Work Text:
The orders were clear: get into the London Mother House, get close to Jasper, get close to finding The 752. No matter how long it takes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” Guy groans to himself as Jasper pulls back the curtains, letting in just enough light to startle him awake, again. He tries to pay attention to what Jasper is saying over the large breakfast spread, a spread that still surprises Guy. This time Guy decides to choose some of the bacon, eggs, and weirdly gray oatmeal. He still hasn’t tried the tomatoes yet, unless it’s ketchup those really don’t feel like breakfast food to Guy.
Down in the basement Checkers charges at Guy again, stopping only at Jasper’s clicker. At this point Guy feels like he’s playing one of those games with the cursed animatronics that are trying to kill him, but he still plays scared all the same. Jasper takes him to the bathroom again, cleaning off the blood and healing him, all falling into the same pattern Guy has gotten used to. That damn elevator though, whether he tries to focus on Jasper’s voice when they go down or focus on his own injury when they go back up, Guy can’t stop letting the small enclosed space get to him.
Guy walks into The Westcroft with a sense of dread, wondering how long he’ll last this time, shit always seems to go sideways starting here. He doesn’t have too much time to focus on that thought when his feet slip out from under him, sending him to the ground where his head hits with a loud smack.
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” Guy curses to himself, a fucking puddle he had never noticed before. He didn’t even get to meet Raglan James this time, not that he was really looking forward to that anyway. Breakfast, elevator, basement, bathroom, Jasper’s still unusually large closet, Guy repeats the familiar beats over and over again.
The Book isn’t in the hotel, it never was. A fact Guy realized after the first 26 loops. Each time afterwards he uses what he can in the hotel to notice more, remember more for next time.
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” Guy wakes up this time a little less annoyed, he made it to almost 6AM before Highsmith hit him by mistake with a faulty taser.
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” That time Checkers hadn’t been able to tell him and Raglan apart from the vampires in the suite, even the hidden ancient one. At least Guy got to watch Raglan suffer first, which made up a bit for the poisoned tacos 3 loops ago.
It’s during the 758th loop that Guy realizes Doris is the best key to recovering the 752, so he follows Raglan’s advice and makes that his mantra for the next few dozen loops. Technically he’s fulfilled enough of Helen’s orders and would be cleared to end the loop, return to her and Olive with all the information he now knows. But he doesn’t.
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” Jasper makes him a breakfast spread better than Guy has seen in years, let him take his time while eating and trusts him with his history. Heals Guy after he’s brained himself on that same wall for the 863rd loop in a row, chooses clothing that’s practical and comfortable for Guy to wear while infiltrating The Westcroft. Those moments never change, even when Guy finally tries some of the breakfast tomatoes on the 941st loop.
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” Doris had accidentally set him on fire with Jasper, but by that time Jasper had let slip that he cared about Guy for more than just his abilities. Guy feels less grumpy this time.
“Wakey wakey. Big day ahead amigo!” Guy wakes up snickering as Jasper pulls back the curtains again, causing the vampire to pause for a brief moment before resuming his usual question about Guy’s coffee preferences. Loop 1271 ended with Guy confessing to Jasper in the hotel suite everything, about the time loops and Doris and his own feelings that had developed around the vampire. Jasper had looked like he was about to say something in return but Checkers had come back in and eaten Guy for the 45th time.
Jasper’s actions towards Guy don’t change at all in this new loop, so Guy makes his choice. He is going to stay stuck in this time loop for as long as possible. Even though Guy keeps suffering varying deaths in every loop Jasper still gives him more care and attention, and affection in some loops, than Guy has received in years from anybody.
Something that Guy feels is worth dying for.