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“I mean, didn’t you ever think it was strange?” GB asked as she plopped another yoyle berry into the basket on TB’s head. “What did it feel like for you, TB?”
“Hmm…I guess it didn’t feel like my whole body was turned into metal, just a sort of, uh…” Tennis Ball paused. Truth be told, he didn’t really remember how exactly the effects of yoyle berries felt like. “...an outer shell, I guess.”
“Fascinating…” GB picked at another yoyle berry bush.
TB took the basket down from his head to make things easier for his lab partner. She seemed to notice the gesture, muttering a quick “thanks” as she dropped the fruit in.
“I could eat one of them now, if you’d like?” he suggested, but GB quickly shut him down.
“Not now, I haven’t told you, but I’ve been working on a special machine that can monitor metabolic reactions specifically caused by the chemicals in yoyle berries.” the smaller scientist beamed, clearly proud of her invention. She gestured for TB to sit down.
He did so, maybe a bit closer than where GB tapped her foot, but she didn’t seem to notice. Tennis Ball could’ve listened to her talk for hours. He wasn’t sure what, but there was something special about the way his lab partner’s eyes lit up whenever she’d go on and on about her new inventions, or yoylite, or square roots, or anything else that he’d sometimes bring up just so he could see her face light up with excitement. It was something that would make his heart skip a beat every time. Unfortunately, before Golf Ball could get very far into her explanation he felt something wet and cold drop on head. And another. And another. He turned his gaze from GB to the dark clouds gathered above them.
“So, I need to see these changes happening in real time, that’s why- Tennis Ball, are you listening?” GB stared at him with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh- yeah, of course!” he waved his foot nervously “I think we should get going, though. It’s starting to rain.”
The smaller scientist scoffed “We’re not made of sugar, TB. We’ll be fine.”
Just as she said that, the rain picked up, leaving the two and everything around them soaked in seconds.
“...I retract my earlier statement.”
TB though maybe they’d be able to make it back to the hotel, but the weight of his wet fuzz along with the basket of yoyle berries on his head (which he’d already slipped and dropped a few times, much to GB’s discontent) wasn’t exactly making it easy to run. Not to mention the slippery mud below their feet in the forest they were now walking through. A sudden gust of wind came, causing Tennis Ball to shiver, nearly dropping the basket again.
He turned to Golf Ball, who was also shaking in the cold. “W-we should find shelter for now.” he said and the smaller of the two nodded.
“TB, wait.” he turned around again to see Golf Ball staring at the space above his head, or in this case, the basket. They’ve known each other long enough for him to know what she meant by this. He slowly lowered his head, allowing her to climb on top and grab the basket with her mouth.
“This is a bit heavy.” - was what he wanted to say, but something made him hold his tongue. Maybe it was the way he saw his lab partner squinting, struggling to see through the rain, maybe it was something more, that had been lingering inside TB for way longer. So, instead of protesting he simply told Golf Ball to hang on tight and the two set out to find a place they could hide in until the rain passed.
Soon enough they stumbled across an old looking cabin. Despite GB’s initial protests about how this could be someone’s property and they shouldn’t be trespassing, with no other choice but to soak in the rain even longer the two ended up going in.
It really did seem like nobody had been inside for quite some time. The whole place was coated with dust and cobwebs. Once GB had jumped off of TB he shook like a dog, trying to get as much water out of his fuzz as possible.
“Gross.” Golf Ball commented, but based on how she smiled afterwards Tennis Ball knew she didn’t mean it.
They both looked around for a light switch, but after the only one they could find not working they decided to head to the fireplace. Luckily there was still some firewood leftover inside. GB squinted, trying to see if there was a lighter or a box of matches nearby. While his lab partner was searching TB plopped down by the basket on the floor. The only thing illuminating the place was the light coming from the windows, which was enough to get around, but not enough to see if there were any mysterious stains on the nearby armchairs that he would rather not get into his fuzz.
He sighed. Despite his best efforts to shake off the water earlier his whole body was still soaked, and now that they had stopped moving he was starting to get really, really cold. GB must’ve noticed how much he was shivering, because she shot him a concerned glance and a “hang in there, TB” before sprinting off, presumably still trying to find something they could start a fire with.
And suddenly he felt warmer, but only around his cheeks. He knew Golf Ball better than anyone else, and she knew him better than anyone else. They had been best friends for years, of course they’d care for each other. Yet GB, the uses-her-friends-as-tools GB, so genuinely looking out for him made his heart flutter. Maybe it was just the feeling of being appreciated, anyone would be happy about that after all, or maybe it was something else.
Before he knew it, his lab partner came rushing back into the room, balancing a box of matches on her head. Without saying a word, she quickly lit one up and threw it into the fireplace. Soon enough, a cozy orange glow filled the room, and more importantly, warmth. TB scooted closer to the fireplace, and GB joined him. None of them said a word. It was just the crackling of the fire, the wooshing of the rain outside, and their own breathing. Maybe with anyone else it would’ve felt awkward, but with Golf Ball, it was a comfortable silence. Maybe it’s just because they’ve been friends for a while, maybe it was something else.
Something. There was always something when he was around her. No matter how much he tried to push it to the side, tell himself to give it up, because there was no way she’d feel the same, it would never go away.
“Golfie?” he said softly.
“Hm?” GB turned to face him, with the warm light hitting her dimpled surface, TB could finally see her face properly again. He hadn’t even realized how much he’d missed it.
“I…like being around you.” he didn’t even know what he was saying, he just felt like he had to say something before his feelings bubbled up inside him and made him explode from the inside out.
Golf Ball looked away. For a moment TB was worried he’d just ruined it all. This great moment ruined simply because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. But then she hesitantly turned to his direction again, though her gaze was fixed on the floor. Maybe he was just being delusional, but Tennis Ball swore he could see a slight blush growing on her face.
“...I like being around you too, TB.” she whispered, so quiet that Tennis Ball almost couldn’t make the words out, and to his surprise, she scooted closer to him.
She muttered something about “using each other’s body heat”, not that TB could focus on anything other than how her dimpled surface felt pressed against his fuzz at that moment. There it was again, that something that made his cheeks warm up, that something that made his heart thump so hard he felt like it was going to jump out of his body, that something that made him anxiously tap his feet, because it was the least he could do to try to soothe that feeling.
“Mhm…” GB cleared her throat “Tennis Ball?”
“Y-yeah?” he tried to sound as composed as possible.
“So, as I was saying before…” she picked up where she had left off explaining her newest invention.
TB took a deep breath. Though they were facing away from each other (something he was grateful for, because he didn’t know how he could explain how flushed his face probably was), he tried his best to listen intently.
Focusing on his lab partner’s raspy voice, he felt his heartbeat gradually slow down to a normal rate. The anxiety that had overwhelmed him before had settled, and so did the rain. Golf Ball didn’t seem to notice, but Tennis Ball didn’t mind.
Because there was something about her that made him want to stay like this forever.