Chapter Text
The large oak door banged open, slamming into the wall, no doubt leaving a huge dent in the plaster.
Two figures lumbered into the dark house that was their home. Blindly trying to find the light switch, the large figure found it and switched it on.
The room immediately flooded with light as the two squinted at the sudden brightness.
The taller figure sucked in a breath when he remembered his injury, a throbbing pain coming from his lower leg.
"Oh, stop that, Boris!" The shorter figure said, groaning from his injuries. "You pretty much got off lightly!"
The taller figure, Boris, looked down at his older brother and glared at him, but said nothing.
"And whose idea was it to take the shortcut into that alley, Bendy?" Boris asked angrily.
His brother, Benicio, didn't bother looking up at him, knowing that it was his fault that they were nearly killed.
Though being a stubborn ass, he wasn't going to admit it, so he held his tongue.
Pushing his brother away lightly, he made his way to a nearby chair and sat down roughly.
Boris rolled his eyes and closed the front door. He made his way into the kitchen and searched for the first aid kit.
Tasting blood, Benicio rose a hand to his lip and the fingertips of his white glove came away red.
He hated the taste of blood; the salty metallic taste always made his stomach turn. Funny, 'cause when it was someone else's, he didn't so much as bat an eye but when it was his own blood, he would sometimes end up running toward the bathroom, ready to empty the contents of his stomach.
Looking at the back of his hand, he frowned.
Great, busted my knuckles, he thought to himself as he examined the growing red spots on his glove.
He sighed and let out a breath. Rummaging through his pocket, he pulled out a cigar and a box of matches. He placed the cigar in between his lips, holding it with his teeth. Striking the match against the side of the box, he lifted the small flame to the cigar and lit the end of it. Inhaling the smoke, he took several puffs before letting out a small cloud of vapor.
"Really?" Boris asked when he saw what he was doing.
"Yes, really." Benicio said as he stared him down.
Boris opened his mouth to berate his older brother but decided against it. It was late and they were both tired and hurt.
"Where'd you put the first aid kit?" Boris asked.
Taking another drag from his cigar, he said, "It's in the hallway next to the phone."
Boris rolled his eyes and hobbled out of the kitchen, the dining room, and into the hallway.
Seeing the white box on the stand, he opened it. To his dismay, it was empty, save for a couple of Band-Aids.
Through his peripheral vision, he saw the phone.
"Boris! Where's that first aid kit?" Benicio called from the dining room.
"It's empty!"
"Oh, Damn. I forgot to buy more supplies."
Boris rolled his eyes and moved closer to the phone.
"What are you doing over there?" Benicio shouted from the living room.
"Hold on! I gotta make a call!" Boris shouted back.
Picking up the cone receiver, he turned the dial several times.
The line crackled to life as a woman's voice came on the line.
"Hello?"
"Yes, Operator? I would like to make a call."
"Of course. May I ask who is trying to call?"
Boris hesitated before saying, "Boris Drew."
The line went quiet.
Looking surprised, Boris wondered if she had hung up.
It wouldn't be the first time.
Boris was about to put the receiver back down before the woman spoke up again.
"...Who are you trying to call, Mr. Drew?"
"A Ms. Dan. Rowan Dan." Boris whispered into the mouthpiece.
"Alright. Give me a moment to patch you in."
The line went silent as Boris patiently waited.
3 minutes passed before the receiver crackled with noise.
Boris whined at the sudden loud sounds, his ears fanning back.
Sounds like a party, Boris thought to himself as he listened closely.
Energetic music could be heard playing in the background as well as sounds of laughter.
After a moment, a click was heard, and a younger-sounding woman answered.
"Hello?" She asked loudly over the noise.
"Rowan?" He asked, quietly.
"...Boris? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me." Boris said.
"How are you, hon?" Rowan asked happily.
"I'm-" Boris began to say before she interrupted him.
"Wait, Boris. Hold on. I can't hear you. Let me take this call somewhere quieter." She said.
Boris nodded before realizing that she couldn't see him, "Ok." He said.
The sounds of laughter and music grew muffled as Rowan moved away.
"Ok, now I can hear you. How are you?" She asked again cheerfully.
"Awful, actually." Boris admitted, rubbing the back of his skull. "Look, I'm sorry to be asking you this… but me and Bendy got ambushed."
"What?! Are you both ok?!" She asked, worried.
"Well, I hurt my ankle pretty bad, my arm is swelling up a bit, and, uh, Bendy broke his knuckles and he's breathing kind of funny."
"…You two are really lucky that I was a nurse. Ok, I'm gonna get my belongings, I'll go to my family's apartment to get my supplies, and then I'll come over to your house, Ok?" She asked. "I will see you in 30 minutes." Rowan said.
"Ok.", he went to put the phone down before he heard her start to say something else.
"Oh, and Boris…" Rowan began to say.
"Yes?"
"It was good to hear your voice, old friend." She said.
Smiling into the phone, he said, "You as well."
He heard a click as the line disconnected. Setting the phone back on the receiver, he limped back into the living room area.
He rolled his eyes when he saw his older brother glaring at him, smoke billowing from the corners of his mouth.
"Took you long enough." Benicio said, taking another drag from his cigar. "Who were you talking to, anyway?"
"A friend of mine who is a nurse. She's coming by later." Boris explained as he wandered into the kitchen.
Benicio heard the fridge open and close, heard the footfalls, setting his cigar cautiously on his lap.
He turned as his brother came into view, holding a wine bottle in his free hand.
"For the pain." Boris explained as he pulled out the cork and passed the bottle to Benecio, who took an eager swig.
Boris sat down on the old couch across from his older brother.
Benicio passes the bottle to Boris, who gratefully takes it.
The two sat in silence in their living/dining area drinking away the pain and waiting.
30 minutes later…
RING!
Boris woke with a snort, bottle still in hand. His brother was startled awake as well, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Glancing at the now half-empty bottle of wine, he growled softly and set the bottle down on the floor.
"Damn. We fell asleep." Benicio said, stating the obvious. He picked up his cigar, which had rolled onto the floor. Shaking it slightly, he relit and took another drag.
"Yeah." Came Boris's curt reply as he got up slowly and limped toward the door.
"Boris." came a muffled voice, "You there?"
Boris started to answer but was interrupted by his brother's violent coughing. He turned around to see him trying to cover his mouth and staring at the door with a deer-in-headlights look.
"Hold on, Ro." Boris said as he opened the door.
"Are you two okay?" came her worried reply as she entered the brothers' home. Boris shut the door after her. She was wearing a black coat, and one hand was holding her medical bag. Her long waist-length black hair had been cut short.
Now, shoulder-length, her hair was parted deeply on the left side and tied into a low side bun. A section of her hair was loose and partially covered her right eye. A white feathered headband went around her head and small white/blue star earrings.
"I'm alright. It's him I'm more worried about." Boris pointed at Benicio, who managed to tear his eyes away from Rowan, only to glare at Boris.
"Didn't you say over the telephone that you got hurt too?" Rowan asked, grabbing a spare chair and setting it down in between their old sofa and Benicio. She placed her bag on the floor.
"Yes… but it's not that bad." Boris explained. Rowan looked down and noticed that he kept his leg raised, refusing to put weight on his ankle.
"Uh-huh." Rowan replied and went to unbutton her coat, she paused and looked between the two toons.
"Now, the dress is not mine, ok? So, please, don't stare." Rowan explained, her cheeks turning pink.
She unbuttoned her coat and took it off, walking over to hang it on their coat rack.
Small puffs of steam wafted from Benicio's collar while Boris desperately tried to cover his flushed face.
A sleeveless high-collared white sequined mini-dress hugged her slim figure and exposed her back, dipping dangerously low. The collar of the dress had a beaded chain with a white/blue star that hung low and rested in the curve of her spine.
The dress showed off her long legs, and white pumps adorned her feet.
Benicio heard a small popping sound and looked up. He felt his face flush when he saw that small hearts had appeared and were twirling above his head. He quickly waved his hand, causing each one to disappear into a puff of red smoke.
They vanished just in time as Rowan turned back around.
"Ok. Let's get you guys patched up." Rowan said, her cheeks still pink.
She sat down in the chair and placed her medical bag beside herself. Both Boris and Benicio watched as Rowan rummaged through it, pulling out some gauze bandages, and cotton balls.
She motioned for him to lift his leg, and he did and gently draped it over her thigh. She then started to pull his shoe and sock gently and began to inspect the injury.
********
For the next five minutes, she quietly scolded him and Benicio that they should have been more cautious and more aware of their surroundings.
Reminding them that just because they're mobsters doesn't mean that they are untouchable.
********
She had relocated Boris's ankle back into place with a solid crack before wrapping it quickly with gauze strips. She had also wrapped his bruised arm, which thankfully wasn't broken, only sprained. She had to sew at least four stitches into his split ear but other than a couple of bruises, he was okay.
"Stay off that ankle for a week, ok?" Rowan instructed as Boris started to stand up.
Rowan placed her hand gently on his forearm and gave him a slightly annoyed look, "What the heck did I just say?"
"Relax." Boris reassured her, "I'm going to lie down on my bed."
Rowan stared at him before shrugging her shoulders, "Alright." She answered him with a half grin.
After a brief moment, Benicio motioned for Boris to pass him the kit. Boris handed it over, watching as Benecio placed it next to himself, and close to Rowan.
"Goodnight." Boris called over his shoulder as he half hopped, half walked out of the living room. His footsteps muffled against the carpet as well as the sound of his door clicking shut.
"Goodnight." Rowan responded without looking up from the first aid kit. She opened the kit again, rummaged through it, and pulled out a cotton ball and a bottle of alcohol.
Benicio's eyes widened when she unscrewed the cap and began to wet the cotton ball.
"Take a deep breath, ok?" Rowan said, as she started to wet the other cotton balls that she took out of the kit.
********
Ten minutes go by, she quietly apologizes to him as she pressed the cotton balls gently against his forearms and elbows.
When he and Boris had been ambushed, he had been pushed to the ground and had scraped his arms against the concrete.
He had several small scrapes all over his arms and a semi-large cut over his left elbow.
His eyes widened again when she motioned for him to remove his gloves as she started to take out gauze.
********
Rowan cleaned his bleeding knuckles and rubbed her thumb gently over his own whenever she felt him tremble. When she finished, she let go of his hand and began to gently rip off pieces of gauze bandages.
"Ow!" Benicio gave a shout when she pressed four wet cotton balls against his bruised knuckles and began to wrap his hand with gauze and secured the knot under his palm.
"Relax. I'm done with this one." Rowan reassured him. She did the same thing with his other hand, also securing the gauze bandage under his palm.
"And… done with that one." She placed the alcohol bottle into the kit and closed it. "Now, just leave the bandages on and change them along with the cotton balls in the morning."
Rowan stood up and smoothed down her dress. She then walked over to get her coat when she felt his hand grab her own and she looked back at him. His brows furrowed downward, giving him that worried sad look that he would emit whenever a deal went wrong.
"You're leaving already?" Benicio asked, trying to steady his voice.
"Yeah… I got to get home." Rowan said, giving him an almost sad smile, "The last trolley leaves soon and I don't want to miss it."
"You could spend the night here and leave in the morning." Benicio suggested.
"No…" Rowan hesitated, eyeing her coat and his hand, "I don't want to be a bother."
"So, you're just gonna leave just like that… like last time?" He asked, his voice low and angry. Rowan shivered involuntarily; he only used that tone when someone really pissed him off. She then glared back at him when she registered his question.
"Excuse me?" Rowan asked, angrily placing her opposite hand on her chest. "Are you seriously talking about our breakup?"
He stood up suddenly, and she backed away a little when she saw how close he had gotten. She was struck by the height difference; it was something that his gang and patrons would tease him about. He was 5 ft 11 and she was 6 ft 4, she had always been a few inches taller than him, and He still hadn't let go of her hand.
Benicio breathed in deeply before letting out an angry huff, "You ended our relationship with a letter that you left on my desk in the wee hours of the morning." He tightened his grip on her hand. She noticed his tail was curling around his leg and letting go, repeating its movements every so often. She remembered he would do that when he was worried.
"You up and quit your job and then disappear for months." He said, "Me and Boris thought one of the gangs had taken you!" His voice had risen a little.
"Look, I'm sorry that I made you both worry but…" Rowan paused and scrunched her eyes shut, letting out a breath that she had been holding in, "I just couldn't be around you at that time."
"Why not? Cause you owe me an explanation."
"I don't owe you an explanation, Benicio."
"Actually, you do because I was worried about you." Benicio demanded, his tone of voice firm and an angry determined look on his face.
"…Ok…. Fine. Do you want to know why I broke up with you?" Her voice was low, almost a whisper.
" Yes… I do."
"Benicio, it's because you cheated on me." Her voice broke and she wrenched her hand from his grip.
"…what?" His face fell when she said that.
"The last time that I saw you was back in March. I had gotten off work early and had decided to go to your favorite bar to surprise you with a late dinner." She explained, looking down at the floor as she spoke.
"As I'm going to enter the bar, I see you through the window… kissing a toon woman." She had wrapped her hand around her right bicep, her fingernails digging into her arm.
"Who I found out later is the detective who has been trying to arrest you for several years." She remembered her face, a pale white face with two small horns protruding from her forehead and framing her curling black ponytail. Like Bendy, she had no neck, just a head floating above her shoulders.
"I dropped the food that I had made when you took her to one of the upstairs rooms!" She looked at him, angry tears in her eyes.
He remembered. A few weeks before that evening, a fight between his gang and his rival had broken out… unfortunately at his rival's bar. The police had intervened and there had been so much bottle-throwing and name-slandering.
One of his members had gotten taken/arrested in the struggle. Said member was a new toon kid, he hadn't been with his organization for very long, but he was useful. Whatever information he was given, he would retain it. Unfortunately, he tended to talk… a lot. So, if the detective were to sit down with him, he would end up talking about every secret.
That evening in the bar, he had heard something outside of the window and he thought had seen someone.
Now, he knew it had been her.
"…I only slept with her because she had one of my boys, I needed to know where he was. And we were both sober!" Benicio said, freezing up when the words tumbled out of his mouth.
The angry tearful look on Rowan's face faded into shock. "Benicio, that's worse! All this time, I've been thinking that you and she were intoxicated when you two went upstairs and now you tell me that you were never drunk?!"
She paused before continuing to speak, "Do you honestly think that's a good response Because you say it like you've done nothing wrong."
"I wasn't…" He began to say.
"Thinking?" Rowan interrupted, "Because you weren't. Bendy, you broke my trust and… you broke my heart." Her voice cracked, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away angrily, walking over to the couch and grabbing her medical bag.
"I'm…sorry. I thought that we could…" He began to say before pressing his lips shut.
Rowan just had a tired look on her face as she grabbed her coat. "…My mother always said, 'Don't go back to what broke you.' I'm sorry…. but it's been over between us for almost a year."
Putting her coat back on, she opened the brothers' front door. She glanced at Bendy over her shoulder, "Bye." And closed the door behind herself.
Benicio stood at the door for a few moments before slowly walking over to the couch and sitting down, putting his head in his hands.
The only sound in the house was the ticking of the clock in the kitchen and Boris' soft snoring that drifted from the bedroom.
********
"So, what happened yesterday? I kind of heard you and Benicio shouting or something."
"You heard all of that? Is that why you left the room, pretending to be tired?"
"I wasn't lying about that. I was tired… and it had been long enough. You two have been avoiding each other for almost a year."
"I know… but if you were expecting us to hug and everything to go back to the way that it was, think again."
"Yes, I was furious with him when I found out from the other members."
"Oh, God! The others knew about this, and they didn't say anything?!"
"Calm down! They had a feeling something had happened between the two of you, but they weren't really sure."
"Anyway, how are you feeling, Rowan? I didn't even ask you."
"...Not so good, Boris. Honestly, I've just been keeping myself busy and… avoiding the issue. Yesterday, when I got home, I cried. I cried for an hour."
"How do you feel, now?"
"Still feeling sad, though but it felt like a weight had been lifted off of my chest."
"I'm sorry that he cheated on you."
"It's fine, Boris...he did say that he was sorry, though."
"So… what happens now?"
"Well, um… I actually meant to call you sooner and not prolong for half a year, but you live with your brother, so I didn't want to ring you and have him answer."
"What did you want to tell me?"
"I'm leaving."
"...What?! When?!"
"...In a month, actually. We're actually leaving the city and the state to move to New Orleans. My uncle and my aunt live there with their grown kids, and they offered us a job: a fresh start."
"...will we ever see each other again?"
"Of course, Boris. Once we arrive, I'll send you a letter from my new home."
"If you want, you can meet me and my family at the train station to give us a sendoff."
"Ok."
"Well, I have to hang up now. I promised my mom that I would help her finish packing."
"Ok, well bye, Rowan."
"See you later, Boris."
A month later…
The smoke billowed from the train's chimney as the whistle sounded through the station.
"Last train leaving for New Orleans! Leaving in fifteen minutes!" The conductor shouted from the entrance to one of the cars.
"Do you have everything, sweetie?" Mrs. Dan asked, holding onto the twins, her younger daughters.
"Mother, relax. Everything is in the cargo car." Rowan reassured her, holding onto her suitcase.
"Are you sure? Maybe I should check with the conductor again? Just to be sure all of our belongings are there?" Mrs. Dan asked uncertainly, glancing at the conductor again.
"Girls, how many times has mommy talked with the conductor?" Rowan asked her younger sisters, trying to her grin.
Her younger sisters looked at each other and giggled behind their hands, "Five times, Ro!"
Mrs. Dan blushed at that, and mock glared at her eldest daughter. "Oh, sure. Go on! Go ahead and make fun of your mother."
"Mom, go and sit with Daddy and relax. You two sit across from them, ok?" The twins nodded and pulled their mother gently toward the entrance of the passenger car.
"Rowan!" A voice called out to her, and she turned around to see a male dog toon in a sleek pinstripe suit running up to her.
"Boris!" Rowan said as he slowed down and walked up to her, panting a little. "You made it!"
"Sorry, I woke up half an hour ago."
Rowan frowned and looked at her watch, "It's almost 2 o'clock."
Boris's ears dropped a little as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I…uh… may have pulled an all-nighter. Bendy needed me for a job."
She grew quiet for a moment, "How is he, by the way?" Rowan asked, worried.
"He's doing okay for today." Boris said, tucking his hands into his pockets. "It'll become less painful as the days go by."
"Boris…"
"Yes?"
"You tell him to not push himself so hard. He may be a toon but he's not invincible. You and him, watch out for each other."
"Always." He said, smiling at her.
"Oh, one more thing before I go, that detective called me."
Boris's eyes widened comically, "What? What did she want?"
Rowan became silent when she recalled yesterday's conversation over the phone. Rowan had no idea how the lady, Detective Angelica Mariani was how she introduced herself, had gotten her phone number but she jokingly snarked over the phone that she was a detective and finding information was in her job description.
They had talked for over an hour about her relationship with the Son of Ink and that Rowan could tell the court about Benicio's underground dealings.
She remembered telling her no.
Even after all this time, you're still protecting him… why? The Detective had asked, anger and frustration lacing her voice for the first time.
Because I care. And even if I had been there, then that would mean that I would be ratting out his brother. And Boris Drew is my friend. Rowan had said calmly before telling her that it was getting late and that she was going to hang up now.
"Oh, nothing important." Rowan responded, reassuring him.
"Last train leaving for New Orleans! Leaving in five minutes!" The conductor shouted, and the wheels of the train rumbled quietly.
"Well, I better get going." Rowan said as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. She awkwardly fidgeted with the buckles on her suitcase before she felt him wrap her arms around her.
Boris embraced her gently and tightly, his chin resting above her head. Adjusting her grip, she wrapped her arms around his waist, one hand holding onto her suitcase.
"I'm gonna miss you, old friend." Rowan's voice was muffled from where she buried his face into his shirt.
"You better write to me every day, ok?"
A muffled laugh came from her, "I will. I promise."
He let go of her, smiling when she brushed away her tears.
She turned around and walked a few feet before climbing the small steps that led inside the passenger car.
"Last train for New Orleans! Now leaving!" The conductor shouted, pocketing his watch.
"ALL ABOARD!" Another shout came from farther away as the train roared to life and began to exit the station.
Boris stood there, his hands in his pockets again as he watched the train leave slowly.
It began to pick up speed when he saw someone poke their head out of the window. "Goodbye, Boris!" Rowan shouted from her window, her little sisters peeked out from the windows beside her and waved to him.
She waved goodbye.
He raised his hand in the air and waved back.
He stood there, continuing to wave until she and her family were out of sight.
The smoke from the chimney stack wisped over the train tracks as he finally turned around and walked away.
The train's whistle could still be heard in the distance, the tracks still vibrating.