--tw: mentions of violence, blood, guns. the usual.--

EAT CHILDREN. DAYS OF NONSTOP HARD WORK REST ON YOUR SCREENS. It took a lot of actual brainpower and erasing like 5 different plot lines to get to this chapter but I am here to say IT IS FINALLY HERE. REJOICE.

also, sometimes it bugs me when i see authors draw what they think the mc looks like but now i understand that its pretty fun

ofc this is just me messing around with my pencil and sketchbook so you are VERY MUCH free to interpret butcher mask as you please. this is a reader insert after all, so go crazy with it babes 😚

bold: writing

'single quotation': thoughts

slanted/italics: memories.

'underlined: underlined sentences are basically commands and our very own Cv.'

"rn we're using the underlined quotations as telepathy"

.

.

.

.

~" 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘺 "~

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥

Previously

Butcher mask was chased by a bunch of masks, saw the gun fight with the teen high school girls and the doc, made everyone enchiladas and got shirtless. ya

.

.

.

"Mister, you suck at this game." Haruki teased.

Butcher mask was dragged into an intense game of hide-n-seek, which turned into 8 consecutive rounds, as soon as he walked through the building's door. Each and every time, Ein and Haruki made him seeker, which he was ashamed to admit he was embarrassedly bad at. It had been a full 15 minutes before he called quits and gave up.

"Are you sure you're trying?" Haruki continued cheekily.

'When did this kid get so damn cheeky?' Butcher mask thought glumly, slumping onto the ground in defeat and letting out a dramatically cartoonish sigh.

Haruki giggled at his antics.

"C'mon, let's go play tag next! I'm sure you'll win this time, Mister!"

"Now, now, children. Don't tire him out completely. He needs rest so his wounds can heal." The doctor suddenly entered the empty lobby room the kids had turned into their hideout.

When Butcher mask had first been dragged here a good 2 hours ago, he noted the organized messiness to the room. Many scribbled on papers laid in a pile in one corner of the room and in another were all the cushions and blankets the children had managed to get their hands, like some sort of pillow fort nest thing. Butcher mask would've liked to look around a little more, but he was snapped back into reality by an overly tired and sarcastic voice.

"Let's go."

"Bye Mister!" Haruki beamed at the masked man. Ein gave him a small wave and then the two ran off, their giggles echoing through the halls.

He stared off at the empty space where they had been standing and heard someone clear their throat obnoxiously. Butcher mask turned his attention back to the doctor, who was standing over his slumped form with an extended hand. Butcher mask let himself get helped up and then dusted invisible dirt off his fresh clothes with his good hand, all the while the doctor tapped his foot impatiently.

"Done?" He asked, but it didn't seem like he cared for a response back based on his tone. Nevertheless, Butcher mask nodded and they went on their way to do...whatever it was that this man wanted to do.

"We just need to discuss a few things about taking care of your stitches and such so that you don't come back here bleeding to death again." He replied, sensing the much taller man's confusion.

Butcher mask nodded briskly and continued to follow him like a lost dog through the still very unfamiliar halls, curiously observing as much as he could in order to familiarize himself with the building.

.

"You will absolutely NOT go on another one of your 'patrols'! You don't even know if you'll find this mask!" The doctor practically screeched, looking back at the paper in his hand detailing Butcher mask's plans. "And you shouldn't even be writing me these notes with the state you're in! Let your arm rest, you idiot."

Butcher mask's game plan was simple; after having read up on his notes about masks, he noted one key detail: those who put on emotionless masks are completely ignored by the angels. If he could get his hands on a mask like that, he could give it to Haruki which would make it possible for him to safely be with Butcher mask.

Butcher mask huffed at the doctor's response and retaliated with another note, much to the doc's displeasure.

"I can write with one hand too, if you'd like." The slip of paper read.

The doctor scrunched his face up at the letter and shot Butcher mask a skeptical glare.

"That's not possible. You'd need a hand to hold the paper still and another to-" He cut himself off. Butcher mask had suddenly twisted his hand to such an unnatural degree that the doctor could practically feel every sickening twist and pop of the mask's joints in his very own hand. Lo and behold, he was handed a new note by the masked man.

"See? It's not impossible. I can do a lot with one hand." (😏) Butcher mask popped his hand back to normal with a simple crack of his knuckles.

The man was too horrified to reply. There was a good 3 minutes of silence between them, mostly just the doctor Butcher mask couldn't really remember the name of gaping at him and him looking back at the doc curiously. The doc seemed to collect himself once again and he cleared his throat.

"Well, as educational and disgusting as that display was, I'm still skeptical about your patrolling." He tried to shake off whatever discomfort he had left with a brief pause and then continued. "I mean, last time you left, you came back with busted stitches, extreme exhaustion and fatigue, which I'm 99% sure you still haven't gotten over."

That last bit was true. Well, all of it was true, but especially the last sentence. Eating a hearty meal definitely helped Butcher mask replenish some of the energy he had lost sprinting away for his life, but he couldn't ignore the way his muscles ached in protest every time he twisted his body in an odd way.

"Not to mention the kid will be upset that you're leaving again so soon."

"You're leaving again?" A small voice called out from behind the two men. Haruki peeked around the corner, peering up at the pair timidly. A frown was prominent on his face.

Butcher mask shot the doc a look of unsureness, which was returned with an awkward shrug.

Once again, Butcher mask knelt down to Haruki's level and put a hand on his shoulder, dad style.

He was about to write another one handed note, but the doc stopped him before he could pull out his notepad.

"Er, don't strain yourself by writing, pal." The  doc said in a forcefully chipper voice. He let out another sigh and knelt down to Haruki's level too, putting his hand on the boy's other shoulder as well. Butcher mask looked at him weirdly, but still scooted to make room for him. So now they're both around this confused child, brushing shoulders while gripping this poor kid's shoulders too.

"Ok, look. Mr. Butcher mask here has to go out and, um, find a gift for you. Yeah. But it's a surprise so you can't go and you have to wait until he comes back."

Haruki nodded, looking at the two. "You won't be gone too long, will you?"

Butcher mask ruffled the kid's hair affectionately, shaking his head no.

"Well...I guess that's okay. I like surprises."

Butcher mask gave him a smile through the hole in his mask and stood back up straight, leaning against the wall a little to steady himself. The doctor looked at him worriedly but didn't say anything.

"Pinky promise you won't get hurt too bad?" Haruki asked with a pout and extended pinky. Butcher mask bent back down and locked pinkies with the kid. That seemed like all the kid needed to feel reassured because soon after locking pinkies, he hugged Butcher mask's pant leg and ran off to find Ein again. "Bye!" He called out and then he was gone.

The doctor turned to Butcher mask again. "Ok. Remember, there's a fresh set of clothes in this bag. You are strictly on button ups for the time being. Painkillers for when your stitches start aching. Uhhh, protein bars, water, etc (God, I feel like a soccer mom)." He mumbled the last part to himself. He handed Butcher mask his book bag. The masked man didn't budge, however. He was missing something.

"What?"

Butcher mask point at the front of his shirt, looking down at the doctor expectantly. It was a little intimidating.

"Oh, right. Your apron. Freshly washed. Also, please try not to get blood on my clothes again. It's hard to clean off."

Butcher mask hoisted the bag onto his good shoulder and snatched the apron eagerly. He didn't know why, but it made him feel safe. He threw the frilly loop of the apron over his head and let the front of it fall over his white button up shirt and black pants (because he is a classy man). It was still small on him, especially now that he had gained more muscle.

He took a second to examine his clothes.

Honestly, the fit was pretty good this time. The doc made him change into something more comfortable for his left arm's stitches once he came back inside from eating.

His knife holsters were snug around his hips, though the left one would be a little useless seeing as he couldn't properly grab the blade now. The doctor gave him a snazzy new pair of black boots he probably pried off a corpse, but that didn't bug Butcher mask in the slightest. He was kind of feeling cute. All that he was missing was his thick, black rubber gloves, but the doctor suggested he give his hands a break. Whatever that meant.

Butcher mask looked back at the strings meant to tie around his waist and was about to tie them with his one good hand when the doc stepped in.

"No, no! I can tie it for you. I'll do anything to not see you contort your hand ever again." The doc hurriedly shouted, already behind the masked man. He tied it and then let out a sigh of relief.

Butcher mask gave him a final thumbs up and then set off to to the roof, cleaver in hand.

.

.

Butcher mask let his eyes adjust to the brightness of the outside when he pushed through the door. He looked fondly at the building next to him where he had eaten and thought of his new allies. There was a nice cool breeze on the roof and Butcher mask took a moment to let the fresh air sink into his being. It was calming.

'Yes, very calming.'

Maybe he spoke too soon.

Butcher mask let out a huff. 'Where have you been?'

'Just watching you suck ass at hide-n-seek.' Cv replied.

'Real funny.' Butcher mask bit back, stepping forward and letting himself walk in no particular direction.

'Hey, do you know where I can find one of those emotionless masks by any chance?'

'um no idk. We should just walk around and explore buildings tho.'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'You should also go help people too but that's just me.'

With that revelation, a new, dull buzz filled Butcher mask's head and steered him towards whoever was in danger.

.

.

'Behind you.'

Butcher mask spun around, pushing the blade of his cleaver expertly into the soft flesh of the mask's exposed neck. The body fell to the floor with a sickening plop, but Butcher mask had no time to admire his work.

'Right. Shooter.'

He threw himself behind a metal desk as the bullets pelted down and tried to stay mindful of his injured arm.

'Tough fight, isn't it, Cv?' He thought with a wince.

'You said it. Shooter seems to be at the top of the stairs. Don't know the exact location.'

Butcher mask wiped his cleaver on his apron and used the polished surface to pinpoint the shooter and their next move.

'There.'

'But how are we going to hit them? Guns and knives aren't a good match up.' Butcher mask looked down at his beloved cleaver with a frown.

'Maybe there's something plot convenient in our magic backpack?' The voice joked, but it was worth a try.

Butcher mask dug through the bag until he felt something cold and long.

'A pistol!' He whipped out the gun, checking the ammo too.

'Completely loaded.' Butcher mask had never felt so thankful towards the doc.

'Dope. Now let's shoot this fool.'

Butcher mask patiently waited for an opening. He pulled his cleaver out, wanting to replicate something he saw a certain someone do a while ago.

He threw his cleaver at an angle and shot, making sure to hit the end of the blade.

Just like what he had remembered from the grenade incident, the bullet bounced off the surface and hit somewhere behind the wall where the stairs were.

The bullets stopped and a body tumbled down.

Butcher mask waited for Cv to give the all clear before he went to inspect the bodies.

The body from the stairs had a pretty nice gun and some ammo, along with a phone charger and a few pieces of gum. He stashed the goods in his bag.

Butcher mask popped a piece of gum into his mouth while he inspected the next body. The head was still attached to neck, but not by a lot. He probably could've managed to make a cleaner slice through if he used both cleavers. Butcher mask sighed, feeling the weight of not having the ability to move his other arm.

The body didn't have anything good, clearly being a newly made angel.

Butcher mask dragged the two bodies somewhere secluded and paid his respects. He looked around for the humans he had saved, but they were no where to be found, as usual.

Butcher mask suddenly felt very sleepy. He spat his gum out quickly. Had he seriously been drugged by some gum?

He decided to turn to Cv for confirmation. 'Cv, vital check?'

There was a long pause of silence before a static voice replied, but it wasn't Cv's usual sarcastic one.

'New software update available.'

'What' was all Butcher mask managed to think before falling into a deep sleep.

.

.

.

"Hey." A familiar voice said. Butcher mask felt himself get shaken harshly and his eyes snapped open. He was face to face with...himself?

"It's me, dumbass. Mask you. Cv."

Ok, now that definitely woke him up.

"Wha- Cv?"

He drew his eyes away from his masked self and looked around. Random flying green bubbles were floating everywhere in the dark space they were in. He looked down at himself.

"Why am I naked? Wait, have we had this conversation before?" He questioned quizzically, as anyone would in this situation. Butcher mask had definitely been here before.

"Why are we here?" He turned his attention back to his clothed clone.

"Idk we were just ransacking bodies and then my coding went haywire." It was weird for Butcher mask to watch himself scratch his head in thought. He also realized that he himself wasn't masked. Weird.

Suddenly, there was a giant cube that materialized out of small green circles.

"Hello. Welcome to the HAPP informational program. As you may already know, this is a software update that is now available to your current installation of the HAPP program on your mask."

"You have unlocked your first HAPP perk as a result of the HAPP Rewards System. How exciting! However, your current version of HAPP does not allow for this perk to be used to its fullest potential! In order to continue, please locate the following chip, which can be found alongside the emotionless mask in the white box."

And just as soon was they entered that freaky code world, they were out. Butcher mask was still just standing in place awkwardly when he came to, taking a look around to make sure he was actually back on the roof.

Cv was the first to break the silence. 'Well that was awfully convenient. Mask and chip. Two birds with one stone, eh?'

'Yeah. Now the only issue is finding them.'

'Huh? Oh actually they just installed the map to the nearest mask and chip to my software.'

'Wow that's very convenient actually.'

(It's almost as if the author got really bored writing this part and wanted to speed it up)

Butcher mask wasn't completely sold on the whole reward thing, but he did desperately need that emotionless mask for Haruki.

'Maybe a little too convenient.'

'Yeah well that's what you get when you have lazy writing. Code writing that is. Wink wink.'

Sometimes the disembodied voice's jokes went over Butcher masks head. He chose to brush it off just like he usually did whenever the voice got like this.

'Just tell me where to go.'

'Gotchu boss.' And with that, they were on their way.

.

.

'Stop here.' The voice commanded. They were some buildings away from their previous location, having walked a good 30 minutes. Now they were in another generic apartment building with white walls and tiled floor.

Butcher mask pushed the metal double doors open and entered the room. It looked like some kind of lounge area, with potted green plants and tan couches. The room itself was a beige color. There were two doors on opposite ends of the room, one being a bathroom and the other a small storage closet. There was goods in it, but that wasn't what he came for.

Tucked away in a corner of the main lounge area there was a small white box. Butcher mask lifted the box up and placed it on one of the mini side tables that were neatly organized in the room. He grabbed a spare t-shirt the doc had packed from out of his book bag and gently wrapped the mask.

'Don't forget the chip.' Cv warned. Butcher mask looked down at the small square in the box. He was getting a sick sense of deja vu. He placed the mask back into the box and took out the chip, flipping it between his fingers a few times.

'I should probably put the box in my bag first.' He thought more to himself.

Butcher mask gingerly placed the box into his bag and then looked back at the chip.

He brought it up to his mask and...nothing happened.

Butcher mask pulled the chip off, looking at it in confusion.

'Why won't it work?' He even tried unclipping his mask and putting it directly on the inside, but nothing happened either.

'Must be busted.' He thought, a little disappointed but not really surprised. He sighed and tossed the chip into his pocket.

Suddenly, there was a loud static-y pop and his pocket started making a lot of really concerning noises.

In a panicked frenzy, Butcher mask dug back into his pocket and pulled out the source of the sounds: his phone.

It was going crazy, like the equivalent of tossing a toaster into the Hype House's pool during a really controversial party (idk with these descriptions anymore sozz). Green cracks of lightening were sparking out of it and then he lost consciousness.

.

.

"Hey."

"Hey." The two greeted each other. They were back in the weird dark place from before. Butcher mask was still very much naked.

"It's kind of nice having a physical form. I can do all sorts of things now." Cv demonstrated by jogging in place and doing jumping jacks because he is in his #slay era (not a funny joke but I refuse to erase it now). "We should make a handshake or something. That'd be kinda cool."

"Sure" Butcher mask said, already holding his hand out to try.

However, they were interrupted.

"You have successfully installed the 4.2 update. Hooray! You now have access to all perks the HAPP Rewards System has to offer through your mobile device. The HAPP Reward System was designed to encourage all HAPP users to save more lives by rewarding them on the number already saved. Rewards are random and spontaneous, so there is no set goal to reach. Simply save lives and after an undetermined period of time, you will receive a perk.

You were granted a perk at the beginning of your first HAPP installation.

Your perk was: Telepathy. The ability to communicate with others through eye contact in moments of extreme emotion."

"Telepathy really sucked ass. This guy only used it like 3 times to flirt with his crush." Cv snickered, earning him an elbow to the stomach.

"...I did not."

"Yes, you did. And don't even try to act like you're not gonna use this new power twice to embarrass yourself again."

"Can it. This perk seems like it was really thought out and well constructed by whoever wrote it into the chip."

(thanks man I try)

The robot voice continued, not really giving a fuck about their bickering because it was just some code.

"As grand and beneficial as the new 4.2 installment is, there are a few things to be noted. Firstly, the new installment will need room to function with all of the new features added, therefore the old 4.1 version you currently have on your mask will have to be completely wiped. Memory will not be effected like the first installment, but you will lose all features you had previously in exchange for a superior set of perks."

"What do you mean by first installment? My memory has been tampered with?" Butcher mask rose an eyebrow.

"The first installment, version 4.1 of the HAPP program, cleared your memories from when you were an Angel acting under the original commands' directions. A clean slate was necessary for optimal performance."

"Wait so, I was-?"

"Moving on. Secondly, you will no longer be able to distinguish human distress signals by how emotionally connected you are to said human. Your progress report showed that you typically stuck to the same two humans rather than patrolling and saving others.

In order to fully and successfully execute the purpose of the HAPP program, you need to be completely unbiased in who you choose to save."

"For this reason, you will be given a small penalty before you receive your perk. For the next 12 hours, you will be under the control of the HAPP autopilot command. Your primary focus will be set on saving as many humans as possible within that 12 hour time frame. No distractions or diversions from the command. Freewill will, unfortunately, be lessened significantly."

"Wait, no! I need to bring something important back to my adoptive kid!" Butcher mask objected desperately. He didn't think the program would go as far as to punish him. The code, however, ignored him.

"HAPP informational program successfully executed. Would you like to take a brief moment to fill out a survey about your experience with HAPP?" The code block asked keenly.

"No, but I need to get back to my kid as soon as possible." Butcher mask tried to plead with the cube again, but to no avail. If his freewill was lessened and he had no control over himself, there was no telling what would happen to the fragile mask in his bag.

"Thank you." As soon as the cube uttered the words, Butcher mask was out like a light. 

.

.

Sniper mask and Kuon descended the building's stairs. Kuon had insisted on finding a nice spot to rest indoors so they could enjoy the abundance of food they had been given by...him a few hours earlier.

Sniper mask was curious about what had caused Butcher mask to look so beat up when he appeared on the doctor's roof, but forgot to ask when the man had personally prepared them food. His mind had been...elsewhere. Especially after seeing the entirety of the man's bare upper half.

His face warmed at the thought. He felt like such a child, letting himself get flustered over something so trivial about someone he hardly knew.

He needed to focus on what really mattered: meeting up with those high school girls and finding the guy with the sledgehammer. There was no time to ogle some stranger.

He really shouldn't be thinking this much about a masked man who made him and Kuon food once.

Sniper mask huffed in frustration, drawing Kuon's worried gaze.

"Uh, Mr. Mask? You're about to run into the door." Kuon remarked. Sniper mask forced himself out of his trance and sure enough, he was face to face with a set of double doors, almost close enough to feel his mask brush against the surface of the door.

"Oh. Sorry." How did he get so distracted? It was his whole job to observe and watch, being a mask with heightened senses and perfect gun aim.

Was just thinking about this guy screwing with his head? But their interactions hadn't even been all that wild enough to make Sniper mask lose his head. The only strange interactions he could really think about were the cigarette slapping from a few nights ago, the sensual letter he gave Sniper mask on the roof from before and then seeing the guy shirtless.

Actually, now that he thought about it, that was basically all of their encounters summed up. No real conversations or genuine moments. There really was no connection apart from being in awkward situations together. They were just strangers with bad luck.

Then why was he suddenly feeling so...weird?

"Mr. Mask, are you going to open the door or shall I? You've been staring at it in that exact spot for quite some time now."

"Oh. Yeah." He pushed through a door and held it open for Kuon.

Whatever. Sniper mask decided to just bottle these emotions up and deal with them some other time. Or never. He was leaning more towards the last option.

"Mr. Butcher mask? Are you alright?" Kuon's worried tone snapped Sniper mask back into reality.

A tall man stood in the corner of the room, swaying a little but still unmoving for the most part.

Sniper mask felt himself tense up for a moment before he realized something was up with the apron wearing man. Sniper mask approached cautiously, stopping when he was in front of Butcher mask.

He had a dazed look on his face that Sniper mask could vaguely see through the holes of his mask.

"He looks out of it." Sniper mask remarked to Kuon, who had been watching worriedly from the side.

"What should we do?" Kuon asked. Just as she was speaking, there was suddenly a weight on Sniper mask. Butcher mask was starting to fall forward and into the unsuspecting man.

"Oof-" He steadied himself, trying to keep the both of them from falling. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around Butcher mask.

'He's really warm.' Sniper mask thought blankly. He pried himself away from his weird intrusive thoughts and eyed one of the many tan couches around the room.

"Could you help please?" Sniper mask grunted, shooting Kuon an almost pleading look. Together, they hauled the man to the couch, where they did their best to set him down in a way that wasn't too uncomfortable looking (which was pretty hard, considering how his legs dangled off the edge no matter what they did and his injured arm.)

Sniper mask and Kuon plopped down on the couch next to Butcher mask once the task was complete, tired from moving the tall man.

"Will he be okay?" Kuon asked once she caught her breath.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. It's probably the fatigue from whatever happened to him earlier finally catching up." Sniper mask shrugged, digging through his pocket and pulling out his trusty tin lighter. He flicked it open, then close, repeating the action.

"Now that you mention it, he was pretty beat up. I wonder what happened." Kuon hummed, peering at the Butcher mask as she spoke.

"You can ask him when he wakes up." Sniper mask replied. He needed a smoke, but he didn't feel like going out into the hall or roof.

Kuon was content with that idea and made herself comfortable on the couch, setting her bag to the side. Sniper mask did the same with his rifle, but kept it close by just in case.

(guys let's just pretend Kuon carries around a bag because how does she not in a world like this smh.)

She pulled a few of the food boxes Butcher mask had given them out of her red bag and attempted to pass a box to Sniper mask.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry." He said stubbornly, waving his hand dismissively.

"Mr. Mask, if you don't eat, you won't grow big and strong like Butcher mask." Kuon teased, playfully waving the box at him. They both knew she meant taller. This was a height joke and Sniper mask was not about to back down.

"What's with the sudden sass? I think I'm a pretty decently sized individual, thanks.

And if that's the logic we're using, you should eat mine too. You clearly need it more than I do."

"Mr. Mask! Not nice!" Kuon huffed, taking the box back and looking back down at her own food.

Sniper mask continued to play with his lighter, the rhythmic metal clink of the top closing filling the otherwise quiet room. And then his stomach growled.

Kuon shot him a glare and pushed the food box towards him. Reluctantly, Sniper mask took the box.

He had to admit, the food was delicious when Butcher mask brought it up to them fresh on the roof, hell, it had even compelled him to thank the man, but how good could it be cold?

Answer: Pretty damn good.

He turned away from Kuon (upon her insistence of course), unclipped his mask and scarfed the food down. The richness of the flavors reminded him of something he had forgotten from long ago and his head split into a headache.

-

"You don't have to cook for me, you know."

"Can't I cook for my favorite person in the world?" A chipper voice replied from the kitchen.

The dark haired boy blushed, looking back down at his bottled water. The sweet aroma coming from the classroom's culinary kitchen was rich and the boy couldn't stop his mouth from watering.

"Don't you have practice for your next basketball game?" The boy started again, playing with his cheap gas station lighter. He sat back into the wooden chair, watching the other boy move around the kitchen.

"Yeah, but nothing will stop me from cooking." The boy Sniper mask couldn't quite recognize proclaimed dramatically. The dark haired boy smiled.

"How did you even convince ////// to lend you the cooking classroom on a club day?"

"By promising to cook lunch for her everyday from now until the end of the school year."

The dark haired boy looked down at his hand, feeling a little guilty for burdening the other.

"You seriously didn't need to do all of this for me." He mumbled. A plate was set on the table in front of him and the chair across him creaked. The other boy looked at him warmly.

"Shut up, dummy. I did it because I wanted to. Now eat up."

-

The memory was short and fleeting. Sniper mask held his head, trying to remember the boy's face. Nothing. It was all just a blur. He felt...warm. He eyed Butcher mask one last time, even more confused than before.

He didn't know the connection between Butcher mask's and his own past, but maybe they could help each other remember.

.

The sky was darkening, and night was approaching. Butcher mask was still out, Sniper mask noted subconsciously. Kuon had finished her food and was playing with her phone, showing Sniper mask a few new pictures she had taken.

"Let's rest here for the night." Kuon suggested through a yawn after going through all her recent pics. Sniper mask voiced his agreement, continuing to play with his lighter.

Kuon went on to inspect the other rooms connected to the medium sized one they camping out in and discovered a bathroom with a decent shower and some kind of small storage closet with blankets and basic necessities. She hummed contently.

"I'm going to clean up." She called from the bathroom once she had gathered her belongings and then disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Now it was just Sniper mask and an unconscious Butcher mask. Sniper mask shifted his eyes away from his lighter and side eyed the man on the couch. He hadn't moved an inch. Sniper mask probably would've thought he was dead if it wasn't for the steady rise and fall of his chest. Sniper mask's gaze continued up to his permanently smiling mask and then to the mop of (h/c) hair. It looked messier now compared to how Butcher mask typically kept it, Sniper mask noted.

His mind wandered back to the intrusive thought from earlier.

...

There was a hair out of place.

His hand moved on its own. He hadn't even realized he was reaching over until his hand lightly brushed something soft and tucked it behind the butcher's mask. Sniper mask recoiled his hand quickly.

Seriously, what was happening to him?

Sniper mask forced his eyes away from Butcher mask and looked down at the offending hand.

'It was soft.' He thought. Sniper mask sat in silence, letting his actions sink in.

'This is...really weird to be doing to someone who's unconscious.' He admitted somberly. He held his masked face in his hands, hiding the already masked embarrassment on his face.

The feelings he set aside earlier were starting to swell up again, like a bad headache. The memory from earlier was still fresh in his head too, so that didn't help either.

Sniper mask looked out the window absentmindedly.

It was almost completely dark outside.

Sniper mask sighed, letting his eyes wander back to Butcher mask. He looked kind of peaceful.

'Maybe I should get some sleep too.'

Sniper mask wound down on the couch, relaxing the stiffness in his body he didn't even realize was there. He tipped his hat down and closed his eyes.

...

The couch next to him gave a creaky moan and someone shifted.

Sniper mask peeked from under his hat. Butcher mask was sitting up now, his back facing the confused man.

"Hey. You okay?" Sniper mask asked, pretending like he wasn't caressing his hair like 5 minutes ago.

He didn't get any kind of response back. Butcher mask remained completely still and Sniper mask felt as if the man hadn't even heard him.

Butcher mask stood suddenly, scanning the room over steadily despite the way he swayed dangerously. He looked right through Sniper mask, but stopped when he spotted the exit. Butcher mask started walking towards the doors in a way that Sniper mask could only describe as calculated and stiff.

Sniper mask followed after him and sped up just enough to stop him before he could get to the door.

"I know it isn't my place to tell you what to do, but I really think you should rest. You can barely stand and you look tired." He reasoned. It was clear that Butcher mask had been ignoring Sniper mask's presence up until this point, but he was finally forced to look down in acknowledgment. Butcher mask's eyes were blank and cold.

There was definitely something wrong. Butcher mask was not himself.

Maybe his mask was bugging out?     Sniper mask met Butcher mask's eyes with concern he hoped he could convey through the holes in his mask. He stayed firm against the door, also letting the masked man know he did not intent to move. If he let Butcher mask roam in the state he was in, cold and unwelcoming, there was no telling what would happen.

The silence was almost daring for one of them to make a move. With each passing second, Sniper mask started to anticipate the worst. He couldn't help thinking about what he knew Butcher mask was capable of, especially after watching him that time Sniper mask was getting jumped by that group of humans. He needed to be cautious.

Sniper mask knew Butcher mask wasn't the type to slice up his allies on a whim for something as small as standing in his way, but something told him that this wasn't the same man from before.

His blank, piercing gaze as they stayed locked in a stare off was enough to confirm that. Sniper mask didn't know what this side of Butcher mask was capable of.

He was starting to get nervous. His rifle was too far to reach and he didn't have anything on him besides his lighter. If Butcher mask decided to attack, he'd be dead in an instant.

It had been 3 minutes before someone made a move. Sniper mask braced himself. He half expected the masked man to shove him out of the way or throw a punch but instead he felt himself be, quite literally, picked up by the underarms and then gently set down to the side, the same way you'd pick up a cat. And then he left.

(also pls don't pick up your cats by the underarms, there's better ways that won't hurt them)

Sniper mask was so stunned by the action that he didn't even consider chasing after the masked man until he was too far gone to catch up with.

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

.

.

.

.

6000+ words yall oml

I have wonderful news: we finally have an outline of this story!! 🥳🥳🥳
This means I will actually have goals to reach that will make it easier for me to stay motivated to write about these two. I love you guys so much and I seriously don't deserve y'all. thank you for being so patient with my lazy ass. please point out any mistakes with the grammar and see you next chapter

also be prepared. these next few chapters are really gonna strengthen butcher mask and snipey's relationship good (hopefully)

(:<