Work Text:
So… SO. Tai and Rejoice may OR may NOT have a problem. A huge problem. A massive, humongous problem that they, especially Tai, would’ve preferred not to exist IF it did hypothetically exist. Because, well, that problem was nonexistent—was.
But hey, you can’t really face a problem that doesn’t even exist yet… right? Well, wrong. Partly because the problem’s already right in front of their faces, and partly because, well, the problem wouldn’t exist IF they just think about it harder.
They just need to summon up more of that astronomic wishful thinking type of shit to make the hypothetical problem disappear. Preferably completely. And if not completely, then maybe just out of their sight.
Out of sight, out of mind… right?
Yeah, well fuck. Tai’s about to lose his goddamn mind.
“You’re saying we’re supposed to take care of him??” Tai shrieked, eyes going wider than they had when he almost got stabbed right through his heart. He stared skeptically at the child resting against Rejoice’s arms.
The witch gave him a flat, questioning look—unimpressed and dumbfounded by the question. “Sir, that is a kid. You can’t possibly just throw him out.” He sighed, then, after a moment, decided to add: “Will you? Clearly, you’re not going to… right?”
Rejoice, standing a meter beside Tai, gawked at the question. “Why the fuck do you sound so accusatory?”
The witch in question straightened his back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, excuse me for worrying about the child. I wasn’t the one who ran into a witch’s shop with a kid dangling on their back.” He scoffed. “I told you, the potion that friend of yours took was a low-class grade.”
He rolled his eyes upon seeing the two young men in front of him still glaring at his face. ”The effect would only last a day or two; until then, you have to take care of him.” He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
For him, at least.
For the two? Well, ha. What a fucking joke.
“But we’re not even his parents!” Tai slammed his palms against the countertop, eyes curved in a way that looked downright desperate. So full of helplessness.
That… The witch could understand the frustration, at least. It’s not normal to be forced into parenthood without even consenting to it. However, honestly? What could they even do? They can’t possibly just leave the poor kid.
Hopefully.
…right?
The witch shuddered at the thought. He may be a witch, but that’s just his occupation. He’s still a living creature with a completely fine, beating heart, after all.
He sighed. The two fighters clearly didn’t get along well, nor was the possibility of them being a couple even possible. Hey, he wasn’t on with discrimination, but damn. He wondered how the two hadn’t even slit each other’s throats yet.
Throughout the witch’s busy examination of the kid, the two had already managed to break two vases and scare a handful of trainees. Fucking workplace harassment, if you will.
They bickered quite a lot that he even began doubting if the boy was kidnapped, and not an adult-turned-into-a-kid.
“May I remind you that it was you who stated he was your brother. Biologically speaking. And that his supposed teammates were somewhere else.” He rubbed both of his fingers against his temples, lacking the energy to continue on with this conversation. “Unless you can find another person to take care of him, go ahead. Just please don’t abandon him.”
“...”
Fuck. The witch wanted to wipe off the look on the other man’s eyes.
“...But didn’t you say it was only his body that regressed? So… technically, his mind would be that of his present self, right?” Tai tentatively asked.
Seriously, what is wrong with this kid??
“That boy is physically six years old.” Patience is a key, but goddamn. The witch only had so much patience left, and he sure as hell was wasting it because of these two.
“You are in a server designed for hunting and elimination, where people wouldn’t hesitate to kill a literal child. You sure as heck can’t even escape until a portal opens, which, mind you, would only open until someone beats that modified end guardian.”
He couldn’t wrap his head around it. Sure, he could understand that the idea of having to take care of a helpless child was daunting, especially when you still have to defend yourself and avoid getting killed. But damn— fuck.
How many times had I even used those two words??
That was the guy’s own fucking brother? Who’s the monster here, honestly? The witch internally swore he was going to have to drink a calming potion or something. The idiots in front of him just keep deducting years from his life.
Who said witches can live more than a hundred years? Clearly, they’ve never met these kids!
“Can’t we… just… leave the kid with you?”
The last, remaining thread of the witch’s patience finally snapped.
“...”
Rejoice blinked a couple of times, a bit stunned. Damn, if he knew those were going to be his last words before they got kicked out, he would’ve said something far cooler.
The wooden door of the magic? Clinic? Grocery? Something shop slammed shut. A second later, both of them begrudgingly began walking away and towards their base.
Tai stared up ahead, fighting the urge to turn his head and stare at the other man walking just a few centimeters beside him. “Great job,” he mumbled, his voice painted with a hint of mockery. “Fantastic diplomatic skill you’ve got there. Really. We got kicked out of a safe zone because you tried to pass off a de-aged Mugm like nothing.”
Rejoice scoffed, shifting the sleeping six-year-old kid to a better position, ensuring the kid’s head rested comfortably against his body. "Oh, blame me?? You were the one shrieking!” He huffed. “Besides, you were also thinking about it! I just voiced it out, for fuck’s sake.”
"Yeah, but at least I didn’t voice it!" Tai threw his hands up, then quickly lowered them, remembering where they were. “A few more minutes or hours of staying there would’ve been nice.”
As if on cue, the sky above began turning into its usual bleeding, bright red color—proving just how interdimensional and ambient it can be. Perfect. Just what they needed. Trust whatever admin there was to make their situation more bearable.
Fucking hell.
They walked a few more streets before finally reaching their destination.
It was in the exact moment Tai opened the entrance, and Rejoice finally stepped inside the threshold, that the bundle in Rejoice’s arms began to stir. Mugm let out a small, soft yawn—a sound so foreign and gentle and so nice that no one would’ve associated it with Bliss and Strength’s oh usually so stoic fighter.
Mugm’s small fingers clutched at the fabric of Rejoice’s top as his eyes fluttered open. Tai barely held back the yelp that got stuck at the tip of his tongue. The boy’s eyes were wide and beautiful, his irises colored in their beautiful plain shade of grey that almost seemed white.
But beneath all that…
…beneath all that cuteness and innocent-looking boy, there was that unmistakable intensity and fury behind it. Mugm stared up at Rejoice, then slowly turned his small head to glare at Tai.
“If either—” Mugm started and then abruptly stopped upon hearing his own high-pitched and almost squeaky voice. Rejoice almost snorted in amusement if Tai didn’t stop him with a look before he could even do so. “Fuck is this voice?”
Tai let out a helpless, deflated laugh and began rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, buddy. Slept well? Look, the witch said the potion would only last for a day or two… so… in the meantime…” He had to pinch his own palm to stop his hand from reaching out to the boy’s cute, little cheek. “We have to take care of you… Unless you wanna go somewhere else right now…” He added the last part as a precaution.
Mugm tried to push himself off from the person holding him, but his new body lacked the muscles and strength of his adult body. He wobbled back, almost falling from Rejoice’s hold, and then ended up face-planting right back into the man’s chest after Rejoice fixed his position.
Rejoice couldn't help the tiny smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Careful there, little voidling. Don't break your nose before you can revert to your present form."
"Shut the fuck up," Mugm hissed, his face flushing bright red as he pushed himself upright again, balancing precariously on Rejoice's forearm. He looked around the foreign base, full of scraps and miscellaneous items.
He frowned. “What is this? Is this your actual base??”
Rejoice tightened his hold on the boy’s body, causing Mugm to let out an involuntary yelp. “I can’t help it! This is worse than living in a dirt hut!”
“Ah. So much noise. How can a kid be this ill-mouther anyway?” Rejoice mock-complained, though he did lighten his hold.
“Fuck. I am not a kid, goddmamnit. Deadass, I will whoop your ass once I—”
“Hey, Tai! Can you hear something? All I hear is a pipsqueak trying to be a kicker.” Rejoice, grinning ear to ear, turned his head around towards the couch Tai had settled himself in.
“Please just stop teasing the kid—”
Mugm cut him off. “Hey! I told you, I’m not a fucking kid—!”
Tai didn’t bother arguing, so he just spoke over him. “—because we still need to sort out a plan regarding our situation—”
“Wow. Look at you being responsible and shit.” This time, it was Rejoice who interrupted him.
“You’re just as bad, dipshit.”
“Ugh. Kid, will you stay quiet when the adults are talking?” Without another word, Rejoice finally decided to let down the boy in his arms, earning him a narrowed glare in return. “What?”
Mugm's tiny fists balled up at his sides, his entire six-year-old frame trembling with barely contained rage. "I am going to kill you," he spat, his voice squeaking on the last word. "I am going to find a way to kill you both, and I will make it slow."
"That's cute," Rejoice said, absolutely delighted. "He thinks he can reach our kneecaps."
Tai pinched the bridge of his nose so hard he was probably going to leave a mark. "Fuck. You’re just as bad as an actual six-year-old.”
Rejoice chuckled, and then froze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Mugm stomped his foot. It made a tiny pat sound against the floor. He looked down at his own foot, then back up at them with such profound annoyance. "I can't even stomp properly," Mugm muttered, his voice cracking. He looked like he was on the verge of crying.
"Worse than unknowingly getting hit by a de-aging potion?" Rejoice, the little shit that he was, asked, settling onto a rickety chair that groaned under his weight.
"I fucking hate you.”
“How are we even going to take care of a kid when we can’t even take care of ourselves?”
"Out of all people, why do I have to get stuck with the two of you?" Mugm snapped, crossing his arms. The motion was supposed to look intimidating. It looked like a toddler throwing a tantrum, and well, probably because it was a toddler throwing a tantrum.
Stupid body and stupid voice and stupid brother and stupid fucking—
He threw a punch at the air in frustration. His tiny fist wobbled as he stretched his arm more than he should have, stumbling forward a few steps before catching himself on Tai’s leg.
Tai froze as Rejoice’s grin just kept getting bigger and bigger.
Mugm refused to look up, his ears already burning red. Oh, he was going to enjoy destroying everything once everything was over.
Tai looked down at the small hand gripping his leg, then slowly raised his gaze to meet Rejoice's. Rejoice had his hand clamped over his mouth, shoulders shaking. The bastard was laughing without making a sound.
"Don’t even try," Tai mouthed, eyes twitching in disbelief.
Rejoice's eyes were watering. "He's holding your leg." He mouthed back before clamping back a hand over his mouth, absolutely trying his very best to stop the sounds from escaping. He was trying real hard, really. But hey, it’s not every day you’ll stumble upon a guy usually so fierce and feared, only to be turned into a cute, little pathetic kid.
“Just to clarify, we had a perfectly fine and running base before. But then it got blown up.” Tai started talking for the sake of guiding the topic in another direction. “Falcon and Leo even took most of our resources.”
“And you think telling me that helps your case?” Mugm took a step back and dusted off his clothes, subsequently noticing the fact that he had a change of clothes. Rejoice, noting the reaction, snickered as he turned his head away.
Tai, watching the exchange, just rolled his eyes. “The witch gave you a bunch of new clothes for that new body of yours. You’re currently wearing some of them, while the others,” he raised his hand, pointing a finger at Rejoice, “are with him.”
Mugm gawked at him, looking utterly offended and betrayed. “I thought you were my brother! Deadass, why would you let that bastard have my shit?”
“My inventory was full.” Tai reasoned, smiling sheepishly.
The boy in front of him narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t even consider giving him your stuff so you could fit mine into yours?”
Tai’s eyes started darting around the room, pointedly avoiding eye contact. Well, it wasn’t Tai’s fault that his inventory was full of too important items that he couldn’t just give to Rejoice, out of all people. Fuck, they weren’t even teammates. They both just formed a temporary alliance that’ll soon get disbanded after the end fight.
Besides, he only learnt a few days into the hardcore server that even Mugm had joined the event with his team called the ‘brotherhood’ or something—not that important since even their team disbanded a day before Tai learnt about their existence.
So, sue him if he didn’t trust Rejoice enough to give him the advantage.
“Quit it. I was the one who grabbed it before he even took a step forward.” Rejoice interjected.
“Wouldn’t it be better if we just find a tree to climb and sleep there?” Mugm mumbled as he yawned for the nth time. It was already dark, so dark that the only thing illuminating the sky was nothing. There were no stars and no moon, truly a reminder that they were not in their typical servers.
The fire cracked, illuminating their figures. Tai had tuned the boy out after the first three minutes. Something about "how is this even a base" and "I've seen better living conditions" and "living inside a canal would’ve been much better."
Which, fair enough. Tai couldn’t really get it past him, who would want to live in a dumpster-like house? The roof of their current base was more hole than wood, and the walls were held together by thin plywood and foam. Fucking living conditions.
“At this rate, how are we supposed to win the end fight?” Rejoice muttered to no one in particular. He poked the fire with a stick he’d found discarded somewhere inside a broken TV screen, the wood sizzling and smoking as it caught flame.
Who the hell even thought of hosting a bloody blood bath inside a fucking city? Worse, the fuck did they mean only twenty players had to remain for the portal in the end dimension to open? That was basically a death sentence dressed up as a game mechanic.
If it were in any other time and space, Rejoice would've been ecstatic. In fact, he had been ecstatic until Mugm just had to pop out of nowhere and try to kill them. The ungrateful bastard. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't filled with relief once the swordsman got caught in that server trap. The de-aging potion. A stroke of luck so absurd it almost felt intentional.
"You're talking as if we're gonna reach it." Tai couldn't help but snort, his gaze drifting away from the fire and onto Mugm's face. The kid's expression was clearly bored, half-lidded. He smiled at the obvious defiance against sleeping. "Outnumbered, outgeared, with nothing else we can get… we're hopeless, dude."
"Oh, Tai. Ever the—" A yawn cut Mugm off mid-sentence, his small hands instinctively stretching over his head, fingers splaying wide. "—ever the pessimist that you are." He repeated, his voice audibly lower, sleepier than before.
Tai let out a noncommittal hum, tilting his head in quiet fascination. He had noticed it a few hours ago, but now that he finally got a good look at his brother… Mugm looked… cute.
Maybe it was because he was seeing the child version of his brother, or maybe because the child in front of him simply looked adorable. But Tai couldn't help but find it all amusing. How Mugm was still himself, but not really. He looked so innocent and so… so free? So untied to anything and so—
“Stop staring at me like a creep.”
Well. Way to pull out a guy out of his own thoughts. “I’m your brother, dude. Don’t make it weird.”
Mugm rolled his eyes in exasperation. Tai didn’t bother stopping the smile from escaping his lips, only making the boy scrunch his nose in utter distaste. “And what a bother you have become.”
Tai opened his mouth to fire back, something about who’s the one who’d gotten themselves de-aged, so really, who was the real bother here—but the words easily died in his throat when he saw Mugm’s eyelids drooping again.
His smile widened, almost imperceptibly. The kid was really fighting his sleep hard, stubborn to let his child biology stop him from whatever it was that was, well, keeping him from letting sleep take over his little body. Small tremors ran through Mugm’s frame, and he swayed slightly where he sat.
“It’s normal for a child to feel sleepy, you know?” Tai gently murmured, fighting the strong urge to pat Mugm’s little head. If being honest, the softness in his own voice even felt foreign and so bare that it almost startled him.
Rejoice, watching them idly from the side, probably noticed but opted to be quiet. For all his faults, the guy could at least understand not to interrupt a moment like this one.
"I’m not… sleepy…" Mugm pouted—fucking pouted! Wasn’t that just the cutest thing the kid had done? "I'm fine. I'm—" Another yawn, tired and barely resisting anymore. He slumped forward before catching himself. "I'm awake."
“Mugm…” Tai frowned a bit.
"Don’t make that stupid face, dumbass."
But Mugm's voice was fading. His head dipped forward again, and this time, he didn't catch himself. Tai reached him out before he could fully stumble forward. Tai adjusted the boy in his makeshift bed, breathing already even out.
He watched as Mugm’s chest rose and fell in its normal rhythmic pattern.
"Out like a light," Rejoice sing-songed. Oh, Tai could already hear the smirk on the man’s face. "Kid's weaker than you."
"He's six," Tai reminded him, though there was no heat in it. "Of course he's tired." Then, a pause. And a scowl. Can't forget about that scowl. Tai's brow furrowed as his expression contorted. "Hey, what the fuck do you mean by that?"
"Figure it out yourself." Rejoice snorted, raising an eyebrow. “Also, here I thought you hated him. Guess blood’s really thicker than water, huh?” He said, though he felt that his own words weren’t even directly towards the other man but to himself.