#bapsiddy

“Stop movin' already, you're making this impossible.” Cassidy exclaimed, as his hand pulled back from Baptiste. The water-soaked towel in his hand was steady, as it slowly dripped across his hand, and down his hair-adorned arm. Baptiste stared above, observing anything but the stern look on his partner's face as he started rolling his eyes.

“Don't even consider it.” Cassidy quickly retorted, making Baptiste swiftly turn his gaze to his partner. If he could, and if it didn't hurt as much as it did, he would've let himself chuckle at Cassidy's words. They were oddly still comforting though, with his voice and tone.

Baptiste continued to lie there as he grunted in an agreeable manner. He knew just as well that he had to be still, had to for the sake of his health. Of course he had to be the one to catch an illness whilst on holiday, and of course his trusted doctor Angela couldn't make it in time to help him. Just his luck, after all. All he could do was accept the help from his partner and guide him with advice (when his voice wasn't hoarse and too painful to speak with). He tried his hardest to tolerate it, but a part of him couldn't settle - was it the fever, or the vulnerability? He didn't care to figure it out as he watched Cassidy bring the towel back down to his head.

“You still nauseous?” Cassidy asked in a much less agitated tone compared to before. His expression had shifted, too. It had become softer, Baptiste noticed, as his eyes drifted towards him and his hand moving towards his forehead.

“Not really…” Baptiste replied, watching his expression twist and turn to that of a more… concerned look. His voice was soft, croak-y still but legible as Cassidy considered his next response.

Cassidy's hand hesitated as he began to stutter his words. “You sure…? Y' don't have to hide it from me, Jean.” he uttered softly. Baptiste could see his eyes were drifting towards the bucket that lay next to the bed. Freshly clean, freshly ready for if his suspicions were correct. One of the many joys of caring for someone, Baptiste had reminded him before when Cassidy complained of this role.

“Very sure. I'm past that stage - just need to get my fever and throat pain fixed.” Baptiste replied, “You can handle that, surely.”

A smirk grew on Baptiste face as he uttered those last words, as Cassidy chuckled lightly. His hands had finally returned to work, and started dabbing at Baptiste's forehead lightly. It was cooled down now, enough to give him some relief from his spiked temperature.

“Sure I can, just gotta trust me hon'.” he uttered, as he continued working on his partner. Cassidy had finally gotten the hang of this and found himself relishing Baptiste's state for a moment. Baptiste's face stirred at his words, finding himself conflicted. 

He hated being sick. It was always Baptiste taking care of people - he had done so his whole life. So, when he was sick himself, it was troublesome for his mind and soul. Baptiste doesn't give up control easily; the idea of being vulnerable infront of someone, whilst being powerless to their care, is frightening to him. So, as Cassidy sat above him, he couldn't help but feel himself trying to keep grasp of the situation. He trusted him, truly, but it was uncontrollable for him.

Baptiste inhaled deeply, his throat raspy. “You know, you don't have to do this…” he began, “I'll be fine, and I don't want you getting si-”

“Shush. I'm not g'nna leave you like this.” Cassidy replied, his tone light hearted with a smile stained on his face. Baptiste sighed in response, letting himself relax in the bed and slowly give up trying to come up with a retort, or a statement, or anything that might give him control again over this situation. He didn't have the energy to fight more, as he felt his fatigue overwhelm his body now.

Cassidy sat by his side and watched him drift off - it happened often enough now that he wasn't concerned, just remained steady in his mind. Panicking over anything small wouldn't help either of them, he thought, as he brought his hand back and rested it gently in his lap. Soon enough, he could hear Baptiste's croak-y snores fill the room, with his body rising and falling in time with Cassidy's own breathing. It was as though they were in sync now, as Cassidy let his mind wander.

Something about finally being able to take care of the man who vigilantly always looked out for him was satisfying to Cassidy. He never expected their holiday to turn out like this; no one ever thinks that they'll be trusted with taking care of someone who hates to be sick. But he still loved it. Truthfully, deep down, he was thankful for this moment. Baptiste finally showed him that he trusted Cassidy enough to take care of him, put up with his groggy attitude, and make sure he was okay and safe. The responsibility lay heavy on his heart, but he wouldn't trade it for a moment.

Who confessed? How did it go? With Baptiste, he's very in touch with his emotions, and likes to show his confidence even with confessing. He would test the waters days before, flirting with Cole to see how he'd react so Baptiste could see if it was a possibility first. It's his form of security blanket, something to fall on and use to make sure it's safe to confess before actually doing it. When telling Cole about his feelings, it was a heartfelt conversation that revolved around the impact Cole made on his life and how he wants to explore a relationship with him. It made his heart melt, and he welcomed Baptiste into his life with open arms. There were some doubts that clouded his mind, but he was willing to push them to the side when he found out his feelings for Baptiste were requited.

What is their relationship dynamic? I think with Baptiste and Cole, they'd be a ‘protector and wounded’ sort of couple. Baptiste is fiercely protective of Cole, often due to his past trauma surrounding watching loved ones die, and watching innocent people get hurt in his crossfire. He makes an effort to protect Cole, and tries to help heal his own wounds in the process. In turn, this means that Cole is shielded from the harm that might come his way, and it helps stop his mental and internal wounds opening up again. He's a dog that bites at times, and so Baptiste's gentle but logical nature helps him to move forwards with life. It's hard for Cole to move on from the things he saw during his time in Blackwatch, but it reassures him to know that his partner went through similar with Talon, and can empathise with him deeply.

What are their favourite dates? Cole's favourite date is definitely bar crawling. He and Baptiste share a love for drinking, and would enjoy the added time together, the funny memories of what they did while under the influence, and would enjoy being able to relax, away from work, and in settings he's familiar with. On the other hand, he definitely enjoys grape picking in vineyards - the agricultural aspect is breath-taking for him, and he enjoys having a peaceful moment with Baptiste where they can have some level of privacy to talk about whatever they like, while making something of their own together. The time alone is something he would never trade for anything or anyone else in the world. Baptiste, on the other hand, loves romantic dinners, especially with performances and live musicians playing. He's a hopeless romantic, and loves the cheesy dates he sees on TV. It's something that Cole's happy to do with him, and they both love to explore new meals together, try new combinations, and have a chance to talk about more serious discussions that have been on their mind. Baptiste likes to make an effort in picking places for them once a week, when they're both off work so that they don't have to worry about the next day. All that they'll be focused on is each other on these dates, and Baptiste really appreciates that.

How have they improved each other whilst in a relationship? Baptiste as a person feels as though Cole's improved him by helping him to feel comfortable in his place in society again. He's struggled with it most of his life, often feeling as though he's the ugly duckling, never fitting anywhere no matter how hard he tried. It's something that used to impact his mental health a lot, before he came to Overwatch. Cole helped him massively by enabling him to feel seen, heard, and welcome to be himself throughout the missions (even before they started dating). When they did start dating, these things were only amplified and it makes Baptiste feel all the more closer to him. It's something he'll always be thankful for, and is incredibly grateful for Cole for helping him improve his self confidence in this way. Cole, on the other hand, feels as though Baptiste has helped him improve as a person through Baptiste's ability to understand every aspect of a situation with grace. It's rubbed off on him, and it's helped him work through his somewhat black and white thinking, especially about the past. It's helped with his trauma and guilt especially, and has made him more rational regarding his own actions in Blackwatch. Baptiste's often a grounding presence in his life, which is something Cole's rarely had in his life, and it's something that's helped him move forward with his trauma in a way that he couldn't thank his partner enough for.

Do they argue, and if so how do they get through it? They have their moments of bickering, often with them both being passive aggressive about the situation at hand whenever they can. It's something they both need to work on, but eventually either of them will get tired of the argument and ask to talk about it. It's sort of a situation where something small will get blown out of proportion by either Cole or Baptiste and then the other will give up trying to bite back after a couple days. They can be as immature as each other, but once that lulls over and they can be adults about it, they work through it and realise it wasn't that deep. Baptiste and Cole aren't the type to genuinely argue or be in a position where an argument would break their relationship though, unless it's something that's struck a cord with them.