A/N This story was inspired by the 2D Bendy and Ink Henry AUs created by shinyzanzo and themarginalartist. You can find their work on tumblr.
Disclaimer: Bendy and the Ink Machine belongs to The Kindly Beast. I only own my OCs
Ben could feel the warmth from the fireplace seeping into his body. He sighed and laid his massive head down on his forearm. The beast was so relaxed, he thought he might melt into a puddle of ink on June's floor. Speaking of June-
"Where are the girls?" June asked. Both parents looked around the room as they just noticed the absence of their children.
"I dunno." Jason shrugged and looked around. They both realized that Shadow was missing too. "Maybe they went upstairs."
A grunt from Ben got their attention. The beast shifted slightly under the blanket. A large hand emerged from under the thick cover. He lifted the edge, revealing the small child tucked between his neck and shoulder. Part of the blanket near his side began to move. Jason knelt down, lifted up the edge, and was met by a familiar grinning face. Once he got over his shock, he saw Beth curled up against the ink cat. Both girls were sound asleep.
"Oh, my goodness." June chuckled. She carefully lifted Sarah from her cozy spot against Ben's neck. The little girl sleepily protested but settled down as her mother carried her towards the steps.
Beth was dead to the world. Jason gently pulled her from Shadow's side and into his arms. The ink cat purred softly and watched the sleeping girl being carried to her room. Ben nudged Shadow, letting them know it was alright to go with the group. The large feline hesitated for a moment, then headed up the stairs.
Ben grumbled deeply. As much as he enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace, he was tired of laying on his belly. He needed to go to his own room. Maybe he could open another portal to get there instead of trying to squeeze down the narrow hallway. He knew it would be a tight fit with his wide shoulders.
With his mind made up, Ben stood, and tried to shake off the large blanket covering his body. He was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness. He swayed from side to side before falling flat on his stomach. Feeling like a bowl of jelly and too weak to stand, he started to panic. It felt like some invisible force was weighing him down.
Before Ben could vocalize his distress, something weird happened. His arms and legs felt lighter. A splashing sound filled his nonexistent ears as thick ink slough off his limbs. He was shedding excess ink from his body and it pooled around him. The demon could feel his body reforming from under the blanket. He winced at the pops and cracks his body made as it reshaped itself. In the end, he absorbed the excess ink around him, causing him to feel solid again.
The dizzy feeling began to subside and Ben was able to sit up. He took a deep breath and shrugged the blanket off his shoulders. He stared down at his hands as he slowly collected his thoughts. They were no longer large and claw like. One hand was gloved and the other, human like. He was back to his old self again but he wasn't sure how.
"Ben?" June's voice startled him. He hadn't heard her come down the stairs. "Are you okay?"
"I think ssso.". Ben hesitated for a moment. He ran his hands up and down his arms, then he touched his face. Everything seemed to be normal. He opened his mouth and ran his fingers across his teeth. They felt blocky as always until something sharp pricked his finger.
"What is that?" June reached out and touched his face. She stuck her thumbs in the corners of his mouth and tugged gently. There were four teeth that were longer than the others and had developed sharp points. Two on the top and two on the bottom. Not only that, but she could also see something black wiggling around inside his mouth.
"You have a tongue?!" Ben just blinked at her. He thought that was a silly question. Of course he had a tongue! Doesn't everyone?
"And you have canines too!" He wasn't sure what she was talking about.
"These weren't here before, right?" Ben's widow's peak furrowed. He didn't know what she was talking about.
June looked up at him in surprise. She seemed to find all of this interesting. She discovers something new about him every day.
Ben was slightly taken aback. June yanked at the corners of his mouth and tilted his head back to get a better look at his teeth. There was no fear or apprehension on her part, just trust. Trust that he wouldn't bite down on her slim fingers. A warmth blossomed in his chest at the thought that she didn't fear him as much as she used to.
June's own curiosity made her forget who she was dealing with. She watched as the tip of his thick, black tongue darted out and slid across his teeth. Her green eyes glittered with a fascination that Ben had seen in her children when they learned something new. It would have made him laugh if she wasn't stretching out the corners of his mouth.
After a moment of this intense scrutiny, he growled at her. June quickly pulled her fingers out of his mouth and apologized. Ben mumbled something and massaged his sore jaw. She had a good grip for someone with such small hands.
"You have teeth like these," June smiled and pointed to the four teeth near the front that were slightly pointed than the others. "Only sharper."
Ben stood up and headed for the mirror near the coat rack. He opened his mouth and studied his new, sharp teeth. The demon squinted at his own reflection. He did not like these new teeth. They made him look even more demonic.
Ben closed his eyes tightly and concentrated. He tried to will the canines away. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes. He scowled at his own reflection. Nothing had changed. The sharp teeth were still there.
"They won't go away.", Ben hissed. June touched his arm and he looked down at her sorrowfully. "The children will be afraid of me."
"No, they won't. They care about you." June placed her hands on his cheeks. She looked him square in the eyes. "No matter what."
Ben's gaze slid to the side. It was one of a few times he had a hard time meeting her gaze. He really hoped she was right about this. He did not know what he would do if he frightened them again.
"Everything's going to be okay!" June tried to reassure him. The demon huffed before stifling a yawn. His eyes drooped and he slumped forward. He was suddenly very exhausted. Ben had never felt this tired before.
"You should head to bed." June patted his arm gently. "We can talk about this in the morning." Ben agreed and shuffled off to his room. He collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. His last thoughts were that he hoped this nightmare was over.
-The Next Day-
Ben was relieved that the children weren't put off by his new teeth. They seemed just as fascinated by them as June was. Sarah told him he needed his own toothbrush so he could take care of his teeth. When he refused, the quiet girl was uncharacteristically stern and warned that if he didn't, his teeth would fall out! Ben found that both amusing and frightening at the same time. Was that something humans had to worry about? He began to understand why June made the girls brush their teeth every day.
Jason found out about this new development from June. The next day, he gave Ben his very own toothbrush. The children were so excited. They wanted to show him how to properly brush his teeth. June grabbed her camera and took pictures as all three piled into the upstairs bathroom and the children gave the demon lessons on good dental hygiene.
Ben found himself staring at his own reflection in the bathroom mirror. He rarely got a good look at himself. Most of the mirrors in Joey Drew's Studio were either broken or too cloudy to see through. A lot of them were smashed by the denizens of the studio themselves. After the ink changed them, they could barely look at what they became.
He leaned over the sink, pressing his gloved hand against the smooth surface. A faint scowl pulled at the corners of his mouth. He wasn't a cute little toon like Bendy. He wasn't even human. He was a monster and people feared him. Nothing he does will ever change that…
Ben flinched when he felt a light tap on his forearm. Sarah held out a small tube and asked to see his toothbrush. He handed her the brush and watched as she ran the bristles under some water, then squeezed some paste over it. When she was done, she handed it back to him. He sniffed it. The paste had a curious scent. Ben let a little bit of it touch the tip of his black tongue. The cool, minty taste shocked him. It wasn't bad. It just surprised him. He wanted another taste but Beth stopped him.
"Don't eat the toothpaste! You'll get a tummy ache." Beth tugged at his arm. She looked up at him then glanced back at June in the mirror. The little girl laughed nervously at the knowing look she received from her mother.
Ben eyed the toothpaste with suspicion. If he could not eat it, why was he using it on his teeth. June told him that the paste contained chalk. It was alright to use it to clean his teeth, but don't swallow it. He thought that sounded silly, but he did as he was told.
Beth and Sarah stood on either side of him as they leaned against the sink. They stuck their toothbrushes in their mouth and began to clean their teeth. He watched their reflection in the mirror and tried to emulate their movements. He widened his smile to brush the upper and lower teeth. He scrubbed the back teeth and opened his mouth to clean his tongue. That part made the girls giggle because he made a funny face.
After they made sure their mouth was clean, the children cupped some running water into their hand. They sipped it, swished it around in their mouth, then spit it out in the sink. Ben was surprised they were allowed to do that. June told him it was alright and that he needed to rinse his mouth out too.
The demon stared at the running water for a moment, then he placed his gloved hand under the faucet. He collected the cool water into his hand, brought it up to his mouth, and took a sip. He winced slightly as the cool water and mint caused his mouth to grow cold. Swishing the mixture in his mouth caused him to shiver. He quickly spat it out and grimaced at the brownish foam that formed in the sink. They all watched it wash down the drain.
"Oh wow!", Sarah gasped. "You need to brush your teeth more."
A loud snort from June caused Ben to glare at her over his shoulder. She shrugged but her green eyes glittered with amusement. He couldn't hold the glare as a smile tugged at his mouth. It was kind of funny.
Ben knew his teeth would never be as white as theirs. He was made of ink after all. The fact that they cared caused that feeling of warmth in his chest to return. Ben also liked the minty flavor that lingered on his tongue. He'll probably brush his teeth more often.
After the group was done, Beth and Sarah placed their toothbrushes in a cup that sat on the sink. They turned to Ben expectantly. He stared down at them somewhat confused. He wasn't sure what they wanted from him. Beth rolled her eyes and told the demon to place his toothbrush in the cup as well.
Ben seemed unsure as he looked from the children to June. Hesitating, he turned the toothbrush in his hand until Sarah tapped his arm. She told him there was plenty of room in the cup. The demon slowly nodded and put his toothbrush in the cup with the others. Something about this small act felt right. He just wasn't sure why.
June stood back and watched her girls interact with the demon. It made her so happy that they try to include him in their daily activities. She had plenty of pictures to put in the family album and she was so proud of all of them. She couldn't wait to tell Henry.
Things seemed peaceful around the Anderson home. Unfortunately for Ben, Beth figured out how to push his buttons and things went downhill from there. She knew how to annoy him to the point where he would lose his temper and turn into his beast form. Afterwards, Ben would sulk in whatever room he was stuck in at the time.
He hated that his temper seemed shorter than usual, but his bad mood did not last long with two little girls hanging off his large fingers like a jungle gym. June thought he should talk to Bendy about it. Of course, Ben scoffed and told her he didn't need the other demon's help. He could figure it out on his own. It could not be that hard if the little ink spot figured it out. She was skeptical of this, but couldn't force him to seek help. She just hoped that he could get this new ability under control.
June and Jason started to get worried. Ben's outbursts were getting worse. And while they were sure he wouldn't hurt anyone, they needed to do something about it. June spent a week cleaning up broken glasses and dishes because Ben's sudden increase in size caused him to bump into tables and cabinets. It was getting to the point where if he didn't do something soon, she would take matters into her own hands.
That Saturday morning, June was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee. All of a sudden, Beth came running down the hall with something tucked in her arms. Shadow was hot on her heels. The little girl looked like the cat that caught the canary and June didn't like it.
"Beth." June's tone caused her daughter to freeze in place. She took another sip of her coffee before setting the cup down and pinning the girl with a tired glare. It was too early in the morning for this.
"What are you doing?", June asked.
"Nothin'!" Beth's eyes darted down the hall she just came from. She swayed on her heels nervously. Shadow paced behind her anxiously. Their horns pinned back and head hung low.
"Nothing huh?" June raised an eyebrow at that. Her eyes zeroed in on the object in the little girl's arms. "What is that?"
As Beth opened her mouth to answer, a deafening roar shook the walls. A few figurines fell off a nearby shelf. Beth tried to cover her ears and dropped the object she was holding in her arms. It was the Boris plushy Ben kept on his dresser. She scrambled to pick it up, but it was too late.
"Bethany-Ann!", June yelled. The little girl flinched at the use of her full name. She knew she was in big trouble. Even Shadow sat up straighter.
"Give me the toy.", June demanded. She held out her hand and waited.
Beth stared at her feet for a few moments before picking up and handing over the Boris plushy. She tried to make an excuse but her mom was having none of it.
"Go to your room." June pointed towards the stairs. "We're gonna talk after I return this."
"But mama!" Beth whined and stomped her foot. From the way Shadow's head snapped back, clearly that was the wrong course of action. If the narrowing of June's eyes was any indication, she was in even more trouble.
"Upstairs. NOW!" June glared sternly and dared her to say something else. She would not tolerate any back talk. Beth mumbled about the unfairness of life and marched up the stairs.
Shadow gurgled and approached June cautiously. They pawed at the stuffed animal in her arms as though they were trying to take it from her. June tightened her grip on the Boris plushy. The ink cat sat on their haunches and whined softly.
June sighed and pat them on the head. She told them that she would return the plush. She also needed to talk to Ben. This has gone on long enough. Shadow understood. They curled up on the living room floor and waited. If June needed help, they would be at her side within moments.
A deep growl and loud thump alerted June to the task at hand. She needed to have a word with a certain demon. She took a deep breath and made her way to Ben's room. The grumbles and shuffling got louder as she got closer to his room. By the time she reached the doorway, she covered her mouth to muffle her laughter.
Ben's large body was pressed against his dresser, bed, and the ceiling. He was hunched over and gingerly picking up the fallen plushies. He growled softly and examined the Bendy toy for any damage. He turned his body slightly and put the plushy back on the dresser. June cleared her throat and the beast's massive head turned in her direction.
"Here." June held Boris out to him. Ben grumbled his thanks and took it from her gently. "I'll talk to Beth about taking things that don't belong to her."
Ben stared at her for a moment before shrugging his massive shoulders. He placed Boris back on the dresser with the others. The beast hummed deeply. He should be upset at Beth for making him lose his temper like this. It may only be a game to her, but having no control of his form really bothered him. In the end, he is angrier with himself for his lack of control.
A light touch at his back caused him to growl but stopped when he remembered who it was. June was staring at him tiredly. He lowered his head and grumbled an unintelligible apology. She reached out and rested her hand on the side of his face.
"You need to talk to Bendy." June was not surprised when the beast shook his head vigorously. Ben roared and slammed his fist onto the floor. The windows rattled and the plushies fell to the floor again along with a little blue truck that rolled off the dresser.
June's breath caught in her throat. This was her chance to grab the toy truck, but Ben got to it first. It was amazing how he could be so ferocious one moment and gentle the next. He carefully picked all the toys and placed them back on the dresser. He poked at them with his large fingers until they were just right. She thought it was odd that he placed the little wooden truck among his things. It was almost like he knew the toy belonged in this room. If only he knew. That thought caused her to shudder. She decided to leave it alone, for now. June waited for Ben to finish fussing with the plushies to get his attention again.
"I can see you're having a hard time. It couldn't hurt to get some advice from Bendy. From what Henry told me, he went through the same thing when they escaped the studio."
The beast growled. He could do this on his own. He wasn't weak. He didn't need the little ink spots help!
June sighed and patted him on the head. Ben tilted his head against her small hand. She smiled sadly, knowing she was asking a lot of him. After telling him to think about it, June headed for the girls' room. Shadow followed her silently.
She found Beth sitting on her bed. Sarah sat next to her and Cloudy was curled up in Beth's lap. June was glad they were both here so she could talk to them at the same time.
June took the chair that was near their desk and sat across from the children. She had a long discussion with both girls about respecting people's property. She also told Beth to stop bothering Ben. She may be having fun, but he wasn't and that's not fair to him.
"You wouldn't want someone to do this to you, right?", June asked.
"Yeah..." Beth rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. She knew her mom was right. She was just trying to have a little fun, plus she loved the fact that Ben could change his form. She didn't realize it bothered him so much. Sarah also promised not to upset him anymore.
Satisfied that she got through to the children, she left them to play in their room. Shadow waited outside of their room patiently. She told them it was alright to join the girls and they happily trotted inside. June mused that the ink cat was always looking after the kids. She was tempted to call them a nanny cat.
With the children playing quietly in their room and Shadow keeping an eye on them, June was in the living room, lightly dozing on the couch. She was startled when the cushions suddenly dipped under someone's weight. Ben emerged from his room and sat down on the couch without her hearing him.
Sitting was too generous a word. He sagged into the cushions. Ben looked exhausted. He kept groaning and running his gloved hand down his face. She rarely seen him this tired.
"Fine. I'll do it." Ben grumbled.
"Oh? Do what?" June chuckled softly. He rolled his pie cut eyes. The violet glow flickered for a second before its warm glow landed on her.
"I'll talk to Bendy." He grimaced. It looked like it physically hurt for him to say that.
"Good. When you're ready, I'll give Henry a call to let him know you're coming." June noticed disappointment in his eyes. She knew how badly he wanted to solve this problem himself and it really irked him that he could not figure it out on his own.
"You know, asking for help doesn't mean you failed. It just means you're wise enough to know you need help. Bendy has a lot of experience in this. I'm sure you'll both figure this out."
Ben hurumphed, but couldn't argue with her. She had a point. Bendy had struggled with his monstrous form while fighting side by side with Henry. He supposed it couldn't hurt to talk to the little ink spot. Besides, what did he have to lose?
-The Next Day-
The first thing June did was call Henry. Lucky for her, it was the weekend and he was home. She explained the situation to him. Hopefully Bendy could help.
"So, that's what's been going on the past 2 weeks.", said June.
"I see." Henry's voice didn't betray whatever he was feeling at the time. That worried her. She did not like it when he was being guarded.
"Do you think Bendy can help him?"
He glanced over at the little toon who sat at the kitchen table with a thoughtful expression on his face. Henry remembered how Bendy would lose control and attack him if he stayed in his other forms for too long. He didn't want June to go through the same thing. The toon must have picked up on his feelings because he winced before agreeing to meet with Ben.
"I'm willing ta give it a try if he is." Bendy mused. Truthfully, he'd never thought the lanky demon would ever need his help. It seemed almost surreal.
"Yeah, Bendy wants to help. Ben can come over when he's ready." Henry could hear the relief in her voice as she thanked him. As soon as they hung up the phone, he got ready for their special guest.
Henry waited anxiously for 2 hours before the ink demon teleported into his living room. Seeing ink bleed through his walls really put him on edge. It was hard to ignore instincts that kept him alive in the studio. When the ink crawled across the walls, you either ran or got ready to defend yourself. Now he was actually inviting the source of those anxieties into his home.
Ben stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. He didn't think he'd step foot inside the former animator's home so soon. Henry stared at him coolly, but Bendy regarded him cautiously. Good. At least the little ink spot still had some sense of self preservation. He wasn't there to hurt anyone, but a little dose of fear guaranteed him some respect.
"Ben." Henry's voice cut through his thoughts. Ben watched the man warily as he approached him. He expected to be berated for losing control and putting the children in danger. He was sure June told Henry about that part. What he wasn't expecting was to be greeted warmly.
"I'm glad you came to us for help. I told you before, my door is always open to you."
That took the wind out of Ben's sails. He was geared up for a fight, but clearly, Henry really wanted to help. This caused his shoulders to sag slightly and the knot in his stomach to loosen up. He thought the old animator was just being kind back at the studio because June was there. Looks like he really meant what he said.
"Let's have a seat." Ben and Bendy sat on the couch while Henry settled on the armchair. He watched Ben fidget for a few moments. It was strange witnessing the fearsome ink demon twiddling his thumbs. He always seemed so confident when he walked the halls of the studio. That's when he realized that Ben might be younger than he thought. In fact, the two demons should be the same "age". That was a sobering thought.
"I know what June told me," Henry said. Ben's widow's peak furrowed with worry. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off.
"But I want to hear it from you." Henry wanted to get Ben talking. The demon was so guarded around him. It made it hard to help him. He needed to gain Ben's trust or they won't get anywhere.
Ben took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. It took him a moment to get his thoughts together. He wasn't used to talking to Henry like this since he spent most of his time chasing him down in the Studio. Ultimately, he told him what happened. He told him about Shadow pushing him into a snow bank and how he got so angry that he felt like he would explode. The next thing he knew his body felt heavy and he was towering over everyone more than usual.
"I rarely get ssso angry that I lose control of myssself." Ben's eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a tight, thin line when Bendy was about to say something snarky. "Not when it comesss to June and the girlsss." He stared down at his mismatched hands and lamented, "I've never transformed like that before…"
"Ben?" Henry could see how much these new changes distressed him. He was genuinely disturbed by what was happening to him. It made him oddly relatable. "Whatever this is, we'll help you through it." The demon stared at him incredulously for a moment before turning away with a huff.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Bendy interrupted, waving his hands wildly. "Let me get this straight. Are you telling me, you let a little girl get under your skin?"
"No!" Ben growled. The little toon began to laugh as a grey blush dusted his cheeks.
"The big, bad ink demon can't handle an 8-year-old girl!" Bendy cackled mischievously. Ben balled his fists as they began to shake. His glare grew more heated as the soft violet glow in his eyes narrowed down to mere pinpricks.
"The scary ink demon can't take a little teasin'?" The little toon continued to laugh and gave the lanky demon a cheeky grin.
"Ssstop laughing at me!" Ben hissed and ground his teeth together. That's when Henry noticed the demon's sharp fangs. This shocked him because he was sure they weren't there before.
"Bendy, that's enough.", Henry warned. He needed to de-escalate the situation before things got out of hand. The demon was growing more aggravated by the second. He was ready to step in between them if Ben chose to retaliate.
Bendy waved dismissively, ignoring Henry's audible warning and the tugging at their bond. "I'm not surprised. He always had a bad temper." Bendy snickered. What happened next, no one was prepared for.
Ben lunged for Bendy. As the little toon scrambled to get out of the way, the demon's arm and hand began to stretch. Henry rushed to Bendy's side only to get pinned to the opposite wall by a giant, gloveless hand. The little toon squeaked as he was grabbed and lifted off the ground. Soon he was staring up at a large, wedged shaped head and a row of sharp yellow teeth. The beast's cold breath wafted over Bendy as he growled lowly.
Even though Ben had Henry pinned against the wall, he wasn't holding the old animator tightly. Bendy was in a similar situation. No matter how much the toon squirmed, he couldn't wiggle out of the beast's grip. Ben's new form took up a lot of space in the modest sized living room and somehow in the confusion, the couch was pushed a few feet away.
"Oh wow, you weren't kiddin' about your temper being kinda short." Bendy chuckled nervously. He was beginning to understand how Henry felt when he took on his monstrous form and held the poor man in his large hand. He never realized how intimidating this could be.
"I'm sorry." Bendy could feel the beast's grip shake before loosening a bit. "I shouldn't have made fun of ya. I didn't realize how serious it was."
Ben tilted his head slightly and grew silent. Even without visible eyes, his stare felt calculating. Bendy squirmed under his scrutiny. The beast growled and turned his massive head in Henry's direction. One look from the old animator made the beast horns droop. He whined softly as he released Henry and lowered the toon to the floor.
The beast tried to back away, but ended up knocking over a floor lamp. There was a loud crash as the bulb inside the lamp shattered. Ben groaned, curled up on the floor, and covered his head with his hands. The demon shuddered as he waited the harsh words he knew Henry would have for him.
"Hey, hey, it's alright!" Henry reached out and touched the beast shoulder, causing Ben to flinch. It pained him to see the proud demon like this. So afraid of being punished, he curled up on his living room floor. Even Bendy rushed to the other demon's side as he tried to calm him down.
"Don't worry about the lamp. It was an accident." Henry kept his voice calm and leveled. Ben lowered his hands and looked up at him. The corners of his toothy maw tilted downward and his grumbles sounded questioning.
Henry laid his hand on Ben's massive head and gave him a reassuring smile. He wasn't angry and he wasn't going to turn him away. He let Ben know that he was glad he came to them for help. The beast's shoulders slumped and he visibly relaxed.
"Wow." Bendy examined Ben's new form. He was amazed at how different his beastly form was from the little toon's monstrous one. He had a large wedge-shaped head full of sharp teeth. His arms were long and muscular ending in huge clawed hands. His chest was so broad, it looked stretched out. Bendy frowned as he got a better look at Ben's legs, or lack there of. One leg looked strong enough for him to stand on while the other was nothing but a stump at ended above the knee.
"Huh. I guess you got this from me." Bendy concluded. Ben and Henry gave him identical confused looks. It was quite eerie considering the beast form had no visible eyes. After a moment of silence, Henry asked for an explanation.
"Well, remember when we…lost our hearts?" Ben hummed and nodded.
"When our hearts were returned, I managed to pull myself together, but Ben…" Bendy's voice was tinged with sadness. Ben huffed and lowered his head. Henry did not miss the subtle shake of his body. He knew how Bendy felt about the situation because they talked about it when they got home. He didn't think of how it effected Ben. Other than his breakdown in front of June, they thought he was fine. Looks like he was wrong.
"I didn't want to lose him so I gave him part of myself." Bendy explained that he shared his experiences of life outside of the studio with Ben. "I helped him pull himself together and gave him what he always wanted; he gained the ability to become a toon!"
Henry remembered that. Ben was so desperate to be accepted by June and himself, he tried to change who he really was. They refused to let him do that to himself. He would not be happy if they could not accept him for who he was. Changing himself to fit in didn't feel right and he was glad they helped him see that..
"It looks like you gained another form as well." Bendy rubbed at his chin in thought. "I remember this form from the studio when you got really angry at aunt June. You kinda exploded at her.", the toon chuckled.
The beast hummed. The details on what happened that day was still a little fuzzy. He remembered getting angry, but not what he said or did. His mind went blank for a moment and the next thing he knew, June was cowering beneath his large hand. He began to panic. He didn't remember if he attacked her. It took both Henry and June to reassure him that no one got hurt. Well, that wasn't entirely true. June's hand. Deep down he knew he was responsible for that.
"I thought it was just a one time thing." Bendy began to fidget when Ben leaned in close and growled at him. "I guess not."
The beast huffed and laid down on his stomach. The fact that he had this nonsense to worry about made his horns droop. Bendy patted him on the shoulder and told him everything was going to be okay.
"Don't worry. I can show you how to control it!", Bendy chirped. His confident smile made Ben grumble. He doubt the little ink spot could help him.
"Hey, don't give me that look!" the little toon snapped. "I've practiced a lot in the studio." Bendy puffed out his chest in pride. "I'm practically an expert. Right, Henry?"
"He's right." Henry knelt down and placed his hand on Ben's head. "Bendy knows what he's talking about."
"The first time I changed, I was really angry. Just like you." Bendy admitted. Ben's horns perked up and he tilted his head. The little toon piqued his curiosity.
"In the studio, Henry was always being attacked. He was fighting for his life and I was stuck on my page. There was nothing I could do to help!" Bendy rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand.
"During a surprise attack by a bunch of Searchers, he dropped my page in a pool of ink. The Searchers were dragging him down. They were going to kill him!" Bendy shut his eyes tight as he tried to block the image of Henry nearly dying out of his mind. A soft tap on his head startled him. Ben gently flicked Bendy's horns with his large fingers, breaking him out of the bad memory. The little toon smiled gratefully. Bendy continued with his story. He told Ben how he was so desperate to help Henry, he reached out to him through the page.
"The next thing I knew, I was punching Searchers and pulling Henry out of the ink!" Bendy regaled his counterpart with stories of battles involving the Searchers and Ben himself.
Henry sat down on his arm chair and watched the two demons talk to each other. Even though Ben had no visible eyes, Bendy had his full attention. Sometimes his grumbles sounded suspiciously like laughter when he found certain parts of the little toon's story amusing. It was truly a surreal experience and he wasn't sure how he felt about all of this.
Bendy was telling Ben about the first time he transformed into his monstrous form a few months after they escaped Joey Drew Studios. He was playing with a group of neighborhood children. One of them climbed a tree, but lost their balance and started to fall. He was halfway across the field and knew he wouldn't make it in time, but he had to try.
"I-I just knew if I didn't catch him, he'd get hurt!" Bendy chuckled and shrugged. "The Next thing I knew, I was holding him in my much larger hands. I changed! Something I didn't think I could do outside of the studio."
The beast listen quietly as Bendy expressed his fears of the children seeing him like that. Much to the toon's surprise, they were awed by his new form. They crowded around him and bombarded him with questions. They were still his friends even if he was a big monster at the time.
It was at that moment, Ben realized, that Beth and Sarah were the same as Bendy's friends. After they got over their initial shock, they were awestruck by his new form. They ran from him, but only because he was chasing them. They weren't afraid to throw snowballs at him. Even June got in on the fun. They accepted this bigger, scarier, and frankly clumsy body. For that fact alone, he needed the little ink spot's help to master this new form.
Bendy looked a little nervous when he started to tell him about the time the girls saw him in his other forms. He thought it odd and was expecting an explanation when a wave of dizziness hit him. He ended up flat on his belly with Henry and Bendy hovering over him. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he caught the worried tones in their voices.
Henry watched as Ben's entire body shook and chunks of thick ink fell from his body. The old animator and little toon took a few steps back as a large puddle began to form under his body. As the ink slough off the demon's body, they could see his true form taking shape underneath. The ink demon heaved deep, labored breaths as the puddle of ink was reabsorbed into his body. Soon the familiar form of the ink demon was left laying on the living room floor.
"Oh gosh, are you okay?" Bendy rushed to Ben's side. The other demon pushed himself up into a sitting position. He took more deep breaths and took a few minutes to get his shaking under control.
"Yeah…" Ben groaned and rubbed at his eyes. "I'm fffine…"
Bendy tried to help him, but Ben gently pushed his hand away. He slowly got his legs under him and struggled to get to his feet. He swayed and would have fallen over if not for Henry grabbing his arm. The old animator was surprisingly strong as he let the lanky demon lean on him.
"It's okay. I gotcha. Let's get you over to the easy chair." Ben was too exhausted to fight Henry as he led him over to his armchair. That was fine considering he pushed the couch across the room. The demon slumped down in the chair.
"Ben, what's wrong?" Bendy was buzzing around the chair with worry.
"I'm…tired." Ben sighed. He reached out and placed his gloved hand on Bendy's head to keep him still. The hyper toon was making him dizzy.
"Oh." Bendy seemed at a loss for words until a spark of understanding lit his pie cut eyes. "Same thing happened to me the first few times I left my page and transformed. It always took a lot out of me."
"Really?" Ben's eyelids were drooping. He could barely keep them open. Weariness crept through his body.
"Yup! I was so tired; I'd pass out on my page." Ben was actually surprised by this. "Didn't you notice, after every fight, Henry and I would have to find a place to rest?"
"I thought you were just licking your woundsss." Ben chuckled softly. The humor didn't quite reach his violet eyes. He remembered every fight he lost to them. At the time, he didn't care how hurt they were. Now, the guilt gnawed at his inky heart.
"It was a little of both.", Henry quipped. The room grew silent after that. Unspoken emotions made the air feel heavy. At that moment, Ben no longer felt welcomed in the old animator's home.
"I ssshould go." Ben tried to get to his feet, but a warm hand on his shoulder stopped him. Henry gently pushed him back into the chair.
"You're too tired to go anywhere." Henry eyed the demon knowingly. "Get some rest, then you can head home. Last thing we need is for you to get lost on your way back to June's. She would kill me."
Ben chuckled and Bendy giggled behind his gloved hands. And just like that, the stifling atmosphere was gone. Even Henry had to laugh at that. They all knew good and well that June would do it too.
The demon hated to admit it, but Henry was right. He could not open a stable portal let alone make it back to June's home. Besides, this chair was very comfortable. The lanky demon let his body sink into the cushions. He just needed a few minutes, then he could go home.
Henry watched as Ben drifted off to sleep. Bendy grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet to cover the demon. It was always odd to see him sleeping. In the studio, he chased them so relentlessly, he thought the ink demon didn't need to rest. Looks like he was wrong.
As Bendy tucked Ben in, Henry was surprised by how attentive the little toon was. He didn't think Bendy would go out of his way to help the one that tormented them for so long. It seemed like something happened during their last brush with death. They've appeared to have come to an unique understanding. Something that neither he nor June may never fully comprehend.
When he was done, Bendy helped Henry put the couch back in the middle of the living room. The broken bulb in the floor lamp was replaced with a new one. They tidied up a bit. After they were done, they sat down at the kitchen table. The house was quiet save for Ben's light snoring. They both took this moment to process what happened this day.
"So,", Henry broke the silence. "Should I be worried?"
Bendy stroked his chin and gave the question some real thought. After a moment, he shook his head. The little toon smiled and pointed towards the living room.
"Nah, he's fine. I don't think he'll hurt anyone. At least, not on purpose." Henry saw a flash of guilt in the little toon's eyes before it was replaced by his usual cheerfulness.
"Other than his temper causing him to change, he's still himself. He won't lose control like me." Bendy winced when he vaguely remembered attacking Henry after being in his monstrous form for too long. It didn't help that he could feel his friend's worry through their bond.
"He came to us for help and I'm going to give it to him! I'll teach him how to control the transformation. Everything is going to be okay; you'll see!" Bendy's eyes were full of determination and Henry believed him.
Once he put his mind to it, the little toon would see this through to the end. He wanted to give Ben everything he needed to succeed. Henry was proud of him and would be there to help any way he could. He just hoped Ben was ready for this.