Chapter Text
Herb stared at the screen even after Whipped Cream's icon dipped into the red of 'do not disturb' before going to 'offline' and staying that way. Glancing at the door where his roommate was sleeping, Herb genuinely wondered how much trouble he'd be in if he woke Lemon up. He knew the poor lad was injured, so reasonably he shouldn't but the desire to have someone to talk to that wasn't a plant was still there. It was strange, his plants still chattering away about who he was texting and how he felt about them without his need to even make a comment. Of course it easily drowned out as soon as he put on earbuds and put on some music. A price to pay for having plant magic and having an obsession with buying and 'reviving' plants, he supposed.
He didn't really know Whipped Cream, Herb had to admit, though all he said was true. Whipped Cream had the aura of someone untouchable, but when he was open with Millennial right there Herb had to admit he seemed like fun even if he used proper grammar and spelling that threw tone out the window. Of course, then Millennial had to go and do his regular disappearance. Herb held nothing against him, he got the desire to disconnect and just march into a forest to stay. He was sure the trees had many stories just waiting to be told. Of course, the reason he knew Millennial was that the man had a keen eye, or ear perhaps, for the talkative plants that loved stories and loved telling stories. It just so happened Millennial took a liking to Herb, acting much like a parent would. Things lead to things and eventually Herb was added into a large group chat. He never really talked in it, much to scared to despite Lemon's encouragements, but he read it often. Often enough for him to start sending short responses. Then of course Millennial's break occurred and the group chat slowly died out.
He wasn't quite sure why he reached out to Whipped Cream but he was going to blame the plants.Herb got up out of the chair, chugging back the rest of the tea before putting the mug in the dishwasher and starting the coffee maker. With the machine now whirring to life in the back, Herb turned to Lemon's door and knocked loudly on it whilst taking out one earbud.
"Lemon! Lemon! Rise and shine!" With a long pause of silence, Herb knocked some more. "The sun is awake and I need to check your injuries!"
"Fuck off!"
"No!" Herb giggled, used to this behaviour early in the morning anyways. "I'm worried about your health, so either you get out here so I can check your wounds in the washroom or I'm barging in and violating your privacy."
There was an even longer pause but just before Herb could knock at the door once more Lemon opened it still in pajamas. The bandage shittily wrapped around his arm had red stains poking through that were now dark and bruises had started to form around his face and neck. Herb hissed sympathetically, hesitantly cupping Lemon's cheek.
"Rough night?"
"You were fucking there." Lemon sighed, but leaned into the touch anyways. "I keep forgetting monsters come in packs nowadays."
"Hm." Herb hummed softly before poking the bruise.
"Ow, the fuck?!"
"Just checking." He mumbled though mostly to himself. "Go to the washroom and take off the bandage, I want to see if it's infected."
"Well it's itchy." Lemon grumbled as he very clearly didn't walk to the washroom and instead the kitchen.
"Healing things are itchy too, that's not a telling sign." Herb sighed, following Lemon. "Sorry I wasn't much more help."
"That's not new, you know." With a huff, Lemon stood in front of the coffee machine similar to a puppy waiting at the door for his owner to come home. "Why take up the job if you can't handle it? It's okay to say you can't do things."
"I can! I went through the training and everything, you took the test with me!" Herb defended, "I have my license so I should use it to help."
"Which shocked both of us." Lemon hummed, grabbing a mug out of one of the counters and pouring the hot coffee into it.
"Pun intended?" Herb smiled.
"Fuck."
"Haha, I noticed the pun before you!" He giggled brightly.
Instead of replying, Lemon just made eye-contact with Herb before chugging the scalding coffee causing the green-haired boy to be shocked into silence.
"Lemon!"
"What?"
"Why did you- doesn't that hurt?"
"It warms my dead soul."
Herb just stared. "We both know you don't have one."
"Damn right I don't." Lemon smirked. "I sold it for my ability to drink hot drinks."
"That's such a lame thing to sell your soul for."
"What else could I want?" He raised an eyebrow, "I have strong magic, an entertaining job with enough income to support us, and I live with my best friend who I've known for nearly a decade now."
"Oh no, you're making me feel old," Herb joked, "we've known each other for almost a decade."
"Yeah, suck it up old man. Name a more iconic duo." He chuckled.
"You and going to the washroom so I can make sure your wound is okay."
"...You got me there."
"I know." Herb smiled gently with a wink.
Lemon reluctantly refilled his mug with more coffee before leaving on the counter and trudging to the washroom with Herb following behind.
"Y'know if we keep getting hurt, you should probably try to start sweet-talking doctors."
"Or the insurance company."
"Or the insurance company." Lemon agreed with a nod.
"You have too much faith in my charisma." Herb giggled, starting to undo the bandage while Lemon sat on the edge of the bathtub.
"People think you're flirting with them a lot, I am confident in what I see."
"But I'm not flirting." He frowned slightly. "I'm just being nice."
"I know." Lemon sighed as the bandage came off his arm with an uncomfortable sensation. "You're better with people than with monsters."
"I guess, it's not my fault though." Herb frowned. "I get all panicked and my magic won't work, I don't need magic with people but I need it for monsters."
Lemon nodded, glancing at his arm. The gash that was once rather deep had started to scab over leaving the impression that it was much shallower than it was. The bleeding had stopped and it seemed fine, though taking off the bandaged had made the whole place red from the shifting around. It didn't appear infected but it felt stiff and sore still.
"I'm going to get another bandage." Herb mumbled.
"Can you at least use WikiHow to make sure you tie it right?" Lemon teased, leaning against the wall.
"That's what I did last time." Herb shrugged.
Lemon hummed in response as Herb rummaged through the cupboards. Eventually he found the first-aid kit they'd stuffed in it late last night, taking out the bandage role.
"I'm cleaning the area first, okay?"
"The wound is already closed-"
"Please?"
"...Okay."
With silence now hanging in the air, Herb started to clean Lemon's arm even if they both know he could do it himself.
"I've been texting someone." Herb hummed.
"You always are."
"I know, but this time it's not someone from training or anything job-related."
"Oh?"
"They're a magicless dancer."
"Huh. Not everyday you hear about that. Who?"
"Well they go by Whipped Cream." Herb shrugged. "I haven't poked around on the internet, I respect privacy unlike you."
"If it's on the internet it's free for the public to see." Lemon defended weakly causing Herb to scoff and roll his eyes. There was a dull glow from his eyes Herb missed in the moment of looking away.
"I'm being polite."
"You're being lame."
"What would I even do with the information? I barely know him, it'd be weird."
"See if he's cute-"
"Lemon!"
"I'm just saying." Lemon smirked, looking at how red Herb's face got at the single comment.
"I'm not even interested, I don't know him well enough." Herb sighed. "I don't even know his favourite colour."
"Pink probably, he wears it a lot-"
"Stop snooping!" Herb's voice raised a few pitches causing Lemon to laugh.
"It's a public Instagram, it's hardly snooping."
"Stop using magic right this instant!"
"Why?"
"You're still recovering, first off. Secondly, it's still bad!"
"Eh..." Lemon hummed. "It's not that bad."
"It's in poor taste."
"Can't argue with that." He conceded as the glow faded. "Ask him if it's pink though."
"Why?"
"I wanna know if I'm right, dummie."
Herb stuck his tongue out at the blonde instead of responding in a dignified manner. Lemon couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Do your plants know?"
"They end up knowing everything."
Lemon nodded. "So they're gossiping again?"
"Quite loudly."
"I can threaten to burn them-"
"Do not!"
"Okay, okay, I won't. The offer will remain in the air though if you need them to shut up for you."
Herb nodded, putting the spare bandage back in the first-aid kit before shoving it back in the cupboard and closing it before anything could fall out again.
"Organized."
"Hush, please."
Lemon nodded, standing up. "I'm going to get back to my coffee."
"Alright." Herb hummed.
"Got anything today?"
"Late shift at the greenhouse but that's about it."
Lemon nodded, "so what you're saying is we can totally play Stardew Valley together, huh?"
"...I suppose." Herb giggled.
"And we can talk about your new ballerina friend too."
"Or we could not?"
"I'll think about it," Lemon hummed, "you have more of a social life than me and I need to be entertained by gossip somehow. Internet drama only goes so far."
"You're horrible." There was no bite to the insult as Herb said it.
"Thank you, I try. At least there's no peer pressure to do drinking games like in Uni."
"I swear I can't even smell beer without dying inside anymore." Herb sighed.
"One way to get turned off of alcohol." Lemon giggled.
Lemon left to the kitchen while Herb turned into his room once more. Might as well drag out his laptop to play beside Lemon, right? With the ensemble in tow, Herb sat on the couch and waited. He could hear the idle chattering of the plants, mostly complaints about Lemon now being awake and active. His plants never did favour the blonde, though Herb couldn't blame them. Raw electricity never did help flowers.
"How long does it take you to drink coffee?" Herb yelled, tilting his head back against the couch.
"Keep your mouth shut, leaf consumer."
"Tea's more like leaf broth, I'm not eating the tea bag. You'd eat the grounds if you could, bean boy."
"And I am unashamed of that fact!" Lemon appeared with a filled mug in his hand. Herb decided against commenting on it. "Sure it's bad for me physically, but it does wonder with helping my magic go even stronger."
"Do you need strong magic right now?"
"I don't want to get my charger."
"Ah..." Herb gave Lemon a disappointed look.
"I'll charge your laptop too?"
"How dare you make me agree to letting you use magic inside the house."
"You do all the time." Lemon poked Herb's nose.
"Mine doesn't destroy things!"
"Yet."
"It doesn't and it won't."
"Yet."
Herb just sighed and shook his head, booting up Stardew Valley on his laptop. "Do you have any plans?"
"Hm..." Lemon leaned against him. "We should probably try to get animals soon so we can complete the bundle."
"Right." Herb hummed. "We're still avoiding fishing?"
"Oh totally." Lemon smirked.
"Okay." Herb sighed, glancing at his phone briefly. "Go get your game started up, the farm's on."
"Alright. Don't get too distracted with your phone."
"Oh hush." Herb rolled his eyes with a smile as Lemon stood up. "I'm not the electric one."