[SIDESTORY] Morbit Oneshots

[skinstealer]

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Sick Day- 2019
Ringor Mortis, Punch Clock Animal/General Morbit
Content Warnings:

Show ContentSpoiler:

Sexual abuse implications (nothing explicit), torture mentions, mind control implications

Bucket and Chelsea spend a day sick in bed.

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It was a cold winter day in Solitude, snow falling and starting to lightly cover the ground. Chelsea couldn’t help but feel intimidated as she approached the manor doors, Spit having dumped her at the entrance without slowing down the truck. Both she and Rein had business to attend to outside of their zones, and as usual, Chelsea was to be left here with Bucket...this time, for the first time in a long while, completely alone. Aside from the attendants, anyway- but they always made themselves scarce with Chelsea around anyway. 

The halls seemed particularly empty as she walked, unable to keep herself from grimacing at the lavish decor. No amount of busts and paintings were enough for that serpentine bastard, and the idea of Bucket having to see its face no matter where they went made her feel even sicker than she already was. Spit didn’t seem to care that she had come down with something, but that came as no surprise to the demon. 

After god knows how much wandering, Chelsea finally managed to flag down an attendant and ask where Bucket was, trying not to look as unsettled by their bindings. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as the attendant told her that Bucket was in the quarters where they stayed with Rein- not Rein’s quarters, no, that was specifically for it. The fact that Bucket had a room where it could visit them whenever it pleased, whenever it demanded-

No. There’s no time for that. Just...focus on visiting Bucket.

Chelsea tapped her claws on the door, getting no response- Bucket had sunken deeply into the center mass of the python sized bed inside, and had no intention of getting up for any kind of attendant knocking at the door. 

The karacel poked her head into the room, wobbling a little and doing her best to keep her voice even. "...Bucket, you in here?"

They made a vague sound in response, head buried in a pillow.

Chelsea covered her mouth as she walked in, trying not to cough. "Are you okay...? You didn't come greet me at the door- n-not that you have to, of course..."

She was startled to hear that Bucket's voice was just as hoarse as her own, if not moreso. "It appears a bug has spread across the area in general... I'm taking a day off. Join me?"

"You too?" She sat on the edge of the bed, looking more flushed than usual. "Something's going around Spit's base..."

"It is around the time of flu season, yes?"

"I wouldn't know, I have a hard time keeping track of time even when I'm relatively healthy."

"Are you worried?"

"I'm always worried Bucket, how much depends on what you're asking about."

"Are you worried Spit has spread a plague?"

Chelsea snorted, not humorously at all. "If Spit made a plague, it'd be nastier than a cough and fever."

"That is true, it doesn't read as anything more than a few sanitary mistakes."

"Probably just some sacrifice brought in with a bad case of the flu-" She paled, realizing the bluntness of what she just said. "Sorry, you- you don't need to hear about that."

"I know about Spit's more... unfortunate habits.  I assure you, I'm not bothered by you addressing the possibility."

"I don't want you thinking of that when you look at me, though."

"It has never been the first thing to come up."

"What is, then?"

"A reminder that I do have a trustworthy person in my life."

The pink returned to Chelsea's face just as quickly as it left, this time not because of the flu. "You're giving me too much credit."

"I mean what I say."

"When it comes to words that describe me, trustworthy isn't that high up there."

"You're the one I'd apply it to most."

She frowned, unable to wrap her head around it. "And what if this...this kind of calm we have, being gentle like this...what if it goes away every time I step back out the door?"

"What do you mean?"

"As soon as I leave here, I have to go back to Spit, and being her..." She struggled for a word, everything sounding horrible and crude in her head.

"I don't think you any worse for it."

"You would if you saw the blood on my hands in person."

"I am a knight, I cannot judge others for the bloodshed required of a job."

"How many people do you have to torture out on the job, then?"

"Chelsea..."

"...sorry. Too far."

They sighed and made room on the bed, patting the space beside them. "Please come join me and rest."

Chelsea laid herself down and scooted over, still awkward and uncomfortable after her last quip.

"If something is bothering you lately, we can talk. I care about you and... I do not wish for you to feel bad."

"I don't want you to have to play therapist for me, let alone when you're sick."

"We're taking care of each other."

"All I'm doing is just...being here."

"We're resting."

"I want to do more for you than that!" Chelsea sat upright, startled by her own outburst. "I mean. If there is anything that'd help you. If you wanted."

"You do enough...Can I try something?"

"Go ahead."

Bucket nuzzled up to her, getting comfortable. "Is this okay?"

Chelsea nodded, looking like she was going to combust and feeling just as heated. "I, ah...yes. Yes, this is okay. Yeah."

They leaned in toward her cheek. "Do tell me if it's too much."

"No, I- this is good."

Their mouth got a little close.

Chelsea pulled away, only to sneeze. "Shit, sorry-"

"It's alright." Bucket couldn't help but worry as Chelsea wiped her nose, terrified that it was too much.

"Just-" Chelsea sneezed again, covering her face as best she could. "Sorry, I'm okay."

They reached for her hand. "You're alright."

"I'm gross is what I am...if you weren't sick already I'd advise you stay back."

"I'm not afraid... you know I do have a knight's trick for checking health."

"Go ahead, though I can guarantee the results are gonna be worrying."

"It requires a bit of direct contact. It's a rather old timey trick." They leaned in. "If you would..."

Hold on, hold on a sec-

"...are you asking for a kiss?"

"It's a legitimate method... though I would not be opposed."

"I mean...are you sure? I'm not even- I'm not good at kissing and what if Rein finds out and-"

"Rein isn't around and... if I'm honest, I think it's messing with my head...."

"Wait, what?" Her brow furrowed, all thoughts of kissing Bucket replaced with worry and the slightest tinge of anger. "Messing with your head how?"

"It's hard to say, I do not know how but... I feel lighter around it. I do not want to accuse it of anything, I don't think it ever would do something but.... part of me wonders if that's my own thought."

"Lighter, as in, happier lighter?"

"Maybe? It's not normal happy..."

"You know my opinion of Rein- I don't want to pretend there isn't bias, though."

"Can.... Can Rein do something like that though? Am I paranoid?"

"..." Chelsea sighed hard. "You called me trustworthy earlier, but...I haven't been upfront with you about what Rein can do. What I've seen it do."

"Tell me."

"I've seen it talk Spit down from her rage fits, using only its voice...I just...never thought- I never hoped it'd use that on you."

"....Has it done so?"

"I don't know."

"Would it?"

"...."

"Chelsea?"

"You know I don't trust it."

"I want to confront it but... what if it isn't? What if I hurt its feelings? What if it did but convinces me otherwise anyway?"

"Why care about its feelings if it's controlling you?"

Shit, don't let the bias show too much.

They frowned, clearly left worried over this entire possible situation. "Is it? Would it really do that to me?"

"Gods'll do anything to get their goals...even the nice looking ones." She avoided eye contact. "I'm sorry."

"But what would it want with me?"

"I don't know the situation well enough to say. I mean...I know I kind of avoid talking about Rein. Ever."

 "We're talking about it now."

"Because you need it, and because if I shoved it away for my own stupid reasons I'd be even more selfish than I already am."

"Please don't ever fear speaking your mind."

"Has it ever..." She shook her head. "It's...I don't even want to ask. I don't want it to treat you like Spit treats me, but...I have to know."

"It... never went out of its way to hurt me...."

"But it did hurt you, then."

"No but it all felt odd... it never seemed interested and then suddenly was and it seemed okay..."

"Seemed?"

"I don't know anymore..."

Chelsea shuffled a bit, unsure of how to comfort them, but desperately wanting to. Bucket needed her right now, even if she was scraggly and horrible-

"....Would it be too much to ask for a hug right now?"

"You're never too much." She leaned over and pulled them into the best embrace she could manage. "Never."

Bucket hugged her back, warm and inviting. "I'm glad we're alone for the day, I would not have mustered the courage to bring this up if either Rein or Spit were around.... I do worry I may have dropped a burden on your mind."

"I mean...it worries me, of course it does. I wish I was more surprised than I am, but I've been in this job too long for that. I just hoped I was wrong."

"You can always bring up your concerns... I wish you did earlier but I'm glad to know now they may not be invalid worries."

"I thought it was just my biases talking, that maybe you were happy with it and I was just. Jealous."

"Do you still feel that way?"

She tried to say something but nothing came out, settling for a nod instead.

They gave her a squeeze.

"Are you going to be okay, Bucket? After I'm gone, I mean."

They nodded. "I'll manage my best... I do want to take advantage of what time we have this visit as much as possible."

"We're both snotty messes, though. Can't exactly get up to much like this."

They nuzzled up. "If we're gross, we're gross and the world will have to bite the bullet."

"I haven't even had a shower yet, you're gonna get all greasy-" She couldn't help but smile all the same.

"I really don't mind."

She rested her head against their shoulder, trying to calm down her heartbeat. "If you say so."

"I mean it."

She shifted slightly, throat run dry. "And did you mean it about, uh...earlier?"

"Yes."

"With the kissing." Her voice got quieter with every word.

The dog leaned in. "If you would..."

She hesitated for just a moment before leaning in to meet their kiss. Bucket's tail went off, wagging hard enough for Chelsea to notice even before she pulled away.

"D-did I do alright?"

"You did perfect."

"T-thank you." She buried her face into their chest fluff, trying to hide how much blush had crept onto her face.

"I... like you a lot. It's been on my mind for too long."

She had to be dreaming this. There was no way this was happening. Nope.

"I just really hope this is okay."

Chelsea tried to snap out of her own thoughts and worries, stumbling over her words. "It's okay! It's very okay, just...it's...I'm...shit, give me a second."

"Need to take it in?"

She nodded, still hiding her face.

"Are you really so nervous?"

"Yyyeah. Yes."

"What would help you?"

"I'm just half convinced this is a fever dream, and I'm going to wake up back at Spit's."

"It's not a dream."

"If it isn't a dream, that's...honestly scarier, because I know I'm going to screw it all up. I'm not good at this, the only experience I have with anything remotely like this is a god fucking me up, not with someone gentle and strong and-" She exhaled hard.

"You're not going to mess anything up. We've known each other so long that frankly I couldn't see it."

"...it's dangerous for you, too. If Spit or Rein were to find out, they already hate how we're close enough as is..."

"I won't let them figure it out."

"You'd be risking everything you've worked for."

"I'd certainly still be in demand."

"Your reputation-"

"Will take more than Rein's slander to strike down."

Something in Chelsea boiled over, something raw and overwhelming. "I'm infamous, Bucket! I, I work with a cult, I'm one of the faces of it- you know I don't want to be, you know I want to get away from it desperately, to be seen as anything else- but I'm not. I torture and kill people, innocent people, because if I don't, the hellhound that put this collar on my neck will force my hand and do it for me, and I'm too much of a coward to fight against her anymore...I don't know how to win against someone who can stop my heart and twist my intestines whenever she cuts deep enough. And..."

She tried to catch her breath.

"I don't know if I'll ever get away from that. I don't think she'll ever let me...so I'm only going to get worse, to look more and more depraved to the outside world. That's what you'd be associating with, if you ever got found out. That's...that's what you'd be loving."

"If we are discovered, I have plenty to fall back on. If we are found, I do not regret taking part in this at all. Nay, I will commit to whatever fallout may come of this. Those without loyalties, principles, or any goal toward the bonds they've grown are cowards. I refuse to be one, especially not for how long you have stood with me. You are my dearest friend, my most trustworthy ally, the keeper of many of my secrets and thoughts I share not with the rest of the world. Should you accept me, I refuse to stand down from this regardless of whom I must twist my blade into in order to keep us both safe. One day they will know, and until then we try to keep our heads down.. but when that time comes I will stand by this against all odds."

Chelsea couldn't help but sniffle.

"I mean all of it."

"I-it's so much to wrap my head around..." She was struggling to keep her voice even, claws digging just the slightest bit into Bucket's back.

Bucket pulled her in for another kiss, more bold now. Chelsea didn't hesitate this time, squeezing her closest friend tight.

The dog pulled back away and smiled through all the sick and gross between the two of them. "Do not think too hard about it. This is real... and I'm glad it is."

In that moment, Chelsea had never felt more grateful for a sick day.