Work Text:
"Gadget, where do you keep tweezers?"
"Uh, in the basket on the shelf?" Gadget wasn't sure why Zero needed tweezers, but he had grown to not question his boyfriend; it was usually for the best that he didn't know what Zero was doing. Still, the next question Zero asked made Gadget really concerned.
"And where do you keep the duct tape?"
Gadget did a double-take. "Duct tape? Why do you need duct tape?"
"Not important. Where is it?"
Gadget was taken aback. "No torturing people!"
It was Zero's turn to be appalled. "That's not what I'm doing."
"Oh. Then it's in the workshop."
"Thanks!"
Gadget had seen many weird things Zero did since they moved into the apartment together, but this took the cake. Zero was sitting at the table, eating a cactus. The pile of thorns and duct tape next to him clued Gadget in as to what his purpose for the tweezers and duct tape was for; at least he wasn't eating thorns.
Still, Gadget had to know. "What are you doing?"
Zero looked at him like the answer was obvious. "Eating a cactus. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"I can see that. Why, though? We have food."
Zero shrugged. "I felt like it."
"Okay, but where did you even get a cactus?!"
"Green Hill is still basically a desert, I just went there and plucked a cactus out of the ground."
Gadget was still confused. "Alright, makes sense, but how are you just... eating a cactus? Doesn't that hurt?"
Zero gestured to the pile of thorns and duct tape next to him. "Not if you take out all the thorns first."
Gadget turned his attention back to the thorns; it was truly impressive. "How do you even manage that?"
"Oh, it's not that hard. Back when I was with the squad-" Gadget swore he could see Zero tear up slightly before regaining his composure. "-we used to dethorn a cactus with just a roll of duct tape and perseverance. It's a lot easier if you have tweezers for the large thorns, though."
Gadget stepped back and admired his boyfriend's hard work. "Huh. Never would have thought of eating a cactus before." His curiosity was peaked. "What does it taste like?"
Zero cut off a piece and offered it to him. "Kinda like a green pepper. Try some!"
Gadget tried it; it wasn't too bad, maybe a bit tart. It wasn't something he was entirely opposed to eating, unlike some of the other stuff Zero ate. "Not bad."
Zero's eyes lit up. "Maybe I'll go get some more cacti and we can have a cactus-themed dinner."
Gadget sighed; sometimes he just didn't understand the thoughts in Zero's head. "Sounds lovely."