👁️‍🗨️; "May the new vessel lead us to the light"

"Fang," Boboiboy pauses. His mouth had moved faster than his mind, he does not know how to ask, but he's already opened his dumb mouth so now he has to see this through to the end. He can't take it back nor does he want to. 'Are you alright' feels stupid, but he cannot think of anything else to say so he settles for it. "You've been quiet," Boboiboy says, voice barely above a whisper, the word 'quiet' barely covers Fang's odd, twitchy behaviour throughout the day, but it sounds better than 'weird' and he's not here to pick a fight, not here not now, "are you..okay? Dinner not sitting right with you or something?"

And Boboiboy knows that's not it, he's not stupid, and the cat's been out of the bag for a long time now, but family's a touchy subject, and Fang's fuse has been stretched thin already between the stress of the day's events and their impending return to Earth, so he extends the olive branch, an easy out, as a peace offering, and hopes Fang trusts him enough to reach for the hand holding the stick instead.

And Boboiboy is sitting precariously balanced on the edge of Fang's bed in his own pyjamas, feet socked, cap off, while Fang is already under his covers, an arm thrown over his eyes, and Boboiboy gets to watch from up close how Fang's mouth opens and closes repeatedly yet not a single thing comes out beyond a broken exhale, how his hand curls into a tight, white-knuckled fist, nails digging into the meat of his palm, and Boboiboy has to resist the urge to grab it and gently peel the fingers back because that must hurt.

"I'm fine," Fang replies, eventually. "Just tired." Then, arm shifting to let just one eye peek through, it locks almost lazily with Boboiboy's own gaze. And, inappropriately, Boboiboy is struck by how beautifully sharp Fang's uniquely alien red eyes are. Of course, the moment is quickly shattered. "Saving them was dumb of you."

Boboiboy sighs. At least Fang feels good enough to argue.

"Eggbot had been secured. All that was extra—it turned out alright, didn't it?"

Fang scoffs weakly, eye fluttering back closed. "This time," he agrees. "Next time.."

Boboiboy waits. He's not good at it, but he tries. He wants more out of Fang, he wants Fang to confide in him, they've grown much closer than where they first started, but he knows better than to force it. So, he waits.

Until the faint goodnights a couple rooms over ring out, until the ships' automatic systems has swapped over into the dimmer, warmer lighting for the night, until he thinks Fang himself has actually fallen asleep.

But.

"Are you planning on sleeping here?" Fang's voice is slurred with on-the-verge-of-sleep sluggishness. "Goodnight, Bobo," he exhales, with finality. Then, almost kindly, softly, like an afterthought much deliberated on, "..Sleep, tomorrow's a big day for you."

Boboiboy closes his eyes. He should, yes.

"Goodnight, Pang."

He checks his watch, finally, once the door has closed behind him. Eleven. He's surprised Fang allowed him to stay that long.

Before he goes back to his room, he makes one stop. There's something he has to do.

There's nothing quite like coming home.

Earth's blue rises above the dashboard, and Boboiboy—most everyone, really—finds he cannot look away. A planet of blue and green and brown and white, and somewhere in there, Tok Aba is waiting, eyes probably anxiously searching the sky. At home, the rice cooker is probably going off, there's cocoa in the tin, soup on the stove, and dishes set out on rattan placemats on the table. Boboiboy is practically vibrating in his seat.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Fang with his arms crossed and chin to his chest, his unruly bangs flopping forward, hiding his bowed head.

He almost looks away. Nothing he could say would help, but...

Shuffling closer until he is an arm's length away from Fang, Boboiboy leans against wall of machinery. He doesn't say a word, pretending he is absorbed looking out the window, pretending the cold metal of the console controls isn't digging sharply into his hipbone. He just stays there near Fang, vaguely existing, which is the best way he has to describe it. He would never admit to what he is doing, but he hopes Fang knows what he means by it. He has them. He isn't alone.

Papa Zola had, in his enthusiasm, taken over piloting from Fang. The ship descends roughly. Boboiboy nearly trips. He catches himself on the back of Fang's seat. Fang's hand comes up to squeeze Boboiboy's fingers which are hooked over the top of the seat.

Boboiboy, very carefully, tries not to explode.

"Are you holding your breath?"

"..."

Fang snorts. Boboiboy takes it as a win.

Still, Fang only lets go once they've fully landed and the ship stalled.

Boboiboy is the first one out, to no one's surprise. He runs into Tok Aba's outstretched arms. Nobody notices the question whispered into his ears, or the answering smile.

Around them, is chaos. The best kind.

Eventually, one by one, they leave, until the three of them are all who's left.

And, the sun is setting when Boboiboy turns back, heart in his throat, to find Fang sitting on the lowered ramp, face tilted to face the sky. As he expected.

"Fang," he calls out, "are you coming?"

"No," Fang shakes his head, "...Eggabot needs guarding."

Ochobot cuts in. "The ship has state of the art security." Boboiboy nods, agreeing. "Nothing's going to happen to it here, Earth is pretty safe."

Boboiboy exchanges a glance with his grandfather.

"Well," Tok Aba says, as he busies himself with cleaning, stacking plates and cups, "if you're not planning on coming home with us, whatever am I going to do with all the carrot soup I made?"

Fang shoots Boboiboy a sharp look. And then, Boboiboy blinks, and it's gone.

"Carrot soup, huh?" Fang's voice takes on an audible cheer that sounds only a little faked to Boboiboy. "Wait for me!"

notes: genuinely, it kills me every time how when the team is celebrating saying "yay! we're going home!" when their leave is granted, Fang is the only one not shown, not even once during that entire montage. Like, it definitely has to be a deliberate choice made by the story and animation team😭. plus, the way he hangs back as everyone is welcomed by their families waiting for them, saying he has to guard the ship and eggabot (eggbot?)

well, I tagged BoiFang, but honestly it's more of a pre-slash than an established relationship considering their canon ages in the movie😭.

Sorry I'm still foaming at the mouth with the new promo art