Chapter Text
February had only just begun, and yet there were hearts everywhere.
Pink and red streamers were all over the walls, and many of the toons were dressed in similar colors.
Blot, however, was not. He decided to stick to his usual fashion, that being mostly blacks and grays.
Other toons may think he was just not into the holiday spirit, but that was definitely not the case. Rather, he was trying to feel a sense of normalcy.
It happened quickly and without warning.
Blooming feelings towards his fellow circus performer, Looey. It was strange having a crush on his best friend, someone who had stood by him practically his whole life. And yet, perhaps that is why. Looey had always been there for Blot, always understood him and respected him, and was a kind and sweet soul.
Blot stared into the mirror and decided he was happy with his outfit for the day, a simple grey sweater and white gloves decorated with a black heart on the palm. Inconspicuous, but still festive.
His own room was a reprieve from the bright colors and energy that covered Gardenview now. Dark grays and blacks covered the walls and floor. On his dresser were pictures of him, Looey, and Yatta.
The room matched him very well, in his opinion. As he reached the door, he hesitated for a moment. Was he ready to face Looey? He wasn't sure, but he had to eventually.
Leaving his room, Blot was immediately jumped by a flash of colors. "HEY BLOTTY!!" Yatta yelled as she hugged him. She was one of his friends, one of the few toons that could understand him both literally and figuratively.
"Hello to you too, Yatta," Blot grumbled, trying to pry her off. Instead, she just grinned and hugged tighter before letting go. He wasn't actually upset, and Yatta definitely knew that, based on the shit-eating grin currently adorning her face.
"Isn't it so romantic!! All the Valentine's decorations?!" Yatta cried, pulling Blot down the hallway and towards the kitchen.
"I think it's a bit much. February only just started," Blot replied, struggling to keep up with Yatta.
Yatta gasped and slowed down to face him. "It's never too early!! Where's your festive spirit?!"
Instead of replying, Blot just raised his hands and showed Yatta the hearts on his palms. She glared at him and huffed, "That's not enough."
"It's enough for me," Blot shrugged, continuing to walk. As they approached the kitchen, it was pretty clear that a lot of toons were already inside.
Yatta then pulled Blot along. "C'mon!! Let's find Looey," she said as they entered the kitchen.
Blot... did not feel ready to be around Looey. He always felt nervous and fidgety around him, and... if Yatta was there, it would be worse. Yatta always teased him for just about anything; it was frustrating.
Looey was sitting alongside Poppy at their usual table. "Hey Looey!!" Yatta called out to him as they got close. He looked up and grinned.
"Blot, Yatta, hey!" Looey said as they both sat down. "Can you believe Shelly has already decorated the halls?"
"It's too early, in my opinion," Blot commented. Looey had already grabbed food for both Blot and Yatta, specifically chocolate pudding for both of them.
Yatta playfully punched Blot in the arm. "Mister Grumpypants over here isn't feeling the love."
"I don't even wear pants?" Blot stared at Yatta, who ignored his comment. She started digging into her pudding and making a bit of a mess.
"I think it's super romantic," Poppy commented. "I've already seen so many toons holding hands and even kissing!"
Looey nodded. "It's sweet how many toons are getting together."
"Exactly!! You two get it!!" Yatta exclaimed and started poking Blot in the side. "Feel the love, Blotty, feel it!"
"The only thing I'm feeling is annoyed," Blot grumbled lightheartedly. Yatta pouted and turned back to her pudding. Turning to Looey, Blot asked, "Who are the new couples?"
"Brightney and Connie, I saw holding hands in the hallway," Looey replied. Poppy gave him a look, and he translated Blot's question for her.
"Oh! I saw Bassie pull Cocoa into a closet earlier," Poppy added.
"Don't they hate each other??" Yatta asked, confused. Poppy only shrugged in response.
"Vee is still trying to get Sprout and Shelly together," Looey said. "I don't really understand why."
"I'm not even going to try to explain Vee's thinking there. Something about winning an argument," Blot supplied.
After finishing up their food, Poppy and Looey excused themselves, heading out the door together. Blot and Yatta continued to eat their pudding in silence until Yatta spoke up.
"Hey, Blot?" Yatta asked in an abnormally calm manner. Blot hummed, prompting her to continue, "I'm planning on asking someone to be my Valentine. Do you think maybe you could help me out?" She asked, fidgeting with her spoon.
"Sure, who is it?" Blot asked.
"You gotta promise not to laugh!!" She warned.
Blot rolled his eye. "I wouldn't laugh at that," he replied. Yatta gave him a look like she didn't believe him. "I promise."
"Ok, uhm... it's Looey," she muttered the last part, but Blot still heard it as clear as day. He felt his heart sink. Of course it would be Looey! Yatta spent so much time with him.
"O-oh, I didn't see that coming," Blot forced out. He couldn't look at Yatta and stared down at his lap.
Yatta immediately picked up on it and said, "You're hiding something." When Blot didn't reply, she started poking him in the side repeatedly. "I can do this all day, Blotty!"
Blot smacked her arm and hissed, "Quit that!"
"Tell me!" Yatta returned, poking him one more time. "I won't stop until you do!" Blot knew damn well that was true.
"Ugh, fine!" Blot turned to look Yatta in the eyes. "Look, Yatta, I like Looey too," he explained.
For a few moments Yatta simply stared. Blot's own heart started to pick up, fearful that he had said the wrong thing. Yatta being silent was never a good thing, at least to Blot. She was a talkative toon at heart and always thought at a mile a minute.
"So you're my rival..." she whispered, starting to grin.
"Yatta—" Blot started but was quickly cut off by her.
"I shan't lose to you, Blot!" Yatta cackled, grinning like a madwoman. "From this day henceforth, we are not but rivals!" She then walked away, cackling even as she left the kitchen.
Blot could only hope that she wasn't serious.
Yatta was distracted.
Which was actually typical of her, but she was rarely, if ever, distracted during movie night.
It had been a few days since Blot revealed his crush on Looey, and... Yatta had been avoiding him outside of troupe meetings and meals. They were rivals now! But she did miss him.
She hoped that Blot wouldn't be too upset with her that she was missing their usual hangouts. It was only until Valentine's Day, after all!
"Psst, Yatta," Gigi whispered to her.
Blinking out of her thoughts, Yatta turned to her. "What's up Gigi??" She replied, injecting as much of her usual cheer as she could.
"The movie's ended, girl," Gigi said, motioning towards the television. "Are you feeling okay?"
Yatta blinked and glanced at the screen. Sure enough, it was off, and the movie had ended who knows how long ago. "O-oh, uhm, haha! You know me, always lost in my own world!"
Gigi raised an eyebrow at her, and Connie then asked, "Are you worried about Looey?"
"N-no, I'm just thinking about... Blot," Yatta nervously replied.
"What did Blot do this time?" Gigi questioned.
"Nothing! Well, nothing intentionally, anyways..." Yatta trailed off. "Don't tell him I told you, but... he likes Looey too!!"
Gigi and Connie gave each other an unreadable expression and then turned back to Yatta. "I don't think... that should be a problem," Gigi said after a moment.
"How is that not a problem?!" Yatta cried, jumping up onto the floor. "Looey would totally go for Blot over me!! Blot is funny and sarcastic, and they compliment each other so well!"
"Yatta," Gigi started, placing her hand on Yatta's shoulder. "Deep breath, okay?"
Nodding, Yatta took a breath and sat back down against the couch. Connie then popped a piece of chocolate into Yatta's mouth. She started chewing, and her brain slowed down. "I've been avoiding Blot... I mean, he's my rival now, y'know? I..." She trailed off.
"It's okay, Yatta," Connie soothed. "It's understandable that you can't be around him; you're both pining after the same toon. He'll understand, I promise."
"Exactly! Blot's an understanding toon, and you're still his best friend; it'll be okay!" Gigi added, rubbing Yatta's back.
"Okay... okay," she said. "Thanks, you two!"
"'Course, Yatta. You up for another movie, then?" Connie asked. "We have time, plus you could use a distraction!"
Yatta nodded, "Sure! I'll make some more popcorn." She headed towards Gigi's microwave that she took from who knows where.
Letting out a soft sigh, Yatta stared at the box of popcorn.
She really hoped everything would be okay.
"I can't believe she was serious about the rivals thing!" Blot ranted as he paced back and forth. "I mean, come on! She's hardly said a word to me lately, and she bailed on all of our usual hangouts!"
"Blot." Vee stared at him from her desk.
"And! And, when we do actually talk, she only calls me her rival!" Blot continued, ignoring Vee. "Honestly, she thinks I'm a rival? She's obviously better suited for Looey than I am!"
"Blot," Vee said again, glaring at him.
"I mean, she's sweet, energetic, and so kind!" Blot paced faster as he talked. "While I'm just the dark and cynical friend that they hang out with occasionally!"
"Blot!" Vee yelled, finally pulling Blot out of his ranting.
"What?" he questioned.
"You're tracking ink everywhere." She motioned to the floor next to him. Across the floor where he was pacing, a thick line of ink was painted.
"Sorry, Vee," Blot apologized, absorbing the ink back into his body.
"Sit down. You're seriously worked up about all this," Vee said, pulling out another chair.
"Why wouldn't I be? Yatta is avoiding me, and Looey is obviously going to pick her!" Blot complained as he sat down in the chair.
Vee rolled her eyes. "You both have an equal chance; there's no 'obvious' pick, Blot," Vee pointed out.
Blot huffed in response. "If I were Looey, I'd pick Yatta."
"But you're not Looey, and you don't have any idea who he'd pick." She replied, turning back to her computer. "Besides, Yatta is one of your best friends; she won't ignore you forever."
"That's true..." Blot trailed off before grumbling and adding, "I wish this wasn't so complicated."
"Feelings tend to be, thankfully I don't have to deal with that," Vee snarked, smirking at him.
Blot rolled his eye in response. "Don't start pretending you don't have emotions."
Vee just grinned in response and booted up a fighting game. "I'm going to beat you just for that, Blot."
Blot grinned back and moved his chair next to hers. "I'll strangle you if you play as Miku again..."
It was nice having a friend like Vee, who was logical and smart. The familiar hum of the computer fans filled Blot with a certain calmness.
Blot could only hope that she was right. That he had a chance with Looey after all.
Yatta stared at her masterpiece in pride.
It was a mishmash of paint, glitter, and wood. A sign that had 'Will you be my Valentine?' written across the front.
Valentine's Day was only four days away, and Yatta was fully prepared to win the war for Looey's heart. It would be a tough battle, of course. Blot was a formidable opponent and someone who very well could steal Looey from her, but Yatta was determined. She finished off the sign with a hand of hearts along the edges, painted in every color they had available at Gardenview.
Wiping off her hands, Yatta moved the sign to the corner of her room to let it dry. Her room was plenty messy already, but she had specifically cleared out a section for the sign. The corner, which was typically littered with candy wrappers and empty cans. She grinned happily at her sign; it came out exactly as she intended.
Yatta imagined how much Looey would love it. He'd definitely swoon when he saw it, if he hadn't already due to the dress Yatta picked out.
A knock at the door pulled her out of her reverie. "Coming!!" she shouted, running over to the door. She threw it open only to see Blot standing there.
"Hey, Yatta," he greeted, waving his hand slightly.
"What's up, my rival??" Yatta asked, grinning at him. He gave a small smile in return.
"Looey asked for us both to join him in the practice room; he's got something to tell us," Blot replied, motioning down the hallway. Yatta's eyebrows shot up, and she started nodding.
"Okay!! Let's go, then!" She yelled, pulling Blot along. The practice room was the troupe's personal haven and the one place, outside of their rooms, that was truly theirs.
"You're gonna pull my arm off one of these days, Yatta," Blot grumbled.
Yatta rolled her eyes. "I've already done that, silly! It's not my fault you're made of ink!"
"It's not my fault either! I was made this way..." Blot replied, huffing.
Yatta giggled in response and said, "I think it's cool you're all... fluidty."
"Is that a compliment? Aren't I your rival?" Blot teased. Yatta slowed down and poked his side in response.
"We're still best friends, Blotty," she replied and gave him a soft smile. Blot looked away, and they both were quiet after that.
When they arrived at the practice room, the door was already open. Yatta could hear Looey and someone else talking inside but couldn't make out who it was. Turning into the doorway, Yatta spotted Poppy and Looey sitting next to each other on the folded-up mats in the corner.
"Hey you two!!" Yatta called out to them as she walked in, pulling Blot behind her. They both turned towards Yatta and smiled.
"Yatta! Blot! Thank you both for coming..." Looey trailed off, glancing at Poppy. She gave him a soft encouraging smile. Yatta felt herself freeze, a creeping sense of dread filling her. Blot glanced at her and nudged her side, causing her to snap out of it and continue walking.
Once they were both standing in front of Looey, he continued. "So... I wanted you two to be the first to know that, uhm..." Looey trailed off, a blush forming on his face, and Poppy grasped his hand. The dread inside of Yatta surged, and she had to force herself to be still. Blot then took her hand. Glancing at him, he gave her a sad look and an encouraging hand squeeze before letting go.
Poppy rolled her eyes and continued for him, "We're dating. Me and this doofus." Looey huffed at the insult but nodded. Yatta felt her heart crack and break, a million little pieces piercing her insides.
"That's wonderful, you two. I'm happy for you both," Blot beamed, only Yatta noticing the strain in his voice. Blot then tapped her foot with his, prompting Yatta to speak up next.
"R-right! You two look wonderful together!!" Yatta smiled. She was being honest; they did look great together. Better than she would look with Looey.
She was on autopilot after that.
Blot, Poppy, and Looey continued to talk for a few minutes, with Yatta chiming in occasionally, but she was hardly paying attention. Her insides felt like they were on fire, and she was struggling not to cry in front of Looey. Yatta's usually messy mind was a hurricane of hurt and sadness; everything she had planned had gone to waste! Her sign, her dress, her date plans—everything!
Once she was able to leave, she had to hold back from running. And when she and Blot made it to the hallway, she took off.
Yatta refused to look back.
Blot watched Yatta's retreating form and considered his options.
On the one hand, he could follow her and try to comfort her, but... she may need some time alone. He knew that she would likely be in the vents, around where her candy stash was, so it wouldn't be hard to find her.
Making a decision, Blot started down towards the kitchen. He grabbed a couple pints of ice cream and a bag of popcorn, before heading back to his room to store both.
Blot glanced down the hallway at Looey's door. He... didn't feel as hurt about the reveal as thought he'd be. Honestly, the past two weeks he'd thought about Yatta more than Looey. Probably because of how Yatta was avoiding him.
Poppy was a good match for Looey. Blot knew the two had been good friends for a while, so it wasn't that much for a surprise. Plus, Poppy had been making an effort to better understand his manner of speech.
Pushing out of his thoughts, Blot headed towards Yatta's door. She wouldn't be in there, but right next to her door was a vent. Blot greatly disliked climbing through the vents, but in this case, he had to.
The narrow metal vents were no trouble to get through, at least for Blot's more malleable body. He knew the general layout, mainly due to chasing Yatta through the vents whenever she did something that really pissed him off.
It wasn't long until Blot found Yatta. She was curled up in her candy stash sniffling. Her eyes were red from crying and several candy wrappers were at her feet.
"Hey, Yatta," Blot greeted as he got close, planting himself next to her.
"Hey," Yatta replied monotonously, her exhaustion evident. They both stayed quiet for a while after that. Yatta's sniffling slowly dying down. At one point, Yatta grasped Blot's hand. He didn't pull away.
"I... got us both some ice cream and popcorn, for a movie night if you like," Blot said after a while. Yatta glanced up at him and gave a curt nod.
"Okay," she replied. "Lead the way, Blotty."
Blot smiled softly at the nickname and led Yatta back through the vents, careful not to go too fast or pull on her arm too hard.
Once they exited the vents, Blot brought Yatta into his room, shutting the door behind him. Yatta's bright colors stuck out like a sore thumb in his dark monotone room, but somehow he didn't mind.
He motioned to the television and said, "You can pick the movie, I'll grab the snacks." Yatta nodded in agreement and went to turn on the television.
After she was satisfied with a pick, she jumped onto the couch, with Blot soon joining next to her. He handed her the ice cream and placed a bowl of popcorn between them.
"Thanks, Blot," she whispered as the movie started.
"Anytime, Yatta," he replied, shifting closer to her slightly. He truly and utterly meant it.
They fell asleep in each other's arms during the second movie.