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Abolish slung the pickaxe over his shoulder, starting out to the mines. He kept one hand on the handle of his pickaxe and one on the hilt of his sword, moving smoothly between trees with practiced ease.
He only removed his hand from his sword as he reached the entrance of the cave. He hummed to himself as he started swinging at a lump of silver. It fell off with a clunk, and he scooped it up to drop into the bag over his shoulder. He moved further down to continue mining.
A small squeak echoed in the dark space. He glanced up from the next lump he had been swinging at, scanning around to find the small shape that barrelled into his chest. Bat-Scott clung to his shirt, looking up at him with glinting red eyes. Abolish scoffed, but resigned himself to stroking the back of his head with a thumb.
He scooped up the bat and deposited it on his shoulder, going back to his mining. As the next chunk fell away, the bat swooped down to try and catch it in its claws. Abolish’s hand shot out to catch the silver before it could touch it. The bat squeaked at him bossily, flapping its wings at the silver in his closed fist.
Abolish rolled his eyes.
“You idiot, the silver hurts you, not me. I’m not a vampire.” He muttered, dropping it in his bag. The bat fluttered up to his shoulder again, bumping its nose against his jaw. He sighed, and went back to mining again.
He made it a fair way into the caves, he was pretty sure he’d been down there a few hours by the time he stopped.
(Realistically, it was Scott who stopped him. He went and hung off of the end of the pickaxe until Abolish gave up.)
He began the climb back out of the cave, clambering up the stony slope.
At one point, his shoe slipped against a few pebbles. Thankfully, he caught himself before he could fall. Scott cheeped anxiously at him, flicking a wing at his ear. Abolish scoffed.
“I slipped, you overanxious dumbass.” He mumbled, shaking himself out.
Scott flitted out in front of him, grabbing his collar with his claws and trying to tug him upwards.
“In what world can you carry me?” Abolish asked sarcastically, waving him away. The bat’s eyes flashed, and Abolish pointed at him.
“Do not. I’m not dealing with actual Scott right now.” He hissed. The bat flicked his wings at him.
“Do. Not.” He hissed again.
The bat started fluttering down, and Abolish swore under his breath.
“Absolutely not.” He growled, grabbing the bat loosely around the middle and tossing it down a cave off to the side.
He darted ahead, listening to the heavy thump down the passage. He listened silently to the sounds of Scott shaking himself off and standing up, muttering to himself the whole time. Abolish ducked down a tunnel off to the side, swinging his pickaxe over his shoulder nonchalantly.
Scott’s heeled footsteps clicked up the slope towards him, slowing as they reached the tunnel where Abolish was standing.
“Abolish?” Scott asked incredulously. Abolish turned slowly, schooling his features to blankness. Scott scoffed.
“Of course.” He muttered. Abolish tipped his head inquisitively.
“What?” He asked innocently. Scott squinted at him.
“Neither one of us is an idiot,” He said slowly, “We both know what’s going on here.” Abolish shrugged, shoving past Scott with a shoulder.
“No idea what you’re talking about.” He said smoothly as he continued through the cave.
Scott jogged to catch up to him, one hand catching his wrist loosely.
“Look, neither one of us wants this, apparently. But I don’t think we can skip over this.” Scott hissed.
“Skip over what?” Abolish said, pulling his wrist free of Scott’s grip. Scott rolled his eyes, stepping in front of him.
“Don’t insult your own intelligence. Also, I would really prefer to not have day long sleepwalking episodes again.” Scott sighed, waving loosely at the cave. Abolish shrugged.
“I don’t know. You’re pretty cute as a bat though.” He said, allowing the ghost of a smile to tug at his mouth as he slipped past again. Scott made a scandalised noise.
“Excuse me! I am threatening, I am deadly, I am evil. I am not cute.” He snapped, darting ahead again. Abolish snorted.
“The only reason we’re having this conversation is because you got freaked about my tripping on a pebble.” He snarked, bobbing out of the way once more.
Scott appeared in front of him again.
“As adorable as that may be, we actually do have to talk about this.” He said, one hand against Abolish’s chest to stop him. Abolish rolled his eyes.
“Why? It’s not my problem.” He said. Scott stared him down.
“If you think I didn’t figure out the town being woken up because you kicked me out, then you’re an idiot. That sort of thing will keep happening otherwise.” Scott replied. Abolish huffed.
“Yeah? And what’s your solution, come sleep in my bed every night?” He whispered sarcastically.
Scott leant in,
“Would you like that?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” He shot back. He shoved past him, marching out the final few metres of the cave.
“I’ll see you around.” Scott called after him. Abolish lifted his hand in a gesture without looking back.
———————————————————————
Abolish snapped up, gasping a breath.
“There’s no monsters, I’m fine.” He muttered, pressing a hand against his chest. He took another, shaky, deep breath.
There was a small chirp from his shoulder. He sighed, his head dropping into his hand.
“Of course you’re here.” He muttered, dragging a hand down his face.
He reached up to stroke between Scott’s ears slowly, sitting back against the headboard. Scott chirped again, bumping against his neck. Abolish sighed, reaching around to pull the bat to rest against his chest.
“You are so lucky I’m too tired to get out of bed right now.” He hissed. The bat made a sound suspiciously like laughter as it nuzzled into his chest.
Abolish rolled over, cradling the bat carefully.
“We’re still not talking about this.” He muttered as he ran a thumb down its back. The bat started purring, clinging loosely to his shirt as he fell asleep again.