if i look back, i am lost
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Robert is a “Where my hug at?” guy with Herm
GOD YES 😭😭😭
he gets suspicious when he doesn't receive his daily hug/kiss. like, herm can just forget to give him his "good luck" kiss before work and the whole time robert will think something is wrong.
after their shift, robert will look at herm with the saddest eyes ever and ask "are you mad at me?"
z-team teaching herm how to flirt before letting him go and actually flirt with robert
And somehow he still somewhat sucks at it.
He tries telling Robert that he has beautiful eyes but it comes out as “Y-You have e-eyes..”
And Robert blinks and he’s a little amused he’s like “yeah I do. Thanks for noticing.” And Herm is red and he just hurries away. Robert is confused but..he finds it..cute?
Another time they’re all at Robert’s home and Herm and Robert are hanging out in the kitchen and Herm thinks of what pick up line to use. He ends up with “D-Do you come h-here often?”
Robert hums and he’s like “Well considering this is where I live I think I’d say yes.” Herm is embarrassed again and he tries to play it off like he was trying to be funny and explain it as a joke but he..stammers and he gives up and goes to hide in the bathroom. Robert just shakes his head fondly and sips his beer.
And another moment is after a job where Robert joined as mecha man Herm is healing Robert’s face up the best he can cause Robert got a little beat up. And Herm wants to tell Robert that he’s pretty. Instead he says “Your f-face is g-good”. Robert takes it as his face is all healed (which it is) and he’s like “cool. Thanks for the help Herm.” And he gets up and leaves.
Prism and Flambae witness him in the breakroom bemoaning on how he’s not good at pick up lines and they both just look so done.
HE'S TRYING OKAY. he's trying his best.
Herm: *had watched Robert kick villain ass* Y-You fight good.
Robert: thanks. Kinda have to be good if you wanna live.
Herm: Y-Yeah! Uh…Yeah! Cool! Living!
Robert: *huffs a laugh* I guess living is pretty cool huh?
——-
Herm: I-I made you s-some brownies!
Herm: I h-hope they’re a-as sweet as y-
Herm: Ye-you-mn..
Herm: Yoda..
Herm: *thinking* WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SAY YODA YOU SHITHEAD??!!
Robert: I mean I guess Yoda is pretty cool. Thanks for the brownies.
Herm: *strained smile* Mmhm. *internally screaming into the void*
———-
Herm: Y-You look n-nice today! D-did you change a-anything?
Robert:*blinks*…
Robert: I mean…not really?
Robert: I didn’t sleep last night and I have a migraine. And I haven’t had coffee. Maybe that’s it? *a little amused*
Herm: O-Oh..uh…y-you look…nice…then..I guess..
Robert: So I should get migraines more often?
Herm *panicked* DONT!
Robert: *winces* ow. Shit. Herm..Migraine. Remember?
Herm: *whisper yelling* S-Sorry!!!!
oh my god 😭😭
and robert just keeps indulging him. he's amused by this man
I headcanon that herm has absolutely horrible eyesight cause his eyes are constantly filling up with water and he can't wear normal glasses cause they slip off so his grandma got him prescription goggles instead of glasses and he can like swim in them without them getting damaged
yesss omg!!!!!
i had a somewhat similar hc about it. like, i truly belive that his goggles are a prescription because he can't see shit. he only takes them off when his eyes feel tired or just... because he wants to. like there's a few scenes without him in his goggles and it would be so funny if he didn't really see anything in these scenes.
z-team teaching herm how to flirt before letting him go and actually flirt with robert
And somehow he still somewhat sucks at it.
He tries telling Robert that he has beautiful eyes but it comes out as “Y-You have e-eyes..”
And Robert blinks and he’s a little amused he’s like “yeah I do. Thanks for noticing.” And Herm is red and he just hurries away. Robert is confused but..he finds it..cute?
Another time they’re all at Robert’s home and Herm and Robert are hanging out in the kitchen and Herm thinks of what pick up line to use. He ends up with “D-Do you come h-here often?”
Robert hums and he’s like “Well considering this is where I live I think I’d say yes.” Herm is embarrassed again and he tries to play it off like he was trying to be funny and explain it as a joke but he..stammers and he gives up and goes to hide in the bathroom. Robert just shakes his head fondly and sips his beer.
And another moment is after a job where Robert joined as mecha man Herm is healing Robert’s face up the best he can cause Robert got a little beat up. And Herm wants to tell Robert that he’s pretty. Instead he says “Your f-face is g-good”. Robert takes it as his face is all healed (which it is) and he’s like “cool. Thanks for the help Herm.” And he gets up and leaves.
Prism and Flambae witness him in the breakroom bemoaning on how he’s not good at pick up lines and they both just look so done.
HE'S TRYING OKAY. he's trying his best.
Even though, Herm hates coffee, I like to think, that he would still love to learn, how to make it just the way Robert's like it. (And he kinda like the smell of coffee beans)
Meanwhile Robert would love to know, what kind of tea Waterboy prefers. He would make sure, that there is always a stash in the breakroom and he would brew a tea for Herm every morning too!
YES!!!!
they have this like, little morning tradition where herm makes robert coffee just like he likes it, and robert makes tea for herm just like he likes it.
also i feel like herm would be such a nerd about different types of tea.
z-team teaching herm how to flirt before letting him go and actually flirt with robert
i feel like herm definitely tried teaching beef some tricks before but beef is kind of... not smart at such things. so he just stared at herm with his big puppy eyes and big happy smile wiggling his tail so. herm gave up.
i like to think that robert becomes a bit greedy when him and herm get together.
like, now he needs a "good luck" kiss every day before his shift. so before herm leaves, robert points to his cheek so herm kisses him.
or, now he has to always cuddle up to herm when they're laying down. of course, if herm needs space he gives it to him, but for other times... he's always there.
i feel like herm absolutely hates coffee. in a way that every time he sees it, he wants to try it out. and he does. and he ends up absolutely hating it. plus his stomach hates it too.
robert gets his morning coffee and herm is there with him, looking at the coffee maker a little thoughtful. so he asks herm if he wants to try his coffee. and he agrees. and he hates it.
and it happens at least once in two weeks. herm thinks it's going to be better this time, but it isn't. and he ends up disappointed every time.
with my hc that animals absolutely love herm, imagine him going to a petting zoo. i feel like the animals wouldn't let him leave
Now I’m imagining Herm surrounded by a gang of llamas and goats and he’s not allowed to leave and no one can get close.
The goats ram into anyone that tries to get close and the llamas spit on anyone in range. And it’s impressive to get llamas to like you cause llamas can be MEAN.
So Herm is just standing there, wide eyed surrounded by llamas and goats.
And a sassy pig.
i feel like he'd feel right at home. do we see the similarities between herm and a goat? or a llama? i mean, just look at them.
I mean I understand the similarities between a llama and Herm. Both are tall. Llamas spit. Herm’s got healing spit. It’s something
Goats…
Uh…
I’ll need some clarification.
i feel like it's more of an appearance similarity. maybe it's just me but... herm sometimes remind me of a goat. goats are generally pretty clumsy and awkward, especially when they're still small, it's similar to a fawn still learning how to walk. but mostly grown goats are just mischievous little things so. maybe it's just me. i love goats.
Oh my god wait though imagine Herm doing stuff like stiffy goat or a fainting goat.
Like he gets startled so he goes entirely stiff and falls over and he stays like that for a few moments until he regains consciousness (I don’t know if the goats actually faint) or the “danger” has passed.
omg yes!!!!!!
imagine him getting sent to his first SERIOUS call and he just faints 😭😭
"i–i gotta u–um... a–a few m–minutes please, a–and i'll b–be good... a–as g–good as n–new..."
with my hc that animals absolutely love herm, imagine him going to a petting zoo. i feel like the animals wouldn't let him leave
Now I’m imagining Herm surrounded by a gang of llamas and goats and he’s not allowed to leave and no one can get close.
The goats ram into anyone that tries to get close and the llamas spit on anyone in range. And it’s impressive to get llamas to like you cause llamas can be MEAN.
So Herm is just standing there, wide eyed surrounded by llamas and goats.
And a sassy pig.
i feel like he'd feel right at home. do we see the similarities between herm and a goat? or a llama? i mean, just look at them.
I mean I understand the similarities between a llama and Herm. Both are tall. Llamas spit. Herm’s got healing spit. It’s something
Goats…
Uh…
I’ll need some clarification.
i feel like it's more of an appearance similarity. maybe it's just me but... herm sometimes remind me of a goat. goats are generally pretty clumsy and awkward, especially when they're still small, it's similar to a fawn still learning how to walk. but mostly grown goats are just mischievous little things so. maybe it's just me. i love goats.
with my hc that animals absolutely love herm, imagine him going to a petting zoo. i feel like the animals wouldn't let him leave
Now I’m imagining Herm surrounded by a gang of llamas and goats and he’s not allowed to leave and no one can get close.
The goats ram into anyone that tries to get close and the llamas spit on anyone in range. And it’s impressive to get llamas to like you cause llamas can be MEAN.
So Herm is just standing there, wide eyed surrounded by llamas and goats.
And a sassy pig.
i feel like he'd feel right at home. do we see the similarities between herm and a goat? or a llama? i mean, just look at them.
Please don’t cry XD
that's kind of on YOU for making me tear up with your beautiful writing and amazing ideas. whenever you reblog my stuff i get excited because i know i'm going to read either something super cute or absolutely devastating
Mtf Watergirl and Rõbert’s the first person she comes out to, I think it’d be cute 🥹❤️
i love mtf watergirl!!!!!!
and like, robert would definitely be the first the comes out to. she trusts him the most and even if she's super scared and nervous about it, she feels like she needs to tell him. and robert is very chill about it, actually. he doesn't mind at all. he loves her no matter what.
he's very supportive of her, he indulges her wity buying more fem clothing, maybe waterproof makeup and everything, more fem accessories... and he calls her the prettier girl he's ever seen. he's very supportive.
This might sound weird but I sometimes find my self relating to Herman and always being wet. Idk why but I’m a naturally very hot and sweaty person ( meds don’t help this lol ), but like if I go out for a 30 min walk and my hair pulled up I come home DRIPPING. Hell I wake up sticky. Idk sorry if this is a lil weird lol. But it is a reality for some of us 😔🤣
no, i get you. my hands can be constantly wet because of my meds and nerves and everything, whenever i go outside, ESPECIALLY in summer, i get so fucking sweaty it's driving me insane. i have to take like a million fucking showers a day if i go out. i hate it so much. being wet is not for the weak and i can't imagine how wb gets to deal with it all the time. i'd get irritated as fuck dude
with my hc that animals absolutely love herm, imagine him going to a petting zoo. i feel like the animals wouldn't let him leave
teen watermech running away together from their families
(herm still lives with his parents and not his granny yet, and in this situation they're abusive, and for robert... we all know how bad his father was)
I have a VERY long thing written with this idea so bear with me. It’s literally been hours.
So they run away. They know it’s…VERY unsafe for them but they just need to be able to hide out for two years. They planned this carefully. They’ve saved up money from allowance, work, etc. they hid things the best they could. They even got burner phones so they couldn’t be tracked (cheap ones but still. They put all their photos on a USB drive to keep them), they’ll work up to getting new ones. They know what they’re doing is dangerous and they could be dragged back but they have a chance so they take it. They pack what they can and hurry off however they can. They can’t leave notes, even if Herm wants to leave one for his granny, and Robert wants to leave one for chase.
They knew the aftermath would be chaotic but they didn’t realize HOW CHAOTIC it would be. Robbie is going scorched Earth trying to find his son, and the fact that his son’s “best friend” is gone too makes him think perhaps they’ve been kidnapped. He’s always been so careful to keep his private life out of the public eye but he thinks someone is watching. News reports and police work hard to try to find Robert because he’s the son of a hero, but they never report who his father is. They constantly announce it on the news for a good while trying to find Robert. Heck Chase is concerned too, joining in on the search. Cause he thinks if they were gonna run away, Robert would tell him SOMETHING. He tells him everything. But he’s just..gone. And the fact Herm is gone to SCARES him. He thinks Robert will be found quickly though if he’s out there because of his injured ear. It’s a HUGE identity mark after all.
As for Herm’s parents they do insist they look for him (mostly to look like “good parents”) on tv but Herm being “missing” isn’t as reported or is a little footnote in Robert’s massive case. Once their “fame” Goes away, they’ll go to “good Riddance” and tell everyone their ”precious boy” is dead. And if Herm is found (which they think he will cause water powers) they’ll just kick him out anyways.
But anyways, Robert and Herm are on the run. Robert wears a beanie or some kind of hat to hide his ear. Herm..can’t do much about his water powers so he just…does his best. They manage to get far enough away and ride a bus out of torrence and LA and they get off somewhere in Nevada. And they keep low the best they can. And Robert and Herm DO get recognized. But..they come up with as sympathetic backstories as they can. Robert shows off his ear, saying his dad shot him as a kid (not..entirely untrue but at the same time not true at all cause it was the suit). Herm shows off how skinny he is and his ribs show a bit (he has high metabolism and he hasn’t been starved but he really doesn’t want to go back). And they say CPS has been called so many times but they just..don’t find anything wrong. So they’re running away.
And most of the time this stuff works. When Robert can tell it’s not, they’re GONE first chance they get. If there’s one think Robert and Herm know how to do, it’s how to go unnoticed.
They do odd jobs for a few years, renting motels that don’t take IDs (when they should) or bunking with people who will let them stay (they sleep in shifts and Robert has a pocket knife if anyone tries anything). Eventually, Robert sends a post card from an obscure tourist attraction to Chase, saying he and Herm are alive and well. They just can’t take it anymore. And that he appreciates everything he’s done. He just..can’t come home. When chase gets that post card he’s relieved yet..upset. He understands he just wishes he knew. Then again..if he knew he could be held as an accomplice so it’s better off he didn’t.
Soon they’re both 18 when they hear the news.
Mecha Man Astral is dead (I guess maybe in this timeline Robbie lived a few years longer than canon but..yeah).
Robert is…stuck. Herm does his best to comfort him and to help him, but Robert feels this..old pull. His..purpose calling to him. Mecha man. His family’s legacy. He..has to take it on, or there will be no mecha man. And mecha man is important to Torrence. He SAVES people in Torrence. Robert reluctantly tells Herm they have to go back. And Herm is shocked. They were making a life out here together. They..we’re ALIVE and WELL together. They’re going back now??
Robert says they’re both legal adults so they cant be dragged back to their families. They won’t get hurt again. But..Robert just..cant shake that feeling of his purpose. He was doing so good out here alone with Herm but..now it’s back and it’s got him full force.
Herm hates that they’re going back but..Robert feels it’s important to continue protecting people as mecha man, so…it’s important to him too. He..admires mecha man. Well, Prime at least, not Astral. Astral can rot for all he cares. And if Robert is the next mecha man..then..it’s okay he guesses. He tells Robert he’ll go with him but only if he promises they do it together. Robert is..shocked. This whole time Herm talks about possibly finishing a GED and going to college and doing things with animals as his new dream. Now he’s going back? Like they made a promise to be heroes together when they were younger but…Robert always thought it was a silly promise.
Robert hesitates but..he doesn’t want to be without Herm. As selfish as all of this is..he doesn’t want Herm alone. And he doesn’t want to be without him. So he agrees. They go back with what money and things they have.
They go report themselves to the police, show that they ARE indeed Robert Robertson and Herman(insert last name here). They explain why they ran away, the abuse they endured and no, they don’t want Herm’s family to contact them EVER again. They just want the case open and shut and NO. They don’t want it to be big news. They want it to be quiet. The police see there’s a special phone number (a hero line that keeps the identities of heroes and their families a secret) that they have to call in case Robert has ever been found.
After some very secret people come in and organize everything, they tell Robert he was in Robbie’s will and so everything will be going to him. They ask if there’s anything that he would like to contact. Robert thinks chase might hate him by now for not telling him anything..so he says no. He doesn’t know about Chase’s aging thing either yet, so…
Robert sells his family home and its furniture, everything, and together he and Herm get a place somewhat smaller with space to have the Mech suit not be so..obvious. And it’s EXPENSIVE to run this suit but they’ll make it work. Robert gets into hero work immediately, as he’s been training since he was a child to be a hero. In his spare time he trains Herm the best he can. Herm has a job wherever he can get it early morning and gets off in the afternoon. And free time he does have he spends with Robert the best he can. It’s stressful..but they make it work.
By the time they’re 20, Waterboy enters the scene and he is clumsy but he DOES help the best he can. The new mecha man, Mecha Man blue and the new hero Waterboy seem to be an interesting dynamic duo. They work hard together and do their absolute best. And do they have to do some embarrassing thing for money? Yeah. They do. They fucking do and they want to die inside. They do adopt a lovely little dog that Robert has named Beef, and Beef is their son. They love and will protect Beef with their lives.
And is Robert going after shroud? Yeah. He still is. He’s not as vengeful but he knows shroud is DANGEROUS and he has to get him off the streets, especially with this Red Ring gang. So when they’re both 32, mecha man blue is blown up and falls from the sky. Herm wasn’t there that day and he feels immense guilt cause he SHOULD have been there. Robert always kept him away from facing shroud himself when he could have helped or put his foot down more. And now his boyfriend is in a coma.
When Robert wakes up, Herm is right there with him. And..he reveals something a little shocking. He tells Robert he started working with SDN. Robert..is shocked. It..was supposed to be them together and..Herm just..left? Herm says that he had to make more money. The suit is ruined, Robert’s got insane medical bills, he HAD to. They were accepting a new hero position, so he did. He hasn’t found a “team” so to speak as he’s being passed around, and in his free time he does after hours janitorial work but..he had to. For THEM. All three of them (cause Beef). And…the astral pulse was lost. Someone stole it.
Robert has never felt so shitty in his life. They could have been living their life far away from this place. Herm could have been in college by now, working his way to be a scientist or something. Robert could have been a mechanic or something. They could have had a small place to stay but be happy.
But..instead he’s doomed them both in a way. He got fucking blown up, the suit is ruined and he doesn’t know when mecha man will come back. Herm is working for a fucking Corporation now doing hero work for people who are assholes. And they now are in an ungodly amount of medical debt. Not to fucking mention the astral pulse is GONE. Whoever has it has an unknown amount of power in their hands.
Sure if..they didn’t come back they wouldn’t have met Beef. And no one would be trying to stop Shroud. And who knows what would have happened without mecha man being there all these years.
But..Robert never wanted to drag Herm down with him. Not..like this. If he wasn’t so fucking selfish they could have been HAPPY. Herm optimistically tells Robert that they’ll figure it out together. They always do.
Robert…doesn’t respond.
Things are tense for a bit. Herm does his best to take care of Robert, but Robert insists he can do things himself and he doesn’t have to keep caring for him all the time. And Herm is..surprised cause Robert’s never been like this. Well…he usually lets Herm take care of him. Herm wonders what went wrong.
One day while Robert’s in their home, Herm texts saying he’s bringing over a few coworkers from work. It’s..hard to explain so..he’s just going to have them come explain themselves too. When Herm comes home he’s brought over an old man and a tall blonde woman. Robert is..confused as to who these people are.
The old man calls him a “little shit” and a “motherfucker” for “worrying him all these years”. Robert promptly asks “Who is this old guy and why is he so pissed off at me?”. Chase is annoyed but he does the Track Star pose and Robert is shocked but he can’t believe it. He’s..overjoyed for just a moment and he hugs his brother/uncle/father figure and Chase laughs and hugs back. Herm explains that Chase recognized him and talked to Blonde Blazer and they insisted that he at least had Robert talk to them about a proposal. It could bring mecha man back.
Robert is shocked and Blonde Blazer tries to be quick and slightly vague as she was in the game, but Herm gives her a look, so she is straightforward. She says she wants him to join as a dispatcher and she has the perfect team for him, since..she can tell he might be a good fit. Plus..her and chase are tired of handling these guys. The Z team, from the Phoenix Program. Robert’s heard whispers of this program but he doesn’t know what it is. When he’s told it’s a group of former villains, he can tell where this is going.
Blazer says his identity will have to be kept as secret as possible since he’s met some of the team before. And..so does his and Herm’s relationship. If they’re gonna act friendly, they have to at least TRY to pretend they don’t know each other. But if he wants there’s an interview tomorrow. Robert pauses for a moment, looking at Herm. And Herm nods, hopeful. Robert sighs and says he’ll be there.
Blazer is happy and asks chase if he’ll be going home. Chase says “fuck no. I gotta catch up with these dipshits.” So Blazer leaves, amused. Chase gets introduced to their son, Beef, and Chase immediately loves Beef. And Robert asks about his age thing. Chase explains it’s his powers that did it. It sped up aging for him. And chase in turn asks a LOT of questions about what the fuck they’ve been doing all these years. They explain all the stuff they did while they were “missing” and why they came back.
Then Chase goes quiet before asks why Robert never contacted him afterwards Robert pauses for a moment before saying he thought Chase would be mad at him after all these years of being gone and suddenly coming back. And the fact he didn’t TELL him he was gonna be doing it. And Chase says yeah, he would be fucking mad at him. At BOTH of them. But he understands why they did it. Just..if they contacted him sooner, he would have been happier. And Robert apologizes, and so does Herm, to which Chase tells Herm to stop apologizing to him cause he’s already done it three times.
The rest of the events of the game play out relatively regularly but with some changes. Visi learns Robert is mecha man through hiding while Blazer conducted the interview and Robert had to change from casual clothes to the dispatcher uniform. She knows Mecha Man and Waterboy were a duo but he doesn’t know how close they are or their history. So she still is interested in Robert.
That whole bathroom scene is even more fucking awkward. Cause Robert and Herm are together but they’re keeping it a secret. After she storms off and things are okay with Herm, they just..look at each other. And now Herm starts being jealous of Visi a bit. He can’t..tell her to “knock it off he’s mine” without causing problems, so he keeps quiet.
Things are..a bit tense between Herm and Robert still. Robert still feels the immense guilt of everything, and Herm thinks Robert is mad at him for all of this. Herm tried to reach out more but..Robert is trying to keep their work stuff professional, and as if they didn’t know each other before hand. It..hurts them both a bit.
When someone gets cut, Herm is chosen (Blazer left the choice up to him though she reaaally shouldn’t have) over Phen cause Robert knows Herm’s skill set and he still didn’t have a team he helped with, so why not? Herm joins and..is seen as a janitor and a disgrace as a hero. The team make fun of him for “being nothing without mecha man). Flambae LOVES picking on Herm cause he has beef with Mecha Man himself. Everyone teases him.
The closet scene goes differently and it’s like, a major romance scene. Robert is looking for Herm to go home and Beef leads him to the closet. Robert sees Herm sadly eating melon (his favorite) and Robert attempts a “closet joke”, but when Herm doesn’t laugh Robert apologizes and sits on a bucket next to him, giving Beef to Herm and asking what’s up.
Herm says he..really sucks. He keeps ruining everything. And Robert blinks and asks what he means by that. Herm asks “Aren’t you mad at me??”. Robert asks in return “Why would I be mad at you?” Herm says it’s because he ruins EVERYTHING.
He could have pushed to go with Robert and helped him with Shroud and not gotten blown up. He could have not joined SDN cause he knows Roberts upset with him about that. He could have been better at his job and actually had a TEAM and not have had to have Robert “throw him a bone”. And when Robert DID give him a chance he absolutely humiliated the both of them and the entire team thinks he sucks.
Robert has been distant lately and he knows now it’s because Herm has fucking ruined everything. He keeps trying to do these choices to make things better.
Robert is shocked and he immediately apologizes and reassures Herm. He says he didn’t mean to make Herm feel this way. He says he didn’t realize he was pulling away so much. He’s just felt so much guilt. He’s felt like he’s dragging Herm down into an abyss with him. Herm asks what he means.
And Robert says it was his idea for them to run away. They didn’t finish highscool because of him. They were planning a HAPPY NORMAL LIFE together away from Torrence and he just..threw those dreams into the dust. Herm didn’t want to go back to Torrence and Robert selfishly had them come back anyways. He was trying to protect Herm from Shroud but in doing so he worried Herm sick. He then got blown up and the astral pulse was stolen. He was in a coma racking up medical debt and the suit was ruined. He felt upset when Herm was just trying to earn money for their family to survive. He didn’t let Herm in cause he felt so guilty so he didn’t let Herm take care of him.
And this whole fucking thing of keeping professional fucking sucks. He doesn’t want to pretend they don’t know each other but..they have to. And it sucks he can’t just..talk to Herm without it being suspicious. He misses being able to interact with him.
So he’s sorry.
Herm tears up more when he realizes Robert isn’t mad. He still LOVES him. And so he pulls Robert in for a passionate kiss. And they make out a little..with Beef still in Herm’s lap. When they pull apart Robert grumbles that he’s so annoyed he just can’t kiss Herm senseless at work without revealing themselves. Herm laughs a little. Beef whines and Robert laughs and apologizes to Beef for him having to see that.
The bar fight happens, then it’s the “after party” to that where they’re all having tacos. When they ask about who Robert is, Herm looks scared. But..Robert looks right at Herm and gives him a sure look. He reveals he’s Mecha Man. And everyone is shocked and then before anyone can say anything else Flambae is PISSED. Not only at Robert but Herm too. Herm KNEW this whole time. Flambae tries to burn Robert but Golem steps in. And then Herm sprays him with water. When Flambae threatens Herm with fire, Herm doesn’t stand down, just showing he’s willing to fight back. So Flambae retreats.
When everyone starts revealing their names, Robert feels..happy. So does Herm. And after all of that Prism turns to waterboy and is like “So you knew this whole time?” And Herm nods. Robert then says they’re in a relationship. They have been since they were teenagers. And it clicks for a few people (Coupé, Punch up, Sonar) that..Robert and Herm were those two “missing” kids from a while back. Robert doesn’t go into detail but says they ran away and..decides to come back. No one realizes that Visi is..shocked.
Robert gets blown up again. He wakes up to chase and Beef and a soggy bed. Robert has his moment with Royd and Chase scolds Robert for doing stupid shit. And then he tells Robert he needs to stop worrying Herm so fucking much. Robert feels guilty about that too. But he’s rested enough, so back to work. When he goes back to dispatching, Herm is shocked he’s out of the hospital already and he’s asking a million questions, stammering and asking why Robert’s out of BED?? Robert reassures him he’s okay.
The house party happens. Robert is having floor time with Beef and Herm, wearing no pants and talking about worries and doubts. Herm talks about some of his own, wearing rubber ducky boxers and a black tank top. Beef farts. That laugh and love on Beef before they start kissing. Aaaaand that’s when Malevola and Visi come in. And Royd! House party!
It goes well, Flambae even joining in after he decks Robert HARD. Herm yelps but he can at least heal Robert this time. And Herm and Robert dance together, not realizing Visi watching them.
Then the stuff with Visi goes down. Herm goes to run to save Visi like a fool but he’s not going to be fast enough. So chase goes. And Robert watches Chase say “Keep up” with horror. But chase is gone. Herm is booking it but he knows he’s not fast enough but he has to try. Then..a glowing blur goes right past him, and he KNOWS that blur. He’s absolutely shocked and he KNOWS who that is and he KNOWS what chase is doing now. He tears up.
The aftermath is difficult.
Chase is in he hospital, Robert gets his dollar from Blazer as he’s by chase (Herm was giving him space) and he goes to the Break Room. He’s struggling but..Herm is there. He..looks hurt but Robert knows it’s not because of him. As they microwave the dollar, Robert asks if he’s okay. Herm say he’s mad. He can’t completely his sentences well, but..he does ask if Robert thinks Chase did the right thing. It’s unclear for him. Robert says he thinks Chase knew what he was doing.
And Robert’s dollar doesn’t go through, and he doesn’t get his Twinkies. What he isn’t expecting is his kind and gentle boyfriend to fucking LAUNCH a chain into the vending machine. Robert’s only seen Herm get this mad only a few times in his life and even then, he’s never been THIS mad. He’s never destroyed anything out of anger. Robert asks if he’s feeling better and..Herm starts crying. Robert pulls him into a hug. Chase is..very important to them both. He was the first one to accept them as they are and support them. He kept their stuff a secret when he could have very easily told Robbie or Herm’s parents. Herm loves chase as one would love a brother in law. So they just hold each other and Herm cries.
Herm at the meeting tells Robert he thinks Visi should go, but..he’ll support whatever Robert decides. Malevola says that Visi could hurt any one of them next. She needs to go. But Robert says they don’t turn on their own. Visi leaves the room and..Robert goes down to find her. She reveals that she was the one who hurt him. He says he forgives her and she’s trying to do better. But..Visi knows she has to go. She doesn’t attempt to kiss Robert. She just hands Robert the astral pulse and smiles sadly. She says that she..didn’t realize that he and Herm were that close at first. And some sick part of her wishes they weren’t but..she’s..glad that Robert has someone who’s got his back.
Robert goes to the bar alone, telling Herm he needs to have some alone time and he’ll be back by a certain time. Herm nods but says to let him know if he needs someone to pick him up, or if he’ll be a little late. They part with a kiss. And..Robert doesn’t come home and there’s no word from him. He’s been kidnapped. Herm tries calling, texting, he’s worrying. When none of it goes out, he contacts the others and Blazer. Robert is missing.
Robert’s been tortured and as he does, he thinks about Herm to keep himself sane. To keep himself strong. Thank god Blazer rescues him. When he’s taken to SDN, Herm is their stressed cause of the shroud attacks and when he sees Robert he is so relieved and he immediately asks what happened and if he’s hurt. Robert says it’s just bruising and cuts but he’ll be okay. Herm attempts to heal Robert the best he can.
It’s absolute chaos and the Z team is spread thin and shroud is on his way. Visi joins in helping and together they come back to SDN to face off against Shroud. It’s a rough fight and they win. Roberts never been more proud of his team. Of HERM.
But then Shroud reveals he has Beef. Robert and Herm are shocked. It’s their SON and he’s being held off the side of the building. So Robert goes up there to bargain. He gives shroud both the pulses for Beef. And uh..yeah that happens. Shroud is pissed and shoots at Robert. Robert can hear Herm’s horrified shout and he’s turning to protect Beef.
But..he’s not dead. He realizes it’s Visi who took the bullet for him. He is so pissed off and he takes down shroud and almost kills him but..he doesn’t.
Visi passes out and it’s over.
Shroud is arrested, Beef is safe and Visi is on a gurney (idk what she’s on) and Robert escorts her out. Everyone is cheering and Herm is even smiling at her. Visi is surprised he is cause she knew how pissed he was at her. But Herm tearfully thanks her. And Visi is embarrassed and she says not to worry about it. She couldn’t have Beef die, and yes, this is sarcasm. Robert agrees with her and Herm huffs. He tells her to get better and..he hopes to see her soon. She’s surprised by that.
Sometime after that..Herm and Robert have a private moment together while they watch the Z team hang out. They’re watching fondly and Robert goes and squeezes Herm’s hand in his. He thanks Herm for always being there for him. And Herm smiles and thanks him all the same. He wouldn’t be living his dream without him. And they kiss and enjoy each other’s company. As they do, Robert muses that they’ve been together for almost 20 years. Herm laughs and his cheeks are red. He says that’s correct. They have. It’s..been a while. And Robert smiles a little and asks if Herm’s ever thought about what’s next for them. Herm is even redder and he shyly averts his eyes and he says maybe he has. Robert pulls Herm closer and he says he wants to marry Herm so bad. Herm squeaks and is bright red. He says he doesn’t know when, but they need to sort some things out first. They need to save up some money too. And uh..definitely get some therapy. He wants it all to be perfect for Herm. And Herm tears up and laughs. He says Robert could propose at a fast food restaurant with a ring pop and he’d be happy. He’s happy as long as he’s with him. Robert laughs too and says Herm deserves better than that.
And Herm smiles, still teary eyed and he says he can’t wait for that day. They kiss again and press their foreheads together.
Then the team berates them for being “gross and sappy”. Herm is scarlet and Robert flips them off, saying “if I want to have a moment with my future fiancé I can and I will fuckers!”
Immediately everyone is like “WHAT??” but Robert is a little shit and won’t answer any questions.
Herm is just hiding his face in his hands.
i'm going to fucking cry right now. this is so perfect i love this so much oh my god
