Tags: @alvie-ashgrove @sophiefrye22 @notajellymadebutler @thomothy @missfeisty199
Warning: punches, little bit blood.
It wasn't even dinner time at the ego inc and already most of the egos' nerves were worked up. Almost every single ego had been insulted by the one and only stiff, Harold B. Darrensworth. A rule-following man like him always found ways to insult any ego that walked in his path and the egos thought that they could get used to it by now, but today they were proven wrong because Harold was on an insult streak today.
Derek was walking down the hall, looking down at his clipboard, reading it over as he walked into the kitchen, finding Bing, some of the Googles, Dark, Wilford, his boys Eric and Randal, and Yan all with dull and annoyed expressions besides Eric who looked at Derek with a small yet worried smile.
Derek looked at each ego, cocking an eyebrow. "Y'all look like the light left your eyes?"
"We're just really annoyed today." Google Blue whispered, clutching the counter tightly.
Derek looked at the android before he sighed realizing what was up. "It's Harold ain't it?"
"Afraid so pally," Wilford answered as he closed his eyes, rubbing his eyelids with his finger and thumbs. "The man has been non-stop with the insults today. Worse than usual. Tried to take my shooty away and when I refused to let him he called me a deranged psychopath."
"H-He said it was unethical for androids to date humans or to date in general." Oliver frowned feeling as his boyfriend Eric pulled him close, holding his hand to comfort him.
"Yeah, and he said we shouldn't have free will. That we aren't people just search engines." Bing grumbled crossing his arms pouting, feeling as Blue pat his shoulder. "Wasn't very cash money of him."
"Normally he knows better than to mutter even a tiny syllable of an insult in my direction but he apparently has a death wish," Dark growled, cracking his neck as he spoke. "'If I had a dollar for every time you have done your job right I'd be broke' I believe were his exact words... Because I was 'letting my employees walk all over me.'" Dark shook his head clenching his fists. "None of you are my employees you're my family... Does he think living in this inc is work 24/7?!"
Derek only scoffed as he rolled his eyes, setting his clipboard onto the table. "He ain’t got the sense God gave a piss ant!" He snapped as he walked over to the cabinet, grabbing a coffee mug. "He needs to stop being a wiseacre."
"That's some bold language coming from you."
Derek groaned, clutching his mug tightly as he turned around to see Harold standing in the doorway holding papers in his hands. The others just rolled their eyes murmuring to each other but Derek just glared at the ego. "I'm not scared to call it as I see it."
"No, but you confuse your ignorance with cleverness." Harold snarked beginning to look through his papers. "Thinking you're witty with your banter and snarky remarks about me?"
"Oh, don't throw stones at a glass house Mr. Darrensworth." Derek shook his head pointing at him. "You've insulted half to people in this inc."
"I was nearly stating truths." Harold shrugged turning to Derek. "We have androids thinking they are alive when really they are just search engines, we have a pink gun-wielding lunatic, and our so-called boss just gives them a slap on the wrist and coddles everyone."
"I ain't gonna let you just sit here and bash my family like that-!"
"You are not going to, Derek." Harold correct. "I know you are too simple-minded to use proper grammar, but if you are gonna lecture me, do it properly."
Derek clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he glared at the smug ego, itching to put his brass knuckles on. But he took a deep breath, turning away from him. "Prick." He growled grabbing the coffee pot, pouring himself a coffee.
"That's what I thought. Leave the wits to a professional, salesman." Harold scoffed.
"Well, I bet he would but I don't see a professional."
Derek looked up to see Ed walk in with a smile on his face, giving Derek a wink, causing him to grin. However, Harold just rolled his eyes.
"Now I heard you're giving everyone a hard time." Ed began as he walked in further standing next to Derek, looking right at Harold. "You wouldn't be mean to your own family now would ya?"
"We are not family, we are colleagues and barely even that," Harold argued crossing his arms as he leaned back. "This place is absolute madness all the time, and no one is doing anything about it!"
"Well, life needs a bit of madness chap," Wilford grumbled crossing his arms.
"Life needs order!... rules! And it's our job to follow them!" Harold snapped. "And we need to do our jobs!"
"And uh what is your job, then." Ed grinned leaning forward. "Is your job to get under people's skin?"
"I make sure that the rules are being followed in this God-forsaken inc! That everything is kept in line."
"Looks like you're doing a hell of a job at it." Ed chuckled shaking his head.
Harold stared at Ed in anger before his features soften, a sly grin forming on his face. "I do my job better than you... And I've obtained my job properly.
Ed's smile wavered slightly before he chuckled. "I can do my job just fine-."
"Can you though?" Harold asked tilting his head. "Have you taken the proper steps into being an orphanage director did you get the... Proper education?"
Ed's smile completely fell as he looked at Harold in confusion. "What are you trying to say?"
"Well, the last time I looked over your file." Harold began pulling out a file reading it over. "You didn't receive a Master's degree in Social work... In fact, you never received a school education, not once in your life."
Ed's blood ran cold his heart rate beginning to rise as he shook his head. "Th-That's not true I-."
"Oh, it's not?!" Harold asked sarcastically, before pointing to the page. "It says it all right here. Here take a look, read it out loud for us." He then shoved the papers into Ed's hands who froze up, staring at Harold with fear.
Derek watched as Ed began to tremble, clutching the papers rather tightly causing him to worry. "Ed?"
"Well go on Mr. Edgar... Read it!" Harold darkly grinned crossing his arms.
Ed slowly looked from Harold to the paper looking at the words. He was hesitant before he began to speak with a shaky voice. "Ed Edgar h-...h-has... N-Not... A...A-."
"Oh that's right I forgot, you can't read." Harold chuckled watching as Ed's breathing hitched in his throat, the paper sliding from his hands as he stared at Harold in fear.
The other egos were left in stunned silence, looking at Ed in shock, who's face heated up with embarrassment, turning red as a tomato.
"Heard you using one of those voice translators for a kids reports. It wasn't hard to put two and two together." Harold began to walk forward prowling toward Ed who backed up. "You know it's illegal to run an orphanage with no degree, hell with no high school education in fact. In fact, I should tell the authorities and have it shut down... Hell, one might say you are unfit to have your foster children."
"N-No! You can't take my kids from me!" Ed said in fear his heart rate only rising his body trembling. "I'm their dad! And the orphanage need me-!"
"Then you should have done it the right way and actually learn how to read." Harold snapped watching as Ed's eyes began to water, filled with hurt in his features. "Out of everyone in this inc, you are by far the most idiotic ego I have ever seen."
Ed began to tremble harder as tears streamed down his face his lower lip quivering, his feelings crushed. Ashamed and embarrassed, he shook his head pushing his hat down over his face as he ran out of the room, sobbing into his hand as he ran.
"No WAIT!" Derek held out an arm for Ed but he was already gone, his heart beginning to ache upon hearing his sobs. "Ed."
"What the hell is wrong with you dude?!" Bing snapped pointing at Harold. "You didn't have to hurt him like that!"
"What I spoke the truth." Harold shrugged looking at Bing. "It's not my fault he got all butt hurt about it."
"This is a new low even for you!" Dark snapped clenching his fists, wanting to strangle him so hard but Wilford held him back.
"The idiot got what he deserved!" Harold snapped.
Derek's slowly clenched his fists his hurt features beginning to be replaced with anger as he began to see red, slowly reaching into his shirt pocket where he kept his brass knuckles.
"He should have kept his mouth shut." Harold snapped about to leave. "Now if you'll excuse me. I'm about to make a call to the station and have them take his-." Harold fell silent when someone grabbed him by the neck beginning to strangle him spinning him around revealing that it was Derek, pure rage sketched in his features as he dragged him by the neck, slamming him into the drywall that cracked by the impact. Before he could utter a word, Derek began to punch Harold in the face over and over.
"Pops!" Eric gasped in fear feeling as Oliver pulled him into a hug, nobody stopping Derek, just watching him throw punches.
Derek punished Harold over and over, his fist and brass knuckles becoming bloody. He growled as he finally stopped punching him looking at him to see a black eye and bloody nose. He grits his teeth as he grabbed him by the shirt getting into his face. "You listen and you listen good! If you ever so much as look at my darling with the slightest disdain in your eyes, if you threaten to take his job and his kids away... If you EVER bring up his insecurities ever again, it's gonna take a power washer to clean you off the walls when I'm done with you... do you understand me?... DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" He watched as he frantically nods his head in fear causing him to let go watching him crumble to the ground. He then let out a sigh looking down the hall, before storming out, in search of Ed.
The others watched as he left before turning to Harold who got onto his hands and knees, before looking up, and glaring at the others. "Thanks for the help!"
"It was our pleasure." Dark darkly grinned, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Now clean this damn floor up and see Dr. Iplier hopefully Mr. Derekson knocked some sense into you." With that Dark left the kitchen, the other egos following close behind, except for Eric who paused in front of Harold who looked up at him. The timid ego only frowned as he reached into his pocket pulling out a cloth and handing it to Harold, who blinked in confusion before taking the cloth. "I-I w-wish you w-wouldn't insult everyone the w-way that y-you do... We are f-family after all-."
"No, we are not," Harold growled using the cloth to clean his face. "I don't need anyone in this house."
Eric frowned fiddling with his fingers. "W-Well... That m-must be real lonely then." He whispered.
Harold's features soften watching as the timid ego followed the others out of the kitchen, leaving him all alone to think of his words.
Derek finally made it to his and Ed's room, able to hear him on the other side sobbing, causing him to sigh as he slowly opened the door sticking his head in, his heart breaking upon what he saw.
Ed was on the bed laying on his side, hugging his pillow and crying into it, his body curling in as he squeezed tightly.
Derek frowned as he slowly walked in walking over to the bed unable to see Ed's face from hiding in the pillow. He then slowly rested his hand on Ed's shoulder causing him to jump pulling his head up with a gasp looking at Derek with red puffy eyes. "Shsh its okay love. It's just me."
Ed sighed looking up at Derek as more tests formed in his eyes, his lower lip quivering. "I... I-I'm-."
"It's okay," Derek whispered as he got into the bed pulling Ed close who was stiff as a board but trembling in his grasp. "If you need to let it out, you can."
Ed at that moment collapsed into Derek's chest, clutching his shirt tightly as he sobbed. "I-I've never b-been so embarrassed." He whimpered squinting his eyes shut.
"I know... I know." Derek whispered combing his hand through his hair.
"H-He c-can't take the orphanage away f-from m-me." He sobbed. "He c-can't take my babies... They n-need me... I c-can't l-lose them I-I..I-."
"It's all gonna be okay," Derek reassured him, rocking him in his arms. "No one's gonna take your job and no one's gonna take your kids. Not while I'm here, okay?"
"I-I'm so stupid... I-I should have tried harder... Should have made my mother take me to school... I c-can barely spell my own n-name-."
"Don't talk like that Ed," Derek whispered giving him a tight squeeze. "You are one of the smartest people I know. Harold's just a dumb ass that wanted to get under your skin. But you're safe now." He whispered, looking at his bloody knuckles. "I made sure of it."
Ed whimpered as he hugged Derek close. "You're o-one of the best things that ever happened to m-me." He sobbed clutching Derek tightly.
"The door swings both ways, Ed," Derek whispered, kissing his forehead listening to him whimper. "Now just calm down, I got you... I got you."
After a while, Ed had cried himself to sleep and was still laying on Derek, snoring peacefully as he snuggled his head into Derek's chest, who was running his hand through his hair, a small grin on his face, relieved he was able to fall asleep peacefully. Tomorrow was gonna be a new day, hopefully, a day where Harold is held up in the infirmary, but he knew if he tried anything to hurt the love of his life again, he was gonna be there to defend him.
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