echotrinityme

[echotrinityme]

The Poison of Words Part 1(Stickprice and others)

A/N: Does anyone know if there is a fanfic where Henry gets confronted by the father of Johnny Panzer? If not, I'm going to write one because why not?

Rupert noticed Henry has been acting strangely lately, and a surprise visit from an old friend complicates their relationship.

Rupert frowned when he heard Henry get home. It was midnight, and Henry was getting home late. Rupert got up and headed to the kitchen. He saw Henry standing over the sink. Henry held a hand over his right eye, and his other hand held on to the sink.

"Henry?" Rupert said quietly.

Henry jumped and screamed. Rupert was about to chastise Henry for being home late and for crying when he saw he had a black eye. He immediately ran over to him to check it.

"Why do you have a black eye?"  Rupert demanded.

"Uh... I ran into a pole on my way home cause it's dark outside," Henry replied sheepishly.

That was the biggest bullshit lie that Rupert ever heard. He knew Henry was lying. 

"Are ya sure?" Rupert drawled, seeing Henry get anxious.

Henry nodded vigorously. 

"Okay..." Rupert dropped the subject but made a mental note about it. "What were you doing that caused you to be late?"

Earlier, Rupert got a text from Henry saying he would be home late. He figured he would be home around 10 or 11, not midnight. 

"I was talking to the General,"  Henry answered, not looking at him.

"About what?" Rupert asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Confidential stuff," 

Rupert knew Henry was being vague cause Henry was not looking at him. After being together for so long, Rupert could tell if Henry was lying to him. 

"And why did it have to take so long?" 

Henry didn't say anything. 

Rupert pursed his lips. He wanted to know what was wrong, but didn't want to push Henry's boundaries. 

"Look, if anything is wrong," Rupert said softly, "You can tell me, okay?"

Henry looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Let's go to sleep. It's almost one and we have to get up at 6," Rupert said tiredly.

Henry followed Rupert to their bedroom to get ready for bed.

The next morning, Rupert was the first to wake up. He yawned as he stretched, and he heard a popping sound. He sighed in contentment. He got up and got dressed. He heard Henry get up and get ready. Rupert brushed his teeth as Henry walked into the bathroom. The bathroom wasn't huge for both of them. However, Henry was shorter and thinner than Rupert, so he could squeeze his body into the bathroom.

Henry grabbed his brush and started brushing his hair. Rupert frowned as he stared at Henry's reflection in the mirror. The black eye was still there, and Henry had dark shadows under his eyes. Rupert looked at the mirror one last time, and he saw that his goatee was growing in lastly. He went under the sink to grab something. Henry didn't pay attention. Rupert got out a makeup bag and gently lifted Henry's chin to make him look at him.

"Hold still, Hen," Rupert instructed Henry.

Henry did as he was told. 

Rupert covered his black eye and dark shadows with makeup. 

"There! Done," Rupert said proudly. 

Henry looked at the mirror, amazed that he didn't see the black eye or the dark shadows. 

"Thanks, Thorn," Henry said happily.

"You're welcome, Hen," Rupert replied, relieved that Henry was smiling again.

They exited their apartment and walked to the base together. They got to the base and headed for the cafeteria. They got their meals and sat down at a table. Rupert watched Henry eat his breakfast slowly. Rupert hoped he would be fine after getting to the base; however, Henry's eyes were listless again. 

"Hey, diamond, how do you keep your small stature despite eating more?" Rupert teased.

"Uh... by having a lover and friends who care about my weight?" Henry teased right back.

Rupert and Henry talked until their plates were empty. They were about to head out when they met Jose Gonzales outside the cafeteria. 

"E'llo Jose," Rupert said.

"Hi, Jose," Henry said.

"Hello, guys," Jose said happily. He looked at Rupert. "Hey, Rupert the General needs you for something."

"At this time?" Rupert said incredulously, looking at his watch. 

"Yup,"

"Okay, sorry, Henry," Rupert apologized to Henry, "Gotta go."

"It's alright, Thorn," Henry affirmed. "I gotta meet Charles and Ellie anyway."

"Thanks, luv," Rupert kissed Henry, and he followed Jose. 

"So... how's your relationship with Henry going?" Jose teased, making Rupert blush a bright red.

"It's... going well," Rupert replied.

"Oooh, you hesitated," Jose pointed out, "Is there something wrong?"

Rupert stopped, which made Jose stop too. He glanced at Jose with a worried look on his face.

"Ya..." Rupert began, "I think... Henry's hiding something from me."

"What?" Jose exclaimed.

"Last night, he came home late and had a black eye," Rupert told Jose.

"What? How did he get the black eye?" Jose questioned. 

"Before you get on my case, I did not give him that black eye," Rupert stated firmly.

"I know, sir," Jose reminded Rupert.

"Thanks..."

"Did you ask him about the black eye?"

"I did. He lied about it."

"Oh..."

Rupert felt a headache brewing; he rubbed his temples to ease it. Jose was staring at his superior officer. He played with the strings of his helmet, tugging at it. 

"Uh... sir..." Jose began, and Rupert stared at him. He saw that Jose looked anxious, and he frowned.

"Yes, Jose," Rupert didn't like the tone Jose was using.

"I'm unsure if I should tell you this, but..."

"But?" Rupert crossed his arms in annoyance. 

"What time did he get home?" Jose asked.

"Around midnight," Rupert replied, raising an eyebrow.

"What was he doing to come home at 

"He told me he was talking to the General," Rupert answered, getting more annoyed. Where was Jose going with this?

"I hate to tell you this, Henry did talk to the General, but he left the office at 4 p.m." Jose confided to Rupert. 

"What?" Rupert whispered.

"I saw Henry leaving the General's office at 4:00 and leaving the base," Jose said.

"Why would he lie to me?" Rupert asked himself.

Jose shrugged, and they resumed walking to the General's office. They entered the office to find the General talking to an older gentleman. Jose didn't recognize the man, but Rupert did.

"No way..."  Rupert said quietly.

The General ceased talking to the older man when he spotted Rupert and Jose. 

"Good morning, Rupert and Jose," Galeforce greeted.

"Good morning, General," Rupert and Jose responded in unison.

"Gentlemen, I hope you remembered Major Hershell Panzer," Galeforce said, pointing to Hershell.

"Hello, Hershell," Rupert said happily. 

Hershell Panzer is Rupert's old friend and the father of Johnny Panzer, one of Rupert's old coworkers. 

"Hello, sir," Jose said, offering his hand.

"Hello, boys," Hershell answered, shaking both soldiers' hands.

"What brings you in, sir?" Rupert asked.

"Just dropped in to check up on you folks," Hershell replied, smirking.

Jose didn't like the way Hershell was smirking. However, Rupert and Galeforce didn't seem to notice. Galeforce looked at his watch and gasped. 

"You boys better start your chores," Galeforce informed them.

They both nodded and headed towards the entrance of the office.

"Bye, Major Hershell," Jose and Rupert said in unison, "Bye, General."

"Bye, boys," Hershell and Galeforce answered in unison. 

"Oh, Rupert, before you leave," Hershell said, grabbing Rupert's shoulder to make him stop.

"Yes, sir?" Rupert said.

"Tell Henry Stickmin, I said hello," Hershell told Rupert with a creepy smile.

Rupert's eyes widened in shock and for some reason, fear.

A/N: This fanfic is gonna contain a lot of heavy stuff, mostly done to Henry and probably Rupert.

[echotrinityme]

See You Again Chapter 7: A New Way To Change Things

A/N: Warning! Warning! Warning: This chapter contains attempted suicide and other depressing topics. TW for suicidal thoughts and suicide. 

Rupert was looking out at the ocean, and the air was frigid. The weather was cold and dark everywhere. 

It's been two weeks since he first came to the Wall. He didn't enjoy it in the slightest. 

It was cold, dark, and snowy. He didn't hate the cold, but he didn't love it. He also felt guilty about Henry's death. His grandfather, Dmitri, on the other hand, was ecstatic.

Henry Stickmin had been a thorn in his side since Henry's escape from prison, where he used to work. 

Rupert felt numb. 

His friends and soldiers were keeping their distance from him. His nightmares were filled with Henry dying and everyone spitting hateful words at him. He couldn't get any sleep, and that's why he had bags under his eyes. His mom is the only bright thing in his life right now. However, the mood was still dampened by her abandonment. 

Rupert stared at the ocean with listless eyes.

"What am I doing? What am I doing here? I have nothing left..." he thought bitterly. 

"Your friends hate you, the General hates you, and Henry hates you," his mind kept telling him dark thoughts. He was trying his best to ignore them.

"Everyone will be happier if you were dead! They want you to burn in Hell!" 

Rupert covered himself with his arms as he started sobbing. His thoughts were right. He should be dead. Henry doesn't deserve to die. 

"Hey... why don't you..." 

Rupert glanced at the ocean. He stood up and wiped his tears. He walked a little closer to the edge of the cliff he was sitting on. He stared down to find the ocean, the cold, dark, and deep sea. He stared at it for a few minutes, weighing his choices. 

"Come on, do it..." his mind egging him on, "No one will miss you. Not even your mother and grandfather."

Rupert made his decision. 

Warning: Suicide attempt!

He was now on the cliff's edge, looking at the water. He took a deep breath and let himself fall into the water. 

His body stiffened by the cold as he let himself drown. 

Rupert felt his body temperature going down and closed his eyes.

"Life may be worse now, but at least I will be free," that was Rupert's final thought before the darkness consumed him.

Hours later, Rupert groaned when he opened his eyes. He quickly closed them because of the bright light. He waited for a moment, then he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, so he rubbed his eyes. He glanced around and saw he was in some sort of hospital room. He blinked in confusion. He glanced down to find he was wearing a hospital gown and was on a hospital bed. 

"Where am I?" he thought, trying to get up but hissed in pain. He heard something behind the green curtain. He braced himself. The curtain pulled, and an older lady came to stand by Rupert. 

"Oh good, you're awake," she said in a Russian accent.

"Who are you and where am I?" Rupert asked, panicking and trying to get up. The lady put a hand to his chest to get him to calm down.

"Easy, easy," the lady said, "You should rest. Luckily, I found you in time and didn't have to replace any body parts."

"Who are you?" Rupert repeated.

"My name is Dr. Vinschpinsilstein. You can call me Dr. V," Dr. V responded. "You're on my boat. I saved your life."

"Oh..." Rupert replied. 

"You must be the man who killed Henry Stickmin, da?" Dr. V asked. 

Rupert's eyes widened as he stared at his lap, and tears started brewing. 

Dr. V took Rupert's reaction as an answer. "It's a shame, he didn't come back alive again."

Rupert stopped crying, and he glanced at Dr. V in confusion. 

"What do you mean, 'come back alive again '?" Rupert questioned, narrowing his eyes at Dr. V.

"No one knows this, but Henry Stickmin had... powers," Dr. V answered.

"Power? What kind of powers?" 

"He can see timelines, use special objects, and be more powerful than anyone," Dr. V explained. 

"What?" Rupert said.

"He can also come back to life if he fails in one of his missions," Dr. V finished. 

Rupert's mind was blank after hearing Dr. V's explanation. He had so many questions. 

"Wait... if he can come back to life, how come he isn't here?" Rupert asked, "And if he did come back, why hasn't he returned to the Government?"

Dr. V's expression turned solemn as she crossed her arms.

"Unfortunately, Henry can only come back if he was killed by something or someone involved in one of his missions," Dr. V elaborated. 

"What does that mean?" Rupert demanded.

Dr. V didn't speak for a moment.

"What. Does. That. Mean?" Rupert barked. 

"It means since you've killed Henry..." Dr. V spoke softly, "He can't come back."

Rupert stared at Dr. V with an emotionless expression. He lay back down as he stared up at the ceiling. He felt his heart shrivel up as he heard voices from the day he murdered Henry. 

"What did you do?!"

"Get away from him!"

"An accident is when you spill a glass of juice on the floor, what you did is not an accident... it's a freaking murder!"

Rupert cried again. 

He covered his face with his hands as he kept wailing. Dr. V sadly watched him. 

"Get some rest," Dr. V told Rupert softly.

Rupert couldn't hear over the sound of his sobbing. 

The next day, Rupert still stayed in bed.

He was feeling much better, but was suffering from depression. 

Dr. V opened the curtains and came into view. She saw Rupert staring at the ceiling with a dead expression. His eyes were red and puffy, and he had bags under his eyes.

"Mr. Price, I know it seems like it's the end of the world," Dr. V declared, "However, I may have something that will help you." 

Rupert didn't look at her. "Like what?" he croaked.

"Like this."

She held up a small circular remote. Rupert glanced at the remote slowly. He sat up and stared at Dr. V in confusion.

"What is it?" he asked, voice sore from the crying he's been doing.

"It's a time machine," Dr. V answered.

"A time machine?" Rupert said.

"Yes, a time machine," Dr. V said. "This machine will help you go back in time."

Rupert got up and grabbed the time machine from Dr. V

"Will it actually work?" Rupert questioned Dr. V

"It will," Dr. V replied, "I made some adjustments  so you can go back in time and fix your mistake." 

Rupert felt something he hadn't felt in a while... hope.

Dr. V handed him some clothes, and he quickly went behind the curtain to change. A few minutes later, he was standing in front of Dr. V. He held the time machine in his hands, staring at it.

"Okay, Mr.Price, before you activate the time machine," Dr. V lectured Rupert, "Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

Rupert thought for a moment. 

"Hey... what about your mom?" His inner voice reminded him.

His mom is probably worried about him right now... and probably reported to his grandfather that he was missing. He told himself he would find her again after he fixed everything. 

"No," Rupert spoke up.

"Good luck, Mr. Price," Dr. V said happily.

"Thanks," Rupert activated the time machine, and in a flash, he was transported back in time. The next thing he knew was in Dr. V's boat, and now... he groaned when he woke up on a hospital bed again. 

He blinked in confusion and was about to shout expletives when he heard familiar voices. 

"Rupert, are you okay, buddy?" Charles asked Rupert quickly.

"Hey, Thorn, you with us?" Ellie added.

"Guys, stop crowding him," Victoria chided.

"Good to have you back with us, Rupert," Galeforce said calmly.

Rupert saw Charles, Ellie, Victoria, and the General in the hospital room. His mind was in a daze, but he was relieved that Charles, Ellie, and everyone else didn't look at him in disdain. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. 

"What happened to me?" Rupert asked, his body hurting.

"You got injured during a Toppat raid," Victoria explained.

Charles and Ellie nodded. Rupert lay back down, breathing a sigh of relief. Good, he went back in time and didn't kill Henry. Speaking of Henry, where is he? 

Rupert was about to ask where Henry was when he spotted someone whom he hadn't noticed until now. The person stood further away from everyone, and Rupert tried to get a good look at them. 

Charles saw the person Rupert was looking at and beckoned them over. The person hesitated for a moment, but with Charles persisting, they came into view. Rupert's eyes widened. He blinked, getting a closer look.

"Henry?" Rupert whispered.

A/N: I'm so sorry about this... I'm trying to update this as best I can. Also, I'm sorry if some of this doesn't make sense. I was tired when writing this.

[echotrinityme]

I like canines and the curved the most

Wanted to see what would happen if I drew Terrence with different styles of sharp teeth. What kind of teeth do you guys like the most?

[echotrinityme]

Look My Way Stickprice (Epilogue)

A/N: This is the last part of "Look My Way." I hope you enjoyed and endured it.

Henry was cooking something in the pot when a hand grabbed his pant leg. He looked down to see a 5-year-old looking up at him. 

"What is it, Ricky?" Henry said, resuming cooking.

"Papa, I'm hungry," Ricky whined. "Can I have a snack?"

"Dinner's almost ready, so no," Henry replied.

"Awwww," Ricky pouted, crossing his arms. 

Henry laughed at Ricky's cute pouty face. He looked so much like his father. Richard Stickmin-Price, or Ricky for short, is a carbon copy of his father, Rupert Price. Ricky had the same hair color and a similar hairstyle. However, Ricky's hair was messier than Rupert's. The only thing Ricky inherited from Henry is his eye color. 

"Take a seat at the table. Your dad is going to be home soon," Henry said.

"Okay..." Ricky pulled out a chair and sat on it. 

He waited patiently while Henry was setting the table. Henry returned to the pot when he heard the front door open and close. 

"I'm home!"

Henry smiled as Ricky exited the table and ran to the front door. Henry followed him out of the kitchen as he saw his husband picking Ricky up and hugging him. 

"Daddy! Stop hugging me!" Ricky protested, trying to get out of his dad's grip.

"Hey, you wanted this," Rupert said, smirking.

"Do not!" 

"Oh, ya?"

Henry chuckled as Rupert put Ricky down. Ricky ran back to the kitchen. Rupert came up to Henry and kissed him. 

"How was work, Thorn?" Henry asked Rupert when they pulled away from the kiss.

"Ugh, stressful," Rupert replied, removing his work gear and putting it away. "Training newbies  is annoying."

"If you can handle the Bukowski twins, you can handle the newbies," Henry pointed out.

"Ya, but don't you remember the time I almost killed them?"

"I do. If I had a dollar for every time you almost kill them, I would be rich."

Rupert laughed. 

Rupert took off his boots at the couch while Henry put Rupert's work stuff in the closet near the door. 

"By the way, where's Sapphire?" Rupert asked.

"She's taking her nap," Henry answered, pointing upstairs, "I think she's about ready to-"

"WAAAAAAA!" 

Henry paused. As if on cue, Sapphire woke up.

"Looks like she's awake," Henry said sheepishly. 

"I'll go get her," Rupert said, getting up.

"Thanks! Dinner is about done." Henry informed Rupert.

"Gotcha."

Rupert headed upstairs while Henry entered the kitchen. Rupert knocked on the door far from their bedroom and entered the room. The room was bright purple and pink, filled with toys and plushies. The room also had white drawers, a closet, and a small table with chairs. Rupert looked over at the bed, whose occupant stared at her dad with sad golden eyes. Rupert saw Sapphire holding her plushie of a bat. 

"Hello, Sapphire," Rupert said softly, "It's time to get up."

Sapphire resumed her crying, which made Rupert sigh. Rupert opened the blinds to let light into the room and took out some comfy clothes.

"Dinner is about ready, so let's get you dressed," Rupert told Sapphire.

"No! No! No!" Sapphire whined.

Rupert sat down on the bed and glanced at the bat plushie.

"Hello, Mr. Bat, can I get Sapphire dressed?" Rupert asked gently, and he shook Mr. Bat's wing gently.

"Thank you."

Rupert got Sapphire dressed and picked her up. They headed downstairs to join Henry and Ricky for dinner. 

"Hello, Sapphire," Henry said happily, grabbing his daughter from Rupert. 

Rupert sat down next to Ricky as Henry put Sapphire into her chair. Rupert stared at Henry and Sapphire for a moment. If Ricky were a carbon copy of Rupert, Sapphire would take after Henry the most for looks. Sapphire inherited Henry's white hair and eye shape. Sapphire's hair was tied in pig tails with blue bows. 

Henry served everyone meat and potato stew. Henry fed Sapphire some baby food while Rupert and Ricky ate the stew. Henry didn't know how to cook when they got together, which shocked Rupert. Rupert wondered how Henry was able to take care of himself. Rupert taught him to cook, and he was now a great cook.

"Did Ricky cause any mischief today?" Rupert questioned, looking at Ricky, who jumped and tried to hide from Rupert's hard gaze.

"He did like usual," Henry replied, chuckling at Ricky's tiny glare.

"Richard," Rupert said, tone hard.

"I didn't do it!" Ricky whined.

Henry and Rupert sighed.

Ricky was a troublemaker who drove Henry and Rupert crazy. He got into trouble and was sometimes mean to his sister, which prompted Henry or Rupert to punish him. 

Ricky finished his stew and was about to exit the table when he heard Rupert clear his throat. He stopped in his tracks and slowly looked at his dad. 

"What do we say when finished with dinner?" Rupert gave Ricky the "dad" stare.

"Um... can I please be excused?" Ricky asked anxiously.

"May I?" Henry corrected Ricky.

"Okay, may I please be excused?" Ricky asked again.

"Of course," Rupert and Henry replied in unison.

Ricky quickly excused himself and went to the living room to play with his toys. Rupert shook his head as he stood up, and Henry cleaned the table. 

"Are we raising a child or an animal?" Rupert said, helping Henry clean the dishes. 

"What about Sapphire?" Henry pointed to Sapphire with his eyes.

Rupert glanced at Sapphire, who was playing with a toy spoon, and patiently waited for her dads to finish. 

"She's our perfect princess who hasn't done anything wrong in her life," Rupert said confidently. 

Henry laughed.

Hours later, everyone was in the living room. Ricky and Sapphire were playing with each other while their dads were watching them. 

Rupert kept watching his son and daughter. He was feeling happy. Henry was, too. 

Later that night, Rupert and Henry put the kids to bed, and they got ready for bed themselves.

Rupert was brushing his teeth, and Henry read a book in their bed. 

"We gotta do something about Ricky, diamond," Rupert stated, still brushing his teeth even though he sounded muffled.

"Like what?" Henry asked, putting his book down.

Rupert spat out the toothpaste in the sink and rinsed his mouth.

"I don't know. We must do something," Rupert wiped his mouth and exited the bathroom. "I don't want to have calls from kindergarten saying our son is being a menace."

"And I don't want to get calls, too," Henry added. 

Rupert got into bed and sat down next to Henry. 

Henry overlooked Rupert sitting next to him because he was deep in thought. Henry never thought he could make it this far with Rupert. When Rupert told Henry he wanted to try working things out as a couple, Henry thought he was dreaming. They managed to make it work somehow. Sure, they did have challenges and flaws they had to live with. 

Being married and having kids with Rupert still felt surreal to Henry.

"Earth to Henry! Are you listening to me?" Rupert waved a hand to get his husband's attention. 

Henry blinked as he glanced at Rupert. He shook his head and stared at Rupert.

"What?" he said, mind blank, "Did you say something, Thorn?"

"You were spacing out," Rupert stated as he crossed his arms, "Everything ok?"

Henry nodded quickly, but Rupert didn't buy it.

"Henry. I know something's wrong," Rupert said softly, "Tell me what's wrong."

Henry felt his lips trembling, his vision was blurry with tears, and he started sobbing. Rupert immediately hugged him to comfort him. He whispered soft, comforting words to him. After a moment, Henry ceased his sobbing and calmed down.

"Sorry..." Henry sniffled.

"It's alright, Hen," Rupert said.

"I hope the kids didn't hear me."

"I doubt the crotch spawns could hear you through our soundproof room."

"I don't think we can call them crotch spawns since they never came out of either of us, Thorn," Henry pointed out.

"They still have our DNA, diamond," Rupert informed Henry, "Besides, I will still call them crotch spawns."

Henry laughed.

"Feeling better?" Rupert smirked.

Henry nodded.

"I'm sorry for crying, I was just thinking that I never thought I would have this life with you," Henry explained.

"You don't have to apologize, Henry," Rupert said gently, "To be honest, neither did I."

Henry lay down and was about to turn off his lamp when he felt Rupert's body warmth and his head over his shoulder. 

"Hey, why don't I take a day off tomorrow?" Rupert suggested.

"What about work?" Henry replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I own the company, Henry," Rupert stated proudly, "I can take the day off whenever I want."

"Hmmm, okay," Henry replied, rolling his eyes. 

Henry was about to turn off the lamp again when he felt Rupert's hand near his crotch. Henry's face turned red, and he glanced at Rupert's smug face. 

"Wanna have some fun before bed?" Rupert questioned slyly.

Henry thought for a moment. The kids are asleep, and the room is soundproof. Henry smirked as he pulled Rupert in for a kiss. Rupert was surprised at the kiss, and then he kissed back. Henry lifted his leg and put it on Rupert's shoulder. Rupert opened one eye to see one of Henry's legs on his shoulder. One of the many things that Rupert discovered about Henry is that he is flexible. That discovery made their...ahem... bedroom activities more fun. 

After their "activity", they had a peaceful rest. 

They finally looked into each other's ways. 

A/N: Sorry if the last sentence doesn't make sense, I couldn't find a way to end it. Also, how Ricky and Sapphire were born, I will explain in another one-shot book. 

[echotrinityme]

Awwww

[echotrinityme]

🐳✨

[echotrinityme]

Johnny comforting his friends

[echotrinityme]

Uh.... Good point

Charles the type of guy to eat pancakes with his hands

[echotrinityme]

Shiny

Ah yes shiny helicopter UwU

Story By @crazy-pe3p :

@disruptingtheden-au

I spend my life on this art TwT

Nice Au after all ! :>

[echotrinityme]

I'm sleepy

[echotrinityme]

Look My Way Part 8 (Stickprice and others)

"Going somewhere?" The female toppat member sneered.

Rupert raised a hand in front of Henry. Henry held up his gun, trembling a little. Rupert glared daggers at the female holding her weapon.

"Ya, and you are?" Rupert drawled.

"Carol Cross," Carol replied, "I am one of the Toppat top and best recruits."

"Oh?" Rupert said in a mocking tone.

Henry covered his mouth to contain his giggle, and Rupert smirked while Carol growled.

Carol pointed her sword at them, "Don't mock me!"

Rupert clicked his teeth, "Ooooh, someone's angry," he said.

"Look, who's talking?" Henry thought sarcastically.

"Enough! I'm not letting you guys escape!" Carol shrieked, getting ready to charge at them.

"Henry, quick, find the others!" Rupert whispered to Henry, "I will take care of her."

"B-but I can help-" Henry protested.

"Go!" Rupert interrupted him, seeing Carol running towards them with her sword.

Henry ran away while Rupert swiftly dodged the weapon. 

"Why does he want to play the hero?" Henry said to himself as he kept running.

He slowed his pace and stopped. He knew that standing in a hallway where a Toppat could capture him again wasn't the best idea, but he wasn't the brightest man. Rupert wanted him to find the others, but on the other hand, he needed help.

Henry made a decision and headed back for Rupert.

Rupert kept dodging Carol's sword while she kept swinging at him. He knew Carol was livid. He did pissed her off... so yeah, she was pissed. 

"An angry person is a predictable person," Rupert thought as he dodged the sword, and the sword plunged into the wall.  

He knew that phrase all too well.

Carol struggled to get her sword out but failed. She growled, then gave up. She pulled out a gun and started shooting at Rupert. However, predicting this, he quickly ran away from the gunshots. She kept firing until the gun was out of ammo. 

"Argh!" Carol yelled.

"Ha," Rupert said while smirking, crossing his arms. "Bad luck, huh?"

 Carol clenched her fists, "Don't get cocky, porcupine." 

Rupert's smirk dropped when Carol pulled her sword out of the wall and charged toward him. Rupert was about to dodge again, but Carol didn't give him the chance. She suddenly appeared in front of him. He jumped and stepped back, but felt a hard surface against his back. 

"Fuck!" Rupert cursed in his head. 

Carol smirked, "Trapped, huh, hedgehog?" 

Carol raised her sword to deliver the final blow, and Rupert shielded himself from the blow.

Carol plunged the sword at him.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

Rupert peeked with one eye open to find Henry in front of him. He blinked in surprise as Henry groaned in pain, and he collapsed. Rupert grabbed him and pulled him closer.

"St-stickmin! What the hell did you do?!" Rupert exclaimed, seeing the huge red gash across Henry's chest. Henry covered his chest with his arms and glanced up at Rupert with a pained smile.

"I-I s-s-saved y-you, T-thorn," Henry answered waverly.

"Why?!" Rupert demanded, his voice breaking.

Henry didn't say anything. He was in pain, and Rupert saw the crimson substance through Henry's shirt. Rupert immediately took off his jacket and covered Henry's wound. Rupert hugged him as he heard Carol snicker.

"Haha, your lover got hurt," she guffawed.

Rupert growled as he held Henry close to him. 

"Fuck you," Rupert said coldly.

"Hehe, say goodbye, porcupine," Carol informed nastily.

Rupert quickly hugged Henry and shielded him from the upcoming fatal blow.  

However, someone else entered the room and knocked Carol out. Carol fell to the ground with a yelp. Rupert looked up to see Ellie standing over Carol's unconscious body. 

"You guys, okay?"Ellie asked breathlessly. 

Rupert shook his head and showed Henry to Ellie. Ellie gasped and swiftly kneeled in front of them.

"What happened?!" Ellie exclaimed in a panic.

"He got wounded when he tried to protect me!" Rupert wailed, making Ellie confused. 

She saw Rupert hugging Henry and thought she saw tears, but that doesn't matter now. They need to get out of here! 

"Let's get out of here!" Ellie shouted.

Rupert picked up Henry in a bridle style and followed Ellie. The Toppat clan was retreating, which pleased the Government. 

"Where are they?!" Calvin questioned anxiously. 

"Ellie went to go find them," Konrad informed his brother.

"Yeah, but where are they?" June asked. "We can't leave them out here!"

"Guys, calm down," Charles reassured everyone, "Ellie will find them, and you should know who they are. Those three never give up."

Calvin kept searching for them among the scattered Toppat when he spotted a familiar red hair amid the chaos. 

"Hey, it's Ellie!" Calvin pointed.

"She's got Rupert and... is that Henry that Rupert is carrying?" June wondered.

"Guys, get in!!!" Calvin ordered.

Ellie hopped in and motioned to Rupert to hand Henry over to her. Rupert gently handed Henry to Ellie and quickly hopped on. The General ordered Charles to lift off. 

Charles quickly lifted off, inputted the coordinates, and returned to the Government base.

"Guys, are you ok?" June paused when she saw Henry's wound. 

"What happened to Henry?!" June exclaimed in a panic.

Everyone now noticed Rupert's bloodstained jacket and the bloodstained Henry. 

Everyone started talking at once, and the General ordered everyone to calm down, but nobody listened.

"How did Henry end up like this?" Calvin questioned.

"Who done this to him?!" Ellie demanded angrily.

"Is he okay?" Konrad added.

"Guys, we need to-" 

"SHUT UP!!!" Rupert roared, interrupting June and scaring everyone in the helicopter, including the General.

Rupert turned to June, who jumped upon seeing Rupert's glare.

"June, I need you to do first aid on Henry," Rupert barked. He then turned to Ellie, "Ellie, you help her."

June and Ellie nodded swiftly, afraid of Rupert's dark aura, which he was radiating. The girls started doing first aid on Henry. The Bukowski twins went up to Rupert.

"Since when do you care about Henry?" Calvin implored, crossing his arms. Rupert crossed his arms because he didn't like Calvin's tone with him.

"Since... since..." Rupert wanted to admit Henry was his soulmate, but didn't want to open that can of worms yet.

"Hey, Henry is losing consciousness!" June informed everyone.

Henry hissed as he felt pain. He saw black dots surrounding his vision and his mind slipping into a haze. He heard voices, but they were muffled. 

"Henry, stay awake!" Rupert bellowed at Henry.

"Stay awake, please, Henry," Ellie urged.

Henry couldn't stay awake much longer. He let the darkness consume him.

Hours later, Henry groaned as he shifted.

He slowly opened his eyes but quickly shut them because of a bright light. He waited for a few minutes to open his eyes, then he opened them again. His eyes adjusted to the light, and he sat up; however, he lay back down with a hiss. He looked down at his hospital gown. He furrowed his brows in confusion. What happened after he passed out?

There was a soft noise to his left, and he glanced over to his left.

His gaze softened when he saw Rupert asleep in a chair. He wasn't in his uniform; he was wearing casual clothing. Henry glanced at his surroundings. He was at the medical bay. He was about to wake Rupert when he paused. His eyes widened in fear. What happened at the Toppat base? What about the USB drive? What happened to everything else?! 

Henry had so many questions.

Rupert stirred when he heard Henry was awake. He blinked as he yawned and stretched until he heard a popping sound. He sighed in relief, then he glanced at Henry, who stared at him blankly.

"Um..." Rupert cleared his throat. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore and a little confused," Henry replied.

"Can't blame ya," Rupert said, shaking his head to get rid of some sleep. 

"What happened after I passed out?" Henry asked.

"A lot of things," Rupert responded in an annoyed tone.

Rupert started explaining what had transpired hours ago. Henry listened through the entire conversation. 

"And now, we're here..." Rupert finished tiredly.

Henry nodded but then remembered something important.

"What about the USB drive?" Henry questioned anxiously.

"Don't worry, Stickmin," Rupert answered with a chuckle. "The USB drive is safe and sound with the General."

Henry sighed in relief, but hissed a little. Rupert immediately went up to him.

"Easy, Henry," Rupert said softly, "You're recovering from a bad wound."

"Is that what the bandages wrapped around my chest are for?" Henry pointed to his chest.

Rupert nodded slowly. He bowed his head down. 

"Look, thanks for saving me and stuff," Rupert started. "But what you did was a stupid move on ya part."

"What was I supposed to do?!" Henry exclaimed, using his voice, which shook the room a little. "You were about to get hurt and killed by me!"

"Henry, I ordered you to go find the others," Rupert informed Henry, "I can handle myself."

Henry didn't say anything. 

"And you almost died from blood loss," Rupert added, tone hinting at worry.

Henry stared down at his chest. He frowned. The last thing he remembered was shielding Rupert and being carried by Rupert.

"The doctor said you should heal, but your wound will leave a scar on your chest," Rupert told Henry.

"Okay..." Henry said quietly.

They went silent for a moment. 

Rupert cleared his throat again, making Henry look at him.

"Hey... um... Henry," Rupert began, face scarlet. "While you were sleeping... I got to thinking."

"About?" 

"We could... try to work this out," Rupert admitted, face burning.

Henry blinked, "What?" he said.

Rupert snapped a hand to his forehead.

"Are you dense, Stickmin," Rupert mumbled. "I'm trying to say, what if we can try this whole soulmate out?"

Henry stared at Rupert for a few seconds, then he looked away.

"But... what about what you told me before?" he whispered.

"Forget all that," Rupert told Henry. "I want to try it to see if it works."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Let's just say almost losing you gave me a wake-up call."

The ex-cop's and ex-thief's faces were cherry red. They looked away from each other, and both were also sweating. Was it hot in here? Or was it them?

They didn't have time to think about it when they heard voices, interrupting their inner turmoil. 

"No way... You guys are soulmates?!" 

They both glanced at Charles, Ellie, and the Bukowski twins, and Victoria was standing a few feet away. They both squeaked when they saw their faces. Ellie was grinning, Charles was dumbfounded, the Bukowski twins were confused, and Victoria was shaking her head.

Rupert and Henry quickly protested and tried denying it. However, everyone already saw the truth.

"How long have you guys been standing there?" Rupert said through gritted teeth. 

"Long enough to hear your confession to Henry?" Ellie replied, smirking.

Rupert's eye twitched with anger.

"You and Henry are soulmates?" Charles asked innocently, "How long have you known?"

"Yeah! You guys hate each other, right?" Konrad added.

"We couldn't go a day without hearing guys fighting," Calvin pointed out.

Rupert glanced at Henry, who hid his face with his hands. He was trying to hide his embarrassment. Rupert shook his head swiftly as he covered his face with his hat. 

"Guys, stop embarrassing them," Victoria scolded everyone. 

"Thank you, Victoria," Rupert and Henry thought in unison.

By the time Henry got out of the medical wing, everyone in the base knew Rupert and Henry were soulmates. 

Ellie couldn't keep her big mouth shut and told everyone. 

Rupert and Henry weren't happy with her since everyone kept asking questions. It got out of hand when some of the questions became personal, so Rupert asked them politely yet firmly to stop asking questions. Everyone got the message crystal clear.

"How are you and Henry getting along?" Howard questioned, sipping his tea.

"Surprisingly, great," Rupert replied, also sipping his tea.

"Oh, really?" Howard said, raising his eyebrow, wanting to hear the details.

"Ya... I thought it was gonna be like my parents' situation," Rupert explained, gaze darkened for a bit, "But... we manage to make it work."

"Sure, as a couple, we have our share of arguments and things that annoy us about each other," Rupert continued, while Howard kept listening. "But we manage to work things out."

"That's good."

"Ya, and he changed a lot like he said,"

"So have you," Howard thought, but didn't want to admit it.

Rupert had changed so much after he and Henry got together. Rupert was still cold and prickly, but he warmed up a bit. He has also gotten his anger issues in check. He still got angry, but with Henry's help, he managed to control it. Henry had changed, too. He no longer steals anything except for Rupert's hat and jacket. Henry had gained weight and was now at a healthy weight. Everyone was worried that Henry was going to wither away; however, with Rupert's and everyone's help, he didn't.

"I wonder if getting laid had something to do with him being happy now," Howard's mind told Howard. Howard chuckled.

"What?" Rupert asked, finishing his tea.

"Nothing," Howard answered, smiling.

Rupert narrowed his eyes at Howard but dropped it. He thanked Howard for the tea and left to find Henry.

Rupert found Henry counting inventory inside one of the warehouses. Rupert smiled as he closed the door and walked over to Henry. 

A/N: There's one more chapter after this, I promise. 

[echotrinityme]

I didn't notice that detail but he's our scraggly boy

i love how in-game, Rupert's sideburns become messy for one single chapter before going right back to the clean look, yet we all collectively agree to draw him as a scraggly boy at all times-

[echotrinityme]

Uh... What? I'm not going to question this... I'm too tired

RUPERT IS THAT YOU?!?!?! WHY DOES IT LOOK SO MUCH LIKE HIM😭😭😭

LITERALLY I WAS WATCHING RANDOM ANIMATION TUTORIALS AND THEN SAW THIS???

[echotrinityme]

I love kitty Rupert

Johnny is like a cat who’d be happy to live with other cats (Rupert and Dave) but Rupert is a cat who’d only be happy living with one other cat (Johnny). Poor little Dave.

God you're just so right. drew some cat sticks inspired by your words

[echotrinityme]

Oh I love House M. D.! I wonder how their dynamic would be like

So some people on Discord came up with a crackship for Galeforce and Dr. House and my hand sorta slipped.

[echotrinityme]