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He’s just being a little lazy, that’s all.
At least, that’s what Vista wanted to believe. He wasn’t so sure about that anymore.
The amount of evidence was starting to get overwhelming.
The longer Vista was around Eye, the more he noticed how much weight he’s lost.
The bulging muscles that almost intimidated him upon their first meeting were gone, replaced by much scrawnier arms. Sure, the hot scars the Eye had on his arms from previous battles were still there, but it felt…different now. Like he was someone who had to be protected. Sure, he knew Eye could handle himself just fine in a battle, but it felt like he was getting…weaker.
His hands would hold on to Vista’s much softer than they normally would. So much so, that Vista couldn’t tell if Eye was just being extremely gentle, or he was losing what little strength he had.
Along with that, Vista has only seen Eye eat once.
One single time. It was so brief, but he’s seen it at least once outside of battle.
Vista had offered him some cookies that he had baked. Eye ate the whole damn plate in one go. His eye shifted to form a mouth and quickly ate every cookie, each one of them still having been fresh from the oven. Was it wrong to think him licking the plate clean was sort of attractive?
Eye burned his tongue like the absolute dumbass he was, but still enjoyed the cookies anyway.
During fights, his mouth forms so briefly to eat gapples that his sight isn’t gone for more than a literal blink.
It was incredible.
He was incredible.
Which is why Vista has come to worry for him.
If…if he’s right about this then…Eye could be in serious danger. His very life could be in jeopardy if they’re caught and are forced to fight! A weakened Eye could mean that his chances of dying were just that much higher.
Vista couldn’t live with himself if he knew that Eye was suffering in silence and he didn’t do something about it.
He just had to figure out how to approach his boyfriend about this… delicately.
And if there was one thing Vista knew about his boyfriend, it was that he hated being seen as weak and delicate.
Now, Vista wasn’t exactly…the best cook ever. Eye was definitely better among the two, which is why he usually prepared their meals. However, as of late, they’ve mainly been eating meals separately since they were both busy with other things. Aka, Vista had absolutely no idea if Eye had even eaten a proper meal in the last week.
But he had to try nonetheless. It was for Eye, afterall.
It was simple. It was just some chicken tenders. Eye couldn't possibly refuse to eat them. Even if he did, Vista had prepared several contingency plans and backups just in case.
First, Eye would come home, most likely tired from a hard day's work. Vista would offer him some lemonade, and a nice seat on the couch. Oh, what's this? Why yes, Eye, I did move the table into the living room. Why? Well, so you can comfortably eat these chicken tenders I made for you. Oh, and here’s some cookies for dessert. Not feeling it? Want something cold? Well, I have a bowl of Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream with your name on it! Still not satisfied? Perhaps some gummy worms will make you feel better. Maybe a side of Waffles?
It was perfect.
Absolutely nothing could go wrong.
Alright so it turns out hot oil is just a little bit hotter than Vista thought, and he burned gave a light toasting to the chicken tenders ever so slightly, but still! They turned out just fine in his opinion!
Besides, he still had his backups all ready and waiting in case anything else went wrong.
Vista finally finished plating the chicken tenders with a side of ketchup when his communicator buzzed with a notification.
“be home in an hour. dont wait up on me, eat something”
This was the last time Vista was going to allow Eye to send him another dm like that. Vista would make sure Eye knew just how much he adored him.
No matter what.
Vista spent the next hour preparing. Everything was meticulously set in convenient areas. A pack of gummy worms behind the couch pillow. A pre-served bowl of ice cream in the freezer. Cookies, fresh out of the oven, all ready and waiting. Waffles, warm and plated, good enough to eat that very second.
He was ready.
Eye gently opened the door. It was late afterall. Vista was surely already in bed, waiting for him. He really did hate being away from Vista for so long, especially missing their dinners together. Sure, Vista did most of the eating, but still, their conversations were still nice.
His first thoughts when he entered the shared home were usually something along the lines of “wow, can’t wait to pass out in my darling’s arms for the night.”
But right now, all he could think was “Who the fuck broke in and committed the heinous act of buring something in my kitchen?” as he immediately took note of the burnt smell that lingered in the house.
Oh good god, did Vista attempt to cook again?
Eye didn’t get the chance to even finish his train of thought and go off investigating before Vista popped around the corner, holding a plate of…what the hell was that?
“Oh, hey baby!” Vista cooed, smiling as if he wasn’t holding what quite literally looked to be a pile of shit on a plate.
If he had a nose, Eye’s sure he would be attempting to plug it in order to stop the burnt smell assaulting his senses.
“Hey…whatcha got there?” he asked hesitantly, almost afraid of what anomaly this could possibly be.
“Well, I made your favorite, chicken tenders!” Vista proudly began to hand off the plate to Eye, still smiling.
Eye looked down. Then back up.
“No. No, they’re not.” He simply stated, shaking his head softly. It was a fact afterall. There’s no way those are delicious chicken tenders. The mouth watering ketchup on the side meant nothing without those scrumptious tenders to dip them in.
But still, something was off.
The food, obviously, for one.
But something in the way Vista was speaking to him, his smile, the slight twitch in his Eye…he was nervous about something.
Eye sighed.
“What did you do?” The faster he knew about the root of the problem, the faster he could get rid of it. Best case scenario, they talk it over in bed and make it a ‘tomorrow problem’ for them to solve.
And by that, he meant for him to solve.
“What? No-nothing’s wrong, I didn’t do anything! What, can’t I do something nice for my...uh… super handsome boyfriend…?”
Well something was definitely up.
“Okay- you never call me any of those. Nor do you ever cook- at least, not something like this. So again, what did you do, Vista?” Eye placed the biohazard of a plate down on the table, which he noticed immediately was moved right in front of the couch. The couch, too, was re-arranged with a few extra pillows.
Strange.
Vista stared at Eye for a moment -which was ironic because the blond often complained when Eye stared at him too long- before sighing and sitting down on the couch and gently patting the spot next to him.
“Oh, we’re sitting now? You’re being serious now- okay, a little nervous now Vista.” Eye said, mentally preparing himself.
Worst case scenario, Vista was breaking up with him.
Or accidentally started a war.
One of which would never happen.
Now Eye’s just wondering how many people Vista could have possibly pissed off and who they could possibly be at war with now.
No matter. Eye could take care of them, he’s sure.
Anything to get to lay in bed with Vista by his side.
Vista shifted uncomfortably, before reaching over behind him and-
“Holy shit- GUMMY WORMS! GIMME THAT!” Eye yelled in delight, his eye dilating as he immediately snatched the packet of gummy worms. He didn’t waste a second longer before ripping the packet open and grabbing a handful to shove into his already developed mouth.
Delicious.
Eye could hear the soft giggles coming from Vista as he blindly continued to eat the now nearly empty packet.
Finally, when he could no longer feel anything in the bag, he resummoned his eye to properly look at Vista.
Funny. He somehow seemed very… relieved? Perhaps it was just his amusement from watching Eye absolutely demolish that pack of gummy worms.
Still, there was a sort of worry that lingered on Vista’s beautiful features for longer than Eye would like.
Unacceptable.
Whoever has caused such worry to his pretty damsel in distress will be swiftly executed.
He’d make sure of it.
“Eye… I’m not sure how to bring this up very smoothly but… I’ve noted a few of our eating habits lately haven’t been very great. And actually, I’ve never seen you eat any actual meals, you just sit there during dinner and say you’ll eat it later- but later never comes!”
Eye froze.
Ah.
He’s the one that’s been causing his poor Vista such distress.
“Well I didn’t want to be rude, I can’t exactly see when I eat you know. I can’t imagine it looks very pleasant from your end.” Eye shifted slightly, suddenly feeling embarrassed about the display with the gummy worms.
And of course, Vista had to bring it up.
“You just devoured a whole bag of gummy worms. I think we're past that stage of comfort, Eye.” He furrowed his brows as he continued.
“Besides, you've lost so much weight!” Vista gently poked Eye’s arms for emphasis.
…
“Huh.” Eye was confused. He hasn't lost any weight. At least, not that he's noticed. What could Vista possibly be talking about-
Oh.
“I don't mind the fact you're not as buff as when we first met and teamed up, but this is just straight up unhealthy Eye.” Vista's voice was full of worry, his heterochromic eyes of purple and gold softening into something that made Eye’s heart skip a beat.
God, Vista must really care about him, huh?
A shame he's getting all worked up over quite literally nothing.
“I’m fine, Vista, I swear-” Eye attempted to reassure, but was quickly interrupted by Vista’s firm and determined voice.
“Eye, no one can lose- what, 70 pounds in a week? Have you been starving yourself? Or-or eaten a tape worm or something-” Vista ranted, trying to think of some way that Eye could have lost so much weight all at once.
“Vista.” Eye began carefully, thinking of some sort of perfect arrangement of words to calm his worried little pretty princess.
Vista only grew annoyed with Eye’s gentle voice, however.
“Don't ‘Vista’ me, Eye! This is serious, I'm being serious right now!” He whined, clearly not appreciating how Eye was trying to brush this off.
“So am I.” He replied calmly. “I promise, it's not what you think. At all. I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much.” Eye reached over to hold Vista's hand, finger brushing over the emerald ring that held its place on Vista's soft hands.
For someone with such soft hands, he sure was a great fighter.
Eye liked that about Vista.
He looks far more beautiful than any flower, but will sting you like an entire hive of hornets.
It's the kind of restraint and power he holds that first drew Eye to him. But what he loved about Vista most of all, was his unwavering care.
The one that Vista was showing him right now.
“Vista, you remember how I can shift my giant eyeball here,” Eye pointed to his head, “-into a mouth, right?”
Vista raised a brow, but nodded.
He continued. “Well, I can do the same thing with my body. I can turn it into a…bigger version of myself. I usually only do this when around spawn or enemies for intimation points.” Eye paused for a moment, hesitation for only a moment.
It was hard to reveal weaknesses.
But this was Vista.
His lover.
His darling.
His pretty princess.
The prettiest of all time.
The one who was already a weakness to Eye. The one whose smile alone made him go weak in the knees. The one whose sound of his laughter made his heart skip a beat. The one whose gaze made any sort of negative emotion disintegrate and shatter all at once.
Vista was pure kryptonite to Eye, but Eye would gladly hold him close if it meant he could appreciate his beauty for a little longer.
One more little weakness was more than worth it if it meant Vista was at ease.
“I usually return to this smaller version of myself because it's easier to maintain. It's just more natural and a whole lot less work. I really only use it when I'm tired or around…” he trailed off, but stared into Vista's eyes, a look that only further cemented his feelings as they stared at him with such genuine care.
“... around teammates. Or well, you, I guess.” He finished, slowly pulling away his hand from Vista's.
But Vista suddenly held on tightly.
How could he not want to hold and cherish Eye even more after that? He knew what Eye was implying.
He felt safe around him. Him. Enough to purposely be seen as weaker just for comfort.
Eye hated even being seen as weak.
But it was something he was willing to give up around Vista.
The two sat in silence for a moment, letting the small confession linger for a few ticks.
“...So…are you like…weaker when you're like this?” Vista momentarily let of Eye’s hand to gesture towards Eye’s body
Eye blinked.
“No? I'm still the same as I was when I'm more muscular- muscles don't equal actual strength you know.” Eye defended, slightly confused as to where this was going.
Vista squinted in suspicion, before standing up and dragging Eye by the handout the door.
Eye followed, confusion growing as Vista let go of his hand and began to circle Eye, inspecting him.
Eye wasn't exactly self conscious, but it felt weird to have your body being examined by your lover. He wasn't used to feeling so… vulnerable.
But, if it would calm Vista's worries…
Finally, Vista stopped in front of Eye and crossed his arms.
“Nah, I don't buy it.”
“What.”
“No way you're still strong like this. You look like a twig, no offense.” Vista shrugged, as if this was just a perfectly natural conclusion to come to.
“That- what?” Eye was dumbfounded. Words were simply not wording, because how the hell are you supposed to respond to that?
“Vista, I'm just as strong as ever.” Was all he managed to say.
“Nuh uh.”
“Yuh huh”
“Nuh uh.”
“Yuh huh.”
“Prove it.”
Eye tenses for a fraction of a tick, before relaxing himself.
Finally, a language he could understand.
Fighting.
It was what Eye excelled at.
It was something he could prove his worth in.
It was something he could show off.
Show off to people like Vista.
A display of strength through a friendly sparring match would be perfect.
Eye mentally prepared himself, checking his inventory for what items he could use to his advantage on such short notice.
“Pick me up.” Vista's voice interrupted Eye’s planning. He paused, slowly closing his inventory.
“Bet you can't do that.” Vista smirked, his crossed arms adding to the smug look on his face.
Oh.
That's… not what he was expecting.
Almost hesitantly, Eye began to take a few steps forward and put a hand on Vista’s shoulder, readying himself.
Then, in one swift move, he crouched down to hook his other arm behind Vista's knees and pulled him up as he stood.
And now, Eye stood with a Vista in his arms, carrying him without any hint of struggle bridal style.
A princess carry, for the prettiest princess of them all.
Vista's eyes widened for a brief moment, before he squinted them again in suspicion.
“Hmmm, you sure there's not a difference between now and when you're all buff?” Vista asked, moving one of his arms to go around Eye’s neck for further support.
Eye sighed as he shifted his body into the familiar one he uses around spawn. What a hassle.
But, once again, if it makes Vista's worries leave him be, then it'd be worth it.
Eye wasn't exactly struggling to hold Vista per say, but he was now going to get tired of maintaining this altered form if he had to do more things. He was already tired from running errands at spawn while staying in this form, he didn't want to keep doing it at home.
So, just to prove a point, Eye dropped his arms down to his hips, startling Vista and causing him to flail slightly. Then, he curled Vista. He brought him back up against his chest, then dropped his arms back down, and repeated.
He was literally curling a whole human.
Finally, Eye paused as he once again flexed his muscular biceps with Vista in his arms, tightly pressed against his chest.
That's when he noticed just how flustered Vista seemed to be.
Vista only stared off into the distance, face flushed as his hair was slightly frizzled from moving around so much.
Ah.
Eye understood now.
Eye felt a surge of pride swell up in his chest as he smiled with his eye, readying himself for one last thing.
Eye crouched down slightly, before tossing up Vista as high as he could. He could hear a screech escape Vista as he flailed around, attempting to grasp at the air that was now surrounding him.
Eye relaxed himself, his body shifting back into his normal form, and he braced himself to catch Vista.
Sure enough, Vista landed in his arms without any issue.
Vista quickly glared at Eye, face now beetroot red.
“What the hell was that for, asshole!” He grit his teeth, embarrassed at what had just happened.
Eye chuckled slightly.
Vista was fucking adorable.
He adjusted his grip on Vista, before pausing to admire the memorizing view there in his arms.
Slowly, Eye formed his mouth as he leaned down.
Vista’s eyes widened slightly, but he parted his lips anyway.
Who was he to refuse a kiss from someone like Eye?
Their tongues made contact before their lips. It was the only way Eye could tell where Vista’s mouth even was, after all. He was fully blind when he formed his mouth, and could now only focus on how his lover tasted.
He tasted like cookies.
Wait cookies?
Eye pulled away, not caring for the mixed saliva that dripped onto his shirt as he spoke.
“Did you make cookies?” Eye said, his eyeball reforming to lightly squint at Vista.
Vista, however, was still competitively winning against a fresh apple in a ‘who is redder?’ competition, as he breathlessly wiped away the spit on his lips.
Jeez, could this guy get any prettier?
“Y-yeah, I have some other stuff inside the house. Uh- waffles, that one weird ribbon ice cream you like, some cookies-” Vista was cut off as he suddenly fell to the cold end stone floor.
“OW! EYE WHAT THE HELL-” Vista complained, as he stood up, only to see Eye sprinting back into the house.
Oh this mother-
“EYE, YOU BETTER SHARE THAT SHIT!” Vista ran in after him, only to see Eye licking the cookie plate clean with the same tongue that was literally exploring his mouth not even a minute ago.
Vista couldn't spare another second as he ran in front of the cold steel box, protectively spreading his arms in front of the mini freezer and fridge.
Eye made eye contact with Vista as he put down the now empty plate of waffles. He already finished both the plate of cookies and the waffles?
“Eye. You are going to share this. This and the lemonade.” Vista sternly spoke.
“There's lemonade in there too?” Eye questioned, excitement crystal clear in his voice.
Fuck, Vista really shouldn't have mentioned that.
Vista could see his pupil dilate as he stared at the mini freezer and fridge, clearly wanting the contents it held.
“So…you're gonna share all these treats I got for you, right?” Vista asked hesitantly after a moment of staring each other down.
“...No, not a chance. I’m a certified fat ass now. You did this, not me.” Eye shrugged as he raised his hands, before stepping forward grabbing Vista by the sides.
Suddenly, Vista’s feet were no longer touching the ground.
Eye simply picked up Vista and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, holding him steady with one arm.
“What- THATS NOT FAIR- EYE COME ON!” Vista whined, struggling to break free from Eye’s hold as he heard the fridge door open. Alas it was all in vain, as Eye had clearly demonstrated his superior strength before and was using it for the best use of all.
Eating snacks to his heart's content.
And maybe teasing his boyfriend along the way too.