Alright, ladies, gents, and everyone in between, Mario Movie x Reader Requests are BACK OPEN!
Da Rulez:
No incest/pedophilia/ANY of that horrible shit.
I can try to do yandere!character x readers, but bear with me as it might look like shit lol
I'm not saying no to smut/NSFW, but I might mess it up because I have no experience in writing that. (And of course I'll be sure to put warnings and stuff so minors can scroll past it.) Also, minors, PLEASE DON'T REQUEST THIS! IT'S NOT MEANT FOR YOU! IF I FIND OUT YOU'RE A MINOR REQUESTING THIS YOU WILL GET BLOCKED! AM I CLEAR?
Unless otherwise specified, the x readers will be gender neutral.
Please be patient with me as I am a human being, not an AI (fuck that shit), so I can't pump out a long ass fic in five seconds flat. That said, please don't spam my ask box with the same request over and over again, or you will get blocked and the ask will get deleted.
Please don't be rude to me or anyone else in the comments or reblogs. We're all here to have fun and self ship with our faves.
Now that that's out of the way, here's who I will write for:
Mario
Luigi
Toad
Peach
Rosalina
Donkey Kong
Fox McCloud (MY MANNNN)
Bowser
Maybeee Spike too? We'll see đ
Alright, that's it! Give meh your requests >:3 (Or don't, I'm not the boss of you)
Babe, doll, hun, baby cakes also various personalized names based on traits or characteristics you have
he is so happy that he has a person to give affectionate nickname too and it shows
His smile is the cutest ever
Insert frog smile meme
If you scratch his scalp he will become a snuggly cuddly pile of goo
He has the clearest and loveliest skin ever
Beauty influencers wish they could have skin as dewy as his
Despite his green complexion
He would thrive with a caring partner
How they show him love doesn't really matter
His partner could be motherly or a feral goblin.
I think he would appreciate a person with a good sense of style
No particular reason i can just see him gravitating towards people like that
In order to have a good relationship with him you will have to develop a level of trust with him
It will take time and you'll prob be friends before yall date
If you ever manipulate or abuse his trust you will never be able to regain that trust back
He would need someone who outwardly expressed they enjoy hanging out with him as well as spending time, it makes him feel better
Banter with him, he will always be putting his two-sense into any situation he finds himself in
So if you make quips or responses he will enjoy it and feel closer to you
If you ever defend him whether from vocal judgements or physical violence against him.
He will feel so loved in those moments. It will be a huge reminder to him how much you care about him, though he will insist you shouldn't do it as it puts you in the crossfire of his issues, and also he can fight his own battles
But he still appreciates it more then he will ever say
Complement his appearance
Bonus points if you cover him in kisses simultaneously too
The brotherhood with unanimously groan at the mention of your name
Todd will take any opportunity to talk about you and the things he admires about you or the little things he notices and will go on long tangents about you
You canât really really blame him though, almost all his thought are of you
You occupy a large part of his subconscious
You will be well acquainted with the entirety of the brotherhood as they are all Todd's friends
They are Todds only friend group
The reason todd doesn't shower often is because much like a frog he absorbs things through his skin and the brotherhood is very poor and the soap they get is not good for anybody but todd is impacted by this ten fold
if you ever offer to bath with him as incentive, you will have to do it every time from then on
He struggles a lot with jealousy, views your relationship as a sort of miracle. So he is constantly scared youâll leave while also thinking you deserve better
Really it doesnât even really come from a place of jealousy
He is waiting for the day you will just stop loving him
He waits for the moment when you'll wrinkle your nose at him in disgust when touching him
Or when you realize you're too good for him and leave
He isnât worried about you cheating on him though, the pedestal heâs placed you on is to high to think so poorly of you
can you pls do todd tolansky x reader but the readers mutation is that they can float so they have to wear like really heavy shoes (im very sorry idk if ur requests are open lmao also im sorry this is a weird ass request and also i did just steal the power things from Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children)
Mutation Mystery
Todd Tolansky x reader
Words: 700
A/N: I wasnât sure if I was going to write this because it was sent when I wasnât taking requests at all, and Iâm still not taking any Toad requests atm but the idea finally came to me
Toad had many curiosities in life. Granted some were more ridiculous than others. Why was the sky blue? Can fish drown? What was that new X-menâs power?Â
That last one he wondered more than he realized. While you had been a recent addition to the X-Men he had yet to figure out your mutation.Â
You didnât seem to really fight or at least not yet being that you were fresh to the team. But he noticed youâd hang out with them a lot. So you had to be a mutant right? But what was it?
Fortunately, the opportunity to ask presented itself when he found you sitting on the bleachers all alone one sunny afternoon.Â
Toad, considering the situation lucky, peered around making sure none of the other X-Men members were around before he jumped up beside you. He was so quick that he caused you to jump a bit at the figure that suddenly appeared beside you.Â
âSo, what are your powers?â
It took you a moment to process what the stranger had asked, âhuh?â
âYour mutation? I seen you hang with those X-wannabeâs, so youâve got to have a power.â
You raised a brow at the boy who was clearly a mutant. He was strange but this should be an interesting conversation.Â
Holding your lunch in your hands you questioned, âwho are you?â
Straightening up, the boy stood tall and raised his hand towards you, âTodd Tolansky, pleased to make your acquaintance.â
You glanced at his outreached hand showing no motion of taking it in yours, âoh youâre the slime-ball they told me to watch out for.â
Toadâs hand unconsciously pulled to his chest as he externally cringed at the brand he had already been given.Â
âDonât listen to those losers, they'reâŠwell losers.â
âUh-huh,â you agreed, sarcasm clear in your tone before turning back to the field. When he didnât seem to move from his spot, you decided to entertain the conversation, âwhat do you think my mutation is?â
Toad growing even more curious, took a step back and held his hands out as if it was a camera scanning you. You turned to him a bit to give him the opportunity to spot any oddities you couldâve possibly had.
âYou look pretty normal to me, but if I had to sayâŠâ his eyes scanned from your legs to your arms then stopped on your face.Â
There was no doubt about it that you were pretty, Toad would even say stunning the more he looked at you, but there was something about your eyes that drew him in.Â
As he continued to stare into your pupils his hands lowered as his expression shifted. âYour eyes. Iâm gonna guess they have some sort of magnetic pull to them to make anyone fall in love with you.â
Your eyes widened, taken aback by his statement, while an unintentional smile started to take over your face at how silly that all sounded to you. âWhy was that your guess?â
âBecause I think itâs working on me.â
It was stupid. So stupid but that line did work in making your heart jump a bit. He was so straightforward, so blunt that it all just caught you off guard. Trying to ease the weird tension that you felt you laughed, a little bit too hard for your liking, before saying, âyouâre funny, I like you.â
And that phrase was all it took for Toad himself to be flabbergasted. His chest was getting warm as a wide toothy grin spread along his face. âYou like meââ His words barely got out before a, âHey!â Caught the attention from you both.Â
Turning around you spotted Kitty waving you over and Toad could feel the moment seeping away from him.Â
âOh sheâs calling me, Iâll see you,â you packed your lunch really quick before standing up, âoh and about my power hereâs a hint,â you lifted up one leg, showing him your thick bright yellow shoes, âit's all in the shoes.â
He watched as you waved with a smile before taking off to join the others.Â
Toad had no idea what your mutation was, but suddenly that was the furthest thing that was on his mind.
Hi, may I request a headcanons of The Brotherhood(Quicksilver, Blob and Toad) whose crush is gn reader? How would they act?
The Brotherhood (X-Men: Evolution) X gender neutral crush
Note(s) : Sorry it took so long, I was struggling to figure out how to write for them (â *â ă»â ïœâ ă»â *â ) I think I got it right though?
Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver
'Hey! Over here, nooo, not there, silly! Here!'
Oh he's so annoying (affectionate)
Pietro's main goal is to make you think about him wherever you are, that means bugging you constantly.
Assuming you're in the same school, he's constantly switching out your homework with blank pieces of paper, drawing messages in your books, speeding over to poke you in class knowing you can't do anything about it, etc.
It only gets worse if you're an X-Man.
During missions if you're against each other he's constantly going after you, it's gotten him in trouble with Mystique more times than he can count because he refuses to acknowledge the main purpose of the mission, instead, he only wants to annoy you.
Sometimes it's just pushing you over then zooming away, other times he constantly taunts you while running so fast you can't catch him or tell where he's going next, whatever it is, he makes sure it's enough of a bother that you start to get frustrated.
If you're in the brotherhood he can at least get missions done but you know he's bothering you the entire time, you basically end up doing all the work.
Is he flirty? Absolutely.
Expect his arm around your shoulders or waist while he talks on and on so fast you can't even catch what he's saying, but when he does slow down he's all 'You're the only one for me.' 'I love your shirt, is it new?' 'Your eyes are so beautiful, I could stare at them for hours.'
Lance and Todd are throwing up in the background.
Wanda wants to punch her brother into a separate dimension.
Fred's just chilling.
Think of him like Lance with Kitty but more focused on teasing you rather than being completely smitten, don't get him wrong, he loves you and he'd probably even make you a sandwich if you asked, but he'll be an asshole about it.
'Oh, come on, that's so much effort! Can't you just do it yourself?' but before you can answer he zooms off to do what you asked of him. 'here, I guess.' he huffs, a grin on his face as he hands you the item you requested.
Frederick J. Dukes / The Blob
'Do I have to stay with them..?'
Fred is under the assumption that it's impossible for you to like him back after what happened with Jean, of course he was pushy and unfair with her, but she also rejected him and all of the X-Men despise him. So, he doesn't exactly have many options when it comes to friendship, let alone dating, besides the Brotherhood.
Then comes you.
Whether you're an X-Man, member of the Brotherhood, Morlock, perhaps just a fellow mutant, or a human, student at school, he'll truly never believe that he has a chance.
While before he was fairly obsessive and pushy with his crushes, with you he's silent and very awkward, even if you're nice to him he expects backlash if he ever confesses.
If you're a member of the brotherhood his awkwardness is slightly less explainable and far more noticeable, you're his teammate, you spend almost all day together, yet he can hardly look at you and loudly complains when he's paired with you or left alone with you. It probably makes you feel like he hates you.
He's very embarrassed if you confront him about it.
Awkward, he stumbles over his words and is breathing a little heavy as he does so, trying his best to explain that he doesn't hate you, he's just. Well. You see.
It's a similar situation if you attend his school, human or mutant, he's very sweet to you and tends to avoid messing with you. Fred usually quiets down when you get near, almost shutting down in a way. The others tease him for it all the time.
He'll most likely try to avoid you, maybe Lance, Pietro and Todd will push him to interact with you just to 'stop him from bugging them about it', they totally just want to help him out, and it ends with him always running away in embarrassment or assuming, if you're quiet or not that reactive, that you hate him.
If you're paired in a school project, Fred will absolutely just skip school, he doesn't care, he skips class regularly anyway, no Pietro, it's not to avoid you, he's just too cool for class.
If you're an X-Man, it's very different.
Fred is under the assumption you both share a mutual hate for each other, you're enemies after all! The tightness in his chest that he's feeling is totally just violent urges, that's it, that's all, it's not the want to hold your hand, hold you, tell jokes and make you laugh, no, no, that's not it at all!
He tends to target you to try and avoid his feelings quicker, he hates hurting you, but throwing you away from him, physically, makes sure he won't get distracted by you.
Fred ends up crying in his room when he goes home because he's afraid he hurt you.
Heck, even the other members of the brotherhood just want him to get with you already. Lance is especially eager because he won't be the only one being made fun of for dating an X-Man.
Eventually it does spill somehow and I'd imagine he would try to run away from you, maybe you catch up or explain to him later on, whichever one, he'll get very happy when you confirm you share feelings for him. He practically fixates on you so hard that you're the only thing he talks about.
Todd Tolansky / Toad
'Hey, how it's goin', beautiful?'
He proceeds to fall down on his face.
Todd is a bit of a creep, constantly following you around and showing off his nonexistent muscles, telling the most unfunny jokes and pulling pranks on people in an attempt to impress you.
He doesn't smell nice, he's been told this his entire life, that he's slimy, disgusting, every insulting name under the sun. As such, he decides to at least try and take a shower more often for you, to make you less likely to avoid him, of course!
Todd has a big grin on his face every time he talks to you, bouncing off his feet like he's just won the lottery. He's also very, very flirty, just not that good at flirting.
His pick up lines are very 'the immediate Google search results for pick up lines.' type of cheesy, very stereotypical and eye rolling.
If you're an X-Man, member of the Brotherhood, human, mutant, etc, it doesn't matter much to him, he treats you the exact same. The only real difference is how much time he spends around you.
In the brotherhood he does try to avoid flirting in front of the guys to avoid embarrassment or teasing, but surprisingly he does ask for a lot of advice regularly. It usually never goes well, Lance and Pietro tend to just give very wrong or confusing tips and Fred doesn't really have any to give in the first place.
If you're an X-Man he tries to impress you by fighting your teammates, usually he loses, but sometimes he does win! He'll pose and ask if he's just the coolest guy or what. Todd doesn't like fighting you but he will, because unfortunately Mystique is absolutely terrifying and he doesn't want to face her wrath.
In school he likes to ask for your help, constantly bugging you about how he just desperately needs your assistance to study for this test coming up, which to be fair he does. But, if you agree to help him, he doesn't actually try. He just flirts with you the entire time.
His crush is obvious, incredibly so, even the most clueless of individuals would know he loves you because he says it directly every single day. He doesn't exactly need to 'confess' per say, all you really need to do is accept his flirting or flirt back, maybe ask him out yourself.
He's been forced to go through life without taste or smell, being used and abused by damn near everyone in his life until he meets his cake. Now he has to go through a healing period and learn to accept 1 that he is loved by his cake, and no they do not just feel forced to be with him by their fated bond and 2 that his cake doesn't hate or resent his mutation and 3 that he can in fact rely on his cake to give him a full and flavorful life
Toad has buried himself in his work and needs someone to make him take care of himself.
Good thing youâre free.
Read on AO3
It had been weeks now, weeks spent hidden away in his workshop, tinkering away for Magneto. Day and night, all hours, trying to get the damned thing to work. But everything Toad tried, every part he replaced, every bolt he tightenedânothing.
Heâd made steady progress at firstâfix the obvious, the cracked, the missing. Get things into place, put them back together. But the tasks left were smaller, and for the life of him, he couldnât figure out which one was making the whole thing fail. Heâd gone over every inch of the damned thing, couldnât tell you the last time heâd eaten, oiled every moving part, hadnât slept in days, checked computer systems for bugsâŠ
He wasnât sure which was falling apart worse, the machine or himself. His muscles ached. His head swam whenever he stood, or sat, or looked at something for too long. He just needed to finish. If he could fix it, get it running againâ
Just a little longer. Itâs so close. Iâll be done soonâŠ
He took a deep breath and picked up a wrench, praying he was right.
You pushed open the workshop door, the hinges groaning. The place was filthyâit usually wasâand a cluttered messâit usually wasnât. Sure, everything was always covered in a layer of oil and grime, but Toad kept things organized, put away. Or at least he had before. Now tools were scattered over benches, tables, the ground. Screws, nuts, bolts, washers, wires, and a dozen other types of little metal things you couldnât name littered the floor, sat in piles in the corners. Scrap metal and broken glass lay piled against the walls. Sure, there was a certain amount of chaos in any workshop, but thisâŠ
This had gotten out of hand.
Metal crashed on the other side of the chaos. Toad stood up, hand clutched to his head, eyes screwed shut. âBloody⊠fuck!â Just what he needed, a damn concussion.
âHey.â
His eyes shot open, struggling to focus. They tried to close again, heavy as cement, but he forced them open. He dropped his hand from his head, glancing at it to check for blood. None, thank god. âWhatâre you doing down here?â
You gave a curt laugh. âGood to see you too. Just checking on you. Making sure you hadnât starved to death or something.â
âIâm fine.â He dropped a misshapen hunk of metal on a cart laden with them. âI just canât figure out what the hell is wrong with this thing. Iâve replaced every damn part. Gonna turn into Theseusâ ship at this rate. I just donât knowââ He kicked the cart away, a few of the parts tumbling down and clattering against the floor. âI just donât know.â He pulled the goggles from his eyes and rubbed at the red marks they left, smearing grease down his cheek.
âYou need to take a break.â
You always spoke to him so softly, he thought. He could curl up in that voice and go to sleep instantly. Warm, sweetâ
He shook his head, thoughts of comfort and sleep vanishing. âNo, no. I need to finish this. It shouldâve been done days ago. I canât justââ
You reached out and took his fidgety hand. âListen. It doesnât need to get done right now.â
He shook his head. âIt does. I need toâtoâŠâ He searched for the words, but his mind was blank. All he could feel was the ache in his back and your warm hand on his.
âYouâre one person. And youâve been working as hard as you can. Too hard, if you ask me.â
Toad opened his mouth to argue, but you cut him off.
âIf Magneto wants it done so damn bad, he can fix it himself.â
âHa.â Toadâs eyes were unfocused, distant. He swayed slightly where he stood. âHe might have an easier time of it than me.â
âMm-hmm. You canât figure out how to fix it because you're exhausted.â
He half-shook his head. âIâm fine.â
âYou're not. When was the last time you ate?â
Toad thought, picking back through his memories for food. He couldnât find a single bite, not for the last day or two anyway. âI donât know.â
You nodded. âI had a feeling that might be the case. I ordered takeout. Want some?â
Yes. Yes, desperately. At the mention of food, his stomach reeled, sharp pains running through him, urging him on toward whatever you had for him. But another part of him dragged him backâthe work, the machine, the endless problems. He waited, watching the two halves of his mind fightâeat or work, eat or work.
âYes, please.â He glanced again at the mess of wires and metal behind him. He was sick of looking at it, hated every inch of it. âIâll have some food.â
You grinned and grabbed his arm. âThank god. I was bracing for having to carry you out of here kicking and screaming.â
He shook his head. âI can eat in here. Better if I do, you know? So I can get back to it when I'm done.â
You tugged his arm and he took a few stumbling steps with you toward the door. âAbsolutely not. You are taking a break. Whether you like it or not.â
There was no fight left in him, outside of a few stray thoughts. Stay, work, this needs toâThey didnât have much sway, not compared to the combined forces of hunger, fatigue, and you. He put what little energy he had left into staying upright as you led him out of the workshop and through the base to your room.
The bag of takeout containers sat on a rickety little table, a mismatched folding chair on either side. As soon as the door opened, he could smell it. His stomach growled. This would be better than any five-star restaurant.
âMake yourself at home.â You smiled and let go of his arm.
He felt himself sway, stumbled the few steps to his chair and sank down. The grease on his clothes felt like it was burning. The dark smudges on his hands stood out, starker and starker the longer he looked at it. All the filth he was covered inâgrease, sweat, general dirtâhe shouldnât be here, he should be in the workshop. He should get up and leave beforeâ
You sat one of the boxes in front of him, and again, his stomach rolled.
âThanks.â
âNo problem.â You smiled and sat down.
Fuck, was he hungry.
Toad tried to keep from seeming too desperate. He forced himself to open the box slowly, carefully, not like a rabid coyote that wanted to shove its face into whatever you had given it and scarf it all down in three bites maximum.
He grabbed his fork and shoved a bite into his mouth. Perfect. Divine. The best food he had ever eaten. He relaxed, shoulders going slack, sinking back into his chair as he lost himself in his meal.
You watched him, chewing your own food as you did. He was slumped over, staring down at nothing with unfocused, half-shut eyes. When he lifted the fork to his mouth, his hand shook, threatening to dump the bite back into the box. He was grimy, from his hair to his hands to his clothes, all streaked and smudged with black.
There was no way in hell you were letting him go back to that workshop tonight.
When you finished your food, you shut the box, stuffing it and your napkins into the bag. âFeel any better?â
He shoved the last bite into his mouth and nodded, glazed-over eyes lifting to meet yours.
âGood. I worry about you.â You took the empty box and stacked it with yours.
The corner of his mouth raised a tiny bit, an attempt at a smile. âIâm alright.â
You shook your head. âYou're not.â
The first thing to go was always taking care of himself. No food, no water, no sleep. It vanished so quick, so easily.
âI know. âS justâŠâ He sighed, weary. âThis needs to get done. If I donât, Magneto willâŠâ He couldnât stand to finish the thought. Magneto had already screamed, thrown things at him, threatened him with being replaced, cast aside, abandoned. He dropped his head.
You crouched in front of him, taking his hands in yours. âListen. He can scream and shout all he wants. But you deserve a break. And if he has a problem with that, heâs gonna have to go through me. Got it?â
Toad swallowed the lump in his throat. âGot it.â
You squeezed his hand. âGood.â You stood, pulling his hands and gaze up with you. âI bet youâll feel better after a shower.â
He frowned and slouched back down. âYeah. Sâpose.â He glared at the bathroom door from the corner of his eye.
âWould you like the idea any better if I joined you?â
He perked up, sitting a little straighter. âMight make it tolerable.â
âI thought it might.â You pulled him up from the chair and led him to the bathroom.
You flipped the lights on and shut the door, then turned to rest your hands on Toadâs shoulders, kneading your fingertips into his muscles. He sighed and slouched into the touch, eyes drifting shut. You smiledâit was so nice to see him like this, calm, at ease.
âLetâs get you cleaned up,â you whispered, hands drifting down to his shirtâs zipper. You tugged it open, then ran your hands back up his chest, pushing the fabric aside.
âMmm.â Toad reached out and rested his hands on your hips, tugging you in closer. His shirt fell to the floor. His eyes drifted shut as he leaned in, lips connecting with yours, soft and slow, melting into you with each movement.
You tangled your hand in his hair, the other staying put on his chest, tracing up and down, up and down.
Toadâs mind stilled; his body relaxed. You were so warm against him, warm and soft. He wanted to fall asleep then and there, tangled up in you, nothing to do, no deadlines, no problems, just warmth and comfort. No shouting. Nothing thrown at him. No threats.
Nothing but you.
You pulled back, and his shoulders sagged. âSorry,â you whispered, giving him one last peck on the cheek. âBut I promise thereâs more where that came from after we get cleaned up.â
âYeah, sure,â he grumbled, looking down to undo his belt.
âOh, donât be like that.â You smiled. âYou know I didnât want to stop, but one of us has to be the responsible one.â
âResponsible one, no fun one.â He made a face, then smiled. ââI think I was about to fall asleep standing up. Ugh.â He shook his head. âI'm just so damn tired.â He put his hands on the counter and hung his head.
You wrapped your arms around his waist and kissed the back of his shoulder. âWeâll make this quick then, alright?â
He nodded. âYeah. Alright.â
You let go of him and tugged your own top off, tossing it to the floor. His eyes followed you in the mirror, wandering over you as you undressed, over your neck, your chest, your legs.
You looked at him the same way, eyes tracing over every inch of him you got to see.
He left the rest of his clothes on the ground and followed you into the shower. You turned the water on, a brief burst of cold followed by soothing warmth.
He flinched back from the water, but you held out your hand and coaxed him over. âCome on. Itâs warm. And the sooner we get cleaned up, the sooner you can go to sleep.â
He nodded and shuffled forward. âI know.â He sighed. âI just donât like âem.â
âI know.â You squeezed his hand. âWeâll make it quick.â
You held his hands under the water, washed away the grime from each finger, each palm, your hands tracing over his.
I really am gonna fall asleep standing up⊠Toad scrunched his eyes shut, then forced them open again, forced them to focus on you, your hands, your face, anything. Just stay awake.
A mist of water splashed onto his face, and he grimaced, recoiled from it however warm and necessary it was. He just couldnât stand showers. Maybe it was how cold the water always was back at the orphanage. Maybe it was how soap had always left his skin itchy, sore, and raw. Maybe it was how vulnerable they left him feeling, naked, alone, unable to see or hear who was sneaking up on him.
Heâd rather be anywhere but here. Â Even though the water was warm now, heâd found soap that didnât burn, there were two locked doors between him and anyone who might attackânot to mention someone on his team to help him if they didâhe just couldnât enjoy it. Too much baggage.
But it was better now than it had been before, no question.
âLean your head back.â You ran your fingers through his hair, the water washing over. Your fingers worked through his hair, suds carrying away the grease and oil, nails scratching at his scalp. He leaned into your hands, eyes closed.
You leaned his head back and rinsed the suds from his hair, then got a small pump of soap to wash his face, gentle hands running along his cheeks and jaw, erasing the smudges. His hand reached out to rest on your hip as you worked, and you couldnât help but smile.
He let you scrub the grease from him, helped to wash away the streaks of oil and dirt from his arms, his legs, his back. You tried to be quick and thorough and gentle at once.
âAll done,â you said once you were satisfied that all the grime was gone. The last of the suds fell to the tile below, and you turned the tap off. âWas it as awful as you expected?â You grinned, reaching out to grab a towel.
âNot as awful as they are when you're not in them, Iâll say that.â He reached around you and grabbed a towel for himself.
You wiped the water from your arms and legs, then wrapped the towel around you, tucking it into place.
You watched Toad for a moment. Slow, lethargic, he wiped his towel up and down over the same small patch of skin. His eyelids lowered, then fluttered open again, and he shook his head. You reached out and took the towel from him. âHere, let me.â
He didnât respond, but his hands went slack and let you take the towel from him. You rubbed the towel on his hair, leaving it ruffled and wild. You ran it over his shoulders and chest and around his back, then wrapped it around his waist.
âAlmost done.â You ran your fingers through his hair, smoothing it down.
He gave one small, curt nod.
You pulled back the curtain and stepped out into your room, looking through the drawers for your pajamas and his. You carried them back to the bathroom and sat the piles on the counter.
You finished drying off, and pulled your pajamas on.
Toad stood by the counter, towel draped around his hips, staring at the clothes youâd gotten him. Slowly, he turned his eyes to the discarded work clothes on the floor.
âI should really goââ
âNo.â
He blinked. âWhat?â
âNo. You shouldnât. Unless the next words out of your mouth were going to be âto bedâ, you are wrong.â You crossed your arms. âYou said it yourselfâyou are falling asleep standing up.â
âBut I'm so damn close.â
âTo what? Dying of exhaustion?â You put your hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. âNo. You need rest. You can barely stand, let alone weld or use power tools.â You sighed. âLook, normally I wouldnât do this. But I am not going to let you leave this room. Itâs not a suggestion. Iâm not asking. You are going to sleep.â
The circles under his eyes seemed to darken.
You took his hand and squeezed it. âMorty, listen to me. You need this. You deserve this. Come to bed.â
He stood still a moment more, the wheels in his mind turning like the wheels on that machine refused to. Then, slowly, he nodded. âYeah. Alright.â
You squeezed his hand. âGood boy.â
He pulled his clothes on and let you guide him to the bed. You laid down and watched him crawl in after, finding his usual spot nestled against you, head on your shoulder, arms wrapped around your waist.
âJust for an hour or two,â he mumbled against you. âI really need to get this finished. I swear, I'm just being dramatic. Iâm really not that tiâ.â He cut himself off with a yawn.
âMm-hmm.â You brushed the hair out of his eyes. âI set an alarm for the morningâdonât worry. But I expect you to be here when it goes off. Got it?â
He huffed, burying his face in your neck. âGot it.â
âGood.â You kissed him on the forehead and closed your eyes. âGood night.â
