CALL ME OUT

[bootyhunter]

CALL ME OUT:

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Currently writing Dandy (Space Dandy) / Rex Splode (Invincible) / and Simon Laurent (Infinity Train)

bootyhunter / himbomb / incelligent



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*Note: Sakamoto Tatsuma (Gintama) kaihentai and Asher Millstone (How to Get Away With Murder) moneyballer available on request



Also voicetesting Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc) googlybear / Eddy (Ed, Edd, n' Eddy) edboy / Reagan Ridley (Inside Job) madcryentist / Abdul Ali (Squid Game) aitbaar / Portia Davenport (Search Party) portialain / Elliot Goss (Search Party) confabulous / Fleabag (Fleabag) feminitwit / Johnny Bravo (Johny Bravo) pretteh / and Joel Hammond (Santa Clarita Diet) screechy

Comments

[incinerhater]

Oh!

[Flambae gets up immediately as Robert turns away. This is a lesson in communicating effectively and properly, they know each other, but Flambae is one of the least likely teammates to be intimate or vulnerable with anyone on the job. Anything outside of pesky blathering is saved for moments that are off the air, shared for people he really trusts, and that takes a long time and a lot of shared understanding.]

Waitwaitwait, fuck, h-hey-

[He whistles unfortunately, not really helping the dog allegations, but it was something his father used to do when trying to round up a rowdy hoard of fire-powered children. He doesn't block the door, knowing just how awful and terrifying that might be to someone of Robert's stature, instead taking one of the dispatcher's hands and gently tugging him backwards if he's allowed.]

I don't think it'll be good if you go back there, especially if you end up alone.

I'm a little scared you will end up drinking too much and slow dancing with the fucking suit.

[Ugh... Honesty is bullshit.]

I'm very happy you're here, Robert. Really! It's just that, you know, I try to smile as little as possible, because-

[He gestures with the free hand to one of the sides of his face.]

The line-age you get from all that? Very unglamorous.

You don't need to be fixing me up for me to...

[Feel joy just from being around you.

A spark of fire. Happy warmth, the kind that doesn't burn.

Flambae swallows hard.]

Feel good, or whatever.

Are you okay?

[He asks because, in all fairness, he was not happy with how some of their teammates spoke to him today. Oh, woof. Sonar was right, he is whipped.]

[bobbob]

[ They clearly have some work to do on the communication front. Robert isn't really surprised, so he doesn't know why he also feels kind of disappointed. He's new to this, he can't just expect to be good at it. He's not even sure that Flambae is good at it, and it seems like he has all the experience one could hope for.

Though he lets his hand be taken and his body pulled away from the door, he frowns at the firestarter and how he imagines Robert spending his free time alone in his so-called apartment. ]

Hey, fuck you.

[ He would definitely drink too much. He would not dance with the suit. The suit is very, very expensive!

Robert watches Flambae, listens to him, and tries to decide how he feels at the moment. He isn't mad exactly, but he had been scared when the man he happens to care about just left without saying anything, refused to say anything. There was no stopping the flashbacks of Chase's body just crumpling to the ground, of being unsure whether he would ever wake up from that hospital bed. He doesn't want to have to sit by uselessly while another person in his life just slips away. But maybe they aren't at the stage where he can express this yet either. He definitely over-worried about this situation, and that's embarrassing, but helping Flambae clean up his injuries is just the way Robert wanted to show his care.

It's frustrating, and inevitably it's the frustration that comes out because he and Flambae need to be antagonizing each other at least once a day in order to function. ]

Can you just — talk to me for once instead of telling me how my dog shits outside or your face is turning ugly—

[ He is well aware of the former. The latter is also simply not true. Robert doesn't even think he's ugly with his body in the state its in.

Not that he expects Flambae to suddenly break down and talk at work, but where's the audience right now? It's just Robert. ]

I feel fucking- [ silly. insane. like he's just come down from an anxiety attack that never even happened. ] I'm fine. You're fine. That's all I needed to know.

[ That Flambae is referring to how the team spoke to him doesn't even occur to him. That's normal... ]

I'll stay if you want me to.

[incinerhater]

[Those eyebrows of his rise and fall with the swearing. Flambae himself is surprised by the abject lack of anger he experiences in response to that. Before with Robert, their rapport had always been hostile, true, but he's coming to understand that there may have been good reason for that even outside of his own bad behavior. Maybe in a world where he's constantly being cut down, it was a way to push back.

Even if it wasn't always safe to do so.

He lets Robert speak, watching him carefully, giving him a little space to be angry before closing in on some of the distance between them. It should be noted that he is still being tepid about things and taking the time to suss things out.]

I am sorry that life has been so unkind to you and your loved ones, Robert.

[He lost his father, the mother has hardly ever been mentioned, and Robert has been fighting an ugly, uphill battle by himself for over a decade. He's been humiliated on the news by the very people he's run himself ragged to protect, and so this must feel especially daunting.

God, putting himself in the smaller, uglier shoes of other people is so exhausting...

But it is productive. And if Flambae truly wants to change, this is the first step.]

I do not like doing poorly.

Not at what I am supposed to be good at.

I know, it sounds foolish, but... I was worried I had embarrassed you. My feelings, they are a lot when they are happening, and then I'll cool off and try and forget about shit.

You can tend to me if you'd like.

[He almost says that tomorrow morning, most of the work will be unnecessary, but it may be best if Robert finds that out himself.]

If I really feel like I am dying-

[He knows that things are not this easy. In their line of work, sometimes it's just over. A wayward explosion, a freak accident. A bad reaction to a new chemical irritant, and the list goes on.]

I promise I will do my best to try and kiss you first.

I wouldn't want to leave you without saying goodbye.

[bobbob]

[ Robert isn't used to hearing words like that.

"I am sorry that life has been so unkind to you and your loved ones, Robert."

No one says that to him or to Mecha Man. They thank him with stupid parades or ribbon cutting or sometimes nothing at all. But they don't really care about him or what he thinks or who or what he's lost along the way to saving them all from innumerable disasters. That kind of concern hasn't even seriously crossed his mind as something he's needed or desired.

But when Flambae says that, Robert just sort of looks like he's been struck across the face. Wide-eyed, a bit lost, like he's gotten the wind knocked out of him and he's one tiny thread away from being unable to breathe. What a silly, weak thing to crumble for. Yet, he feels understood for the first time in a really, really long time.

He'd just wanted it to be okay that he was worried, and hearing an answer like that makes it feel like Flambae is giving him that. Crazy.

He's speechless for a few moments, even as Flambae continues. Of course he isn't embarrassed that the man got hurt, not even a little bit. Robert is hurt all the time, as himself and as Mecha Man. He literally got the entire suit destroyed, so he can hardly feel shame for someone else taking a stumble. Somehow he'll have to make sure that Flambae gets that. But for the moment, he closes a little more of the space, makes a fist and sets it lightly against the man's broad chest.

He wants to grab a handful of fabric for good measure, but the damn suit is painted on.

Oh well. ]

Don't ... say things like that, idiot.

[ But he'd needed to hear it. ]

I don't want you to humor me, just— [ His free hand goes once again to the side of Flambae's face, very lightly ghosting against the scratches he got there. If it's pointless to tend to it, he doesn't want to be patronized. He really is just glad that Flambae is okay enough to say stupid shit and also not to just keep Robert on the other side of a locked door. Seriously! It's enough. ]

I'm embarrassed I worried about your stupid face so much, not because you got hurt. [ He huffs. ] I'm glad you're okay.

[incinerhater]

[His body moves before Flambae registers that it does, one arm wrapping around Robert's waist instinctively. He hates seeing him so small, so affected. Flambae says a lot about Robert being tiny or malnourished but it is to the former hero's credit that despite every odd stacked against him he still has manage to stand as tall as possible.

A part of him dimly registers that perhaps this might be it. In all of his attempt on Robert's life, maybe this is what he really wanted. The chance to hold him close, to touch him, and to be held in such high regard by someone he had never really managed to shun from his mind.

He lightly rubs up and down the hand that's balled as a fist against his chest, snaking his palm upwards and over Robert's jaw. Flambae offers Robert the slightest flinch when those scratches are touched, but he does allow it.

It feels as though Robert is running over punctures in his soul, something deeper. As though he's fingering the holes in Flambae's destructive ego.]

Well, of course you were worried about that.

[Here, he'll try to be a little jokey.

However, with the way he is cupping Robert's cheek like that, none of the tenderness is meant to be taken as a joke.]

If it doesn't look nice, how are you supposed to enjoy finishing on it later?

[He says this and it's true he will allow it but... Not unless his hair is properly tied back.]

Okay, okay, I will keep all the bumming the fuck out to a minimum moving forward, but...

It's okay to be concerned for me, Robert.

[Said quickly, without any inkling that he has paused to consider it:]

I think about you all the time.

[bobbob]

[ Now if only they knew that they were each looking at the other and thinking about how they looked so small in these fragile moments. It's nice though, that Flambae has come forward to hold him. It feels ... right. It feels like something he's desired. More importantly, it feels like maybe it's something that Flambae has wanted too. And maybe they're a couple of idiots but they seem to be idiots together.

Robert doesn't let his fingers linger long over the scratches, but he does smirk softly at the jokes. Of course they can't go five minutes without something silly sneaking in. Now that he's feeling less like a ticking time bomb, he doesn't mind it. ]

Yeah, too bad we have to wait for that to heal. Doesn't look like I'll be doing any of that tonight.

[ Since, you know, Flambae has his big strong healing factor to kick in over night or whatever. Sometimes, this man really is a bitch named Robert. But that seems fair!

More seriously, he raises his brows a bit as it's admitted Flambae thinks about him all the time. Now Robert feels like he's the one who could burst into flames right now. Thankfully he's pretty good at looking unaffected. On the outside at least. Inside, his stomach is doing flip flops and his heart is fluttering like a sped up hummingbird. Why was that said so casually, like it was nothing? It's not even remotely close to nothing ... ]

You ... do.

[ His mild confusion turns into that weird, dazed sort of lovesickness again as warmth blooms from his chest. For once it's not because Flambae is standing so close he's radiating heat like a sauna. It's just because Robert feels strangely loved.

So what else can he do but stand forward on his feet a bit so he can lean up and kiss the man. ]

[incinerhater]

[Flambae isn't given too much tie to stew in his own embarrassment, and if he was, he'd be grateful that Robert doesn't know for just how long that statement has applied. The worst of it transpired while he was imprisoned. When he should have been ecstatic to see his family and grateful for the privilege of being released, he had found himself clamoring at the chance to finally settle the score with MechaMan, that is, if he ever got to see him again.

Robert's reaction, or rather, his initial lack of one, frightens Flambae momentarily. Then he's kissed and all is right again, only his stomach lurches. He returns the kiss with an added aggressive fervor, grabbing Robert's face like he wants to devour him entirely, which to be fair isn't far from the truth in a carnal sense. When the kiss breaks, he gazes at Robert with a mixture of compassion and quiet agony, one hand still on a freckled cheek while the other is still latched around his waist.

Flambae is tempted to press their foreheads together, but seeing as his own is bleeding slightly, he resists.]

Yeah, a lot.

[The closer he looks, the sadder he gets.

There is some self-awareness beneath piles and piles of abject buffoonery, that deep down where he is, he may not deserve Robert's affection but he can certainly do his best to stand by him.]

The first-aid kit is in one of the drawers beneath the medicine cabinet.

Under the bathroom sink?

[He pauses, thinking carefully.]

Their might be a little hair on the floor?

[As he was not necessarily anticipating company...]

I would have cleaned it up if I knew you were-

[cue some imcomprehensible flambae blathering]

I'm not an animal, okay? Well, I guess I am, but only in the sack, alright?

[bobbob]

[ Robert wants to know how long that statement has applied, and he might bring it up. But that's for later. For now he's just happy to hear it, and it feels good and right to be in Flambae's arms like this, to kiss him like he means it and to get such an eager response in return. He could stay like this all evening, probably.

But what's more important is taking care of Flambae. Apparently, since the other man wants it now.

His lip curves up in the slightest of smiles, fingers finally relaxing out of that fist he's kept on the too-large-to-be-okay chest. ]

Alright. Get comfortable, then. I'll be right back.

[ He has to slip away from the nice and tender touches in order to fetch the first aid kit. It's a bummer, but surely it will be made up for in no time. The dispatcher definitely does stop at the blathering though and tries very hard not to laugh about it. Some hair on the floor....... please ]

Relax, it's alright. I'm sure I've seen worse.

[ And he goes off to find the stuff!

Though honestly, he would like to find out what kind of animal Flambae is in the sack. But showing him some TLC first and foremost is very important to Robert. ]

[incinerhater]

[The animal Flambae thinks he is in the sack versus the animal he really is.

Anyway, Flambae will do exactly as instructed (for once) and get comfortable. unfortunately, his version of comfortable is still heavily styled and nearly butt-naked.

At least, on the second date.

Like some kind of tacky photo in a seventies male nudie mag, Flambae has stripped down to his (super)underwear, which is essentially a black g-string with a few garter straps attached to it. The idiot hothead is sprawled out on a clean beach towel he has managed to drape over his bed, sporting those stupid orange Oakleys and posing on his side as though he's modeling for a sunscreen commercial. There's various bruises all over his body from the fight, with the darkest ones being on his left shoulder, right ankle, and upper thigh. He has a large gash diagonally across his chest, stemming from the right shoulder to the left hip, five-pronged, and definitely from something resembling resembling a wildcat paw. also do i have to describe that he is pretty hairy like. i can if you would like merry. hairy, but groomed. hairy, but make it hygiene.

Go ahead, Robert. Ask him about the goofy little rings and strings attached to his cock-sock.]

[bobbob]

[ It is actually a bit embarrassing that Robert is almost blindsided by the sight he returns to when he's out of the bathroom (if there was hair on the floor he didn't even notice). When he told Flambae to get comfortable, what else could he expect but this? The beach towel and glasses are both a little wild, but the rest should definitely have been expected. ]

O...kay, that's —

[ Well, before he can comment about the beach roleplay, his eyes go over the bruises and especially the gash across Flambae's chest, and he clutches the first aid kit to himself as he rushes over there. What the fuck, and he'd had his hand right there for so long too! ]

Jesus, Flambae! This is ... [ Maybe it's not bad for a superpowered person but it's pretty bad??? Even with all the body hair in the way. ] This is worse than I thought. You were really just going to wait it out?

[ fucked up, honestly.

Robert sits down right by him and pops the kit open. He'd also grabbed a wash cloth or two while he was in the bathroom so he can clean the man up a bit.

He really does eye the g-string though after a moment, now that his fussing is all prepared. His touch is gentle as he starts to pat at the scratches and talk at the same time like they're just discussing the weather outside in the middle of very normal activities you do on your second date. ]

Were you wearing those underneath the suit?

[incinerhater]

I was gonna see if it closed up! E-eventually... Or got any less... Red?

[Yes. When people are assigning him higher points after succeeding dispatches, nobody thinks to choose intelligence.

Is he doing that uwu thing with his eyes and tapping his index fingers together... Yes he is.]

You know! More pink and less gooey.

[The cool guy facade certainly dissipates when Robert gets to work, and for a few moments, Flambae is eagerly watching with big goo-goo eyes. This is nice, and soft, in a way that he doesn't get to experience often.

Hm. The underwear question.]

Ah... Yes.

The little strings on the sides, they serve to prevent any unnecessary flossing, you see...

[And then, if he couldn't get any more ridiculous, he does the dance in place.]

Not like this.

[bobbob]

[ Flambae gets this look that clearly says "are you even serious right now", though Robert himself doesn't speak it as he continues to gently clean it up.

This man is truly made of bricks and very unfortunately, Robert is extremely, unabashedly infatuated with him. ]

Even with super healing powers, you should know better than that.

[ The scold is light but he means it. It just needed to be said.

When he gets an area cleaned, he blows on it gently to dry it some before he breaks out the ointment to treat it. This is clearly all very routine to Robert, a part of regular daily life for him when he's so often getting himself hurt one way or another. It's nice to have this knowledge when he can use it to take care of people he's fond of, though. It's almost as fulfilling as hero work itself, honestly.

This is just ... going to take a while.

Especially if Flambae keeps stopping to fucking dance around on his beach towel. ]

Okay, that's enough of that.

[ He puts a hand on the man's barely clothed hip to get him to stop the wriggling around. Robert is aware of the floss dance, and he did not need to see it. ]

I'm surprised you've got room in there for any underwear at all.

[ Even if it is literally just a few strings put together. Lord almighty, deliver Robert from this crazy place. ]

I AM SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT

[incinerhater]

[Flambae has been needlessly chatty all night, yet as soon as Robert really gets down to work, he falls silent. The notion of someone who has now twice done him permanent and irreversible harm should be something that dawns on him, but no! He's horny and stupid, and is instead watching Robert's lips as he blows on the ointment, relishing the sensation of the other man's breath against wet skin, even delighting in how the pain from the gash creeps in a little.

He quietly ruminates as he watches Robert's mouth a little too intensely, reflecting on how it feels to kiss him. No matter how sexually charged their banter or previous scuffles were, every time they lock lips, it's clear to him that they communicate best with their bodies. Flambae is then visited by the memory of Robert's head between his legs last night, a sight he had desperately tried to keep his eyes open for despite constantly being overcome with washes of pleasure that had made it difficult to stay focused. If Robert had struggled at all or was a little sloppy, it only would have made Flambae come faster, feeding the fantasy that maybe his cock is the only one Robert's willed himself to try.

A part of him knows that's altogether too foolish. Flambae overcompensates by calling the former hero a loser any chance he gets, but there's no way that's true. He's charismatic and gentle in a way that's sweet and non-threatening, which makes his surprising thirst for violence even more enticing.

What other things does Flambae not know about him? He's excited to find out.

When Robert places a hand on his hip, all caution goes out the window. He flashes the dispatcher one of those sinister flirty smiles and even adjusts his posture so that he looks more flattering in the other's eyes.]

If you were wondering what I was wearing under the suit, all you had to do was ask, Robert.

That's right! This ass is fat, and that's without the help of any fucking fabric, sweetie.

[He looks down at him, this clearly being a once-over, something he's only doing because Robert has shown some interest in him first! Okay-]

Yo, man! You're really good at this.

[Flambae does, in fact, stop moving.

He will place a large yaoi hand on top of Robert's, though.]

Does that mean every time I get hurt you'll come help me feel better?

IT IS NOT EVEN THAT SHORT????

[bobbob]

[ By now, Robert at least knows that Flambae does have these moments where he isn't so talkative. Sometimes he even tends to stay in the background while the rest of the Z-team blabbers and banters away. He assumes that this is just all part of that, and he doesn't mind it. He is indeed a pretty physical communicator himself. He's not so bad with his words when he tries, but he largely stopped trying in his adult life. So this is nice.

Having Flambae adjust himself to look more appealing just makes Robert break into a smile, rolling his eyes up briefly. Totally unnecessary to do when he very obviously at this point likes what he sees. But it's fine. ]

I think it was more fun to imagine, actually.

[ He quips casually, smoothing a little more of that healing ointment on the scrapes over Flambae's chest. Normally he might be getting that giddy, horny teenager kind of feeling for touching his nearly naked man like this, but he is actually really focused on helping him get cleaned up and treated. He'd rather Flambae be comfortable and clean and in minimal pain before he gets any ideas of ravishing him or seeing how much pressure that tiny g-string can take before it just pops off when Flambae gets excited.

But there is room for a couple of gentle kisses against a shoulder or even down against the top of that yaoi hand that's come over his. ]

I've got a bit of practice, yeah.

[ The side of his mouth is tilting in a sort of amused smirk. ]

I will if you let me.

[ Though arguably it would just be best if they kept the injuries to a minimum. That's pretty rich coming from someone like Robert who is definitely going to get scuffed up probably several times still this week, but you know. He rather himself than anyone he cares about. ]

[incinerhater]

[Imagine?

Flambae’s fiery eyes perk up at that. If they weren’t in the midst of something fairly serious, he’d probe as to whether Robert just assumed he went commando under there, which would imply that maybe, just maybe, the mental image had come up in a fantasy.

A part of Flambae wonders, while he is kissed gently, how on Earth Robert has any compassion left for others after what can probably be described as a harrowing existence with little to no personal reward. Maybe it’s better that the dispatcher hasn’t had his way with half of the superpowered population of Los Angeles, because for some reason he seems to be oddly free of some of the hangups that come with dating in a digital era. Even the way Robert mentions that he’s had practice patching himself up sounds nightmarish. In the time since they ran into each other at the bar, hasn’t Robert been to the hospital multiple times? Flambae has lost a tooth and a few fingers, but he’s hardly blacked out and woken up in a strange hospital room on multiple occasions, healing factor and all that. Then again, it also means he is all the more likely to dismiss something serious.

Robert had asked to talk, specifically, so Flambae steels himself. He may be doing his best to tone it down, but there is no denying that he is a difficult person.]

I think I’d like it if you could, but you are so…

Busted up! Already.

[The barb is delivered with an air of whimsy and fondness, meant to be a joke.]

Are you sure that’s something you want?

[bobbob]

[ Yes, he was indeed simply imagining that Flambae was commando under that suit of his, and yes he fully intended to plant that thought right into Flambae's mind so he could ponder over it but not necessarily ask in the moment. It was his diabolical plan all along.

If anything, being active in the superhero dating pool might have made Robert more jaded or even more isolated than he already has been. The heroes would lose their luster, or he'd just constantly be reminded that he's not one of them, not really, despite the number of heroic deeds he and his father and grandfather have all achieved.

This is better. Somehow.

Just like he definitely thinks it's better that he's here to help Flambae so that he isn't just waking up in a lonely hospital room with very little idea of how long he'd been there or even how he'd gotten there. Granted, that would probably never happen to someone who's superpowered and has healing abilities!! But the sentiment is there.

He huffs in soft amusement. ]

Yeah, you're just going to have to get used to that.

[ Because they just seem to be a permanent fixture on Robert, all the bruises and scrapes. Like seriously why does he just have scars that are bruises.

Though at the moment he is also wording things lightly, like a joke. Until he has to answer the question of course. He's very serious about that. ]

Taking care of this is something I know I can do for you. So, yes. I want it.

[incinerhater]

[Yes, he will definitely just Not Wear Underwear on a day Robert is staying over after work, which is looking like it's going to be often.

Flambae winces, although the discomfort isn't necessarily because he finds the idea of Robert tending to his wounds repulsive. Quite the opposite, really. He's always consistently yapping about all the things he excels at, it's easy to assume that he thinks he's just good at everything, and while that's definitely the image he shows off to the world, it's far from the truth. Whenever he felt he wasn't looking his best or lost in a fight, he'd make himself disappear. And even if the guys he was dating tried to find him, Flambae would do everything in his fiery power to dodge them.

In a way, even him silently hoping that Robert would show up is progress.

His gaze darts to the side at first, his mouth twisting as he bites his lower lip, wondering if he should even say what's on his mind. It'd make his life look miserable, but hey, Robert isn't a exactly stranger to misery.]

I am not exactly used to it, either.

[He rubs the back of his neck with the three-fingered hand.

Robert did say he wanted to really talk...]

You're not afraid of me?

[For once, this isn't uttered as some kind of egotistical point about how strong he is.]

I did almost try to kill you, but... T-that was one time, and I...

[Oof. Should he explain his real feelings about this?

They're complicated.]

[bobbob]

[ But now Robert will be expecting the stringy g-string, so... touché.

Before today, he'd had no idea that Flambae had these moments of being upset when he's not good at something, but now he'll definitely have it in mind. Maybe even keep an eye out for it. Of course he doesn't want to crowd the man or do anything unwelcome, but it's nice to have learned something new about him. It's nice that he can still help.

As he wipes some ointment off on one of the cloths he brought, he raises a brow slightly at the question. Afraid isn't really a word he would have assigned to Flambae, even back then. Not to say that he wasn't at all worried while they were facing off in the burning building, but the only thing he regrets about deciding to do that is that it ended the way it did.

He was hoping for a more peaceful resolution. ]

I literally spent the night in your arms, why would I be afraid of you?

[ He does like it when they can occasionally talk things out seriously, but he also can't help the little sarcastic quips of his own.

He continues though, searching the flames of those eyes for all their secrets. Of course he knows he isn't about to find them all at once either. But it's just like he told Visi, the past is the past, a villain doing villain shit doesn't surprise nor offend Robert on a personal level. ]

Yes, you were a villain and I was a hero. I tried to stop you. I don't hold that fight against you.

[ Especially not since he both cut Flambae's fingers off rather permanently, and got him into jail. The former is something that Flambae gets to remember for the rest of his life, and Robert is sorry for that. His own fingers seek out that maimed hand that's hiding against the back of the man's neck.

If he's afraid of anything, it's these whatever these feelings are, and even moreso that he might fuck it all up. But they already agreed they were going to figure things out together, see how it goes.

Flambae looked like he had something more to say though, so Robert kind of looks at him expectantly and pauses. ]

[incinerhater]

[When Robert mentions spending the night in Flambae's arms, a genuine smile snakes it's way onto that hairy face, softening all of its sharp edges for a moment. Thats right, the freckle-faced idiot did spend the night in his kind of scarily long arms, and in the moments where Flambae had drifted in and out of sleep, he'd certainly paused to take a look.

As a child, he remembered that one night, one of the stay cats their father used to feed from Herat had taken shelter in their doorway during the storm. Its matted, dirty fur was completely soaked, and it had been screaming and pawing at the door for so long, Flambae's father took pity on it and let it in. The firestarter remembers quite vividly how all the tension in its body was released once it had finally fallen asleep, and he couldn't help but recognize the same behavior in Robert, too.

Flambae had always gotten shit from his family for not being enough like his father. The two of them certainly shared a lack of impulse control and a dangerous brand of recklessness, but the latter had always been jolly and extroverted. Good with people, and easy going in the way that's contagious.

In a way, at the ripe old age of 36, he thinks he is beginning to understand the man a little better. Both of them, actually. Like he had mentioned over past dispatches, helping people is fun.

When Robert takes his hand, he allows for it to be drawn from his neck, staring at their interwoven fingers absent-mindedly. Flambae is missing a few, certainly, he's grown accustomed to the sight of it, but it is weird to confront that reality now, especially across from the man who had them removed.

There's a lot more that he wants to say, but he'll start with:]

You cut off my ring finger, Robert.

[Somehow, the words are not as angry as they usually are.]

I know you weren't fucking thinking about it... But I did.

[bobbob]

[ That smile could probably melt a small iceberg, which is weirdly on point for a fire starting hero? Robert is glad to see it though, and he tucks the memory away for later.

He'd almost returned with a smile of his own, but the next spoken words are enough to humble him. Their fingers lace together, and his eyes drop down to the ones of Flambae's that don't reach all the way. The words, paired with his good christian name of Robert, have him looking suitably chastised. That's only the least of what he deserves, of course. Even if the words don't come out all that angry, the guilt fills in him like a cup overflowing. ]

Of course I thought about it. I mean, I didn't mean to do that, but I still fucking think about it.

[ A lot more often than most people realize, especially the man whose fingers they were.

Robert looks pained, but it's only because he knows just saying sorry ten million times means jack shit. And even saying he's thought about it doesn't compare to Flambae's situation, where he sees it every day, where he sat in a prison cell while it healed and probably stewed on it, he doesn't know. Shit, he doesn't know anything at all. ]

You don't ... hate me for it, though.

[ Otherwise they wouldn't be holding hands. They wouldn't kiss, they probably wouldn't even banter the way that they do. Yeah, their reunion was really rocky (especially since Robert really did emphasize not even remembering the former villain. Yikes), but where they are now, that's not two mortal foes just seeing white hot rage every time they're in the other's presence. ]

[incinerhater]

[He shakes his head side to side rather quickly, noting just how dejected Robert looks and clocking himself how strange it is to feel so damn bad about it. He doesn't let go of Robert's hand, but he does reach over with his other free one, gently rubbing it over the other man's thigh. The gesture isn't meant to be a sexual advance, it's more of something intimate, something clearly indicating that they're more than friends with the sort of affection it signifies.]

No! I hated you for not remembering me.

[Past tense. Clearly, he likes Robert quite a lot.

Even if he tried so terribly hard to hide it for so long.]

And I hated you for throwing me in jail. Because it meant that I lost, and that it was me who fucked the fuck up.

[His brows furrow, and Flambae continues to watch Robert carefully. He doesn't want him getting too upset.

How strange, having empathy for the kind of people who would celebrate your demise- Or dunk on you for being stupid enough to do good with no superpowers in the first place.]

You know, the first guy I kissed almost broke my nose?

Before, I mean.

[Before they kissed.]

We got into a fight, and it was weird, because he was touching me a lot. Like, yeah! He was hitting me too, but...

I dunno.

[It is a little uncomfortable to discuss, especially for certain people who might not understand.

Oddly enough, he has a slight inkling that Robert just might.]

Men can be so stupid when it comes to love.

[Unfortunately for Flambae they are the only ones he's ever wanted.]

They're like cavemen, hitting each other over the head with their clubs! Until they realize they could be slapping each other with their dicks instead.

[Flambae scoffs.]

I guess I thought because you motherfucking maimed me, that I was special!

[His delivery gets a bit more joke-y there. As much as he hates poking fun at himself, it is funny.]

Then I saw you slinging body parts at Sardines and I put two and two together.

You're just a freak! And that wild, crazy shit had nothing to do with me.

It stung. And stunk, woo... Pee-yew.

[bobbob]

[ Robert winces a little, but not because of anything Flambae said or is doing. He'd known it would rub his former adversary the wrong way. Whether he actually remembered him is another thing, but at the time, Mecha Man had just wanted to stick a barb in the guy and he sure succeeded.

But he goes quiet for a bit then to let Flambae continue talking. At first he wonders what the hell some other guy he'd kissed has to do with anything, but it sort of comes to light.

Bit by bit.

Piece by piece. ]

Oh ...

[ Robert lets his gaze drift from the other man's sharp features to the hand on his thigh (it's nice), back up to those eyebrows and those shockingly soft lips hiding the gap in his teeth which is also Robert's fault. ]

Okay, first of all, if I didn't do that at the Sardine, I'd be the one in pieces.

[ It was purely self defense in a very tight situation, he didn't have time to think about it or consider that he has, in fact, a track record of taking fingers.

Robert huffs a little, partly in amusement that he can't believe this is his life. Partly exasperated because he can't believe this is his life.

The thing is, he does in fact understand what Flambae is discussing. Even if it wasn't in a sexual sort of way, his adrenaline was pumping during their meeting. The tension wasn't lost on him either. It was the build up of it all that probably led to him hurting Flambae the way that he did, when he wasn't planning to originally.

It's fucked up. But yeah... he gets it. ]

Secondly, I'm not a freak. I just feel like I have an obligation to defend myself there.

[ . Anyway- ]

Lastly... you're special because I was trying to talk to you that time. I didn't have to go into that building after you, but I did. I'd do it again.

[ Perhaps, more importantly, and he offers the very slightest of smiles here. He doesn't even know if this will make Flambae feel better at all, but he's taking the shot. Ever since he and Flambae started working together, he'd looked at his hand, those missing fingers, he'd had flashbacks of that night, felt regrets, wanted to say something. That lizard freak? He'd forgotten he even did something like that at the Sardine at all. That whole night is a weird, violent, taco-flavored blur. ]

I don't ever think about that guy's fingers the way I think about yours.

cw: violent imagery, fingore

[incinerhater]

Okay, see... That right there? That means you're freaky!

[It does make him feel better.

The smile is back.]

What are you thinking about them for? What are you, like, imagining the two dismembered things getting up off the floor and doing a strangely coordinated dance?

[ok tim burton what the fuck]

If they started doing the can-can, would the knees be the little-

[He lets go of Robert's thigh only to bend his index finger, wiggling the the part that is bent. Look, English is not my first language either.]

This thing?

[Flambae does recall that Robert wanted to talk. For once, he hadn't, for multiple reasons. First of all, that's the oldest trick in the book to catch any wayward combatant off guard, and secondly, Flambae hadn't really been interested in talking.

There were other things he would have preferred they did with their mouths.]

Right, right.

You fight dirty to stay alive! That makes sense.

[Then, perhaps a little too casually:]

Have you always wanted to?

[Stay alive, he means.]

[bobbob]

[ Robert laughs at that, waving his free hand. ]

Maybe a little.

[ But if Flambae likes that kind of freak, then he's okay with that.

Unfortunately he also apparently likes a freak because what on earth is this maybe Spanish Afghan man going on about? Flambae gets the longest, dullest, driest look Robert can muster. ]

How do you think of these things?

[ Like is this what his brain is full of because it's missing out on intellect? This could be studied by science, actually. There could be a huge breakthrough going on here.

It's also very convenient to not just... tell Flambae that when he's thinking about them, he's thinking how guilty he feels. Before the Z-team knew he was Mecha Man, he'd been thinking about how terrifying it would be if Flambae specifically found out, how he'd burn Robert to a crisp and he didn't want to die that way but he might deserve it —

So yeah, moving right along. ]

If I'm up against a guy like that, yeah I fight dirty to stay alive.

[ Shrug.

The question though takes him off guard a little. He'd tried not to bring up the heavy topic of guilt and here Flambae is asking him about an even heavier topic. This one though, this one feels like it warrants an answer. ]

Honestly? My grandfather died in the suit- never met the guy. My dad died for the suit. I knew at some point I was just going to die as Mecha Man too. 'When', not 'if'.

[ So no, he didn't particularly care all the time if he was going to stay alive. It may have been a mercy if he'd meet his end sooner rather than later. ]

It wasn't until the suit broke and I came to SDN that I ... figured out that I had more options than that. That I wanted those options.

[ His smile is a little sad, a little apologetic. He's not sure if he's just ruined the mood himself this time. ]

Sorry. I've only told Beef things like that before.

cw: mentions if suicidal ideation

[incinerhater]

I think I watched too many foreign cartoons as a kid.

Some of them were pretty vibe-y! But also very violent.

[He does like that kind of freak, unfortunately. It's a better indicator as to whether or not they'd be compatible in the long run.

The truth is, Flambae is glad he didn't kill Robert. He wasn't even considering the outcome of his behavior, he was just so livid, he threw everything he had at him, only to pathetically blast off and away after embarrassing himself in front of his (mostly) new friends. The entire shift he took off, he was torn between still feeling pissed and downright horrible. If he had ended up killing Robert, not only would he have surely spent the rest of his life back in prison, the world would have lost an irreplaceable hero, and he would have lost-]

No need to be sorry.

[He shrugs, although he moves to comfort Robert again. The hand that he used for his gruesome little demonstration urges the dispatcher's chin upwards if Robert lets it, mostly so that Flambae can look him in the eyes directly.]

I am the one who asked.

So! You didn't necessarily not want to be alive, but... Staying here-

[In the world of the living.]

Wasn't necessarily a priority.

[He nods. Flambae isn't one to shy away from serious topics when he feels they are important, especially for context. Plus, if things get even more serious, he's going to need to know what is most likely to send Robert spiraling. How else will Flambae be able to help?]

I haven't always wanted to be here.

I do now. More than ever! But...

I was wondering, if in that sense, I could understand you.

[He tilts his head to the side.]

If it wasn't for work, what with the way you've clearly neglected yourself...

I'm not entirely sure you would be here to play nurse with me.