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Bandana knew he was in for it, when he first met him.
Laying in Kirby’s bed, both attending to their injuries after the fight with Sillydillo, he couldn’t help but look at their two saviors. The Prince of Patchland was on the seat, dozing off into his world of dreams. Beside him was an Awoofy, staring out into the window, on alert.
Bandana slowly got up, careful not to stir his sleeping companion or his bandages. Their fight with the armadillo was not going well at all, both haven’t felt well and the beast took advantage of that. If it weren’t for Fluff and his odd companion, the two would have been taken to the beast pack, or worse.
Shaking his head, the waddle dee looked to the Awoofy. He had a different color scheme to the Awoofies he had seen, with dark green fur tipped in black at the ends of his paws, ears and tail. His muzzle and underbelly were a light bluish grey, and his feet a dandelion color. The most striking things to the hound, where one eye was wrapped in a red cloth, the other-.
His ear twitched, the bed creaked under bandana and the Awoofy turned to look at him. His eye, a bright seafoam green, stared back at his autumn brown ones. After looking back, the Awoofy sighed and hopped off the seat, walking towards the waddle Dee.
“You should be asleep.” The beast whispered, scolding Bandana for moving around. “Your injuries haven’t healed yet.”
“I just woke up.” Bandana retorted back. “Can’t go back to sleep now, so deal with it.”
The beast snorted and then looked back to his companion. Bandana did as well, and looked to the prince. Fluff looked a bit different from his usual regal appearance. Roughed up and his fluff all fuzzy and puffed out, not like his smooth and fluffy look, it looked like he had gone through hell. Maybe he had, with his crown cracked, wrapped in vines, and flowers, and his bruises and small cuts on his face and paws. Still, Bandana couldn’t help but think he looked cool as he was.
Not like he hadn’t before. The first time they met Bandana thought he was cool and kind, (and handsome but he’ll never let anyone know that). It didn’t get better with the amount of time they had been together, both in hangouts and helping Kirby on his adventures. Especially the Floralia and Haltman invasion, they hung around more than before, and Bandana learned just how similar they were.
But that was before, and this is now, the bruises the Prince has on him were from his fight with Sillydillo. Jumping in with no hesitation in a flock of orange butterflies, very aggressive attacks launched at the beast. It scared Bandana seeing how angry he was at the beast, especially after he saw Kirby’s wounds. The poor puffball had been more of a punching bag than the waddle Dee was to the theatrical armadillo.
By the end, it was the Awoofy that stopped Fluff from tearing the beast apart. Afterwards, the prince turned his attention to the both of them, mainly Kirby. Bandana remembered seeing him pick up the pink puff and the two nuzzled a bit, a reaffirmation of the other being there. He was then picked up by the Awoofy and taken away back to Waddle Dee town, all the while the hound asked if he was okay and nothing was hurting him.
The wolf, had sauntered closer to him, looked to Fluff and then back at the waddle Dee. Without hesitation, the pulled himself up and onto the bed, startling Bandana. Then he picked up his left nub, bandaged up, and looked over it.
“You’re not in pain are you? Nothing hurting? Bandages too tight?” He began to ask, and Bandana couldn’t help but feel joy and safety in his presence.
“No I’m fine, the bandages are fine as they are. Just a little hot.” He replied, head feeling a little burnt up from how sick he was feeling. The hound soon moved his paw up to Bandana’s forehead, feeling for any heat. He began blushing from the contact and care the beast was showing.
“You’re right, you are burning up.” The Awoofy spoke, sighing as he pulled his hand back and looked to a bag beside him. Hopping down, he went to the bag and looked for something. Bandana wasn’t sure what it was, until the hound found it. Hopping up the bed, careful not to wake the other two, he held an energy drink and some medicine in his paws.
“Here, these should help with the fever you’re having.” The Awoofy spoke with care, handing him the medicine and the drink. Taking the medicine first, the bitter taste made Bandana shake, before taking the Energy Drink, soothing out the taste.
“Thank you.” Bandana thanked him, but the hound only smiled.
“It’s no problem, I’m happy to help you out.” He replied and Bandana already felt himself want to relax around his presence. His heart slowly beating faster wasn’t helping him.
He saw the signs, knew the symptoms all too well. He hoped he wouldn’t have to go through it all again.
And he knew there was no easy cure where he wouldn’t get hurt.
This wouldn’t be the first time he felt this.
It’s foolish, dumb even, to already fall for someone else that fast. He already knew how much pain will happen in the end. This wasn’t his first time after all.
That night around the fire, their talks of their lives and their interests in things, from apple pies, to crafts and even knitting. He was so close to him, that when Fluff asked to keep his secret on who he loved, he eagerly agreed. He wasn’t ready for his answer to be Kirby.
After learning that, a part of him resented Kirby, but he just couldn’t get himself to confess. Nor hurt Kirby or Fluff, he knew Kirby fell for the prince, just as the prince fell for the hero. And he kept his hurting feelings and pain to himself, an assurance to keep those two from ever knowing.
Now here he was, falling all over again for this Awoofy who saved him and was helping him out. Said hound was looking at him with concern, and repeating his name.
“Hey, you doing good? Nothing wrong happening?” He asked and Bandana shook his head to clear his thoughts, before speaking.
“I’m fine, just thinking about stuff.” He answered, and the hound nodded, before his nose sniffed around and then came close to the waddle dee, blushing at the close contact.
“Hey,” the Awoofy spoke, before pulling away. “You smell of Apples and Autumn.”
That…was quite the comment to make but Bandana Dee could only look confused. The poor hound started to stammer a bit, turning away while hiding a blush of his own.
“Sorry, that was weird to say. I just..” He sighed, taking a breath before speaking, “Your scent, it’s very unique, not many have that sort of scent of Apples and Autumn.”
“My scent? What do you mean?” Now Bandana was curious. The Awoofy nodded and smiled.
“Well, I can smell people’s scent which is like, their aura, or some people say it’s magic. Everyone has one, some are really unique. Like Fluff’s he smells of linen, fire and um another thing I can’t describe. Kirby is like Cherry blossoms, pastries, and I guess the smell of stars..do stars smell nice? I don’t know, but yours is unique too, you smell of Autumn, Apples and um..crystals? It’s oddly comforting.” The Awoofy finished his explanation, with a huge blush on his face. Bandana only looked at the Awoofy with confusion and one question on his mind.
“How…How do crystals smell?” He asked and the Awoofy began to stammer again, which was really cute in Bandana’s mind.
“I-I don’t know, it’s just there, it’s more of I can feel and see what y-your aura i-is, scent is just some weird way to p-put it since…I do smell it? It’s weird and complicated anyway.”
“Oh ok,” Bandana giggled out, then it became quiet between the two. The Awoofy looked to the ground with a blush and Bandana stared off to the wall. It wasn’t a bad silence, but it wasn’t one Bandana wanted to stay in. Neither did the Awoofy it seemed.
“Does…Does my scent smell bad to you?” Bandana questioned, more timid than before. He didn’t know what came over him, but he wanted to know if his scent was bothersome to the hound. Said hound looked up and shook his head, smiling again.
“No..no it doesn’t. In fact, I like it! Apples are always nice, especially in pies and juice.” He replied and was blushing as he gushed on about Bandana’s scent. “Autumn is a really cool season and crystals can be really pretty, which really suits you.”
Now Bandana was blushing hard at the compliments, “you really thinks so?”
“Of course,” The Awoofy smiled, “you’re really pretty and cool. I mean it!”
Oh, oh no. Bandana Dee did not predict such a compliment to get him riled up, but here he was, blushing hard and practically close to fainting. Just by his words alone, he’s reduced to mush.
“I-Uh, oh um…Thank you, I, I um didn’t expect that from you.” He stammered out, as the Awoofy could only look at him with concern. “That was…really kind of you, I just…woah.”
“Hehe, sorry I ramble a lot huh. Guess that’s what Princey over there tells me from time to time.” Awoofy giggles before looking down. “But he doesn’t mind it, seems he likes when I ramble about something I love.”
“He’s not wrong. Seems you’re really passionate about what you like..um,” Bandana just realized he’s never learned the Awoofy’s name. “What’s your name? I never learned it.”
The Awoofy looked shocked, then bashful at that and rubbed his paw to his back.
“Oh wow, I forgot to tell you my name. It’s Jarah.” He replied, and Bandana remembered his name in his heart.
“Oh that’s a…a really cool name.” Bandana complimented, before giving his own name. “Mine is Bandana Waddle Dee, though you can call me Bandana or Bandee, Kirby calls me that.”
Kirby called him that and Bandana was fine with it. Most of his friends called him Bandee, and Jarah wanted to call him what his sibling and others call him, that’s fine. It’s not like his heart would be racing a mile away from this planet, probably reaching the stars in a few seconds.
Jarah giggled as he spoke, “Alright then Bandee, your name seems on the nose.” Yep, Bandana was right, his heart already reached two stars. “Oh yeah your bandana is really cool, nice fabric you use for it. How’s you get it?”
“Oh..” Bandee hadn’t thought he would switch to his Bandana, but it wasn’t a bad surprise. “The Great King gave it to me, after one of our adventures in space with Kirby and a few others.”
Jarah’s eye shined, and there was a hint of sadness between it, but Bandee couldn’t place why it was there. “Oooh, you mean Fluff’s Dad?”
“What, no I come from Planet Popstar, same with Kirby. Great King Dedede gave me my bandana.” Bandana explained, and Jarah was somewhat more confused. “Wait another planet? Hold on, now I got to learn more about it. Say, your planet has apples?”
“More than you think.” And so, the two rambled away about each others planets, likes and dislikes to one another. If Bandana was being honest, he loved every second of it.
-.-.-
Morning came, and Kirby was slowly awaken by Prince Fluff, shaking them out of their sleep.
“Morning Fluffu..” still drowsy, they made out a few words before, rising up. Kirby took note of the blush forming around the Prince’s face.
“Good Morning Kirby.” He stammered out, before nuzzling Kirby’s cheek, which the pink puff reciprocated. Honestly, they couldn’t be happier seeing Fluff beside them.
It wasn’t until, Fluff took notice of something that Kirby looked at his direction. There between each other, Bandana Dee and the Awoofy slept, close to one another.
“Can’t believe Jarah slept with Bandana last night.” The Prince sighed as he closed his eyes, a smirk forming. Kirby turned to their partner, staring back at him.
“Jarah? Is that what the Awoofy’s name is?” They asked, not hearing the name before. The azure puffball turned to them and smiled.
“Yeah, his name is Jarah. I met him while I was on my way to find you.” Fluff replied, before hopping on the bed and nestling close to Kirby. They did the same thing, scooting closer to the prince.
“Tell me how things go in your end. Before meeting up with me.” Kirby stated with wonder as they looked to Fluff, the prince smiling before place a kiss on their forehead. A giggle flew out of their mouth.
“I’ll tell you about my journey here starlight. You just let me know how yours was after.” Their agreement was made with a nuzzle on the cheek, before Prince Fluff told his story.
Beside them, the Waddle Dee and Awoofy slept soundly. Close together, with a tail wrapped around the Dee’s body. And Bandana couldn’t be any happier.