#torridheat

ten timesout of nine, I know you’re lying

revvin’ upyour engine

i don’t knowwhat to say

i thought Iknew you better than I do but hey, whatever

Steadying themself to their feet, they carefully traced their fingers along the walls and found themself in front of the door leading to Felix’s room. Behind this door wasn’t the hero that had signed into Overwatch. There was no short-tempered prankster with a fiery attitude at this time of night. Maybe during the daylight hours, where the sun peaked, he would be found in this area, cheerfully chatting away. With light and heat came his confidence, but during sleep he found nothing but heartache and trauma. It was an unfortunate day-to-night cycle, but one that they found themselves in nonetheless.

Theta carefully knocked, and that knock pushed the door open just a tad more than it’d already been. It startled the figure that’d been lying in bed, only barely asleep. It was clear that he hadn’t been getting much rest.

“Felix?” Theta called in, making their voice as gentle as they could. They’d seen this all too many times. “Are you okay?”

He was quiet, steadily pushing himself into a sitting position, metal hands lying in his lap. There was sweat beading on his forehead, and his shoulders were quivering. It must have been a bad one.

“Hey, talk to me.” Theta moved into the room, limbs clicking a bit as they walked to the bed and sat down by him. These past few days had been hard on Felix, they’d thought. They moved a hand up and pressed it against his back, moving it in small circles.

Felix’s voice shook when he spoke. “I need a hug,” was all he said.

Theta wasn’t built for hugging. They were made of metal, with hard edges and nothing remotely soft. That didn’t matter to him, though. They pulled him into a hug, and Felix put his head on their shoulder. Quietly, Theta reassured him.

“You are safe.”

“You are okay.”

“You won’t ever lose me.”

Never.

I don’t even know how to respond to this one ok you beat me.

We’re roomies cmon Theta you can be honest with me if you’re looking up robo porn it’s fine there’s no shame here.

have you been looking at porn again

Wh

You

Lesson, everything is a lesson, he thinks, all bruises, all scars. Drip-drip, blood congealing on wood flooring, fallen from a busted lip, or an open wound in his shoulder. He thinks Osiris reminds him a bit of Reyes; could make anyone sing if he had an hour with them, a fold up chair and a dark room. During his time in Blackwatch, he’d seen plenty of people choking on their teeth at his hand, but Reyes hadn’t been in the business of enacting that sort of thing on their own.  

“You’ve got a real breaking-and-entering problem, man.” The familiar voice catches him off guard, but he doesn’t startle, or ready for a fight. “Mm,” he agrees softly.

He stills in the empty shop, some family owned business with gaudy carpeting and rows of old furniture. Rohan hardly looks at him, tense and exhausted. He sniffs wetly, tastes copper around his teeth. “Don’t want to fight right now, Rusty.” He sighs, shoulder slumping against the wall. “Maybe another time, right?” Bruised ribs scream for attention in his aching chest, and he relents, slow in his slide down the wall to the floor.  

Sear seems to hesitate, but then takes careful steps forward, eyeing the injuries warily. The snake of fire on his arms simmers out.

Cagey sparrow, broken wings. He reels back from Sear without thinking, back pressed to the wall. The other hesitates instantly, hand hovering in open air for a tense moment before it slowly lowers. He relaxes in turn, silently observing the other. 

“…That looks pretty bad,” The note of concealed concern in Sear’s voice makes him pause to lilt his head in the other’s direction. 

“What do you care?” He rasps with a laugh, and Sear pauses, scoffing with faint humour.

“Mate, let’s be clear, I don’t, but you’re bleeding on the upholstery. You don’t even live here.” 

“That’s….fair”

Silence hangs in static, dusty air while Sear offers a jacket to press against the wound in his shoulder. “…What are you gonna do, cauterize it?” He seemed to reconsider his own words, quickly scrambling for something else to say. “Wait but actually don’t–” Sear sighs an exasperated response, sitting back and rolling his eyes.