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Aside from the ocassional crunch of a brown autumn leaf, there was silence between Chuck and Munch. A comfortable silence that is, sometimes it was nice to just be close to someone you care about while enjoying the sounds of the outside.
The pair had decided to go for a walk as a way to relax after dealing with the hustle and bustle of working all day. They enjoyed entertaining children, yes, but sometimes the loud buzzing and ringing of the arcade games and the exciting screaming of kids got to be a little overwhelming.
It was Chuck who had come up with the idea. The mouse had pulled Munch aside after the last family had left and asked if he wanted to get out for a bit before they started closing. He had agreed of course, always eager to spend time with the rockstar. Over the many, many years they have spent together, Munch had come to see Chuck as an older brother in a way.
Maybe it was because of how guiding he was with him. The shaggy alien could recall many moments where Chuck had taught him about an Earth-exclusive activity, what with him being from Planet Purple and all. And although Chuck did get impatient with him from time to time, it was clear that the small mouse always had the best intentions.
Munch was certain that Chuck felt the same way towards him, why else would he have asked him to go on this pleasant walk together?
The purple monster loosened his scarf just a tad, his fur already provided a good deal of protection against the cold, and the extra layers were making him a bit uncomfortable. He turned his head to the rockstar beside him, curious if he had the same problem. To Munch's suprise, Chuck seemed to be in deep thought himself, brows furrowed, paws buried deep in his pockets.
The rodent felt a prod on his shoulder, looking up and meeting the concerned green eyes of his close friend. "Sorry buddy, I kind of zoned out there for a minute. Is everything okay?" Chuck asked, slight worry in his voice. Munch chuckled, his older brother could be so protective sometimes. "I was about to ask you the same thing! I'm sorry if I disturbed you, you just seemed kind of upset by..whatever you were thinking about."
The mouse waved his paw in a dismissive manner. "Oh yeah, everything's fine. I was just, uh, a little overwhelmed by how loud it was in there! I mean, I know it's a family place so the noise is kind of expected, but I guess today it just felt more..rowdy than usual." Munch was silent for a moment, processing Chuck's words. The restaurant did seem to be more busy today, it was a Saturday after all.
The two came across a bench and took a seat. Munch was a little out of breath, as he was a bit on the chubbier side. Walking for a long while without a break wasn't something he excelled at. The pair sat, watching the road, the ocassional car gliding by.
"Munch, you know I love you, right buddy?" Chuck's somewhat raspy voice broke the silence. Munch was suprised by the question. "Well, of course Chuck E! Why would you ask something like that?" Munch replied, confused by the rockstar's random, sudden question.
Chuck was quiet for a moment. "I don't know, I guess I just feel like sometimes I'm a little harsh to you? Like when we were stranded on that island with the talking coconuts and I snapped at you because you didn't know the difference between 'desert' and 'dessert'. That wasn't your fault. You aren't from Earth so you wouldn't have known any better."
The mouse's speech had now started to become slightly shaky as he scooted closer to the fuzzy alien, wrapping his arms around him as much as he could. "I'm sorry if I ever hurt your feelings by losing my temper with you, buddy. I really am. Sometimes I just get frustrated whenever something unexpected happens and I start to yell and-"
Chuck's panicked speaking is cut off by Munch reciprocating his hug. "Woah, woah! I never said that my feelings were hurt! I know you sometimes get upset by sudden changes so I never take it personally!" Munch responded, trying to reassure his friend. Chuck lifted his head and Munch could see now that he had started crying. The purple monster frowned.
"Oh, Chuck. Is that why you were so quiet during our walk?" The mouse let out a trembling sigh, rubbing his eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I guess I-I just let my anxiety get the best of me a-and I just" he took a deep breath to steady himself "was worried that you probably felt uncomfortable around me..."
Munch pulled away from the hug and held him sturdy by the shoulders. "Chuck, if I was uncomfortable around you would I have agreed to go on this walk?" Chuck averted his eyes, opting to stare at the ground. "There have been many times where you have helped me with Earth-related things I was confused about! Like that one time when you taught me how to trick or treat?" The rockstar smiled at that. "Or when you corrected me because I misunderstood the "Summer of Fun" as the "Plumber of Fun"? Chuck outright laughed at that, wiping his eyes. "Y-Yeah I remember."
Munch smiled. "See? You've helped me with so many things, how could I be uncomfortable around you? You're like the older brother I never had." Chuck giggled, seemingly already recovered from his tears. "Aw, Munch!" His cheeks slightly red from embarrassment. He buried his face into the alien's chest. "I love you, buddy." Chuck mumbled, his voice slightly muffled. Munch returned the hug, pressing the mouse into him. "I love you too, big brother."