Small Fireskull dump I did cuz I can't sleep. (Also this is like centred in the prox ep so uhm)
Neither of them knew how they were still alive after being tossed through the air like that, but they didn't have much to complain about; at least they were still alive. After all, they had more important things to worry about, or so they thought. Especially Pump, who had been quiet for a while now.
"I hope Susie and the others are alright..." Skid said, dragging Pump through the woods, trying to find a path through the fog and the pervasive darkness. "...And I hope they're not too far away, or that we haven't gotten lost..."
The pumpkin simply nodded or looked back, but remained silent, almost mute. Ever since that conversation with the witch, a certain thought had kept circling in his mind, a thought he thought he'd erased, but it seemed he'd only swept it under the rug until he stumbled upon it again.
The chestnut-haired boy didn't understand why he'd even had those thoughts in the first place. Skid was his friend, always had been, and always would be. So why did he want him to be something more? Why did he want them to be something more? He didn't understand, at least not back then, when he first started feeling this way. It was hard for him to accept that he'd developed feelings for him, not only because he was "too young to understand," but also because he was afraid.
What if, when he told him, Skid was disgusted by him? Or worse, what if Skid distanced himself? What if he lost him? What if he went back to eating alone at recess? What if he went home crying?
What if he felt alone again? Pump didn't want to feel alone again, not when it felt so wonderful to have someone who understood him, not when Skid was the only one who could calm him down when he was afraid of being alone...
So he just kept it to himself, swallowed what he felt.
Not because it was "wrong." Not because his family might not approve.
But because he didn't want to lose the only thing that kept him sane.
Because he didn't want to lose the only thing that mattered to him.
Pump stopped walking, gripping Skid's wrist tightly, almost hurting him. Skid didn't care about the slight pain from the squeeze, but he still stopped when his friend did.
The skeleton boy stared at the pumpkin boy, curiosity gnawing at him. He had noticed his friend's strange behavior, but he hadn't been brave enough to ask what was wrong... At least not until now.
"Pump, is everything alright?"
Silence, an awkward and unsettling silence, at least for the two boys... Especially for the purple-haired one.
"...Pump, is everything alright?" You're acting really strange and...β"
"I CAN'T STAY SILENT ANYMORE!!"
That shout from the pumpkin startled the skeleton a little; after all, it caught him off guard, and the fact that it echoed didn't help... Although he didn't run away, nor did he break free from his friend's grip, he simply stayed there, waiting for what Pump was going to say... If he dared, that is.
The chestnut-haired boy was on the verge of tears, or rather, he was already crying. His eyes were wide open, his gaze lowered and agitated, feeling his fears stabbing him in the back. He was basically having an anxiety attack and was unable to do anything to stop it, not to mention that his mind was betraying him.
"You're just going to ruin it."
"He's going to hate you."
"You're going to make him uncomfortable."
And more thoughts echoed in his consciousness, which was overwhelming. He couldn't even see properly because his tears blurred his vision...
However, something stopped his sobs... And of course, that "something" was Skid, who with just one hug managed to quell all his fear.
"Pump... I'm here for you, okay? Don't worry."
"I don't know what's going through your head right now, but I do know that you can count on me for anything and that I'll be there for you no matter what... Okay?"
Pump clung tightly to Skid, as if his life depended on it.
AUGHHHHHH THIS IS BRILLIANT EVERY PART OF IT IS AMAZING I LOVE ITTTTTTT
The mentions of Pump's fear of being alone/abandoned are great, and Skid being able to calm Pump down from his spiral just from a hug is the sweetest, and it shows how they're just meant for each other
