Actions

Work Header

A Meal for Null

Summary:

007n7 helps Noli create Their mortal form, before taking the Void entity out to eat. They go on a domestic dinner date and Noli eats food for the first time. They love each other a lot. That's basically it.

I just wanted to write them because 1. It's pride month, and 2. This has been in my to-do list for a while.

The fic is written a lot better than the summary...

Notes:

This was written before I saw that Noli uses mirror pronouns... I swear I'm not homophobic... Also idk how to use mirror pronouns in the 3rd person so I'm probably just gonna use They/Them on them primarily...

The title is a witty little jest... It's a meal for two, but since Noli is technically not a person, and is 0, it's two times zero, which is null... So it's a meal for null...

Also the second chapter for my other fic is officially in the works, only like 4 more months until it's posted!! I write so fast!!!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“0w,” the glitch complained as 007n7 roughly dragged a comb through Their unmade hair, sitting on the wooden floor in front of a worn bed. 

“Be quiet. You’re, like, a god. I'm pretty sure you don’t even feel pain,” the demon responds, shifting on his dorm mattress as he continues to comb Noli’s mass of black frizzy hair. 

“Hmm... H0w hyp0cr1t1cal 0f y0u.” The Void entity’s smooth and elegant voice cracks with static and glitches as They speak, “F1rst y0u demand 1 l0wer myself t0 y0u m0rtals’ f0rms, plagued by such v1le sensat10ns... And then y0u want me 1n my pure f0rm 0nce m0re? Make up y0ur m1nd, my dear...” 

The exploiter scoffs, thin red tail hitting the sheets behind himself. “Oh, I’m sorry, why don’t we just waltz out without getting ready and get caught by an admin? I’m not saying to turn back into a giant masked shadow-thing, I just don’t want you to be annoying.” 

“Mm... P1cky, p1cky l1ttle R0blox1an... But f1ne. 1’ll 0nly act l1ke a m0rtal when c0nven1ent f0r y0u.” With the God’s complaints silenced, the demon is free to yank the hair into place, before getting tired and just tying it into a low ponytail to be hidden by Their hood.  

007n7 tugs on the black hair-tie he used, making sure it won’t snap, before pulling the aforementioned purple hood over the deity’s head. “There,” he says, the word carrying a sigh of relief. “That shouldn’t come undone, unless you do something stupid. Now stand up, lemme see you.” 

Noli scoffs at that, overtaken by feelings They don’t mind as much as the rest: humor and affection.  “Just dy1ng t0 catch an0ther gl1mpse 0f me, aren’t y0u? D0 y0u f1nd my R0blox1an f0rm that appeal1ng?” 

The brunette rolls his eyes at that. “Maybe I do. Or, maybe I just want to make sure I’m not taking you out to eat while you look like a mess. Now up,” he demands, tugging the entity upwards by Their hoodie. 

With an audible breath, exaggerated in mock annoyance, the Void God elegantly stands, cloth flowing as if there was a breeze in the room. Because, of course, why wouldn’t gravity bend to make Them look divine even in mortal form? 

Turning in one fluid motion, They willingly show their appearance to the shorter being. And 007n7, to get a better view, leans back slightly, tail twitching behind himself as he takes in the view of what he’d practically hand-sculpted. Well, told Noli to hand sculpt. He provided the details and reference images for Them, so it was basically the same thing.  

The disguised glitch stood there, donned in a baggy indigo-ish hoodie with black trimming, wearing a pair of the exploiter’s own black cargo pants They’d altered to fit Their taller form. The clothes sat over chestnut brown skin, as flawless as the porcelain mask the Void entity usually wears. The God’s Violet eyes almost perfectly matched the color of the fabric They had on, making Them look even more unreal. They were standing there, barefoot, since 007n7 insisted that heels were far too classy for their casual outing. He probably had a pair of converses around the dorm somewhere... 

“Looks good. Just remember to keep your hood up, and not to look too hard at anyone... You remember the sign language videos I showed you?” the demon asks, tail flicking upwards with pride as he reaches out to fix the other’s black hoodie strings.  

“Yes, yes. Th0ugh y0ur f0rm 0f n0n-verbal c0mmun1cat10n b0res me w1th 1t’s s1mpl1c1ty, 1 remember everyth1ng y0u sh0wed me perfectly.” The dark-skinned form waves a hand dismissively, before murmuring with something almost teasing, “1 have a very g00d mem0ry, my dear sa1nt...” 

The brunette doesn’t stop his tail from twitching in disamusement. “Then you remember that you’re supposed to let me do the talking, unless it’s to me, right?” 

“0f c0urse. D0 my w0rds mean n0th1ng t0 y0u, my prec10us? Perhaps, as y0u R0bl0x1ans say, my act10ns w1ll speak l0uder...” An almost devious smile appears on the Void entity’s face, which quickly receives a glare from the mortal. 

“And another thing. Don’t act like a freak while we’re in there, or you’re gonna get us kicked out. Then I’ll have to go find somewhere else for us to eat at with half-decent food, and I’m not cooking.” 

The smile fades from the glitch’s face as They return to neutrality. “F1ne, f1ne. Y0u and y0ur m0rtal cust0ms... Are we ready t0 depart n0w?” They ask, gaze flicking to the door and back. 

“What- no?” 007n7 stammers, realizing that they were wasting time. “Uh- there should be some black shoes under my bed, so go put those on. I still gotta test my code...” The demon quickly summons his C00lgui with a wave of his hand, opening up a file full of code he’d hastily written last night.  

Skimming through it, he doesn’t find any errors. Mildly confused—because 007n7 knows there’s no shot he scripted this perfectly on the first try—the man skips to the bottom, where he sees a small footnote of ‘f1xx3d 4 U!!1!’, most definitely written by the system itself. Well, that just makes his job easier.  

Running the command, the pale-skinned Robloxian turns around to face Noli once more, who was now wearing the shoes. “How do I look?” 

“... Less p01nty,” the Void entity shrugs, eyes staring at the emptiness where the demon’s sharp horns and pointed tail once were but now are invisible. “... Are y0u supp0sed t0 l00k any d1fferent?” 

“I can buy groceries without being recognized when I tuck my tail in and wear a hood. If it works, it works,” the brunette shrugs, before dismissing the screen over his eye—leaving the empty socket exposed—and walking over to the door. “Now c’mon, we gotta get there quick. They close in, like, two hours.” 

The black-haired ‘Robloxian’ hums in mild amusement, the sound like static with Their glitching voice, before They nod in agreement, following close behind the exploiter. 

 

 

007n7 walked up to a wooden, cushioned booth in a corner of the restaurant. “Here, I think this is table is 18... Pretty convenient.” 

The shorter watches as Noli awkwardly crawls in on one side, unfamiliar with the seating, before sitting Themselves down properly and staring up at the Robloxian with those empty purple eyes. Having been in the Void since the universe began, the God is clueless as to mortal mannerisms beyond what They’ve analyzed and have been told. 

The exploiter, still in his ‘disguise’, climbs in on the other side, only to be met with the most intense stare he’s ever received. “Uh... Why’re you looking at me like that?” he asks, gaze flicking away and back as he shifts in his seat. 

The glitch simply stares at him, before a dark-skinned hand points to the empty spot in the seat next to Themselves. “... There are two seats for a reason. I’m not sitting next to you.” 

Noli’s gaze does not waver. 

Dude, that’s not how people sit.” 

A moment of silence. 

“... Stop staring at me like that. I’m not moving.” 

That, for some reason, seems to be enough of a reason for the disguised deity to crawl out of his own seat and walk around the table, sitting next to 007n7. Noli smiles happily at Their new seating arrangement, while the other man just stares at Them exhaustedly. 

“Great going. We definitely look like normal people now,” he sarcastically mutters. The purple-wearing ‘Robloxian’ merely rests their head on the demon’s shoulder, still gently smiling. And suddenly, the temperature in the room increases by a few degrees, because how else would 7n7 suddenly feel hot? 

With absolutely impeccable timing, a waitress with long brown hair walks over to take their orders. “Hi, what can I get for you this evening?” she asks, smiling and ignoring the odd behavior.  

“Oh, uh-” the brunette stammers, sitting up straighter as he realizes they hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. Pale hands with invisible claws reach for the folded pieces of paper on the center of the table, before he nervously murmurs, “We haven’t decided yet... Sorry.” 

“That’s fine, take your time!” the waitress says cheerfully, reminding the exploiter of a certain blonde pizza worker. The thought fades quickly, though, as she continues, “Whenever you’re ready, let us know!” And with that, the woman walks off to serve another table. 

007n7 sighs as the conversation draws to a close. “Alright,” he mumbles quietly, flipping open a menu. Luckily, there were pictures attached to a lot of the dishes. Noli was still learning what most English words meant, especially foods, so it made things more convenient. “Just, uh... Point to whatever ya want.” 

At finally getting to the good part of tonight—that being Their first real meal—the deity perks up, Their deep purple eyes flitting across the smooth surface, until they finally settle on something. At the very end of the list of foods, a chestnut brown finger points to one in particular: a fudge cake slice. 

“... Nols, that’s desert,” the brunette explains, side-eyeing the deity. “That’s for after dinner.” 

At that, Noli just frowns, looking sadly at the man, purple hood still over Their head.  

“No. You’re not getting it.” 

Their expression shifts into a glare, lacking any real hostility but holding all the irritation in all of Robloxia.  

“... Fine. Sine it is your first time, I’ll buy it for you. After you eat actual food.”  

The glare lessens slightly, but a smooth hand still reaches up to scratch the demon’s neck lightly in the Void entity’s own form of retaliation, before Their gaze returns to the menu.  

007n7 is forced to sit there for nearly 10 minutes (5 more accurately, but it feels like 10) before the ‘Robloxian’ eventually makes Their choice. Finally, Their hand reaches back out, pointing to a hamburger.  

The exploiter just stares at Them for a second. “... Is it because of my hat??” he can’t help but ask.  

The glitch nods, smile reappearing on Their face, before they sign: ‘If my chosen enjoys it, so shall I’. They seem so happy to lack an independent opinion. 

The glasses-wearing Robloxian just sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “Y’know what, sure. Your first ever food's gonna be a burger.” 

The Void entity tilts their head at that, confused at the tone. It makes the demon feel obligated to explain that it wasn’t exactly the classiest meal, and it was almost unfitting for someone so elegant. Noli should be eating, like, the freshest fruit in Robloxia, and drinking fancy wine. Too late for that, though. “It’s nothing, you’re fine... But you’d better enjoy it. I’m not spending all this money just for you to spit it out.” 

The dark-skinned ‘Robloxian’ smiles once again, letting out an inhuman sound as They burrow closer into the mortal’s side and neck. For a brief instant, 007n7 panics at the noise, glancing around to make sure nobody heard. 

Well, nobody’s looking at them. He figures that’s good enough... It was kinda loud in here, after all, what with everyone talking. Sighing again, the demon moves a hand to scratch at the God's scalp under the hood, drawing out a quieter sound with a faint static-y undertone. The closeness, despite the glitch’s unnaturally low body temperature, warms him for some definitely-unknown-reason. 

 

 

A different waiter came over to lay the plates down on their table: a rare, 2-pound steak in front of the exploiter, and a medium-sized hamburger in front of the other, along with two glasses of Bloxy Cola.  

“Thanks,” the brunette nods to the employee as they leave, before looking to the Void entity beside himself, still pushed up against his side. “... You gonna take a bite any time soon?” 

Those pupilless purple eyes look up to stare at the man, before They raise their hands to sign, ‘Do mortals not use their before-eating rituals?’ 

“Huh? Oh- you mean, like, praying? I mean- some people do that, but I stopped back in Highschool...” The demon begins to trail off in thought, before snapping back into focus. “Uh- but, I mean, who would we even pray to right now? You?” he jests, stopping his mind from wandering farther.  

Noli stares for a long moment, before humming, and taking the burger into Their hands. The pale-skinned man moves a hand to their shoulder, in case the deity got too overwhelmed by tasting something with actual flavor for the first time. He feels more nervous about this than They seem to be... 

As if They’d done it every day of Their life, the dark-skinned ‘Robloxian’ lifts the plain burger to Their mouth, and bites into it. 007n7 waits anxiously, wary of any negative response. But after only a split second, the deity’s empty eyes light up with enjoyment.  

Hardly chewing, Noli swallows the bite, before taking yet another. “Uh, so... I’m guessing this is one of the senses you don’t mind as much, huh?” 007n7 asks, invisible tail flicking with relief. 

Nodding, the Void entity once more swallows before the food is properly chewed, somehow not choking. The glitch opens Their mouth to speak, before an invisible-clawed hand quickly silences Them, and They recall the need to stay silent. Though momentarily displeased, it hardly dampens Their mood as They take another bite. 

“... Wait, uh... Do you even get full? Or does everything you eat just go straight to the Void?” the exploiter asks, tilting his head to the side as he grabs a knife to cut off a piece of his steak. Now that he was less worried, hunger was beginning to hit. 

The only response Noli gives is a shrug. It’s not that They don’t know, They just don’t care enough to answer. 007n7 just assumes it’s the latter theory he’d made, since he doubts They’d bothered to craft the inner organs of Their Robloxian form.  

As the demon eats the bite of his steak he cut off, he sees a chestnut brown finger point back to the set-aside menu. Leaning forwards, he sees the picture of the fudge cake slice again. 

He looks backwards, and the disguised deity is staring at him intently again, hamburger already finished. If his mouth wasn’t full, he’d sigh, but settles for an accepting shrug. Unlike Noli, if the brunette didn’t outright deny something, it was most likely true. And, in this case, it meant that his partner was finally about to get the dinner They’d originally wanted. 

Out of habit, the deity smiles and gently bumps their heads together affectionately, before remembering that They’re in Robloxian form and actually have lips. Taking the opportunity, they press a gentle kiss to the man’s cheek. 

007n7 doesn’t try to deny it that time; the affection makes him heat up and blush, though his face doesn’t change. Still invisible, his thin red tail snakes around the other’s leg, lightly squeezing in his own form of loving handholding. 

Swallowing, the exploiter raises his hand to call over another waiter to place the order.  

Dessert, to bring an end to this meal for two. 

Notes:

Dude my favorite fic ever is getting privated soon and I'm grieving rn