Work Text:
Tango was stressed.
Now, this wasn’t something uncommon for tango, stress was pretty persistent for him honestly but the stress was absolutely awful, more so than usual.
His problem was he didn’t know what started it.One day he’d basically just woke up stressed and stayed like that. He felt tired soon after. Mind numbing tiredness and annoyance. Things he enjoyed felt..less fun. He found himself smiling less when he did much of anything.
So naturally, his body got cold. When he wasn’t in a good place he’d get cold. When the fire inside his chest and eyes was sputtering he was sharp and frosty like an icicle. And so.. First his hands became fridged.
He didn’t like that. He couldn’t be not okay, not in the prime of season nine! He was meant to be happy. Everyone else was fine. He should be too.
And it all came crashing down when tango got sick. He’d been shivering the whole day. And he probably should have known from the get go but he’d already established: he needed to be fine.
“Tango!” Scar called out to him. Tango flinched into a mile long heel spin.
“Hey.” Teeth chattering.
Scar didn’t notice.
Grian was also there.
“We need help with the raid farm.”
“What- what's wrong with the farm?” Tango asked, already tired at the prospect.
“It's just being finicky. Items aren't going where they need to.”
“I’ll fix it later then. Bye.”
Tango already felt exhausted and tired.
“Did we say something wrong?”
“Tired. Go please.”
Grian grabbed his hand before jerking back.
“Tango your hands!”
“What?”
“They feel like ice blocks man.”
Tango shifted. He felt confused, why were they acting so weird?
Tango continued away.
“Hey, are you okay?”
That stops tango.
“Impulse told us about that little netherborn quirk.”
Tango bit back a swear.
“Leave me alone, please.”
“Not until you're in a better place. You're so cold.”
Void's tango hated not being able to regulate his temperature.
“I’m fin-“
“Your not.your frigid and you look almost blue in tint, man. It's time to get you inside.”
After much argument, the infamous pair managed to force tango inside his house and nessle him in blankets.
And tango had to admit this was nice. He hadn’t ever realised how dizzy he’d felt. His hands fumbled a bit as he reached for a pillow. Grian feels his skin.
“We're gonna stay with you like this for a bit, okay? You could be battling hypothermia ya know?”
Tango nodded slowly.
“Are you still with us?”
“..yeah. ‘M here.”
“Scar, could you start running him a hot bath please?”
“On it.”
Scar searches for tango's bathroom and grian locks his attention on tango.
“Tango? Can you tell me what happened to make you this..sad?”
He hummed.
“I-i dunno. Season nine started ‘n i just felt so stressed and tired and cranky? Just being around feels like a chore i guess.”
“Hm.”
“I didn’t mean to snap, it's just. Everything feels so annoying and hard to do. Things are normally this hard. I just got all weird.”
“Its because your probably burning out really hardcore, tango. It happens to the best of us though, okay? You just need a good break and some T.L.C.”
“But i have to-“
“Baths ready!”
Grian pulled tango up and walked him to the bathroom.
“Tango?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you mind if one of us watches over you for a bit? You're shaking a whole lot and we need to make sure nothing happens.”
“I sure? Please don’t-“
“Of course.”
Scar mumbles something about making food and walks out, leaving grian and tango again. Grian leaves the bathroom and tango strips down. Toeing off his socks last before sinking into the tub. It's warm against his skin,sickeningly comforting.
Tango makes some courtesy bubbles with a bottle of soap before letting grian come back in.
He sits against the door, giving tango some level of privacy.tango sinks down low and breathes in the warmth.
“..thank you” he mutters.
“We're just trying to help.”
“But i was bein’ a jerk. ‘M sorry.”
“We all have our moments.”
Tango still feels guilty.
“Don’t. Tango, I can see it on your face. You're only gonna get worse if you think like that. I’d be snapping at everyone ages ago if i were in your shoes.”.
“Okay, yeah.”
They sit in silence for a bit as tango lays in the hot water, stilling. He trusted grian to make sure he didn’t get himself killed or anything. He must have dozed off a bit because when he opened his eyes, grian was shaking him awake.
“Hey. I need you to not fall asleep like that please.”
“Oh- sorry!”
“No issue. Just gave me quite the fright.”
“I got some clothes and a towel for ya. I trust you’re about done.”
Tango nods and grian leaves the room. Something heavenly smelling is peering in through the cracks of the door so he rushes to put on the sweater and pyjama pants.
He still feels cold, but less so than before.
“Hey.”
Scar turns from tangos stove with a smile.
“Hey tango! Go ahead and have a seat with grian. Pancakes and coco will be done in just a minute!”
“You're making-? No way! A-aw thanks. It's a actually really sweet of you scar.”
Scar smiles and tango takes the invite to sit next to grian who was..
Watching phineas and ferb.
Tango gawks.
“Huh-? Aww! seriously! You two are way too nice.”
“Anything to help you out, tango. Now snuggle up.”
Tango nodded and snuggled near grian in a mound of blankets and soon scar brought food and drinks.they sat together, chewing on slightly burnt chocolate chip pancakes and sipping hot cocoa.
“Thank you two. Seriously.”
Scar pats his arm.
“Glad we could help.”
Tango hugs them both tightly.
And there's a warm feeling in all of their chests.