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The air was heavy as some contestants argued in the background all Benny could do was stare at the small screen that they had provided for the contestants backstage. The air smelled slightly iron like smell, whether it be from the excessive gold embellishments or the blood this place was covered with was up to one’s own interpretation. Either way someone back down there wouldn’t make it alive. They had to bet carefully if they wanted to live.
Come on Ed’s come on… his mind repeated over and over again.
Despite his brain telling him that it wasn’t serious and he didn’t really care about him, there was a part of his heart that betrayed that part.
But before he could dwell on that thought longer things caught his attention on the tv.
It’s Eddie
The crybaby under dog grabs him by the chain and pulls him to the gallows trying to fight with Eddie
*youve figured out what contestants are left haven’t you?* sandbag says pulling Eddie by the chain that attaches him to the ceiling, blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth.
“Hey! HEY! THIS HAS GOTTA BE AGAINST THE RULES DAMN IT!! DO SOMETHING!” Benny screams as he turns away from the tv to focus his attention on the guards by the elevator.
They ignore him
“HEY YOU HEAR ME DAMN IT?!” Benny goes up to one of them and grabs them by the collar before feeling a shock in their wrist.
The shock isn’t strong enough to make him curl up and cry like it did that crybaby but it’s enough to get him off the guard and fall to the floor just staring at the events playing out on the tv.
Eddie gets pushed to the edge of the guard rail before Sandbag tackles him again.
*look I’m sorry…im really sorry…but if me and sailor wanna make it out of here someone’s gotta drop-* sandbag spits while trying to either kill him through blood loss in the collar or push him off the edge, whichever ones quicker will get the job done.
“T-that bastard…” Benny tries to gasp out, still sore from the burn around his wrist.
*and out of everyone here, don’t you deserve it the most?!*
With that Eddie turns sandbag around and pushes him off the edge with a new found strength he didn’t seem to know he possessed. And all Benny can do is watch in horror. Sure he never cared for the sandbag guy, but Eddie? He didn’t see him as the type to be capable of that sort of thing. Benny couldn’t tell if he should be relieved or scared of this new side to him.
Benny watches now a little more relieved than he thought he’d be. Eddie and Vega would just go on with their original plan and get out Scott free.
Bang
Shit…
Sailor fires their guns alone on the gallows…it’s random.
“SHIT!” Benny accidentally grunts Audibly
“Damn you really care about this Edwyn guy huh,” when Benny turns to look at the source of the voice he’s met with an all too familiar face. Bones.
“Shut it, I don’t want to hear it from you right now” Benny snaps back.
“Sheesh, never could take a joke could you,”
Benny is ready to punch bones already standing up and holding him by the collar winding his fist up, when he’s interrupted by the sound of the elevator doors opening revealing a disheveled Eddie with blood still scarlet red stark across his pale face. Benny immediately drops bones and forgets about their petty argument wanting to greet Eddie.
“Eds-“ but he’s cut off by a slightly menacing glare from him before he speaks.
“I don’t want to talk. If you need me ill be in the bar.” He walks away not even taking a second glance backwards
For some reason Benny feels a pang of hurt in his chest before looking around to the rest of the group to see that none of them have a clue about what just happened.
Sailor goes to mingle with the other contestants being congratulated for his bravery. Bones tries to continue their conversation but Benny just runs away before he can get a word in.
He finds Eddie at the bar alone with a drink guzzling it down, not caring to take even just a glance back at Benny.
“I don’t want to talk.” Eddie says sternly, putting the drink down on the counter with a hint of anger in his movement.
“Bu-“
“I said I don’t want to talk, Benny,” he cuts Benny off this time little more angry than the last
“Fine we won’t talk.” Benny walks up to the counter ordering a small drink of his own, leaning on the bar as he waits for his drink.
“You're bleeding.” The bartender brings Benny his drink and takes a swig.
“And?” Eddie groans with a hint of annoyance.
“And I have a medkit?” Benny replies
“How do you have one of-“ Eddie already half expects the answer that follows his question.
“Stole it” he says confidently
“Benny-“ but before Eddie can say more Benny has already got it out and starts rifling through it to look for the right supplies.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Eddie says as a half protest.
“Nah, I mean I picked up a few things in Boy Scouts but most of it went in one ear and out the other” Benny replied.
“You were in Boy Scouts?” Eddie takes another sip of his drink.
“Eh not really I joined for high school volunteer hours before dropping out all together.” Benny grabs a cotton ball, antiseptic wipes and thousands of band aids because they couldn’t bother to throw in a wrap style bandage.
“Kay hold still.”
Eddie relaxes as Benny starts to wipe up the excess blood with the cotton ball as Eddie hisses when it gets too close to the open wound. Then Benny takes the antiseptic wipe and rubs it around the wounds carefully, the alcoholic smell wafting through the air.
“Shit-“ Eddie moves at the pain
“I said hold still, I’m almost done, god and you think you’d be the crybaby.” Benny says sort of without thinking about his words before being met with a glare piercing through Benny's soul.
“Right sorry,” he continues disinfecting the wounds as they start to close very very slowly, with the trickle of blood slowing down steadily.
“Almost forgot,” Benny pulls a yellow ointment out of the medkit, squeezing a tiny bit onto his finger before taping it into the wound.
“What’s that?” Eddie says through his teeth trying to ignore the obvious pain in his voice.
“It helps heal wounds faster, so stop moving and suck it up Ed’s or I’ll leave ya to bleed.” Benny says letting out a small chuckle.
Lastly Benny retrieved the bandaids, peeling each one from its packaging to cover the entire wound around Eddie's neck.
“God they couldn’t even get consistent bandages half of them are plain and the others are patterned” Benny says a hint of mock annoyance in his tone
One of the band aids sticks out, it’s all pink with kitties on it.
“Look at this shit, it’s the only pink one in the whole box! This is bullshit.” Benny says putting it on Eddie anyway who just glances at the bandaid sticking out like a sore thumb against the other’s
“Anyway that’s it, you're all done, that’ll be 2 chips thanks.”
“What I didn’t know I was paying!” Eddie protests
“What do you want a kiss too? You drive a hard bargain Ed’s but I’m willing, if ya buy me another drink that is” the two of them are suddenly really close the proximity really only being acknowledged by eddies slight nerves.
“You haven’t even finished your other one!”
Benny turns to look at the other glass for a moment before grabbing it and chugging it down.
“So how’s about that kiss Ed’s?” He says a smug smirk tugging at his lips.
“You're drunk” Eddie says bluntly.
“What, so no kiss and no drink?!”
Then Benny pulls on Eddie's tie bringing their faces up closer to each other.
“Ack!” Eddie lets out a small wince from the pressure against his wound, but he doesn’t back away from Benny.
“You're no fun gates” Benny says. He knows what he’s doing.
“Shut up,” Eddie replies, trying to ignore his obvious flirtation.
“Make me,” Benny says in a heartbeat.
But before their banter can continue the door to the bar opens leaving an embarrassed rook standing in the doorway. Benny lets go of Eddie's tie and flops back down into his chair as Eddie straightens his tie.
“I’m going to ignore seeing that. I came here to apologize on behalf of myself and my lady Cecilia, it was none of our intention to leave you all behind but it was in the best interest for our own safety and survival. You all would have done the same I’m sure.” She says it so confidently that without thinking one could easily have forgiven her.
“You left us all to die, don’t be all high and mighty. You tried to kill us. At least own up to it.” Eddie says the coldness in his voice is clear.
“Fine if that’s how it’s going to be edwyn I won’t bother convincing you.” She swiftly turns around and leaves her shoes echoing against the floor.
“God what a buzzkill, they totally ruined the mood.” Benny whines leaning back in his bar stool. “Whatever, I'm out I guess.” Benny starts to leave but something stops him just before he does.
“Wait…what about that drink?”
The last thing Benny would do is turn down a drink.
“Eh sure”