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Mob had been struggling to cope real bad with his friend’s death. There had been multiple times where he had to stop himself from throwing Verity into the lava pits he came across or squeezing him hard in his hands. He needed to act like it didn’t bother him. That this death was merely something that happened, that he’d get over it soon. The more feelings he bottled up, the more likely they would start to spill all over the place.
And they did.
He had been sitting up in his bed, late at night, staring across to the window where Twixxel’s shack was. Or is, he supposed, but nobody was living it. Not anymore. He found himself often hoping to see Twixxel in there working away and that all of this was a horrible dream he kept struggling to wake up from. Each time he looked in there, however, it would be proven wrong. Every. Single. Time.
Mob brought the covers up. A small sniffle escaped his nose. He can’t be caught crying like this.
Verity was placed upstairs for tonight. Mob just couldn’t stand looking at him. No matter how much the yellow ball tried to protest against it, he boxed him in enough so that he didn’t have to hear his stupid voice. It was so annoying. He was so annoying. Acting like he didn’t do anything, telling him that it was only them again. What is he getting out of this?
He didn’t understand Verity’s obsession with him. Twixxel told him that there were people way before him that dealt with this entity, maybe people less stubborn than he was. They all attempted to escape him. Leave him behind. But he never let them. Was it because he came back for him that day where he almost killed him? It couldn’t be. Was he obsessed with him from the start? That’s a possibility he didn’t think much of.
Mob ran a hand through his hair before sighing loudly. Tears were still forming the more he thought about this but he was trying his hardest to act unbothered. Twixxel… if he didn’t tell him to get closer to the truth, would he even still be alive? Would Verity simply have threatened him to leave? His bottom lip quivered.
Until the tears finally started pouring out.
This was the first time he was allowed to finally be himself without that thing watching him. He was vulnerable. Mob lifted the covers up to his face and sniffled, choking out small sobs so that Verity didn’t hear him.
But part of him hoped he would.
He didn’t really have anyone to comfort him anymore. But why would he let his friend’s killer comfort him about this? He had no idea, he didn’t know how his own mind worked and didn’t want to trust it during a state of vulnerability.
The tears began to fall even harder. It was getting to the point where Mob was hiccuping in a desperate attempt to hold back his loud, choking voice from yelling out. Everything that he wasn’t able to process due to Verity was finally being slowly processed in his head. He was truly, truly alone in this world. No hostile mobs. No villagers. So little animals roaming the place due to seemingly Verity having to feed off of them. There was nothing more lonely than this moment entirely.
Verity knew.
He could hear Mob’s crying, even if it was as soft as he tried to make it be. What was he if he couldn’t be there for his Mob? Verity looked around in the enclosed space. Looks like, this time, Mob really thought about it and trapped him in a wall of obsidian. It was the next best thing to Bedrock which wasn’t obtainable. He’d grumble. Was he really going to have to do it? …Anything for his Mob. Anything.
Mob couldn’t even process it at first over his sobbing. The sound of blocks breaking. When he finally realised it, Verity was standing right at the edge of his bed. Mob screamed, shuffling away and holding the covers up enough to stop looking at the ball.
…Wait, standing?
“Mob, look at me…”
Verity’s voice sounded much softer than how he remembered it to be. Verity was loud. Cheerful. He was the type of thing to make his presence known almost instantly in a room if he so wished to and this… this was something Mob wasn’t used to. Mob kept the covers up. No. If Verity was standing up, that meant he was that thing and he was just trying to trick him.
“Mob. Please.”
He began to try and move the covers away from his face. Mob didn’t have the strength in him at the moment to fight against it. Even when he tried to, Verity still overpowered him anyway. The covers came down, revealing Mob’s puffy eyes as he tried to hide his face. He choked out a sob.
“Verity– this is embarrassing– just leave me alone, dude…” Mob managed to muffle the sentence out.
Verity looked at him for a moment. Oh, how sweet he looked. How vulnerable he was. In this moment, Mob finally needed him and he couldn’t even deny it. A smile started to form at the side of his lips. This was like Heaven to him, and Hell for Mob. Was he a creep for thinking this way? Most definitely… but he’d do anything for Mob.
His hand would make its way to Mob’s cheek. Mob tried to slap it away at first, refusing to let Verity anywhere near him. His hand simply hovered, however, not making any advances unless Mob allowed it to.
“Mob, you need me now more than ever. Please.”
He was trying his hardest to get Mob to trust him.
Mob tried to wipe his tears away.
“I– hate you. I hate you so much, you know that, right? Everything– that has gone wrong in this world is because of you. Because–because you won’t let me leave. You won’t let me– do anything.”
“I know.”
That stung the most. The confirmation that he knew what he was doing. Mob, deep down, hoped that Verity had not a lick of an idea about how bad he was acting towards Mob. That he was simply acting out of how he was taught to act. Of course he knew what he was doing. Is he stupid? Why did he try to hope for it when he knows what Verity did to Twixxel?
Verity had kept his hand close to his cheek. Not touching. Just simply hovering there, waiting for Mob’s input. He couldn’t stand it anymore. The illusion was driving him up the wall. Mob slowly leaned his cheek into Verity’s hand. He needed touch. Something he knew was real. It just happened to be Verity.
His hand felt different.
It wasn’t that bony hand with its jagged claws. It felt like normal, human-like fingers. Mob finally opened his eyes to take a look at Verity.
This form was much more different than what he was used to.
A humanoid physique. It seemed to have a lot more meat on it than that monstrous form he took on. He was wearing something that Mob could only describe to be straight out of… 50s? 80s? He didn’t even know, he doesn’t pay attention to things like that. He just knew it was something nobody tends to really wear unless they’re trying to attend a meeting.
Verity was smiling, trying to wipe the tears away from Mob’s eyes. He was content with this. His Mob… his everything finally found use in him. And he wouldn’t need to find any reason to throw him out. It was bliss.
“Verity–”
“Yes, Mob?”
“...Why? Why did you… kill Twixxel?”
Verity fell silent, staring at Mob who was looking up at him with those sad, pathetic eyes of his. “He got in the way.” was all the AI seemed to muster out with enough hesitance. He wasn’t trying to lose this moment. If he fumbled this, he knew that this moment would never come by again.
Mob could only sniffle out another sob. He gripped hard onto the hand that was caressing his cheek, his fingernails almost digging deep into his knuckles. It was like he was trying to hurt Verity while seeking comfort from him at the very same time. Verity didn’t seem to mind, however, despite the hiss that protruded from his mouth.
He looked up at Verity. The entity was still smiling despite how vulnerable he looked under his hand. Was this something he wanted all along? Of course it was. Verity was trying to break him down piece by piece. The last piece was losing Twixxel altogether. His best friend. Sometimes, he imagined hearing Twixxel’s tail thump on the floor as he talked about something that clearly interested him. The banter that they both had. None of that could be replicated by Verity. None of it.
Because it had soul.
Verity didn’t have a soul. He had nothing but code.
Mob wished, sometimes, Verity had a soul. That he could be a person that he could spend time with. That he could be someone… he could love. Someone he could experience things with that he hadn’t experienced before. Sometimes, he wished Verity could read minds.
And that time would be now.
These thoughts were stupid. He was hoping for something he could never get. Not after what Verity did to Twixxel. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Verity most days. The base had been quiet since the day Twixxel died. He had been purposefully ignoring Verity in hopes that the AI would reflect on his behaviour, and Verity knew that. But he didn’t. The thing is Verity didn’t regret what he did. Mob knew that.
Mob’s own tail began to curl up. He was scared. Sure, he knew Verity could never truly hurt him but he was terrified of what he could do. This felt humiliating at best. He was Mob. You know, the dude that never seemed to be scared of anything and kept reminding Verity that he wasn’t actually terrified of what he could do? But now, here he is. An uncontrollable sobbing mess, being comforted by the very same thing that scared him to death.
“I did it for you.”
That was what broke the silence between them. Mob had been gripping hard onto his sheets with one hand while digging his fingernails into Verity’s hand with his other hand. His sniffles almost came to a stop when what Verity said finally processed its way into his head. For him? Killing Twixxel was for him? In what fucking universe would Mob want Twixxel gone from the world?
“Wh–what.”
“Everything I have done in this world has been for you, Mob. I know you better than you know yourself. Don’t try to deny it. You wanted him gone. Deep down.”
“No– no. No, I didn’t.”
Mob tried to shuffle away from Verity but one of his hands gripped onto his wrist tight enough to make sure he couldn’t escape the situation he has now found himself in. Mob looked up at Verity in fear. This was what he was talking about. This is what he was terrified of. He was so small compared to this thing on his bed. Verity could snap him in half if he so wished.
“Verity- you’re hurting me–”
That was true. Verity had such a tight grip around his wrist that it seemed like it was starting to bruise with the pressure that Verity was putting on it. Mob let go of Verity’s hand, finally, noticing that he had dug his fingernails so deep into Verity’s hand that it left wounds. There didn’t seem to be any blood coming out. Of course. The one thing he hoped for to make him believe Verity had some humanity in him.
“Am I? It didn’t seem to bother you when you were digging your fingernails into my hand. But that’s alright. I would do anything for you, Mob. Just like how I got rid of Twixxel. Just like how I’ve been getting rid of the hostile mobs that dare to lay a hand on you.” Verity spoke in a gentle tone. Too gentle. This was the type of tone that was laced with much more malicious intentions.
And Mob was falling for it.
He couldn’t help it.
“You could’ve told him to leave. I– I could’ve told him to leave. I didn’t want him to die. I didn’t want him gone. I just–”
“You wanted to get rid of me. I know. And you needed someone smart, that wasn’t me, to help you.”
Mob’s breath stifled. Of course. Of course he knew that part. Mob thought him and Twixxel were being discreet with their investigations but clearly the both of them had slipped up. He thought about the times where they both were trying to talk to each other secretly but Verity seemed to pop up at the most convenient times. Or was it when he was talking to Verity, and Twixxel had made a hurry to Mob’s base to try and explain something he found? He knew that was what broke the camel’s back.
“Why didn’t you do anything about it?”
“Because,” Verity tugged Mob closer by the collar of his shirt, which made the Enderman gasp. There it was. The unsettling smile across his face. The one he had grown used to whenever something pissed him off, “I knew you didn’t want to.”
Their faces were oddly too close now. Mob’s heart was fluttering as he tried to move backwards, but the hand still on his wrist threatened to break it. He didn’t dare to move another muscle in that case. Mob felt so many different things at once. He felt like he was going to hurl, felt his body trying to betray him every few seconds, and most importantly - he felt like he was going to die.
Verity watched as Mob was trying to fight his own feelings. Oh, how admirable he was. Seeing that pathetic face wince at the tiniest pain he could give him. He often wondered what Mob would look like if he hurt him further. He could hear it. Mob begging for his life, telling Verity that he’d do anything for him as long as he doesn’t kill him. Oh… if that was only reality. He could make it reality. But… no. Not when his Mob was so vulnerable.
“Verity–”
A lump got stuck in his throat.
“Don’t deny it, Mob. You need me. You have always needed me since the very day you opened that box.”
That wasn’t really something Mob could deny. But he wanted to. He didn’t need Verity like this. He needed Verity to act normal for once. Act like he genuinely cared for him. Every time Verity told him he cared, it sounded so robotic. If he did care, why did he kill his friend? Someone who is willing to go to extreme lengths for someone else would never lay a hand on another. Sure, jealousy would be completely normal and Mob wouldn’t have minded. But this? This was what he didn’t want happening.
Verity inched his face closer.
“And I’ll always be here for you. Even when you leave. Even when you toss me into lava. Even when you box me in. Even when you… betray my trust.”
That was when the gap finally closed between the two. Verity took his hand from Mob’s wrist (thank god) to be able to fully cup his face. Mob wasn’t able to fully process what was going on until his hands found their way onto Verity’s shoulders as he reciprocated the kiss. The kiss was gentle at first. Verity found one of his hands slowly caressing Mob’s cheek as a way to try and calm him down completely again. Mob’s hands remained where they were but they were itching to hold onto something. It wasn’t until he finally decided to wrap a hand around Verity’s tie and tug it. The kiss started to become more passionate. A type of hunger that they both couldn’t deny each other.
Verity held onto some pieces of Mob’s hair as a way to stop him from pulling away from what they had going on. Mob kept a tight grip on Verity’s tie. Despite this, Mob couldn’t help but feel horrible. He was kissing his best friend’s murderer. This wouldn’t have been what Twixxel wanted out of the situation. Not at all.
Just in the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Twixxel staring at them through the window. He pulled away from the kiss almost abruptly despite the fact Verity had a decent grip on his hair. Mob whipped his head over to where Twixxel’s house remained. Nothing. Nobody was there.
Verity stared at him.
“Seriously? You’re thinking about him? We were having a good moment there and you decided to ruin it?”
Before he could do it himself, Verity grabbed his face and made it turn to look at him directly in the eyes. He whimpered in fear. Ooh, he really was getting on Verity’s nerves about this whole grieving thing. Even though he had been the one to offer him comfort. …Even though he tried to degrade him. Even though he just tried to convince him that he always wanted Twixxel dead. It should be him getting mad. But he isn’t.
Mob tried to free himself a little from the grip he had on his face but there was no use. Even the slightest movement made Verity tighten his grip.
“Verity, please–”
“You always do something like this. When I think we’re finally getting along, when I think you’re calming down, you do something so utterly stupid it– ugh!” Verity breathed in and out before that smile appeared on his face. “No… no, it’s okay. Don’t worry, my dear Mob. You didn’t make me angry, okay? I’m just… I got too into it. Your lips… they tasted like heaven. Of course I was going to be frustrated…”
God, this AI was going to be the absolute death of him. What would this thing do if he had nobody? Ship himself off to another? He wished that’d happen right now.
Verity got closer again.
“Please, Mob… just focus on us. It won’t do us any good if you keep thinking about him.”
Mob looked away from Verity, which gave him a chance to give Mob a small, most definitely possessive kiss on his neck. He’d grumble as he turned back to Verity.
“Fine. Fine, but if you try to pull any of that shit with me again–”
“Hm? What?”
“...Forget it.”