Treepano

Even now the pain continues, rebuilt again. Dying four times over only to come back immediately afterwards has probably done some things to his mind, but he’s not entirely sure what outside of the increased sensitivity to his environment. He had to turn down the inputs to his helmet manually over time, setting it back to how it had been as a Maverick hunter makes everything too loud and bright. Nothing of his original appearance below his helmet remains, everything he prided himself in outside of his skill faded to time. Yet Myrtle still insisted on loving him, so he did the same. She complimented him quite often, some physical, some not and it always caught him off guard. 

“I like your heels, they look really cool on you. It makes kissing harder but honestly I think it’s worth it, I can probably just wear one of my platform shoes to fix that anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.” Her voice cuts through his thoughts, bringing him present to the moment. “Thank you.” Vile looks away for a moment, bringing a smile to Myrtle’s lips. Sitting with her for a moment Vile looks at her hands in her lap, and the silver ring on her right hand. Something he still had to take a double take to make sure it was real, and that he wasn't dreaming everything. After being rebuilt the second or third time while tired and hardly thinking at first he popped the question to her, only to be stunned and surprised when she immediately answered yes.

Both immediately looked away from each other that night, only Myrtle's red flushed face being visible in the moonlight. Knowing his own situation would make the work harder to do on his own, Myrtle proposed working together on the rings and such rather than apart. Something he didn't regret agreeing with, not that he would admit it to a single soul. He might've been drunk when he asked as well, but he's not entirely sure as he seemed quite lucid in his memories. Not that it mattered much, as they still followed through anyway. Something he remembered was Myrtle vocalized fears about such a move, and what it would mean for her. Though that night she had admitted that he made her feel a little safer and comfortable with it, a moment he never expected to share with anyone.

In the process she ensured they also had neckless chains for their rings just in case. something he didn’t entirely understand at first, until she explained to him how they were impractical in mundane tasks like doing the dishes; or even fighting, and how the chains allowed them to keep their rings close to their heart in those situations. No excuse to fully take them off, lack of chance that his ring would make him get caught easier or anyone mistaking Myrtle to be single; combined with the fact it secretly made him feel less alone, Vile quickly lost any interest in complaining. In a way, the concept also appealed to his more jealous and possessive traits, Myrtle probably knew it would.

Myrtle’s choice of a witness made it even more amusing, since Zero naturally didn't go alone just in case, so by the end of it all Vile got to kiss Myrtle in front of X again. Although the lack of disgust was a little disappointing, Vile didn't think too hard about it. Myrtle’s touch brings Vile out of his thoughts of the past, relaxed peacefully into his side. No attempt to reach to try and touch him or anything, Myrtle is clearly just tired and soaking in any comfort she can get from Vile. She was already so cheesy at times, but it was almost endearing in a way. He remembers the way they met better than he expected, memories he expected to lose with the amount of stuff he’s gone through since then.

Myrtle had been working for the maverick hunters for a long while by that time, someone tried to take her hostage to get under the captain’s skin. Yet like always Mirtle fought and struggled with all her might, eventually biting them and managing to slip away. She charged straight to Sigma’s side and held her fists up, fully prepared to keep fighting even then. “Worry about introducing us later, I’d rather make sure he doesn’t hurt another person like that, or do something worse.” spoke Myrtle lowly, wanting nothing more than for the person who hurt her to be taken care of swiftly. They were introduced properly afterwards, as Myrtle had requested.

It wouldn’t be the last time she ended up in such a position but she always kept on fighting, refusing to ever give up in such a situation. A trait of her own she admitted finding attractive in him, amongst other rambles. Speaking of which Myrtle starts talking to him again. “I love how you keep trying, even in spite of everything; how you talk about simple things like the sky, and find metaphors within its vast blue expanse.” Myrtle breathes an inhale, taking a pause for a moment before continuing. “The way you laugh when you’re genuinely happy, and not relying purely on your sadistic tendencies for it; when you bounce back up when I fear you would fall, every time it makes me feel relieved.”

“You’re quite strong, and I really like the firm hugs you give sometimes, even though I know that’s not what you intended originally; I love you.” he’s unsure how to react to it, familiar but still not entirely sure on a response of his own outside of his own emotions. “...I love you too.” Vile practically has to force the words out of his mouth, genuinely finding it hard to say it for some reason. Why was it so hard to say? Such a stupid struggle of his, that’s all Vile sees it as, a stupid struggle. But the smile and cheek kiss it earns from Myrtle, makes pushing himself out of his comfort zone for just a moment all the more worth it. “Can we just stay like this for a bit longer?”

Nodding Myrtle relaxes in place, she quite liked the idea. During the early years of their relationship Myrtle wasn’t a reploid, she was human at one point. At the time she commented about people calling her movements unnatural and strange, finding peace at Hunter HQ from the lack of judgement she felt there. When Myrtle called herself clumsy after they were properly introduced, he didn’t believe her at first especially after seeing her fight just fine on her own earlier. But when he saw her in her more casual state around Maverick hunter HQ, it made more and more sense.

Myrtle noticeably struggled with certain tasks around base but still tried everything in her power to do them, the caveat being it often led to her spending hours trying to sweep the floor and similar tasks. The closer and closer he got to her the more he found himself pointing her struggles to the commander, pushing for her to be properly accommodated, when she found out she thanked him but asked to not be left in the dark the next time, wanting to help push for it rather than depend on his input. At the time X had yet to join the hunters, and Zero wouldn’t show up for a few more years.

He learned a lot of things from her after that, it was the first time he noticed her differing view on him; a view different from not just his own, but the views of most around HQ. in a way it was interesting to witness, how her brain being wired differently than most humans caused such a differing outlook. It was that determined fire in her that allowed them to progress, the part of her that keeps trying and moving forward, even when the odds were stacked against Myrtle. From there Vile became familiar with each struggle, as Myrtle would occasionally go to him for help if she knew he was capable of assisting.

Never was it related to fighting or being strong most of the time, usually asking for help getting things shelves she was struggling to reach, and other mundane tasks that occasionally required assistance. At first he thought it was a little annoying, but then Vile realized that Myrtle kept asking him out of trust, amongst other things. The way those hazel eyes would gaze at him so soft and gentle, back then he almost lost himself in their greenish gray depths. An interestingly unique color she had even back as a human, they appeared blue or fully hazel at first glance; yet in reality they were somewhere in between, in some instances they occasionally appeared brown or green in some lighting.

Yet some things don’t last forever, Vile panicked when her time as a human came to an end. A situation that still caused a tightness in his chest, every time he returned after dying. Because there was a time where their situations were reversed, and it made Vile feel awful to put Myrtle through that pain again and again. 

Soot caked the air as flames dissipated Vile rushes over to where Myrtle was, allowing Sigma and the rest of the unit with him to worry about the maverick that had taken over this old abandoned factory. Strawberry blonde splayed out on the floor, Myrtle was unusually pale; her body was still warm but he didn’t check her heart beat, so he assumed– 

“Vile.” Myrtle’s voice cuts through snapping him from the thoughts of the old memory, her touch is gentle, she looks concerned. “Are you okay? You were starting to panic.” Admittedly he didn’t even realize his own reaction, Myrtle stands up and walks off only to quickly return with a glass of water, which she hands to him to drink. “Sorry just thought of that night again, the one in Glendsvale.” In turn Myrtle’s expression softens even more, she takes a seat next to Vile with a saddened expression. “Even though it’s not my fault, and I know it’s not… I still feel bad about you having to see that. I never wanted you to worry about my mortality like that, though in knowing I still made that part in my will; mostly I was hoping that even if it failed, maybe whatever was discovered in the process would be able to help give another a chance at life.”

It was a truthfulness he was familiar with from Myrtle, she didn’t fear her own mortality like most; so it was less about preserving herself and more about helping others, along with worry about her loved ones after the loss. At one point she mentioned wanting to be a mortician, to help others find peace with such topics, a dream she still hasn’t given up and instead still strives for. “I know, it’s alright. I didn’t want you to get hurt there either, can’t help but think of what could have changed if we were faster.” shaking her head Myrtle rests a hand on Vile’s shoulder, before deciding later to just fully pull him into her arms. Hesitantly he wrapped a free arm around her, a simple form of comfort she taught him when she first saw him panic.

Something he learned to do for her as well, when she went through similar anxiety at times. “I don’t think it would have, he wanted to hurt at least one of your group to slow all of you down. In a way that’s why I rarely asked for anyone to save me, or act like it was something grand to be rewarded. A part of me knew that it was an unrealistic expectation to always expect rescue, so I made sure to always take matters into my own hands if I could.” the way she rubs along his back as an additional comforting gesture to soothe, even now she’s doing her best to be so soft and kind to him.