Chapter Text
-After catching him in your room, you pulled Battat aside in the Mike Room after his next shift... Which apparently ended early, because he was wound so tight that Tenna noticed, concluded Mike was overstressed, and ordered him to take the rest of the day off, since show production was less hectic here in Castle Town anyway.
-His work being disrupted seemed to have the opposite effect, however. Battat’s hands shook, his mouth ran faster than it normally did out of costume, and he had broken out in a sweat. He seemed genuinely nervous, at a level you had never seen before. It made your heart sink.
-You took his hands and apologized for spooking him. You were just trying to be silly.
-Being the “Angel” was just a title. A role. You didn't want to oversimplify it, but it kinda was like acting as Mike. You were just here to keep everyone safe and help the kids handle the whole “Roaring” thing.
-At the end of the day, you were just another human.
-And…
-He blinked at you, snapped out of his nerves by confusion. “I snuck into your room, and you're asking me if you overstepped?”
-You ended up rambling about how you- you liked him, and you kissed him on the cheek because he was just so cute when he's flustered, but you did NOT want to stress him out or make things weird, because you cared about him a lot and loved spending time together, so if that was a step too far, you screwed up, and you were very sorry, and it wouldn't happen again, and-
-You liked him. You liked him.
-He had solved part of your mystery earlier that morning, but now it felt like the other half clicked into place as well. The strings in his mind all pulled taut. He just couldn't believe the picture.
-He watched you fiddle with your hands and avoid eye contact as you prattled on. You were blushing. (The heat on his cheeks meant he probably was too.)
-It felt like he was seeing you again for the first time. Like he was finally processing what was standing in front of him. The shape of your smile and the sparkle in your eyes.
-Pippins… have a tendency towards jumping into things without thinking about the consequences. For the thrill. Battat knew this, and did his best to tamp it down and work around it, even if he didn't have it as bad as most.
-But that day… Maybe it was the perfect six he had rolled earlier talking, but… He just felt lucky.
-He grabbed you by the shirt and yanked you down into a kiss mid-sentence. You squeaked, and he pulled away. It was only a second or two, but somehow, he was out of breath already. The two of you locked eyes for a moment, equally stunned.
-His mouth moved to ask, “Are we even?”, but then your lips caught his again and you threw your arms around his neck, and his arms found their way to your back and he tilted his head just right and-
-The two of you jumped at the sound of a saxophone.
-You turned away from the door, head in your hands, partially in embarrassment, partially to stifle your laughter, as Battat practically exploded beside you.
-Pluey’s tone sounded equal parts endeared and teasing, and you thought you made out Jongler giving congratulations. It was hard to hear over Battat’s yelling. “Haven't you dunces ever heard of privacy?!” “You're both off for the day, why are you even here?!?” “WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH’!?!?”
-Admittedly, not too much changes once you're together. You still spend most of your time in the Mike Room, playing games or theory crafting. You still visit Battat on his shifts as Mike. It's just the details that are different.
-You now always greet Battat out of costume with a smooch on the head or the cheek. And he tries to hide his smile, but he isn't used to this, so he doesn't do it very well. Which you find adorable.
-At first, he doesn't start or ask for physical affection, but he won't leave yours unanswered. He'll find an excuse to give you a peck on the cheek in return, right when you've forgotten about it.
-Sit next to and slide an arm around him, he'll blush slightly and mutter something about “personal space”… until a few minutes later when you try to sit up straight, and he either leans into you or guides your legs onto his lap. Often without saying a word.
-Try to interrupt him with a full kiss, and he may sputter and put a finger to your mouth. “Not now! Not while I'm thinking!” …But he will find an opportunity later to put his hands on your shoulders and stand on his toes to receive his prize.
-(and he’s always the one to deepen the kiss. To hold you there a little longer.)
-There was a word for this kind of affection. One you knew Kris didn't like. But it couldn't be helped… Battat truly was the most tsundere of Pippins.
-He does get more comfortable as time goes on, however.
-You are now one of only three people expressly allowed to spin his head if he's clearly frazzled. (Well, four if you count Tenna, but Tenna didn't really realize that tossing Small Mike in the air like a hackysack relieved as much stress for “Mike” as it did him.)
-He gets slightly less flustered than he used to when you compliment him, especially in costume. He's learned to roll with it better.
-He asked you one day if you really meant everything you said, or if you were just teasing.
-You tilted your head, currently laying on his lap. Maybe you exaggerated a little for effect, you told him, but the heart of it was true. You really did think he was smart. And clever. And cute. And just generally wonderful.
-He turned away, hiding his (most likely pink) face. “You know, most people just think I'm a weirdo. Even for a Pippins.”
-You laughed. “What kind of human do you think comes this far to hang out with dice, figurines, and TV remotes every day?” He didn't answer. Just continued petting your hair.
-There was another time when your positions were reversed - you had actually gotten him to lay in your lap - and he asked what exactly he had done to get the attention of the angel.
-You shrugged, running your fingers along the edges of Battat's head. (Something you had discovered relaxed both of you.)
-It was nice to find someone else as invested in the mysteries of this world as you were, you finally said. Someone else who works hard behind the scenes to make sure everything goes ok.
-He hadn't thought about it like that. He supposed he couldn't argue. (Hard to think when your hands were so soft and warm on his resin.)
-There was one shift where you wouldn't shut up about how charming Mike was, though. How he could have anyone in Castle Town he wanted, if he felt like it. Tenna agreed, though he joked that if Mike did find a significant other, not to be surprised if the CRT might fight them for his time.
-You watched “Mike’s” smile wobble nervously. “Don't you worry, boss! Work before play, and all that! And nobody could ever replace ya!”
-You loved seeing that rosy blush magically appear. You always wondered how his emotions showed over the costume. How the mouth moved so smoothly.
-When you asked him, he said he wasn't sure, but explained his personal theory: Darkner biology is more fluid than Lightner's. The relationship between their Dark World bodies and appearance, their Light World objects, and their mental well-being was all interconnected. Probably via magic.
-Get smacked hard enough in the Dark World, their Light World form will reflect the damage, or vice versa. Lose their mind, and their body will deteriorate. Make a good enough costume and persona, and it will act like more than the fabric or foam it was made of.
-Jongler didn't like their costume much besides the hat, so it was just clothing to them; but Pluey, already so flexible as a Shadowguy, practically became a cat with the thing on.
-When you first saw the Mikes in costume, you hadn't thought much of “Small Mike”, but once you got to know the Pippins behind it, the design grew on you. It was cute! You might even call it attractive, if you felt like it.
-Which was probably why it was your turn to fluster when “Mike” pulled you into a nearby storage closet. He pinned you against the wall between his arms.
-“You think you're so funny, don't ya? Think you're real clever, flirting with Mike right under Tenna's nose, huh? Do ya?”
-He was a head shorter than you. You subconsciously slid down the wall to better match his stare. Just to humor him.
-“Think I'm gonna have to teach ya a lesson. Give ya a taste of your own medicine. Show you what happens to people who want Mike's attention so bad they'd distract him while he's workin’.”
-You opened your mouth to say something snarky-
-But then he slipped an arm around your back and pulled you closer, and suddenly you were only a few inches from his face, and you stammered. Somehow, you just couldn't remember what you were going to say. (And was it always this warm in here?)
-He chuckled, so low you felt your heart skip. “So you can deal it, but ya can't take it?” His fingers slowly caressed your neck in just the right way to make thinking difficult. “Good to know, good to know. Gotta remember that.”
-Your brain scrambled to remember how to speak. But just as you almost had a retort, he spun and dipped you in one smooth motion, and you forgot again. “You know, I'm thinking maybe you're the one who's cute when you fluster. Ever think of that?”
-“I think I'm… learning?” You responded lamely. He closed the gap even further. “Oh, you ain't learned nothin’ yet.”
-“Can you even kiss like this???” was the last thing you squeaked out. He breathed his answer against your lips. “Movie magic, sweetheart.”
-As you melted into the kiss, and then the next one, your only thought was slight relief that he tasted the same. This was still Battat. Your little green pippins. But that Mike persona confidence had to come from somewhere, you supposed…
-(He should use it more often, you thought. It suits him.)
-When Tenna finally found Mike lagging behind in the storage closet, he helped carry the box of props he had thrown together. It wasn't that heavy, but Tenna knew Mike didn't like lifting nearly as much in this form as when he was a cowboy.
-What Tenna thankfully didn't notice was a certain caretaker hiding in the back of that closet.
-Battat got you to agree to keep most of your affection off the clock. That was too close a call for comfort.
-You still flirted with him on shift sometimes though. And even though he would never admit it to another soul, he actually quite liked shutting you up when no one was around to see how he did it.
-If the Mikes decide to tell Tenna the truth, you support them. You are the one to go fetch Tenna to the Mike room, in fact.
-You had said before that he deserved to know at some point, but it wasn't your secret to tell. Battat got unusually quiet, but you couldn't tell how seriously he considered your words until he asked for your help breaking it to the guy.
-Tenna, as is his style, is initially in denial. “Is this a prank, Mike? Cause it's really well written! (Need to work on the comedic timing, though.)” Battat claps back, irritated. Tells Tenna to take what's in front of him seriously for once in his life.
-Then… Then Tenna turns to rage. How dare they?! This was just a joke to them, wasn't it?! The whole time! A way to pull one over on their stupid boss! Battat tries to argue, but flinches backwards when Tenna punches the wall of the Mike room hard enough to leave a dent. They all do. Pluey slips behind Jongler, who pulls Battat behind them as well.
-You instinctively take a step forward, and Tenna, almost twice as large as normal, claws out, seething, glances at you- and hesitates.
-(Looking back, you like to think it wouldn't have gone much worse if you hadn't been there. You're relieved that you were though.)
-Tenna throws his hands up and screams, turning away from you all in exasperation. They're all fired! He never wants to see them again! If this was TV World, why he’d-
-He rants and raves, and you all take that as your queue to leave. Battat pauses in the doorway in front of you, glancing back as Tenna hits the back wall. He looks… torn. But steels himself when he meets your eyes.
-You don't bother to close the door behind you. The Weather Duo pass by you, already on their way to run damage control - as you had warned them they would probably need to.
-With nowhere else to go for the moment, the three of them crash in your room. Pluey takes the opportunity to bury himself in the pillows on your bed. Jongler leans against the wall, tipping their hat down in thought, and Battat plops himself down on the floor, by his theory board. (The two of you moved it here, in anticipation of them getting kicked out.) He's still holding the Mike costume head.
-You sit down next to him. Slip an arm under his poncho, around his waist. He leans into you.
-After a few minutes, you break the silence. “Well, you live?”
-Pluey sings an agreeable note. Jongler hums. Battat chuckles tiredly. “I guess so. Always figured the jig would be up eventually. Surprised it lasted this long, to be honest…”
-He’s smiling, but he looks exhausted. You press a kiss to the top of his head.
-Right as there's a knock at the door.
-You come face to face with Tenna when you open it. Well, face to black screen. (It's strange seeing him match your own height.) His hands are clasped behind his back, and his antennae fall limp around his head.
-You don't like seeing him like this, but your tone is guarded. “Tenna.” (You hear all three ex-Mikes shuffle behind you.)
-Tenna looks at his feet. “Can I ask just one thing?” You glance back at Battat. He steps forward and nods. “Sure.”
-“Why did you do it?”
-“Well, it started just trying to keep you from bitin’ people's heads off when Mike didn't show up.” It was Tenna's turn to flinch. “And to try and find the guy so he'd quit shirking his dang work.” Battat pauses. “But after a while…” He fiddles with the costume head, still in his hands. Kicks the ground. Rubs the back of his head. Sighs. “Ugh, I'm not. Good at saying stuff like this, but-”
-Pluey pipes up with a few melodic chords, and the CRT’s antenna perk up. Jongler agrees. “What Plues said. Ain't right seeing you all glooby, boss. It don't suit ya.”
-Battat nods, still staring at the floor guiltily. “Yeah… After a while, it… just didn't seem right not to help, you know? Somebody had to be Mike… or at least do Mike’s job. Somebody…” He pauses again. But not long before finally locking eyes (or lack thereof) with Tenna. “Somebody had to be there for you. If the real Mike wasn't gonna.”
-Tenna suddenly straightens.
-You finally find the words to chime in: even you didn't know where Mike was. But what you did know was that these three had been there ever since he disappeared. Didn't that count for something?
-Silence reigns for a tense moment.
-Then Tenna somehow scoops the four of you up in his arms, pulls you out into the foyer, and spins you around at his full height in an instant. “Oh, you sweethearts! You legends! You HAVE been there for me, haven't you?! All this time, when Mike didn't show, it was you! I'm so sorry, my darling Mikes!”
-He cries and gushes and fawns over them. Once your head is done spinning, you chuckle: of the three, only Battat is struggling in Tenna’s grip, flustered.
-“You're all rehired, if you'll give me another chance! You and you and you and-” He pauses, finger hovering over your own nose. “Well, I didn't fire you, but you're welcome too!” Tenna boops your nose and you giggle, as Battat rolls his eyes and tells Tenna not to worry - you're practically impossible to get rid of.
-Pluey still uses his costume. Jongler ditches it entirely, instead opting to wear their hat all the time.
-And Battat… He still wears the Mike costume sometimes while the show is running.
-If it's faster to do without than change, he does like finally having the option to just do the work as himself - and Tenna calls him Battat now regardless. (He almost argued when you introduced them all to Tenna with their nicknames, but he had gotten so used to hearing it from you that he decided it was time to accept it.)
-But sometimes, especially if Battat has to be on stage or visible by the audience for any reason… “It's nice to have the confidence boost,” he says. “It's like playing a role.”
-But the first day Battat greeted you with "Heya sweetheart" and a kiss, as himself, before turning back to direct set design… You once again forgot what you were going to say.
-(Tenna interrogated you after witnessing it. Just to make sure you were worthy of the affections of one of his greatest employees. It's a good thing you were the Angel, or you might have been nervous.)