Multifandom Oneshots

hellbound ~ depression (fluff & hurt/comfort) ~ todd/rafael

Rafael awoke to find HADES standing in his doorway. There was no door to his room (none of the servants' rooms had doors), so it always made him nervous whenever he saw someone just standing in the gap. It reminded him of how vulnerable he truly was, even within the palace walls.

"Can I help you with something, bot boy?" Rafael asked as he covertly got dressed under his blankets. He knew that HADES wouldn't care to see a human unclothed, but the stare he was getting from the android made him want to hide behind whatever privacy he could have.

"User Toddler D. Chander has not come out of his room since yesterday evening" HADES explained as Rafael emerged from behind the blanket in a baggy hoodie (he didn't feel like putting on his binder at that moment) and pajama pants. "User Shawn 'Lucifer' Azazel suggested that I come to you with a request for you to check on the chef"

"Since when does Shawn give a shit about our wellbeing?" Rafael asked. HADES' lights suddenly went yellow as he tried to process the question. "Frankly, he doesn't" the android finally answered, and Rafael almost felt bad for setting off... Whatever he had just set off in the robot's mind. "But, he wants his breakfast, and user Toddler D. Chander has not made any yet"

"...Fair enough"

-----------

"Hey, painter boy" Rafael said into the darkness of Todd's bedroom, giving a half hearted knock on the door frame. "HADES told me you were being a slacker, which is very unlike you" Rafael continued teasingly. They both knew he wasn't seriously calling Todd a slacker. He just playfully bullied his loved ones- It's just how he showed affection. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired, Riff Raff" Todd responded, though his voice was a bit flat. He sat up in bed and Rafael could see he was still in his sleep clothes- A red t-shirt and black boxers. He always wore some sort of clothing when he slept, not wanting to see his own body. Rafael could relate to an extent, though he oftentimes slept very minimally dressed purely for sensory reasons. The blue eyed demon also noticed the lack of bandages that normally covered Todd's eye, which was a bit weird to see.

"Uh huh, and I'm straight" Rafael replied sarcastically. Normally, this would've gotten a chuckle from the chef, but all he could manage this time around was a weak smile. Rafael frowned at this lack of reaction. Not because he took it personally (he wasn't that sensitive, and he was used to people not laughing at his jokes anyway), but because it confirmed that something was off with Todd. "What is wrong?"

"I already told you" Todd replied, a weak annoyance bleeding through into his voice. "I'm tired" he repeated fragily as Rafael slowly sat next to him on the bed. "I can't be expected to be happy all of the time, Riff Raff. I just can't. Sometimes I just... Can't"

"I don't expect that from you, smartass" Rafael responded flatly, wrapping an arm around his coworker. "Personally, I don't give a damn when you make breakfast or if you even do so at all. I am capable of walking to a corner store and getting meals for myself. Hell, I don't get why Shawn doesn't just order me to do the same for him" he continued in a gentle tone. "Shawn is the one who wants you up and about"

"I can't" Todd replied, and Rafael was surprised to hear the boy's voice breaking as tears sprung to his eyes. Rafael had almost always been the more emotional one out of the pair. HADES had concluded it had something to do with genetics- What, with Rafael not being cis. Rafael reasoned it was more due to them being different people with different pasts, or just that Todd was more reserved. Todd didn't seem to care on the reason either way.

Now, though... Now, Rafael was seeing an emotional side of Todd that he'd only seen in small glimpses before. They'd been working together for a fair amount of time, but never before had Rafael actually seen the boy cry. It was new. New and scary. How would you feel if the strongest person you knew began to break down?

"It's okay" Rafael said gently, pulling the chef close to him. Todd curled up against his... Friend, uncaring of the fact that he was getting the hoodie wet. That hoodie had seen worse, and it was Rafael's comfort hoodie anyways. The one he wore whenever he felt dysphoric or just didn't want to wear a binder. It wasn't the one he worked in, so it wasn't an issue if it got a little mucked up. "You don't have to do anything, it's okay"

"Main bahut thak gaya hoon, Raaphel (I'm so tired, Rafael)" he muttered out in Hindi. Rafael did not understand his words (the only one he recognized was his name), but he understood the sentiment of it based off of the tone of which it was said. "It's okay, Todd" he repeated in a soft tone as he held the shaking boy close. "You're okay. I'll tell Shawn to buzz off. He can probably get Ida to go get him some food anyways"

"I don't want to be useless" Todd replied, feeling a wave of guilt and self hatred wash over him. He had no reason to be this depressed and upset. Sure, he had his own burdens he kept close to his chest, and they weighed heavy on him daily, but nothing at that moment warranted this sort of emotional display. "You're not useless, Toddler"

"But I feel useless" Todd insisted as he curled up closer to his coworker. "I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm the one who can fly, for God's sake. I shouldn't be all... Weak like this. I'm sorry, Riff Raff"

"When I'm feeling anxious, would you say I'm being weak?" Rafael asked him. There was no accusation in his tone, but Todd could also tell it wasn't a genuine question. He was making a point, and goddamn it struck a chord in the painter. "No" he responded quietly, his tears beginning to dry up as they ceased their flow.

"Right, and when Ida if feeling dysphoric, does that make her a burden to the team?"

"No, of course not!"

"Is Jon a weak man because of his own complexes?"

"Jon is one of the strongest guys I've ever met!"

"Exactly" Rafael said with a smile, a mix of smugness and gentleness mixed in there. It was an expression that would fit few other people as well as it fit Rafael, and it made Todd feel a small warmth in his heart whenever he noticed something like that. Todd had a way of doing that to him. "So, if I can have a panic attack over a small issue and still be a strong fighter ; If Ida can have a bad dysphoria day and still be one of the best people we know ; If Jon can snap at his boss over his own internalized shit and still be the best veteran there is... Why would this make you any less of a person?"

...

"Point and case" Rafael said firmly, tapping Todd on the forehead and gaining a tired chuckle in response. "Stop being so hard on yourself, darling" he continued, and Todd's face heated up a bit at the affectionate name. "You're taking a mental health day, and I'm gonna be here with you for as long as you want or need"

"But, Shawn..."

"Oh, fuck that guy"

"I'd rather not"

"That's not what... You know what, fuck you too"

"Kind as ever, Riff Raff"