Chapter Text
BANG!…. Thud!..
Verity eyes were wide in disbelief, flabbergasted. “MOB!” he yelled as he quickly rolled over to Mob’s limp body.
“Oh god, Mob…” he mumbled, looking over at the wound.
“I can’t let you die… Not like this! Not ever!” he promised.
“I gotta help you… I…” his eyes scanned over Mob’s head. His brows lift, the bullet only went through his jaw, completely missing his head. He must’ve passed out from the immediate impact.
“I’m not letting you die ever again,” he whispered. In order to carry Mob’s body back home, Verity needed to transform into his monster form, and so he did with ease.
He picked up Mob bridal style in his arms, making sure he was tucked securely in his arms. He crawled out the small space of the exit and walked straight back home, making sure Mob doesn’t suddenly stop breathing. After a few minutes, since Verity’s lanky tall monster form made it faster, he arrived at the base and quickly entered inside to lay Mob on his bed.
Swiftly, Verity grabbed bandages from inside the chests that Mob made after exploring and trading (when the villagers were still an option). He crept up next Mob with stitches and a surgical suture that he spawned into his hand. He carefully began stitching up the wound on the bottom of his jaw. After gently stitching up the last one, he picked up the bandages and started wrapping them around Mob’s jaw. When he completed, Mob’s lower half of his face was covered in bandages.
Verity sighed as he watched Mob with concern. He turns into a ball and hops onto the bed to rest next to Mob’s unconscious body on the mattress. “I hope you wake up tomorrow…” Verity mumbled before closing his eyes after snuggling Mob’s neck.
___
Verity was on the move to take care of Mob in the morning. He renewed the bandages for fresher cleaner ones and changed out his clothes from the dirty, blood-spilled attire to a clean white shirt and pants. He still hasn’t woken up.
Verity sat on the crafting table, watching Mob with hopeful eyes that he’d wake up. But he hasn’t. For half the day, Verity sat silently on the crafting table next to Mob’s bed until… he finally woke up.
Mob’s eyes fluttered open. Slowly, his half-lidded eyes took in the afternoon light. Verity immediately reacts to his awakening, “Mob! You’re awake!” He hops on the bed and rolls on top of Mob’s chest.
“I fixed you up. I saved you, Mob,” he said gently. Mob stares at Verity, silent and unable to move his jaw yet. But his eyes did widen slightly upon seeing Verity. Verity interprets this as relief to still being alive.
“Mob… I promise I won’t let you or anybody hurt you at all ever,” he pledged. “After what happened yesterday? I will guarantee nothing, and I mean nothing, ever lays a hand on you,” he added. Mob noticed a look in Verity’s eyes but Mob looked away before he could process what it was.
“For now, you better sleep. It’ll help with your healing process,” Verity stated before hopping off and sitting on the crafting table to leave Mob to rest. He already noticed Mob’s breathing getting faster.
—
The past few days, Verity took care of Mob when he was awake and asleep. He made sure to renew the bandages each day, and today he hasn’t done it yet.
“Mob, I’m going to change out your bandages,” Verity peeked over in his monster form. Mob stared for one second, a bit shocked from his appearance before glancing away again. He sat up on the bed, Verity guiding him up even though he didn’t need help with that anymore. Verity reaches over and began taking off the used wrapper, careful not to accidentally hurt Mob more than he already is in.
“Can you tilt your head to the side?” Verity asked gently. Mob tilts his head to the side, furrowing his brows just slightly as he kept avoiding eye contact.
Verity fully takes off the bind and throws it into the bin. He slowly places his long lanky fingers on the sides of Mob’s jawline to gently tilt his head up and investigate how to stitches to his wound is doing now. Despite using his hands to murder and dig into villagers and.. past players, he was being very careful and tender with Mob. The one that… will never leave him again.
Verity scans the stitches once again, and after making sure they’re good, he lowers Mob’s head before letting go to reach over for the fresh binding. Mob sat silently while Verity’s back was facing him. Mob parts his lip, as if about to say something, but then he shuts it as soon as Verity turned back around with the binding. He, once again, wraps it around Mob’s jaw. After making sure it’s secured in place, he sat back on the bed, watching Mob. “I wonder when you’ll speak to me,” he said. Mob’s green eyes flick towards Verity just to look elsewhere as fast.
When the night came, Verity turned back into a ball and hopped on top of the crafting table like always. But ever since Mob awoke, he’d turn his back toward Verity in bed. Verity stared with longing and sadness every night. He saved Mob, but he couldn’t understand why Mob didn’t appreciate him for that. Sure, Mob tried killing himself just so he could get away from him. And sure, Mob did try sending him back to his home. And… yeah, Mob seemed freaked out when he went inside that room he told him not to go in because they had signs off all the players that left him. But in the end, after all that, he saved Mob from his actions even though he broke his boundary about the room. That should at least mean something, right?
—
The very next day, Verity seemed lost in thought, but he perked up when he saw Mob sit up. “Mob!” he rolled over to his bed but froze when he saw him take off the wrapping himself and lips part.
“You don’t have to bind my jaw anymore…” Mob mumbled, quiet. Probably because if he spoke with any force, it’d cause tension in his jaw which would basically jab at the healing wound.
Verity’s eyes widened, eyes sparkling at finally hearing Mob’s voice. “You’re speaking! To me!” he said, so overjoyed that he bounced once.
Mob’s brows knitted just slightly from his reaction, from his choice of wording. “Verity… you should’ve left me in that place,” Mob looked at Verity for a moment.
Verity’s smile falters. “What? Why would I do that?” he asked, puzzled.
“You know why.”
Verity’s brows furrows, “I told you, I won’t let anything ever hurt you anymore.” Mob sneers in response, looking over toward the window. Verity’s eyes narrow a tad, barely noticeable. “There’s going to be big changes around here to ensure your safety.” Mob raises a brow at his announcement.
“Starting with me!” Verity said cheerfully.
“What do you mean?” Mob frowned, confused.
“I still want to be by your side, but I also want to be able to look… pleasant to you so I don’t accidentally scare you in the future.”
“So that means…?” Mob raised his brows, anticipating the answer.
“Which means I will transform into something more pleasant,” Verity answered.
Mob blinks. “…I didn’t think you could do that. But..” he paused. “What do you mean you still want to be by my side? I sure don’t.”
“I don’t think that matters, Mob.”
He frowns, taken aback by that answer. “You didn’t let me die, so that makes sense for you to say,” he scoffed.
What Mob just said seemed to have stab Verity in the heart. “Mob, stop thinking about dying. What matters now is that you’re alive and well,” he said, almost desperately. He smiles, “You won’t have to worry about anything with me.”
Mob looks almost offended by this, but he knew if he continued on, it’ll go nowhere. “Sure, Verity,” he muttered coldly. Verity only beams with his answer, glad that he accepted it.
Mob shifts and plants his feet on the ground next to his bed. “I’m going to water my crops…” he mumbled, getting up. Verity’s eyes followed him.
“I’m coming with you,” Verity hopped off the crafting table. At the same time, he transforms into a more pleasant appearance, a body with a vest sweater and white blouse with a tie underneath paired with brown pants. He quickly scurrys beside Mob. “Are you sure you can walk? Let me help you,” he offered. Not really. His hands went towards Mob’s shoulders before he could answer him. Mob huffs in irritation.
“I’m gonna be right outside the base, you don’t have to come, Verity,” he muttered and turned his head to the side to look at him only to be met with his new appearance. He’s not 12 feet tall anymore like that horrifying monster form. But he is still tall, just 7 feet tall now. Mob seems surprised but he covers it up with a frown and turns away.
Verity blinks at him. “I promised to never leave your side,” he said firmly. “Now let’s go water your needy crops!” he smiled joyfully, a stark contrast from just a moment ago. Mob bites back a mock as Verity helped him leave the house and go straight to the farm right beside the house. This was not going according to plan.