Another VAT7K Mini fic is now up on AO3

Summary: Hugo and Yong get separated from the group and have to make their way through a labyrinth.

I originally wrote this here on Tumblr a while back. Not a lot of Varigo in here, I admit. I just wanted to write more interactions between Hugo and Yong. There is a bit of trauma here for Hugo, so CW on panic attacks and claustrophobia. But I can guarantee there's a sweet ending.

VAT7K RobotAU Ficlet

I wrote a little something to go along with @tomwaterbabies RobotAU and art.

Also Happy Halloween everyone!

Varigo brain blerp

*walks in.*

*sets a crate box down and stands on it*

*pulls out a microphone and holds it up to mouth*

HUGO IS A BAD KISSER

-------

He can give good simple smooches, but anything less chaste is just a mess. Varian is surprised the first time they make out once they're a couple because Hugo goes full open mouth and shoves his tongue in willy nilly. It's...an experience. The first time, he figures it's a fluke or that he or Hugo were just nervous about it.

When it happens the second time though, Varian pulls away, holding Hugo's face to stop him from continuing.

"Hugo, I got to tell you something," he says. "But I don't want to hurt your feelings."

"Please, Goggles," Hugo says while rolling his eyes. "You know I got tough skin. I can handle whatever you have to say-"

"You suck at kissing."

"I WHAT?!"

Hugo is offended and argues with Varian that he is a good kisser, becoming defensive.

"And what would you know about kissing? " Hugo asks accusingly, annoying Varian. "I bet you've never made out with anyone before me."

"Have you ever made out with anyone before me?" Varian responds, both dodging Hugo's question and curious if the blonde has subjected any other poor soul to a slobber fest.

"That doesn't matter, " Hugo veers. "Not when I know all the kissing techniques."

"Kissing techniques?? Did you learn them from a dog??"

At some point in their bickering, Varian notices how embarrassed Hugo looks. His boyfriend is looking away from him, arms crossed and ears burning red. Varian takes a moment to de-escalate the situation.

"Look, I love how eager and passionate you are," Varian confesses. "But those "kissing techniques" don't work for me."

Varian gently places a hand on Hugo's face to turn it back to look at him.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to keep kissing you."

Assured by Varian's words, the edge of Hugo's lips curve upwards, giving him an apologetic smile. Hugo takes a deep breath and uncrosses his arms.

"So what do we do now?"

Varian ponders for a moment before giving his boyfriend a mischievous look.

"I suppose we find out what kissing techniques do work for me," Varian answers, pulling Hugo closer. "This time, I'm taking the lead, so follow what I do. Okay?"

"And if I'm bad at taking orders?" Hugo challenges.

"Then we just keep practicing."

Varian has a thing for people who wear glasses (think megane). To him, a person's attractiveness goes up when they wear glasses because it helps frame people's faces so well. Sadly, when he tries wearing glasses himself, he just looks dorky, so he's low key jealous of people who pull them off so nicely. Instead, he wears goggles for their more practical use until maybe one day when eye glasses won't look so off on him.

He would rather die than admit this to Hugo.

The thin escape artist - a vat7k hugo brain blerp

Hugo Rottewange grew up a gangly kid. As an orphan, he was lucky if he got 1 meal a day, so he was classified as underweight most of his life. Still, his thin frame did come in handy when he needed to sneak around in tight spaces. When Donella took him in, she was impressed by the kid's ability to squeeze through the smallest of openings and took advantage of this, having him complete heists most of her men were unable to complete due to their more muscular brutish stature. One time as a teen, when he was caught stealing and held in jail, he escaped by sliding himself through the metal bars of his prison. Throughout the years under Donella's care, he received more food than he did as a kid, but he knew his current frame was more useful and would skip meals to keep it. He convinced himself he didn't like sweets or that he had a sensitive stomach to most foods.

While the malnutrition didn't affect his height, his bones are rather brittle, making him avoid fights. He also became more susceptible to illnesses and has bouts of insomnia. Additionally, he gets cold easily, choosing to wear clothing that covers most of his body to help him stay warm, even in the summer months. His clothes help hide how thin his frame is, so he's been able to get by without others finding out about his disordered eating.

When he joins the vat7k gang, Hugo doesn't spend as much time sneaking and crawling around since the group comes up with ideas to get through the trials and traps instead of having to rely on physical ability. And because he's not placed in situations where he has to utilize his body, he pays less attention to it. His adventures with the gang keep him busy and too distracted to keep up his restrictive eating. Without realizing it, he stops paying attention to the food he eats and is able to enjoy meals with the group.

On one adventure, the group is stuck in a locked room. Hugo finds a small porthole window he's confident he can go through, but when he attempts to, he gets stuck, causing Yong, Varian, and Nuru to help pull him out. The team is able to get him unstuck, but not without teasing him for his misfortune. Thankfully, the gang is able to get out of their trapped situation a different way. Hugo is not only embarrassed by the ordeal, but spirals back into his restrictions.

How could I have done this to myself? he thinks, checking his body when he's alone. He feels his limbs are less bony and starts worrying about what he'll do after the group finishes their journey for the eternal library. Donella is going to be pissed when she sees me like this. I need my old body back. I'm no good the way i am now.

Hugo refrains from eating, only breaking his fasts with black coffee, broth, and fruit when he feels his blood sugar drop. When the gang eats dinner together, he excuses himself to go to sleep early, his body exhausted from running on little fuel. Yet, his insomnia worsens, and he struggles to sleep throughout the night. Nuru is the first one to catch onto his eating disorder. She finds Hugo doing a body check on his upper arm while gazing into a mirror. When caught, Hugo plays it off.

"When you're as good looking as me, you can't help but enjoy such a good reflection," he jokes.

Nuru pretends not to notice, but keeps an eye on Hugo after. She sees a lot of similarities of Hugo's behavior with the ones her own sister exhibited when she developed an eating disorder under the stress of being a princess and public figure. Once certain that Hugo is purposely starving himself, Nuru talks to Varian about it.

Varian is shocked at this revelation, ashamed he didn't realize it himself sooner. The times he carried or lifted Hugo, he was surprised how light the tall guy was, but the engineer had always changed the subject, saying Varian was just stupidly strong. That night, he goes to Hugo to talk to him, and pales when he catches the blonde changing into sleeping attire. Hugo's arms are dangerously thin and underneath this tank top, Varian can see his collarbones jutting out against his pasty paper thin skin. Hugo quickly covers up, angrily asking Varian what he wants. When Varian explains to him that he knows Hugo has been starving himself, the blonde denies it.

"I'm just not hungry," he argues. "Nuru needs to mind her own business!"

"Nuru cares about you, Hugo," Varian protests, reaching out to hold his hands. "We all do."

Hugo pulls his hands away from Varian, feeling trapped.

"Don't say that," Hugo pleads. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying Hugo."

The alchemists' blue eyes peirce into Hugo's, full of genuine concern. The escape artist feels himself falter, unable to squirm his way out of this confrontation. He doesn't want to believe Varian's words. He can't bring himself to.

"But how?" Hugo asks, looking away. "All I do is annoy you three. And I just cause more problems and piss you off. Some teammate I am. I couldn't do the one thing im good at. A joke is what I am."

Hugo is startled when Varian grabs his shoulders and forces him to look at him, giving him another intense look.

"Do not speak about my friend that way," Varian warns him. "You may be annoying, and rude, and down right irritating at times, but you're not a joke. You're irreplaceable to us Hugo. Irreplaceable to me. And I'm not going to stand by and let anyone treat you less, not even yourself."

At that, Hugo caves, covering his face to hide the tears that escape and roll down his cheeks. Varian holds him close, providing soft words of comfort and kindness, and apologizing to him for not doing anything sooner. While they know it's going to be a long journey for Hugo to heal, he won't be doing it alone.