Work Text:
Wels had a shadow. Ex was aware of him. Had been for years now. He'd even tried to get into contact with the shade a few seasons ago, in an attempt to wreak more havoc on his brother's world. The man had refused all avenues of contact. Ex knew Hels knew about him, but for some reason he hadn’t been interested in teaming up with him.
Not that he was interested in that anymore. Instead, he was simply... intrigued by the man.
That's what he told himself. Wels had always been cagey about him, and it was only natural for a formerly evil being, like Ex told himself he was, to be curious about this so called evil shadow Wels had.
His desire to meet up with Hels was purely based on a desire to help Wels. Purely based on him wanting to try and set Hels up on the right path towards a more neutral relationship with his... brother? With whatever his relationship was with Wels. Maybe it was based a little bit on wanting to befriend the shade, desperate for a connection with someone who knew what it was like to lash out and harm the people around him.
Nothing more. Absolutely nothing more. Nothing to do with how the mysterious man made his stomach flip every time he caught a glimpse of him. How he really wanted to get to know the man behind the mask and to see how his lips fe- nope. Nothing more.
Which is why he was watching Hels right now. Trying to find an opening to walk up to the man who was clearly scouting out Wels’s base. He wasn’t always around, Wels often finding ways to keep the shade away from the server for weeks or months at a time. Which was why Ex was taking his chance right now, when he was fairly sure Wels hadn’t realised the shade was back again. The man was hard to keep track off, moving way quieter than should've been possible in his heavy armour. In fact, he’d lost track of the man and was trying to find him.
“Why are you watching me?” a voice, dripping with contempt, spoke from right behind him.
It took everything in him not to startle violently. He whirled around to face the speaker.
Hels was leaning against the wall behind him, arms crossed. His visor was up, revealing his red eyes which were looking intently at Ex. Blonde pieces of hair were poking out from under his helmet.
“I- uh,” Ex began to speak, but Hels cut him off.
“Don’t give me any excuses, Ex,” there was that contempt again. “You’ve been watching me for god knows how long now. You’re really not as subtle as you think you are. What do you want from me.”
“I just wanted to talk to you,” Ex began. “Get to know you. I think we could have quite a lot in common and-”
Hels chuckled, but it held no mirth. “We, Ex, have nothing in common. Oh, you seem to think we do. But we don’t. You seem to think I’m some misguided yet good at heart little thing don’t you? Who you can befriend and show the light. Or maybe even something more? I see the way you look at me like a lovesick teenage girl. Ew. just- ew.”
The words crashed over him like a wave. He stood there dumbfounded, barely keeping his mouth closed.
Hels got closer to him. Ex became acutely aware that the man was just as tall as Wels, towering over him. “Now, I have no idea what image you have build up of me in your head. I couldn’t give less of a fuck. What I care about is that you are getting in my way. See to it that you stop. Or I will make you regret it,” he chuckled again. “I’ll make you wish the Watchers got you along with the rest of your people.” With that, he turned around with a flourish and faded into the shadows and out of sight.
Ex was left alone staring at a wall with his mouth now open in shock. Tears of anger and frustration prickled behind his eyes, and his response was to kick the wall as hard as he could. “What the FUCK?!”
The door to Wels’s starter base opened a few meters next to him and Wels popped his head out. He looked at Ex and frowned. “Everything okay there Ex?” he asked. “I thought I heard voices outside.”
Ex whirled around towards the other man and scowled. “Your shade is here again,” he spat out. “Might want to do something about that.” Without waiting for the other man’s response he flicked open his HUD and teleported back to his base.
Xisuma opened the door to the inner part of his brother’s base and walked into a rampage. Blocks, tools, plates, everything was strewn around the base as if they had been thrown around in anger. “Ex?” he called out. He’d come to check up on his brother after a slightly concerning message from Wels, who seemed to be convinced his brother was colluding with his evil half. And while he couldn't quite believe that, he did want to check out what was going on.
His brother was leaning against the wall, eyes wild and his hands crossed with small cuts from the broken plate he was holding. His helmet was off, thrown carelessly on his bed in the corner.
“Woah,” he breathed out, crossing the distance between him and his brother with a few big strides. “What happened? Are you okay?”
His brother took a panicked step to the side, creating more space between them again. “Fuck off!” he shouted, chucking the shard of plate at his brother.
Xisuma batted it away. He reached up and unclipped his helmet and put it in his inventory with ease before making proper eye contact with his brother.
Ex deflated immediately. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I- fuck.” Xisuma reached out to him again, but Ex took another step back. “Don’t- don’t touch me.”
He backed up a little bit. “Okay, I won’t. What happened?” he asked again.
“I fucked up, that’s what happened! I’m so stupid. I’m so fucking stupid!” Xisuma cocked his head, but Ex continued before he could ask anything. “I talked to Hels. Or I tried to anyway. He didn’t let me get in a word between him insulting me and threatening me. What did I expect?!”
“Wels did mention that he thought you were talking to him,” Xisuma said.
“What, planning to lecture me on how bad of an idea that was?!” Ex growled. “I just wanted- I had good intentions! I fucking swear! You have to believe me!”
“I do,”
“Do you?! I just- I wanted to see if we could be friends. If I could help him. If I could-” he clamped his hands in front of his mouth. "I shouldn't have even tried!" He whispered angrily and turned away.
"I think you had a noble goal, wanting to try and help Hels," Xisuma replied, aiming for a calming tone.
It didn't work. "Was I though? Or was I desperately trying to chase something I knew had NO FUCKING CHANCE of ever working out?" Ex shouted, whirling around to face his brother. "I don't even fucking know him, so why the fuck did I have to catch feelings for him?!" a sob worked its way out of his throat, and he clamped his hands in front of his mouth again.
“Oh,” Xisuma sighed, realising why his brother was so violently upset
“I’m so stupid- I’m so stupid!” Ex was fully sobbing now, one of his hands having moved from his mouth and digging into his scalp instead. The small cuts on his hands had reopened and beads of blood were welling up on them.
“You’re not stupid for having feelings you can’t control or for trying to act on them,” Xisuma said. He reached out again towards his brother with slow and deliberate movements.
Ex didn’t move away this time, and actually dropped into his brothers arms as soon as soon as his hands touched his arms. Xisuma barely had the time to catch him before he fell.
It was all he could do as his brother kept sobbing.