Work Text:
Branzy was working on the roulette wheel when he noticed parts of his vision were missing. He blinked a couple of times, rubbed his eyes, hoped with anything and everything that his eyes were just- having a moment, that maybe they were playing tricks on him or something. But no matter what he did, no matter how long tried to close or relax his eyes, it didn't get any better.
Dread filled his chest as he let out a heavy sigh, combing a hand through his messy hair. This wasn't good. This was so not good. This was awful, actually. Why now of all times did his body have to do this to him?!
Branzy looked at his unfinished redstone longingly, moving his hand to the corner of his vision, and- yep, he didn't even see it. This was definitely the beginning of a migraine. Fucking wonderful. Because that's definitely what he wanted right now.
With all the willpower he didn't have, he forced himself up, carefully maneuvering through the lines of redstone to get to the maintenance hallway of the casino. He wanted to keep working, he really did, but he's learned the hard way that migraines and redstone do not mix well. He could hardly see what he was doing at the moment, and he knew that by the time his vision cleared back up, the pain and discomfort would be almost unbearable. Even if he did force himself to keep working, most of whatever he did now would probably have to be redone when he was feeling better.
So, with no other real choice, he had to stop and take a break, probably for the whole rest of the day. Maybe even tomorrow, if his body really hated him that much. He didn't want to, but he knew it would be best if he did. Though, as he stepped into the bare hallway, he had a certain concern. That being-
"Branzy?"
Branzy flinched. Yeah, there was his concern right there.
Now, it wasn't that Branzy thought Clown was cruel enough to force him to work when he was feeling bad. In fact, the assassin had stopped him from trying to work when he was still recovering from a twisted ankle when he accidentally stepped into someone's (thankfully unfinished) trap. Clown was surprisingly stern about Branzy taking care of himself, including making sure he was eating and sleeping at least relatively okay.
No, he didn't think Clown was that cruel. It was just...
Branzy knows he has a reputation for being a liar and opportunist. Those things are absolutely true, he couldn't entirely deny those claims, and Clown definitely knew those things first hand, but Branzy would never lie or try to take advantage of Clown. With the casino being so close to being done and the roulette wheel the final game that needed finishing, the absolute last thing Branzy wanted was for Clown to think Branzy was trying to make some excuse to delay the casino's opening for some reason. He didn't want Clown to think he was stalling for time or procrastinating with some ulterior motives, or just wanted to waste Clown's time and make him wait longer than he had to. Branzy would absolutely keep working if he could, and he had no reason to not finish the casino, but he just couldn't keep working like this. He wanted it open just as badly as Clown did, for crying out loud!
But even if Clown did believe him, he wasn't sure if Clown would understand just how bad migraines could be. Branzy has worked with plenty of people who forced him to keep going even through his migraines, to tell him to get to a certain point before he was allowed to stop and finally rest. Work a few more hours, finish this complex circuit first, keep going until sunset- it was hell, every time. Branzy wasn't sure he could describe to people just how awful even laying in bed with a migraine was, let alone how miserable it was trying to work through one. Not to mention, Branzy wasn't sure he'd have the confidence to even try, not with his life on the line.
The assassin approached him as Branzy stood still, trying to prepare himself for however this conversation was going to go. He stopped a couple feet away from Branzy and tilted his head. Questioningly, curiously, Branzy thinks, but his vision wasn't the most reliable right now so he couldn't tell for sure.
"Um, hi, Clown," Branzy started, perhaps a bit more nervous than he meant. "Uh, th-the roulette wheel is coming along great! Shouldn't take too much longer to finish-"
"Branzy," Clown interrupted. Not loud, not aggressively, but in a way that let Branzy know he knew something was up and wanted Branzy to just get to the point already. Branzy flinched again and averted his gaze down to the ground. Here goes nothing.
"I think I need to stop working for today," he said, keeping his voice as even as he could. He saw a slight shift in Clown's posture and didn't hesitate to keep going. "I- um- I'm starting to get a migraine right now, so- I don't think I can really keep going."
"Oh" was Clown's initial response, before he started speaking again. "Well, why didn't you start with that?" he said, almost annoyed.
Branzy finally looked back up at him, a bit caught off guard. "I- I was getting to it! I didn't- I don't know!"
"You don't need to start the conversation with how your work is going when you aren't feeling good, Branzy. If you have a migraine, then yeah, you need to go rest and take care of it," Clown said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Branzy was surprised at how easy this conversation was going. No doubts, no requests to keep going just a little longer, just- just acceptance? Branzy wasn't used to that.
"I- uh, yeah, I plan on it," he muttered a bit dumbly.
"Do you need anything?" Clown suddenly asked, surprising Branzy even further.
"N-no, no, I should be able to get everything myself," he responded. This was far from the first migraine he's had, he has long since gotten used to taking care of himself even through the pain and discomfort. It was never pleasant or fun, but it's not like he had anyone else he could depend on to take care of him. Clown stared down at him for a few silent moments, Branzy's vision now really starting to go staticky and weird, which meant it wouldn't be too much longer now before the pain starts. He really needs to go lie down, but first he needed to-
Clown suddenly took a step closer before grabbing his hand, beginning to walk down the hall and dragging Branzy along behind him. A sound of confusion escaped Branzy as he stumbled to keep up, blinking as his vision only got worse. Still enough to see and walk, though.
"C-Clown?"
"What, you think I can't take care of you or something, Branzy?" Clown asked, sounding offended. Branzy struggled to process the question.
"Wh-what?! N-no! No, that's not what I-"
"Okay, good! So then tell me, Branzy, what do you need?"
"I-" Branzy cut himself off, at a complete loss for words as Clown continued to pull him down the hall. Towards the underground entrance where their bolthole was, he's noticed, which was exactly where Branzy was planning to go since it was less walking than going back to his base.
"Well?" Clown demanded. Branzy would normally brush off the question, insist that he's fine and can take care of himself, but Clown's apparent stubbornness about the situation caught him completely off guard. He didn't know what else to do but comply, like he so often did with the assassin anyway.
"Um- food, probably. N-nothing too big, just like, a snack or something. Tea is also nice. Uh, uncaffeinated tea, I mean. It's really not a lot, I can get it all myself-"
"I think I can manage a list with two items, Branzy. You are going to lay down and rest and not worry about it. Is that clear?" Clown interrupted. Branzy was so not mentally prepared for how this situation was going, chest swirling with confused but warm emotions.
"I- okay," he ceded, head dropping as the lights in the hallway started to feel just a bit too bright. The nothingness in his vision started to drop to the bottom of his sight, which usually meant it wouldn't be long now until he could see normally again, which meant the pain and discomfort was going to kick in very soon.
Just as Branzy suspected, Clown lead him to the bolthole, going so far as to walk him inside and gently nudge him to the bed. Branzy sat on the edge of the bed, unable to stop himself from laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, especially as he started to feel less and less okay.
"You really don't have to," he gave it one last try, glancing up at Clown before flinching at the light behind the taller man's head and turning his gaze back down.
"Well, suck it up, because I'm going to," was Clown's stern response. Then his voice softened slightly. "Do you want me to turn off the lights?"
"If you wouldn't mind," Branzy answered, the pressure in his head getting more and more uncomfortable and starting to make it harder to think.
"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes. Rest until I get back, got it?"
"Got it," Branzy smiled. Clown turned and walked away, flipping the lever to turn the lights off before heading out the room. Branzy stared at the ajar door, open just enough to let some of the light in the hall seep through so he could still see what he was doing, before letting out a sigh somewhere between tired and affectionate. He leaned down to take off his shoes, followed by his belt and anything else that would poke at him before he laid down, tucking himself under the covers. He closed his eyes.
Yeah, out of all the ways he expected this situation to go, this was not one of them. He wanted to feel guilty since he really wasn't expecting Clown to do anything for him, but, well, it's not like he asked. Clown was the one so insistent on helping, even after Branzy tried to tell him he really didn't have to. It was a bit hard to feel guilty when Clown was so stern about it, for reasons unknown to Branzy.
The pain and discomfort was really starting to settle in now, Branzy curling up under the blanket and finding himself shivering. Did they have any spare blankets nearby? He sort of forgot about how cold he feels during migraines. He couldn't think of anywhere there would be more blankets, but maybe he could ask Clown? He didn't want to ask the jester for anything else, but with the apparent mood Clown was currently in, he felt like Clown would scold him if he caught Branzy shivering without saying anything.
True to his word, it wasn't long before Clown entered the room again. The door didn't creak, there were no footsteps to hear, but Branzy noticed the change in light even through his closed eyelids. He peeked his eyes open, the sight of Clown approaching him in the very dim lighting probably the sight of most people's nightmares, but Branzy's eyes drifted to the cup of tea in his hand, a bowl in the other. Clown gently set them both on the nightstand next to the bed.
"Can you sit up?" he asked, voice surprisingly soft. Branzy felt a warmth in his chest, something he would probably think much more about if he were capable of thinking clearly at the moment. Begrudgingly, he slowly sat up, flinching at the discomfort in his head caused by the movement. Oh yeah, it was definitely in full effect now.
He was surprised to feel something warm wrap around his shoulder and help him sit up- Clown's hand, he realized. Somehow, he forgot just how warm Clown was. It made him think something rather stupid, like maybe he shouldn't ask for another blanket and ask for something else instead. He had enough sense to not do that, though.
Branzy repositioned himself so he could rest against the headboard and reached over, grabbing the hot mug of tea and just holding it for a moment. He let the hot drink warm his hands that felt like they should be shaking, though he didn't think they actually were.
"Do you need anything else?" Clown asked.
"Yeah, do we have any more blankets?" Branzy answered, cringing a bit at how weak his voice sounded. He had to remind himself that it wasn't worth the effort to try and sound normal, though. Not in front of Clown. Clown hummed in thought.
"I don't think so. Are you cold?"
"Yeah, a bit," he admitted, before finally taking a sip of the tea. Chamomile. It was nice. It was also very much still hot, and he should probably wait a bit longer before he drinks any more. He looked over at the bowl and tried to make out its contents in the dark room. Carrots? Golden carrots? He couldn't tell which.
There was suddenly a weight on the bed next to his feet, and he looked over. Clown had sat on the edge of the bed, and began- taking off his boots?
"Uh- Clown?" Branzy questioned, unable to speak louder than a mutter at this point. Clown hummed in acknowledgement. "What are you doing?"
"Getting comfortable," he responded simply. Branzy furrowed his brow, and couldn't help the twinge of guilt in his chest as he processed what Clown meant by that.
"Clown- you don't have to stay with me, I'll be-"
"Do you want to be alone right now?" Clown paused and looked at Branzy as he asked the question. Branzy frowned. Between the pain and pressure in his head and the emotions Clown was eliciting from him right now, he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, and strangely felt a building urge to cry. Though, that was more due to the migraine than anything else.
"I- uh," his throat felt tight, and he wasn't sure whether to answer Clown's question honestly or not. The assassin tilted his head at him.
"Branzy," Clown started softly. "Do you want to be alone right now?"
Branzy looked down at the steaming mug in his hands. He swallowed. "N-not really, no," he admitted weakly.
"Okay," Clown responded. "Then I'm staying with you. The last thing I want is for someone to find you alone when you're more defenseless than normal, or for you to need something and to try and get up and get it yourself."
Branzy simply nodded in response, keeping his gaze down as the pressure behind his eyes grew. He clenched his jaw, and held back the nonsensical growing urge to cry. Why was he getting so emotional over this? Was it just the pain? No, migraines didn't normally make him cry, even if they got him close sometimes. Maybe it was the fact Clown was, for some reason, giving him everything he wanted, taking care of him when Branzy was so used to having to take care of himself, even when he was feeling like complete shit like this.
He was so not used to this. He didn't know how to handle the swirling emotions in his chest that were clawing their way up his throat, especially when he couldn't think properly. It was all so much, yet he hoped desperately that Clown wouldn't suddenly change his mind and leave Branzy to fend for himself.
Clown must've finished taking off whatever extra gear he had on (since he usually still slept with some on), as he then started- crawling into bed next to Branzy?!
The bed was big enough for two people, but it was still not what Branzy was expecting. He was expecting Clown to sit in the chair nearby, not sit next to him in bed. Geez, he really was set on surprising Branzy today, wasn't he? Branzy forced himself to take a steadying breath and turned away, looking back at the bowl of carrots. He reached over, careful to not spill his tea in the process, and set the bowl in his lap.
Branzy tried to distract himself by focusing on eating instead as Clown leaned against the headboard next to him, making himself comfortable there. The two fell into silence as Branzy slowly ate, often closing his eyes between bites and sips of his tea. He just felt so weak, so miserable and awful and like he so badly didn't want to exist right now. The pain and discomfort was almost enough to forget Clown was even there with him. Almost.
God, he hated migraines.
He didn't quite eat everything, but he decided he'd had enough and put the bowl back on the nightstand. He finished his tea not long after, putting the now empty mug next to the bowl and deciding it was now time to curl up and hate existing for a few hours. So that's exactly what he did, sliding back under the covers and curling up on his side with a shiver and closed his eyes.
"Still cold?" Clown asked quietly. Branzy muttered a sound that he hoped Clown would pick up as a yes, really not feeling up for talking anymore.
Then the bed started shifting around as Clown moved, and all Branzy could focus on was how the sensation did not help with the pressure in his head. He grimaced, curling up even tighter in a futile effort to make himself feel better. But then, just as the movement stopped, there was suddenly something very warm on his side, snaking around his back. He shivered, especially as he realized there was now warmth right in front of him, too, barely touching him.
"Come here, Branzy," Clown said softly, voice a lot closer than it was before. Branzy opened his eyes slightly, heart skipping a beat at the sight of the assassin laying right in front of him, arm partially wrapped around him.
Okay, Branzy knows Clown can be a bit touchy, especially in private, but there was no way he was offering to cuddle with Branzy right now. Branzy doesn't remember hallucinations being a symptom of migraines, but there was a first time for everything. Maybe this was a dream, one that wasn't kind enough to make the discomfort in his head go away.
But then the hand on his side started to slide away, and while his reflexes weren't the fastest right now, Branzy quickly reached up and grabbed it. The arm froze in its place, and Branzy furrowed his brow in contemplation. Hesitantly, he carefully placed Clown's hand back on his side, and when the jester didn't pull back or say anything, he decided to take a risk. He may not really understand how or why this was happening right now, but he was weak and cold and in pain and selfish, and, well, Clown was offering, so...
Branzy slowly unfurled himself before scooting closer to the taller man. The hand on his side wrapped around his back fully now, pulling him closer to Clown until he was fully against him. Branzy's heart fluttered in his chest at the closeness, and he selfishly burrowed his face into Clown's chest, pressing himself impossibly closer to him. Distantly, he knew that if he could think properly, he'd absolutely be freaking out about this more, but right now he was way more focused on how warm Clown was. Yeah, this was definitely better than any spare blanket would've been.
Clown wrapped himself fully around Branzy as Branzy curled into him, his eyes slipping shut again at some point. He let out a long sigh as he relaxed in the assassin's hold, body letting go of whatever tension it could while still being in immense pain. Strangely, the urge to cry was back and stronger than ever, causing his throat to feel tight and for his breathes to turn uneven and shaky. The migraine was definitely the main cause of it, but Branzy couldn't help but think that it wasn't the only reason.
Branzy was used to taking care of himself, no matter how bad or awful he felt or how injured or sick or tired he was. No matter what, he could never rely on anyone else to take care of him, could never trust that anyone would do anything for him. Sometimes his friends did, of course, when they were free and available and happened to be nearby, but most of the time they didn't stay with him. They'd do one or two things for him, help him back to his base, make sure he had the supplies he needed, but otherwise left him on his own. That was fine, though, because very rarely was Branzy actually so bad he physically couldn't do anything for himself, even if there were times where it felt like hell to do anything.
He wasn't expecting anything from Clown. In fact, he was prepared for the worst, for mistrust or insistence that he keeps working through it. At best, he expected Clown to allow him to leave on his own. He wasn't ready for Clown to practically demand to take care of him, let alone stay with him, and let alone hold him like this just because Branzy was cold!
If Branzy didn't know any better, he'd say Clown might actually care about him, more than just a business partner would. But he knew he wasn't thinking clearly right now, so it was best to push that thought aside and leave it for later. He didn't need to be wondering about things like that when his head felt like it was going to explode.
Only a few tears managed to slip from his eyes before he got himself back under control, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. One of Clown's hands trailed up to his hair, and carefully began brushing his fingers through it. Branzy couldn't help but melt at the sensation, fully letting himself rest against the taller man. This was nice. This was really nice. Branzy wishes they could stay like this forever, minus the whole migraine part. That would be great.
Branzy slowly drifted into sleep, fading in and out of consciousness. It wasn't easy to sleep with a migraine, and he couldn't tell when he was fully awake or not, but one thing he did know for sure was that he stayed warm the entire time, and was never alone for any of it.
Yeah, Branzy could definitely get used to this.