Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

A rough beginning

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“Another one please” Cuphead asks the bartender. He stretches in his seat and sighs deeply. He doesn’t really need a drink. But how else is he going to spend his time? Chalice is busy. Always busy. Mugman doesn’t talk to him anymore for… reasons. And he can’t stand to face elder kettle. Or his disappointment in him. He gets his shot and drinks it almost immediately. “Another one please” god he sounds pathetic. He puts his head down and turns to see an imp made of ink, doodling on a napkin. Suddenly he hears a tink of the glass and gets startled propping himself up too quickly his drink spills on the napkin next to him. “Shit! I’m so so sorry-”. The ink demons face remained neutral. Making an awkward silence until he spoke. “It was nothing important anyways”

The bartender looks at Cupheaad with this pitiful look and slides him the rest of the napkins then goes to do whatever bartenders do. Cuphead never really cared . Besides, he was more interested in the novelty sitting next to him. He was an imp- that itself was unusual as there was not many demons in inkwell. And there’s no demon in inkwell that was made of ink-besides that he wore striped yellow and white pants with a white button up. Well- used to be white before he spilled his drink.
“Are you going to help or keep staring?” The ink demon remarks. Cuphead, realizing he’s been lost in thought, instantly grabs a napkin and puts his attention to the mess. Hastily dabbing the alcohol with the white napkin letting it soak.

“Im really sorry for this- I should have watched where I was going”
The demon looked irritated, then sighed, and looked at him.
“It’s fine”
As they clean the mess in awkward silence the demon looks at him again
“Say, aren’t you that cup person that saved the isles at like, 12?”
Cuphead blushes from embarrassment, its a noble thing to be known for. But considering where he currently is in life. He just seems pathetic compared to the person he used to be . “Yep. That’s me” cuphead laughs nervously “alone in a bar in a Friday night” to be frank he didn’t expect that joke to land but he’d a snicker from the demon.

Now that he’s thinking about it referring to him as “the demon” wasn’t a very nice thing. Even if it was only in his head.
So
He put his hand out.
“Cuphead, you?”
The demon shakes his hand
“Bendy”
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Chapter Text

If there’s anything Cuphead knows about bendy in the very short time that he’s known him is that he’s hard to read. Which throws cuphead off. Even unsettles him a bit. Cuphead,again, realizes he’s been zoning out. So he broke the silence . “Say where are you from I haven’t seen you before.”
An awkward silence comes about, Bendy sighs “I’m not sure if that’s any of your business, is it?” Cuphead snickers. “Well I didn’t think it was personal”. Bendy looks away “I don’t think you think much at all” cuphead awkwardly laughs.

Because what is he supposed to say? Call him out on his rudeness? He didn’t want to start trouble. Not with an imp.
Bendy waves his hand to get the bartenders attention. Cuphead thinks to pay? When it didn’t work bendy started to get up.

“Wait!”

Cuphead didn’t know why he said that. Maybe because he’s been lonely for so long. That any interaction. Even negative. Is better than nothing.

And with how Cupheads life been for the past few years.

Anything is better than nothing.

“Can..Can we talk more? It dosent have to be in here, just-“
He gets interrupted by a groaning noise.
“ meet me outside” bendy says as he reaches into his pocket and puts some money on the counter and walks out.
Cuphead got up quickly to follow him Ofcourse he did.

Cuphead ,surprised. Promptly got up and followed him out the bar. When he got out he can already see him walking down the sidewalk. Cuphead had to jog to catch up.

“So-uhm. What do you do for work?”

bendy looked at him then looked forward. Reaching into his coat pocket and getting a lighter and a cig. Lighting it and putting it to his mouth.

“Animation” he says deadpan.

“That’s so cool! I work at a casino, night shifts mostly”

“You seem the type”

“whats that supposed to mean?”

Bendy says nothing but kept walking. Then took the cig out of his mouth

“Why are you following me anyway? Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Don’t do that. You asked me to meet you outside.” Cuphead moves he’s hands around in the ‘you’ pointing at bendy.

“Besides “ cuphead says as he puts his hands in his pockets.

“This is the way to my place”

Bendy stops. Thinks a minute and groans.

“Mine too”

Chapter Text

Cupheads interest is peaked “wait like- the apartment complex”

“The one in front of us? Yeah that one” Bendys shoulders slump and continues to walk into the building and up the stairs. Cuphead follows hastily.

“Ya know by the clues you’ve been giving me I’m starting to think you don’t like me”

They walk up each flight of stairs.

“And?”
Bendy raises a eyebrow

“And it’s a little frustrating when it’s you that asked to meet you outside”

That came out more harshly than cuphead meant it to. They stop at a floor, the floor that cupheads apartment is on. But not at his door. It must have been Bendys. Great. Now they live closely together and they don’t even get along . Cupheads trying to think positive.

He really is but he dosent know what this demons DEAL is. Cuphead was hoping to make a friend.. but this guy seemed to only tolerate him.

Bendy sighs and looks at him.

“Look, the only reason I told you to meet me outside was because I felt bad. Because I thought you were pathetic. I thought it was going to be a one and done thing. But no. You just so happen to be my neighbor and stayed longer than i wanted you to”

Ouch.

Cuphead feels a sting in his chest. And an urge to cry. But no. Not now. That would prove him right. But isn’t he right? Cuphead believed so. So he just took a deep breath and sighed.

“Okay”

Bendy rolls his eyes and turns to open his door and cuphead goes towards his.

He kind of zones out for the most part. So much for making a friend. The apartment feels empty. Always empty.

He does his routine when he usually gets home from the bar.
Drink water.
Shower.
Go to bed.

But unexpectedly he gets a call.
It’s chalice.

Chapter Text

Cuphead sighs. Sits up. Looks at the phone contact. And breaths deeply . He taps the answer button, a trembling hope for calm fighting nervous dread.
Then a smile comes on his face. Not a real one but real enough for chalice.

Suddenly, Chalice's voice bursts through the speaker, staccato with worry.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!”

Her face fills the screen. She has a fancy background full of clothes and closet spaces.
She must be in her dressing room. Cuphead widens his smile and rubs the back of his neck.

“ I’ve been around, work has me busy, I’m sure you know a thing or two about that”

Chalice expression softs. But only for a quick second. She tilts her head, eyes narrowing just slightly as if weighing his words.

“You know the phone two way”

Her voice is calming now. But if you knew her you could tell that it’s in this passive tone. Now she's most likely planning her next move, carefully choosing what to say next to keep the conversation going.

After all she hasn’t talked to cup in ages. Mugman she keeps up with. But cuphead became very private over the years..or since the incident.

She taps her fingers on her vanity. As someone as confident as her she just doesn’t know what to say. They’ve drifted apart. She hates that she doesn’t know her little brother anymore.

Cuphead stares at her painted nails tapping, unsure if he should apologize or retreat.

“Yeah, I know I’m sorry. “

Chalice looks at him with this blank stare. Then smiles. Then burst out laughing.

“I know, I know. I just miss you is all. You never come to gatherings or anything!”

Cuphead frowns. And then he’s just silent for a while.

Chalice is too.

“ I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Her smile is gone now.

“ you’re not your usual self. Cuphead you haven’t been for years “

“Maybe I’m just tired,”
Cuphead mumbles.

But Chalice’s eyes never leave him, searching his face for signs she missed.

“Cuphead, I have to go soon. I have a show”

“ okay “ cupheads voice is low.

“And also,” chalice starts

Cuphead looks at her

“Please visit”

Cuphead nods slowly, rubbing his thumb along the side of his cup, uncertain if he can face whatever kept him away.

“I’ll try”

“Promise?”

“…I’ll try”

Chalice sighs.
“ okay. Bye “

The call ends.

A heavy silence fills Cuphead's small apartment, pressing against his chest.

He finally lays down from sitting up from his call with chalice . Having trouble falling asleep. He has medicine for it. He has medicine for other things too. Not like he takes them.

Instead, he goes to the window, drawn to the streetlights flickering outside in the humid midnight air, restless as memories circle his mind.

He pulls out a cigarette and smokes for a bit,, Thinking.

( elder kettle would be so dissapointed in me )

It’s true. Elder kettle raised him to be curious and courageous and put together.

Now look at him.

Pathetic.

Smoking.

Not really living. And it’s his fault too.

He tells himself he could change, but every time he tries the heaviness in his chest returns sharper than before.

He needs help. He knows that. Everyone knows that. And it makes cuphead hate himself. It makes him angry. So? He Doesn’t talk anymore.
Doesn’t hang out with anyone anymore.

Doesn’t really have friends.
Pushed them all the way. That’s his fault too. He was just worried. Just concerned. Like good friends should be.

But cuphead wasn’t one to accept help. So, no more friends.

Only emptiness sits with him now, gnawing at the edges of his long, silent nights.

Cuphead is just there, thinking. Staring into the distance. Zoning out. Then, breaths in through his nose, out through his mouth.

Walks from his balcony and goes to bed.

Hoping.

Praying.

The next day will be better than this one.

Sleep is the few moments where cuphead feels at peace… Somtimes he wishes he could stay asleep forever…..

But dawn breaks with thunder, sharp rain rattling the balcony . That just so happened to be a room away from his bedroom. Cuphead wakes to the sound, startled, heart pounding with dread.

Then embarrassed a bit. He’s not a child anymore. There’s no reason to be.

No reason at all.

Chapter Text

Cuphead wakes up with this feeling of doom and despair.

….And…nausea???

**BELGH**

….What the fuck?

Cuphead stares at nothing in disbelief. Then down at the brownish redish glop of vomit in his lap. And his bed.
His stomach clenches as he realizes the smell is oddly burnt.

He must have forgotten how much he had drank that night. But he wasn’t even tipsy. Maybe it was the lack of food he had that day. Drinking on an empty stomach. Yeah that’s probaly it.

Still, the burnt odor clings to his nostrils, nagging at something he can't quite remember…..What was it…what was it.

Suddenly the power goes out.

Right.

The electric.

Shoot. He told himself he would pay it the night he went out. Now he'd have to find his wallet by shaky daylight. Already prepared for more things to go wrong.

He rest his arms down on his lap but- the throw up. He Nearly forgot about it. Even though his stomach is still queazy.

In the span of a couple of minutes he:
Threw up
Ruined his blanket and bed sheets
Forgot to pay a bill.

Greeeaaaattttt

He gets out of bed and cleans himself up. Then he goes to pay the bill but when he picks up his phone the battery died.

And Ofcourse with no electric he has no way of charging said battery.

That means he’ll have to pay it in person.

*Ugh*

That means his washer machine won’t work too. So he has to go to the laundromat.

On top of everything, he realizes his car keys are missing. With his luck probaly locked in the car.

Cuphead takes a trash bag and puts all of his dirty bed-wear in it. And takes it to his car. Which, yes the keys are in there but the window was open so all he had to do was reach in.

“I pray to Calix nobody thinks I’m breaking in” cuphead mutters under his breath.

A dog barks sharply across the lot, startling Cup just as he yanks the keys out of the car.

He gets in the car finally

“First to the Laundromat and then to the management office” he whispers.

“I can do this”

He starts his car and heads to the laundromat. Once he gets there it’s fine and all. He usually listens to music when he does things like this because it is very tedious.

Unfortunately, today there's nothing but the buzz of bad fluorescent lights echoing through the space.

Geez. Even the dumb kiddish music that usually plays would be better.

He unloads the trash bag and the stench is horrible. But he progresses.

Then. For a split second. He heard the bell. The bell at the top of the entrance to let you know someone is entering.

He usually wouldn’t have noticed if he had his headphones.

But he did now. And he looks up and his heart drops to his stomach.

He saw someone with a cracked eye. And such a bad busted mouth that his teeth are always showing.

And that somone was his brother, Mugman.

And he did that to him.