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The phight had concluded with a smashing victory for Boombox’s team, 21 to 179 in terms of seconds on the point. He proudly looked at his stats on the scoreboard for about five seconds before he decided to go make small talk with the others in the lobby.
He talked to Biograft and Hyperlaser for a minute before he found his way over to Slingshot. Slingshot tolerated him far more than any other phighters present, and seemed to have no issue with Boombox yapping his horn off.
The day had been going perfectly thus far, he’d done all of his chores, worked on his latest hit tune, remembered to eat breakfast and lunch, and he’d even won the phight! Only issue with being so productive was the surplus of free time he now had, but he was sure Skate would hang out with him if he texted and asked.
Before he could do that, though, Slingshot had paused in the middle of his sentence and was looking behind him. Boombox turned to see what he was staring at, and behind his shoulder stood Medkit.
Medkit was a strange one to Boombox, an enigma of sorts. Quiet, maybe a little rude at times, mysterious and handsome.
He’d been trying for ages to befriend the healer, but he really wasn’t sure if his attempts were working. Sure, Med didn’t seem quite as annoyed, but he was still quiet and aloof in a way that made Boombox think he was uncomfortable.
”Uh, hey, Meds! Whatcha need, dude?” He asked with a polite smile, subconsciously lowering the volume of the music his boombox played. He knew Medkit didn’t like loud noise, and although he refused to turn it off completely, he figured he could at least try to make his potential friend feel more comfortable around him.
Medkit looked uncharacteristically nervous, hands clutched tightly around the handle of his gear. “May I speak with you, Boombox? Alone? You may, er, finish up your conversation first, just meet me outside.”
”Oh, sure! I’ll be there in a sec.” Boombox watched Medkit leave, specifically through a side door rather than the front, then turned back to Slingshot.
”You’re friends with Medkit?” Sling asked, gently wiping the handle of his gear.
”Hm… I dunno! I think so,” Boombox answered truthfully. “I’d better go see what he wants. Talk to ya later, though!” He stood, waving goodbye one last time as he made his way out.
The chill air of Crossroads hit him the second he opened the door. Against the wall stood Medkit, looking picturesque with his cigarette against his lips. “There you are. Come, walk with me,” began the healer, leaving Boombox no choice but to follow.
The two walker away from the phight lobby and into the main area of Crossroads. “Where we goin’, Med?”
”Just- Just for a walk,” he decided, walking with class and purpose despite not having a set destination.
At some point he had desummoned his gear, though Boombox’s was still strapped against his back, playing soft instrumental tunes to complement the chill weather.
They walked in silence for a long while, only Boombox’s music and the bustle of the city filling the air. They’d made their way to the middle layer of the city, walking around aimlessly before Medkit eventually decided to lead him into a park.
The park was mostly empty, surrounded by trees on all sides and with a river running through it. Some younger inphernals played on a set of swings and slides as well, but Medkit paid them no mind as he continued on.
”So uh, what did you wanna talk about?” Boombox finally asked. He’d been trying to wait for Medkit to bring it up naturally, but he was really getting curious by now.
Medkit walked a little slower as he searched for the right words. “There’s something I need to tell you. But it’s something very private, and I need to know that this will stay between us.”
”You have my word, ‘Kit!” Boombox crossed his heart and held out a pinky, to which the healer just gave him a strange look.
A sigh escaped his lips as he watched the water flow beside them. “You know how, when we first met, you’d always try to call me ‘doctor’? And how I told you to quit doing that?” His voice came out a little shaky, and he hated how nervous such a simple conversation was making him.
Really, he had no way of knowing how Boombox might react. The musician seemed open minded, for sure, but Medkit had learned not to trust people’s face-value.
”I remember! Why?” Boombox tilted his head, practically skipping alongside his friend. Medkit would never understand how he could remain so jolly all the time.
”…I think I don’t want you to call me ‘Medkit,’ either.”
Boombox’s skipping came to a halt as he realized he was going a bit too fast, backtracking a little to stand next to his friend. “What do you mean?”
”I mean I have a different name that I would prefer to go by.”
Medkit— or, not Medkit anymore— had his face turned away, focused heavily on the river, refusing eye contact.
”What is it?” Boombox asked, and his friend was glad to find not a hint of judgement in his voice.
”It’s… Pistol. That’s my name.”
Boombox’s gaze fell to the gun holstered comfortably on M- On Pistol’s waist. He’d always seemed to enjoy using that thing far more than his medkit, so much that he’d modified the gun to shoot healing bullets just to avoid having to pull out his original gear. The gears began to turn in Boombox’s head, then.
“Ohhh, I see!” He said, “But why are you telling me?”
Pistol paused, finally looking back to him with an expression of confusion. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
At that, Boombox’s eyes widened before he broke out into a wide smile, not even the sun shining down on them bright enough to match it. “I always thought so, but I thought- I mean- I kinda thought you hated me.”
Pistol was quick to shake his head at that. “We’re friends, I assure you. I’m just… Tired, most days, but I don’t hate you. That requires too much effort.”
“Well I’m glad! And I think that Pistol is a very pretty name for you,” he complimented. Pistol felt his cheeks heat up at that. “Might take me a while to get used to callin’ you that, but I’ll do my best!”
”It’s… It makes me happy. Sword and Rocket know, but they’re the only other ones. The Church, uh, needs me as their healer. They wouldn’t be happy to find out how much I dislike it,” he explained, voice catching a bit when he mentioned his religion.
Boombox gave him a sympathetic little smile. “I’ll keep it quiet. But I’m happy for you! You’re awesome, Pistol.”
Medkit didn’t quite smile, but there was a moment where he wasn’t frowning either, and that was enough to show he was at peace. “You’re ‘awesome’ too, Boombox.”
The two of them kept walking for a while longer, though they eventually had to part ways. This time, instead of leaving with worry and mysterious wonder about his maybe-possibly-friend Medkit, Boombox went home with a little more understanding of his friend Pistol.