Chapter Text
Russel considered himself to have an interest in a lot of different things. He has always been one to try something new like trying out painting with Minka or magic with Sunil. He found himself to be open minded to most new ideas, but there was always one thing that we could never quite understand…
Dating.
It just really never came across his mind. Many of his other pet friends have shown interest in others and have even dated other pets before, but he just never felt the need to. Feelings were complicated and most relationships end up falling out anyway. He felt it made the most sense to focus on more important things instead of worrying how another feels about him. It's not that he never found anyone attractive, he just never felt like it was worth the trouble of asking them. And besides, most surely the result would be rejection, and that is not something he would ever want to go though.
But even though his negative and pessimistic outlook, he finds himself dealing with his feelings for another. Someone he never would have expected…
His feeling didn't just magically appear. They were subtle hints to them from how he would look over at him for a bit longer than normally or how he would search out his company more often than before. Of course he didn't look at these things as growing affection for his friend, and brushed off any thoughts that came into his head about him. Though that all changed on one certain day.
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It was a normal day at the daycamp, and most of the pets were trying out their own special talents. All of them except a certain hedgehog that is.
Russel had begun to think about how he had no clear talent like his friends do. He had tried out just about everything, but nothing seemed to click for him. He sometimes felt that maybe he just didn't have any talent.. and that made him feel awful. He tried to keep up his usual chipper demeanor, but it was quite difficult when he was feeling this way. He hoped that one of the other pets would notice, not wanting to worry them about his own problems. But he found that it didn't take long for them to notice his different mood.
As Russell sat on one of pet beds reading a comic he heard someone walking up to him. He looked up and saw Vinnie looking at him with a concerned look on his face.
"Hey Rusty, how ya feeling? You've been looking down all day. Did another one of your Duchess of Lakenshire Lane get deleted?"
Even though Vinnie wasn't very observant about most things, he could tell when his friends were upset. It was an aspect of his friend Russel appreciated, probably more than the gecko even knew. He didn't want to worry Vinnie, but he had a feeling he wouldn't get out of this without telling the truth.
"Well first off no thankfully not, and secondly it's really not that big of a deal."
"Aw come on you can tell me Rusty! I hate to see you so down in the dumps."
The hedgehog realized he had no other choice but to say what was really on his mind. He just hoped that his friend wouldn't tell the others.
"Well its just…. you all have such amazing talents and you each try to work on them everyday… and sometimes I feel like I have no real skills to show and I wish I could be as talented as all of you."
Russel saw Vinnies expression turn from shock into something more… sorrowful. Its definitely not an expression he's seen many times on his friend on not one he enjoys seeing. Before he could crawl up into a ball and scurry away he felt a hand come up and rest on his shoulder as his friend moved and sat even closer towards him.
"Russel, can't you see how amazingly talented you are? Just because you don't do something like dance or sing doesn't mean you don't have any skills. And mean I find you way more talented than I could ever be! You always know how to come up with plans to get us out of any situation and are always so organized. I mean you try to make sure every new pet that comes in here is comfortable and feels at home. I wish I had a half as much talent as you have."
The little hedgehog couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Vinnie really feel that was about him? He felt his face start to flush from the praise and proximity to his friend. A part of his brain was telling him to reach out and close the space between them, but he quickly shut that thought down. Instead he just stared at his friend with a newfound smile on his face (and maybe a few tears).
"Thank you Vinnie, I really needed to hear that."
He decided in that moment to wrap his arms around him in an embrace. Even though his friend is cold blooded he still felt warm in his arms. After a few moments of realization he quickly backed away from his friend who looked as sheepish as he was. After an awkward moment of staring anywhere else but each other Russell was called by Mrs. Twombly to go home for the day and he quickly went for the door, trying to hide the blush on his face.
Every time he would try to fall asleep that night he would think after the kind words and soft expression on his friends face that would make him jolt back awake, his heart quickened. He knew what this feeling was, and he knew he had to do something about it.
But what?