urge to use all of their strength on him. Slicing him in half with its claws, ripping his flesh apart with its teeth, entangling him in its tail and squeezing as hard as physically possible.
They, of course, have never done anything of the sort. But when they are particularly antsy, or overwhelmed with emotions, their mind always goes to the one they love most. Which only makes it worse. They wish he was indestructible, so they can bite down and shake him around like a chew toy. But he, as much as he wants to deny it, is quite fragile. Even this game has to account for that.
At the same time, Battat hates being seen as weak and dependent on others. Most people resort to underestimating him in some fashion, and it was a huge concern in the beginning of their relationship as well. Friend has no doubt that he's a capable and intelligent person, but his methods to prove so are usually...unhelpful. Things that take too much physical and mental strain on the average person, which he sees as the bare minimum. It's why this entire charade lasts an entire hour. They didn't expect him to win once in these conditions, and now they're at a tie. Again, it was all his idea. More for Friend than for Battat, but he likes showing off all the same. They certainly don't mind giving him his flowers when he's earned it, and even when he hasn't.
Nobody else could do something like this, it thinks. Nobody else would even want to do this. It's what makes Battat so unbelievably special. Having someone who can keep up with them, challenge them, support them in the right ways, they've never experienced it before. Instead of pushing it away, or God forbid, becoming afraid of it, he tackled the issue at hand until it wasn't as loud. There are other solutions to both of these things, of course, but this one...is certainly the most fun. Not just because they get to rip things apart, run as fast as they can, and turn their strength up a few notches. But because they get to see Battat have just as much fun, really putting his skills to good use. It wouldn't be enjoyable for Friend if it was guaranteed to win. Thankfully, Battat's pride would never allow “going easy.” That goes for them, too, but they can't help but lessen their grip when they think he'll be hurt in some way. They'll never find someone like him after he dies! The world would lose so much of its sparkle!
They're gonna have to keep him for a long time. Even longer than that.
Eventually, it knows that the time is up, and they go out looking with a wide smile on their face. Of course, they start by following the footprints he left behind in the snow, even if it's well aware that it will soon be an unreliable path. Despite the (literal) clock ticking, they walk at a lazy pace, not feeling a need to use up their energy just yet.
They have the advantage here, after all. He's definitely tiring himself out more than they are.
Once Battat was completely out of sight, he ran as fast as he could in a random direction. In order for his idea to work out even the slightest bit, he had to not waste a second of time.
The goal here is not to outrun Friend, or even stay far enough away from them, but to go where they can't immediately reach. To stall them for precious seconds of time, save his energy in the process. And to do that, he had to stay away from out in the open. He had to go up.
Now, there were two concerns with this:
1. Not only can Friend climb, they can do it much better than Battat can
And 2. The higher he goes, the more easily he can be spotted.
He wasn't going to do it immediately. But he had a plan, for when it had to happen. For now, he had to just set it up. And create as many inconveniences as possible in the meantime.
As it turns out, you don't need something like an axe to cut down a tree. All you need is some precision, and a really good knife. As long as you cut it a certain way, diagonally instead of straight through, it'll eventually work. Though, he wasn't actually going to cut down a bunch of trees...kind of. Instead, he'd get it close to the way there, then abruptly stop. Friend at this distance can't hear the sound of a blade digging against tree bark, but it can certainly hear when one hits the ground. They're also stronger and heavier than he is, Pippins being unnaturally light, so if he's just careful enough, he can still climb up, and will stay up until Friend chases after him. At the very least, it gives him enough distance away from them when he lands back on his feet.
Speaking of which, he has to do a bit of jumping. Pretty dangerous. But he'll be fine. Probably. Wouldn't stop him either way. At least he's not going all the way up.
But he has a way to make it a little easier. Just pile a good amount of snow on the ground and hope for the best. As for knowing which trees were cut and which were safe to climb normally, he put a small white sticker as high as he could reach. He thought about putting it lower, but Friend would be walking on all fours, and it would be within their eye level.
He also decided to take his poncho off, seeing as this shade of green doesn't exactly blend in with the rest. Yeah, it's cold as shit, but he'll be fine. In fact, it's of much more use to him off. Instead of just wearing all white from the start, he figured he'd use a little loophole and give himself an extra tool. One that definitely can't fit in his pocket.
When the ten minutes ended, Battat went into whatever side of the forest had the most trees blending him into the background. Though, around this hour, it's getting dark enough that it works for and against him. Friend can see much better in the dark, but Battat knows the area better than they do. He made sure to walk around everywhere so that his path is almost untraceable. When he found a pretty large, sturdy pine tree with a lot of snow, he used that one to climb up. A little under halfway up is when he stopped, setting himself down on a branch. He hovered over where he was sitting, and with one hand holding the knife, stabbed downwards into the trunk on the left side. After a few minutes, there was a good amount of damage, and he switched to his right to do the other side. Then, he held his poncho around where he just cut to keep it steady, while he slowly went one branch down to repeat the process, but cutting upwards diagonally. It began to create more of a diamond shape. With the way the weight was distributed, he would most likely fall on his left.
Okay...that should be good.
He climbed as high as he felt was necessary, needing to catch his breath as he turned himself around. If only he was allowed to bring some water or something.
Well, there's no rule against it. But the worse this is for him, the better the win will be! That's what a normal person thinks!
Now, all he can do is sit and wait.
By now, about ten minutes have went by since Friend started looking. They had to pick up the pace now if they wanted to find Battat at all. But they couldn't be too loud, otherwise he'd have the opportunity to notice and change course.
The first half of the game is usually the hardest, while he's at his best and not within their line of sight. But he starts to slow down and tire himself out eventually, so running is not a good enough plan on its own. He has to get really good at avoiding detection, and lasting for that first half hour.
As they predicted, following footsteps is a bit useless in this situation. At least when it came to looking for specifics, but as wonderful as Battat is, he can't be everywhere at once. Especially not within a ten minute timeframe. So wherever the snow on the ground remained untouched, that's where Friend avoided looking. Soon, they had a pretty good idea what area he regulated himself to. He was definitely hiding somewhere already, and the ground was too stiff and frozen over to dig a hole (which is what he did last time, and could've gotten himself killed if he wasn't annoyingly prepared for it,) so he's either blended into the open area, or somewhere up high.
They started testing the waters a bit, jumping up and piercing their claws into the tallest nearby tree, which their body almost completely wraps around. Rather than checking them individually, they simply reach the highest point, and scout him out that way, from top to bottom. Even though they can see pretty far, all of the trees kinda blend together after staring for a while. Nothing pops out to them initially, so they go in a different direction and try again.
The process repeats...quite a few times, to the point where they stop being careful and start lunging at them with a fierce determination, sometimes leaping from the very top of one tree to the top of the next. Which they immediately begin to regret the second one tilts forward and cracks under their added weight, and the water and snow stuck against their paws causes them to slip while they attempt to regain their balance. They let out a short squeak, begrudgingly letting go of whatever fragile branch they were clinging to, their furr standing up in spikes. Usually, they like when it's cold, even if it only changes their internal body temperature by the slimmest margin. But it makes everything much more breathable.
Okay, bad idea. Just climb up normally, then.
Looking back at what almost sent them crashing to the ground, the trunk was already damaged with quite a few slashes into its side. Which gets a raised eyebrow from the creature. The sharp edges of wood sticking out could have been a problem if they did go up normally.
The sharp turns become more frequent, so do the backtracks and ending up right in the same place they started. They end up having to slice some marks through spots they've already checked before. As they do so, they notice that quite a lot of them have the exact same markings as the one they fell off of, and their smile widens with intrigue. Maybe Battat was trying to memorize a path of his own.
Still, how has it gone this long without even seeing him? Are they losing their touch? Did they think it would be too easy from the start? As the clock ticks further down, their want for stealth lessens more and more. Each tree becomes a scratching post, for no reason other than because they want to. Their running becomes a sprint, and they use their tail to pull branches mindlessly off everything it climbs, enjoying the sharp snap.
They're so caught up in the excitement from it all, they're practically jumping off of the walls! They wonder if Battat has heard any of it yet, if it's given him a cue to start running and unintentionally give himself away. They almost want him to, but he seems to be really playing the long game this time. As much as they admire his patience and acuity, they miss seeing his face. It's no fun when they're playing alone. Still, they push forward, enjoying themselves as they kick snow behind them after they suddenly lose the rush of adrenaline they just got. If he's not making himself known, they really shouldn't either. But damn, is it difficult. Especially with an environment so...repetitive. They just want to get right into the good part! That's the whole point!
While looking up at nothing, they unfortunately let things fall quiet again, as boring as it is. It's most likely causing its own downfall from being so noisy. The more the sun sets, the more their form blends right into the darkness, and they find comfort in how little they stand out. Usually, they do this during the day, as early as their sleep schedules will allow. It's a bit safer that way. Battat usually gets paranoid at night, so they aren't sure why he willingly put himself in this position. But there's still a decent amount of light left.
They focus in on the snow crushing under their feet, the few distant chirps, and their own breathing. Until suddenly, a quick rustling sound was heard right from above them, making their ears flick up. As they look upwards, some snow from a tilted branch reaches the top of its head. Its smile grew as it saw where the sound came from.
Battat was sitting in a branch, practically curled up into a ball, poncho tied around his waist. They notice immediately that his left sleeve has a tear close to his wrist.
When their eyes met, he paused, but didn't move.
...
“Hey.”
His casual inflection was certainly new. He was even smiling a bit.
“Been a while. How ya doin' down there? Did ya get lost or somethin'?”
He's comfortable right where he is. A part of them wants to humor him and have a meaningless back and forth, but the other is pounding against its ribcage, begging to take the jump. They take a few steps back, and look up, and he's still not budging, which makes them hesitate.
He's waiting for it...
That doesn't stop them from wanting it, however.
While they're stuck on what to do, he takes a pen flashlight from his pockets and shines it against his watch. He doesn't say anything, but looks pleased. He leans back against the trunk with his hands behind his back, like he's urging them to hurry up already.
They observe where he's sitting more closely, and they notice that mark again, closer to the bottom, and much deeper cut this time. How did he even get up there?
“What? What's wrong?” He teases, seeing its confliction. “You were havin' a blast earlier. I had to climb a few of these already.”
They gently put a paw against the gash in the wood, not threatening to apply pressure. He made it so uneven that, in order to get to him, they'd have to dig their claws in and send them both flying. And if they did...
“...How are you going to get down from this safely?” It asks. He shrugs.
“Dunno. Sure you'll help me down after I win. Less ya wanna come get me.” A tempting offer, if not for the obvious threat of injury.
They can't help but wonder, affectionately, what is wrong with this man.
“...But I do not want to–”
“Oh, I'll be fine. You can handle it,” he mockingly encourages, only adding to their existing discomfort at things going wrong. “But, if you're really worried about it, you can always just not do anything! I don't mind takin' it easy for once.”
Well, they don't believe that for one second.
Just in case, they shoot their tail up as far as it can naturally go, and it just barely misses him. Damn.
They need to waste even more time just thinking of an alternative. Which he almost certainly has for himself, so taking its eyes off of him is a major risk.
...
Maybe...
They slowly wrap their tail a few times around the tree itself, right above the damaged area. They watch his expression shift, forced to sit up and change his previously relaxed position. It's not completely panicked, but it's a gentle reminder that he may have to make a run for it after all.
They pull the tree towards themselves, hearing a faint crack as the wood begins to break apart. They clench it tight, then look back up at him in complete stillness, giving him an opening to come down. If they let go, the top half is coming down automatically. But he's at least a few inches closer to the ground than he used to be.
He looks off in a random direction, and their eyes follow as nothing but snow meets their gaze. The way he wobbles slightly as the creature moves the object in its hold makes them unbelievably nervous. He's holding on a little tighter now, untying his poncho.
...Maybe I should just–
They feel him suddenly jump off in the opposite direction, which makes them instinctively tighten their grip, practically twisting its neck to the side as they watch where he landed. He stumbles forward and falls on his knees, taking a couple sharp gasps and harsh inhales through the teeth before he bolts in a random direction. They were powerless to stop it, eyes wide.
...What the hell just happened???
They had no time to think about it however, with this huge chunk of wood in their grasp, carelessly throwing it to the side. It hit another tree, making a loud thud as it awkwardly landed in the middle of an open path.
Now that the obvious issue was out of the way, both on solid ground, they put their remaining adrenaline into finding him a second time.
Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. Not that he really wanted it to be, anyway. But the thought was nice for a while.
He was always planning to make the jump, and Friend certainly made it easier for him. But they accidentally created a perfect opportunity that he just couldn't pass up on. A safe (ish) landing, and Friend distracted with their guard down. Things have been going perfectly for him so far. Maybe a bit too perfectly.
Though, admittedly, he felt bad for putting Friend in a position like that. Just seeing that concerned look on their face tempted him to take their given alternative, and pretend this whole thing never happened. He didn't actually think that it would care that much, if it noticed the breakage at all. But in that moment, he remembered that this whole thing...wasn't real. That he wasn't in any sort of danger, and the “looming threat” was just his partner playing pretend. His partner that loves him, and being with him, more than it loves needless violence and destruction.
Though, to the untrained eye, in this instance, it seems like the exact opposite is true. He doesn't dare look behind him, but can hear how fast it's pacing, unable to suppress a distant giggle.
He pulls out his flashlight, scanning for a tree with a sticker on it. He has to keep switching his attention from the ground to right in front of him so that he doesn't trip on anything. When he finally comes across one, he runs to it with his knife in the other hand, giving it a few harsh stabs until it starts to give out, before looping right around it. They aren't sure if it actually messed them up at all.
Don't look behind you, he has to remind himself. Just focus on your breathing.
He's gotten better at improving his natural stamina because of this whole thing. Along with all of the (much less threatening) running he does in his free time, where stuff like this is almost always to be more skilled in all aspects of his life. Anything that helps him “win.” Which, in this instance, he doesn't know why he wants it so badly. Since it's a tiebreaker, it's definitely the most important. But if this game has taught him anything, it's that losing to Friend isn't the worst thing in the world. Unlike with anyone else.
Still, even with them, there comes that need to be better. That feeling deep in his gut that tells him to be embarrassed by any sign of weakness. That losing makes you less, makes them see him as less. Nothing more than a fragile toy who can't take care of himself, or pull his own weight. Even when he does litterally everything to try and prove otherwise.
He can't keep holding himself to an impossible standard. Friend isn't even a Darkner, they're made to be a hundred times stronger, faster, and smarter than Battat ever could be. But that makes it feel all the more sweeter when they manage to pull the rug out from under them, even if it's relatively rare. He has to really exhaust himself to even be equal from a physical standpoint. Either way, Friend is unbelievably supportive and encouraging. There's nobody its more gentle with, despite what their mind often tells them. And when he causes himself pain in their place, it's anything but satisfying.
Being safe from Friend doesn't make him want to play it safe, not one bit. In fact, in his mind, it truly gives him the opportunity to try harder. But the faster he runs, the more pain shoots through his legs, mostly from the fall he took. All of his weight practically crushed his knees from that height, but he was able to ignore it for now. No way he was stopping now. Not when he has...
...Well, a certain amount of time left. He's probably close to the end, but he can't risk stopping, or showing Friend exactly where he is by using a light. If he really lost them, and wants to climb again, then he's gonna have to pick something random and hope for the best. He doesn't know how much longer he can outrun them, not knowing where they even went.
He takes the risk, using his poncho (which he's been holding onto for dear life until now, instead of just wearing it,) to steady his balance around it. It seemed good, so he roughly went the rest of the way up, feeling the bark poke and scratch against the open skin from his torn sleeve. He didn't remember when exactly he got that. Must've been early on.
He was panting through his covered mouth, threatening to just hold his breath instead to make less noise. His heart was pounding so fast, it was the only other thing he could hear around him.
Just...just for a second. Then I have to keep moving...
The “second” turned into a full on minute, as he lost the will to leave the spot he was in. He felt foolishly protected right where he was at. Maybe he can turn back around, hide close to the starting point (or as far as he can go,) until it ends.
Begrudgingly, he stumbles his way back to the ground, returning to a brisk pace, but not anything as intense as before. He'll sacrifice getting ahead for being a little bit less easy to detect. Every gust of wind makes his heartrate pick back up, every snap of a twig makes him abruptly stop. At this stage, it would probably be in “have to opt out” territory, but they can't see it from him, so he won't allow it.
Through some miracle, he sees the entrance to the forest somewhat making shape in the distance. He can't hear anything like he did before, so maybe Friend's just as exhausted, and he really did lose them. Unfortunately, this is as far as he can go, as tempted as he is to go out of bounds and take a nap.
For now, he simply goes off the trail, trying to stay covered as much as he can while on the move. It became a pattern of running to the fullest tree that he can find, looking behind him, then staying there for a few seconds until he hunches down and sneaks over to the next. Still no sign of Friend at all. Which, at this point, he'd prefer to at least get a glimpse of them.
He leans back against where he was now standing, letting out a heavy sigh. This is what he gets for being so cocky before. Friend's never going to let him forget how his confidence caused his downfall so spectacularly. Now he's getting their absolute best, to the point where it's kind of terrifying. At the same time, it's been pretty fun for him to put this much work into something. Especially because he can tell that Friend is enjoying it, too. This is mostly for them, after all.
And damn, they must've been really overstimulated, because this place has been demolished in some areas. Not that he's completely innocent in that regard. In fact, there's a certain itch in his brain that only chopping down a tree can scratch. Good for anger management, he has now learned.
He eventually picks up the pace, feeling much more confident than before. Aside from the frantic looks down and forward, and needing to step over a branch or two, it was as normal as it could be. He's pretty much tuned out any noise that would normally be a concern, too tired to give anything else his undivided attention. It all just blended into the “late evening sounds.”
While he's in this state of calm and heaviness, he decides to take a quick stop to check his watch again. He's barely able to focus on the hands without a flashlight, but can tell it's pretty damn close to the end of the hour. He lets himself smile for a moment.
And then...he looks up.
Friend was standing tall on the tree right across from him, at his exact height, pink and golden eyes beaming in the presence of darkness. They looked like a stone statue in this particular stance. Despite the cold numbing his body completely, he feels a shiver down his spine that freezes him into place. As soon as he turns around and runs, he hears it leap into the air, and it's almost at his side before he can blink. He doesn't get even a second to go anywhere else as its tail swoops from underneath a few seconds later, the end just able to grab his ankle and send him flying forward with a yelp.
He hits the ground hard, the snow thankfully cushioning his fall, but Friend does not let go even then. Instead, it stops moving entirely, and when Battat finally looks behind him, defeat apparent, it practically pounces right onto his chest, and he winces.
“Ach–okay, okay! You win alright?! Jeez!” He hisses through the pain, and instead of getting up, Friend envelops the other, gently wrapping itself around his chest. It nuzzles into his shoulder, and he can feel it purr.
“I caught you~” it sings with pride, and the Pippins' sour attitude slowly dissipates with it.
“Yeah, ya got me.” He begins to lightly scratch the other's ears. “Good job. You have fun?”
“I very much did! You did a wonderful job, dear~ your methods never fail to amaze me!”
They look down at him with a devilish grin, and he knows what's coming next. He sighs.
“Yeah, yeah. Get on with it already,” he reluctantly invites, and they giggle, finally removing the added weight from his chest. It then put its arms under his back, lifting him up slightly, before lowering its head down to his side. He feels a familiar tightness clench into his flesh, before he was rapidly shaken back and forth, head spinning in circles. He had to close his eyes so he wouldn't feel dizzy.
When they finally stop and set him back on the ground in a sitting position, his head was still moving, and they took that time to gently nibble at the skin on his arm, like chewing on a pencil. It was a strange sensation from them, especially without the barrier of clothing. He always expects it to hurt much more than it does, but he doesn't mind it. It was more like a pinch than anything else, even though Friend's teeth were sharp enough to cut through paper. Maybe he's just gotten used to it by now. But when they do put in a little more force than normal, it's a jolt that wakes Battat up from his exhausted state. To Friend, it's like their version of kisses, especially when they are particularly happy. Though, they also give plenty of those.
Right after his head finally lands on a number, Battat hears the muffled sound of a high pitched beeping.
“Oh come on!” He groans, rushing to turn the timer off, and Friend giggles. If there was any other way to add salt to this one of many wounds...
“Ah, so close! Perhaps you'll win the first game for next year!” It smiles, and he's already thinking about how to do better next time. Much less letting his guard down, for one. “How are you feeling, my clover?”
“Peachy,” he strains, actively struggling to stand back up. “I dropped my poncho somewhere around here...I don't feel like findin' it.”
Once he's finally able to stand up, he doesn't even get to look back at the forest that just physically and mentally drained him before it was gone, both of them back at home.
“Well, let's not waste anymore time,” Friend says, lightly pushing Battat in the direction of the couch. Too weak to protest, he lets himself fall into the cushions. “You should know what happens next by now!”
They go into the kitchen, humming a gentle tune. Battat's mind goes blank from the ache in his limbs, and he lets his eyes flutter closed.
He's definitely not happy about losing, especially when he was unbearably close to the end. But he's still pretty proud of himself all the same, knowing that he was able to stun Friend the way he did. And he knows that, at the end of it all, there's someone there to look out for him if it gets too bad. And even if it doesn't. A nice pallete cleanser from the high-speed adventure they both went on together.
With anyone else, he'd fight rest and slowing down until his final breath, but he knows he's safe when his back is turned, as long as Friend is there. It's strange how someone so intentionally threatening can also be the sweetest thing once you get to know them. Many few people give it that chance. There's nobody else like Friend in the world, and in the strangest of ways, nobody makes him feel loved the way they do.
He can't pay that kindness forward, in any way that matters. But he will certainly keep trying. And if that means he has to swallow his pride and run around in circles just to see Friend win it all in the end, smiling at him the way it did, he'd take those loses a few hundred times more.
“Do you think you may have, um, overdone it a bit..?”
That's what the demon asks, handing him a warm cup of green tea and painkillers. Now that he's in normal lighting, covered in dirt and wet blotches from the snow, missing an integral part of his attire, it thinks that maybe they should've made its tackle a little more graceful.
Though, not overdoing something like this is pretty much impossible. The entire point is messing each other up a bit, and they don't make it easy for him to be careful while chasing him down.
“Well I didn't win, so. Probably.”
They immediately give a light smack against his leg, before dipping a dry cloth in a bowl of warm water. They begin to clean him off, Battat occasionally leaning into the gentle touch, especially when they reach his face, which they're extra careful with.
“You could've stopped if it was too much, you know,” they say more softly. He shrugs.
“'S cool. I like helpin' ya out. It was fun.”
When he set down his mug, they took the time to grab his arms, finally noticing the bleeding cut just barely underneath his torn sleeve. The skin around the cut was also just as beaten up. They lightly dab the cloth against the wound, and his wrist jerks back slightly. They simply use another arm to hold his steady, before going back into it. They can see him hold his breath to keep still.
“Well, I appreciate it very much. Thank you, my dear.”
There's no point in scolding him about taking his health more seriously, when they do things like this in their free time. He's never going to give anything but his best. They do enjoy patching him up, anyhow.
They go to the other arm, the legs, even his unrecognizable clothes. As they end the cleaning and wait for Battat to finish his tea, they give him a light peck on the cheek. Through his half-closed eyes, he smiles and lets himself be taken to the bedroom. This is where he was finally given some clean clothes, and aside from some gentle mumbling, the two got ready for bed in silence.
As much as Friend loves a challenge as good as this one was, they have to appreciate the quiet moments while they have it. They're certainly much calmer now, and when they look at Battat, they just want to hold him and not let go. No added pressure, no claws, just a lazy hold that he can easily slip out of. While it's much less than Battat is, they're pretty tired themselves now. They haven't had to run this much in a long time. The uncertainty and lack of confidence they felt in the beginning is what makes this much more evenly matched than their partner thinks. It just can't predict him, like he can them. They find it fascinating how, in place of physical strength, he has an infinite amount of ways to use Friend's feelings and power against them. Two things that have shown to contradict each other a lot, especially today.
On most other days of the year, they're much more “normal” around each other than this. This glimpse into a peaceful and simple life doesn't come naturally to them, but they've grown to enjoy it along with the chaos. As long as it's with him, anyway. Though, he could get them to enjoy anything. He's the one who gave it this relaxed nature in the first place, where it won't complain if they sit and do nothing for a while. And when they have to keep their touches featherlight and intentional, they enjoy that, too. Even if Battat is just so brittle in their eyes, so tempting to shake around and dissect into individual pieces, they don't mind having to make believe when his put together, healthy self can make them so much happier than anything else.
When they finally slip into bed, Battat's head buried into the other's chest, they can't help but thank the world, and anyone who would listen, that they were given this opportunity. To be themselves and loved at the same time. To be given everything in just the right ways, in just the right amounts, for as long as they live. They always wonder how things can work out so well for them, when this is what they ask for. He's never made them feel like a burden for it. Not everyone can be so fortunate.
Battat may not believe it, but he's definitely Friend's good luck charm, in his own special way. They hope they can keep having fun like this forever.
For now, they both have a calm, relaxing day to look forward to tomorrow. They've certainly earned it.