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sir-subpar · 2 years

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His Translator. Part 14

Burt walked through the halls of the space station, he felt a little nervous, but that was okay. He knew Henry. He knew that even if Henry rejected him he would let him down gently at least, so it wouldn't be too bad. He just had to find him, and tell him how he felt. Burt recited his confession in his head, trying to figure out the best phrasing to go with.

Eventually he found Henry in the conference room of the station, he was sitting at the large round table by himself. He appeared to be marking important places on the world map. Henry noticed Burt's presence and waved at him, smiling. Then he rested his hands on the table, pausing whatever work he was doing. "Hi Henry uh… can I… talk to you for a bit?" Henry nodded and gestured towards the chair across from him at the table. Burt quietly moved to his seat, still uneasy at the thought of confessing his feelings for Henry. But he wanted to take that chance. "Henry. There's something I want to tell you. It's um, a little personal." Henry nodded. "Okay uh.." Burt trailed off a bit, then cleared his throat and continued. "Henry I… I'm not good at these things but I just wanted to tell you that I-" Burt froze slightly, he wanted to continue but he wasn't sure how. What was he supposed to say? His hands fidgeted. Burt thought about his previous conversation with Sven.

"There's no better confession than an earnest one."

Burt took a deep breath.

"I just want to say that I really like spending time with you and I appreciate you." Burt decided to be a little bold, he reached out in front of him and gently held Henry's hand. He avoided eye contact as his cheeks turned pink, then continued to speak. "I feel so… safe around you. You're so fun and gentle. I like spending time with you. I love it when you visit me during work. I love your determination, you're always up to something and you're so motivated. You make me feel happy whenever you're around. I feel like I can trust you Henry, I just want to say that I… I love you. I really love you."

Burt avoided looking Henry in the eyes. "I'd really like to get to know you more in a… romantic setting? If you uh, you want to try that too."

Burt began to pull his hand away, fearing he had made Henry uncomfortable. Before Burt could fully break the contact between the two of them however, Henry's grip on Burt's hand tightened. Burt jolted in surprise, then looked Henry in the eyes. Henry was smiling at him…

Henry gave a nod and thumbs up and let go of Burt's hand so he could sign more clearly. "I had no idea you felt that way. Though maybe I should have." The both of them chuckled. "So… What do you say Henry? Wanna go on a date sometime?" Burt asked, having a bit more confidence. Henry gave Burt a nod. "What do you want to do for our date?" Henry asked.

"I uh… shit. I didn't think this far ahead." Burt admitted, slightly embarrassed. Henry chuckled. "How about a movie in the station theater?" He signed, figuring it was a good place to start. "Uh, yeah! That sounds good." Burt agreed, still a little bit flustered. "What time works best for you?" "7 okay with you?" Henry asked. "Yeah! Sounds good Henry." Burt replied sheepishly. Henry beamed "Great! I will see you then!" Then he took off, some other Toppat was yelling for him. Honestly Burt was grateful that someone interrupted their conversation, because that meant no one would see the excitement and panic taking over him. For once it was hard for him to keep his signature blank face.

Burt pulled out his phone and texted Sven.

"I did it."

…

Burt wished he could focus on the movie, he really did. But he was too tense. He knew he shouldn't be, but he couldn't help it. His nerves were getting the better of him. Henry, on the other hand, appeared totally relaxed. Burt wondered how Henry felt about all of this. Burt's grip on the armrests was tight, a failed attempt to help himself relax. It was kind of ironic, if you'd ask Burt a year ago how he felt around Henry, he probably wouldn't have said much. He would've reacted the same way he did with every other boss he's had, complete indifference. But now, he felt like a teenager in a romcom, practically having a heart attack over the smallest ounce of romance. Burt's wrists started to ache from the constant tension in his body. Why was he freaking out!? He was on a date with Henry! This is what he wanted!

Burt jolted when he felt a sudden but gentle touch on his hand. He realized Henry was caressing Burt's hand with his thumb. Henry entwined their fingers together, he gave Burt a sympathetic look before leaning closer to him. "Hey Burt." Henry's forever raspy voice whispered into Burt's non-existent ear. "You alright?" Burt was glad the theater was mostly dark, that meant Henry couldn't see how red his face was for once. "Yeah, I'm fine." Burt whispered back quickly. "You sure? You seem tense. Why don't we head out and get some dinner instead?" Henry whispered caringly. Burt felt bad that he was ruining the moment, but maybe some food would do him some good. "You know what? Sure. Let's do that… Thank you, Henry." Henry nodded, and the two left, doing their best not to bump into anyone else in the theater.

…

The two men sat across from each other at a small table, next to them was a large window that gave them a perfect view of Earth and the vast sea of stars that surrounded it. They began eating a nice dinner. Burt felt much more relaxed in this environment, though he wasn't sure why.

Looking at Henry in this moment, awestruck with the stars and smiling slightly with every bite he took. Burt noticed that whenever Henry ate the food on the Toppat station, he closed his eyes and savored the flavor. Like it was his own little slice of paradise. Through the subtlety of Henry's movements and facial expressions, Burt could see how much Henry just… genuinely enjoyed this. It was yet another thing Burt liked about Henry.

Henry waved to get Burt's attention. "Yeah Henry? What's up?" Henry raised his hands, tilting his head to the side as he signed. "Are you feeling better?" Burt smiled and nodded. "Much. Thank you for this, I'm sorry for making you leave the movie with me. I didn't mean to spoil the fun." Burt apologized, feeling a bit guilty. Henry waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I prefer this anyway. It feels…" Henry pauses for a moment, seeming to think what to sign next. "... Natural." Burt let out a breath of relief. Glad he was on the same page. "I like just eating and talking with you, Henry." Burt rubbed the back of his head, slightly nervous still. "I… I'm not really accustomed to this sort of thing. Dating, you know? I rarely ever feel this way about someone. I'm glad that I feel this way, but I'm still adjusting, I guess." Burt admitted, once again pouring his heart out to Henry. Henry nodded, seeming to sympathize with Burt's problems.

"Well, I still appreciate you coming to dinner with me, it's nice spending time with you." Henry signed to Burt with a smile. "You're great company and I like having you around." Henry reached across the table, gently gripping Burt's hand. Burt smiled back. "Thanks, Henry. I… I enjoy spending time with you too." This was nice, just having a calm moment between the two of them. After all the craziness that transpired, it was a relief to have this night. The two of them paused for a bit, seeming to run out of things to say. Henry gently lifted Burt's hand, and leaned forward to get closer, closing his eyes. Henry gave it a kiss, Burt's face turned pink at the action, he could feel Henry's lips on his knuckles. Henry's eyes fluttered open, locking with Burt's. "Let's make sure to do this again, yeah?" Henry said out loud, as gently as his scratch voice would allow. "Y-Yeah." Burt agreed with a flustered tone.

"I'd like that."

#henry stickmin #his translator #burt curtis #burtmin #burtstick #stickcur #henry stickmin x burt curtis #burtry #fanfic

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knightmareaceblue · 3 years

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AO3

Trigger warning: Sven's mental state still isn't great. There is mention of the suicidal thoughts from last chapter, so please proceed with caution.

Sven would like to say that, after delivering the shards of Henry’s soul to Frisk, that he’d gone straight back to the Toppat tent. Marched inside, apologized for his overnight absence, hugged his best friend and his boss… father figure… guy, and just had one big happy reunion where he reaffirmed his desire to stay with the Toppats forever. That would have been a nice conclusion to his journey of self-discovery, right?

Except the real Sven was a goddamned coward, and had spent the last few hours skipping rocks over a pond in the monsters’ side of the camp.

He sighed as he tossed another rock. This wasn’t a particularly productive use of his time. He wasn’t even thinking about what to say when he apologized to the chiefs, or how to respond to Burt’s confession without ruining their relationship forever… he was just. Sitting there. Throwing rocks at the water. Doing nothing. It made him feel pathetic and lazy.

With his building frustration, Sven tightened his grip on the stone in his hand and threw it with far more force than previously. Instead of skipping across the water, the stone hit it with a heavy plop and sunk to the bottom, which made Sven all the more frustrated. He furrowed his brow and huffed, but the annoyance was quickly washed away when the water began to slush around, growing upward before cascading back down into the pond, and then Sven was staring, wide-eyed, at a giant octopus monster with beautiful eyes. Oh. Oh wow, he was not prepared for this.

And then it started speaking to him. “Well hey there friend!” It chimed bubbly. “Now, I’m no expert on human customs… but isn’t it considered rude to hit people in the head with rocks?”

Oh Jesus. “Um, sorry. I didn’t know anyone was down there.” Sven awkwardly rubbed his arm, not quite sure how to respond. In retrospect, it was a little weird that the government would just dig a random pond into their containment camp. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Smiling, the octopus monster waved its tentacle arms dramatically. “Oh no! I’m perfectly fine! It’s just a little bruise. It’s not like I’m… confined in a small cage, wondering when I’m going to see the ocean, totally isolated from all the action and only hearing about it through the gossip of nearby monsters…” As the octopus spoke, its eye twitched. Then it stared down at Sven and switched its tone. “BUT I’m fine! Totally completely fine! So, uh, what’s your deal?”

Oh boy, and wasn’t that an unintentionally loaded question if Sven ever heard one. He sighed and dropped down to a sitting position. “I’m just trying to get myself together. There’s a lot going on.” That was putting it lightly. “And I have no idea how I’m supposed to go forward. Or… if I even can.” Without quite knowing why, Sven let his worries fall from his lips without consideration for the poor monster he was subjecting to his verbal vomit. “I mean, I ruined everything. I almost killed everyone I care about, and everyone’s just acting like everything’s normal, but it’s not! And…” And this was the part Sven was really having a hard time coming to terms with. “After everything I did, I don’t deserve to be happy with them. But it would make them unhappy if I wasn’t with them, and I’m just… so confused!”

When Sven looked up again, the octopus monster was blinking down at him with a blank, clearly stunned expression. “Gee.” It said aloud. “That’s certainly some heavy baggage you’re toting.”

“Tell me about it.” Sven murmured.

“Well…” One of the octopus’ tentacles rose out of the water to scratch its head. “Why don’t you just… talk to them? If they’re your friends, don’t you think you can trust them with how your feeling?”

“I’m not going to burden them anymore with my problems.” Sven responded back. “I-I can’t…”

The octopus gave him a funny look. “Okay… but you’re not burdening them. You’re communicating to find the best path forward for all of you. And if you keep what you’re feeling bottled up inside, you’re just going to end up burdening them anyways. So… what’s the point of keeping it secret?”

When put like that… Sven hadn’t thought of him keeping his feelings from the others a bad thing. Like, if they knew what he was going through, they’d feel obligated to help him, and he couldn’t bear to burden them more than he already had. The issue with this line of thinking was that they wanted to help him, and that they’d go out of their way for him regardless of what Sven himself did. Even if he didn’t deserve it, they still cared about him for whatever reason. If Sven was going to repay his debt to them – if he was going to be better for them – then he couldn’t keep things bottled up until…

Sven shivered and buried those thoughts. He would not let last night’s episode repeat itself.

“I think you’re right.” Sven smiled up at the octopus. “Thank you, Mx…”

The thing blushed like an anime school girl and waved one of its tentacles dismissively at Sven. “Oh, no need to be so formal! Just call me Onionsan!”

You know what? At this point Sven wasn’t even surprised. “Thank you, Onionsan. You were very helpful.”

“I was?!” Onionsan the Octopus exclaimed, its eyes sparkling with wonder. “Oh, sure, it was no trouble! I’m just happy to help anyone who comes talk to me! Like the ambassador, or the queen, or the ambassador but red, or… well, I guess that’s pretty much it.” For just a second it looked downcast, but then immediately Onionsan pumped itself up with enthusiasm again. “But everyone’s super busy with surface stuff! I’m sure they’ll come see me soon! Haha… ha…”

Ouch.

The pond was not very large, so Sven was capable of reaching across and tentatively patting one of the tentacles. It felt… slimy. It was kind of gross, but Sven swallowed the disgust with a smile and dipped his hand into the water before pulling it back.

Before they left the camp, he’d come back and say goodbye.

--------------------

“Chief?” Sven called as he entered the tent the Toppats had been staying in. “Right Hand Man? Burt?”

Of all the possibilities he’d considered, them being out had somehow eluded him. Or so it seemed at first. Not a minute later, a lump underneath the blanket on the chiefs’ bed shifted and stirred, and like a butterfly escaping its cocoon, Chief Reginald emerged from the tangled pile of bedding. His tired eyes blinked blearily up at Sven before his lagging brain finally caught up, and they widened immediately. The Chief scrambled to his feet, tripping in his haste, and before Sven knew it he was moving, arms outstretched, and the Chief had fallen into his embrace.

“You didn’t go…” The Chief sounded so relieved as he used Sven’s sturdy figure to support himself and pull himself up. “You stayed with us.”

“I actually did go up the mountain…” Sven confessed. His chest felt tight as spoke the words aloud. “I gathered all the pieces of Henry’s soul, scattered all over the mountain. I know he and that Charles guy were responsible for destroying the space station,” and killing so many Toppats in the process, all but ending their organization, “but Henry SAVED the Right Hand Man, and he took the brunt of the consequences that should’ve been mine, and I… I owed him. Personally. I hope you’re not…” Sven trailed off as his boss’ hands came up to his face, rubbing soothing circles into Sven’s skin before pulling the subordinate down to gently press their foreheads together. The act was so tender Sven couldn’t help the wave of calm that washed over him.

“Not the mountain… the Void…” Chief Reginald whispered, and despite his state Sven could hear dread and fear in his voice. “If you went back there... you couldn’t just return to us… we wouldn’t be able to find you. Wouldn’t be able to SAVE you.”

Sven felt his heart sink. All along, the Chief had been worried about…

“I’m so sorry, sir.” He immediately apologized. The Chief would have known what he’d done, if he’d suddenly disappeared, and that was enough to put ice cold dread in Sven’s heart. “I promise, I’ll never scare you like that again.”

In return, Chief Reginald offered Sven a fragile smile before pulling him into a tender hug. The warmth that enveloped Sven’s soul was sweet and soothing, and Sven felt so selfish relishing in it after everything he’d done. His eyes welled with tears at the sheer force of KINDNESS that was coming at him, and he held his breath and focused on not crying, not crying, this was a happy moment, he couldn’t just start crying. Then the Chief’s voice, so calm despite his fragile state, reached Sven’s ear. “Hush… it’s okay… my child. I’m… proud… of you.”

Sven’s breath hitched, and tears poured down his cheeks. He couldn’t get them to stop, and helpless sobs began to escape his lips even as he tried to choke them down. All the while Chief Reginald just continued to hold him, rubbing soothing circles into his back as he did. Even though it was likely only a few minutes, it felt like an eternity before the tears came to a stop. When they did Sven pulled back, rubbing at his eyes. He felt empty in a good way, like crying had flushed all the bad things out of his system. Of course he knew that wasn’t true, he’d probably feel bad again really quickly, but for now Sven felt… okay. Not great, but okay.

It would do for now.

“Thank you, sir.” Sven smiled weakly as he pulled away. “I’m sorry for worrying you, I just- I wasn’t thinking right. I’ll be more careful.”

The Chief smiled at him, a glint of green in his gray and cyan eyes. “Nice day?”

That… was a question, right? “Um, yeah.” Sven agreed. “It’s warm, but since it rained the other day its not muggy at all. I was out there all morning.” And technically all night, but no need to make the Chief worry any more than he already had.

The Chief hummed, his eyes following his own fingers as he threaded them together and twiddled them. “May I… see?”

It took Sven a second to realize what his boss was asking of him. “Do you, uh, want to go for a walk?” Chief Reginald nodded, a glint of excitement shining in his eyes. He seemed genuinely content, and Sven couldn’t help but smile back. It would probably be a good idea to wait until the Right Hand Man returned, but Sven offered his arm for the Chief to take anyways. “Okay, then. Let’s take a quick stroll around.”

As the Chief’s hands came to grip Sven’s arm, a little weak but still familiar, he mumbled, almost inaudibly, “Good lad.” Sven felt his chest fill to bursting.

Even like this, the Chief always seemed to know just what he needed.

--------------------

The two Toppats weaved through the encampment as they walked, soldiers and monsters alike stopping to stare at them with suspicion or hostility. Their scalding eyes made Sven’s stomach flip, but the Chief’s hands on his arm kept the nerves at bay just enough that he could resist the urge to bolt. For his part, Chief Reginald seemed to be enjoying their walk. He smiled at the passing monsters and stopped to examine every plant. His attention span was much shorter than it had been previously, but the Chief was just as OBSERVANT as he’d always been.

All of a sudden, the Chief pulled on his arm and ground them both to a halt. Sven turned his head to ask what they were stopping for, only to be met by a gloved finger being shoved in his face and a light shushing sound, which only raised more questions. Sven peered over at his mentor quizzically; his eyes were almost luminous with cyan light, narrowed in focus. But there was nothing in the direction of his gaze…

“You wait, and you listen.”

These words, all of a sudden, came back to Sven. He took in a breath and held it, then closed his eye and focused on his sense of hearing. It took a moment, but then, to his left, he heard familiar voices.

“-always use someone like you in the clan, Flower Boy. God knows yer more intelligent than half the whole clan combined.”

“Ha! That’s tempting, but… I think I’m gonna give this whole ‘family’ thing one last try. Frisk is trying really hard, and Chara’s being civil, and mom and dad have forgiven me… the feelings aren’t quite there yet, but I want to give it at least one more chance, you know?”

“Yeah, I get ya. You’ve done a lot fer us, kid. I don’t know if I can ever repay you for everything.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. You remember that electricity spell I taught you? It’s not powerful, but it should be more than enough to keep your magic cell phone charged. So we can stay in contact.”

“I remember, don’t worry. It’s gonna be weird goin’ without you after everything. I’ll miss you.”

“Aw, don’t get sappy on me, Big Guy. We’ll still be in contact and everything.”

“Yeah…” A sigh. “Good luck, Flower Boy. If you ever need it, you’ll always have a place with us.”

“Thanks, Big Guy. Good luck to you, too.”

Sven heard the familiar sound of Flowey burrowing away, and not a minute later the Right Hand Man rounded the corner. His eyes widened, and Sven wondered if he was more surprised to see his husband or Sven himself. Did he… know what Sven had intended to do when he disappeared?

Before Sven could think of a response, the Right Hand Man marched right up to them and immediately brought up his hand to caress his husband’s cheek. His voice was gentle and sweet as he whispered, “Hey, love. How are ya feelin’?”

Chief Reginald made a humming sound, nuzzling into his Right Hand’s palm. “Better. Nice day.”

“It is.” The Right Hand agreed. As he allowed his husband to melt into the warmth of his comforting hold, the Right Hand turned his attention to Sven. He didn’t look mad, more annoyed, but Sven flinched involuntarily. “You. I gave ya one order, ta not leave camp, and wot do ya go an’ do?”

Sven couldn’t quite summon the BRAVERY to look his leader in the eyes as he mumbled, “S-sorry…”

“Lucky fer you,” The Right Hand spoke with a sigh, “Yer little stunt with ‘Enry paid off. Put the General in such a good mood that our meeting went smoother ‘an the Norwegian Emerald heist.”

That news got Sven to look up. “It worked? Henry’s alive?” He asked cautiously. The Right Hand nodded to the affirmative, and Sven felt something warm his soul. There was no love lost between the Toppats and those government dogs, but it was nice to feel like he’d done somebody some good. Then he asked the question he had been silently dreading, “So what’s going to happen to us?”

“Let’s find Curtis, then I’ll fill you all in. It’s actually not as bad as we feared.” The Right Hand made a ‘come hither’ gesture with his hand, and Sven and the Chief followed after him as they went off in search of Burt. As they spoke, the Right Hand Man peered back at him. The man had always been hard to read, with stern disapproval more or less being his default expression. So the attempted casualness of his tone caught Sven off guard a little. “So you, uh… you brought back ‘Enry’s soul?”

“Yeah.” Sven confirmed. His free hand subconsciously went up to his Bad Eye, brushing against the soft fabric of his eye-patch. He wasn’t used to it, so it kind of irritated his skin, but Sven vastly preferred the itching to the eye itself.

The man took a step back, walking side by side with Sven and his husband instead of leading them. A gleam of interest sparkled in his eye. “’Ow’d ya do it?”

“I… well…” He hadn’t thought it possible, but the itching around his Bad Eye began to get worse. Sven resisted the urge to dig his nails into his flesh and scratch until the source of the itch was a bloody pulp. “This replacement eye Gaster… er, made for me… it has the ability to see into the Void. I used it to find the faded pieces of Henry’s soul. That’s how I was able to collect them all.” Sven suddenly felt his fingers tense and his nails begin to dig in, and he willed his hand to stop.

Fortunately, the Right Hand Man had been too thoroughly distracted by his words to notice his distress. In fact, he’d almost say the Right Hand Man looked excited. “So… do you think you could find the missing parts of Reg’s soul, too?”

Oh. Sven hadn’t considered that. The thought of continuing to use his Bad Eye made him sick to his stomach, but if there was a chance they could restore the Chief’s soul then he’d gladly remove his eye-patch right then and there. But he was hesitant to immediately answer to the affirmative. “If we had a general area I could maybe find them.” Sven confirmed, “but it only took a few hours for Henry’s soul to spread all over Mount Ebott. They were literally all over the place. After a few days? I have no clue how we’d track down what remains of the Chief’s soul. If we could do that, then I could see them, and your DETERMINATION could probably bring them back…”

“We’d still need KINDNESS to re-attach it to Reg,” The Right Hand murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he walked. “Or at least, that’s what the General said. As fer tracking it down… ‘at sounds like a PATIENCE kinda thing ta me. Well, Reg? Ya got any ideas?”

They both turned to their leader, who was gazing off into the distance. Following his eyes, Sven could see that the Chief had been following the flight path of a nearby bluebird, and the subordinate sighed good-naturedly. At his husband’s call, Chief Reginald turned to him. “Huh? Um…? Were you talking… to me…?”

The Right Hand Man quickly shook his head. “Eh, don’ worry about it right now, love. We’ll get ta workin’ on ‘at later.”’

Chief Reginald hummed, but didn’t offer much of a response. Instead the three continued to walk together, one of the chief’s hands using Reginald’s arm to keep himself balanced, and the other holding his husband’s hand. The three of them took it slow, one step at a time. The Right Hand Man’s eyes continually darted around their surroundings, as if waiting for another threat to come around the corner and take his life from him again. They had to avoid the more crowded areas, and the ones with little shade, as the Chief’s senses easily got overwhelmed. Sven couldn’t quite stop himself from flinching as they passed too close to random people in their way, unable to shake the feeling of being Judged. But then Chief Reginald would call their attention with a random observation to distract them. The Right Hand’s glare deterred people from coming too close. And though he couldn’t do much to return the favour, Sven’s sense of INTEGRITY kept them from blindly stumbling into areas too discordant or dangerous for the chiefs to handle.

Togetherness had always been a great strength of the Toppats. With all of them together, Sven felt like maybe this path wasn’t so impossible, after all.

--------------------

They found Burt hanging around one end of the camp, sitting on the ground with his hat tilted so nobody could see his face. Seeing him so despondent made Sven’s stomach drop. He knew that this was because of him, because he’d left the camp and worried everybody. First he looked over at the Right Hand Man and, after getting a short nod of approval, made sure the Chief was secure with the Right Hand before slowly approaching Burt.

“Hey.” He greeted softly, and Burt’s head snapped up to stare at him, surprise evident in his wide-eyed stare.

The communication specialist was on his feet in the blink of an eye, moving faster than Sven had ever seen him before, and suddenly they were standing face to face. Those purple eyes swirled with mixed emotions; sadness, anger, relief. “You…” Burt muttered, and it was hard to place an emotion to his voice. “Where the hell did you go? Do you realize how scared I was when the chiefs couldn’t find you?!”

Sven swallowed back his guilt. “I’m sorry. There was something important that I had to do.”

“And you couldn’t have bothered to tell me?” Burt asked incredulously.

Considering his original plan, of course Sven couldn’t tell Burt. He’d have tried to stop him, and gotten all worried. But he got worried anyways. Sven sighed and tried his best to smile for his friend. “I’m sorry. I won’t do that to you again.”

“Damn right ya won’t.” The Right Hand Man interrupted. “We won’t give ya the chance to pull that again. Now c’mon, kids. Let’s head back to our tent, I’ll fill ya in on the plan from this point forward.”

The two chiefs, hand in hand, turned and began to walk, and Sven and Burt both trailed behind. After a moment of walking Burt looked Sven directly in his eye, which made Sven’s heart jump. From fear or something else, he couldn’t quite be sure. “You really scared me.” Burt mumbled, and from this close Sven could finally see the dark circles under his eyes. Had Burt stayed up all night looking for him?

He immediately apologized again. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“What were you even doing?” Burt asked.

Ooh, how to explain? How could he tell Burt that he had almost…? “I…” Sven bit his lip. “I had to pay my debt… to Henry.”

“To Henry?” Burt repeated incredulously. “And that’s all you were doing?”

Sven took one last glance ahead, towards the chiefs walking side by side, before dropping his head and whispering so only Burt could hear him. “No…” He confessed. “That’s not everything. I just… I couldn’t…” Tears began building again in Sven’s eyes, and he hastily wiped at them. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. “I’m so sorry… I thought it would make things better.”

Burt was no dummy, and the mildly annoyed expression on his face was immediately replaced with alarm and concern. “You… shit.” His eyes traced over Sven’s entire body, as if searching for injuries. When he found nothing Burt brought his hand up to support his tired head. “I- fuck, why didn’t you come talk to me?”

“I felt like I couldn’t.” Sven confessed. It still felt like he was pushing his burdens onto others, but Sven ignored that feeling for now. He recalled Onionsan’s advice and tried to push away the guilt. “I felt like, after everything that happened, I didn’t deserve to live with you all. Everything that had happened was my fault, and everyone was just brushing it off and pretending I didn’t let Gaster control me and almost ruin everything, but I… couldn’t. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should be punished for what happened, and if I stayed with you I’d only hurt you. I didn’t realize I was just running away.” At least, not until he’d run into Rupert and Dave. He needed to thank them. They’d stopped Sven from making a terrible mistake, one that could have cost both the government and the Toppats. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Burt insisted immediately. “God, don’t ever apologize for how you feel, okay? Listen, I… I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was brushing you off. But you’ve been through so much, and I was afraid to push you.” Burt shrugged and hugged himself. He looked so small, and so sad, and Sven crossed and tucked in his arms so he wouldn’t just reach over to hug Burt. It wouldn’t be appropriate right now. “Shit, what happened scared me so much. I thought I’d lost you. I thought you hated me. I thought I’d FAILED, and that they were going to have to…” Burt sniffed and wiped his eyes. “I was so set on making sure you knew it wasn’t your fault, but I didn’t think about how you were actually feeling. I should’ve let you talk.”

“I’m not sure that would have helped.” Sven confessed. “I couldn’t see a future for myself. I felt like, after everything that happened, I didn’t deserve to be happy. I still kind of don’t, but now I feel like, I owe you and the chiefs so much, and I can’t just leave you. At least, not until I’ve made it up to you.”

Hearing this from Sven just made Burt look sad, and Sven wondered if maybe he should have kept that to himself. Then Burt reached over, and tenderly took Sven’s hand in his own. Burt’s hands were kind of cool to the touch, and soft. They felt nice. “I want you to stay here. With us. With me.” Burt kept his eyes trained on Sven the entire time, but now it didn’t feel intimidating or judging at all. “We’ll- We’ll work through this, okay? We’ll help each other, for real this time. No more going it alone, okay? Promise me that.”

It felt irresponsible, but Sven whispered, “I promise. I won’t go it alone again.”

“Good.” Burt smiled a weak, watery smile. “I-I love you, okay? I don’t want you to- I don’t want anything to happen to you. We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”

Those familiar, scary words. I love you. Sven swallowed and nodded, but couldn’t stop the way his cheeks reddened as he thought about it. He wanted to say it back. He wanted to finally be able to hold the person he cared about more than anyone else. But it felt so selfish… how could he expect Burt to be in a relationship with such a broken, miserable person? The person who killed him? Sven tried to speak, but his words kept catching in his throat, chocking him and making his eyes water.

Burt’s other hand came up to stroke Sven’s cheek, sweet and gentle. It made Sven flinch, but Burt didn’t back down. “Hey, you don’t have to respond right now. It’s okay if you still haven’t figured it out. One foot in front of the other for now, okay?”

Just one foot in front of the other. Sven nodded and they walked together silently, hand in hand.

--------------------

When they reached their tent, Sven took a seat on the cot and Burt sat to one side of him. The Chief then took a seat to his other side, effectively sandwiching him. From the way the Chief leaned on him, and the way Burt continued to clutch his hand like a lifeline, Sven wondered if they were worried he’d run if they weren’t literally all over him. It made Sven’s stomach churn. After what happened with Gaster, and what they all knew he’d intended to do when he ran off, it made sense that they didn’t trust him, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

The Right Hand Man sighed and pinched his brow, psyching himself up for the conversation to come before beginning. “Okay… so. As you’re aware, everyone ‘ere was an active participant in the battle against Gaster.” Against Sven too, though Sven wisely kept this thought to himself. “An’ Sven ‘ere SAVED ‘Enry, which was apparently pretty important to a lotta people. But we’re also high ranking members of the Toppat Clan. We’re well known criminals. They can’t just give us a pardon an’ offer us jobs like they did fer Henry. Instead, the General ‘ad a different deal for us.

“’E’s offered ta report us officially dead, an’ issue the four of us new identities.” Sven blinked. That… hadn’t been what he’d expected. The Right Hand Man then removed his hat and from it produced a folded piece of paper, which Sven recognized as one of the deeds to Terrance Suave’s many estates. “This ‘ere is a deed to a beach house in California. Not bad. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, no neighbors for miles… the perfect place fer us ta go an’ focus on healing. Now, you two are free to do as you wish. But Reg an’ I are takin’ that deal an’ unofficially retirin’ from the Clan. We’ll still offer advice to other members, but we won’ be participating in any thievery from this point forward.” Though he sounded resolute, the Right Hand Man sighed and looked off to the side. To Sven, at least, it was clear he was going to miss life as an active criminal. “It’s fer the best. Even if Reg’s soul entirely recovers, he’s suffered a lotta trauma, and Doctor Alphys warned of a potential relapse if ‘is soul went through a big enough shock. I can’t risk that. So we’re going to just focus on ‘is recovery fer now.”

“And us?” Burt asked.

“The deal’s been extended to both of you too.” The Right Hand Man confirmed. Sven could hardly believe it. After everything, they were just offering him a free pass? “You don’ ‘ave ta take it. You could return to the clan, if ya wished. Don’ know whot’ll ‘appen to ya after that, though.”

Burt shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I burned a lot of bridges with the stunt I pulled to come on this trip. And Sven…” Those purple eyes gazing into Sven’s own were pleading. “I know I can’t choose for you. But being leader of the clan put you under a lot of stress, and I don’t think you need that. Come with us.”

Sven swallowed. He’d been a Toppat since he was young, it was a core part of his identity. But something Burt told him back in the caves suddenly echoed in Sven’s ears. Even if they couldn’t be Toppats anymore, they’d forge a new identity, together. Sven took a deep breath. He loved the clan, they were like family to him. But in his current state, there was no way he could be a productive member anymore. Maybe in the future, but right now, Sven’s mind felt like mush. He’d only be a detriment. And… he owed Burt, and the Chief. He needed to be there for them.

So Sven nodded. “Okay. If you’ll have me, I’ll come to.”

“You’ll ‘ave ta share a room.” The Right Hand Man told them. “But I don’ think that’ll be a problem fer the both of ya.”

“But what about the government? I stole people’s souls, aren’t I going to jail for that?” Asked Sven. He wanted to make absolutely certain coming with them wouldn’t screw them over.

The Right Hand Man shook his head to the negative. “Nah. Believe it or not, Frisk an’ Chara came in durin’ the meetin’ an’ testified on yer behalf. Apparently somethin’ similar happened in another timeline…? I didn’t ‘ave all the context, but they convinced the General you weren’t at fault.” Oh. Sven knew exactly what they were talking about. Gaster’s knowledge of the previous timeline had been used to lash out and hurt Frisk. Sven felt awful for them. They were a child, and they’d gone through the exact same pain Sven had. Maybe someday in the future he’d have a change to talk to them about it. “It ‘elped that the General was already grateful fer your part in SAVIN’ ‘Enry.”

That made sense. But there was one other question burning in Sven’s mind. “And what about the rest of the clan?”

“’At’s… a bit more complicated.” The Right Hand Man pulled the brim of his hat down over his face. “They didn’t ‘elp SAVE the world, so the General can’t really offer ‘em anything. But after everything that went down with the station, ‘e’s tired of fightin’. So ‘e told me, ‘We won’ be actively persuin’ ya, but if we catch a Toppat so much as jaywalkin’, ‘ey’ll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law’.”

“Don’t bug us, and we won’t bug you.” Burt summarized, and the Right Hand Man nodded. “It probably helps that the monsters will be keeping him busy.”

It almost felt too good to be true. The Right Hand Man seemed to genuinely believe in the General’s promise, but Sven couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something would ruin this. That he would ruin this. Sven tried to shake it off. It wasn’t that this wasn’t a good option for them. It was probably the best option available. And he’d find a way to ruin it for them like he always did.

Sven shook his head. No, no, that was just his doubt talking. He should trust in the Right Hand Man… he should, he just… he didn’t deserve this MERCY. Sven would never deserve this MERCY.

Learning to live with this would be tough. Even now Sven found dread crawling over his thoughts like disease ridden bugs, infecting his mind with doubt and fear and the kinds of thoughts he knew would make Burt worried. But he owed it to his teacher, to his boss, to his best friend, to try and help them with their own happy endings. They wanted him around, and for the moment that was enough to stay. For his honour as a Toppat, as the Chief’s student, as Burt’s best friend… he would make this up to them somehow.

Sven was filled with INTEGRITY.

--------------------

They were set to leave tomorrow morning. The Right Hand Man divided their tasks fairly amongst them; he and the Chief were going to have a brief discussion with the General concerning the logistics of their journey to California, and then visit Doctor Alphys for one last check-up and review of Chief Reginald’s treatment plan. Burt and Sven, in the meanwhile, were tasked with packing their belongings and preparing them for transportation. Sven’s stuff was already all packed up, so he took care of the chiefs’ belongings. It was a little surprising that the Right Hand was trusting him with this task, but the look he’d given Sven had made his intentions clear: This was a chance to earn the boss’ trust back. One of many he was sure would be coming in the future. It filled his chest to bursting with happiness.

Despite that, tension was thick in the air as he worked. Sven’s mind was racing as he carefully folded and packed the Chief’s clothing. Burt was right there, right behind him. They were working in silence for now, but Sven couldn’t stop thinking about those words.

I love you.

Burt deserved a proper answer, and soon. But Sven’s emotions were bouncing all over the place. He knew this would make Burt happy, but he didn’t think he could be a good boyfriend. A part of him still felt like he should be dead. Burt didn’t deserve that burden. But turning Burt down, especially when he felt the same way, made Sven feel sick to his stomach.

“Hey, you okay?” Burt asked, his eyes going from the shirt to Sven’s face, “You’ve been folding that same shirt for like, ten minutes. It’s, uh, kinda overfolded, dude.”

Sven blinked at the wrinkled shirt his hands were just messing with. Oops. He quickly and clumsily folded it and shoved it into Chief Reginald’s bag. “I’m, umm…” No way Burt would buy that he was fine, not after everything. But maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let Burt know where he was? Just to keep him in the loop. “Burt, listen. I… I love you.” Burt suddenly stood straight, his eyes following Sven’s mouth. He didn’t look happy to hear that, exactly. More anxious. Sven swallowed and continued. “You’re my best friend, and I think you’re really, really cute, and just amazing…”

Sven trailed off. It felt like the words were choking him, and he took a second to just breath through it. Burt stared stoically at him, and then continued, “But…?”

Hearing that broke Sven’s heart a little. He sounded tired, and it was Sven’s fault. He knew that. “I… a good relationship isn’t just two people hooking up. It’s time and effort and communication. It’s blending your lives together in perfect sync, a partnership with complete trust and transparency. It’s a lot of hard work, and Burt, I don’t think I’m capable of that right now. My thoughts are all over the place, and whenever I’m not busy my thoughts spiral and I start thinking about how I’m garbage, and don’t deserve forgiveness or life or-!”

Sven sniffed, and only then realized he’d begun to cry. As he wiped the tears from his face he heard footsteps come up behind him, and carefully, as if treating an injured wild dog, began to slowly comb his fingers through Sven’s hair. It was then that Sven remembered that Frisk still had his hat. He’d have to get that back before they left.

Once he’d calmed down, Sven took a calming breath and said, “I want to be with you, but I’m a mess. A-and I don’t know if I’m going to get better, or how long that would take, and… I’m not going to ask you to wait for me.” Sven couldn’t bring himself to look at Burt as he said this. “You deserve a partner who’s capable of returning your effort, one-hundred percent, and I’m not, Burt. I’m… sick.”

Behind Sven, Burt exhaled loudly, and not a few seconds later a violet light drew Sven’s attention back to his dear friend. The soul he had revealed shone like amethyst, and was twice as pretty in Sven’s blatantly biased opinion. A part of Sven wanted to touch it. Another part of him was a horrified mess, recalling the panic and fear that had poured from Dave’s soul when he’d taken it. Immediately Sven pulled his shaking arms into his body, as closely as he could, and just watched as Burt gently cradled his own soul.

“Do you remember what ‘purple’ means?” asked Burt. At some point he had taken off his hat, showing off his brilliant violet eyes.

As if Sven could forget. “PERSEVERANCE.” He answered immediately.

“Right. And you know what PERSEVERANCE is?” Burt asked, gently moving his hands to Sven’s shoulders to guide him to a sit. He didn’t wait long for a response before answering himself. “It’s continuing to go on. Taking life’s changes, changing myself, and moving forward.” Sven felt like he was in a trance, with Burt’s fingers rubbing soothing circles into his skin. He only barely noticed when Burt removed Sven’s eye-patch, exposing his Bad Eye. “Surviving. Adapting. Sven, we can get through this. I know we can, you’re so much stronger than you think you are. And even if you don’t think you deserve it, or are worth it, or whatever stupid garbage your poor brain is feeding you… I do. I always have, and I always will.” Burt leaned down and pressed his face close to Sven’s, so close that all it would take was the slightest movement on Sven’s part for their lips to meet. His heart skipped a beat. “Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right here with you.”

Sven smiled and leaned forward to press their lips together; a small taste, for both of them, of what would come. Barely more than a peck, but it still sent a pleasant shiver down Sven’s spine. He’d never thought, in a million years, that anyone would ever want to be this close to him. “I’m not ready yet.” He explained. “But I will be. Someday.”

And for them, ‘someday’ was good enough.

--------------------

They're not okay.

But they will be. Someday.

This ending may strike some as more 'bittersweet' then happy, but I disagree. Sven and Reginald are both getting the support and time they need to heal, and they have their loved ones at their side. They survived, and now they're rebuilding. That sounds like a happy ending to me.

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flamingredanon · 3 years

Note

Reginald let out a slight bewildered noise as a plant pot filled with wet soil was placed in front of him. Of all the things he thought would be placed on his desk this morning, this wasn't it. "Uh-" Reginald looked up to see who was trying to give him the peculiar item before he smiled warmly. Henry had been apart of the Toppat Clan for about a month or 2. Despite his short arrival he was getting quite close to the leader and his second in command. He also was in training to run a group of his own so he could go on missions with help Reginald had protested at first but Right had told him that Henry was like a ball of energy, energy that needed to be realised somehow. "Henry. Good morning." His polite and caring smile turned to one of confusion. "Forgive me Hen but, I'm a little confused on why you're giving me.. A plant pot?"

Henry smiled brightly before he started to sign. 'Not just a pot Reg. Its got a seed inside it.'

"Ah Ok. But, why? I mean I bet it'll look lovely when it grows, whatever it is but.. '

Henry's almost sad smile stopped Reginald in his tracks. 'It's... Special. Really special. Took me a while to get it. Wanted you to have it. As a thank you gift for letting me join' Oh. Reginald looked down at the dirt filled pot, wondering just what plant was going to grow out of it.

"Thank you Henry." Reginald smiled.

'You're welcome'

Reginald yawned as he continued to type away at his laptop. Shivering occasionally due to how cold it was in his office. Curse the snow outside...

The sound of the card scanner outside being alerted made him lift his head. The door pushed opened and Incame right. Right made a reaction to the temperature and looked at Reginald.

"Jesus christ Reg. Turn the heatin' on in 'ere. It's freezing."

"I know i know." Reginald haphazardly waved his hand in the others general direction before he quickly went back to typing. Winter was always a busy month for the leader. There were less mission and alot more paperwork than he'd like. Reginald could see out of the corners of his vision that right was moving around his office. Examining things.

"What's this 'ere?" Rights voice cut in through the click clack of the keyboard and Reginald paused and looked up to see what right was inquiring about.

"Oh. It's a plant Hen gifted me a couple of months ago." Reginald chose to ignore the smug look right gave him. His cheeks burning slightly.

"A plant? thought you weren't into that stuff." Right chuckled as he inspected the growing stem that was now pencil tall and thick.

"I'm not but... Henry said it was special gift so." Right smiled at that.

"Well I'm gonna get this plant some water then." Reginald hummed in response. He didn't turn to look away from the pot, even after his office door clicked open and shut. Special gift huh? Just how special Reginald wondered.

A slam echoed into the office room as Reginald had slammed his hands onto his desk.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOT ANSWERING!? SVEN! I DEMAND YOU TRY AGAIN!"

"S-Sir please.. Me and burt already tried 5 times-" Sven was interrupted by Reginald moving towards him and grabbing him by his collar and pushing him against a wall. The man's eyes burning with hatred and despair.

Henry had left for a mission with his group a couple hours ago. Everyone had returned with terrible injuries, some even close to death. When asked what happened a toppat explained that during the mission to retrieve the valuable they were wanting, the government had suddenly ambushed them. Everyone managed to escape as safely as possible because Henry had covered for them. Nobody had heard from Henry since his group retreated. Not a single word...

"reg! Stop it!" Right practically begged the other. Pulling him away from Sven, causing the other to let go.

"Please!!! Do it again! Call him again!" Reginald shouted, the tears that had been pricking in the corner of his eyes fell and he let out a sob.

"Reg, reg... Shhh its ok..." Right soothed, pulling the other into a hug. Reginald sobbed into right hand man's shoulder. Not caring how weak he seemed. Right too seemed to be tearing up as he seemed to accept the conclusion that was being brought to them much faster then Reginald was.

On the window sill in the office laid the Pot. The plants brown branches standing tall now, the size of 2 pencils. The small green buds at the end of every branch just now starting to grow. It would've been a happy sight if not for the circumstances now...

Funerals. Something Reginald found bitter and depressing. So when the toppat rescue group came back, Halling a very much.. Dead Henry. Reginald thought back to that bitterness and depressing idea that was funerals.

Reginald and right had just gotten back from said funeral. Reginald sitting against his office wall, under the window. He had been numbly staring at the floor for the longest time. He barely heard the card scanner beep to let him know someone was coming in. The door slid open and right entered the room. He had taken off his black blazer that came with the suit he had been wearing. His collar had been slightly unbuttoned and his tie pulled slightly down. A sigh left the man and he walked over.

"Reg..." Reginald didnt move. Didn't want to.

"We found the government base you were wantin'..."

"You know what to do then... Why are you in here when you can be telling the groups to get ready? To prepare for a fight.." Reginald glared. Voice cold.

Right stared. It was a sad stare that Reginald barely saw on the man. He looked away, hating how his body trembled at the sympathetic look Right was giving him.

"Henry wouldn't want you like this..."

"You don't know that-"

"Reg. We were close to him. Hell I even think... We loved him... So yeah, I do know... "

Silence.

"I'm guessing you don't want to come with?"

"... No.." Reginald whispered out and right nodded. He stayed in place for a moment. Before turning around and leaving.

Loved him? Possiblely...

Reginald and right were the only toppats who really trusted him. Minus his group that he ran of course. Which led the 2 to really see the true Henry. One that wasn't labelled a thief. Henry was confident but still awkward. Calculating but still quick. Caring but still shy...

God Reginald really did love that man... And Reginald knew Right felt the same.

Reginald gritted his teeth. His numb glare at the floor now turning into one of fury. He'd get revenge for the man he couldn't confess to. To the man he couldn't hold close to him and tell him he loved him.

He didn't care if he had to die doing so! Hell he'd accept death in a heart beat if it meant that those government scums were dealt with! He'd show just how dangerous the Toppat Clan truly was to the stupid fucking Galeforces face! -

Had something fallen? Drifting past Reginalds face and onto the ground? Reginald looked down to the floor next to him to see a small pink petal. Where on...

Reginald got up and turned to stare at the pot that had been politely sitting on his office window sill for months now.

A small cherry blossom plant. It's pink petals clustered beautifully together. Some more vibant then others. Reginald felt tears fill his eyes and he didn't bother wiping them away when they fell down his cheeks.

Henry.... Its beautiful...

Reginald let out sob as he stared at the buestiful, small Cherry blossom tree. Some of its petals occasionally falling and landing on the dirt or window sill below.

"It... Truly is.. A special plant love.." Reginald smiled.

Reginald saw the Government base razed and as many Government soldiers crushed as possible. And for the next couple of weeks, Reginald continued his onslaught of Government bases until Reginald himself was able to bring an end to General Galeforce himself.

And for the cherry blossom tree, Reginald took care of it, eventually planting it in what would soon be the green house, where many plants would find themselves flourishing, mostly because of Reginald finding himself taking care of the plants when his emotions would get the better of him.

Reginald however never saw the tree grow much bigger, passing away from what was clearly a broken grieving heart.

Right had Reginald buried underneath the cherry blossom tree, where Right only hoped Reginald could find Henry again and be reunited.

#lizzyask #henry stickmin #right hand man #reginald copperbottom #death #revenge #murder #cherry blossom #cherry blossom tree #garden #dying of a broken heart #grief

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echotrinityme · 3 years

Text

Regretful Chapter 8: An Angry Confession

Rupert was still watching them from the helicopter when he heard Calvin spotted some Toppats and was panicking.

He did expect Calvin to panic but what he did not expect Calvin to do is to kiss Henry, he and the others were quickly surprised.

Victoria's and June's mouths were agape, Hank's and Hayden's eyes widened, and Konrad was trying hard not to laugh.

They all turned to see Rupert's reaction and it's not pretty, he was trembling with rage, and his eyes looked red as if he was possess by a demon.

He gripped the tablet he was holding to keep track of Henry and Calvin, he was still shaking with rage.

Victoria was worried for him as she made her way to hil and tried to make sure he's okay, "Hey, Rupert?" she asked, gently. "Are you okay."

He didn't replied to her, he didn't even look at her. He was reeling over the fact that Calvin basically kissed Henry without his permission.

Rupert's POV

I'm going to kill Calvin Bukowski.

What the fuck was he thinking? He had no right to kiss Henry, why would he do that anyways?

I felt an huge amount of anger building inside of me, how dare of Calvin to kiss Henry like that!

I heard a voice but I didn't listen cause right now, I just want to slaughter Calvin.

Henry is supposed to be mine, not his!

Wait...did that just came out of my mouth?

Man...I'm jealous of Calvin kissing Henry...I need to tell my feelings for Henry before I lose him to Calvin.

Victoria's POV

Wow, I never seen Rupert so angry before. I mean he's always had anger issues but not like this.

I saw him tighten his grip on the tablet and he shaking with anger, he looked he wanted to explode.

I feel sorry for Calvin now but hey, that proves my theory on him having feelings for Henry.

No One's POV

Victoria gingerly poke at Rupert which made him jumped in the process, he glanced at her and he quickly glared at her.

"What?" asked Rupert, angrily.

"Are you okay?" questioned Victoria, tentatively.

"Yeah, why?" lied Rupert.

"You don't look okay."

"I said, I'm fine."

"Are you trying to convinced me or yourself?"

Rupert groaned in frustration and put the tablet down, and he put his face into his hands. Victoria raised an eyebrow at him and had an idea.

"Are you jealous?" asked Victoria, slyly.

Rupert froze for a moment and didn't speak.

"Of what?" replied Rupert, lowly.

"Of Calvin kissing Henry."

Rupert bristled at that statement and he growled lowly but Victoria heard him and she recoiled from him in fear. She turned to June, Hank, Hayden, and Konrad who were watching them in keen interest.

"Ahem." said Galeforce, firmly.

Everyone was startled by the General, who was looking very annoyed at the drama that was happening to right now. "We have a mission to deal with." he said, in annoyance.

Everyone went back to where they were doing and the General muttered something about youth under his breath.

Meanwhile with Calvin and Henry, Calvin let Henry go and he grabbed his hand to move to an unoccupied room. He was still panicking but Henry was not pay attention, he was still reeling over that kiss. Why did Calvin do that?

"Hey, Henry. We got to focus." said Calvin, nervously.

"Yeah, right." replied Henry, distractedly.

They went out the room and saw the remaining Toppats still at the same spot, they were talking about Calvin's and Henry's "makeout" which made Henry's face red. Calvin was too busy trying to figure out a plan to get the Toppats.

Calvin turned his earpiece on and talked to Victoria, who was giving him instructions. Calvin nodded while he was listening and glanced over to Henry, he was standing next to him, staring blankly into space.

"Ok." said Calvin.

He grabbed Henry's hand again and silently sneak past the Toppats, they stopped at a spot a few inches away from the Toppats. They both waited and pretended to talk nut Calvin was the one who was doing the most of the talking. Henry on the hand, was still thinking about the kiss from earlier.

Henry's POV

Why did Calvin kiss me? I don't like him that way, and Calvin certainly doesn't have feelings for me that's for sure.

I know I should be focusing on the mission but I didn't ask for a make out session with Calvin! I was listening to him talking with Victoria and I kept an eye on the Toppats, I wanted to kill the rest of the Clan but refrained myself.

I don't want to get into trouble, it's just...I miss Charles so much and they were the ones that caused his death in the first place. I sighed heavily as I listened to Calvin talk to try to keep up appearances.

My mind went to Rupert, I wonder how's he doing. I actually miss him even though he's miles away from me, if I wanted a kiss it would be from Rupert. I have a crush on him and I want to confess to him but I'm afraid.

What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of rejection and to lose him. Ever since Charles' death, I had been having trouble letting people until Rupert was sent to watch over me. After that, I had gotten close to him and unexpectedly fall in love with him.

Maybe I should confess to him after this mission.

No One's POV

Henry was still thinking about his feelings for Rupert when Calvin exclaimed in happiness silently, he glanced at him in alarm. Calvin was grinning widely and he was giddy, Henry started to frown and crossed his arms.

"Why are you so happy, all of sudden?" asked Henry, he was tugging Calvin's sleeve.

"The Toppats finally spilled some stuff we can use to expose them." replied Calvin, enthusiastically.

"Wait! When ?"

"While you were busy daydreaming about Rupert."

"No, I wasn't !"

"Yes you were. That's why you weren't paying attention."

"How do you know I was daydreaming about Rupert? "

"Cause."

Calvin's short response made Henry more annoyed and Calvin giggled lowly. Calvin explained the information to Henry and it made Henry smile a little, Calvin quickly informed the others and the General ordered everyone to go break up the party. He also ordered other soldiers to come help.

It was complete chaos after that, the Government busted the gala and everyone was in shock and panic. They managed to get the remaining Toppats in cuffs and the other guests went home or started complaining about the Government. Henry was off to the side, watching the Toppats being arrested.

He should be feeling happy but he's not, the Toppats were gone but at what cost? Charles was still dead and he was the one who had the most beef with them. If Charles was here, he will be celebrating the defeat of the Toppat Clan.

He felt tears started to brim and he covered his mouth as not to cry, he jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Rupert with a worried look on his face, he led him out the mansion.

Once outside, Rupert led them to a quiet area and they both sat on a rock.

"Thanks." said Henry, smiling faintly.

"Yer welcome." replied Rupert, also smiling faintly. "I noticed that you were getting overwhelmed so I decided to get you out of there."

"I should be feeling happy but I'm not."

"Is it because of Charles?"

"Yes. He's not here to witness this."

"I'm sure he's proud we have taken down the Toppat Clan."

"Yeah."

They both stayed silent and they were both wondering if they should talk about their feelings but before they can, the General came over them. Victoria, Konrad, and Calvin were with him, the General congratulated Henry and Calvin which made them red in embarrassment.

"You boys did great." praised Galeforce, smiling.

"Thank you, sir." said Calvin, proudly. He was saluting him.

"Mmhm." said Henry.

"You guys did awesome." said Konrad.

"Yeah." added Victoria.

Everyone was praising Calvin and Henry except for Rupert, who was glaring at Calvin. Henry noticed this and was about to ask what's wrong but Rupert interrupted him.

"Why did you kissed Henry?" growled Rupert, lowly. Everyone was startled by his behavior.

"Uh...well...I." replied Calvin, anxiously. He was struggling to answer Rupert's question.

"Well!" demanded Rupert.

"I don't know!" defended Calvin. "I was panicking! I didn't have a plan so I wing it!"

"Why?"

"I was not thinking clearly."

"Oh sure."

Rupert and Calvin kept bickering making everyone worried, Henry was worried for Rupert while Konrad was worried for his brother.

"Do you have feelings for Henry?" questioned Calvin.

Everyone turned to Rupert who paused at that question, Henry's eyes widened and waited for Rupert's answer.

"I...I..."

"Well?"

In a fit of anger, Rupert snapped.

"What if I don't! Why would I have feelings for him!?" shrieked Rupert, not thinking rationally. "After all, he's the one that caused Charles' death in the first place! If it weren't for him he would still be alive!"

"Rupert!"

"Price!"

Rupert finally stopped his shouting when he heard Galeforce and Victoria called him, he looked around and saw everyone's reactions. Galeforce and Victoria were in shock, the twins' mouths were agape, and Henry's was...devastating.

Rupert realized what he just said and he before he can say anything, Henry bolted away from the group. Everyone tried to call him back but he didn't listened, they all turned to Rupert and glared at him.

Rupert hid his face in shame and guilt, "God, what the fuck is wrong with me?" he said to himself, angrily.

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