Chapter Text
When they first met, it had been shortly after the end of their first life, and the start of their new one.
The Slenderman–The Keeper–had brought them to each other. They’d been Proxy’s for a few weeks, staying in separate Cabins before being brought to the same one, being told this would be their new home. At the time they’d only spoken about twice but accepted that they now had to live with each other.
They didn’t trust each other, believing the only reason they wouldn’t be killed in their sleep is due to The Keepers influence. That only lasted a few months, though. The more missions they had with each other, the more they saw that the other wouldn’t kill them. They tolerated each other and there was enough trust to sleep soundly, but that didn’t mean friendship. That had taken a lot longer.
The first time Jeff saw Toby—truly saw him—was in a rainstorm.
The rain had been coming down relentlessly, water drops the size of apples, yet there was no thunder or lightning. Only rain so strong it made Jeff worry the roof was going to cave in. It also made him wonder where the hell Toby was. He’d been out on a mission and Jeff knew he didn’t have a raincoat or umbrella with him since there was no sign of rain when he left. He’d waited on the porch with a towel, watching the rain create puddles the size of their living room as he waited for Toby to get home.
About half an hour later Toby came running out of the woods, obviously using his enhanced speed to slide through the water to create a large side-splash. He was soaked, his hoodie soggy and his hair straight and flat. His goggles and muzzle were hanging around his neck, showing that he was smiling. It was his smile that had made Jeff pause. He’d seen Toby smile before, but it had always been in a sarcastic or sadistic way. He’d never seen Toby actually smile. It made him look younger, somehow. His eyes looked brighter, like an emerald instead of a jade. It changed the way he looked, made him softer. It ended, though, when Toby slipped in some mud and fell backward and landed with a large splat .
Jeff threw his head back and laughed while Toby screeched at him. He should talk with him more, Jeff decided, because Toby wasn’t that bad, and he was a little lonely.
The first time Toby truly saw Jeff was in the kitchen.
Toby couldn’t cook for the life of him. He was more likely to set a bowl of cereal on fire if he tried. So, Toby never cooked. But he did wonder where all the food was coming from. Yeah, he and Jeff went grocery shopping, but that was ingredients. Where was the actual food coming from? It had been bugging him for a bit, but he brushed it off as Master making food for them because they couldn’t cook. He hadn’t asked Jeff if he could cook, assuming he had the same cutlery skills Toby did.
But one day, Toby heard what could only be described as purity incarnate. Silky and smooth, soft and warm, a tenor so sweet it almost made him cry. He walked into the kitchen slowly, careful not to make a sound. Turning the corner, he saw Jeff standing next to the oven, stirring a chocolate batter. The song continued, gentle and beautiful, as Jeff reached over to grab a cake pan and pour the batter into it before putting it in the oven, all the while singing.
(I have a question/It might seem strange/How are your lungs?/Are they in pain?/’Cause mine are aching/Think I know why/I kinda like it though/You wanna try?)
Toby was leaning on the counter, watching Jeff place a timer and start making something that looked like icing. Jeff continued to sing, lightly swaying to a beat Toby couldn’t hear. He moved with grace Toby recognized from missions. He watched him poured sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of liquids and started mixing it all together.
(Oh, would you be so kind as to fall in love with me?/You see I’m trying/I know you know that I like you, but that’s not enough/So if you will/Please fall in love, I think it’s only fair/There’s gotta be some butterflies somewhere/Wanna share ‘cause I like you, but that’s not enough/So if you will/Please fall in love with-)
The song cut off abruptly as Jeff turned around, ice blue eyes locking onto green ones. They stared at each other in silence before Toby said, “I-t smells good. Are you t-the one t-that-t-t’s been making all t-the food? You have a nice voice, by t-the way.” Jeff’s shoulders tensed at the mention of his voice, his face slowly turning a peach color. After a couple seconds of silence, he looked away and crossed his arms, “Yeah, I figured since your such a fuckin’ hazard in the kitchen I should make sure we have dinner ‘nd shit. Chocolate cakes in the oven, but it’s not gonna be done for another hour. . .” He glanced back at him, before turning around.
“. . .Thanks, by the way. I don’t sing often, so don’t expect me to bust out Something Rotten or Waitress or some other musical shit.” Toby gave a hum of acknowledgment but stayed and continued to watch Jeff cook. Eventually he left, but when he came back a chocolate cake sat proudly on the counter with two slices missing. Jeff had one slice, feet kicked up on the table while he ate and watched Toby. Jeff slid the paper plate with the second slice and fork toward him.
Toby looked at Jeff, who turned away and muttered to him to eat. Toby smiled, because he hadn’t had cake in god knows how long and knowing that Jeff baked it made it feel a little more special. “T-thanks.” Jeff watched him eat. Toby lit up as soon as it hit his tongue. It was sweet and chocolatey, but it was also smooth and warm, like a hug you could eat. The icing melted in his mouth, and the cake was soft yet firm.
Toby looked over at Jeff, “Holy shit-t! T-this t-t-tastes great! Where’d you learn t-to cook like t-t-this?” Jeff was hiding in his hoodie, his face bright pink. He muttered something unintelligible, but Toby just grinned wider. “I’m glad it-t’s you cooking. I could eat-t t-t-this every day!” Jeff abandoned his slice on the table, hiding his face in his hands and hoodie, making Toby laugh.
It was nice to know more about his burned co-worker, even if the learning process was slow.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jeffrey Woods and Toby Rogers were 16 and 17 years old and had killed their entire families. They didn’t regret it, not one bit, and they would do it again, thank you very much. They enjoyed the life of a Proxy quite a lot. They enjoyed living together in their small cabin, enjoyed sharing the bed, enjoyed each other a lot more than they thought possible. Their Master approved of their whatever it was(Relationship? Friendship? Co-workers with benefits? They didn’t know, but they liked it) and even said that it was good for them to find solace in each other, since it would probably be only them for a very long time. Jeff and Toby were fine with that. They didn’t need anyone else, only their small cabin and each other.
That, of course, changed in only a year.
Master had called them both into the living room one day, saying he had something important to tell them. They were there in seconds, sitting down once Master nodded for them too. “You called, Master?” Jeff had asked, eyeing the front door. There was someone there. Not one, but two people. Men. Jeff’s eye’s met Toby’s, and he knew that he sensed it too.
“Do not be alarmed, children. They are Proxies like yourselves. Their presence here is the topic of discussion for today.” Master had said, sensing their wariness. They relaxed, but only a little. They had met another Proxy The Chaser, or Kate as she liked to be called, and they were on good terms.
She had mentioned other Proxies but said she didn’t stay at The Mansion often. Could these two know her? Before they could ask, Master spoke again. “I have decided that it is time for you both to meet the wards and Proxies that reside at The Mansion. I understand your suspicion, but it will be critical for the future that you can work with them.”
“We underst-tand, Mast-ter. It-t-t’s just. . .surprising is all.” Toby said, looking at Jeff for confirmation. Jeff nodded and asked “How many wards and Proxies are there?” “The number of occupants varies daily, as not all residents are permanent ones, but there is always a large number of them. Timothy and Brian can explain more.” At the mention of their names, the two men walked into their cabin, standing near the door.
The taller man was wearing an orange bomber jacket and a white mask with black makeup. The shorter one was wearing a yellow hoodie and a black ski mask with a red frowny face on it. Both were wearing combat boots and dark jeans. Jeff waved at them while Toby gave a peace sign. They both seemed to study them for a few seconds (Jeff could tell they were staring at his face) before the orange guy waved and the yellow guy nodded. “Tobias, Jeffrey, this is Timothy Wright and Brian Thomas, also known as Masky and Hoodie. Timothy, Brian, meet Jeffrey Woods and Tobias Rogers.” Master said, motioning with his hand who was who.
Master left a few minutes later, telling them to get acquainted with each other while he would inform the others of Jeff and Toby’s arrival. Now, they were seated in semi-awkward silence. It was Jeff who broke it. “So, uh, it’s Tim, right? Tim and Brain?” He asked, putting his hands in his hoodie. Tim looked up at him and said, “We prefer Masky and Hoodie. You can guess who's who.”
Toby decided that he didn’t really like Masky. He smelled like cigarettes and sounded like a bit of an asshole. Jeff nodded at him, and silence returned for a minute before Hoodie spoke up. “You two look pretty young for proxies, but I know that Boss can put a bit of a pause on aging if he wants to. So, how old are you really, and how long have you been serving the Boss?” Both were good questions, and Hoodie seemed nicer than Masky, so Toby answered.
“Biologically I’m sevent-teen, chronologically I’m t-twenty-t-t-two. Jeff’s been serving Master since he was t-thirt-teen, and stopped aging at sixt-teen. We’ve both been serving Mast-ter for five years now.” Hoodie nodded at him, Masky turning to Jeff and saying, “Not often that someone starts so young.” Jeff grinned widely at him and said, “Yeah, but sometimes you need an outlet, and what’s better than mutilating your family?” Jeff had gotten very good at sensing when someone was rubbed the wrong way by his appearance, and while Masky wasn’t disturbed he was a little weirded out. That just made Jeff grin wider.
“So,” Trying to ignore how Jeff was trying to scare Masky, Toby turned his attention to Hoodie. “How long have you and Masky been wit-th Mast-t-ter? You guys look a lot-t older t-than me and Jeff! Not-t th-that-t–uh, not-t t-t-tha-at you’re old.” Hoodie seemed to smile at him. “Me and Masky are both in our thirties and have been serving Boss for over fifteen years now, so I guess that makes us almost 45. We don’t really keep track.”
Toby let out a low whistle, opting to ignore the now very intense staring match between Jeff and Masky. “Wow, you’ve been in t-the game a lot-t longer t-t-than we have.” Hoodie gave a small chuckle but stopped when Master appeared. Coincidentally, Jeff and Masky seemed to stop being passive-aggressive and look more civil.
“The others have been informed, and are now awaiting our arrival. Come children.” All four of them wordlessly got up and walked to Master, Masky and Hoodie stood close at his sides while Jeff and Toby each grabbed one of the tentacles from his back. A large burst of ear-ringing static later, and they were standing in what seemed to be a foyer. Jeff and Toby looked around the giant room, seeing nice leather couches, a large flatscreen tv, a kitchen the size of their living room, and three staircases–one on the left, one on the right, and one in the middle. In front of them stood two large dark oak doors taller than Master.
They hated it, oddly enough.
Everything was too nice, too expensive and clean. Jeff liked his small kitchen, where his voice echoed off the walls, everything in arms reach. Toby liked their small living room with their old and stained couch where he could watch Jeff cook, leaning back and listening to him sing. They loved their garden behind the cabin, filled with more flowers and herbs as poisonous as they were beautiful. They loved their small cabin, loved that it was small and perfect for them.
This was. . .well, it was way too much. Sure, there were probably hundreds of people and monsters that lived here, and it needed to be big and grand to accommodate everyone, but it was all too much for them. Thankfully, they didn’t have to stand in what was probably the living room for long, as Master pushed open the door and strode through, the four Proxies following behind.
It seemed to be some sort of meeting room, with a large rectangular table in the center with over a hundred chairs. At the end of the table was a large chair that was probably for Master. Every chair was filled, about a thousand eyes turning and staring at Jeff and Toby. Looking down the table, each one was weirder than the last. Somehow the weirdest ones were those who looked almost completely normal, similar to Toby. All were staring expectantly at them.
Master walked over to the head chair, sitting down and then motioning for the Proxies to do the same. Masky and Hoodie went and sat next to him, one on each side, so Jeff and Toby sat next to each other on the left, next to a link lookalike. He seemed to study them, his eyebrows raising the longer he stared at Jeff’s face. “Everyone, this is Jeffrey Woods and Tobias Rogers, the Proxies residing at the new Cabin. They will begin working with you all on missions and will have access to The Mansion in case of emergency. Please introduce yourselves one at a time.”
Everyone introduced themselves, some just saying their name and others introducing themselves and their less social friends. Some wanted to know about their missions, which Cabin they were staying in and which missions they would be taking with The Mansion. Some, like the younger ones, wanted to know why Jeff wasn’t blinking and how he got his Glasgow.
A boy without arms named Lost Silver was the first one to talk to Jeff, and he immediately asked if Jeff could blink. Jeff laughed at his bluntness. “No, I haven’t blinked in five years. I don’t have eyelids!” This declaration made the kids come closer to see, and others who overheard did as well.
The head of The Carnival, a clown demon named Laughing Jack In-A-Box poked Jeff in the face and said, “Wowie, those look like they hurt like shit! What fight did you lose?” The kids and Jeff laughed. Jeff grinned as wide as he could and barked, “I made them myself! A little homemade plastic surgery, y’know? I think it turned out great, doncha’ think?”
“I t-think you look gorgeous, Jeff. T-t-the red really compliments your hair and eyes.”
“Why Toby, you always say the sweetest things to me~”
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They didn’t really like The Mansion. Sure, the residents were ok and Sally always begged them to stay permanently, but it was always too much. Too big, too nice, too loud, too many people, always too much. They liked their Cabin, with its small kitchen and wood walls, the fireplace that lit the whole living room with an orange glow. They liked that it was small, it felt cozy and safe. They didn’t need all the grandness and expensive furniture in The Mansion, it made them feel like rich white men who cared more about how their suits were tailored than their family’s emotional well-being.
Even the garden in The Mansion was too much, large and lush and perfect. That was it. That was what they hated. The perfection. All of it was perfect and they hated it. All their lives, they had been imperfect. Toby ticced, Jeff was violent, Toby was loud, Jeff was dramatic. They were always broken, always wrong and they had found happiness within it.
Everyone who had hurt Toby had been perfect, people with the right jobs who married the right people. Everyone who had tried to control Jeff had been perfect, always thinking and saying the right things. They didn’t want to be perfect, they wanted to be themselves. They wanted grim and dust, dirt and sweat.
They wanted an old, stained couch because each stain held a memory. They wanted an endless forest where they could run and run and run and fall, rolling in the blood-soaked mud and always able to find their way home after. They wanted a small bathtub, so they could lean into each other in the dirty water, slowly scrubbing the day off the other. Toby wanted Jeff, and Jeff wanted Toby, and in their cabin, they could have each other. They didn’t know what they were(not yet, it had been years but it was still too soon for labels)but they both wanted, and it was a surreal experience to finally be able to have .
They’d never expected to want a child, much less be able to have one.