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Medkit didn’t typically agree to these hangouts with Sword and Rocket, under the pretense that it’d be a date where he was the only one willing to drive. They didn’t even need a ride that badly, considering how often the two of them would walk around doing nothing.
With that realization in mind, he was beginning to somewhat regret agreeing to barge in on the two. Sword wouldn’t even realize the situation at hand before his brain blanked, giving Rocket one odd look.
Rocket hadn’t even said anything yet.
He was blushing at the concept of his best friend walking with him. How immature was that?
“How have you two been while I was out of town?” Medkit started a conversation for Sword’s sake, trying not to laugh at how puppy-like him and Rocket’s affection for each other was.
Rocket was first to answer, giving a smile while replying, “I haven’t lost another limb yet, so I'm feeling pretty good!”
“I got a discount from Thieves’ Rest for helping Vinestaff with lifting something,” Sword added, giving him that same positive tone.
Medkit let out a little hum, eyes narrowing at the two of them before focusing back on walking around.
There was a missing part of the conversation.
It didn’t take a lot for him to know both of them hadn’t added up to how good it was to hang out together.
“That’s nice,” Medkit replied, trying not to look too thoughtful while talking.
Sword wouldn’t pick up on anything Rocket put down, and there weren’t many chances for the other boy to intervene when they held basic discussions like this.
Which meant the hangout was a perpetual loop relying on Medkit to break it. He’d settled on that thought earlier, but his brother wasn’t helping the situation.
And he was beginning to grow a bit tired of watching him fumble with Rocket’s fingertips before scaring himself off.
With one tiny sigh, Medkit prepared himself for a second of embarrassment as he faked a stumble, not so subtly bumping the two into each other with a feigned cough afterwards.
“You never realize how many potholes this city has until you walk in it.”
Oh, for the love of Inpherno— Medkit deadpanned, seeing how Sword hadn’t grabbed at Rocket’s hand. No, he was holding the ends of his gloves. Wasn’t that more awkward than a natural hand grab?
“Maybe you’re just getting too old for walking properly,” Sword snickered, and his face had nearly hardened if it weren’t for his understanding of the situation.
He was just, unfortunately, naturally clueless. Medkit could’ve directly put his hand in Rocket’s, and his brother would still find some way to mess it up.
“I’m just old enough.”
“I don’t know, Medkit; he has a point.” Rocket chiming in made him give the other a little tight-lipped expression, reluctantly listening to him go on:
“I’ve got a bad leg, and I walk better than you.”
“Remind me not to fix your prosthetics for you.”
“You didn’t even add the jet part to them!”
Medkit faked an uncaring shrug, going, “Well, now you definitely won’t get it.”
“I can figure it out for you, Rocket!”
Now that’s what he liked to hear. That wasn’t meant to be a cue for Sword; hearing him use it that way made him proud nonetheless.
“Really?”
“Mhm, I think I got a pretty good understanding of all the propelling stuff.”
One more nudge.
His bump worked this time, but not by his brother catching the clue.
He held back a laugh when Rocket took Sword’s hand, taking the hint for him. The reaction from both of them was enough.
“I’m starting to think Medkit isn’t the only one who can’t walk,” Rocket grumbled, as if he weren’t already holding the other’s hand.
“I can walk just fine.”
“Apparently not.”
“Blame him for bumping into me!”
“I would never,” Medkit replied, still attempting to steer himself out of the conversation.
Having one of them turn this into a bickering match against him instead of a conversation between them would put him right back on square one.
And then he’d have to deal with this next month, again, with the same egging on.
But being sarcastic had given Sword something to cling to:
“Yeah, you would.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“You would—”
“I already know it’s both of you, though.” Rocket was fuelling the fight, wasn’t he? “Might be some family thing.”
“Well, don’t say that.” Sword frowned, giving an offended look while adding, “My dad’s way cooler than Medkit.”
“I’m not cool now?”
Really?
Was he the lame one? Even when put next to the two who couldn’t properly flirt with each other to save their lives?
Rocket didn’t even sound too sarcastic when he said, “You’ve been uncool.”
He wasn’t humoring that with a response. Besides, Rocket had apparently realized he needed to do some damage control a few seconds after saying that.
“You’re cool, though, Sword! Not meaning, uhm,” Medkit could only watch the vague gesture towards his brother while he continued, “That much isn’t a family thing.”
Two full-grown adults acting like teenagers with a crush.
“How sweet.”
Take the hint. Medkit felt so painfully awkward, mumbling to keep the walk from being in dead silence.
The main issue was that Medkit and Rocket both had one thing in common, and that was the slight loathing for how oblivious Sword was.
He had to turn his head away, seeing how his brother reacted, trying to keep himself from laughing. This was his brother’s fumble! He was a good sibling; he wouldn’t laugh at that.
“You know, Rocket,” Medkit was starting the conversation back up as quickly as he could, fixing the awkwardness for them:
“I could teach Sword how to fix up your prosthetics for you. It’d suck if anything were to go wrong with them while I’m out of town.”
“You’re saying that like I’d let that happen.”
“Would you not like me to take care of your leg, Rocket?”
Thank God.
That was about as smooth as Sword could get, but it worked like a charm. He knew his brother wasn’t clueless enough to keep from flirting!
That stunned Rocket into mumbling, “I wasn’t saying that.”
“Sure did sound like it.”
Medkit didn’t bother interrupting the two of them staring at each other, giving them a good minute before going, “I can just leave my notes with Sword, and you two can figure it out while I’m out of town. If he does something wrong, I’ll fix it when I’m back.”
He looked at his brother for a minute before adding:
“And I have some faith that he’ll do it right.”
“You’re trusting him to do it when you don’t fully trust him?”
“Yup.”
Rocket looked like he’d have some longer, formal complaint about that; Sword ended that discussion for him.
“I promise I’ll do well on it if you let me.”
There was a lot of genuine hope when Sword said that to Rocket, and again, Medkit was proud. He couldn’t fully set the two of them up, but this was close enough that he’d become all right with it.
Nothing else happened for most of the walk, other than the occasional bickering between the three of them over whatever topic they stumbled upon.
That, and a few more repeated sequences of Sword flustering Rocket. Medkit didn’t feel too much about many of those moments, considering how accidental they were.
However, by the time he’d begun walking on his way home— Sword had run up to him with something in his hand.
“Tell Vinestaff I gave it to you.”
Medkit hardly had time to process the words before a coupon was shoved into his hands, blinking at the little piece of paper before realizing why.
He didn’t bother saying anything directly, not wanting Rocket to catch what the interaction was a thanks for.
Instead, Medkit only quietly laughed in Sword’s face.
“Got it.”
He’d almost had the interaction on that, before choosing to instead say:
“Update me on that leg hangout.”
And watching how his brother ran back to his friend, somewhat redder in the face.