#this was a fun one <3 we've not got enough rendoc in the world.....................

[sparxwrites]

Hello, I'm Nyde from Kofi :D my fic prompt/ request is for RenDoc & "trust". Thank you!!

want a lil fic like this one? you can get one here!

“Easy now,” says Doc. The casual tone of his voice is given lie by how tense his flesh-and-blood shoulder is, by the creases at the corner of his eyes. To anyone else, he might look relaxed, but Ren knows him better. “That is delicate, in that bit. If you make those wires touch, we will be in an even worse situation than we are now.”

Given Doc currently has a fully non-functional arm that’s sending feedback loops of pain up into his neck and down his spine every several hundred ticks or so, that’s a pretty big claim. Hard to see how the situation could get any worse than that, in Ren’s opinion.

Nevertheless he looks up, briefly, from his task. “Don’t worry, dude,” he says, and grins until he sees Doc’s shoulder drop, a little. “I’m being careful. These big ol’ paws of mine can do that, sometimes, you know.”

He says it as though he is not currently shitting a brick. Or several bricks, as the case may be. This is Doc’s arm, under his fingers. Doc’s arm. His arm, that he hardly lets anyone touch even with the casing on. And Ren’s here with exposed wires and circuitry and motors at his fingertips, like it’s nothing.

It’s a gratifying display of trust, but, also– aforementioned shitting of bricks. Just a little.

“What happens if the wires touch?” he asks, to try and distract himself. He’s fine. He’s got this! Doc’s given him clear instructions, he knows exactly what he’s doing. All he has to do is do as he’s told, and not fuck it up. Easy. Easy.

“Oh, well, you know,” says Doc, with a grim sort of lopsided smile. He’s holding his mechanical arm very, very still, Ren suddenly notices. “The whole thing short-circuits, and it electrocutes me, and then–” He makes a noise like an explosion, gestures like an explosion, next to the metal plate side of his head. “Very messy, I would imagine.”

My head explodes, Ren’s brain translates, helpfully, and provides him a mental image of exactly what that might look like. Of exactly what he might accidentally do, if he’s not very, very careful.

For all his many virtues, Ren is not, per se, known for his carefulness or hand-eye coordination.

He recoils, with a yelp, his hands leaving Doc’s arm entirely on reflex. “Dude!” he cries, horrified. “What the hell! Why would you– what do you– I– you– what? Why would you let me do, you know, fancy redstone stuff on something that might kill you! I’m– I’m not even a redstoner, dude, I– why– …why me?”

The stress at the corners of Doc’s eyes softens, all at once. Which is ironic, because Ren’s own stress has just skyrocketed. He thinks his heart might be about to beat its way free of his chest out of sheer, abject terror.

“I trust you,” Doc  says, simply. Like it’s the easiest, most obvious thing in the world. “You’re my best friend, man. If I’m not gonna let you do this, then– who?”

“Tango?” suggests Ren, a little helplessly. “Mumbo? Hell– Xisuma? Cub? Literally anyone on this server that’s better at machines and redstone and stuff than– than me.”

“Well, none of those people are my best friend, now, are they?” Doc shrugs his flesh shoulder, keeps the other one very carefully still. “So why would I choose them, over you? Hmm?”

Ren feels his cheeks heat up, flushed pink against his will.

“Love you too, dude,” he mumbles, and then realises that’s not what Doc said at all, and then decides. Fuck it. It can stand. If you can’t tell a homie you love him whilst elbow – slight exaggeration – deep in his forearm, then when can you? Never, that’s when.

When he looks up, Doc’s grinning at him, something exasperated and fond and– something else Ren isn’t going to put a name to, not right now, in his eyes.

“Right,” he says, to stop himself thinking too hard about that. If he’s not careful, he’ll blush all the way down to his chest, and if that happens then Doc will never let him forget. “Okay, dude. Well. If you’re sure…” He swallows, hard, and sets his hands back on Doc’s arm. “Right. Remind me what I’m supposed to be doing?”“With pleasure,” says Doc, easily, and – unbelievably – sounds like he truly means it.