For a second, Starline truly felt relieved when he heard that they weren’t dating, but as soon was that statement was replaced with marriage he… didn’t take it well. In a blink of an eye, he felt completely stunned, dizzy even, as he saw the wedding ring that the echidna was showing him. It… It couldn’t be, they couldn’t be married!! That sudden new information made his entire world to SHATTER into a billion pieces as he covered his beak with his right hand, not doing a good job in hiding the terror in his face.
Oh, now he did knew why the other had asked that question…
And he was starting to regret asking his.
With an upset stomach because of the nervousness, a wave of nausea hit the platypus, who did everything on his will to keep it all down and not succumb into one of the tortuous disadvantages of being overly emotional. The most emotional one was, the more prone one was to being victim of symptoms caused by the mind… and Starline was pretty emotional, but for his dignity, he had to keep his composure.
In such an internal fight, he had completely stopped paying attention, being oh so tempted to flee… to go away… as he was being overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings that he didn’t comprehend, fact that utterly TERRIFIED him, but he stayed instead,not finding himself being able to get out of his thoughts until the words ‘Does he know?’ echoed in his brain.
❝I don’t—❞ As usual, the platypus was interrupted before he could say anything else with that invasion to his personal space, making him to take a step back despite the height difference between them. Maybe Finitevus could be smaller, but they had completely managed to put Starline in a complicated situation, throwing him off with this topic that he never in his life imagined that would affect him so much.
That was what he didn’t get. If he was so sure about what he felt towards Eggman, then why was he so anxious with all of this? It didn’t make sense! And even if there was a menacing and sharp finger on his chest with a harm threat, he KNEW that his heart wasn’t beating without control because of it.
❝…❞ For once in his life, he was speechless, struggling to process this.Usually, he was the one interrogating and manipulating others at his will, but now with the inverted roles his eloquence had disappeared in a magical act. He was totally lost. ❝I…❞ He made a pause to clear his throat. ❝I completely comprehend why you’re making such assumptions of me and the doctor, seeing that you, my inter-dimensional counterpart, are… married… to him❞ His stomach dropped again at the mention of THAT word, each letter leaving a bitter taste on his mouth and creating a rather painful pressure on his chest… he knew that the Eggman they were talking about wasn’t his Eggman,and yet he felt… betrayed? Hurt even, with a knot on his throat that made it difficult for him to talk as he fought his tears back.
Why was he feeling like that? Why did that bother him that much!?
Regaining his strength he finally could continue talking, finishing the phrase he had started. ❝But… it would be a lie if I told you I ever considered thinking of him in that way… so, I doubt he knows about something that I didn’t even consider❞ And it was true, it never occurred to him to think of Eggman like something else than his boss. Sure, he had fantasized about being by his side when he ruled the world, and now that he was his assistant and practically right-hand man he couldn’t even imagine his life without him anymore, but nothing else.
❝Now, about Dr. Eggman…❞ he trailed off as he organized his thoughts, making sure to be able to express himself by his own words, not influenced by the conversation they were having. Though… there wasn’t too much difference. ❝I could write you an entire book about him❞ He half joked, feeling abit more comfortable now that they were going to talk about the man he knew so well, but still… that little ITCH of the jealously kept bothering him on the back of his mind.
❝He’s completely… magnificent. I’ve heard a lot of legends about him,but he’s even better face to face; his plans are so visionary and evil, the wayto execute them is elegant and effective! And not to mention how charismatic heis~❞ With every praise, Starline seemed to be more enthusiastic about it, until thatlast sentence that made him to sigh, action that he didn’t realize he did. ❝Just recently, he put in action the plan of the Metal Virus, it was soextraordinary to see! I’m so honored to have been there to witness all of hisglory❞ just at the memory of that, he couldn’t help but bit his lower lip,feeling a chill go through his entire body and fluffing his fur a little as hedrew a satisfied and delighted expression on his face.
… In that instant, it waswhen something finally clicked on Starline’s mind, putting it all together. Theway he spoke about him, the amount of effort he put on everything he did forhim, the happiness he felt whenever he got to be around him… the way hisheartbeat grew a bit faster whenever he received compliments or when Eggman establishedany kind of physical contact…
It was way too obvious now…
… He… was in lovewith Dr. Eggman.
At the sudden realization, Starline stopped talking completely, shutting his bill andreplacing his previous expression with one of complete shock. How… how couldhe be in love with his boss!? When did that happen!? And if Finitevus noticed it before he did… did that mean that possibly Eggman knew it as well!? The panic began to arise in the platypus, which brought his hands to his head,gripping his fur.
❝No! It– it can’t be!!❞ He exclaimed, turning his back towards the echidna as he walked away, starting to go on circles around his little room. ❝How could I be so blind!?How THIS could happen!?❞ No, NO! It couldn’t betrue! It was completely impossible!! And not to mention that he was sure that Eggman would NEVER be interested in someone like him!
❝This… this is your fault!❞ He quickly walked again towards his other self, pointing at them as he let his emotions to be the ones guiding his action for a couple of seconds before finally snapping out of it,running that same hand through his hair now.
❝No… It’s not yours, it’s mine… this surely has been going for awhile without me noticing it… until now❞ this was a complete mess… What was he going to do now!? When it wasn’t obvious he didn’t have problems, but now that he was aware of his feelings it was going to be even more difficult not to let it show. The thoughts on his mind began to quickly run on it once more, making him over think about this whole situation. But hehad to keep calm… he… he was brilliant too, he could manage this.
❝And all because I felt… jealous… at your marriage with his otherself❞ He muttered to himself, sitting down on his bed as he covered his face with both hands. All of this was hitting him too hard, he was overwhelmed and he couldn’t handle all of it. He was so convinced that it all was just admiration… but OH was a pretty lie he was living on.
Starline seemed surprised--- no, he harbored something more twisted, something that dug down deep-- Starline seemed absolutely nauseated to the idea he was married to Ivo. It coaxed a smile out of Finitevus, who couldn’t be more delighted. The important fact here that Finitevus only spoke of his Ivo, someone that Starline hadn’t met before, but it was clear that even the mere idea was enough to get such a strong reaction out of him. Finitevus truly meant when he said his counterpart was an emotional one. Those expressions! It was almost as if he could guess the thoughts that, were no doubt, currently flooding his skull via facial expressions. Chaos, he was just begging to be poked and prodded. Only a few choice words to rattle him to his very core.
Oh yes, he was going to keep a close eye on Starline for a loong long time.
Finitevus was satisfied to allow Starline to stutter and stammer his way through his own line of questions, pleased enough to watch him squirm under his stare ( & his own invasive thoughts ) for any sort of explanation. A mild frown as he veers off into denial once more. Close but not close enough. “No? Not at all?” he clicks his tongue. “Now don’t lie to me. I thought we had an agreement.” This was fine. Poor platypus wasn’t thinking clearly. Pesky emotions were clouding his better judgement, derailing trains of thought. Ohhh, he was so close to seeing the truth! He just needed one final push ——
—— which Starline was happy to oblige himself. Considering how frazzled Finitevus drove him, he was ( pleasantly ) surprised that Starline decided to answer his question about Eggman at all. He almost laughed. Even in his current state of mind his counterpart manages to gush about Eggman all the same. Almost sickly sweet, Finitveus mused. Puppy love.
Though amid the praises, he managed to divulge something that was more useful, something that he’d have to put a pin in for later. Metal Virus--?? Something new... Ivo liked keeping tabs on other counterparts and the status of their plans.
AND JUST LIKE THAT--
-- it clicked. he got it.
Witnessing an epiphany to this magnitude surely, truly, had made this trip to this zone worth it. Starline connected the dots. All it took was a little break from the hustle and bustle of the Empire to chat about his feelings.
“My--?” amusement was all that read on Finitevus’ face when he was suddenly accused. Interesting defense mechanisms. At least he still had the right of mind to immediately retract his outburst. He watched his counterpart pace around the room, failing to contain a laugh to Starline’s comment. “Oh surely it has. No one is this bad for Eggman overnight.”
Poor thing. He decides to join Starline on the bed, offering no physical reassurance.*
( * reassuring gestures were not is forte, they only came across as disingenuous, which to be fair, they often were. fun if done in a mocking manner but this wasn’t what Starline needed in this moment. )
"Think of it this way, Starline,” he steeples his fingers. “It’s entirely possible I've given your doctor too much credit. Perhaps he's just —” pauses. “ — naïve to your obvious infatuation. After all, what I have to compare is the doctor I’m married to. I have not met your doctor, ergo, I do not know what he’s like up close and personal. The Ivo I know was quick to pick up on what I was putting down, intentional or not, and soon made advances of his own. He’s efficient like that... Charming in his own unique way.” a more genuine smile graces his face as he says this — momentarily distracted from memories of their first date. It soon fades as quickly as it came.
“—— What I’m saying is that maybe he doesn’t know. Don’t you think he’d pull you aside to talk about it? Unless he’s cowardly. Or even worse, dense.” The thought was absurd, but still possible. Capable of building fleets upon fleets of robotic armies yet couldn’t pick up on a doting admirer to save his life.
“We may be freshly met acquaintances and I may have pinned your more intimate feelings with just a few questions, but you need to keep in mind that we are essentially the same person. I recognized those looks because I’ve felt them. I put two-and-two together with the hindsight I have. Your doctor doesn’t have that hindsight, but now you do.”
“Why not act on this?” he leans back to idly look up at the ceiling. “You and I share a unique solidarity, which is why I’m offering what I know. Butter him up. Confess to him. He’d be an idiot to refuse someone like you. And if he rejects you, I’ll kill him myself.” gives him a side glance, thin smile. “Oh, that was another joke.”
