Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mugman sniffed, and put his hands in his pockets as he walked. He, Cup and Felix were on their way to Baker's Street.

Facing Felix had really gone well. Cup was right - they still had ways to go on the trust aspect of things, but other than that, their friendship seemed to be looking up now. Mugs was pleased about it.

Although at the same time he'd also felt increasingly guilty and embarrassed about his outburst last night. Having breakfast this morning had been exponentially awkward. Nobody in the house had looked him in the eye.

... Yeah, Mugs had some addressing of behaviour to do too. Though with Felix on his side, and his chat with Boris last night, he felt he could do it.

Yeah. It would be fine.

He drew a breath in, and let it out in a sigh of mild dread.

"Oi."

Mugs's attention went to his brother, after snapping out of his line of thought.

Cup prompted him on with a roll of his fingers. "Tell me what happened with Mort and this kid," he said, taking a toothpick to his teeth.

Mugs blinked. He glanced between his older bro and the now attentive cat behind them, silently asking a 'here?? Now??'

Cup looked at him like he didn't know what he was talking about, and lifted an eyebrow, daring him to speak up.

Mugs turned his head away and frowned annoyedly into his scarf.

"... I told Mort 'bout our trouble trackin' down that mark the other night," he started explaining. "And asked 'bout the whole mixup - why he had us out there trackin' a kid - trackin' Maxim. But obviously back then we didn't know it was him, just that it was some tricky kid," Mugs added as a side note.

"At the time, Mort had said he'd never asked us to go after a kid, and that the actual mark had left the city, after stealin' Mort's damn tie," he grumbled more towards the end.

"That's it, a cussin' stolen tie??" Cup spat. Mugs confirmed with a 'yep', smacking his lips to make the 'p' pop.

"Who is this Mort character?" Felix inquired over their shoulders.

"Just some rat practically everyone in the dark parts of the city have ties with," Cup explained briefly.

"Don't worry, he ain't a baddie," Mugs reassured with a hand held out, "just a schmuck sometimes."

The cat's eyebrows knitted together. "Why would Maxim have ties to someone like him?" He asked in confusion.

"He doesn't, at least not on Mort's side," Mugs cleared up. "He's never met 'im before - had no idea what I was talkin' about when I mentioned a kid."

"He also asked for another favour if somethin' comes up, since we failed our last one," he informed his brother with a fed up tone.

Cup scoffed. "'Course he did," he grumbled, gritting his toothpick between his teeth, and consequently splitting it.

He spat it out into his palm and shoved it into his pants' pocket. "Whatever. We'll deal with that when it happens. Right now we've got yesterday's moonrocks ta deal with."

"Yeah... I-I dunno how much explainin' got done last night," Mugs admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Cup hummed, noting this.

"Thanks for yellin' for me though," he said, before striding a couple steps ahead of him. Either that or Mugs slowed down. He cringed mentally and physically, pulling his lips back in a wince. Cup had cussing heard.

Of course he'd heard. Mugs had yelled for the entire starfallen city to hear.

Whether he meant to or not, he fell back and into step with Felix, shoving the tips of his hands in his pockets and raising his shoulders uncomfortably. 

"... I'm sorry for shoutin' at you," he told the cat. The cat looked to him, and smiled.

"It's alright, Mugman. We both did. We both... said some things," he said, glancing off to the side. Yeah, that was one way to put it.

He glanced back at him with a sincere look. "I'm sorry too."

Mugs gave his own smile, accepting his apology.

"D'you think we could keep the yellin' to a zero from now on? My voice is shot," he admitted with humour. Felix practically burst out laughing.

"Yes, I think that'd be best," he agreed through chuckles.

They kept up a light conversation and cracked a couple more jokes about their row last night as they walked. It was nice. Mugs was real glad they were working this out now. 

But his nerves and awkwardness were coming back, at seeing the house just a block away. Hoo boy, this was gonna be its own challenge. 

Cuphead stepped up to the door first, to enter first. Judging by these two's sudden edgy-ness neither one of them were up to the treacherous task of opening a cussing door. Good thing Cup was here to save the day. Otherwise they would've never entered.

He shoved down on the handle and swung the door open, walking in. The pair of wusses behind him trailed in after.

Shortstack was stood out in the hallway, chatting with Feathers, who was stood halfway out the dining doorway. She spotted them enter first. And when Bendy spotted her spotting them, he glanced over his shoulder, before turning fully, while Feathers slipped back into the chatty dining room.

Felix took his hat off his head. "Ah, hello," he awkwardly greeted the demon, who had crossed his arms and straightened his spine, and had his serious face on.

The pipsqueak opened his mouth to speak. "Felix-"

"Don't." Cup stopped him, gesturing his dismissal. "We've already worked it out," he caught him up to speed.

Taking this on board, Bendy tilted his head back, and then tipped it down in a nod. "... So you're good now?" He quizzed, waving the hand on top of his folded-arms position. "No more snapping, yelling, trying to kill each other?"

"No," Felix answered with his mouth pressed into a guilty line, while Mugs shook his mug. Bendy gave a simple 'cool' to note.

"I am sorry," Felix told him in his next apology. 

Bendy's face and shoulders relaxed at his sincerity. He took a step towards the wall, and nodded for them to head into the dining room. Cup, deciding to be extra nice today, volunteered to go in first again, with Felix, Mugs and Bendy filing in after. 

The dining room was full, and now quiet - everyone had stopped what they were doing, watching on as they entered. Oddswell had come back from checking his wing of the hospital. The girls had come over. And the Tiptails. Wiston was still in a sulk. Those who weren't awake before were now up and eating brunch.

"Felix," the older fox said in surprise, folding his newspaper and spinning in his chair.

"Mr. Cat," Oddswell addressed in a colder tone. Somehow the room got even quieter.

Yakko whistled around in a circle. "That is some thick, thick tension. Quick, gimme the Swiss Army knife," he said to Wakko as he whacked him on the arm. Wakko gained a tongued grin, and brought a red switch blade out and handed it to his brother, who then plunged the knife into thin air, cutting a slice out with his tongue stuck out in concentration.

"Well?" The lizard twitched a scaly brow in questioning. "Is there something you wish to say?”

Felix swallowed and dropped his gaze, shifting his grip on the rim of his hat. "Yes, I... I am sorry for my behaviour. I know I haven't been the best company of late."

"I was out of line," he said louder, sweeping over everyone with a firmer expression.

Cup watched the entire room change, obviously satisfied with his third apology of the day.

"And I'm sorry." Mugs spoke up. "For- For yellin'," he murmured.

The lizard man of the house dipped his head. "You are both forgiven," he declared.

"Glad to have you back, Felix," Bendy said with a smile. Felix returned it.

Holly let out a huge sigh, flinging herself across the table. "Horse feathers, I'm glad that feud is over."

Red snorted from next to her. "I'll say."

"Can we, like, never let that happen again?" Boris asked, his lip pulled back in a grimace. Felix reached over to pet the pup's ears back.

"Yes Boris, we can," he reassured, before turning back to address the entire room. "Now that things are getting more serious, a fault in our team could be the end of us. And I refuse to be that fault any longer," he stated with a firm swipe of his hand.

Dot whooped and flipped up onto the table with her paws in the air. "Hooray for character development!"

"I have to concur," Oddswell... concurred, standing up from his chair. "And might I add, I do not aspire to have those kind of tensions under my roof again. I would rather you sit and discuss your troubles like grown adults," he schooled, ironically, like they were children. But that wasn't for Cup, he was sure. He'd done some crazy adult stardust today.

Felix pulled a somewhat embarrassed face. "Yes, Professor Oddswell."

"You have our word," Dot swore in a bow, crossing a heart over her chest, and then was yanked off the table by her siblings.

"But," Oddswell continued, "I personally would appreciate some clarity on the matters regarding the death of my late coworker and friend, and the accusations that have been thrown around here," he directed towards the group stood at the door. 

"Right, that." Bendy tapped a claw in the air, then planting it on his hip. "Uhh... "

"The accusations were just that - accusations," Felix started by clearing up. "I was under the impression they were true, due to something that happened back in the Labyrinth; a setup, made to turn me against Cuphead and Mugman. And... up until yesterday... it had worked," he confessed with chagrin.

"-But now he realises he was wrong," Bendy rushed to step in and defend them. Cussing hell he was overdoing it. Cup had half wished he wasn't innocent in this just to get the little mook to shut up.

Oddswell hummed impassively. "I see."

His beady eyes flicked back over to Felix. "And what is your proof of the Cup brothers' innocence? What changed your mind?" He pressed.

"Well it doesn't make sense," Cup blurted out. Everyone else's peepers suddenly snapped to him instead.

"It doesn't make sense," he repeated with a lazy shrug. "We weren't there to kill the cussin' owl, we were there to get whatever stardust he had on the ink machine off 'im."

The room somehow got even cussing quieter at that.

A feeling of dread set in Cup's stomach. There was no turning back with this now.

Mugs, feeling the same thing, came up to his side, passing a knowing look to him. Cup suppressed a gulp.

His little bro gazed over the whole room. "We... work under the wrong people - the wrong person."

He exhaled sharply through his big nose, clenching determined fists. "... And we want out. But we can't do it alone," he told them.

"It's a... kill, or be killed kinda situation," Cup mumbled in addition. He was really helping his bro out here. Stars, what was wrong with him.

Xedo leaned forward and adjusted his spectacles attentively. "What does one in your situation have to do to escape?" He inquired.

"Die," Cup answered.

Mugs gave his brother a disapproving glare and an elbow jab for his blunt delivery, silently asking him to elaborate. Cup sighed inwardly, and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"... We'd need to fight our Boss, and win," he emphasised. "Killin' him would mean freein' all his debtors, not just us two."

Red hummed with her elbows on the table and her chin rested on her locked fingers. "So I take it there's no leeway on this killing thing?" She asked flatly. "This guy... isn't into persuasions or negotiations?"

"No," Mugs responded and swiped a hand out, "this is the only way to take him down. You can't trap this guy, you can't banish this guy, and he'll cussin' wipe you out before ya even have a chance to negotiate."

"He ain't like Ava, or Azazel, or cussin' Hat," Cup furthered. "This guy is a bad, bad demon. Like nothin' you've ever fought before. Nobody gets out scott-free. That's... that's how I got me and Mugs here in the cussin' first place, how we signed our whole damn lives away.”

"We tried fightin' 'im, and failed. Miserably. No one... wins against him, he's-" He huffed, losing his words.

Cuphead felt a clawed grip on his shoulder.

What he'd just said had reflected on everyone's faces, as the stakes of this started to dawn on 'em all. The mood in the room had gotten real cussing serious.

"Who is it?" Feathers uttered, her eyes dark with concern, staring directly into Cup's. It hit him like a brick. Mugs grimaced, glancing to Cup, who mirrored his worried brow furrow.

"W-we can't tell you without puttin' you all in danger," Mugs gravely explained, and motioned to everyone. "You're already in danger just from us tellin' you this."

This, again, seemed to dawn on them all. Looks were exchanged between older brothers and younger siblings.

"Well... if we're already in danger... " Cala lifted a shoulder, "... what's a little more?"

"Cala," Mugs murmured, taking her hands in his. Cup looked from them, to the cat and the demon stood next to him, watching him, waiting.

"... He wants your parts," he blurted out, with a feeling of desperation tugging at him and his voice. "... The machine parts, he's... he's been watchin' us collect them. Not just through me and Mugs, but through other people too. There's somethin' bigger goin' on here."

The room stopped breathing. People stood up from their chairs at the idea this went even deeper than they thought. Cup could feel his heartbeat in his ears, and his throat close up. He continued.

"He knows where each part is, and has known, even before us or that owl ever did. He's had other debtors stationed waitin' for us at each part," he told them.

"Then why would he wait for us to get there if he could just grab them himself?" Holly questioned confusedly.

"That's what we've been wonderin'," Mugs voiced.

"Perhaps it's because he's unable to construct it himself, and knows we might be able to, thanks to our knowledge on Micco runes," Xedo put forward.

Felix rubbed his jagged chin in thought. "You might be onto something there," he noted.

"Look, whatever happens with this quest, this guy - this demon - he's going to fight us," Bendy firmly told them all, stepping forward.  "And he could face us at any point. From here."

"... We need a plan. An actual, properly thought-out plan, combat training - the works," the demon said with a concluding gesture. He then took a deep breath in through his invisible nose, his gaze moving over everyone.

"But I think all together we have a real chance here," he said while dropping a fist into his palm, nodding. His overconfidence infected the rest of the room, as others started to light up alongside him.

"We can bring in others," he brainstormed. "The circus gang, the Bradley's, Hat," he listed with rising enthusiasm.

"A look into this demon's fighting style would be a useful advantage," Felix chimed in.

Oddswell hummed. "Luckily we have the Cup brothers for that," he mentioned, and turned his tiny eyes in their direction.

"Agh, it's been years," Mugs groaned and pressed his fingers to his temples. "And the Boss has been kickin' around for ages - he knows every cussin' fight move to ever exist."

"Then we do what we do best," Bendy resolved, "- fighting unprofessionally, and improvise. He'll never see it coming."

"Improvisation can only go so far," Xedo commented, and leaned forward on the hands he had rested in the table. "But perhaps there is method to the madness of your own combat style. It has worked well thus far, has it not?"

Voices and words started to blur together in Cup's ears, as he tuned out.

Oh cuss, oh cuss. This had all gotten so real. He hadn't prepared this far - he'd thought he'd never work up the guts to tell them.

And now he had. And now his chest was stricken with guilt, and a heavy panic.

He was leading them to their deaths. And if he wasn't doing that he was dooming them to lifelong debts with the Devil. The Devil.

Stars, he needed some cussing fresh air. He was suddenly feeling like there wasn't enough.

Cup ducked out of the dining room, and made a stumbling beeline for the door, bursting out. He exhaled shakily, and sort of buckled to the stairs, sitting down without much of a say in doing so after failing to hold himself up on the bannisters.

His heart was cussing beating out its stitches, and pumping way too much adrenaline for someone just sitting down.

And his lungs were jumping. Every breath he let out came out too fast - he was having to gasp after each one. 

Cup brushed his hair out his face and the condensation off his forehead. What the cuss was wrong with him?? Stars the world was cussing spinning.

Cuss, he needed a distraction. A smoke or something - something else to focus on, other than the horrendous feeling of danger looming inside him.

He fumbled for his coat pocket, and shoved his hand in, bring out his cig case to pick one out.

Cuss, his hands were cussing shaking. Just cussing grab it.

He blew out a short whistling breath, and nabbed a cig, pressing it up to his trembling lips.

"Cuphead?"

Cuphead's head whipped around to whoever was at the door behind him.

"Oh," he sighed, turning back, "hey, Feathers," he muttered past his cig.

Alice stepped forward, eyeing said cig with a slight lip purse.

He sighed again, and plucked the sweet stick out his mouth. "I know the drill," he said as he stuffed it back into his case.

"Are you alright?" She asked and stepped forward, peering at him with that same worried glint.

"-Yeah, I'm fine, I just... "

He closed his eyes, tilting to the side to rub his brow. Feathers plonked down next to him on the top step, brushing her skirt out underneath her.

"... I dunno, I'm stressed, I guess," he grumbled, knowing full well she could see right cussing through him, and had probably just witnessed whatever the cuss had just happened to him. The panic he'd felt was now just straight-up embarrassment.

"I can see that," she lightly remarked with a tinge of humour to her tone. It caught Cup by surprise, and had him huff a laugh.

They plunged into silence, as Cup straightened himself up, then leaning forward with his forearms rested on his thighs. He gazed down at his cigarette case as he turned it between his fingers.

"You carry a lot on your shoulders," she commented quietly.

He grunted in acknowledgment, as he returned his case to his pocket. "Nothin' I ain't used to."

Alice's thin brows knit together, in the way they usually did when she was about to drop a bombshell.

"Cuphead... I can't help but feel like I should call the Upper about this," she urged. "I-if a demon needs fighting they're the ones to call-"

"No, Feathers, this ain't a fight for them," Cup shot her down. "It's fair game - he owns our souls."

Conflicted, she bit her lip. "But... But, what if we were able to report him for misconduct o-or breaking the rules?? There must be something he's done wrong-"

"Feathers, he's bigger than that. He would'a got caught for misconduct centuries ago if the schmuck wasn't as damn tricky as he is. Nobody... and I mean nobody... gets... " 

He found himself out of breath again, and had to take a second to get it back under cussing control. Alice panicked and paled from next to him.

That subject died out there. Apparently it was too much for Cup's body to handle.

Starfallen dammit, he was really regretting telling them about the Boss. Not only had he doomed them, he'd also cussing doomed himself to a stardust-load of anxiety over it all. Telling them had been supposed to make him feel better, not... whatever the hell this was.

He dropped his face into his palms, dragging his eyelids down, and then pressed his fingers to his mouth.

"... You know, you shouldn't feel guilty," Alice spoke up after a moment, reading him like a damn book as always. Cup tilted his mug down in her direction.

"... I'm glad you told us," she conveyed, straightening her arms and clasping her hands together with a sure bob of her head. "And I know everyone inside is too."

She looked over at him with pity in her gaze. "It must've been hard keeping it all locked up for that long."

Cuphead gave another grunt, shifting. "I appreciate what you're tryna do, but it ain't for me," he said.

Even though she looked hurt, she understood, and eased off anyway, turning to gaze off at the distance instead.

"... It was... rough... " Cup confessed in a mutter.

Alice's eyes went back to him. She nodded knowingly, uttering without humour this time, "I can see that."

"But... I dunno if this is any better," he confided in a whisper, feeling his throat close up. This was the most helpless he'd felt in ages. He was already helpless trying to escape their debts, and now he was helpless for all these people. These dumb, trusting people. A cussing family.

Alice stared back at him with dark, sad eyes, tilting her head in pity. There was always a sense of sincerity in her actions, like she was the only person in the world that understood Cup right now. That had to be an angel thing.

Then she reached out, and placed a hand on his upper arm. The awkwardness of it had Cup blink back out of his pity party.

He sniffed, and jerked his head at the hand. "What's goin' on with this," he poked fun. Alice cringed and retracted.

"Sorry, I-I'm not really sure how to comfort you, I don't know your boundaries," she winced, twisting her fingers. "I figured hugs weren't really your style... ?"

"I thought all angels were supposed ta be good at comfortin' people," he said with rising amusement.

Alice sighed and dropped her shoulders. "No, not... this one," she noted, chagrined. Cup snorted.

"Nah, the palm does its job," he reassured her with a wave. She smiled, and embraced the awkwardness by just patting him twice. They shared a mutual good-humoured grin.

"Gee, I've got enough comfort to last me a lifetime - I can do cussin' anythin' now," he proclaimed exaggeratedly, and induced a chuckle from the angel.

"Yes. Although, you should take the rest of the day off and take a well-deserved rest," she advised with a point of a finger. "You've overcome a lot today."

He tutted lightly. "Thanks, mom," he jibed, to which she tittered further.

"There you guys are," came a voice from inside. H appeared in the open doorway soon after.

"Come on! We're having a party," she ushered, energetically scooping the air.

"A party?" Alice repeated, and moved to get up. Cup followed after. He groaned as he did. 

“Didn't we just have one??" He complained.

H blew her lips out dismissively. "Like you can have too many parties- No come on." She grabbed his sleeves, and started dragging him through. "You're joining."

Cup didn't fight it, only rolling his eyes. She led him and Alice back into the dining room, which was now buzzing with excitement. Pales of lemonade were being handed out, chairs shoved to the outskirts of the room, and people clearing the table of leftover food and dishes. The place suddenly had the energy of a pub.

Cuphead observed in bewilderment. How the cuss had they gotten to doing this in the five minutes he and Alice had been outside??

“Aaayyy!” Bendy slid in next to him, shoving a drink into his mitts. “I’ve been looking for you! Where’d you go, man??”

“I dunno, just outside?” He responded, humour tugging at his lip. He motioned to the room with his mug of lemonade. “What the cuss is goin’ on here?”

He planted a clawed hand on Cup’s shoulder, jostling him back and forth. “We’re having a celebration!” He announced, cheersing his drink to the sky.

Before Cup could ask what they were celebrating, the short mook had drifted away, yelling about something else. Alice drifted after him in a string of bewildered laughs.

“We’re celebrating the quest,” Felix filled him in on his other side, palming his other shoulder and beaming. The cat directed him up to the table and into a space by Mugs, who looked at him with a warm, sincere smile, and nodded. Cup felt his smile reflect on his own face.

“To the quest!” Bendy cheersed again from a couple spots down. Everyone cheered and lifted their drinks in turn.

“C’mon, can we get some music up in here??” Wakko prompted the crowd after hopping up onto the table. He then started clapping his hands and stomping a tune into the table. “Let it- Oof!-”

“Shhh!” Dot hushed him, holding a finger up to her muzzle and jumping in the air. Her brother groaned, but fell down onto his tail and slipped off the table.

Instead Noods climbed up onto the table, bringing her sister with her. Then, as if they could read each other’s sisterly minds, they started up a chant together. It was one that started off like a storytelling, and then grew into a big belting tune and a jig.

By this point everyone in the house knew it, and joined in after the sisters began the first couple lines. They stayed low and hunched over as they all looked between each other and told the gritty story, with Soup and Noods even dramatically acting out parts. Then it grew, in both volume and enthusiasm. Clapping, stomping, and full blown yelling. The two sisters then linked arms and stomped each other in circles, with other duos going up to join them. Like something out of some village bar.

Cup had been forced to put his cynics to the side and enjoy it, cheering along with them all as the song ended, and they clinked their lemonade glasses and mugs together, with arms over shoulders and laughter shared.

It was one of those moments that made Cup wonder how he’d ever gone without these cussers. This stupid little family. A family he’d do anything for now. Ten months ago he would’ve never thought he’d be here, with this warmth. He didn’t deserve it.

Now he’d lay down his star-forsaken life for these guys.