[Gift] impromptu rescue mission

The night life in Burrowgatory was always somewhat dangerous. Between thieves and muggers, drunkards looking to pick fights, and whatever else the night could throw at you, it was always smart to take proper safety precautions when going out. That was doubly the case now that there had been reports of out-of-the-ordinary lurkers, people going missing, murders…

So, Kane had made it their goal to avoid going out. They weren’t capable of being as alert as others due to their lowered visual acuity — that pesky injury to their right eye always made things difficult — and they weren’t so keen on having to fight off assailants. They could defend themself well enough, sure, but it wasn’t something they wanted to do.

An arrogant bastard though they were, Kane did take time to make sure those they lived with at least would stay safe. They’d convinced Merrit to stay inside — not that that was difficult in the slightest. It was their attempts at trying to convince their its-complicated-boytoy Lucine to stay in that fell flat. He had landed a job at the Nightclub near where Kane worked in the daytime, and stubbornly refused to take time off even now. “I need to be able to pay you back for letting me stay,” He claimed, but that really didn’t matter…

Regardless, Lucine was still going out at night, and tonight he had called to inform them that he was staying at his workplace until it was light out. Kane kept repeating that Lucine would be okay to soothe Merrit’s concerns, the words an attempt at soothing their own at the same time. Logic made it clear that nothing could happen to him as long as they locked the club up properly.

Just as Kane was starting to finally be convinced that the night would go over well, having settled next to Merrit on the couch… Merrit’s phone started ringing with a familiar tune — the upbeat, cutesy song that Taffy had insisted be her personal ringtone.

“...What on earth is she calling us for at such an hour…?” Kane asked, clearly slightly disgruntled. They had enough on their mind without such annoyances.

“Maybe she forgot something last time she was over?” Merrit mused, picking up her phone to answer the call. “Hi, Merrit speaking.”

Unlike the usual overwhelming cacophony that Kane had come to expect from Taffy, the call was barely audible from where they were, and what they could hear wasn’t clear enough to understand. Merrit’s voice took a serious tone as she replied.

“Shh, hey, it’s alright. Are you able to send me your location?” 

There were a few more indistinct words from the other end of the phone, a notification noise playing, a brief pause as Merrit looked at whatever was sent over…

“Okay, stay there, stay inside. I’ll be there to get you, you’re gonna crash on the couch. Mm-mm, no, it’s free tonight. He’s fine. Yes. Okay. I’ll be there soon, honey. Stay calm.”

Merrit ended the call and stood, heading over to the closet to grab a jacket.  Before she got too far, however, Kane made sure to speak up.

“...You’re not going out, are you?” They couldn’t hide the incredulity in their voice. After all, they had already convinced her not to go out. Surely she wouldn’t go back on that?

“I have to... Taffy’s friend ditched her, and she has nobody to accompany her on the walk home. She’s drunk, too… It’s not safe.”

“It’s not safe for you, either!” Kane couldn’t help but raise their voice, unable to conceal their sudden spike in anxiety. They wouldn’t usually be this flustered, but with everything that had been going on lately, they couldn’t hide their true feelings like they usually could. “She can find someone else. Don’t let her put you in danger.”

A brief look of upset flashed in Merrit’s eyes before she blinked it away. She took a deep breath before responding. “Honey, I… I know how to defend myself, and the odds of being attacked aren’t that high. Taffy’s counting on me… I can’t let her be left all alone, I know how terrible that feels.”

That last sentence stopped Kane from objecting further. They knew all too well how Merrit felt about leaving people with nobody. Her own bad experiences had molded her into the type that had a very hard time being selfish when it came to other buns down on their luck. She did it for them too, after all.

“...Well, if I can't stop you…” They spoke after a moment of silence. “I'll come with you instead. I couldn't rest easy if I stayed behind.”

A warm smile graced Merrit’s face, briefly melting Kane’s worries away. “Thank you. Get dressed, I’ll grab some pepper spray, a flashlight…” She trailed off as she gathered her things.

The two got situated after a few moments, and after sending Taffy a text that they were on the way, the couple decided to brave the night for the first time since the danger had been made public knowledge. 

As they were walking, Kane became far too aware of the visual impairment that affected their right eye. Street lights were made unhelpful, a harsh glare and halo blinding them in place of allowing them to see more clearly. They had a blind spot, and as much as they didn’t want to admit it, they were tense. Whenever a noise rang out in the distance, they instinctively clung to Merrit’s arm, though they would immediately make sure to specify that they were absolutely not scared, just making sure she was staying close.

Thankfully, Taffy wasn’t too far away from Kane and Merrit’s apartment. Even with their limited ability to see, Kane immediately recognized that sickeningly bright pink of Taffy’s bounding towards them and quickly latching herself onto Merrit’s other arm.

“Ohh, Merriiiit!! I’m soooo glad you’re here, I was so scaaaaared!!” The gluttony bun’s dragged-along words were a clear indicator that she was still drunk, though whatever glum quietness she had taken on the phone had disappeared as far as Kane could see.

“I thought I told you to stay inside,” Merrit scolded gently. “Were you waiting outside…?”

“Mm-mm!” Taffy gave an exaggerated shake of her head. “I just saw you coming and couldn’t even wait to get to youuuu~!”

A chuckle rumbled from Merrit’s throat. “Well, alright. You’re safe for sure now.”

This was taking far too long for Kane’s liking, and they felt the need to interject at the soonest they could.

“That’s all well and good, but we’ll only truly be safe once we’re back home.” What they didn’t account for was the slight shake in their voice at the end of their sentence, causing Merrit and, painfully, Taffy, to direct their attention onto them in a way that Kane didn’t enjoy. Their voice took a defensive tone. “We’re still awfully vulnerable here, you know…!”

Taffy made a face that made Kane re-evaluate whether or not they wanted to tolerate her presence in their life anymore, grinning as if she was about to laugh. “You’re scaaaared!” She turned to Merrit, her voice continuing to grate Kane’s ears. “Kane is scared!!!!”

“Shut it, you! Do you want to draw all of Burrowgatory’s attention onto us?!” Kane’s face grew hot with embarrassment. “Let’s go, now.”

Thankfully, Taffy decided not to continue jabbing at Kane, and the trio set off for the apartment. The walk back was about as uneventful as the walk to, though there were a few times where Kane had to shush Taffy, or draw her attention away from some advertisement or display showing off something sweet in the closed local shops.

As they made it back inside, Kane had to stop themself from audibly breathing a sigh of relief. Taffy did so for them — exaggeratedly so, as usual — and flopped down on the couch, promptly falling asleep after an unintelligible comment on the softness of the blankets, or something.

Merrit invited Kane to bed soon after, gingerly holding their hands in hers as she pulled them into place next to her. 

“I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you, dear.” She murmured, holding them close under the covers. “I’ll always protect you.”

“I don’t need protection.” Kane grunted in response, nuzzling their face into Merrit’s chest. Their voice took on a soft tone, letting out a content sigh and speaking once more before drifting off.

“...I just need you here with me.”