Chapter Text
“I told you this would happen,” Bugbo said as Gerbo was staring at the open door, which was blocked by heaps of snow, “Now you have to pay the price, and stay here.”
..Somehow, the heap of snow hasn’t spilled into the room, but that was mostly because Bugbo held it up from falling (definitely not because of his odd ways to break the laws of physics). The two were beside each other as they looked out to a wall of snow blocking Gerbo’s way out of Bugbo’s home. Gerbo slowly turned to look guiltily at Bugbo, who looked at him with a condescending stare. The two were having a regular hang out, and since Joe was busy, and Hoppo was… Doing stuff, they only had each other for the day.
“I’m sorry, Bugbo… I was just having so much fun with you that I just-”
“Well now you learned your lesson, didn’t you? For your selfishness, I now have to go find extra bedding for you to sleep in,” Bugbo said, before walking out down the tunnels of his home. This left Gerbo frowning, feeling guilty for his actions as he watched Bugbo find blankets and pillows for him.
Bugbo plopped an extra fluffy blanket and pillows on his bed, patting the pillow to fluff it evenly.
“Really, you should be thanking me. I’m so gracious enough to allow you to sleep in my bed, not most friends would do that, you know,” Bugbo said righteously, before looking at Gerbo who was at the doorway of his room, “and it’s night, Gerbo. We both need rest. Especially me, as I’ll be clearing the snow in the morning.”
Gerbo’s eyes widened at Bugbo’s statement, “What? You shouldn’t do that on your own, Bugbo.. I can help you..!” Gerbo offered, but Bugbo shook his head, “No. Despite how your extra limbs should help… They don’t, I promise you. Keep in mind that you knocked over the stone structure so many times that I had to set you back and do it myself.” Gerbo frowned at Bugbo’s statement as he walked into the room, “If you say so..” Gerbo mumbled.
As they settled into bed, Gerbo was feeling pretty terrible about hanging around Bugbo’s house. Bugbo pulled the fluffed cotton sheets over them, and opened his nightstand to a crocheting set that he was currently working on. Glancing at Gerbo, Bugbo noticed his distress, he paused.
“.. Well.. It isn’t so bad. At least we can hang out for longer.”
Gerbo slowly turned to look up at Bugbo, his expression filled with confusion and slight surprise, before it slowly grew into a big smile, “Yeah…! We can.. We can draw..! Watch a movie..! Ooo, and maybe even–” Gerbo rambled before Bugbo cut him off again.
“Or we can sleep.” Bugbo suggested, which Gerbo sensed that it wasn’t even a suggestion, but more of a declaration. Gerbo frowned again before nodding, “Yeah.. We can do that..” Gerbo mumbled, not fond of ending the day so soon, but he listened anyway. He fluffed his pillow, circled around it before curling up in the pillow with his blanket, and slept.
As Bugbo crocheted a couple more loops to the scarf he was working on, Bugbo noticed Gerbo kick a bit in his sleep, making his blanket fall off. Bugbo didn’t pay much mind to it, working back at his project before noticing a shiver that Gerbo made as a result of his sleeping movements. Bugbo’s eyes looked back at Gerbo, watching him kick a bit more, before his hand set his crochet hook down. He reached to grip the end of Gerbo’s blanket, pulling it back over him, and brushed his hand over Gerbo’s head. Bugbo stared at Gerbo, seeing how Gerbo’s antennas felt around Bugbo’s hand. He then pulled his hand away, and went back to crocheting.
Gerbo slowly woke up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Bugbo came in from the kitchen to get Gerbo to eat, but didn’t say anything as he watched Gerbo wake up.
“Whoaa.. My blanket stayed on me this time..” Gerbo hummed as he slowly woke up, stating his mind. He always knew he had a problem with moving in his sleep, so he thought this was a development. Well, that is, until Bugbo took the sense of pridefulness from him as he saw him wake up, “Actually, I noticed that you kicked your blanket off yourself in your sleep. I was going to leave you like that, but I saw you shiver, and I didn’t want to be the reason why you would get hypothermia, so I put the blanket back on you.” Bugbo said, excusing his niceness for not wanting responsibility for Gerbo’s ‘death’. Gerbo frowned that his body habits weren’t getting better, but he smiled at the thought of Bugbo being concerned over him, “Aww.. Thanks Bugbo! You’re a good friend..”
“I may be, yes, now, I made a fruit salad for you in the kitchen, as you insist on not eating any rats,” Bugbo said, before saying that last part with annoyance. Bugbo didn’t get why Gerbo chose not to eat any living creature like how he was biologically supposed to, it was preposterous to him! But since it truly made Gebro uncomfortable, he didn’t push it, yet would mention it whenever they would go out to eat with Gradient Joe. “So, if you’d like, you can begin your breakfast off from there.”
“Ooo! Okay, I’ll get it! Thanks, Bugbo!!” Gerbo said happily, hopping off of Bugbo’s bed, and went down to the kitchen. Bugbo watched him race off, before sighing, following him to the kitchen so he could have some grub with him.
“So you’re gonna shovel all the snow?” Gerbo asked with a curious expression as he put a piece of strawberry in his mouth.
“The treacherous weather of precipitation has forced me to do it, yes.” Bugbo nodded as he ate some fish that he had captured and stored in an ice box. Gerbo wasn’t as squeamish at the sight though, since Bugbo cut it up so Gerbo wouldn’t see its head that would’ve been filled with despair of the circle of life. “Do you think we can make snowballs and have a snowball fight when you’re done? Maybe Gradient Joe’s plans got canceled from the snow, and we can invite him!!” Gerbo excitedly offered, saying more as he thought about it. Although, Bugbo looked unsure, “Hmm.. I don’t know. What exactly will we accomplish by doing that?”
Gerbo deflated when he heard the sentence, trying to think how it would help them so Bugbo could actually go through with it, “We- We can learn hand-eye coordination!!” Gerbo said, smiling as he thought it was a pretty sweet excuse. Bugbo paused, looking at Gerbo, who shrunk as he got scared that he might’ve been too excited..
“Fair point. We’ll do that once I’m done shoveling the exit to my house.” Bugbo nodded, which made Gerbo ecstatic in happiness, “Wait, really?? Yaaay! I’m so excited!!” Gerbo cheered, hopping in his seat. Bugbo looked at Gerbo as he celebrated, holding back his smile from getting wider as he watched Gerbo get so happy about possibly doing a snowball fight.
Although, Gerbo’s antenna twitched as he noticed the genuine light that shone in Bugbo’s eyes.