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As the final bit of rock blasted away, Olimar was ready to collapse in relief. Louie stood just a few meters away from him, still alive and well. Meanwhile, Louie stared back at him. Both in relief and guilt. He slowly walked towards Olimar, taking in his condition. There were small tears in his suit, which were wrapped in bandages. But Louie could still see the red blood oozing from them. The color always made him feel anxious. He hated that color, yet it was the Captain's favorite color.
Aside from that, the Captain looked a bit sickly. Likely from the poisonous oxygen that entered his suit from the tears. Regardless, he was smiling at him, which made his guilt even worse. Ears pinning down, Louie started tearing up. "I'm sorry..." He whimpered along with some sniffling. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that. I know that you can't help it. It's just in your Koppaite blood. I'm just glad you're safe." Olimar spoke softly, grabbing Louie's hand. "Let's head back, I'll be happy to make you something. I'm sure you're hungry."
Louie didn't respond, but he allowed Olimar to lead him back to their temporary ship. Still sniffling as tears fell. Once safely in the atmosphere, they removed their helmets. Olimar took a breath of relief, glad he didn't breath a large amount of the poisonous oxygen. But he'll definitely need to patch up his suit. The bit of oxygen he did breath was causing him to feel a bit nauseous and lightheaded. Looking over at Louie, he realized that he was still crying. "Louie..." Olimar quietly said, causing his subordinate to face him.
Stepping a bit closer, Olimar pulled him into a hug. Louie was caught off guard for a moment, but he hugged back. Tears flowing a bit heavier now. Olimar gently rubbed his back. "It's ok Lou, it's ok..." He said in a comforting tone. After a few minutes, Louie's sniffling became quieter. And his breathing soon became softer. Olimar pulled back slightly, Louie still had a bit of tears streaming down his face. Gently rubbing them away with his thumbs, he smiled gently at him. Although small, Louie smiled back.
Perhaps a bit out of fatherly instincts, he leaned in and gave him a kiss on the head. Upon realizing what he did, Olimar immediately pulled back. Cheeks turning red. Louie looked at him, wide hazel eyes staring back at him. Cheeks a faint pink. "Stars, I'm so sorry! I didn't-!" Louie shook his head. "It's...fine." Louie mumbled out, facing away from Olimar. After what felt like an eternity of silence, Olimar spoke. "Well, I'll go get started on dinner." Before Olimar took a single step, Louie stopped him.
"No, you need rest. You're hurt." He stated plainly. Olimar wanted to argue, but Louie already headed towards the kitchen. Chuckling a bit, he headed towards the small med bay.
Olimar had just finished patching up his injuries when Louie entered. In his hands was a tray holding two bowls of PikPik Carrot Soup. It smelled heavenly. "Thank you Lou." Olimar said with a gentle tone, grabbing his bowl. "Your welcome...Oli." Louie replied quietly. 'Oli...' Olimar wondered with a tilt of his head. He didn't mind the nickname, he's called him Oli a few times before. But it sounded a bit more...fondly. The thought made him blush slightly. 'I'm looking too much into it.' He concluded before taking a bite.
They ate in silence, aside from Olimar mention how delicious it was. To which Louie replied with a hum. Soon, they finished eating, and Louie took their bowls back to the kitchen. Olimar sighed, the soup helping him feel a bit better. But he still felt nauseous. 'I suppose I'll sleep here tonight.' He thought as he layed down. Soon, he dozed off. Louie came back to see that his Captain was already asleep. He sighed but smiled a bit fondly. Although, he still felt guilty for causing him so much trouble.
Shaking his head, he walked over and covered Olimar with a blanket. Then turned out the lights as he left. Heading to their shared room, although he had it to himself for tonight, he turned out the lights and layed down. Grabbing his tablet to listen to his music playlist. Making sure to put his ear buds in. For quite a while, he just listened to his music. It wasn't until one particular song caught his attention, specifically the lyrics. It gave him an idea.
Olimar awoke to the wonderful smell of pancakes. Immediately, he was awake. Carefully getting out of bed, he headed towards the kitchen. There, he spotted Louie plating the pancakes. "Those look delicious." He commented, catching Louie's attention. Louie nodded as he finished putting the last pancake on Olimar's plate. Once again, they ate in relative silence. Olimar didn't mind, but he noticed that Louie looked a bit anxious. Putting down his fork, he spoke up.
"Lou? What's wrong?" He asked softly. Louie looked up at him, ears pinned down a bit. "Are you still mad?" He asked quietly. Olimar shook his head. "Of course not. Do you not believe me?" He asked, a bit hurt that Louie didn't believe him. Louie curled up his fists, claws scrapping the table slightly. His ears fully pinned down now. "I...believe you. But I..." Olimar placed a gently hand atop his. Understanding what he was going to say. "What will it take for you to believe me Lou?" He asked.
He was confused about why Louie started blushing, that was until he spoke. "A kiss." Now it was Olimar's turn to blush. "Oh! Well I..." He wasn't sure what to say. He hasn't kissed anyone since he divorced his wife, which was well over a year ago. But...this is just one kiss. It's not going to affect anything. Yet, why was his heart pounding? Getting up, he walked to Louie's side of the table, still holding his hand. Louie looked at him, looking equally as nervous as he felt. Slowly, both leaned in and closed their eyes as their lips met.
Immediately, both felt like fireworks have gone off. So when they broke apart, they both felt the urge to lean in again. Clearing his throat, Olimar looked away. "Do you believe me now?" He asked nervously. A bit caught off guard when Louie cuddled into his chest. His fuzzy and clawed hands gently held his shoulders. "Yes...love you Oli." Olimar felt his heart skip a beat at Louie's words. Had Louie been crushing on him? And for how long? Yet, he couldn't deny the warm feeling in his chest.
Gently hugging Louie back, he spoke. "I think I love you as well, Lou."