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“ Well babe it’s been nice talking to you, but I gotta exit stage right. Can’t keep my fans waiting.” Dave announced as he stood up from the table he’d been eating lunch looking forward just enough that his sunglasses fell to the bridge of his nose so he could look at Chip who was sitting across from him. “ But don’t you worry babe, I’ll be back soon. Can’t keep my biggest fan waiting can I?”
Chip playfully scoffed “ Go before you’re late, I’d hate to have to write you up for being late.. again.” He waved his hand towards Dave who took that as a queue to run off to his show, he was running dangerously late by that point after all. Chip watched him leave with his chin resting on his hand, softly sighing as Dave walked just out of sight.
“ Oooooh I know that looook” Graham said in a sing songy voice as he leaned forward a bit to give Chip a mischievous smile from across the table.
“ What are yo-”
“ Oh yeah, He can hardly hide it with a look like that on his face.” Flint added on with an equally sly smile on his own face as he leaned forward in a similar manner to Graham.
“ I can’t hide what??”
Chip’s questions fell on deaf ears as Belle turned around from the table just across from theirs with a big smile on her face. “ I could hear it from here, as the kids say, you most certainly have it bad dearie.
“ What are you talking about?” Chip awkwardly pleaded with an ever growing look of confusion look on his face.
Spruce chuckled between bites of the log he’d brought to lunch with him. “ They’re tahlin’, about yah cruth on Dave.” Spruce elbowed Chip with a big smile on his face.
“ Wha- I- I don’t, It’s not like that.” Chip announced while he quickly looked between each of the four cogs that were looking at him.
Graham awkwardly laughed with his eyebrow raised. “ Oh really? So what were those dreamy sighs just now?”
“ Or the longing look in your eyes?” Flint added on again serious look on his face.
Belle giggled a bit “ You did seem quite enamored with him when you were talking to him before as well dearie.”
“ Ah can thee right through yah bro, yah got a cruth.” Spruce shot Chip a knowing look between bites out of his log, ignoring the amount of splintered wood that was showering the table below him.
“ None of those are true I swear!” Chip feebly tried to defend himself again, though it was clearly not working as the rest of the cogs around him all continued to give him knowing looks that seemed to pierce right through him. “ I don’t do romance anyway, not when we have work to do.” Chip’s voice was more serious and stern as he said this. Chip had never been one for romance, or at least he’d never been one for admitting he had romantic feelings for anyone. He was far more comfortable ignoring the feelings until they died so they wouldn’t interfere with his work.
“ Well speak of the devil here comes Dave now.” Belle called as she turned in the direction that Dave had left in. Her eyes kept on Chip to watch as his head snapped back to attention with a happy look in his eyes, only to frown and be seriously disappointed when he realized what she’d just done.
“ That proves nothing.” Chip hissed as he looked back down at the table, very intent on holding his position of denial.
Graham laughed “ I’m starting to think, he really doesn’t realize what's going on.” He said as he gave Chip an intrigued look.
Chip glared at Graham. “ Would you drop it. There’s nothing going on.” Chip snapped with a hint of venom in his words.
Flint flinched at the sudden outburst. “ I think you’re right, but I’m starting to think we really should drop it.” Flint awkwardly laughed as Chip turned his glare in Flint’s direction.
Belle stood up from her table with her hands extended towards Chip, like she was calming down a large animal. “ Now, Now, Dearies, why don’t we change the subject a bit?” She said in a soothing voice as she sat across from Chip, where Dave had sat before. She looked between all of them for a moment before her eyes widened like she’d just remembered something. “ Oh, Flint, did I tell you about the dashing new cog I met the other day.”
Flint leaned forwards so he could see Belle better with an intrigued look on his face. “ No you haven’t, but now you do have to tell me.” Flint and Belle both laughed for a moment.
“ Well, he was quite the catch. He was quite handsome.” She raised her eyebrows up and down as she said this, almost as if she was trying to give Flint a clue about something. “ Reminded me almost of my dearest husband, he was really quite the charmer.”
Flint laughed “ Oh, no I think you have told me about this cog, didn’t you say he was really easy to talk to?” Flint’s sly smile returned as he and Belle shared a very, very subtle nod.
“ What are you two doing?” Chip questioned with a suspicious look in his eyes.
“ We’re just talking dearie.” Belle dismissed with a pleasant smile on her face. “ But you’re very right Flint, I talked to him for hours about anything. He really made time fly by” She giggled as she recounted the event.
“ Stop it, I know what you’re doing.” Chip growled as he looked between the two of them.
Flint ignored Chip’s words as he continued to talk to Belle. “ Almost like when Graham and I first met, back then I was too scared to talk to anyone at my job.” Flint looked at Graham with a gentle smile as he held Graham’s hand, giving it a small squeeze before they laced their fingers together. “ Then this man came speeding into my life and before I knew it we’d been talking about anything for hours… he really brought me out of my shell.”Flint leaned forward and gave Graham a gentle peck on the cheek, a smitten look on his face.
Though Chip wasn’t focused on this as he slammed his hand onto the table. “ Stop. It. Stop talking about Dave and expecting me to confess something that’s not true.” Chip growled his saw revving a bit as he glared at the two of them.
Belle looked at him a little surprised. “ Chip, we weren't talking about Dave.” She giggled, but despite her fake ignorance she knew exactly what she and Flint were doing.
Flint nodded along “ and I’m pretty sure I was talking about Graham for most of that.” Flint laughed as he leaned his head against Graham’s shoulder.
“ Bro they didunt evun seh his name.” Spruce added on as he began to snack on his second log.
“ But that’s the point, they just avoided saying his name while they described him.” Chip gestured towards all of them with an incredulous look on his face.
“ Wow he’s really deep in denial isn’t he?” Graham muttered to Flint as he looked over at Chip. “ Spruce, he’s your brother, What can we do to make him realize he’s down bad for Dave?”
“ Wh- Don’t say it like tha-”
“ Nuffin’ ” Spruce responded with a mixture of admittance and reluctance. “ He’’ff not exactleh tuh beft at realiffin hif feelin’s foah people.” Spruce looked next to him at Chip who was giving him one of the most disapproving looks Spruce had ever seen him make.
“ There’s really nothing we can do?” Belle sounded almost sad as she said this,
“ Nope, we cannut do anyffin’, the laft time he had feelin’s foah someone, he ffpent three yeah’s denyin’ it.” Spruce remarked rather matter of factly.
“ Spruce I’ve told you countless times, I did not have feelings for Paul, we were just close friends.” Chip countered, completely oblivious to the looks everyone was giving him as he brought up the name of yet another cog who hadn’t been mentioned.
Spruce gave Chip a frown while he continued chewing on his food. “ Friends spend time thinkun abought buyen cabinff in tha woodff and sthartin’ their owan buisnuffeff togetha’ “ Spruce countered, giving his brother a slightly judgemental look.
“ Wow, you’re right there really is nothing we can do to make him realize what’s going on.” Flint remarked, he looked almost impressed at how committed Chip could be to ignoring any sort of feelings that he felt for someone.
“ I’m afraid he really is a lost cause” Graham laughed while completely ignoring the harsh look that Chip was giving him. “ I guess not everyone can make romance look as easy as we do Flint.”
Chip groaned as he buried his head in his hands, “ Look I appreciate the effort, but I really don’t have any sort of feelings for Dave.” Chip groaned into his hands. “ So can we please just drop this, I’d rather not spend my already meager break time talking about something this pointless.”
“ Of course dearie, we’re sorry for pushing the subject.” She gave Chip a sincere pat on the shoulder from across the table with an almost saddened loo on her face.
There was a lingering silence as everyone silently tried to continue eating their lunches, it felt almost impossible to think of something else to say at the moment and it wasn’t helped by the fact that Chip had continued to keep his face buried into his hands. That is until Belle spoke up, finally breaking the silence.
“ Oh well speak of the devil, look who’s back.” She called as she turned away from the table, waving at the approaching cog.
Chip scowled as he lifted his face so he could give her a disappointed look “ Belle, seriously? I thought you of all cogs would be better than thi- Oh Dave, Hey, sorry I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”
Dave awkwardly laughed as he walked over to the group, everyone else looked between the two, almost in anticipation as they waited to see waht was about to happen.
“ Sorry babe, but I almost forgot. You still have my lucky pen.” Dave said as he pointed finger guns towards Chip.
“ Your lucky pen?” Chip questioned as he dug a hand into his pocket, pulling out the almost unremarkable fountain pen that Dave had lent him a couple of hours ago.
Dave looked relieved at the sight of it. “ Never do a show without it babe, just one of those actor superstitions babe, I’m sure you understand.” He flashed a quick smile at Chip who was still rather confused.
“ Aw so you lent Chip you’re lucky pen? How sweet!” Belle remarked as she clapped her hands together the biggest smile on her face, Chip wished the ground would just swallow him up right then.
Dave chuckled under his breath. “ Well it only seemed fair, A special pen for a special guy.” Dave flashed Chip a quick wink as he reached out to take the pen, but as he grabbed onto the pen he pulled Chip’s hand a bit closer to kiss the end of it like someone would do in a really cheesy romance movie. “ Thank’s babe, I knew I could count on you.” Dave flashed Chip another wink before he turned on his heel and raced off once again, now very desperate to make it to his show on time.
Chip watched him leave as he pulled the hand Dave had just kissed a little closer to his chest, his eyes wide and his cheeks felt a little warm. No one dared say a word after that, they all just gave Chip rather expectant looks as he sat there motionless for a couple of moments.
“.... You guys were right” Was all that Chip said, yet it was more than enough as the four cogs around him burst into uproarious cheers at him finally being honest.
“ Finuhlay, Eye thought yah’s nevah realize.” Spruce called out as he pulled Chip into a hug with one arm, while jokingly ruffling the top of Chip’s hat with his other, with the rest all began to give him words of encouragement.
Chip wasn’t sure how to feel as he was very quickly forced to come to terms with his own feelings at the moment. He was a little scared at the idea of even trying to pursue anything romantic with Dave, but part of him felt a little lighter, and a little happier too. Though he did realize now was not the best time for him to be so stuck in his own head about it, not when the four cogs around him were all trying to give him their own various forms of advice.
Chip had never been one for romantic feelings of any sort, but right then with everyone all encouraging him to go for it, and giving him their own forms of advice, Chip couldn’t help but feel like maybe, just this once, he could give romance a shot.