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Hopediah Plantar (aka Hop Pop) was having a hard time sleeping. As he was lying down, he kept tossing and turning on his own bed. His baggy eyes were half-open, and his expression was a mix of worry and anxiety. His breathing was quiet while his fear was starting to surround the back of his mind.
While he turned to the right side of the bed, Hopediah heard a gruff and perturbed quiet voice lying next to him.
“Hopediah.”
“Hopediah.”
“Hopediah.”
After hearing his name with a bold disposition for the third time, Hopediah rolled over to the left to see the big navy green toad, Captain Grime, lying on his bed right beside him.
Hopediah slowly recoiled with a surprised expression on his face. Still lying next to him, Grime tenderly looked at the restless orange frog. He then yawns a little before speaking in a low, tiring but concerned tone.
“I can hear you moving way too much,” the toad calmly said. “Can’t sleep?”
Hopediah looked at Grime, feeling tired and with a somber expression. After a beat of silence, the short frog sat up and gave out a soft sigh.
“…Yeah.” The frog, feeling a bit embarrassed, finally responded softly. “Sorry that I woke you up.”
“Don’t worry. It's fine.” Grime smoothly replied. He then sat up as well, and gently placed his hand on Hopediah’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? Is there something on your mind?”
“Well… it’s just that… I feel scared.” The orange frog delicately said.
“Scared? Scared of what?” The toad calmly asked.
Hopediah felt a bit pensive, but a little astonished that he’d never thought that he wanted to share his feelings to someone else. In this case, a warrior toad.
The orange frog felt reluctant, but he gathered the strength and the courage to tell the green toad. He breathes in deeply.
“It’s just that… I’ve had these… these weird thoughts I’ve been havin’.”
“Huh… weird thoughts?” Grime asked, in a comforting and caring tone.
“Y-yeah,” said Hopediah, feeling slightly wistful.
“What kinds of thoughts?”
“Well… I’ve just been feelin’ scared lately. I’ve been thinkin’ about what’s going to happen. Andrias is going to rule Amphibia, a-and I’m worried about all the frogs… the toads… the newts…” The fretful frog slowly clutched his stitched blanket as his voice started to tremble softly.
Hopediah breathes in deeply a second time. “I’m also worried about Sprig, Polly, Anne… especially you. Hell, I’m even worried about me, too.”
The frog’s voice started to break. “What if something bad happens to everyone? What if something happens to Sprig, or Polly, or Anne?
Then he reached his breaking point, and was at the point of yelling. “What if something bad happens to YOU?”
There was a moment of silence. As that last sentence actually pierced his heart, Grime looked directly at the frog in shock, seeing how downcast, anxious and worn out he was. Then, he noticed Hopediah starting to tear up.
“I’m…I’m sorry… I…,” Hopediah stammered, who’s on the verge of crying. He began to rub his tears away.
Grime then gives out a sympathetic sigh. “Come here,” he said to the frog, in a soothing tone. He then slowly extends his arms to him.
Hopediah looked at Grime with a sorrowful expression, then he scooted towards Grime. The green toad gently pulled the orange frog in for a soft, adoring hug.
Hopediah, ignoring every sting in his body, began to cry. He hugged back and felt both the toad’s thick warm arms wrapped around him and his heartbeat as he softly buried his head in Grime’s warm soft, but muscular chest towards him.
Grime felt the frog tighten his warm embrace in front of him and silently responded by slowly hugging him closer, rubbing his back soothingly. He looked down on Hopediah with a doleful expression. He sees the frog’s tears, streaming down on his face.
Grime always had that weird soft spot. A soft spot for Sasha. A soft spot for Percy and Braddock. A soft spot for his former toad army, even though he rarely shows it. He even had that soft spot for Sprig when he was training him. But he’d never had a soft spot for Hopediah.
Until now.
That damned toad didn’t know how to console that frog. To reassure him. To comfort him. But he actually knows how HE felt.
He felt shocked and heartbroken when Toad Tower was blown up by King Andrias and that he thought that Beatrix, his older sister, was killed in the tower.
He felt caring and was worried for Sasha when she passed out, or unconscious (either way), after her fight with Anne.
Now this time, he felt weirdly empathetic and showed pity for the frog. In a thoughtful and cordial tone, the toad started to speak. “It’s okay, Hopediah.”
Hopediah sniffled, then he mumbled through his little sobs. “Is it?”
Still hugging Hopediah, Grime deeply sighed.
“You know… I think I kind of get what you’re going through.”
The frog, still hugging the toad, looked up at him with tears. He sniffles. “You do?”
“Yeah… To be honest, I used to be a little scared too.”
Hopediah pulled away from the hug. “Really?”
“Really”, Grime said. He spoke with authenticity as he looked forward. “When I used to be captain AND leader of the toad tower, Sasha came into my life. And Percy and Braddock, too, I guess. I used to be worried about them, and I was responsible for keeping them safe. But suddenly things sort of changed…”
Grime looked down on the bed with a dismal expression. His legs were covered with the stitched blanket. So were Hopediah’s.
“While you were at Earth with your family, Sasha kept beating herself up in some instances when she started the Resistance. I felt so concerned about her, and I just really wanted her to be better, and to confront her past. I just want her to be safe and maybe… maybe happy, too.”
While Grime was talking, Hopediah wiped away his tears and managed to pull himself together. He looked at Grime with consideration.
“I also still manage to get in contact with Percy and Braddock from time to time after they quit the Toad Army, but… I also feel a little worried about them. And… I would give my all to see them again… But, here we are now. Hiding and preparing for war. Making sure that we all are safe.”
Hopediah stares at Grime, spotting a tear welling at the corner of his eye.
“Making sure that the amphibians are safe… making sure Sasha’s safe… making sure that you are safe.”
The last sentence stung Hopediah emotionally.
“Grime…”, the frog said meekly. He placed his orange hand on the toad’s green hand. “A…are you afraid?”
With a somber expression and in a melancholic tone, he said, “Yeah… A little bit.”
Grime, not looking at Hopediah, lifts his hand a little and wipes his tear welling away. He then covers his mouth with his hand as he huffs a shaky sigh. He pulled through, fought back tears, immediately snapped out of it, and looked at Hopediah. Hopediah gently pulls his hand away from Grime.
He coughs. “But listen… I’m…I’m not making this all about me. And I’m not gonna lie to you anymore. I know you are scared, and… so am I. There could be times where everyone, Anne, Sprig, Polly and Sasha, might get hurt or not. And there could be times where either you or I get hurt… or not.”
Grime gently places his green hand on Hopediah’s orange face and caresses it. Hopediah, feeling a little worn out, softly holds Grime’s hand for comfort as lightly blushes and looks up at him.
“But I do know that it’s never too late for them, AND for me to get back up again”, Grime said, in a reassuring and alleviating tone. “And whether or not it could happen, we will always bounce back and we will never give up on each other.”
Grime slowly blushes as he talks while Hopediah gazes at him in awe.
“Everyone’s got each other’s backs. But more importantly, I’ve got you, and you've got me. And I will keep you safe.”
“You promise?”, Hopediah softly asked.
Grime cracks a warm comforting smile. He gives him a small peck on Hopediah’s forehead. He gives him a tender hug. “I promise.”
Hopediah contentedly hugs him back as he smiles. “Thank you, Grime. I think I understand now”, he said with lenience.
“Anytime”, Grime chuckled, still hugging Hopediah. “As long as you’re happy, I am too. And even if I can’t find any other ways to keep you safe, I’ll make sure of that.”
“How can you be so sure?”, Hopediah asked, a little confused as he looked up at Grime.
Grime thinks for a moment. Then after a little moment of silence, he thought of something. He gets himself up. He gently places Hopediah upward on the bed.
“What are you—?”, Hopediah asked, perplexed.
Grime gets on top of Hopediah, looking down upon him. He cockily raised his eyebrow and showed a bold, genuine smile.
“Feel safer~ ?”, he said flirtatiously.
Hopediah blushed madly and he nodded as he widely smiled back, goofily.
Grime chuckled as he kissed Hopediah’s cheek. “You’re ridiculous, you goober”, he teased.
Hopediah places his hands on both Grime’s cheeks as he chuckles. “Yeah… but you’re my goober too, you big potato.”
“True”, Grime chuckled. The short orange frog and the big green toad shared a solid, warm passionate kiss on the lips. They break away from the kiss as they both madly blush at each other. They both laughed as Hopediah wrapped his arms around Grime.
Grime primely hugged back. The both of them get into their comfortable cuddle positions, resting their heads on the pillows; their hands intertwined, feeling serene in each other’s arms. They both smiled and looked at each other.
“I love you, you big potato.”
“Love you too, my little potato.”