#pawgary

Still the boyfriends 🥰 just being around Gary makes Pawbert act like a better person~

"-O-ooh, easy there, buddy!"

Pawbert says this easily as he holds Gary by the neck, restraining him from biting him or immobilizing him with his body, Gary couldn't believe what had happened, couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Pawbert stab Judy's neck with venom and send her falling to the ground, he couldn't believe it was Pawbert, his first mammal friend, his … partner

But Gary knew better than to be slow, he wanted to wrap his body around Pawbert and demand answers, but he was too weak and slow due to the cold, so it was no wonder Pawbert restrained him so easily. He wheezes as Pawbert pulls him toward the snow-covered door, Gary's eyes widen in disbelief. Is Pawbert really going to …?

Gary closes his eyes as Pawbert steps outside, expecting the scorching, piercing snow on his scales, but … nothing happens, just an unpleasant, icy wind. Gary dares to open his eyes, and sees Pawbert's face before him, which is simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar

To Gary, Pawbert smiles most awkward smile, one that's painfully familiar to Gary, one he used to smile first time they met, Pawbert says "Heh, sorry, partner, but I had to do it. I'll just support you in cold for a little while, just enough so you can't, well, bite me or something, hah…" How dare he? How dare he look so awkward and cute, like he wasn't the one who poisoned Judy, and It doesn't hold him in the cold, Gary doesn't understand anything at all, he speaks with all his might

"W-why … why are you doing this? I-I thought we were friends, Pawbert…!" Pawbert hears his words, his ears flattening against his head at the snake's tone, his amber eyes not meeting his green ones, but then Pawbert sighs and says, his tone halting and apologetic

"I know, I know, you're angry, but you have to understand me! After all, you came all this way for your family, and I'm doing the same! I know it's terrible, but this is my chance, I have to take it, because when I get to your great-grandmother's house and burn the original patent, I'll finally be somebody in my family. And I'll finally belong …"

Meanwhile, Gary trembled in the lynx's grip, his heart aching at Pawbert's words, Gary knew that Pawbert's family wasn't particularly kind, but he didn't think it was that bad, Gary is afraid to imagine, what Lynxley did to Pawbert to make him betray, and kill the animals who trusted him … but now wasn't the time for sympathy, Judy's life and the fate of the reptiles were at stake, and on top of that, Gary still didn't understand what Pawbert was planning to do to him

As if hearing his thoughts, Pawbert replied, at that moment, he wasn't nervous, he was calm, and he looked straight into Gary's eyes as he spoke "It wasn't planned, this connection between us … it wasn't planned, when we communicated through letters, I felt close to you, I thought I could tolerate it, but when we met in person, that feeling intensified, I … I love you, Gary, I really do, that's why I couldn't get rid of you … but I also can't stop my plan"

In any other situation, Gary would have felt incredibly happy, Pawbert felt the same way, but now, in addition to the cold, he felt an unpleasant feeling in his snake body, and he was right, when Pawbert continued, Gary felt a wave of dread as he said

"So … so I came up with another plan, I'll take you to a safe place where no one can get us, not the police, not my family, or anyone else, no one will bother us … that way we can be together!" Pawbert spoke feverishly, his eyes had an obsessive glint, he looked so ecstatic, as if he'd come up with the best plan in the world, despite weakness in his entire body, Gary squeezed out the words, he felt betrayed, his eyes wide with terror "Y-you want to kidnap me…?"

After these words, Pawbert's face grimaced, and he said "When you say it, it sounds much worse than it is … but sooner or later you'll realize that this is better, we still couldn't be together, in any form…" Pawbert's claw apologetically and tenderly strokes scales on Gary's neck, snake shudders, it is unclear why, whether because of the cold, or something else…

Gary doesn't have time to refute Pawbert's nonsense because they both hear a voice in the distance "Judy! Where are you?" It becomes clear that it's Nick, who's walking towards his partner, meanwhile, behind them, Judy is lying on the floor, trying her best to reach out and call Nick, but her voice is too weak

"N-nick… Nick" That's all Judy says, looking helplessly at the door, and then, as if Pawbert had been replaced, the warmth in his eyes when he looked at Gary disappears when he turns his head and raises an eyebrow, his ears twitch at the voices. The lynx looks at rabbit, his amber gaze now focused and cold, then his gaze moves from her to the cameras showing the fox, Pawbert sighs, realizing he'll have to deal with another animal, he said "Ah, what can I say, ruh roh…"

When Gary felt the cold reach his bones, Pawbert deemed it enough and walked away, he carefully pressed Gary against his incredibly warm body, offering a bit of warmth after the dreadful cold, snake whimpered, even if Gary wanted to, he couldn't tear himself away from this source of heat, even if it was heat of a traitor

Pawbert entered through the door where the switches were, placing Gary's non-resisting body on the floor. He carefully removed the fanny pack containing the antidote, then, in a soft whisper, Pawbert said "Don't worry, Gary, I'll be back as soon as I'm done… a few unfinished business, stay here for now…"

Pawbert was about to leave when he felt Gary's tail loosely curl around his leg. He looked down and saw Gary looking at him pleadingly, his voice trembling, if Gary could, he would cry, he said "N-no, Pawbert, please, don't do this, you don't have to be like your family, you can be different, w-we can be different together, please, partner, I love you…"

Pawbert froze, looking touched and taken aback by Gary's words, he paused, really paused … but only for a second, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes, Gary met Pawbert's gentle gaze, lynx slowly knelt down, his large paw lifting and stroking his chin, Pawbert's paws and breath were incredibly hot on his snake body, Gary shivered, not just from the cold

For a second, he thought Pawbert had changed his mind, and that they would continue searching for the patent together, to uncover truth about his family, and restore justice, Gary could almost see where they would be together in the futureb… until Pawbert said

Pawbert sighed deeply, and said with relish "Ah, Gary, I love you too, I love you so much … but you're so naive to think it'll work" For first time since they'd met, Pawbert looked at Gary indulgently, and laughed, his laughter sounded somehow bitter. Then he laid his head back on the cold floor and stood up, Pawbert carefully pulled his leg from Gary's tail, he looked again, his gaze still tinged with tenderness, but buried under a grim determination, his paws recharged injector, the sound deafening in room, after that, Pawbert said

"I don't want to be different, sorry … see you later, partner" This promise sounded more like a threat, last thing Gary saw were Pawbert's eyes, he stood with his back to the light, part of his face in shadow, his amber eyes glowing predatorily in the darkness, his pupils dilated, Pawbert ready to hunt, then he slammed the door shut, shattering his dreams and the world beyond measure Gary

But despite this, despite deafening pain in his heart and the piercing cold, Gary wasn't ready to give up, not when Judy lay dying behind the door, not when Pawbert stalked his victims, or when the reptiles' fate lay at stake, especially when Pawbert didn't fully close door, one way or another, Gary would succeed, even if it was without Pawbert, and with another mammal

All he had to do was crawl through the crack, it couldn't be any harder than spending a week in a dark box

I don’t have many ships in Zootopia but my main ones are Nick x Judy, Gary x Pawbert, and Gary x Nibbles :D Gary x Nibbles I ship mostly for the vibes because I think they’re cutieful together while for Nick x Judy and Gary x Pawbert I focus moar on their dynamic