Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

pov's.

paintbrush:

[19>] [23>] [55>]

lightbulb:

[24>] [18>] [44>]

marshmallow:

[5>]

nickel:

[7>]

cabby:

[38>]

test tube:

[48>] [49>]

balloon:

[52>]

baseball:

[47>]

fan:

[1>]

chapter [56>] is from Lightbulb's pov, and is about suitbulb

bold marking usually indicates that the chapters are more romantic.

it is there so you could tell apart which stories are meant to be platonic.

Chapter Text

It was dark when they awoke.

They opened their eyes to a sky painted black, sprinkled with distant stars and centred around a waning crescent moon.

They don't remember how exactly did they end up outside, they don't just... fall asleep on the ground...  (only Lightbulb does that, they scorn her for it-  she's lucky she doesn't catch colds that often.  Their best friend is insufferable when she's sick.)

They shivered, it's so cold, where are they?

Gritting their teeth they try to take a look around, while laying still on the ground.

They're not standing up, at least not yet with this bitch of a headache that they feel, which prompted them out awake in the first place.

(At this point the pain might just kill them quicker then hypothermia!)

They can recognize silhouettes of large trees nearby, some rocks and logs laying around them.

Okay, that...

Does raise more questions, why in a forest?

They gaze at the nearby trees.

It's kind of hard to tell, but no sticks seem to be broken.

It comes to them at that moment, that it couldn't have possibly been Lightbulb who dragged them out here.

They feel unsettled by this observation.

Chapter Text

"Breathe in Paintbrush."   she'd say on that evening, waves crashing into the sand.

the wet, yellow grains holding out secrets of the sea.  clams, and seaweed sprawled out for the world to see.

maybe, the waves were kind of like their soul.    spread out, and strong. large and evercrashing, affecting everything around them.

pulling down everyone around them.

the repetitive motion was calming, though.  they could feel their nerves dissipate with every single push and pull of the endless ocean.

"See? You're doing great"  she smiled at them in the lax, relaxed way she always seems to hold herself

"Now on three... breathe out, breath-"

__

They startle awake

Chapter Text

And she lays there, bare, unfound and unprotected in the midst of dandelions wishing that it had been her.

the wind ruffles all of the flowers around her, they sparkle in shades of yellow and blue and pink.

they're in a quiet solidarity, brothers and sisters united against the world.

out to decorate it, to enlighten the dark stains painted grass.

they all have their purpose, and she's a light too.

but she doesn't have any friends right now.
(they all left the show, they all left.)

and.

without her purpose, her friends.

she feels like an outsider.

Chapter Text

She looked around, at the colorful crayons littering the ground.

Everything around them was so messy, so chaotic and out of place as they'd pin the paper down and hold colors above it.

Ready to spill them, to apply them to the blank stare only a white sheet of paper could possibly hold, to create something. anything, because the possibilities are endless in this very moment.

But aren't they always?  With how it feels like between them?

They're enemies, signing a truce, mending a friendship. And then stumbling.

It's shaky, it's hesistant.     And in moments it's stable, because sometimes she looks at Apple, and she sees a friend.

And she thinks 'she cares about me' as she listens to her rambling on, and on about things that Apple sees and then feels this odd sense of serenity.   

And sure, they get annoying after a while.

But they're still friends aren't they?

And then.

Then Apple comes to her, and she speaks in this.   Abrasive, Ignorant tone, and she feels misunderstood.

She feels angry, she feels unacknowledged, and her 'friend' is selfish, and idiotic, and pushy and she can't even get a little time to herself with Apple around.

There is a crimson paint staining the paper positioned on the ground, she grabs it and she wraps her fingers tightly around it.

and she looks at the cartoonish, simplish drawing of Apple it holds and.

she shifts her attention to Apple, who is also drawing, just beside her without a care in the world, her smile sincere.

she almost wants to crumble the artwork with her fingers now, not everything revolves around Apple.

Chapter Text

and he was left standing there, awkwardly leaning a bit to the side.

one leg digging into the ground, stabilizing him.  he was looking away at a nearby bush, it seemed at the moment.

he wondered if maybe, maybe someone was inside that bush.  It does seem large enough to engulf and hide a person in it for sure.  What if he is under the gaze of two unfamiliar eyes right now?

watching, analysing him?

but he shakes that thought off, no point in being paranoid about a bush Nickel.

that's way too fucking stupid.

And so, after setting himself up on ignoring the bush as his newest goal, he remembered about the other problem he was facing at the moment.

Standing... like 3 feet away of him.

Right, apologising to Balloon.

He should just get over with it really, do himself a favour and kick that off of his bucket list.

Which... is arguably small, he's keeping it simple.  

ー Form an alliance, don't lose this alliance, or, let them betray him, all while managing his little rivalry with Balloon, what could go wrong?

He takes in a quiet breath,    "I'm sorry." he meant to say, as a beginning of his apology because the quicker he tells what he needs to say the better.

it gets stuck in his throat.

he's terrified of this in a way, because what he's about to do will change this.  The way he perceives them, the way he perceives him.

changing, admitting. That's what he's doing right now isn't he?

so he saves himself the humiliation by pretending to cough.

but it's pretty obvious with the way the other boy is looking at him right now, curious and expectant, perhaps a little concerned, that he sees right through it.

he let's out another cough 'whatever'

Chapter Text

"There is one true fact that comes from this hellhole Baxter." she said a little breathlessly, the lights of her lover's lab flickering on and off, a little broken.

"Is that no matter where you are? There's just not enough dr.frizz. " she sighs

there were lots of papers scattered inside, something about genetics.  Letters, numbers, symbols drawn together so tightly that hold no meaning but confusion to her.

Perhaps scientists have a language, saved just for themselves, so no ordinary person could ever reach what is written and decipher it.

But she already knows what this is about, the black and white circle of her fellow teammates drawn on a pin board hanging a little to the left on the wall, next to the white table.

there are steps to this-  she realises, numbered A to B to C to (profit?)

science works a little like that,

she wonders if they should really be separated.     a good team leader would know the answer to this.

or be more firm about their beliefs, take responsibility.

she's neither.  but she'll try.  do the best that she can.

Chapter Text

she hears the way rain pours down outside, watches it all in motion through a window.

there's this new, numb kind of feeling that follows it.

it's like someone tried to stick a pin through a plastic rubber heart.

hurts, but doesn't shatter.   instead?  it leaves an ugly permanent mark.

just like the one left on her mentality, pride, heart.

which-  doesn't bleed exactly.  no.

she felt the betrayal, she felt herself crumbling alongside it-  but it isn't her end.

it's her new beginning, it's a reminder.  of what TRUST would do to her had she let it near herself ever again.

Chapter Text

"Stop! You're deeply confusing-"  she pointed her hand towards....

"-a stylistically challenged version of Paintbrush!"

the sound, vexed and loud vibrated through the air separating them.

"But it's so full circle!"    she tried to explain-  she can remember this!   she had seen it happen at the start of first season- 

"NO!" 

"Thematic parallels be darned, DARNED!"   Test tube screamed, Lightbulb shifted uncomfortably-   watching the green gal put a hand to her head in panicked manner.

"You   CAN'T   interfere with the past, you could so as much break a   TWIG    here and somehow inadvertently change the fuー"

the sound of something snapping went reaching towards both of them.

Chapter Text

"C'mon Baxter!" she calls out   "Hop onto my hands!  I'll carry you to the cinema-"

Lightbulb laughs, as he does then proceeds to twirl around.

she looks really happy while doing so, and her orange scarf moves around with her.  It dances in the air gracefully, she's a blur of shades including tangerine, red, so many different shades of grey and much more of yellow.

she stops after her eighth or ninth rotation though, whether that be because she felt dizzy or did her crab.

maple leaves get windswept into the air, plucked out of the trees with one particularly strong gust- and the air is chilly now.

it's autumn, october and she's enamored by the view.

"We should hurry up, it's gonna get real cold and dark soon."   Lightbulb says, clutching her head   "Besides you don't want to miss that sci-fi movie!  I heard it's got great visuals and the sound effects are out of this world!"

Lightbulb points fingerguns and flashes a grin at her, it makes her heart skip a beat.

"quite literally!  and if you won't end up enjoying it, at least we bought popcorn right?"

she moves closer and takes her hand, and her head feels a little funny because of the gesture.

Chapter Text

Test tube traces her hand up her chin and she thinks she understands now.

there's a silent kind of understanding passed between them, under the dark trees and the chilly wind.

she thinks Lightbulb looks a little sad, with the votes cast and fate sealed.   the decision of their separation made clear between them.  It's natural, they knew it would happen at some point.

if only they could linger on a little longer.

"It's alright, we'll reconnect someday"   she says like she means it, and she does.  

"It sucks that you have to go."   The bright girl replies,

   "Leaving your fellow team leader alone like this?! So, soooo, uncool tube." 

Chapter Text

The silence all around them is deafening, as they hold their breath.

The air all around him feels cold-  he's standing outside now, under the guise of the night sky, only guided by natural self-guilt, the stars and the measly excuse of an apology paper.

he holds it to his chest, anxiously he wonders "what if this doesn't change anything?"

"Why would it?"   

It hurts him a little, to believe it.

But he's still got this, wrap around his chest which squeezes it.   it makes breathing harder then it should be, still he inhales.

"Uhhh,   h-hey there b...uddy?"   he derails, he doesn't know if he has the right to call him that but-  being friendly wouldn't hurt right.??

right?

"Get out."   OJ says, angrily then he slams the door shut   "And don't come back ever again." 

Chapter Text

he sits under the weary moonlight casted through the clouds and his heart hurts just as if it were bleeding.

bleeding,  all over the competition borders, throughout the elimination grounds, and somewhere far away, open and visible and so goddamn vulnerable and it's all caused by his mistakes.

it's a darker shade of red, holding something way more serious and darker then he could hope to comprehend contrasting the bright, cheery votes flashing on a screen-  screaming 'Balloon!'

the one innocent vote reading 'Nickel' is the shade of a bullet, metaphorically strinking through his insides, an invisible knife embedded in his stomach.

he should hate Suitcase for this, he decided.

he should loathe her for being the one to betray them all and holding the weapon which would doom them.

but his head feels so full and so empty, all the time.

but how can he?  when it all has been caused by his own mistakes?

Chapter Text

"Oh, god."    they grumble out, sweat beading a curved line down their face, they're still holding the doorknob. It's familiar metal cold to touch.

the bedsheets are splayed out on the floor, several cans of carbonated drinks knocked out over the wooden floor, it's a familiar sight in this room (they check on it's inhabitants every afternoon, as a leader and a friend should.)

on a miserable looking pillow sleeps yinyang, expressing current displeasure at who knows what in particular, still asleep in what looks like a stickman bended over in all directions, the position is so horrible it looks like everyone might just wake up with their bones broken had they decided to rest like that.

they gaze over the mattress on a king sized bed, a large dark stain meeting their eyes.

some kind of pinkish liquid dripping off from it, they'll decide not to question that.

now, walking over to the causation of this mess..   "Hey" they tap his shoulder lightly "Care to wake up?"

the darker half who titled himself a destructive-short-chaotic-overload twitches just slightly, they place their hand on his shoulder   "You do know you are not meant to sleep in this position, unless you're trying to twist your spine, right?"

he groans, eyes closed and speaks out in a soft voice while still half-asleep   "shut up Paintbrush."

they don't really budge, until he gets annoyed and slaps their hand away, slowly coming to his senses while holding his head.    

he opens his eyes slowly, careful to not let light worsen his state while trying to comprehend what is currently happening.

Paintbrush waits for him, a moment passing or two before Yang attempts standing up, he stumbles.

they catch him.

they also notice how he sunk into it, instantly losing all awareness, peacefully relaxing.

Chapter Text

a small screen hitting him with the blueish life, as the record player beeped red.

their eyes met for a moment then, breathtaking and a breath they took, inhaling in air as if that would make their lungs loosen and words flow out

"I thought I told you not to follow me."  she speaks with the cold restrain over her voice, gripping it tighter as if to shelter it from breaking.

she put a hand over the alientistic creature, like a bird protecting their runt from danger.

But he's not here to hurt it, so why does it hurt so much?

suddenly, this is all much more than an adventure to record, to save, to experience, to keep.

Test tube's been weird lately, hasn't she?

Both of them brushed it off at any given circumstance, he buried this unsettling feeling into the back of his mind.

I'll think more about this later

I'm sure it's nothing to worry about

She's just been a lot more stressed lately

We all have bad days don't we?

...weeks

I'll just be here for her when she'll need me

It's not like I speak about my feelings

So who am I to judge?

he turns off the recording, and he puts the player away

"What are you hiding test tube?"  he speaks

Chapter Text

"Oh, hey there Lightbulb!"   Comes reaching a voice from the docks, cheerful and expecting all at once.  She's been doing better, Lightbulb thinks.  Ever since the bright girl made attempts to... reach out, a little towards other competitors.  There's not much to do around here, after Mephone4 left.  Honestly.   Same old, same old, it grows boring.   Laying inside the dark, long grass, plucking at it's snips constantly, all while waiting for some miscellaneous bugs to reach her and crawl nearby her.

So she got up, ready to face her distress on being left alone on a reality show.    Game full of fun silly challanges, like baking a cookie pizza, like sunbathing, like bucket brigade with her teammates enveloped against each other.  Smiling, laughing beside her.

It were their last happy moments, before everything turned upside down.

There wasn't time to think until she's been sucked into a time vortex, making a new friend in place of another.   Then the next time conflict took place again, the egg.  The last thing she'd seen was Fan.  And Test tube.   And then Test tube without Fan.

And then she lost Test tube to an egg shaped U.F.O.  and a bunch of contestants who felt endangered, a voting event gone horribly wrong.

Maybe it was all for the better, though.

Maybe, Test tube needed a break from this.  Lightbulb had seen how uptight she had been feeling lately, stress and agitation.   And anger, so much bottled, burning, bright, anger.

And then there were four.

Afterwards, she reached out and now she's got another friendly companion right next to her.   She's made a habit of showing up to a humid place that Suitcase have frequented and now she's expected, and now she's wanted.

And now she's got a pretty, brown haired girl looking at her, smiling at her.

She can almost hear her heart going all a'flutter over here.

Chapter Text

"Whoah you have a nice bedroom"

Bright neon purple spread across the room pulsed with the systematic switch of a lightflip, a couple of cute catshaped glass lamps lit up the room, while the fairy lights hanging atop the ceiling around the four falls dimly followed

"Thanks" called Lightbulb, comfortably laying back on a wall

Quickly, Test tube rummaged through her bag "I brought the supplies, for our science project"

"Got any knick knacks dude? I brought skittles" lightbulb snickered, grinning

Test tube rolled her eyes, said "well thank you, but I'm not eating those- the red ones, they're made with carmine which is commonly obtained from the blood of bugs"

Lightbulb dropped the pack of skittles "I've been eating BUGS."