Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Socks hasn't felt good in a long time. 

He hasn't smiled in a while, hasn't laughed in a while, hasn't been himself in a while. At least genuinely. 

He can fake it, he always done it. 

Fake it 'til you make it. That's what he was told, and he internalised it and made it part of his personality. 

He never talks the truth. At least about his feelings, but the moment those blue eyes turned on him and the words that escaped his lips were poisonous, he had to try. 

And he failed. 

Again. 

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again. 

And again.

And again. 

At twilight, he tried again. 

But he failed. 

Maybe Laff actually cared but he never tried again. Instead, they just continued with everything. As if he wasn't important enough for Laff to remember him trying to open up. 

Dino doesn't count. 

Dino is cruel. And he understands why Laff tried to get rip of him. 

But Socks doesn't care. If Dino is willing to stay, he doesn't complain, he just clings onto him. 

He knows he's being used, but he likes feeling looked after, feeling protected. Even if he's only being used to act as a form of petty revenge against Laff, against whatever he did to the demon. 

Socks does not care. He'll gladly let Dino use him as a tool, as long as he keep him around. 

So when Dino disappears on the day he shouldn't, he is devastated. He knows he is pathetic, but he does not care. 

He'll always remember the feeling of eyes burning into him, keeping tabs on him, always, never leaving. 

Then he notices more people missing. 

Oompa, the desperate jokester in denial, Oof, the emotionally disconnected boy and Joocie, the only good one. 

He wants to point it out, but he doesn't want to look pathetic. 

When he encounters the vampire, he decides to ask about Joocie. The vampire cares about him, even when they were enemies. 

Then he hears the answer and thinks 'Oh.' 

'Laff killed Joocie.' 

He doesn't know how he feels about Laff anymore. But it was almost over, so he says nothing. 

He doesn't feel nothing though. He feels a hint of sadness though. He's sure he'll miss the only good person in this life, the only one he's actually sure that would've stayed, would've listened. 

But he's dead now. 

Because Laff is cruel like Dino, just in a different way. 

Socks plays pretend now. 

He realises that everyone isn't taking it seriously, tormenting the accused. So he joins. 

He recognises what the accused was most likely feeling. But he wants to get his frustration and anger out. 

The accused would understand, right? 

Then Laff does it again. 

He kills two kids he forgot about. He watches as their body disappeared to nothing and graves dropped in place where they once were. 

Socks felt good then. With excitement rushing through him, he grins wide and wider at the realisation that could happen to him. 

That he can die. 

Forever. 

Oh please, let him die. 

Let him die. 

Laff forces them to go underneath, into some crazy, giant forever stretching hall. 

And Socks thinks he's going insane as adrenaline rushes through his vein, as sparkles of excitement tingles on the tips of his fingers. 

He suppresses the growing smile and copies the terrified shock of everyone else. 

Socks thinks Laff broke him, for a moment. 

He thinks that Laff was playing with him, that he used him like a toy instead of a tool. He knows he doesn't care, only that he wants to be used again. 

He feels as if Laff wrapped strings around his joints, tie them tightly until he bleeds, then left him. 

He wants that feeling again. It was something, and something was better than nothing. 

He feels a bit of blood spills from the gap on his neck. 

He thinks back to seeing Laff with his decapitated head. He thinks back to staring into those dead eyes that belongs to him. He thinks back to the horror he felt. 

He remembers their laughter at his head and he feels worse now. 

No wonder why Laff stopped playing with him. 

Nobody likes broken toys. 

And no wonder why Dino decided to pick him up. 

He was Laff's toy, so Laff must've been furious when he saw his toy in someone else's hands. 

His mind stops when the vampire kills his puppeteer. 

Any excitement dies down and Socks wants to scream. He wants to tell the vampire off for so many things, but he finds himself on autopilot instead. He finds himself playing along, masking his anger at the vampire for doing something so stupid. 

Then L4FF came.

And so the excitement returns. 

And it seems he is still L4FF's favourite as he is pulled away first. 

L4FF thinks he hasn't broken him, so he gives him false hopes and beautiful lies. He gives him a gun and tells him to shoot him. 

Socks wants to shoot himself. He wants to tell L4FF he has lost his humanity because of him. He wants to tell L4FF he'll do anything for him, for death- 

But instead, he plays along.

Anything to please his owner. 

L4FF doesn't notice his acting, doesn't notice him playing along despite being his plaything. 

And eventually everyone caught up. 

Time passes on like a blur. He only remembers playing along and red, soulless eyes. 

He doesn't remember Meme's voice, Blaza's face, Nadwe's determination or Tbh's outfit. Because he no longer cares nor can he bother anymore. 

When L4FF threatens Socks, he just laughs and tells him he knows a way out. 

He is intrigued and confident he's just bluffing, so he challenges Socks. And since he already has his fingers wrapped so tightly around him, leash wrapped tight enough to strangle him to death, strings tied tightly enough to cut into his bones, Socks obeys. 

He stares into those calculating, red eyes as he aims his given gun at himself. 

It's his second attempt to take away his own life. 

And only Laff knows, and it's obvious L4FF remembers. Socks watches as those rudy eyes widen and memories clash against each other. 

He hears screams from everyone as he pushed the trigger. 

Socks smiles, staring into the eyes of the man who toyed with him, removed his humanity, turned him into nothing but a shell, as blood splatter. 

Socks feels good, for one final time.

Chapter Text

Dino is a petty man.

Wrong him and he begins the slow process of driving your life downhill.

Laff knows this the best.

While he is closest to him, he feels as if Laff's his only real friend and he's just humouring everyone else. Or vice versa he guess.

Laff reads him far too well, and he returns the favour silently, unaware if Laff even knows he understands Laff more so than the others.

He wonders if Laff knows that he sees the devil within.

And that he does not care about the evil within him.

Dino soon learns that Laff does not know him as well as he thought.

Long after he got over his burning anger and unexplainable, hidden hurt of being excluded, he realises that he may have just been used.

There's a bitter taste in his mouth and he wonders if he should strike back or inform Laff he'd gladly assist in his schemes.

Then he learns Laff committed terrorism and questions what's going on in his mind.

And when Laff decides to blackmail him into helping him, Dino realises that Laff truly has no idea who he is.

So he just smiles and play along while his mind plans Laff's downfall.

"You changed."

Dino looked over to him, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're less... hesitate than I thought you'd be."

He laughs and shakes his head. He feels the confused gaze and so he explains.

"That's because you thought wrong of me, Laffy Taffy."

He smiles when he sees the realisation settled on his face.

"I'm not an angel, dear Lucifer."

Dino feels a shift in their relationship.

He can't decide if he likes it or not.

Laff treats him with respect. He thinks higher of him, he takes his words of advice more seriously, he actually lets his criticism affect his decision.

But he fears him a bit more. He's more warily of him, he's more observant.

Dino likes attention whenever he receives it. But he isn't sure if he likes this specific attention from Laff.

However, he notices Laff comes to him more now. So he decides to pretend he isn't aware under those watchful eyes.

Laff lets him into a deeper layer of his lair.

He watches Laff create machinery, watches him get his hand dirty, watches him prepare for a dark future.

Laff reveals bits and parts of his plan to him, he shows him some vulnerability, he implants some trust into him.

Dino soon learns it was fake when everyone turns against him.

He curses Laff internally then runs away and prepares a plot against his closest friend.

He no longer understands their relationship. But he no longer cares.

He just wants to see him burn.

"You're the devil Laff."

Within the shadows, he watches Laff jump at his voice. He snaps his head towards where he's hidden and grins at him.

He stands up and moves towards the devil.

"I should've expected this, but I let myself trust you."

They just stare at each other.

He chuckles and continues a few more steps until there is no more space between them.

"I'm a petty man Laffy Taffy. You know that the best."

He grabs onto Laff's chest and pulls him down, foreheads pressed against each other.

"That's why you hid my wedding invitation after all. So I'll be pissed enough to give you bombs."

He catches a glint of emerald eyes.

"I would've felt bad if I wasn't a petty person Laff."

Dino can't tell if the fear is genuine.

And that makes him smile gleefully.

He watches in amusement every time Laff looks over his shoulder.

He follows him in the shadows, noting down every, subtle reactions of Laff. He watches Laff torments and chases down Socks, with some noticeable cracks on his body, the tiniest of defence around his brain.

And so he sees the opportunity.

So he waits until Laff has his fingers wrapped around Socks before he tries something.

And it doesn't take long.

Socks easily follows Laff back into his home, or at least a part of it. And he later comes out as a mindless animal who can't speak and have to depend on Laff while the other man holds a head.

It's cruel, Dino thinks, but smart.

Cut off his communication and leave him defenceless.

Too bad Dino's petty.

He watches the funeral be planned and prepared. He pulls out an explosive with a wide grin on his face.

This'll be fun.

"How funny that you're a priest."

It was nighttime.

Socks was put to sleep, as in Laff drugged him.

He was sure that Laff would've dragged him into the basement and experimented with him if he didn't stepped in.

Dino was sitting on one of his windows, broken glass shards on the ground, sprinkling around him as if they were a crowd of people that gathered around a deceased corpse, slowly growing less in the back.

He decided to dress up for the occasion, just for him, just for Laff.

He was dressed in a yellow shirt, leather, brown jacket that matched his hat, a lighter shade of brown pair, boots and gloves that matched. A yellow bandana wrapped around the bottom of his face.

Laff was holding onto a blacked out Socks, who's eyes are wide and rolled up into the back of his head, neither staring nor there. His gas mask was off and that's the only noteworthy thing to mention.

"You are the devil and yet you act as if you're an angel."

Hesitantly, Laff began lowering Socks onto the ground. He released the unconscious man who looked as if he's dead, the subtle shallow ups and downs of his chest did not help.

"You're the same Dino, are you not?"

Laughter escaped his throat freely. He threw his head back as a wide grin broke up onto his face.

"I do not have a god complex Laffy Taffy! I'm just a normal human being, feeling normal human feelings, doing normal human things."

He looked back to Laff and lock eyes with him, an unchanging grin locked on his face.

"No. You are not."

Laff moved closer. He brought his hands up and took off his gas mask.

He stares into those green, glimmering eyes that promised hell.

"Call me the devil, but acknowledge you're my reflection. That you, yourself, are a demon."

Dino smiles wider.

"Oh? That explains why I'm a sadist."

Laff blinked and leaned back, staring at him in shock. He chuckled and tilted his head then kicked his legs lightly.

"Surprised? Scared? By what? By yourself? By me? By your reflection?"

He leaned closer to him.

"Are you scare of the devil within you? Now that you see the evil in me? In who you thought was good man?"

Those green eyes never falter.

And he has to give him credit for that.

"We are similar Laffy Taffy! What a surprise."

"I'm not scared of you. I'm not scared of myself. I'm not scared at all, I'm just startled."

He finally leaned back. He pressed his temple against the window frame, letting more of the moonlight entered the room.

"Startled by the truth, startled by the reality. I would be too if I was you as well."

He shut his eyes and hummed out, swaying his head from side to side.

"Dino. This is why I tried to get rid of you."

He open his eyes and meet Laff's.

"You are a monster from hell."

Dino smiles wider.

Their conversations grew in numbers the more Socks stayed with them, rather he's actually with them, away or knocked out.

To Laff's absolute surprise, Dino never once step in to stop him from experimenting on Socks, from using him. In fact, he even joins in occasionally himself.

Dino has seen horrible things, he's been in the military after all.

He watches Laff peels off his skins and poke around with his guts. He watches Laff injects drugs of different kind to later observe the result when Socks awakens carefully. He watches Laff do unspeakable things to Socks.

Dino knows he is not a good person as he lets Laff do whatever he wishes to Socks without any consequences, as he never tries to stop him from doing horrific acts. All he does is look away when he feels just a bit uncomfortable.

Although he can not help but feel sympathy for Socks, feel sorry for Socks.

He is no better than Laff yet he has the gut to feel uncomfortable when Socks asks if something happened to him last night, then guilt when he lies and tells Socks that nothing has happened to him, that nobody has touched him, that he is safe and protected with him and Laff.

Dino calls himself human because he is capable of being human.

Although sparely, because he has grown numb to his own humanity.

But then again, everyone calls themselves human, because no one truly believes they are a monster.

"You should stop."

He keeps his eyes train on the wall.

"It's disgusting."

He's a coward. He knows, but he is frozen in spot.

"Why haven't you stop me?"

He blinks. Then he too, wonders, why.

"I wish I know."

"I appreciate the honesty at least."

He balls up his fists when he hears the sound of clothes moving.

A disgusting, bitter taste entered his mouth and his stomach dropped at hearing those noises.

Those horrifying, disgusting noises.

"Why do you do this? Why do you hurt him like this? The others I get it, because you're a scientist, the devil. Naturally, his actual humanity drives you to him. But I do not understand this act though."

The noises stop.

"Dunno. Was curious if you'd stop me since you never did so before."

He ended up rushing out of the house, slamming the door behind him with anger fuming in him.

He later finds himself wondering that night, if Socks did anything to be targeted by Laff or was simply a victim of circumstances.

He finds himself wishing for the former, because at least the latter could've been avoided.

Dino finds himself plotting Laff's downfall. If not for himself than for Socks.

He gladly pours his last drops of humanity into it.

When Laff throws Socks away to Blaza, Dino decides to be play with fire and jumps between them.

Laff decides to continue to implant trust in him while Socks grows to cling onto him as if he was his favourite teddy bear. That makes him feel uncomfortable but he keeps his mouth zipped shut.

Ignorance is bliss, he tries to convince himself.

Ignorance is bliss, he screams to himself.

Ignorance is bliss is what he thinks when he sees Socks.

Ignorance is bliss is a lie to comfort liars like himself.

"Are you alright?"

They're in a far too familiar room for experiments, a far too familiar room that Socks has been in more times than he's aware.

He wants to laugh in Laff's face at his question. He wants to scream at his face and ridicule him for such a ridiculous question, for such a stupid question.

But he does not. Instead, he answers.

"Ticked off."

Laff began humming out and nodded his head. His predatory eyes followed the masked man moved around in his lab, relatively unchanged.

When Laff stopped, he looked ahead of his scientist. He eyed the metal skeleton with only the legs and one arm built. He stared at the ruby red eyes.

"Is it about Blaza?"

The fucking, traitorous bastard that everyone decided he was innocent even though he worked in the military just like him. He was there at the wedding while he wasn't there so Blaza couldn't had possibly done it even though he's the one that led them to the military base in the first fucking place.

It makes sense why Laff thinks he's thinking about that spineless bastard, he's a petty man after all.

"No."

Laff halted in his steps.

"Then what is then?"

Laff turned around and tilted his head, face completely shadowed except those green eyes piercing into his bright yellows.

"It's about everyone."

Laff hummed out then nodded his head. He walked up towards him and he let him crossed the space between them.

"Go on?"

He looked up and stared into his eyes, resting his face onto his clenched fists.

"What if I don't?"

"Then I'll just go back."

He cocked his head towards the direction of the robot.

"Your choice."

He feels as if he's a child being forced into the corner, being forced to choose either between a gun or a knife.

So he tells Laff so.

To which he reacted by laughing out.

"I'm not trying to belittle you, I'm just giving you a choice."

He wonders what does he look like to Laff.

Is he what Laff calls him? His reflection? Just a different version of him? A younger boy, taken in and corrupted at a younger age? Someone far too similar to him? Or someone who's exactly like him?

With their lack of morality, their lack of humanity, their lack of sympathy and their lack of carelessness for human lives.

He decides to answer, as he no longer wants to think.

"They accept Socks back as if they weren't celebrating his death. Blaza takes back Socks just as fast as he turned on him. The only one who reminds the same is Nadwe but he is killing himself through his rage and guilt."

"You're like a demon and Blaza's an angel to them, someone who can not do harm. It's no surprise they accepted Socks back with minimum questions as Blaza accepted him back first. Everyone likes Blaza after all."

And no one likes you.

It went unsaid but Dino felt it, heard the words echoing in his heads.

He is a petty man and he knows Laff is trying to use him. And yet-

And yet - He's tempted to give in, to let himself become a tool once again just to extract pointless revenge, express his frustration and anger in the most useless way possible.

He already has a half baked plan with tiny sticky notes to plot against Blaza- against everyone in his brain.

But then he remembers the foul things the devil in front of him has done.

"Well everyone liked Socks as well, and look at what happened to him."

Look at what you done to him.

Laff hears the unspoken words.

He lowers his head then sighs, his shoulders slumped.

"I understand now there are limits that mustn't be crossed when it comes to experiments."

"Far too late for that now, don't you think?"

Laff looks back and meets his eyes.

"I don't know why I'm surprised. You're the pettiest man I know, I should've expect you to hold grudges as well."

The funniest thing is, Dino doesn't.

Dino still thinks himself as humane.

Even if he watches Laff scheme, plot and create, never once stepping in to stop him. Even when he finds the decomposing body of Joocie. Even when Laff asks for him to take out Oompa and Oof. Even when he does as he's told.

He asks about Joocie when they're burying the body of Oompa and Oof together. The answer is simple.

"Wanted to experiment with the death."

"And he would've interfered with Socks."

He answers with a shrug, nonchalant as if he was talking about the weather.

They do not speak for the rest of the night.

It isn't even a day later when they have their next, noteworthy conversation.

It was morning and both men have yet to change.

"Did I wrong you?"

He looks up from the plain white beard, uncaring if it was expired or poisoned somehow.

Laff has taken off his mask despite the risks.

"Yes."

Because there is no point in lying to this man, this man who he compares to Lucifer.

"Is that's why you're aiding Socks?"

Partly. But not fully.

Dino does not care enough to tell Laff that.

"Maybe."

He does wishes to toy with him though.

Laff's brows furrowed at him then he looks away from him.

Coward.

He calls him in his head.

"You were the biggest threat to my plans. I had to try and get rid of you."

Laff sighed out and glanced back to him.

"No hard feelings?"

This time, Dino doesn't hold back his laughter at him.

I'm the pettiest man you know Laff. He thinks. I don't do 'no hard feelings'.

But he does not tell. Instead, he lies.

"Of course, no hard feelings."

Laff looks relieved as he slumped down. He ducks his head and his brown locks hides his expression away from him.

"But."

It amuses him greatly to watch the devil tensed up.

"I'd like you know. I don't possess any sense of loyalty or morality. My life before was anything but perfect. I would've joined if you just asked nicely."

Laff sighed out and brought his hands up then snapped his fingers.

"Consider this as compensation."

He looks up.

"An apology even."

Their eyes meet.

"Don't come to Tbh's trail tomorrow."