Chapter Text
Grumpy’s POV
The days became a blur of light blue and rust brown, and Grumpy’s heart felt fuller than it had before. He’d always had friends, and generally was happy (he was skeptical towards this thought), but this was different. Each day he woke up wondering “ What’s going to happen? How can I make this day even better?” Quite frankly, it was exciting. The blue bear had gotten acustomed to spending most of his free time with Swifty and Tenderheart. Sometimes he even spent time with other Care Creatures! He shook his head, smiling in amusement. That’s not to mention all of the moments with Swift and Tenderheart that made his heart flutter.
He was unsure of what was going on, but it almost seemed like… no, it would be bad to overthink it. He loved the intimate moments they had together, and thought “If I ask questions like that, or assume something that’s totally wrong.. They’ll never see me the same. What if they think I’m disgusting?” Grumpy remembered swimming in the fountain, and how close Tenderheart had gotten. It was so close to being a kiss. Right? Did he want it to be one? Then there was the times with Swifty, whom Grumpy now considered to be his confidant. He swore they’d almost held paws.
“!” Grumpy held a paw to his mouth with a gasp. “Am I toying with their feelings?!”
Cheer Bear’s POV
Placing her pink paws on her hips, the hefty bear looked up at Swift Heart and Tenderheart with an uncharacteristically furious expression. She may have been short, but she knew she gave off a strong impression.
“Swift Heart rabbit. Tenderheart bear. There’s something I need to ask you-” Swifty and Tenderheart shook, the air felt too tense to breathe. Cheer was shockingly scary and she knew it.
“Why, every time I step outside, do I see one of you two dragging Grumpy Bear along?” The tension quickly evaporated into confusion. Swiftheart raised one eyebrow and flopped an ear over. Tenderheart crossed his arms, making a “Hmm?” sound. Cheer bear stood her ground, assuming the two had enough knowledge between them to decipher what she meant.
“Ohh-” Swift Heart started.
“You think that-”
“We’re toying with Grumpy” The two finished in unison. They shriveled under Cheer’s motherly glare. Swift Heart’s nose twitched wildly, giving away their discomfort.
“Can we explain from the beginning?” They told her all about that fateful day at the orchard, and the agreement Tenderheart and Swift Heart made to try and win Grumpy’s affection. All the while the two felt oddly childish upon saying it out loud. Swift considered mentioning a more personal side of the story, but thought it should stay between them and Grumpy.
Cheer bear snorted a little upon hearing the tale. “Do you think that’s fair to Grumpy? I’d be a little confused if I were him. Let me tell you a story. Once, when Grumpy and I were cubs, it was his fifth birthday. Every bear and creature worked valiantly to hide a big surprise party from him. When he asked questions, he was ignored or the question diverted. He had no idea it was because of the party. When he was steered into the carefully decorated room, everyone yelled “SURPRISE GRUMPY!”
He began to cry, and ran out of the room. When others tried to bring him back, he was angry. He’d said “Why didn’t you just tell me?” That was the day he got his reputation for being well, grumpy. I was the only one who realized the full story. We were very close as kids, and I constantly tried to cheer him up. What I didn’t realize is that different things made us happy, and that’s okay. Although, that’s a story for another day. My point is, I think you need to talk to him. Clarity is important to Grumpy. I can tell he’s been feeling strange lately because, and not many Care Creatures know this, we’re twins! So please, treat my brother with the respect he deserves!”
By the end of her story, Cheer bear was acting like her normal self. Her hands thrust out joyfully, emphasizing her kinship. Her cheeks seemed to glow a deeper pink as the air crackled with energy. Much like her brother, her emotions also had an impact on the outside world. They were more tangible than most emotions, and when she was very happy rainbows often formed. Swift Heart’s fur became staticky, and their hair tuft stuck out in many directions. They quietly smoothed it down, before letting out a stream of comments. Tenderheart simply stood, gaping.
“You two are twins?! Why had no one said anything? Tenderheart, did you know? I had no idea, this makes so much more sense now, with the clouds and the rainbows wow it really all makes sense I never met to hurt Grumpy I-” They trailed off when Tenderheart nudged them with an elbow.
“Cheer bear, we had no idea! We never intended to make Grumpy feel confused or hurt. Thank you so much for telling us. Your brother means a lot to both of us.” He firmly placed a fist in his open palm. “Swift Heart, I think we need to do some talking. We have a lot of explaining to do.” His rust colored eyebrows were knit in concentration, and he sported a look of determination. After thanking Cheer Bear once more, they quickly departed. They walked closely, already talking a hundred miles a minute. Cheer Bear watched them go, then closed the door to her house and let out a shriek of excitement. A rainbow split across the room as she danced around.
Her main intention of the meeting had been to see where the two really stood. She wanted to push them in the right direction, and make sure their hearts were full of care for Grumpy. Each second she could feel Grumpy’s warmth and adoration for the pair rushing through her bloodstream. She’d never felt such emotions from him before, it had to be true.. Her brother had found a source of unending cheer!