As Poob pieced the last part of their lamp back together, they felt themself coming back to reality. They always got lost in their head when they had to fix their house. It happened so often and it had become a routine; one that they absolutely despised. It started to become so depressing and repetitive that they began to distract themself by daydreaming as they cleaned. When they daydreamed, though, they didn’t feel real. They felt like everything they did was just themself playing a video game. Everything they saw felt like they were just watching a movie. The ceiling felt too low and the floor felt too far away, and Poob would forget that their fingers wouldn’t phase through every item they touched and would instead interact with the item.
While this time wasn’t very different, there was one thing- Pest was with them. He tended to half of the house while Poob fixed up the other half. He’d finished faster, though, and joined Poob in their room to help them.
“..Poob? Hey?”
Poob had come to the realization that Pest was beside them, talking to them softly.
“Um.. s-sorry. Hi.” Their words were forced and unnatural, and the sound of their voice surprised them.
“Are you okay?”
Oh, so Pest had noticed that far off look in their eyes and the slowness of their movement. The way they moved so oddly and robotically and their lack of emotion, even when they dropped something or clumsily knocked things over. He’d noticed their abnormal amount of silence and how tired they looked. He felt the absence of their normal energy and excitement.
“Um…” Poob took a moment to process the words and form their own. “I don’t.. Uh,” Their thoughts felt so far away and foggy. “I don’t th-think so.”
Pest asked if he could touch them and they said yes. He picked them up and took them to their bed. He treated them as if they were made of porcelain and would break with the smallest mistake, any movement slightly too rough, any wrong word, any noise above a whisper. He was so gentle. So nice. Poob and Pest now sat on the bed together, facing one another. The warmth of Pest’s paws on Poob’s slowly pulled their mind back into their body. It was a slowness similar to that of a scared animal, approaching a human who only intended to offer love and care. Pest waited for them.
When Poob was back, they could feel again. They felt so much. Too much. Their face almost immediately scrunched up and a sob clawed its way out of their throat, a noise that made Pest’s heart wrench. Poob’s eyes burnt and became wet, and fat tears fell down their face. Those tears soon dampened the fabric of the hoodie Pest wore as Poob hugged him. Pest hugged back, gently. So gently.
It lasted a while. Ugly sobs filled the room and Poob shook with each one. Pest’s shoulder was covered in tears and snot and spit. It was disgusting, unattractive, raw emotion, and Pest felt it. He didn’t cry as much or as hard, but he cried. He cried with them. And they cried on each other until, after an eternity, it died down to sniffling and soft breaths and whimpers. Poob was trembling and their throat burnt, but they weren’t sad anymore.
They didn’t know why, but a laugh bubbled up in their throat. Despite the confusion he felt, the emotions still spread like a virus and Pest laughed too. To anyone else, they would’ve looked like they were losing their minds. Pest had the fleeting thought that maybe they were. At least they’d be doing it together.
“I’m- I’m sorry,” Poob took their head off of Pest’s shoulder and wiped their eyes. “I.. you’re.. gonna have to wash that hoodie.” They tittered.
“That’s okay.” Pest smiled at them.
Pest put his paws on either side of Poob’s face and kissed their forehead. His hands were so gentle, unlike those of the robloxians in the elevator who would slap Poob. His lips were warm and soft, so dissimilar to the cold and harsh snowballs Poob would be pelted with in that elevator.
“Do you want to tell me why you were so..” Pest trailed off, unsure of what words to use. Poob understood what he meant.
