#mawedness combat

He was getting out of here. But how?

H4nk sat up as he looked around his room. Everyone would see him if he went up his usual hatch. But how else would he be able to leave this room? Unless...

H4nk's eyes wandered over to the posters on his wall. Was that tunnel still there? He got up, slightly struggling to do so, and went over to the poster lowest to the ground. He peeled back the tape to show that, yes, it was still there. Turns out his teammates could never find it after his escape a few years back.

He lowered himself onto his hands and knees and began crawling into it. So far so good. He crawled deeper in. So far so-- Oh. His waist was caught in the tunnel entrance. Was it seriously too small for him? H4nk grumbled, then began crawling back before... Oh. Oh no. He was stuck.

"H4nk, you ready?" S4nf0rd yelled from the door.

Well, shit. This was embarrassing.

The door opened. "H4nk? Why aren't you-- uh... Huh. So that's where that was."

~~~

To say that D0c was pissed was an understatement. It was three hours of non-stop weightlifting and non-stop lecturing. H4nk could barely pay attention to anything D0c said. He felt like he was dying.

Finally, he was given another break, but not in his room. He had to sit in D0c's room so he could keep an eye on him. All H4nk did was gulp down his water in a futile attempt to feel full and glare at D0c, who was working while snacking on yet another hot dog. How come he gets to have dinner while H4nk got barely anything? The belch from D0c's mouth taunted him. In response, H4nk's stomach growled loudly.

Then he saw the rest of the hot dogs on the desk. Juicy. Meaty. Filling. That was all he could think about. D0c was about to reach for another when suddenly, H4nk got up. He snatched it out of his hand.

"H4NK, WHA--"

H4nk was about to take a bite, but then static filled his vision. He could feel the blood rushing out of his head. And next thing he knew, he was on his back on the floor, S4nf0rd holding his legs up.

"Hey, H4nk... You alright?" he asked.

"...Y-... Yeah..." H4nk said, too fatigued to answer in any other way.

"Well, D0c said you're done for today. I'll take you back to your room when you feel like gettin' up."

"But I'm hungry."

"I know. I'm sorry, but this is just how it is. You're too used to overeating, H4nk. And your muscles have gotten weaker from just layin' around all day. You need to get used to smaller meals again and build that muscle back up. I'll try to get D0c to give you a little more food and go a little lighter on workouts, but that's for him to decide..."

H4nk grumbled as he slowly sat up.

"Feelin' okay now?"

He nodded. S4nf0rd grabbed onto H4nk to help him up, spent a few seconds ensuring he was stable, and then walked with him towards his room.

"He WHAT?!"

Right after H4nk shut the door, S4nf0rd heard D31m0s shout from the kitchen. He rushed over, seeing D31m0s arguing with D0c, who had another chip bag.

"You can't just work him to death!" D31m0s said.

"D31m0s, this is all for his own sake. He needs to lose that weight."

"Not if he's passin' out! There's gotta be another way!"

"I kinda agree with D31m0s here, D0c," S4nf0rd began. "H4nk's exhausted. Can't ya ease up on him just a little?"

"You're forgetting who you're talking about. I know H4nk." D0c munched on his chips. "He could do this no problem before he decided to destroy himself. I just need to keep pushing him. He'll be back to his old self soon. He doesn't have a choice."

D0c opened the fridge and peeked inside.

"Now where did you put that bag of G1l's...?"

S4nf0rd and D31m0s just stared. Neither of them knew what to say.

~~~

It was past midnight. H4nk was in his room, once again laying on his mattress. His stomach rumbled again, hunger pains keeping him awake. He didn't hate D0c, but he was coming close to. Forcing him to exhaust himself, keeping food from him (even though he was the one eating the most), and drilling in the fact that he brought this upon himself, that he is the reason why he's become so pathetic.

It pissed him off, but all H4nk wanted to do now was get away. So he could keep eating whatever he wanted. So he could fill his starving belly up however much he wanted. So he could be with his cute little clown who wouldn't keep food from him, nor exhaust him, nor drill in why he's so pathetic. He missed Tr1cky so much. He'd do anything to get back to him.

H4nk sat up, then slowly stood. If he couldn't sneak out through that tunnel, the only other option was the door. He walked up to it and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Of course D0c would lock him in. H4nk frustratedly punched the door and trudged back to bed. And he would've laid back down if he didn't hear clicking.

Wait, clicking? Coming from the door? Then there was a few knocks, followed by the slight creak of the hinges as the door opened.

"Psst. H4nk. You awake?" a voice whispered.

"...Yeah," H4nk whispered back.

It was D31m0s. Leaving the door slightly ajar, he entered, holding three bags of G1l's.

"Here. Eat this."

Didn't need to tell him twice. H4nk ravenously tore through each bag. Six double burgers, three large fries, and three milkshakes all vanished within minutes. H4nk stifled a belch and sighed. Damn, did it feel good to finally have something in his stomach again.

"You done yet?"

H4nk nodded.

"Good. Now c'mon. I'm gettin' you outta here."

H4nk got up as D31m0s grabbed his gear for him. They quietly made their way out of H4nk's room, down the hall, and to the front door. D31m0s entered his code to unlock it.

"There we go. Now you can go and do whatever you want."

H4nk hesitated. Was D31m0s really just... letting him go?

"Damn it, H4nk! C'mon! You know this is miles better than the hell D0c's been puttin' ya through! Hang out with the clown! Eat whatever the fuck you want! Just GO!"

And there he went. D31m0s watched as H4nk left. He sighed, bringing a hand to his head. He knew he would regret this, but hey, at least H4nk was no longer miserable. Once he could no longer see him, D31m0s reentered the building and locked the door before bumping into D0c and S4nf0rd. They were silent.

The week had been a lot rougher than you honestly wanted to admit, work had put you through your paces and strained your patience well beyond the breaking point, but at least today was your day off.

But like clockwork, you couldn’t find the energy or time to do anything to help you relax in the slightest. You had to go grocery shopping, clean and do laundry before you could even begin to think of doing anything for yourself. And a part of you knew with what little energy you had to use to get all that done, you’d waste the entire measly two days off you had just playing catch up again.

In short, you were drained and frayed..wanting help but having no one to come to who’d even bother to help, everyone else had their own worries and needs to handle after all. You scrubbed at your eyes to fight off the tears that were threatening to seep through for the umpteenth time today when your thoughts were interrupted by a soft warmth both in voice and touch.

“Darlin? What’s wrong sweetpea..ya look bout as worn out as a blown fuse.”

You knew who the voice belonged to, and gave a weak smile up at them as their large work calloused hands gently curled around your waist and hips. Their face showed concern, not prying in the slightest but knowing full well something was amiss with you.

“It’s nothing..just..just a bit worn out I guess? Just feeling tired and..alot of other things.”

Despite being entirely vague, he seemed to read the hidden meaning in your words regardless and gave you another soft smile, giving you a soft squeeze that pressed you into his front as he hugged you from behind.

“Well then, if yer tired sweetpea..How bout a little nap with yours truly? Or just ta spend some quiet time till ya feel more awake..”

“Aren’t you..busy with stuff and all that?”

“Ain’t nothin pressin I got goin on in tha slightest sweetpea. Ya look like ya could use a bit of cuddlin afterall. Promise ya’ll feel better afterwards.”

You can’t help but smile a bit more genuinely at his offer before nodding silently.

Warmth surrounds you as those same hands gently grip you, lifting you with ease to rest against their chest, shifting you in the process to face them as they smile down at you with such warmth and affection it makes your face start to heat up.

“Don’t worry sweetpea, just let me take care of ya tonight alright? A lil love n care n y’all be right as rain in no time~”

“Alright..just for tonight maybe.”

“Heh, good ta hear yer up for it then, lets getcha someplace nice n cosy howsabout?”

A warm hand shifted to hold you against his massive chest, gently rubbing in slow circles as he took his time getting to wherever it was he was taking you. He did his best not to jostle you around too much, taking care to hold you just firmly enough that the pressure was…nice even.

Resting your head on their soft chest, you heard them laugh softly, a hand coming up to gently tease and ruffle your hair lovingly.

“Already gettin cosy with me n we haven’t even reached our lil spot, I can tell I’m gonna have fun with y’all.”

“Oh shush..can’t help the fact you’re…just soft and warm..its nice okay?”

“Didn’t say it was a bad thing now did I? It’s down right adorable honestly, seein ya gettin all cosied up with lil ol’ me. Maybe I should offer this more often eh?”

You can definitely feel your face heating up to match his own body warmth..and after spotting that teasing grin being aimed your way you can’t help but smack at his chest lightly with a hand, earning you a hearty belly shaking laugh from him.

“Aw don’t be like that darlin, I’m only teasin ya a lil bit~ But I’ll stop for now alright? Jus hang tight a lil bit longer for me will ya?”

You resist smacking him a bit more for now, instead you just let out a relaxed sigh and let him carry you off to god knows where exactly. A few more moments pass before you hear the sound of a door being opened and the bright fluorescent lights fade from above to be replaced with a soft honeyed amber hue, soft on the eyes and more than enough to take the dull ache those borderline medicinal feeling lights out in the halls were giving you.

He settles down on what you can only assume is the edge of a bed before gravity gently guides you down to rest in his lap, that soft teasing smile being aimed down at you once more as both hands come to gently squeeze and knead at your waist and hips with care.

“Now then darlin, how bout we get all that nasty stress knocked right outta ya? Might take me a while but..I’m real sure y’all won’t mind will ya?”

Before you can even answer he gets to work, hugging you firmly against his soft and thick frame, hands gently starting to knead and work into your weary body. The effect made you yelp softly before falling into a long drawn out content sigh of relief that got him to hum in amusement.

“There we go sweetpea, just relax and let me do what I do best for ya. Whatever y’all want just say tha word n it’s yers~”

His voice had dropped into a much softer, almost hypnotic purr as he worked the knots out of you, humming softly as he shifted you and himself both properly into the bed with ease. You felt him rest up against the wall his bed was pushed against as he gently pulled you closer to his face, letting you rest atop his ample chest and torso..almost sinking into it like a warm and inviting pillow as the minutes bled into one another.

“Oh god…how’d you know this was something I needed..?”

“Well I won’t say it was too obvious darlin, ya hide yer pain and frustrations away better than most.. Almost a lil too well I’d say. But y’all have yer tells just like everyone else. Ya get quiet and avoidant real easy..wasn’t hard ta put tha pieces together after that.”

“Oh..”

“But just so ya know my lil darlin, if ya ever do feel like ya need a moment ta step back from things..yer more than allowed ta. Even tha strongest folks need a lil tenderness and care shown ta them. N seein ya get all rosey cheeked and flustered alongside seein that darlin face of yers go back ta its glowin self..well I’ll be more than happy ta help.”

There were a few soft moments of silence as his words sank into you before the tears came back up to the surface, harder and faster than you expected..Leaving you to be a little sobbing mess in front of him..thankfully his only response was to gently rub your back and hug you tenderly to him, letting you work your tears out in your own time.

“S’alright darlin..go on n get it all out for me okay? Ya’ll feel better for it afterwards. But I do mean what I said though. Ya ain’t ever alone like ya feel ya are, Ya got me and plenty of others that’ll help ya work things out if ya let em. N I’ll always be happy ta listen no matter how long it takes..okay?”

“Y-yeah..alright. Thank you though..for..for being here for me.”

“Ain’t a problem sweetpea. I’ll always make time for my lil darlin~”

You feel silly somehow, but at the same time your chest feels just a bit lighter now. Just enough to bear the weight of life once more as it comes..But the blush and tear stains marring your face remain..But you don’t really care anymore.

This man has seen you at your worst, yet still calls you such horribly saccharine names and holds you to his massive frame with such care it's hard not to just forget the world around you. And so you do, you let everything outside this warm and comforting room fall away from you entirely. All the worries and anxious thoughts are gently and lovingly wiped clean at least for a little while, just while you’re here in this mans embrace.

His warmth has seeped deep into the core of your being by now, making you just a touch drowsy as his hands work you over. The affection and mirth in his eyes as he watches you give in and let him help you at long last makes a deep and utterly satisfied purr rumble forth from the chest you find yourself nuzzling into.

“Heh, ya look like quite a sight now if I do say so myself~ Ya feelin better now sweetpea?”

“Yeah..yeah I feel alot better. But..do you mind if I-?”

“Oh darlin ya don’t even need ta ask, if ya wanna stay then stay. Don’t mind cuddlin a cute lil thing like y’all all night if y’all let me~”

“God..but..yeah that-that sounds really nice honestly.”

“Y’all were lookin a bit sleepy-eyed anyways..just didn’t wanna say anythin just yet..ya looked too cute~!”

“Stoppit goddd…you keep saying im cute and im gonna…gonna just leave maybe.”

Another soft but hearty laugh rumbles up from the belly you’ve been resting on for god alone knows how long now before those two massive and powerful hands reach up to cup your face between them with the upmost of care.

“Aw now don’t be like that my lil sweetpea..just can’t help but think yer cute, adorable and just all kinds a lovely things. Y’all know deep down ya appreciate it, cause I don’t see ya tryin ta run from me or hit me like usual~”

“..that’s only cause you have a hold of my face…and you’ve..well..I don’t wanna get up just yet..”

“Aw..now that’ll warm this old heart of mine just all tha more.”

Feeling a bit..bolder, or maybe just wanting to do something in return for him. You push yourself just a bit forwards…Just enough to get a small kiss to one of his cheeks. That smile falters for just a moment before you’re rewarded with seeing his whole face dust with a soft rosy tint, making you laugh for what feels like the first time in a long while.

“Pft! What, one tiny kiss is all it takes to get you to blush..? Wow can’t wait to tell everyone”

“Hah~! That is if I letcha even leave ya gigglin lil fiend..c’mere~!”

“wh-AH! Heyyy!!”

In a instant your world is thrown backwards as he grins playfully down at you before just leaning forwards and trapping you under his hefty weight. You’re not uncomfortable you find, a part of you knowing he’d never actually hurt you in the first place. 

That still doesn’t stop you from wriggling under his chest and laughing softly as you try to put up a convincing upset voice and failing.

“G-get off me you big goof! C’mon no fair using your size against me here.”

“Y’all know what was gonna happen if ya wanted ta spend tha night here darlin~ Don’t worry y’all wont be stuck for long…Just long enough for me ta have some fun.”

“W-wait what does that mean exactly?”

“Why this of course~!”

This, being him nuzzling into your neck and face with a hearty laugh filled hum. A few kisses here and there left you beet red and squirming with laughter at how ticklish his beard was against your soft skin.

Eventually he did relent the love filled assault and shifted to simply lay down properly in bed with you tucked against him. Your chest felt tight..but it wasn’t from worry or anxiety anymore..But it was a feeling you were happy to feel for a moment or two before nuzzling into his side with a huff.

“..thank you again, for..today. I really needed it I think.”

“Anytime darlin, anytime~ Ya need a lil love and care again jus come find me and we’ll take care of things..”

“..there anything I can do to repay you though?”

“Just stayin here with me, n runnin inta my big strong arms when ya need me is more than enough my lil sweetpea..trust me, it’s more than enough.”

He cups your face once more and places a gentle kiss to your forehead with a tender affection filled smile.

“Now get some rest for me alright? I’ll make sure ya sleep well..”

“Alright..g’night.”

“G’night sweetpea, sweet dreams.”