This fandom may be dead but im still a simp so lets goooo
The merchant had taken a liking to you. You were giving him his paycheck after all. He could tell from the beginning you didn't entirely trust your puppet, nor were you a willing puppeteer. He saw how you winced at The Batter's use of the word "purification," knowing its true intent. He saw you try to help the Elsen despite knowing their eventual fate. You were always trailing slightly behind Batter, your instructions for him coming in a weak tone, he could tell you didn't want this.
What he didn't expect, however, was for you to come stumbling to his little shop, beat to shit and alone, without Batter. "Mi amigo, what on earth happened to you?" his voice came in mild panic as he brought you to sit behind his shop counter. He knew what happened, though. Those wounds were caused by a bat, one he had sold no less. You were silent. He lay luck tickets over your injuries, watching them heal slowly. Neither of you entirely understood how those worked to be honest. But it helped and that's all that mattered. A sudden sound caught his attention, "Hide. Quickly." he hurried you under the counter, you tried to keep your breath quiet.
"Where are they." The Batter's voice was sharp, angry, and laced with a desire for revenge. He had blood on his bat.
"Meat, tickets, or bats are all here." The merchant's voice showed no signs of his bluff, being as smooth and calm as ever.
"You know that's not what I'm here for."
"Well, amigo, I'm afraid I can't help you."
"Where is my puppeteer, Zacharie?" Your heart dropped at those words. Although mostly healed, your wounds still hurt, badly. Just an hour ago now you had told Batter you didn't want to go through with the mission, you didn't want to kill the zone guardians. It started off as a vocal fight, but when you didn't budge on your position he resorted to violent methods. He didn't want to hurt his puppeteer, but he saw no other way to beat you into submission, to keep you from betraying the sacred mission you had started.
"You'd expect me to know?" He asked nonchalantly, "I know nothing. They could've run off to the next zone, who knows." The Batter didn't say a word more, only giving the merchant a deathly glare before walking out. As soon as Zacharie could be sure he was gone he dropped down and made eye contact with you. You were terrified. You started crying, finally, still in so much pain. "Amigo, I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."
After a few moments he sighed, scooping you up in his arms, picking you up and heading towards another piece of the building. It was further back, and was a small gray room. Presumably, Zacharie's room. Black covers adorned a mattress on the ground, which he sat you down on. There were storage shelves with luck tickets, bats, and the sorts piled high. Since no smell of rot was present you assumed that the meat was stored elsewhere. "You'll be safe here, I can promise you that. That... That bastard won't come back here. Stay as long as you need." he stated. You were surprised about his hatred towards Batter.
You were still crying at this point. You didn't understand why any of this was happening to you, you wanted things to be normal again. The merchant sat down next to you and placed a hand on your back. "...D'ya need anything else?" he asked rather plainly. You just shoved your head into his chest, arms wrapping around him as you desperately needed comfort. Zacharie froze for a moment, making you fear you stepped out of line, before his strong arms held you back. He shifted you so you were sitting in his lap with your head in the crook of his neck.
"I know you're scared..." He held you close, his silvery voice coming as a great comfort to you "But I'm here. He's powerless without you, yknow." you nodded. You clung to him like a frightened child with your hands grasping at his sweater. The two of you sat like that for a while, his hands tracing lines up and down your spine. You were shaking like a leaf and had this overwhelming fear that at any moment Batter would come back and finish you off. Zacharie could see your fear. "Look at me." he tilted your head so you were looking at his masked face, "Do you trust me?"
Not entirely knowing where this question was going, you nodded tentatively. "As long as I am alive, you will be safe. That is my promise." his voice was deathly serious. It brought you a sense of safety. As your shaking calmed down you asked him why he was doing all this for you, it'd be easier for him to just leave you to die at the Batter's hands. His chest tightened, a thought rolling around in his head. Was he really about to do this? "Why am I doing this?" his large hand cupped your cheek, and he hesitated. "Well, mi amor..." In an instant, his mask was off and his lips collided with yours. The kiss left you shocked but not unhappy. It was comfortable, like you where made for eachother. It was over almost too soon.
"It's because you are too special a person to let go." He said as he backed up. He waited anxiously for any response from you, it was his turn to be afraid he crossed a boundary. He was about to speak up to apologize when your face broke out in the first genuine smile he'd ever seen from you, a sight that made a smile form across his face. Speaking of his face, you took a brief moment to take it in. He had slight stubble along his jawline, a wide smile with two black, circular marks on either corner. His eyes were a bright yellow.
You snuggled back up close to him, making him sigh in deep relief. You felt so, so safe here. That scary, confusing world outside didn't matter right now. He had shared such a deeply personal thing about himself, you knew he trusted you and you trusted him. Together you were invincible. Once you had healed a bit more, you'd go about taking down the Batter. Like he said, without you he's near powerless. "Mi amor..." he murmured, "I hope you know you're never getting rid of me now." he chuckled, you wouldn't have it any other way.
