Chapter Text
MinuteTech was actually pretty impressed with how his life was turning out.
He had a stable, well-paying job, an apartment that was only mildly falling apart, and two roommates who somehow made life both unbearable and entertaining at the same time. What else could he need?
Leowook kept the place functional. Clownpierce made sure it never stayed peaceful for more than ten minutes.
Which, unfortunately, was exactly how Minute had ended up driving across the city that afternoon because Clown had dramatically begged for double-stuffed Oreos “or else he would perish immediately.”
Minute still wasn’t entirely sure whether the demon hybrid had been joking.
Leowook had texted him halfway through the trip too, asking him to grab some drinks while he was out, so now the passenger seat was filled with grocery bags that smelled faintly like chips and whatever would be kept in an apartment full of 20 year olds.
A completely normal evening.
At least, it had been normal until his car started sounding like it was actively dying.
The engine coughed violently. Then wheezed. Then made a horrible choking noise that made Minute physically cringe.
“Oh, come on,” he groaned, easing the car to the side of the road beneath an overpass bridge. “Not tonight.”
The second he stepped out, the hood released an offended puff of smoke directly into his face.
Minute stared at it for a long moment.
“…Amazing I guess.”
He rubbed a hand down his face with a sigh. Of course this would happen now.
Of all days. Guess I’m dragging this thing to the repair shop later this week.
He was already reaching back into the driver’s seat for his phone when he heard it.
A cough.
Minute paused.
At first he thought maybe it was another person walking nearby, but then he heard it again- closer this time.
Something inside him prickled immediately.
Something was there.
Without really thinking about it, he followed the sound toward the support beams beneath the bridge. Gravel crunched softly under his shoes while the distant noise of traffic hummed overhead.
“Hello?” he called cautiously not knowing who he was even calling to.
No answer.
Then another cough.
Minute rounded the concrete pillar- and froze.
Two children stared back at him.
Toddlers. Or close enough.
Both were filthy, shivering slightly beneath layers of oversized hoodies and worn fabric. One of them, a demon hybrid by the looks of it was curled protectively around the other like an angry guard dog cornered with something precious.
Sharp hostile crimson eyes locked onto Minute instantly.
Minute’s breath caught in his throat.
What the hell?
The demon hybrid let out a low hiss, sharp teeth like fangs bared, and Minute immediately lifted both hands in surrender.
“Whoa- hey, okay, okay,” he said quickly. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
The kid unfortunately didn’t relax.
If anything, he looked more tense.
Minute’s mind scrambled uselessly for what he was even supposed to do here. He’d dealt with Clown for years, sure, but abandoned children under bridges? That was definitely not in his skill set.
Still, every instinct he had screamed at him not to walk away, almost like a pit in his stomach.
So he crouched slowly to seem less intimidating and held out a careful hand.
“Uh… how about I help you guys out a little?” he offered awkwardly. “You both look freezing.”
God, Clown would never let me live this tone down.
The demon hybrid narrowed his eyes.
“Everyone says that,” he snapped back immediately, voice rough and defensive. “Nobody actually helps.”
Minute faltered. Mind blanking on to respond to something like that.
“I…” He swallowed this was surely awkward. “I can help. Really. I just need you to trust me for like- five minutes?”
Bad wording, no terrible wording. What the fuck are you saying Brandon?
Apparently the kid agreed, because there was suddenly a blur of movement.
Pain exploded across Minute’s cheek.
He blinked in shock as he hit the gravel with a grunt.
Wow
The tiny dude punched hard.
Minute sat up slowly, rubbing his cheek while the demon hybrid stood protectively in front of the other child, fists raised despite visibly shaking from exhaustion.
Uhhh, new plan
“Okay,” Minute sighed, “I probably deserved that.”
The kid looked startled for half a second, clearly not expecting that response.
Minute looked back at him carefully.
“Listen,” he said softer this time, “you can punch me again if you really want to, but I’m still helping you either way.”
The demon hybrid scoffed in response, but his expression wavered slightly.
Before he could say anything else, the smaller child tugged desperately on the back of his hoodie.
“Mape, stop!”
Minute noticed the voice was noticeably younger and higher.
“Spoke, he could hurt us,” the demon hybrid argued immediately, not taking his eyes off Minute.
“Maybe,” Spoke admitted quietly, “but you’re sick. And we’re hungry.”
Minute’s chest tightened.
Spoke looked up at his brother with wide, pleading eyes.
"We already ran away, what more is there to lose?” he whispered. “Please.”
The demon hybrid went silent
Minute could practically see the conflict happening behind his eyes.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Mapic let out a frustrated sigh and lowered his fists.
Minute resisted the urge to celebrate like a child even in there where two homeless ones right in front of him.
“Thank you,” he said carefully, like one wrong word might scare them off again. “I’m MinuteTech.”
The smaller brightened immediately.
“I’m Spoke!” he announced proudly.
“Mapic,” the other muttered.
“And we’re brothers,” Spoke added, breaking into a smile.
That smile nearly killed Minute on impact.
He was doomed.
Absolutely doomed.
Because somehow, in less than ten minutes, these two had already attached themselves directly to his heart which was all warm now for some reason.
The next few minutes passed in a blur while the boys gathered their belongings from beneath the bridge.
Minute tried not to stare too hard at how little there actually was.
A thin blanket. Two tiny backpacks. A few scraps of food wrappers.
That was it.
That was all they had.
Spoke chatted while he packed, though most of it sounded like excited rambling fueled by finally having someone listen to him.
Mapic stayed quieter, watching Minute carefully the entire time like he expected him to disappear at any second.
Honestly that was fair.
When they finally climbed into the car, Spoke immediately wedged himself into the middle seat before scooting close enough to practically glue himself to Mapic’s side.
Mapic grumbled about “personal space,” but didn’t actually move away.
Minute smiled faintly as he climbed into the driver’s seat as he watched the two mildly bicker.
He searched around for snacks before remembering exactly why he’d gone out tonight in the first place.
Right.
The Oreos.
This one's for you Clown
He grabbed the package from the passenger seat and held it out behind him.
“Here.”
Both boys stared at the package like it was treasure. Spoke actually gasping out loud.
“Thank you!”
The two of them carefully opened the package and each took only two cookies before clutching them tightly in their hands.
Minute frowned slightly.
By the time they were back on the road, he could hear whispering from the back seat, catching words like "only two" and "trouble."
Minute’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
At the next red light, he turned around.
“You know you can have more than two, right?”
Both boys froze.
Spoke looked genuinely confused.
“A-Are you sure?”
Mapic looked like he wanted to ask the same thing but refused to say it out loud.
Something inside Minute twisted painfully.
Who the hell had treated these two badly enough that they were scared to eat?
He forced his voice to stay calm.
“Listen carefully, okay?” he said gently. “Right now, you’re with me. When your with me, you don’t need permission to eat food. Does that make you feel better?.”
The boys stared silently.
Minute smiled a little.
“You can have as many Oreos as you want.”
For a second neither of them moved.
Then, slowly, Mapic reopened the package and offered it to Spoke first.
“Thank you, Mr. MinuteTech,” he said quietly.
Minute now couldn't help but break into a bigger smile.
"You can just call me Minute."