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Something loomed over the whole room, an energy that felt heavy enough to crush all the existing air, a pressure that threatened to suffocate.
Dread.
That was the only word for it. A feeling Medkit couldn't shake off. It was hard to describe, and as much as this certain fear seemed childish, it was there and it had a hold on him.
His head hung low, hunched over a desk. He should be on his way; he had work to do. It was not the first time and certainly not the last, but why there?
The prospect of going near Blackrock had his mind cloud with a fearful haze. Medkit still remembers it so well. The smell, the sound, every corner and turn. The years he spent learning and working there alongside Subspace weren't ever going to be easily forgotten.
The memories of how he parted ways with that faction haunted him more than he'd like to admit. The eye was more than enough of a reminder.
And yet he should be stronger. Should have been able to handle everything after what he survived. He should do better.
Then there he was. Still stuck in the office, staring at his own hands unable to move an inch. Though his mind screamed, his body wouldn't cooperate.
Through his racing thoughts, he could barely hear the whistling coming down the hall. It was familiar but not enough to break him out of his trance-like state.
It grew closer.
Medkit's eyes widened, and he lifted his head a little higher. The door opened and a familiar figure came into view.
"Home, sweet home...!" The booming voice echoed in the room, followed by a thud as their weapon was discarded in the corner.
Scythe. She would have came here sooner or later anyways as she had claimed this place as basically her office, meeting room and living quarters all at the same time.
"Aaand... You're still here?" She raised a brow, noticing the unmoving Medkit before her.
Laughter bubbled up her throat, "Getting lazy on me now?"
A teasing grin spread on her face, "Your paycheck will be much thinner because of this, just so you know."
Medkit didn't respond. The words barely registered as he tried to gather the courage to look up at her. The silence was almost deafening and it wasn't usual for Medkit to leave her hanging.
"It's serious this time, ain't it?"
Scythe stepped closer, the spurs on her heels adding a click to her every step.
Medkit watched her approaching, his hands shaking in anticipation. There was no sign of amusement in the woman’s eyes when she gazed down at him. Her smile was gone. In its place was a stern frown, and though she was usually one for light jokes, this wasn’t one.
She caught a glimpse of his eyes and something shifted in them. It was almost imperceptible but she couldn't miss it. She sighed, reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it.
"You listening to me at all?"
Medkit jumped at the contact. It was like a bucket of cold water suddenly bringing him back from his feel thoughts to the current moment. And it shot through his whole body like lightning. His nerves tingled with adrenaline, his muscles tensed and he gasped.
"I can't go there." He rasped before he could even think about the words leaving his mouth, which he quickly regretted.
"What? Why not? They aren't going to eat you. The tasks don't seem too hard and-" Scythe stopped when she realized Medkit's expression turned sour. "... What are you talking about?"
He looked down again. His hands were clenched tightly into fists.
"Nevermind. Forget it." Medkit mumbled, standing up abruptly and pushing past her.
Scythe clicked her tongue, "Like hell I'm forgetting this."
Her hands landed on his shoulders again and with one harsh push, Medkit landed in her desk chair without any resistance. The sudden impact left him dazed momentarily. He blinked several times before his eyes met Scythe's again.
"Alright, look here, boy. I won't ask again. Tell me what's wrong," The woman moved swiftly, jumping up on the desk with her heel landing on the side of the chair he was in, essentially trapping him in place.
"It's... nothing."
"Nuh uh. Don't give me that bullshit," She scoffed.
With someone this stubborn, she'd have to give him a little push. She leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She knew better than anyone, he wasn’t the type to make excuses. And while it was clear he wanted to avoid her, it was equally obvious that something was wrong.
"Spit it out, 'Kit..." She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, "Why can't you go there?"
"I just... I don't want to...” His gaze dropped to the floor again. Every word seemed to die in his throat. “It's so idiotic..."
Medkit let his shoulders slump forward, and he pressed his palms against his temples. The action was an unconscious attempt to alleviate the discomfort he felt.
There was another long pause before he finally blurted out: "I'm scared."
"Scared?" Scythe's smile slowly returned and she couldn't help but laugh as retort, "You had me real worried that it was serious. What are ya scared of?"
She pushed herself off the desk landing on her heels. And she walked away. Not far. Even with her back turned, suddenly so careless and occupied, Medkit could tell she was waiting for an answer. He gulped. He hated doing that. But at this point, anything was better than sitting alone, afraid, for an eternity.
His hands fell into his lap and gripped onto his knees. "I was already there. A long time before you took me in," he began slowly , trying to keep his tone even and steady. His words were hesitant to come out, but he knew they had to. "I was a scientist and I was working with someone... Subspace."
Scythe hummed in response, the only additional sound was the deaf clinking of glass. He wasn't sure what she was up to but he was far too caught up in whatever he was going to say next to even notice her movements.
"We always disagreed. About everything, really! But we still worked together. Things grew more serious. I knew what I wanted my inventions to be but... Again, he wasn't so happy about that." He swallowed hard, his fingers fidgeted around each other. "I told him I was leaving."
At this point, it was getting harder to force out the words. "It got out of hand so fast, I didn't even notice when..." Medkit trailed off, his fingers absent-mindedly searched for the edge of his eyepatch.
As if right on cue, Scythe sat back down on the desk. With the top of her shoe, she forced away his hand from his face, instead plopping a cup into them. It was filled with tea. Just slightly warm and the familiar smell that filled Medkit's nostrils iinstantly calmed him.
"You beat him up, lost an eye and ran away," Scythe said simply. She threw her leg over the other, leaning in with a similar cup of tea for herself, "And why exactly did you think this was stupid to tell me?"
His gaze remained locked onto his cup for longer than necessary. He knew his answer well. While Medkit was again hesitating, Scythe was processing his words.
"Time passed, I should be over it by now." Medkit muttered softly, "But I still feel like a coward."
Scythe nodded, taking a sip of her drink. She waited a few seconds before asking, "You think I didn't know all that?"
Medkit looked up. His eyes met hers again and he stared into them for what felt like forever.
"You're under our protection, Kit," She leaned in closer, placing her hand right on his cheek, "I know who can harm ya and who cannot."
Scythe's brows furrowed as her eyes drifted to Medkit's eyepatch. Without missing a beat, she reached out with her free hand and removed the fabric covering the scar underneath. Medkit flinched when her thumb slid across the tissue and a shiver went down his spine; he hadn't even noticed he was holding his breath until it disappeared, "I promised to keep ya safe and I ain't one for breaking my word."
Her words were surprisingly stern and serious compared to her usual attitude. Scythe was always more cynical and she'd hardly ever show care or concern. He fully expected to hear from her to suck it up and keep working. And yet other she was fawning up to him.
Something stirred within him, causing a strange warmth to bubble up inside his chest. And it made him feel safe. He leaned in into her touch almost absently. As if this all was natural.
"I wouldn't send ya anywhere you'd be in real danger. If I could I would have sent someone else there. It's important to me that you know that," she continued and gently traced the stitches with her finger before moving upwards and resting it right above his eye and hissed, "Ye're a good kid. And I'll never let someone else hurt you like this again."
Medkit smiled weakly as tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. The feeling of being cared for was new and unfamiliar, but he found himself craving it desperately nonetheless. His heart hammered heavily in his chest, threatening to burst out of it. He wanted to believe her.
Scythe's gaze softened considerably, seeing how weak Medkit suddenly felt in her hands. Medkit's arms instinctively wrapped around her waist and due to their position his head nestled naturally in her lap. He sighed contently when his forehead rested against her stomach. From his eye her hand slipped onto his head. Her fingers threaded between his hair automatically rubbing slow circles into his scalp.
Neither of them spoke up. This was a certain change of pace they weren't used to. Despite how much they've already experienced together, this was the first time they shared a more intimate moment. In the way that Medkit held on to her and she held him close like he was the most precious thing in her life.
It reminded him of his mother. When he was small and helpless, he had nothing to worry about because he had her. And now he had Scythe. And just for a moment, just like he could as a kid, he forgot about every fear and worry. He was safe.
Scythe never was one to seek comfort, much less provide it. Being completely honest, barely anyone evoked her empathy. And the thought of someone else making her vulnerable was just like a bad joke. It was always that way. Except for when Medkit appeared.
At fist only another coworker. Then just bit by bit, somehow he managed to chip away at her defenses, making her feel something towards him, a certain fondness. Intimidating at first and now so appreciated. Though still hard to admit, she'd do anything for Medkit.
It seemed like hours where they lingered in each other's presence. Medkit's eyelids were heavy and he was struggling to stay awake. Scythe was the first to decide when enough was enough. She curled her back, lips gently pressing against the top of his head. Her fingers hooked underneath the band to his eyepatch, stretching it. When there was enough distance, she let go of the band abruptly, snapping right in his face.
Medkit jumped back with a small pained yelp as he rubbed his cheek and adjusted the accessory.
"Enough, stop acting like a baby," she grumbled, stretching out her limbs, "We've got work to do."
Medkit raised a brow as he followed, standing up after her, "We?"
"Us!" Scythe exclaimed, turning sharply to look at him, "If scaredy pants can't do it himself, I'll have to help."
Without listening to another word, she grabbed her weapon and threw her trusty scythe over her shoulder. She then quickly jogged back towards the door and opened it.
He stood frozen in place for a second before sighing quietly and following suit.
"You don't have to do this..."
She clicked her tongue and looked around, "Mm? Did you hear something? Must have been the wind, huh."
Medkit opened his mouth to say something more, to protest. But it'd be useless. Once Scythe set her mind on something, there'd be no coming back.
"My work can wait a bit," She said simply as Medkit passed by her, "I need to help ya gut that little shit if we see 'em. Far more important."
Medkit let out a quiet huff and he rolled his eyes. Nonetheless, her words made him feel more confident. Scythe winked and with that she closed the door behind them, leaving the office empty and quiet once again.