Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If there was ever a fact that Clank knew to be true, it was that Bobble was the most important person in the world. He knew this from that very first greeting at the Pixie Dust Tree. There had just been something about him that resonated with Clank’s spirit immediately that told him this sparrow man would be more important to him than anyone else.

He had been right. In the few short years he had been in Pixie Hollow, so much had happened with them that pulled them closer and closer together. It had begun with a friendship that grew to an admiration which easily tipped over to love. What was absolutely incredible was when Clank learned that Bobble loved him too.

A spontaneous kiss from Bobble in an extremely low moment for Clank had sparked the beginning of their romance. And although Bobble was still shy to admit his feelings, he managed to confess his months long attraction to Clank. Despite Clank’s troubles and pain, that was one of the happiest moments of his young life.

It was a wonderful experience, being with Bobble. In truth, not much changed from their friendship. They still worked together and spent much of their time together, but it had such a deeper meaning than it did before. Every touch, every smile, every word of praise exchanged was dusted with layers of love that Clank treasured in his heart.

So it was completely understandable why it hurt so much when just two days ago Bobble fled when Clank asked him the most important question of their lives. He had been so nervous to ask. Nervous and excited. “Bobble, I love you. I’ve loved you for… for as long as I can remember, and I think the feeling is only growing bigger. I want to love you for as long as I live. Will… Will you tie with me?”

In a silence that lasted too long, a horrible feeling expanded in Clank’s chest with every move Bobble made. First he froze, then he trembled, then he backed away and when Clank dared to say his name, Bobble turned and fled. Right then a piercing stab lanced through Clank’s heart so hard he’d thought he might collapse. Head spinning, and heart aching in more ways than one, Clank struggled to lift off the ground. He kept his eyes locked on the path Bobble had flown and followed.

He didn’t find Bobble until well into the next day. By then, Clank couldn’t fly anymore and was so tired and so sore. The pain in his chest never eased in that time, but he had refused to rest. He had to find Bobble, and finally after calling out to him for stars know how long, Bobble was there in a sunny clearing. A relief had washed over Clank and he fell to his knees.

Their trek had been long and agonizing. Much of it was silent, and Bobble kept avoiding talking about what had happened. ‘I wish I’d have said yes… I should have said yes… I never should have run from you.’Bobble had finally said long after the sun had set. He had been so remorseful for running.

Bobble had taken time to explain himself and Clank understood. He knew Bobble had certain mental blocks he was constantly running into; traumas that haunted him that stemmed from long before Clank had ever arrived. He knew it wasn’t Bobble’s fault. He had just never figured that Bobble’s struggles would come between them in such a horribly significant way.

Still, he forgave Bobble. It was easy enough. One bad day was not going to stop him from caring for Bobble. And it all turned out okay, didn’t it? Just last night, Bobble had asked him to Tie. Clank had been so happy he’d flown without realizing it. He didn’t think he’d been able to, but that wonderful feeling was back. Bobble still loved him and they were going to share their lives together.

Then why was he still hurting?

They had been back home for hours and the sun had long since set. Bobble was curled up to Clank’s side in their bed with his head on Clank’s shoulder. He’d fallen asleep a while ago. But Clank had been staring at the ceiling for a while. He was exhausted beyond belief, but sleep would not come to him. Instead his mind wandered to the events that happened just before he and Bobble lay down to sleep.

They had only been back to their house in Tinker’s Nook for a few minutes, sharing the last of their blackberry jam with bread. Clank had been craving that jam for a while and had said it was so much better than the sour blackberries they’d found in the wild. But at the same time, Bobble fell quiet, obviously thinking too much again.

“What are you thinking about?” Clank had asked.

Bobble had given a weak smile and held up his left wrist. “You are happy with me, right?”

What kind of question was that? “Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

He should have realized immediately that Bobble was still upset with himself. He had fidgeted for a moment before saying “I… I ran away from you Clank.”

Clank had put himself directly in front of Bobble. He knew Bobble was about to get too much in his own head again. “Hey,” Clank said carefully, “hey, no. It’s okay. I already told you it’s okay.”

“But how can you be happy with me after that?” Bobble choked. Clank heard the unspoken words Bobble wanted to say. I hurt you. Clank had been about to remind him that he’d not been in a good state of mind when Bobble quickly said “I know, I know. I was panicked and upset. But that’s still no excuse.”

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Clank agreed with that. But he also knew that Bobble had immediately regretted running. Clank gently held Bobble’s cheek. “You were trying to come back,” he’d whispered. “You didn’t stay away and you ran right to me when I called for you.” He thought back to when he first saw Bobble in the woods, how the light had framed him and the immediate relief that had washed over him. “You can’t begin to imagine how happy I was just seeing you in that clearing.”

He felt Bobble relax and lean his cheek into his palm. “I really do make you happy?”

“You really do,” Clank answered with no hesitation. “Do you honestly think we’d be wearing these cords if you didn’t?”

A smile spread on Bobble’s face as he’d reached for Clank’s hand and touched the cord on his wrist. “I’ve wanted this for a long time, Clanky.”

“Me too, and now we have it,” Clank had said. “We’re going to get Tied and we can be together forever. And no matter how far we get from each other, we’ll still be together.”

Bobble curled his arms around Clank’s neck. His eyes were full of love as he leaned forward and kissed Clank again and again, allowing his lips to linger on Clank’s before he spoke. “I don’t think we have to worry about distance,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead to Clank’s. “I’m never running from you again.”

Clank’s heart fluttered and he couldn’t stop the smile as he pressed his lips to Bobble’s once more. “You promise?” Clank asked as he pulled away.

Bobble combed his fingers through Clank’s hair and chuckled. “Aye, Clank. I promise.”

“Thank the stars,” Clank sighed happily. He curled his arms around Bobble’s waist. He never wanted to let go. Bobble kept slowly running his finger’s through Clank’s hair and occasionally left light kisses on Clank’s cheek, his temple and below his ear. All the while, Clank rubbed circles below Bobble’s wings and rested his chin on Bobble’s shoulder.

They lingered that way for a moment, then Bobble slowly drew back. He unhooked his arms from Clank’s neck and brushed his fingertips along Clank’s cheek as he withdrew. Wordlessly Bobble looked deep in Clank’s eyes. There was a desire there Clank had seen plenty of times before. As if guided by an unseen force, Clank drew closer until he hesitated just before Bobble’s lips.

Bobble closed the distance once more, kissing Clank deeply. Clank leaned into it, bracing his hands on the edge of the bed as to not fall on Bobble. But that apparently was what Bobble wanted, as he took Clank’s elbow and gently tugged, leaning back as he did.

Following his lead, Clank climbed over Bobble as he lay back on the bed. He bared most of his weight on his elbows but his large stomach still sank onto Bobble. He didn’t seem to mind though; Bobble curled his arms around Clank’s shoulders, trying to pull him closer as he went for another passionate kiss.

Finally, Clank had thought. It’s really happening this time. He shifted his weight to his left arm and allowed his right hand to glide down Bobble’s arm. He wished to feel the smooth skin under the bandages wrapped around Bobble’s arms, but knew he’d get an earful from Clara for removing them. Instead, Clank moved his hand to Bobble’s hip and slid it back up toward Bobble’s chest. He found a rip in his shirt and allowed his fingers to slip into the rip and feel the soft skin underneath.

Meanwhile, Bobble trailed fingertips lightly down Clank’s front, from his collar down his chest. He inhaled deeply, and hummed a pleasant sigh. It was music to Clank’s ears. Slowly, Bobble’s hands trailed lower on the sides of Clank’s stomach and slipped under the bottom of his shirt.

Clank eased himself off Bobble and aided him in removing the shirt. He stood on his knees with the leafy garment bunched up in his hands while he gazed down at Bobble. He was staring up at him with the most alluring smile Clank had ever seen. He could practically hear Bobble’s thoughts in that moment: I want you, Clanky. I’m ready this time. Please… make love to me.

Stars above, Clank wanted to so bad. His heart raced. He was so eager to finally experience this with the person he loved so much. After so many failed attempts and so many mental blocks keeping this from them, Clank could not believe this was finally happening. He leaned forward to continue, wanting to kiss Bobble again and again until they were both panting for air.

“AHH!” Clank cried out and clutched his chest. Pain surged through his chest so suddenly he’d nearly fallen.

“Clanky?!” Bobble gasped, quickly lifting up to press his hand on Clank’s chest. “Oh no, not again!”

“Stop it… stop hurting…” Clank hissed through his teeth. He clenched his fist under Bobble’s hand and buried his knuckles in his flesh. Why? Why now? Please stop!

“The medicine,” Bobble said. “Where’s the medicine Basil gave you?” He went to stand, but Clank grabbed his hand and shook his head.

“I’m fine,” he lied. “I’m okay, really. It’s stopping. I don’t need the medicine.”

“Clanky, you are not fine.” Bobble tried to pull his hand away, but Clank held tight.

“Please…” Clank said, voice strained. He didn’t know what to say beyond ‘please.’ He didn’t really know what he was asking for.

Bobble hesitated, then faced Clank again. He leaned forward and curled one arm around Clank while he pressed his other hand over Clank’s heart. “Is it really stopping?” Bobble whispered in his ear.

The pain was still throbbing in his chest, but Clank nodded into Bobble’s shoulder. “Yeah, I can barely feel it now.” Bobble pulled back and looked at him skeptically. Clank did his best to smile through the pain, hoping it was enough to convince Bobble he was alright.

It wasn’t. Bobble frowned and pressed on Clank’s shoulder. “You need to lie down.”

“No, I’m fine.” Clank insisted.

“You’re not.” Bobble said firmly. “Please lay down Clanky.”

Sighing, Clank gave in and lay down. Bobble sat crosslegged beside him and slowly rubbed circles over the spot where the ache was strongest. Clank groaned and pressed the heels of his hands to his temples. We were so close… why am I hurting again?

“It’ll be alright, Clanky.” Bobble said. “It’s been an exhausting couple of days. I’m sure after a good night’s sleep you’ll be feeling much better. And if you’re still sore there is still the medicine.” He hesitated and looked over his shoulder at the bottle on the table. “You’re sure you don’t want any now?”

Clank shook his head, knowing he probably should have taken some. “No, I don’t need any.” He focused on Bobble’s hand over his heart. He didn’t want Bobble to pull away for a moment, even if it was to retrieve Basil’s medicine. He longed for Bobble to resume the soft touches he was giving just moments before. Clank sighed heavily. “I guess we’re not gonna continue, eh?”

Looking just as disappointed as Clank felt, Bobble shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I really don’t want you to hurt worse.”

“I’m fine!” Clank said again, a bit too quickly.

“No, Clanky,” said Bobble. “You need to get better. Then maybe we can try…” he trailed off and a pink tint filled his cheeks. It was cute how Bobble would get flustered at the thought of sex. But Clank also knew that was a big reason as to why he fled the other day.

Clank didn’t bother to hide his disappointment. His chest pulsed with a fresh wave of pain and he grunted through clenched teeth. “I really wanted to…”

“Aye, me too.” Bobble nodded sadly. “But it’ll be better to wait until you’re well again. It won’t be long, Clanky. Basil said it was only a pulled muscle, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, he did,” Clank sighed. It didn’t exactly feel like a pulled muscle to him. But he wasn’t a Healer, so Basil must know what he’s talking about.

“So then you’ll be better in no time. We just have to be patient.” Bobble moved his hand off Clank’s chest to lace their fingers together.  “In the meantime, we should get some rest.”

That had been hours ago. The pain had for the most part subsided, and Bobble was now sound asleep, and Clank was wide awake. He touched where the pain had been, and tried to will the remainder of it away. Now it mostly felt like a heavy stone lay on his chest. It’s just a pulled muscle.

Bobble’s hand clenched in his sleep and he muttered “Clank…”  Clank wondered what he was seeing in his dreams. He hoped they were pleasant. He hugged Bobble closer, lightly tracing the curve of his hip. I’ll be okay soon.

Clank closed his eyes and tried to stop thinking about the pain. He tried to stop thinking about the woods. He tried to stop thinking about how much he wanted Bobble. It’ll be okay.

I just gotta be patient.

Chapter Text

Clank did not remember falling asleep. He must have though, because the next thing he knew, he could feel warm rays of sunlight shining through the windows. He yawned and stretched and felt around for Bobble. The rest of the bed was empty. It wasn’t surprising though, as Bobble normally was up and about before Clank.

However the usual sounds Clank was used to hearing in the morning were absent. There was no fluttering of wings, no rattle of plates or cups, no boiling water and no tuneless humming. In their place, Clank heard the sound of slow, deep breathing somewhere just beyond his reach.

Clank propped himself up on his elbows, glancing toward the breathing. Bobble was hunched over in a chair he must have dragged over to the bedside. He’d put on fresh clothes, but didn’t have his belt or his shoes. A book he’d borrowed from Scribble a couple weeks ago was gripped loosely in his hands and was close to falling to the floor. Bobble himself was just teetering toward snoring as the book inevitably slipped out of his hands.

It tumbled to the floor. Clank tried to catch it but missed. The loud thud startled Bobble awake. He planted his feet on the floor and looked around wildly for a moment as he realized where he was. His eyes fell on Clank who had reached down and picked up the fallen book and was holding it out to him.

“Oh, ehm, thank you.” Bobble blushed and took the book. “Good morning Clanky.”

“Good morning,” Clank replied. “How long have you been up?”

“Oh, I don’t know. A while I suppose.” Bobble yawned. “How are you feeling?”

Absently, Clank’s hand drifted to his chest. It didn’t exactly hurt, but there was a distinct pressure in his chest that felt like his shirt, despite not currently wearing one, was way too small. It wasn’t exactly painful, but it was absolutely uncomfortable.

“It’s… better?” Clank said, uncertainly. “A little, maybe.”

“Hmm…” Bobble moved to sit on the bed and lay his hand on Clank’s chest. “But it’s improved at least?”

“I think so.” Clank nodded. Bobble’s hand was warm on his skin. He focused on that warmth and the light gentle touch. He wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but it felt like the pressure eased slightly.

Bobble made another contemplative hum and nodded. “Good. Shall I find us some breakfast then?” As if it were listening, Clank’s stomach growled in response. Bobble chuckled. “I suppose that’s a yes then?”

“Do we have time?” Clank asked. “Shouldn’t we be heading to the workshop?”

“No need.” Bobble replied as he moved away toward the cupboards. “Fairy Mary stopped by a while ago to check in. She said we should take the day to rest or do whatever we needed.”

“She did?”

“Aye. You were still asleep.” Bobble rummaged through the cupboards and frowned. “Oh dear.”

“What’s wrong?” Clank threw back the blanket and went to join Bobble.

“We don’t have much to eat here.” Bobble replied, gesturing to the practically bare cupboards.

“Oh right… we finished the jam yesterday.” Clank sighed.

“Aye, the bread too.” He took a wedge of cheese off the shelf. “We could have this?”

“Just cheese?”

“Cheese and Tea?” Bobble shrugged one shoulder. “I suppose that’ll have to do. We could fly to the kitchens and get us something more substantial. But I think it would be wise for you to at least have a little bit to eat right now.”

Very early in their relationship, Bobble had made a habit of making sure Clank got enough to eat, but despite Bobble trying to fall back into his usual behaviors, Clank could tell that he was still a little on edge and a lot worried after the ordeal of the past few days. Still, Clank smiled for him. “Works for me,” he said. He took the cheese and divided it into two portions while Bobble set to making tea.

“I probably should have gotten us more food when I got up,” said Bobble a moment later. He set a cup of tea in front of Clank and sat down across from him with his piece of cheese.

“Don’t worry about it.” Clank said. “You didn’t think of it.” He took a sip of tea.

Bobble cupped his hands tightly around his own tea, running his thumb along the rim of the cup. “Well, I did think of it actually,” he said, not quite looking at Clank. “I just didn’t want to leave while you were sleeping.”

Clank glanced over the rim of his cup. “Why not?”

“I don’t know…” Bobble said with an awkward shrug. “I didn’t want you to wake up and have me be gone. Especially after everything that happened.”

There it was again; the guilt written all over Bobble’s face. Clank didn’t blame Bobble for anything. He didn’t want Bobble to blame himself. Even though it had been Bobble who’d run off, Clank would not allow himself to blame him. He’d remind Bobble that it was alright, that he wasn’t upset. He’d tell him over and over until that guilt was gone forever.

“Aah!” Clank dropped his tea as a fresh stab of pain lanced through his chest. The tea cup clattered on the floor as Clank grabbed at the pain.

“Clanky!” In a flash Bobble was at his side, knocking his chair over as he stood. Just like last night, he pressed his hand over Clank’s. “I thought you said you weren’t hurting!”

“I wasn’t…!” Clank hissed. “It just now came back!”

“Oh dear,” Bobble frowned deeply. “It’ll be alright Clank. You’ll be okay. Hold on just a moment, okay?”

Clank squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, trying to focus on breathing rather than the awful stab in his chest. Bobble stepped away. Without his touch, Clank felt like he sat in a void of crushing darkness. He drew in long, deep breaths. He exhaled slowly. With each breath, the the throbbing stabbed more and more, the darkness shrouding his head crept in closer. He tried to will the pain away, but it was relentless.

“Here,” Bobble’s voice cut through the darkness. Clank snapped his eyes open and the room returned. Bobble was kneeling in front of him measuring out a large spoonful of the medicine Basil had given him yesterday. “This will help. It has to help.” He set down the bottle and offered the spoon to Clank.

The moment the medicine touched his tongue, Clank nearly spat it out. It was absolutely the most dreadful thing he had ever tasted. It had a strong, sharp taste that was not at all helped by the weird creamy consistency of the elixir. The bad taste must have been evident on his face, because before he’d even managed to swallow, Bobble shoved his own cup of tea in Clank’s hands.

“Stars above!” Clank gasped once he’d washed down the awful taste. “What’s in that stuff?”

“No idea,” Bobble frowned at the bottle. “But Basil said it would help.”

“Ugh! Help what exactly? Help shrivel up my tongue?” A shiver ran through Clank’s whole body. He wiped his mouth again, still feeling the elixir on his lips. But a brief moment later, he felt a cool sensation in his chest as the pain finally eased. He lay a hand over his chest and took a steady, even breath.

Bobble was watching him carefully. “Any better?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Clank nodded. “A bit anyway.”

“Good,” Bobble sighed. “Hopefully you won’t have to take this for long. That looked like it was positively disgusting.”

“Worst taste I’ve ever had in my life.” Clank confirmed, “Even worse than the sour blackberries from the other day.”

Instantly, Clank wished he hadn’t said that. He didn’t want to bring Bobble’s guilt back. But to his surprise, Bobble laughed. “Those were rather awful, weren’t they?”

“Rancid!” Clank agreed. “But still better than this stuff!”

Bobble smirked. “Why don’t we go find something that tastes a bit better then? I bet they have more jelly in the kitchens.”

“Yes, absolutely. Ugh…” Clank made another face, trying to shake the lingering taste and sensation away. But as awful as the medicine was, Clank couldn’t deny that it had in fact worked to dull the pain. It wasn’t completely gone, but he didn’t feel like he’d been stabbed anymore.

Bobble helped Clank to his feet and Clank went to get dressed, taking his portion of cheese with him. Out of the corner of his eye, Clank noticed Bobble watching him as he changed. He couldn’t help but smile seeing Bobble’s eyes lingering over his body, and he wished he’d gotten to witness Bobble change as well. He pondered suggesting they forgo getting more to eat to spend some more intimate time together.

There was a twinge in his chest and he hesitated. It wasn’t nearly as painful as the stab moments before, but still distinct despite the soothing chill from the medicine. Clank grimaced. I thought it was supposed to stop the pain. Did I take enough? I don’t want more!

“Clanky, are you alright?” asked Bobble.

Clank glanced at him. The worry had returned to Bobble’s features. “Yeah, just hungry,” he lied. He pulled his shirt on and half smiled at Bobble. “Let’s go!”

He was sure Bobble wasn’t convinced. Still, Bobble smiled back and nodded and as soon as they were ready they left for the kitchens.

- - -

As they flew over Tinker’s Nook it looked just as busy as always. Seeing everyone down below made the desire to create swell up in Clank. He hadn’t been in the workshop for more than three days now and knew there must be a long list of tasks waiting for him.

“We should probably go back to work tomorrow,” said Bobble. “Hopefully our absence hasn’t put us too far behind.”

“I hope not. But I would like to get back to the workshop soon,” Clank agreed.

“Clank! Bobble! There you guys are!” A male voice called from their left and the two stopped midair as Tweak approached them. “Haven’t seen you two for a few days. I suppose you’ve been having a private celebration?” He gestured with a teasing grin at Bobble’s wrist.

“Oh, um, that’s not…” Bobble blushed and hid his arm behind his back.

“Hey, no need to be shy about it. It’s not exactly like your relationship’s a secret right?” Tweak winked.

Bobble squirmed and Clank frowned. “It’s not exactly anyone else’s business though, is it Tweak?”

“C’mon Clank, I’m just teasing.” Tweak nudged him in the ribs. “I’m just glad your proposal plan worked out.” Tweak had been in on Clank’s proposal plan from the beginning. After a week of helping Tweak work with heavy loads for a personal project, Clank had asked him to claim he’d be working with him one more day so he could prepare for the date he’d planned for Bobble.

“Heh, yeah it did,” Clank shrugged. Sort of.

Tweak glanced at Bobble again, still wearing that impish grin. “Looks like Clanky boy roughed you up a bit Bobble. Didn’t think you’d be into that sort of thing.” He gestured again to Bobble’s bandaged arms.

“No, Tweak, you’ve got it all wrong,” Bobble tried to explain, but even as he started another bad pang twinged in Clank’s chest. With a grunt he clutched his chest.

“Woah, Clank, are you okay?” Tweak asked. Bobble did as he had before and quickly put his hand over Clank’s. “You guys didn’t over do it did you?”

“Tweak…” Bobble started, clearly irritated.

“I’m fine,” Clank interrupted. “Actually, I went to see Basil yesterday. Y’know, the Healer? He said I a pulled muscle from too much heavy lifting.” He gave a significant look to Tweak.

“But Bobble’s not that heavy,” said Tweak, a little slow on the uptake. “That shouldn’t – oh.”

“Yeah.” Clank smirked as Tweak realized.

“Sorry,” Tweak said sheepishly, his shoulders rising to his ears. “But you guys are gonna Tie, right? When’s the ceremony?”

“We haven’t actually decided yet,” said Bobble, clearly glad that Tweak had dropped the teasing attitude. “We haven’t actually announced our engagement to Queen Clarion yet.”

“Oh, you’d better do that soon,” said Tweak. He smiled a genuine smile this time. “It’s pretty exciting. It’s been a while since there’s been a Tying ceremony. Oh! Bobble, did you make a cord for Clank yet?”

“Aye,” Bobble nodded. Bobble took Clank’s arm and held it up for Tweak to see. “Have a look.”

Tweak held Clank’s wrist and studied the cord Bobble had given him as closely as any Tinker would. He gave out a whistle, “Excellent weave as usual, Bobble.” He released Clank’s wrist and took Bobble’s instead, giving the cord there the same examination. “Beautiful. They’ll make a great union knot for sure,” said Tweak with a grin. He took Clank’s wrist again and held them together.

Not for the first time, Clank thought about how different the cords looked from each other. It made sense; every Tinker’s work was unique. Bobble had used thin, strong vines in a tight weave to make his cord, and from what Clank understood it hadn’t taken long for Bobble to select his material and weave the cord. He’d apparently done it all in under an hour, and still had crafted a beautiful cord.

Meanwhile Clank had spent ages selecting the strongest meadow grasses he could find, then spent hours stripping them into fibers to twist into thick strands. And after all that it has taken him another half hour to weave them into a cord, after which he’d undone and redone the weave at least three times before he was satisfied.

Looking at the cords together, Clank had to agree with Tweak. They were going to make a beautiful knot. He glanced at Bobble with a grin as they took their arms back from Tweak.

“It’s about time you two finally exchanged cords,” said Tweak. “Lu and I were beginning to think you never would! She thought you’d never work up the nerve, Bobble.” Tweak laughed, but Clank saw Bobble’s smile falter. “Good thing Clank decided to ask, or you two might never –”

“Ngh!” Clank grunted as a small stab pulsed in his chest. His hand automatically reached for it, but he stopped half way and clutched his stomach instead.

“Woah, you okay? Still hurts?” Tweak asked.

Bobble made to reach for Clank, but Clank gave the slightest shake of his head. “No, no… I’m fine. Just hungry,” he lied. “We’re gonna go find something to eat, okay Tweak?”

“Oh, yeah, sure of course! I’ll see you guys later!” Tweak waved and descended down to the workshop.

As soon as he left, Clank continued toward the kitchens with Bobble following close beside him. The discomfort still hung in Clank’s chest, but he did his best to ignore it.

“Tweak sure talks a lot, doesn’t he?” Clank asked. “He certainly talked a lot while I was working with him. Practically non-stop.”

“Mm hm,” Bobble replied.

Clank glanced back at Bobble. He was wearing what Clank often thought of as Bobble’s ‘Puzzle Face.’ He always wore that expression when he was trying to figure something out.

“What are you thinking about?” Clank asked.

Bobble gave a small shake of his head, and drew his arms in close to his chest. More thinking motions, Clank figured. Bobble’s hand drifted up to his chin and chewed on his thumb nail. All the while, Clank waited for him to say something.

“I don’t believe it’s a pulled muscle,” Bobble said finally.

“Oh,” Clank replied. Honestly, he didn’t believe it either. This recurring chest pain didn’t really feel anything like other muscles he’d pulled in the past. But he was no Healer, so how would he know? “But Basil said…”

“I know what Basil said!” Bobble interrupted, the puzzle face becoming more puzzled. “I just have this feeling, Clank. And maybe I’m wrong, and Basil is right. Of course he’d know better… he’s the Healer, not me. But it seems way too coincidental that this pain of yours started when…”

It didn’t have to be said for Clank to know exactly what Bobble was thinking. “It’s not your fault. It can’t be your fault,” said Clank.

“But what if it is? What if my running away caused this?” Bobble asked. The puzzle face turned anguished.

“No,” said Clank firmly. “Absolutely not. You did not cause this.”

“I don’t know, Clanky. I can’t shake this feeling that this is all my doing.”

“Look, Basil said I’d be better in a few days,” said Clank. “It’s only been one. We gotta give it time, right?”

“Three,” said Bobble.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been hurting for three days. We’ve been home for one,” Bobble pointed out.”

“Right,” Clank sighed. “But two of those days I wasn’t able to get any help. I only was able to see Basil yesterday. And now I have that… ugh… that medicine.”

“Hm…” Bobble nodded slowly, clearly not convinced. Clank flew closer to him and slid his hand into Bobble’s and squeezed.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna be fine.”

Bobble sighed heavily. “I know, Clanky. I just hate that you’re hurting so much.”

“I know. But it’s just a pulled muscle, right? I’ll better in no time.”

“Aye… just a pulled muscle.” Bobble nodded.

They landed outside the kitchens and Clank followed Bobble inside. Even though they had just said it, Clank knew neither of them believed the pain could possibly be something so simple.

Chapter Text

Having a more substantial breakfast than cheese was more helpful than Clank expected. Having a belly full of pumpernickel muffins and fresh blackberry jam had brightened both his and Bobble’s moods considerably. While they ate, a number of fairies noticed their wrists and congratulated them on their engagement. Many of whom were fairies neither of them were acquainted with, but the sentiment was appreciated all the same.

With their stomaches full, Clank and Bobble went to collect food baskets to restock their cabinets. They headed back home and Clank noted he felt much better than he had that morning. There was still a pressure in his chest, but he’d been used to that for a while now. He was just glad it wasn’t unbearably painful anymore.

“Alright Clanky,” Bobble said once they’d put everything away. “What would you like to do now?”

“I dunno. I hadn’t really thought about it,” Clank admitted. “We could go see Fawn?”

“Aye, we could do that. Oh, except she’s probably looking after those wolf pups.” Bobble said.

“Oh, right. Never mind then.”

“Perhaps we could go see Terence?” Bobble suggested.

“No, I think today’s a Dust sifting day for him.” Clank frowned.

“No time for a visit then.” Bobble sighed. “What about Rosetta?”

“She’ll likely want to talk ceremony planning.” Clank shrugged. “We could go see her.”

“I don’t think I’m ready to be bombarded with ceremony plans just yet.” Bobble chuckled.

“Me either.” Clank grinned. “We should do that soon though.”

“Aye, we will.” Bobble ambled over to the bed and picked up the book he’d been reading. He stared at the cover for a moment and traces of his Puzzle Face began to show again. “We could go see Scribble. I just finished this and need to return it anyway.”

Clank gave a contemplative hum. “Alright, I’m good with that,” he said. He suspected that Bobble might have an ulterior motive to wanting to head to the library. Clank had discovered him there the other day making an utter mess of things as he threw books to the ground in an absolute panic. Bobble likely wanted to go help Scribble tidy up, but Clank was willing to bet that Scribble had the mess cleaned up by now.

There was a slight tug in his chest, making Clank wince. That moment in the library should have been a heads up that asking Bobble to Tie right then was a bad idea. He’d known what was in that section Bobble had been searching through. He knew how obsessively Bobble had been studying those books. If he was in such a frantic state while reading Tying books, then he must have discovered something terrible. Or was at least overthinking something.

Clank quickly glanced to Bobble. He hadn’t noticed Clank’s wince this time. Good. He ignored the pain and followed Bobble to the library.

- - -

When they arrived, there were three fairies at the library besides Scribble. Clank recognized them from the day before as part of the group who helped find them. One was a Water Fairy, one was a Garden Fairy, and one was an Animal Fairy. Clank knew the animal fairy the best of the three of them. Her name was Paws and he’d seen her visiting her mate Steel in the workshop a few times.

The three of them were gathered around a table with a large old book open on its surface. They passed a smaller book among them and each seemed to take turns writing in it.

“Okay, how’s this sound?” The Water Fairy held the small book up and read. “‘Melody raised her hands to the sky. From her, light broke through and shattered the darkness.’ Does that sound okay?”

“That’s how it happened isn’t it?” Paws asked taking the small book from the Water Fairy. “Elowen, what does the passage say?”

The Garden Fairy bent over the large book on the table. “‘Melody’s light shattered the darkness.’ That’s what it says.”

“Maybe it you should put ‘shown forth’ instead of ‘broke through?’” Paws said, facing the Water Talent again.

The Water Fairy took the smaller book again and made a face as she wrote in it. “This would be so much easier if we were actually Story Talents.”

Clank watched the girls curiously and was about to ask Bobble what he thought they were doing when an irritated grumble sounded from behind a large wall of books.

“No, no. That’s not right at all!”

Bobble floated over to the pile of books and peered over the stacks. “There you are, Scribble. Is everything alright?”

“Phineas!” Scribble cried, clamoring out of his book fortress. “Yes, everything’s fine. Just… just fine.” His strained smile suggested otherwise.

“Are you having trouble with your research?” Bobble asked, gesturing at the mountain of books.

“No, no. Not at all. No trouble,” said Scribble quickly, darting a glance at the girls at the table.

Clank looked past Scribble at the girls again. Paws was now reading from the little book while both the Water and Garden fairies were hunched over the large one. “Are… they doing something wrong?”

Scribble’s eye twitched. “Technically no,” he said. But his strained voice implied that he wasn’t exactly pleased with what they were up to. “I normally don’t have a problem with those three and their little hobby. They’re normally pretty good with fact checking their stories.”

“Stories?” Clank raised an eyebrow and glanced at the three non-story talent fairies.

“But they keep missing important details of Queen Melody’s history. It is taking all of my will power to not swipe that journal of theirs and correct every word of it.” Scribble raised his voice then. “Such as her disappearance when the darkness ended!”

The three fairies glanced their way and the Garden Fairy spoke up. “We’re working on that right now, Scribble.”

Scribble groaned and rubbed his temples.

“Who’s Queen Melody?” Clank whispered to Bobble.

“No idea,” Bobble shrugged.

“She was the queen of Pixie Hollow centuries before Queen Clarion’s reign. Her history is actually quite fascinating. I could give you some references if you like.” Scribble said, brightening.

“That’s alright Scribble,” Bobble held up his hands to stop the librarian. “That won’t be necessary.”

Scribble stopped. His expression shifted from disappointment, to surprise, then a wide smile. “So you agreed to Tie after all?”

Bobble quickly dropped his hands and held his wrist behind his back. “Aye, we did just the other day.” A pink tint appeared in Bobble’s cheeks as he grinned.

“That’s wonderful!” Scribble declared. “Then you were able to work through whatever was bothering you the last time I saw you?”

Bobble nodded. “Aye, more or less.”

That was one way to put it, Clank thought. Yes, they’d talked about what was bothering Bobble. Fairy Gary had unintentionally led Bobble to believe that before he and Clank could Tie that they had to first be ‘physically intimate’ as he put it.

It made Clank’s stomach churn to think about it. If Fairy Gary hadn’t said anything then Bobble wouldn’t have gotten flustered, they wouldn’t have gotten lost in the woods, Clank’s proposal would have gone perfectly, and maybe, just maybe Bobble wouldn’t be stuck overthinking sex so much and they’d have done it by now! Ugh! Clank thought I wish Gary would have kept his mouth shut!

“Clank are you feeling alright?” Scribble asked.

“Huh?” Clank’s attention snapped back to the librarian. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You look like you’ve just swallowed a mouthful of sour milk.” Scribble said.

“Really?”

“Aye, a little bit.” Bobble confirmed.

“Oh…” Clank tried to smile, but he was sure it didn’t look quite real. “I’m okay.”

Both Scribble and Bobble looked skeptical, but thankfully Bobble changed the subject. “I’m dreadfully sorry for the mess I made the other day.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already got it straightened up,” said Scribble. “Now was there something you two needed help with?”

“Well, I finished the last book you loaned me. Could you help me pick a new one?” Bobble handed over the borrowed book and Scribble examined the cover.

“Ah, I think there’s a sequel to this one that you’d enjoy. Follow me.”

Bobble followed after Scribble, but Clank found himself focusing on the three fairies once again. Their journal was laid over the large book and all three of them appeared to be contemplating something.

“Scribble’s right,” the Garden Fairy said. “We can’t leave out her disappearance.”

“But then who’s the hero of the story?” the Water Fairy asked.

“Maybe there isn’t one?” Paws shrugged. “A bit of melancholy makes it interesting.”

“But she ‘shattered the darkness’”the Water Fairy said. “That sounds like a hero to me.”

“She can still be the hero and disappear at the end,” said the Garden Talent. “Besides, if she doesn’t disappear then we aren’t being true to her story.”

“Then maybe our next story can be about the years without a queen,” said Paws.

The Water Talent nodded. “Yeah, okay. That makes sense… and I bet there’s a lot of stuff we could find about the queenless years!”

The other two mumbled their agreement. Clank didn’t notice that he’d been drawing closer to them. Curiosity was swimming through his veins. Why in all the realms were three nature talents pretending to be Story Talents? He’d never seen anything like it before.

Suddenly, the Water Fairy glanced up and met his eye. Clank froze and she smiled at him. “Hello again!” she greeted cheerfully. “Clank, right?”

“Um, yes,” Clank quickly tried to recall her name from the day before. “And you’re.. um…”

“Fluss,” she offered. “It’s nice to see you again. How are you?” She and the other two came around the table to meet Clank, all three smiling pleasantly at him.

“I’m good.” Clank replied a little awkwardly.

“Not Tinkering today?” Paws asked.

“No,” he said. “Fairy Mary insisted we take the day off.”

“Good idea,” Paws nodded sagely. “You should definitely take things slow after the adventure you two had. I’m sure Steel would agree too.”

Clank nodded, unsure what to say to that. Instead he gestured to the books on the table. “What were you three doing?”

“Oh! It’s nothing really,” Paws said. “Just a fun little game of ours.”

“Elowen and I have always loved making stories. We would sometimes come here to research and write. We invited Paws to join us not long after she arrived. Now we come here at least once a lunar cycle.” Fluss explained.

“Paws found an exert of a former queen recently,” the garden fairy, Elowen, said. “I’ve never heard anything about her in fairytale theater. So we’re reading about her and making our own story about her.”

“What do you do with the stories when you write them?” Clank asked.

“Not much,” Fluss shrugged. “We normally keep them to ourselves.”

“Sometimes we act them out,” said Paws.

“Or we share them with our mates,” Elowen added. “Not a lot of fairies know we do this. Besides, they’re not nearly on the same level as a real Story Talent’s work.”

“But we still have fun with it. And who knows? Maybe we’ll write a story about you someday.” Fluss grinned.

“Huh? Me? Why?” Clank asked.

The other two gave her a questioning look. Fluss laughed and said, “I’m only joking. Although, you and your mate over there have had quite a few stories to tell over the years, haven’t you? From run-ins with that nasty Tinker Dozer, to your journey through the Neverwoods,” she sighed. “I’m so glad that Neverland brought you back here. Would be such a shame for two Tinkers so young to stay lost.”

“What do you mean?” Clank asked.

Fluss looked confused. “Just that you two have barely been in Pixie Hollow long enough to leave an impression. Sure you’ve had a lot happen, but not nearly enough. No one would get to know what you two are truly capable of if you were to stay lost. And so many of us wouldn’t have had the pleasure of meeting you. Not to mention you wouldn’t be able to have your ceremony with the queen.”

Stunned, Clank could only stare at her. Stayed lost? Could it be possible that he and Bobble may have never found their way home? How long could they have survived out in that forest? His heart gave an unsteady thump and a fresh twinge of pain. He did his best to hide the accompanying wince.

Elowen took a step toward him, a concerned frown on her lips. He remembered then that this Garden fairy was Basil’s mate and that she may be aware of the pain he was in. He didn’t say a word but gave the barest shake of his head, to which Elowen gave a slight nod in return.

“I think,” Elowen said, turning back to Fluss, “that he was asking about Neverland bringing him here.”

“Yeah, um,” Clank cleared his throat. “That’s what I meant.”

“Oh,” Fluss blushed slightly.

“You see Clank, Fluss has this whole idea that Neverland will put fairies and other creatures exactly where they’re meant to be when they’re meant to be there,” explained Paws. “So according to that, Neverland brought you and Bobble home because you were still needed here or something like that.”

“Oh well that’s…” Clank paused, searching for the right word, “Interesting?”

“You can say it’s silly if you want to,” said Fluss with a shrug. “A lot of fairies think so.”

“It’s not silly!” Clank insisted. “Maybe that’s why Bobble and I were able to find each other in the woods when we were so far apart.”

“Either that or you two are just drawn together.” Paws grinned and winked at him.

“Well, regardless of some kind of Neverland intervention, you two were going to make it home no matter what,” Fluss said matter-of-factly.

Clank raised a curious eyebrow at her. “What makes you say that?”

Fluss smiled softly. “Because of your partner.”

Clank’s eyes went wide and he cast a glance back toward Bobble. He was now flipping through a tome with focused interest while Scribble yammered on beside him, probably completely unheard by Bobble.

Fluss came up beside Clank and nudged him slightly. “I only spoke with him briefly, but it was clear as pure water how much he cares for you.”

“Definitely,” Elowen agreed. “I bet he would have charged through fire to bring you home.”

“You found yourself a good sparrowman, Clank.” Paws grinned.

Heart fluttering, Clank watched Bobble chew his lower lip as he poured over the book in his hands. These three fairies thought so highly of him, and they were among the few who had heard the not so brilliant details of their engagement.

And they were right, Clank realized. Though their trek through the woods had not started as a happy one, Clank had seen something under Bobble’s defenses as they journeyed onward: a determination. There was a clear will in Bobble that said no matter what happens, I will get you home Clank.

It was a relief to hear these three say that Bobble truly cared for him even after what had happened. Clank wasn’t sure what he would say if anyone were to claim they shouldn’t get Tied because Bobble had panicked.

You know he doesn’t really love you, right? You’re just a crutch to make him feel better about himself!

Clank’s jaw clenched. The thought came to him in a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time. Even so, it sounded exactly like something Dozer might say if he were still here to torment them. He absently pressed his fist to his chest, fighting the tightness that had snuck up on him again.

A soft hand lay on his arm. He glanced down and Elowen stood beside him. She was small and didn’t even come up to his shoulder.

“Is everything alright?” Elowen asked quietly.

Clank nodded. “I’m fine.”

She hummed in response, then turned to her friends. “Why don’t you two get back to the story? I need to talk to Clank for a moment.”

The other two exchanged a glance but didn’t argue. “We’ll see if we can write out an ending,” said Paws. She and Fluss then returned to their table and Elowen led Clank a few paces away until their chatter became background noise.

“Basil was wondering how you might be feeling today,” said Elowen. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Clank. She gave a pointed look to the fist still clenched against his chest and he immediately dropped his hand to his side.

“Hmm. If you say so.” She was quiet a moment longer, watching her friends at their table. “You and Bobble went through something… challenging.”

“Hah! Tell me about it.” Clank replied humorlessly.

“Have you talked to anyone about it?” Elowen asked.

“Of course. You know what happened, don’t you? And your friends. And some of my friends too.”

“Anyone besides the group from yesterday?” Elowen asked.

Clank shook his head. “I don’t really want to tell everyone we got stuck out in the woods. They’ll wanna know why.”

“You’re afraid they’ll think poorly of the situation?”

“Of course I am!” Clank exclaimed. “I asked Bobble to Tie with me and he ran away! How is anyone gonna not think poorly of that?” He winced again as the pain flared, but forced himself to keep his hand at his side.

Elowen frowned. Clank was certain she was going to comment on his pain, but instead she nodded in understanding. “You know, I was really sick when Basil asked me to Tie with him. He was crying, and I barely had the strength to say yes. We thought I was going to die.” She stared wistfully at the ground. “Even the happiest memories can be surrounded in sadness.”

Stunned, Clank faced her again. Elowen was smaller than her friends and quite a bit thinner. She seemed healthy enough, but Clank could see she wasn’t quite as energetic as her two friends. “You nearly died?”

She nodded slowly. “It was a long time ago. It used to scare me so much when I thought about it.”

“What happened? How’d you get better?” Clank asked.

“Well, my mate is a Healer, isn’t he?” Elowen smiled softly. “He did everything in his power to bring my strength back.”

“Wow… he must be a great Healer.”

“He is,” she confirmed.

“But how’d you stop being scared?” Clank asked.

“Well, it does still scare me a little, but talking about it helped,” Elowen explained. “At first I didn’t know what to say. And I wasn’t really able to talk to Basil about it, despite the fact that he was struggling with the fear just as much as I was. But eventually I was able to talk to someone else. They helped me through the fear.”

“Who’d you talk to?” Clank asked. “One of them?” He nodded toward Fluss and Paws.

Elowen grinned like she was hoping he’d ask. “Actually no. I spoke to Mr. Owl.”

“Mr. Owl?”

“Mm hm, he’s very wise.”

“Is he an actual owl?” Clank asked.

Elowen laughed. “Yes, he is an actual owl. And I know you say you’re fine, but it might be a good idea to talk to him.”

“Talk to an owl…?”

“Or one of the Healers who’s learned from him if he isn’t around.”

“Okay… like who?” Clank asked.

Before she answered, Elowen turned to the nearest table and found a scrap of paper. She began writing down names. “Well, there’s Basil, or Celeste, and I think Philip may be helpful too.” She straightened up and handed the list to Clank. It had a few more names than what she said, plus Mr. Owl.

“Huh,” Clank stared at the list, brow furrowed. “But why have so many Healers learned from an owl?”

She smiled again. “Do you think the body is the only thing that needs healing? The mind and spirit need care too.” She closed Clank’s hand around the list. “You should really consider talking to one of them about what happened. Both of you.”

“Hey Elo! You done yet? We could use you over here!” Fluss called.

“I’ll be right there!” Elowen called back. “Think about it, okay?” She pat the back of Clank’s hand and turned to rejoin her friends. Clank stared after her for a moment then at the list in his hand. If he was being honest, he didn’t really want to talk about what had transpired in the woods. He didn’t really want to think about it either. He was perfectly happy just remembering Bobble putting a cord around his wrist and ignoring how hopeless he’d felt only moments before.

He squeezed his eyes shut at a new jolt in his chest. Stop it, he thought at the pain which did not help in the slightest. He glanced over to Bobble who now stood alone with his book. Scribble had gone back to his own book fortress, apparently realizing Bobble wasn’t listening. Clank looked at the list of names one more time, then wandered back to Bobble.

“No, no. That doesn’t help either!” Bobble muttered as Clank approached. He flipped a page, then another, and another before he dropped the large tome on the table in front of him. Bobble heaved a sigh and ran both his hands through his hair, lacing his fingers together behind his head.

That wasn’t a motion Bobble did too often, but Clank still recognized it. He thought of it as Bobble’s ‘thoroughly stumped’ pose. “You alright, Bobble?” Clank asked, peering over the table to see what he was reading.

There was a diagram of a fairy and sparrowman drawn in great detail on the pages with numerous labels pointing to them. Clank lifted the side to see the cover. ‘Fairy Ailments and their Causes.’

Tha-thump

Clank swallowed hard as he lay his hand on the book. He gazed up at Bobble who still had his hands around the back of his head.

“I couldn’t find anything,” said Bobble. “Maybe a different book? Or a Healer’s journal? There has to be something…” he relaxed his arms and moved toward the shelves. “I’ll keep looking.”

“Bobble,” Clank grabbed his arm as Bobble passed. “Hey, you don’t have to go researching my chest pains. They’re gonna get better soon, right?”

He felt Bobble tense for a brief moment. “But what if Basil is wrong? What if it isn’t something that will just go away?”

“Then I’ll take more of that awful medicine.”

Bobble grimaced. “But you looked like you hated the medicine.”

“It is disgusting.” Clank shrugged. “But it’s better than hurting.”

Bobble shook his head. “It doesn’t look like it took all the pain away. I know you’re trying to hide it.”

Clank frowned. “I don’t want you to worry.”

“And I don’t want you to hurt.” Bobble countered.  He glanced at Clank’s hand before Clank could respond. “What’s that?” He gestured to the list in Clank’s hand.

“Oh, Miss Elowen gave this to me.” Clank handed Bobble the paper. “She said maybe we could talk to someone about what happened in the woods?”

Bobble looked over the list, his brows knit together in a vague confusion. “Why? We’ve already told our friends about it. Why would we need to tell anyone else?”

“I dunno? She said it might help. Like, if it was bothering us or something.” Clank shrugged. “She put it better.”

Bobble stared at the list again. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” He looked uneasy as he slipped the list into his pouch. “Is this something you want to do, Clank?”

Not really, Clank thought to himself. But he thought about what Elowen had said about Basil saving her when she was sick. They had thought she would die, but he had saved her. He was definitely a great Healer. But Basil had said his pain was a pulled muscle. Maybe if he were to examine Clank again, he’d find something different; something he hadn’t seen before… something he could cure. “Yeah,” Clank nodded with conviction. “I think I wanna talk to Basil.”

Chapter Text

There wasn’t much activity at the Healer’s station that they could see upon their arrival. There were only three other fairies waiting to be seen. Clank went to the receptionist and asked for Basil and was then told to wait. He sat with Bobble, who’s leg was bouncing as he chewed his lower lip.

“Hey, this is good, remember?” Clank said. “I’ll see Basil, and then things can be normal again.”

“Aye,” Bobble nodded, knee still bouncing. “Or at least some kind of normal.” He clasped his wrist just below the cord with a small grin. Absently, Clank copied the motion, feeling the long thin cord that hung from his wrist and smiled to himself. “Do you really think talking to Basil will help?”

Clank shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe?” He hadn’t yet admitted that he didn’t really intend for this to be a chat. “It’s worth a try though, right?”

“I suppose so.” Bobble released his wrist and rested his hand just beside Clank’s leg. Automatically, Clank lay his hand over Bobble’s and laced their fingers together.

They waited a long while before Basil finally emerged from the back. “Clank! I was surprised to hear you were waiting for me. Is everything alright? You haven’t gotten worse since yesterday, have you?”

Clank stood, shaking his head, “No, I don’t think so.”

“We’ve just come from the library,” Bobble explained. “We ran into Elowen there.”

“Ah, I see.” Basil grinned. “Writing day?”

“Yeah, she was with her friends making some story or something.” Clank confirmed.

“And she told Clank that maybe we… could talk to you about what happened to us in the woods?” Bobble said, making an odd face. He hadn’t heard Elowen’s explanation and so the concept probably still seemed strange to him.

“Oh, of course.” Basil nodded sagely. “We can definitely talk. I don’t have any more patients right now.”

“Great!” Bobble grinned. “So, should we go back to a room or…?”

Basil held up a hand. “I can talk with one of you,” he said. “If you both need to talk, I can see if anyone else is free right now.”

“Oh… why can’t you talk to both of us?” Bobble asked.

“I have my reasons.” Basil smiled. “So which of you am I going to listen to?”

Bobble glanced to Clank. “You should go, Clanky. You wanted to, right?”

“Um. Yeah, I did.” He swallowed and moved to follow Basil.

“Phineas, would you like me to see if someone else can meet with you?” Basil asked.

Bobble shifted awkwardly. “I… think I should talk to someone.”

Basil nodded and gestured for Clank to follow him. Clank could feel Bobble watching him as they disappeared to the exam rooms. He didn’t figure Bobble would want to talk to anyone. He was sure Bobble was just as content ignoring the bad, same as him. They’d gotten through hard times without talking to a Healer, or an owl for that matter, about it before.

Once the door was closed behind them, Basil asked Clank to take a seat. “So, where would you like to begin?” Basil asked.

“Actually…” Clank started, “I didn’t really come here to talk.”

Basil frowned. “No? Well, what did you come here for?”

“Miss Elowen… she told me how you saved her life a long time ago.”

“Oh.” Basil stared wistfully to the side, “That was an incredibly difficult time for us. I don’t think I slept at all while she was sick, or even after she got better.”

“But you saved her!” Clank said. “You’ve got to be a great Healer, right? I mean, I know you are. You saved my wings after my run-in with the hawk, right?”

“I am a capable Healer, yes. Our guild is full of talented Healers. But why come to me now?”

Clank pressed his hand to his chest. “The pain! The pain in my chest. You can heal it!”

Basil frowned and crossed his arms. “You haven’t given yourself proper time to rest. I told you yesterday-”

“Yes, I know. You said yesterday it was a pulled muscle! But what if it isn’t? Shouldn’t we at least find that out so you can fix it? Wouldn’t it be better to find out sooner rather than later?”

“Mister Clank,” Basil said firmly, a stern look on his face. “Even if your pain isn’t caused by a pulled muscle, it is entirely possible that it is a stress related injury caused by your trek through the woods. It would be best for you to take a few days to relax and let your body sort itself out. Now, if the pain doesn’t go away after you’ve properly rested, then we can look at other options.”

“But…!”

“Please trust me on this.” Basil said gently. “I will do whatever I can to help you, but you need to give yourself time to recover. There’s no sense in running a bunch of tests on you that will only stress you out even more.”

Clank tried to think of a way to argue back, but could think of nothing. That glimmer of hope faded away as he sighed. “Okay… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have wasted your time.” He stood to leave, but Basil placed a hand on Clank’s shoulder, making him pause.

“I may not be Mr. Owl, but the offer to listen still stands,” said Basil. “If you want to talk about what happened out there.”

Clank shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Basil half grinned and nodded. “That’s understandable. Would you like to talk about anything else?”

“Like what?” Clank asked.

“Oh, I don’t know… We could talk about Phineas?”

“Bobble?”

“Yes,” Basil sat across from Clank with a warm smile. “I don’t know him all that well. Tell me about him. How did you two meet?”

Clank shrugged. “We met at my arrival. He was the one to show me Pixie Hollow.”

“Really? Tell me about that.” Basil said.

“Well… I dunno. He introduced himself, took my hand and showed me around?” Clank said.

“Took your hand? Most fairies just follow after whomever is showing them around.” Basil commented.

“Yeah, well. Bobble doesn’t see well, y’know. That’s why I made him those goggles he wears. I think he held my hand to keep from losing sight of me?” Clank explained.

“You made the goggles? I always figured he’d made them.” Basil said.

“Oh, no! It was me, you see…” Clank told him the story. He hadn’t thought about it in years. But he could still recall it all like it had just happened.

When Clank had first arrived he was greeted by such a bright smiling Tinker that he couldn’t help but feel special. This Tinker stayed by his side all day, teaching him so many new things. Clank hoped he could see this sparrowman every day. He was just delightful!

That first night, Clank’s new friend, whom he admitted he was having trouble remembering his name at that point, introduced him to friends of his from other guilds; three sweet fairies of water, garden and animal talent.

“Kinda like your mate and her friends,” Clank commented in the middle of his story.

“I’m guessing that you’re talking about Rosetta and her friends?”

“Yeah, Ro, Fawn and Silvermist.” Clank confirmed before continuing.

The three fairies were so kind and so welcoming. Fawn had commented on being the new girl of the group, and Clank replied jokingly that he was in fact the new girl now. They were all great, but even though Clank liked them all and enjoyed their company, he knew even then that his feelings toward Bobble were different than his feelings towards these three girls.

But then Silvermist said something that night that stuck with Clank for a long time: “Phineas, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy!”

What exactly did she mean by that? Was Bobble not normally this cheerful? What could possibly make anyone unhappy in a place as perfect as this?

Clank found the answer to that in the form of a nasty Tinker named Dozer. Dozer was mean, angry, loud and oh so full of himself. He’d found Clank on his second day and claimed that Bobble wanted nothing to do with him. Clank felt a tightness in his chest at that news that he almost couldn’t bear. How could that be true? That sweet sparrowman who’d shown him so many wonderful things and introduced him to such kind people couldn’t possibly hate him already, could he?

Fortunately Clank quickly discovered from working with Dozer for one day that there was no way this sparrowman was being honest with him. He was awful and abrasive all day, and Clank hoped to never work with this roach of a person ever again.

When he found Bobble that night, he begged for Bobble to take him back, which he did gladly. Over the next few weeks he noticed how Dozer tended to go out of his way to antagonize poor Bobble. Dozer would insult Bobble’s work, steal his tools, and break small parts of projects when Bobble wasn’t looking. But worst of all, he would torment Bobble about his eyesight. It wasn’t like Bobble had asked for poor vision!

It must have been challenging enough to be a Tinker with blurred vision. But Bobble was clever and had a work around for it. He used a number of water drop lenses to help him see. But often times, there was no good placement for them, or if he was using his hand lens, he had to set it aside sometimes to use both hands.

There had to be a better way!

That was when Clank started to lose sleep. He was plagued by a burning question: How could he help Bobble see better? If he could figure that out, it would help Bobble so much, and Clank so very much wanted to help Bobble.

It didn’t take long to come up with a plan. He got to work, and for several days he worked in secret. It took some clever tricks to hide what he was doing and even more tricks to get proper measurements, but Clank eventually crafted the perfect seeing tool for Bobble.

He could still remember the scenario that played through his head once he’d finished. He held up the goggles and admired them. He planned on giving them to Bobble at the Autumn Revelry. They would be a gift for teaching him so much and being such an amazing friend. He could practically hear what Bobble’s reaction would be.

“Oh thank you Clanky! It’s perfect! You’re perfect! I love you!” And Bobble would throw his arms around Clank and kiss him.

The first time Clank imagined that he startled out of the thought in complete shock. What on earth had he just imagined? He thought through the scene again, and again, Bobble kissed him. He felt a smile tug at his lips and butterflies fly through his stomach. He played the scene in his mind again and again, liking it more and more each time. Finally, smiling from ear to ear, Clank tucked the goggles away. He was then extremely determined to make that mental image a reality.

“Wow, so you had feelings for Phineas that early on?” Basil interrupted.

“I did.” Clank nodded sheepishly.

“No need to be shy about it. You two are engaged now after all.” Basil reminded him. “But, hold on. I’m sure I’d seen Phineas before the Revelry and he had the goggles then?”

“Yeah,” Clank sighed. “Unfortunately giving him the goggles didn’t exactly go the way I had planned.”

All the late nights working on Bobble’s gift had left Clank exhausted. It showed in his work, and Clank feared he was making too many errors and frustrating his dear friend. And of course Dozer had taken notice as well and decided to antagonize Bobble once again. Dozer had riled Bobble up so much he’d shouted at Dozer.

Clank heard the comment loud and clear. “I’m having a hard enough time cleaning up after Clank to deal with you right now!” That had hurt like a knife to the heart. But Dozer had left. Clank wasn’t sure if Bobble even realized what he’d said. He offered to help with what Bobble was working on, but Bobble refused multiple times, and pushed him away.

It was an accident. But it was still the tipping point for Bobble’s frustrations. Clank stumbled back and knocked over one of Bobble’s lenses, and in a moment of pure clumsiness, he’d stepped on part of it, breaking it. Bobble had exploded then. He’d screamed at Clank, accusing him of ruining everything and never getting anything right.

It was all hot air, it was all frustration towards another person, but Bobble had let it all out against Clank. “I… I’m sorry Bobble.” Clank had said. It hurt so much to see Bobble this angry.

“Phineas! My name is Phineas! You can’t even get that right!” Bobble shouted and flew away in a rage.

Slowly, sadly, Clank picked up the broken pieces of the lens. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. All the while his heart felt heavier than a boulder. He heard a laugh from the edge of their station and glanced that way. Dozer smirked at him and flew away. Clank scowled. This was Dozer’s intention, wasn’t it? He wanted to come between them. He wanted Bobble to be isolated with no friends. Clank could see that in those wild green eyes.

He wouldn’t have it. He wasn’t going to abandon Bobble over one moment of frustration. But there was still the issue of the broken lens. Clank hadn’t meant to break it, and surly Bobble would understand once he’d cooled down. But now he wouldn’t be able to see at all! Unless…

Clank knew he could fix this. He could fix Bobble’s sight and make him smile again at the same time. He hurried home and fetched the goggles, then went to find Silvermist and Fawn to ask for their help.

When Fawn brought Bobble and Rosetta to the river, Clank could see that Bobble was still angry. Maybe he was less so than earlier, but still tense and frustrated none the less. That made Clank so nervous. What if this didn’t work? What if Bobble didn’t like it? What if Bobble really did hate him? It was awful to think that, but even if it were true, Clank still had to try and make things better.

His heart pounded as he fit the goggles over Bobble’s face. He’d held his breath as Bobble opened his eyes for he first time. His eyes had always been the most beautiful shade of blue, but seeing them magnified by the dewdrops… they were perfect. And Bobble was perfect.

The smile that broke across Bobble’s face would stay with him forever. Bobble was so joyful that he seemed to shine brighter than Clarion herself. He’d hugged Clank so tightly and thanked him over and over again.

“And then he kissed you?” Basil asked, smirking.

Clank laughed. “No, no. That didn’t happen til months later. I didn’t think he actually would though. It just would have been nice if he had.”

“Ah, okay then,” Basil smiled. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

“No, go ahead.”

“You mentioned when Dozer told you the first time that Bobble didn’t want to work with you that your chest felt tight. Do you remember exactly how that felt?” Basil leaned forward with interest.

“Um… I’m not sure. It was a long time ago.” Clank shrugged.

“See if you can remember. It’s alright if you can’t.”

Clank thought back to that day. Dozer’s words came to him more easily than he liked. “You’re the new Tinker that was following Bobble around yesterday?”

“I don’t think that was his name… but yeah, I’m the new guy.”

“Ah, got it. Bobble sent me to find you. Said he couldn’t stand to work with you again. Bit slow on the uptake are you? Fine, fine. I’ll show you how to do things. Don’t even worry about it.”

Clank inhaled sharply and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Are you alright?” Basil asked.

“Back then… it felt like… a lot like what I’m feeling now.” Clank explained. “It was really similar to my chest pain. Just not as intense.”

“I see.” Basil stood up and went to Clank, pressing his palm over Clank’s sternum. “Does it hurt now?”

“A little.” Clank replied. “Why? Do you think you might know what’s wrong?”

“I have a theory…” Basil said warily. “But it may still be muscular.”

“What’s your theory?” Clank asked.

Basil shook his head, backing away from Clank and moving to the counter behind Clank. “It’s probably wrong, so I don’t want you to worry you with it right now. But I’d like you to come back tomorrow so we can talk some more. And you can let me know if you’re feeling any better.”

“Tomorrow?” Clank asked. “I think I’m going back to the workshop tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll be able to come by.”

“I’ll send for you. Fairy Mary will understand.” Basil wrote in a red journal on the counter. “I’m sure your health is important to her.”

“I suppose so…” Clank said. He looked to the door. “So… am I done? Should I be going?”

“I think you’ve talked enough for today. We can talk more tomorrow.” Basil replied. “Plus I imagine Phineas is probably waiting for you.”

Bobble… Clank smiled to himself. “Yeah, I hope he hasn’t been waiting too long.” He stood up to go. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Oh, one more thing before you go,” Basil said quickly. “Have you needed the medicine at all?”

Clank felt himself gag slightly. “I had some this morning.”

“Hmm… Did it help? And please, be truthful.”

“It… helped a some. I didn’t hurt as bad after taking it, but I still did a little. That medicine is absolutely dreadful by the way.”

Basil grimaced. “I know.” He made another note in the journal. “Alright, you’d better go find Phineas. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Clank nodded and saw himself out. When he reached the waiting area, he found it empty. No one was waiting to be seen, and Bobble wasn’t waiting for him. With a frown, he turned to the receptionist.

“He left a little while ago,” she said without him having to ask. “He was here for a bit, and asked me to let you know he’d see you at home.”

Clank thanked her and began flying home. How long had he been talking with Basil? Had Bobble been waiting that long? It’s too bad he hadn’t waited one minute more. Clank understood though. It must have been dreadfully boring waiting for him. He wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

Chapter Text

The sun was just over the horizon when Clank reached Tinker’s Nook. He hadn’t realized it had gotten this late. Had he been talking to Basil that long, or had he gotten that late of a start this morning? Regardless of how the time passed, it was clear that things were winding down in the workshop and his fellow Tinkers were beginning to drift away from their work stations.

As Clank made his way through the workshop toward home, he took casual glances at what his fellow workers had been crafting; a tea kettle here, rainbow tubes there, a new chaise for a wagon off to one side. His fingers twitched with the urge to create, but he knew he’d have to wait until morning.

“Clank! Wait a moment,” Fairy Mary’s voice rang out as he reached the edge of the workshop.

“Yes Fairy Mary?” Clank greeted her with a slight nod as she approached him. “Is there something you need my help with?”

“No no, I just wanted to check on you to see how you were feeling.” Fairy Mary lightly touched his arm. “After what you and Bobble went through the last few days, I wanted to make sure you were getting plenty of rest.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course.” Clank shrugged. “I slept in a bit this morning, and I’m feeling pretty good now. I think me and Bobble should be back in the workshop by morning.”

Fairy Mary’s brow furrowed as she frowned. “This morning Bobble told me your chest had been bothering you last night?”

As if on command Clank felt a fresh jab at his sternum. He cleared his throat to cover the wince. “Yeah, something about sore muscles. I’m fine though. It’s nothing really.”

Still Mary frowned deeper. “You’re sure? Have you been to see a Healer?”

“Yes. I’ve actually just come from a Healer. I just need to give myself time to recover,” Clank explained.

Mary gave a contemplative hum, “In that case, I don’t want you to feel like you need to come back to the workshop until you’re completely healed.”

“No!” Clank said quickly, “no, I want to come back. I’ve hardly done any Tinkering for days!”

“I don’t want you to push yourself Clank. If you’re not ready to work, then please rest.” Mary said with a note of finality.

Clank sighed heavily. “Yes Fairy Mary. Of course.”

Sensing his disappointment, Fairy Mary gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. “Chin up, Clank. You’ll be better in no time.”

He forced a smile and nodded. “Right, no time at all.”

“I won’t keep you any longer. You were on your way home, yes? Go get some rest.”

Clank left Fairy Mary glumly. I don’t need more rest. I need things to get back to normal. I wanna go back to work. I want my chest to stop hurting. He sighed and pushed the door to his home open. “Bobble?” The house was empty. I want to know where my boyfriend disappeared to this time.

As he stepped inside, the pressure in his chest tightened as he scanned the room for any signs of Bobble. He moved to the kitchen area and found place settings for two at the table that definitely were not there that morning. Bobble has been here. So where did he go? “Bobble?” Clank called a little louder this time. Though this house was noticeably larger than the one he’d first lived in, it still did not have many places to hide. “Bobble, are you here somewhere?”

“Aye, Clank! I’m outside!” Bobble’s voice came from the back window. Clank peeked outside and saw the messy crop of red hair he recognized. Without waiting for an invitation, Clank went around the back of their house and found Bobble pulling on his shirt. He had removed all his bandages and his hair and wings were wet and his goggles were slung around his arm.

“How long have you been home?” Clank asked.

“Not long.” Bobble said, tugging his shirt so it sat right on his torso.

“Long enough for a bath,” Clank pointed out with half a smirk.

“True,” Bobble agreed. “I’ve put fresh water in the tub. I thought you might like a bath too.”

Clank was about to reject the idea, but realized he hadn’t had a proper wash in several days. When that thought hit him, he suddenly felt very grungy. “Thanks, I could really use one, eh?”

Bobble smiled and may have been hiding a laugh. “The water should be plenty warm.” Bobble turned to the mirror that was tacked on the back of the house to put his goggles on.

Clank turned to the tub and peeled off his shirt. Most tinkers had a bath like this behind their houses; a tub built under an overhanging shelter with a genius system to pump clean water into the tubs. Some Tinker had invented it a long time ago. Clank was never told who exactly, but suspected it was Fairy Mary herself. Some Tinkers had modified the system so they could have their tubs inside, but for whatever reason, Bobble never seemed to mind washing outside. It was one of the few places Clank could catch a glimpse of him undressed.

Now undressed himself, and stepping into the warm water, Clank glanced over at Bobble. He expected Bobble to be looking the other way like he always did to give Clank privacy, but Bobble’s face was turned enough that it was obvious he was watching Clank.

The blush that crept into Clank’s cheeks was completely unexpected. He’d been naked in front of Bobble plenty of times; many times on purpose. He even knew for a fact that Bobble would sometimes try and watch him discreetly. But now, Bobble grinned when Clank noticed him watching and Clank didn’t know how to respond. He froze in place, heart racing and feeling his face turn redder with each passing second.

“Sorry,” Bobble said, still grinning and turned his face away, but Clank felt like Bobble was still watching him in the mirror. Instead of saying anything Clank sank into the water and decided the back wall of the house was now extremely interesting, opting to look there instead of at Bobble.

Suddenly, Clank was caught off guard once more by Bobble pressing a kiss to his cheek. Clank gasped and quickly looked up at him. “Sorry,” Bobble said again, still smiling. He’d gathered Clank’s discarded clothes in his arms. “Would you like me to bring you a fresh outfit?”

“S-sure, thanks.”

Bobble pat Clank’s shoulder and straightened up. “I’ll be right back.”

Clank stared after him as Bobble disappeared around the side of the house. Quickly he splashed cupped handfuls of water onto his face again and again, trying to rid himself of the blush. What was that? Why am I so flustered? He dragged his hands from his face over his racing heart. Is how Bobble always feels when he’s riled up?

He thought back to his first year in Pixie Hollow. Just a few short weeks after his arrival, Bobble had formed a habit of becoming flustered for seemingly no reason. It was only later that Clank learned that he was flustered because he was trying to hide his feelings. Clank ran his hand over his heart that was finally calming down. How had one simple look have such a strong effect on him?

“Oh! Clank, are you hurting again?” Clank glanced up, seeing Bobble set down the clean clothes. He realized where his hands were and dropped them in the water.

“No. I’m okay,” Clank replied. “Mostly.”

This time Bobble clearly believed him, which was good because for now Clank really could only feel the usual pressure that he normally felt. Bobble sat beside the tub and leaned on the edge. He still wore the grin that made Clank’s heart race to begin with. “I’m sorry, Clanky. I really didn’t mean to stare.” He took a soaked sponge and began rubbing gentle circles on Clank’s shoulders.

This is new… “It’s okay,” said Clank, though he could still feel the hotness in his cheeks. “I mean, it’s not like you haven’t seen me undressed before.”

“Aye, but you usually don’t blush like that either.” Bobble pointed out, and Clank felt the red deepen. “It’s cute. Though I imagine I probably get much redder.”

Clank couldn’t help but chuckle. “You do look a bit like an apple when you blush.”

He felt Bobble’s laugh as he softly scrubbed down one side of Clank’s back. “Still, I honestly didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Clank shook his head and took to washing his arms and chest as Bobble cleaned his back. “I wasn’t embarrassed. More… caught off guard I suppose.” Bobble began working his way up the other side of Clank’s back as he hummed in answer. “I mean, I’ve never seen you openly stare.”

Bobble’s hand paused on Clank’s back. “I promise I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what came over me. You just looked so…” he trailed off. Clank looked over his shoulder and saw Bobble was blushing, yet grinning in such a cute way that Clank couldn’t help grinning too.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Clank assured him. “I can’t help looking at you sometimes.”

Bobble chuckled and traced a finger up and down Clank’s back. “I know. You do it all the time.”

Clank continued to wash his front. “Well, like I said. I can’t help it. I like looking at you.”

Again, Bobble laughed, tracing the same line on Clank’s back, right beside where his wings connected to his spine. It wasn’t hard to guess what line Bobble was tracing. It was one of four long scars that decorated Clank’s back. It never bothered Clank when Bobble drew attention to his scars like this. It was actually comforting. It reminded Clank how Bobble would tenderly treat the wounds every night until they had healed over. As much as the cuts hurt, Clank still cherished that gentleness Bobble had shown him.

 As much as he tried to keep looking forward, Clank couldn’t help glancing over his shoulder. Bobble smiled sweetly at him, making Clank’s heart soar. Before he could stop himself, Clank found himself turning to Bobble who moved to receive him. Their lips met easily and Clank hooked his arm over the edge of the tub to hold Bobble. Nimble fingers worked through Clank’s wet hair as Bobble tenderly returned the kiss.

Clank tried to pull Bobble closer, but the edge of the tub kept him at a further distance than Clank wanted. But maybe… just maybe, Clank could convince Bobble to get back in the tub with him. One hand found the front of Bobble’s shirt and clumsily pulled at the buttons.

Bobble broke the kiss, chuckling as he did so. For a brief flash, Clank was disappointed, but saw Bobble reach for the front of his shirt to undo the buttons. Clank felt his excitement grow as the first one came loose.

“Yoo hoo! Anyone here?”

And just like that it was done. Clank pushed back from the edge of the tub with a splash and Bobble was red as an apple when Rosetta rounded the side of the house. “Ro-Rosetta! Good evening! What brings you here?” Bobble fumbled to refasten his shirt.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Rosetta as her own cheeks flushed as pink as her dress. “Goodness! I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t realize you were bathing!”

“That’s quite alright!” Bobble replied quickly. “I’m all finished. Why don’t you come inside with me, Rosetta? I’m sure Clank won’t be much longer.”

“Right, of course.” Rosetta cleared her throat and seemed to regain her composure, but was clearly not looking directly at Clank.

So close… Clank thought as Rosetta and Bobble disappeared. He sank deeper into the water with a sigh. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. For just a moment, Clank smiled, imagining what might have happened if Rosetta hadn’t shown up. Bobble would be in the tub with him, in his arms… I’m glad we didn’t get that far before she showed up. Clank chuckled to himself. Maybe we can continue later.

He made quick work of finishing his bath. As he dressed he peeked in the back window where he spotted Bobble laying out a third place setting at the table. So clearly Rosetta was going to be here for a while longer. Clank didn’t mind that too much. Rosetta had always been very good to them. She was the first of their friend group to know about their relationship and had been supportive and encouraging when Bobble was still struggling to confess his feelings. Clank was incredibly grateful to her for that.

Now dressed, Clank stepped back into the house where Rosetta was helping Bobble lay out food for the three of them; biscuits, salads with crushed pecans and a bowl of fruit for them to share. Clank eyed Bobble’s arms and legs, still red from all the scrapes. A flash of Bobble tangled up in blackberry brambles flashed through Clank’s mind and he grimaced, trying not to think about how he’d gotten there. Thankfully Bobble didn’t see before Clank fixes his expression.

“So what brings you by, Rosetta?” Clank asked. He took a roll of bandages from a shelf and motioned for Bobble to sit down.

“I’m just here to check up on you two.” Rosetta said casually. “We were all worried sick about y’all and I wanted to make sure you boys were settling back in okay.”

“Aye, we are.” Bobble replied. He extended one leg forward as Clank knelt before him to wrap up his leg.

“Good!” Rosetta replied. She wore a smile that made Clank think she was eager to say more, but Clank didn’t press and continued with the bandages, finishing with Bobble’s legs and moving on to his arms.

“We should be going back to work tomorrow.” Bobble continued. “Honestly, I can’t wait to get back to the work shop.”

Clank frowned. “Fairy Mary thinks I should rest more.”

“Really? Do you think you need to?” Bobble asked.

“I dunno, but I really want to go back to work.” Clank said truthfully.

“But if you’ve still got a sore muscle, then you really ought to let that heal first.” Rosetta pointed out. “No sense in over working and hurting it worse.”

Clank’s hands tensed as a new pulse of pain stabbed him. Despite trying to hide the pain in his face, he couldn’t hide it from Bobble.

He pulled his half bandaged arm from Clank’s hands and leaned forward to touch Clank’s chest again. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Clank nodded. Bobble frowned, but nodded back and let Clank continue with the bandages.

Rosetta raised an eyebrow, but Bobble seemed to ignore her curious look as he sat back. “I think you should be fine to come work with me, so long as no one makes you do anything too heavy.” Bobble said.

“I’ll ignore Tweak tomorrow then.” Clank smirked, earning himself a chuckle from Bobble.

With Bobble’s limbs now freshly wrapped, Clank sat down to eat and the other two moved to join him. They dug into their meal and continued their conversation.

“So, how’s being engaged?” Rosetta asked, once again wearing that ‘eager to chat’ grin.

“It’s great” Bobble replied, easily slipping his hand into Clank’s. “It’s still pretty new, though.”

“You two thought about when y’all are gonna have your ceremony?”

There it was. Rosetta was the first one to offer to help with ceremony planning. “No…” Clank replied. “Didn’t we say yesterday we were gonna wait a bit on that?”

“Oh, I know!” Rosetta said. “But y’all ought to at least have an idea of when you wanna get Tied. You’ve been together for what, how long now? Couple years at least, if I recall. I bet somewhere in all that time you both got at least a little bit of an idea of what the perfect Tying ceremony would be like.”

Bobble pressed his palm into Clank’s and squeezed slightly. “I’ve thought about it a little, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to Clank about it yet.”

“Well why not? What have you been doing all day?” Rosetta asked.

Bobble shrugged. “We’ve been resting.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. “Uh huh. Resting, sure. Just like you were only bathing when I got here, right?”

It was almost humorous how quickly Bobble flushed red. “That’s not – I wasn’t – We just –”

“We hadn’t done anything yet!” Clank offered, feeling his own cheeks burn. But why should he be embarrassed? If he and Bobble were engaged to be Tied, wouldn’t it make sense that they might be sharing an intimate moment for one of their friends to potentially happen upon? “Besides, we spent most of the day at the Healer’s…”

“Oh!” Rosetta gasped. “How come? Are you still hurtin’ that bad?” She reached like she was about to check Clank’s heart like Bobble had been doing all day. Clank inhaled sharply, and she paused before she touched him, then retracted her hand.

“Sort of,” Bobble answered for Clank, as Rosetta settled back into her seat.

“No, I’m not. Your friend Elowen suggested it we go…” Clank said crossly.

“Elo? Why? When did you see her?” Rosetta asked.

“We saw her at the library.” Clank replied.

“Oooh,” Rosetta said, knowingly. “Writing day. Okay. So why’d she send y’all to the Healers?”

Clank shrugged. “It’s not important. Basil said the same thing about my chest pains that he did yesterday.” Clank felt Bobble squeeze his hand again and glanced to see a vaguely cross look from him.

“I see.” Rosetta pushed the salad around on her plate. “Well, he did say you’d be better in a couple days, right? He knows what he’s talkin’ about.”

“Indeed.” Bobble nodded. Clank noticed his tone was harder than normal.

“Anyway, about your engagement,” Rosetta said, quickly changing back to her original topic.

Clank sighed, “We’ll be sure to include you in our ceremony plans, Rosetta.”

“Oh, I know. That’s not what I was gonna say.” Rosetta replied. “I’m guessing you haven’t had a chance to announce your engagement to Queen Clarion?”

“What? No, is that something we have to do?” Clank asked.

“Aye, it’s traditional for all tying fairies to announce their engagement to the reigning queen. She does lead the ceremony after all.” Bobble confirmed. “We should do that before too much longer.”

“Mm hm. And once you do, we can really start planning your ceremony. When you’re ready of course.” Rosetta said, blotting her lips with her napkin. “Anyway, I’d better get goin’. I’m glad you boys are doin’ alright.”

“You’re leaving already? You just got here!” Clank said.

“I know, sugar. But I got some things to take care of back home before it gets too late. But y’all should join me and the rest of the girls for lunch tomorrow.”

“That sounds lovely.” Bobble grinned.

“Great, I’ll see you then!”

Rosetta let herself out, leaving Clank and Bobble alone again. Clank wondered if they could pick up where they left off by the tub. He glanced at Bobble to see a frown on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know…” Bobble sighed. “It sat with me weird when you said going to see Basil wasn’t important. Did talking to him not go well?”

Clank went quiet. He didn’t really know what he’d been expecting going to see Basil again. Was he really thinking the Healer would suddenly have a new cure for his pains when he hadn’t had one the day before? But he did end up talking to Basil as Elowen had suggested. “It… was okay I guess. I dunno, he wants to talk again tomorrow.”

Bobble nodded. “Celeste wants to talk to me tomorrow too.”

“Celeste?”

“The Healer I spoke to while you were talking with Basil. It was… weird talking to her. But I suppose it was good to have an impartial set of ears to listen.”

“So you talked to someone too?”

“Aye,” Bobble nodded, “They sent her to me not long after you left.”

“I see…” Clank thought about how he and Basil talked about Bobble during their meeting. “What… what did you two talk about?”

Bobble shrugged. “Just stuff… Tinkering, friends, you. I think she was just getting to know me.”

“What did you tell her about me?” Clank asked.

Bobble’s cheeks turned pink. “Well, you know… how you and I have been together for a few years, and that we’re going to be Tied.”

Clank got the feeling there was more to it than what Bobble was saying, but thought perhaps he shouldn’t press the matter right now. “Do you think you’ll go talk to her again tomorrow?” Clank asked.

“I might. She was rather easy to talk to,” said Bobble. “Are you going to talk to Basil again?”

Clank shrugged. “I might… I guess it wouldn’t hurt any.” He wondered if he should mention that Basil had a theory about his chest pains, though decided not to say anything since he didn’t know wha the theory was.

“Okay then…” Bobble slipped his hand into Clank’s. “Then I suppose we’ll keep going.”

Clank squeezed Bobble’s hand and leaned closer to kiss him. Bobble grinned, but pulled his hand away and began gathering the dishes. “I’ll clean up. You can rest for now, okay?”

“Oh… okay.” Clank said. He watched as Bobble cleared the table. He could see in his motions that there were a thousand things running through his head; a thousand things that mean that he wasn’t ready to pick things up were they’d left off outside. So not tonight then… Clank thought, as his chest tightened. He pictured Bobble watching him, smiling, so confident, so loving. But maybe soon.

Chapter Text

The morning started similarly to the previous one. Clank woke, without the sounds of Bobble moving about the house, but the position of the light on the wall told him it wasn’t nearly as late as it had been when he’d woken the day before. But he was still surprised not to hear Bobble moving about like normal. He rolled over to see if maybe he was sitting by the bed again.

“Oh!” Clank gasped. Bobble was sitting up in the bed beside him, dressed for work, with his latest book in his lap.

“Good morning.” Bobble smiled down at him. “Did I startle you?”

“N-no.” Clank lied. “Maybe…? I mean… Good morning.”

Bobble laid a gentle hand on Clank’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I think?” Clank replied. His chest definitely wasn’t aching like it had been, but still felt very uncomfortable.

“Do you need your medicine?” Bobble asked, sliding his hand over to Clank’s chest.

Despite the welcome touch, Clank grimaced. “No, thank you.” He could tolerate discomfort much better than that awful taste.

“Okay,” Bobble smiled softly. “How about some breakfast then?”

“That sounds lovely.” Clank replied.

Bobble got up and moved to the cabinets. While he got food out for them, Clank got up to get dressed. He noticed a steaming cup of tea on the bedside table. It looked untouched, and he glanced around for a second cup, spotting it on the dining table. Apparently Bobble’s back into his early routine after all, Clank thought as he took a sip of the hot tea. He was already dressed… he must have gotten up at least an hour ago and made us tea.

When Clank was dressed and breakfast had been eaten, the two of them began gathering what they needed in the work shop. Bobble shoved his various tools in his belt while Clank grabbed rolled up lists and plans from several days ago.

“Ready to go?” Clank asked, his arms full of supplies.

“Just a moment,” Bobble replied, packing his knife and dewdropper into his hip pouch. He then grabbed Clank’s medicine and stuck that in the pouch as well. “Okay, I’m ready.” 

“You don’t need to bring that.” Clank said.

“What if you need it?” Bobble asked.

“I’m doing much better today. I’m not gonna need it. Besides, we can always come back here for it.”

Bobble frowned. “I’d rather have it on hand, Clanky. And if you don’t end up needing it, then you can say you told me so.”

“Alright, fine.” Clank sighed, with a small grin. He held the door for Bobble as they exited and remarked to Bobble, “but I’m not gonna need it.”

They quickly got to the workshop and Bobble went to inquire what their tasks were for the day. Meanwhile Clank went to their station and began setting up, grabbing commonly used supplies from the shelves, pondering what they might be working on today.

Bobble returned with a list and a frown. “You’re not going to be happy,” he said as he handed the list over to Clank. He looked it over and found himself frowning as well. The tasks Fairy Mary had written down for them were so simple, any Tinker could do them in their sleep: Cut leaves to size, hollow out nut shells, ball up spider thread and other things like that. The most difficult thing on the list was to sew new Pixie Dust pouches. But even that was easy enough that the Dust Keepers could likely do that themselves.

With a heavy sigh, Clank dropped the list on the table. She’s just worried about us… or maybe just me.He felt the weight in his chest press harder, but he was getting better at ignoring it. “I guess we’d better get started then.”

“It’ll be okay, Clanky. I’m sure Fairy Mary will give us better work tomorrow.” Bobble said as he fell in beside Clank to work.

“I hope so.” Clank replied.

Even though the tasks were easy, it still felt good to be working again. Four crafty hands made quick work of the Pixie Dust pouches and by the time the sun was high over head, the simple list was nearly finished, and Clank was incredibly happy to be working along side Bobble again after so many days without him.

“Maybe Fairy Mary will have more for us to do when we’re done with this.” Clank suggested as he set aside a ball of spider silk.

Bobble shook his head, gesturing for the spider on the table to spin a new strand and began winding it up. “I think her intention was to give us the afternoon off.”

Clank groaned. “I don’t need the afternoon off!”

“But we do, don’t we?” Bobble asked. “We’re supposed to go meet with Celeste and Basil later, aren’t we?”

“Oh… right.”

“Did you forget?” Bobble asked.

“No! I… maybe.” Clank hadn’t really forgotten. He just thought he’d have better use of his time. He hadn’t really hurt since yesterday and thought that he could ease back into his usual tasks.

“Well, we’ve still got plenty of time before we need to be there. Why don’t we go find Rosetta and the others when we’re finished here?” Bobble gave Clank an encouraging nudge.

Clank sighed heavily, but tried to smile for Bobble’s sake. “Okay, that sounds like a good idea.”

It did not take long at all for the two of them to breeze through the rest of the work list set for them. Just as Clank had thought, it was simple work. They finished well before they were supposed to meet their friends. Despite that fact, Fairy Mary had no more work for them that day when they reported they had finished.

They took time to clean up their station, having nothing else to do. The heavy feeling was growing in Clank more and more. She doesn’t need to worry about me. I’m fine. I wish she would just let things go back to normal. He closed his eyes and swallowed back the ache he felt. I’m fine… I’m fine… he kept repeating that to himself until it was finally time to go meet the girls.

Somehow Clank had managed to hide the discomfort from Bobble as they flew from Tinker’s Nook in search of their friends. As they flew, Bobble slid his hand into Clank’s and gave him a smile that said ‘I’m glad you’re feeling better.’ Clank smiled back, but it felt like a lie. He hoped Bobble wouldn’t realize it. He hoped even more that their friends wouldn’t notice either.

They found the four of them in Spring Time Square, laying out a picnic lunch. “Hiya guys!” Fawn greeted as they approached. “Glad you could join us!”

“Happy to be here!” Bobble replied, releasing Clank’s hand. He helped spread out another blanket they’d brought and Clank sat beside him. Silvermist and Rosetta began passing around treats and they began eating. “So how has everyone been?” Bobble asked, tearing a biscuit in half.

“I’ve been great! You wouldn’t believe what happened yesterday.” Silvermist said. “We had three rivers change direction! We really had our hands full with that.”

“Did you get them flowing correctly?” Iridessa asked.

“Two of them, yes. But Fairy Larry said we should leave the third one be. We’ll have to get with the Scouts soon to rechart it.” Silvermist explained.

“Oh my,” Rosetta piped up. “You’ll have to show me where that river’s going. I wanna make sure it’s new path isn’t gonna disturb any plants.”

“Oh, yeah! I’ll show you after lunch.” Silvermist replied. “It’s not too far from where Fawn’s been hiding –”

“Shh!” Fawn shushed Silvermist and took a quick look around.

Rosetta gave her a humored look. “Sugar, we all know you’re hiding those pups in the woods. You don’t gotta pretend with us.”

Clank felt his chest tighten suddenly. He swallowed quickly and hoped no one noticed him flinch. Thankfully conversation continued and nobody seemed the wiser.

“Okay, fine.” Fawn laughed. “You should all come see the pups though, they’re so cute! I’m sure I can convince Taffy to let us close enough to pet them.”

The pressure worsened, and Clank clenched his jaw. Clank had seen Fawn’s wolves just the other day, right when they’d been found. As astounding as the creatures were, Clank was just glad Fawn was nearby when they happened upon them.

“I’m fine not petting them.” Iridessa chimed in, earning a few agreeing laughs among the group.

“Aye, they’re a bit much for me as well.” Bobble agreed. “Perhaps if you’re sheltering a smaller, safer creature sometime.”

“Oh you guys are just as bad as Steel!” Fawn declared. “He’s so convinced the wolves are gonna swallow him. But I swear, they’re safe!”

Suddenly Clank’s mind was back in the woods. He and Bobble were flightless, exhausted, and running. He could hear the growling of the beasts behind him. The heavy panting. There was nowhere to run. The loud bark that rang out made Clank stumble and fall. He rolled to his back to see the large black wolf above him. There was no time to flee. No time to call for help. The jaws snapped.

“Ah!” he clutched his chest.

“Clank!” Several voices cried out. More than one set of hands grabbed onto him then, a familiar one was pressed over his. There was a set of soft hands on his shoulder and another pair on his side. He cracked his eyes open to see Silvermist and Rosetta with terribly worried faces. Just behind them, Fawn and Iridessa were also reaching for him.

“Clank? Honey, are you alright?” Rosetta asked, tightening her hold on his shoulder.

“I’m fine!” Clank shouted, shrugging everyone off of him.

“You really don’t look fine.” Fawn said, reaching for him again.

“Don’t touch me!” Clank shouted and scooted back from her as everyone flinched back. Everyone except Bobble. He stared at Clank with level concern and reached into his pouch.

“Here,” said Bobble as he pulled out the medicine bottle. “I thought you might need this. Iridessa, hand me a spoon.”

“I don’t need it!” Clank said quickly.

“You’re hurting.” Bobble said evenly. He offered the spoonful of foul liquid to Clank.

He stared at it bitterly, “I don’t want it.” Clank growled.

Bobble frowned deeply. “Then let go of your heart.”

Clank glanced down. He hadn’t realized he was still clutching his chest. His knuckles were white and his nails were digging into his skin. He tried to relax his hand, but the pain flared even worse. “Okay fine!” Clank reluctantly accepted the medicine.

It was just as vile as the day before. He retched and had to fight to keep his lunch down. Rosetta was quick to hand him a cup of cherry juice, which Clank downed immediately.

“UGH! Oh I hate that stuff!” Clank declared, shaking his head as if that would rid him of the flavor. He then noticed how his friends were still looking at him. Their dour faces were almost worse than the medicine.

Iridessa spoke first. “Are you okay?”

Just like before, there was a cool sensation in Clank’s chest and the pain waned. “I’m fine…” Clank said. “I didn’t really need the medicine, Bobble. It didn’t hurt that bad.”

“Would you rather it hurt worse?” Bobble retorted, rather than calling him out on his obvious lie. “I think it’s better to take it before you’re suffering too greatly.”

“He’s right, Clank.” Rosetta said. “We see it all the time with Elo. If she doesn’t take her medicine early, the plants make her very sick.”

Clank frowned. “You have no idea how bad this tastes.”

“True, but we could all see how bad you were hurting.” Silvermist countered.

Clank groaned and looked away. It wasn’t that bad, he lied to himself. I would have been fine. None of you know how this feels. He was glad they cared, but he didn’t really want to be in their company right then. Luckily, he had the perfect excuse to leave. “I should go meet Basil now. He’s expecting me.”

“Already?” Bobble asked. He glanced up at the sky, tracing the position of the sun. “Aye, looks like we’d better get going.”

“Oh… okay,” Fawn said. “We’ll see you guys later?”

“I hope you feel better, Clank.” Rosetta said.

“We’ll come see how you’re doing later, okay?” Silvermist said.

The tone in all their voices was saturated with worry as they said goodbye. Clank hated it. He didn’t like that they were so concerned. As far as they knew, he just had a pulled muscle. He wondered now if they were suspecting just as he was that it was something else. Something worse.

They arrived at the Healer’s. The flight there had been quiet. Clank was still rather upset and Bobble just watched him with that worried expression that Clank did not want to see.

“You know we’re just worried, right?” Bobble asked as they approached the Healers.

“I know,” Clank sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so upset.” They made their way to the receptionist counter.

“You looked like you were in a lot of pain.” Bobble said.

Clank didn’t reply and buzzed for the receptionist.

“Welcome back you two,” she greeted them. “Celeste is ready to meet with you, Phineas. Basil will be with you shortly, Clank. He’s just finishing up with another patient.”

“Okay.” Bobble nodded. He squeezed Clank’s hand tight, “I’ll see you soon, Clank.” It was obvious he wanted to say more, but instead he let go and disappeared to the back rooms, but not before giving one last concerned glance back at Clank.

Clank sat down to wait. They shouldn’t have to worry about me. Bobble shouldn’t have to worry. I’m fine. I’m going to be fine. It’s just gonna take a bit. Right? I’m gonna be fine… I’m gonna be fine…

“You look like you have a lot on your mind.”

Clank jerked his head up to see Basil standing in front of him. A little blond fast flier was beside him. Clank recognized her as the fast flier who had caught him when Terence had given him too much Pixie Dust over a year ago.

“Are you okay?” The little fast flier asked.

“I’m fine…” Clank lied. He wished people would stop asking him that.

“He’ll be alright.” Basil assured her. “Now, make sure you’re doing proper stretches before you do another flight routine. And if Zephyr says anything about it, tell him he should be doing them too.”

“Thank you Basil!” The little fast flier beamed, hugged the Healer, and gave Clank one more look. “I hope you really are okay. But if you’re not, don’t worry! Basil’s a great Healer!”

Clank couldn’t help but smile. “I know. I’m in good hands.”

She gave a little wave and flew off, not nearly as fast as Clank anticipated.

“So, shall we?” Basil gestured for Clank to follow him.

The exam room was set up differently than yesterday. There was a table with two chairs opposite each other in the middle of the room and scattered over it were several small rectangular blocks. Basil sat on one side of the table and Clank sat across from him.

“So, first of all, how are you feeling today? Are you still having the chest pains?” Basil asked, taking the blocks three at a time and stacking them on top of each other.

“Yeah… I just had some before I came here,” Clank replied. He imitated Basil’s actions and began adding blocks to the stack, keeping each level with three blocks and having each level turned perpendicular to the last.

“What were you doing when your chest started hurting?” Basil asked.

“Nothing really,” Clank replied with a shrug. “Just having lunch with my friends. It kind of came out of nowhere.”

Basil gave a contemplative hum. “Do you remember specifically what was going on when the pain started?”

Clank shook his head as he laid the last three blocks on top of the stack. “We were all just talking. “Silvermist was talking about rivers flowing wrong, Rosetta wanted to see where the river was going and Fawn…” he trailed off.

“Fawn…?” Basil prompted patiently.

“Fawn… was talking about some animals she’s looking after…”

“The wolves?” Basil asked.

“Yeah.” Clank nodded. He should have realized Basil would be aware of the little pack Fawn was looking after. He was, after all, friends with the other two animal talents who were helping Fawn hide them.

“So, nothing out of the ordinary then. You just started hurting.”

“Uh huh.” Clank nodded. He wondered if he should say something to Basil about the bad daydream he’d had.

“Did you need the medicine?” Basil asked before Clank could say anything.

Clank frowned. “I had some.”

Basil raised an eyebrow. “Did it help?”

“Yeah, it helped… it’s just…”

Basil smirked. “It tastes bad?”

“It’s awful.” Clank confirmed.

“Sorry about that. If I knew how to make it taste better I’d fix it.” Basil poked at one of the blocks in their tower, wiggling it out of the side and carefully placing it on top of the stack.

Clank felt an uncomfortable twist in his stomach. He copied Basil again, finding a loose block to pull from the tower and placing on top. “It’s not just that,” he said. “I don’t think I really needed to have it just then. I think I would have been fine without. Bobble made me take it.”

“Oh? Did you tell him you didn’t need it?”

“Of course I did! But he insisted I take it! He said… he said it was better to take it before I hurt too bad…”

“Hmm,” Basil moved another block to the top of the tower. “He’s not exactly wrong.”

“I know…” Clank sighed, leaning into the table. “It’s just… once I’d taken the medicine, everyone was looking at me all worried.” He tapped a block from the bottom layer.

“I’m sure they’re all very worried about you. Your friends care for you and don’t like seeing you in pain.” Basil tried to move a block, but the tower toppled over. “Ah… drat. Let’s try that again.” He began remaking the tower.

Clank watched as Basil stacked the blocks again, not helping this time. He stared off to the side, remembering his friends’ faces. “I know they’re worried… but I don’t want them to be. Especially Bobble.”

“Why not him?” Basil asked, setting the last layer in place.

Clank shrugged and reached to move a lower block to the top of the tower. “I’m worried that he thinks it’s his fault. And every time I feel even slightly more pain than usual he gets super worried. It’s awful seeing him that way.”

Basil contemplated the tower, chewing the inside of his cheek. Once he’d taken his turn, he looked directly at Clank. “Do you remember a few years ago when  Phineas was having a lot of stress related problems?”

Clank gave a small laugh. “Of course. He had a crush on me and didn’t know how to tell me.”

“Right,” Basil smiled. “But if memory serves, you were incredibly worried about him during that time. Much like Phineas is now.”

“Well yeah, of course I was. I didn’t know what was wrong!” Clank said. “And it didn’t help that Dozer was giving him grief every chance he got.” There was a dull pulse of pain as Clank reached for the tower, making his muscles clench.

“More pain?” Basil asked.

Clank nodded and willed his muscles to relax as he tried again to move another block.

“How bad is it?”

“Not too bad.” Clank replied. “I’ve had worse.”

“There’s medicine here if you need it. But we’ll hold off as long as you want to.”

“Thanks…” Clank sat back away from the tower to let Basil take his turn.

Instead the Healer rested his hands on the table and watched Clank. “So Phineas is worried about you now, the way you worried about him back then. And this bothers you?”

Visions of Bobble’s worried face filled Clank’s mind, accompanied by the soft caring touches Bobble would give him every time he hurt. “I’m glad he cares, but I’d rather he not have to worry.”

“Of course.” Basil agreed, finally reaching forward to take his turn with the tower. “Do you mind if I ask you something.”

Clank shrugged. “No, I guess not.”

“A moment ago you said if you feel more pain than usual, Phineas worries about you.” Basil started. “What exactly do you mean by more than usual?”

Clank paused for a moment. He ran his hand over his chest. “I dunno. I wasn’t really thinking about it.”

“When we spoke yesterday, you mentioned that you had similar chest pains when Dozer claimed Phineas wanted nothing to do with you. Do you recall any other instances where you’ve had similar pain?” Basil asked.

Clank shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t really make a habit of remembering when I’m in pain.”

“Of course not.” Basil nodded. He went quiet for a moment, testing blocks in the tower until one came loose. He carefully dropped it on top, but the tower fell once more. “I’m going to ask you about a not so pleasant moment… is that okay?”

Clank swallowed. “Okay… what moment?”

“Do you remember how you felt the day of Dozer’s trial?” Basil asked.

Out of all the things Basil could have asked about, Clank hadn’t expected that. It had been so long ago, and Clank did what he could not to remember it. “I… was glad he was finally getting put in his place.”

“Right…” Basil nodded.

“But you’re asking about when he…”

“Yes. Tell me what you felt when he attacked Phineas.”

Clank exhaled shakily and laid his palms on the table. He hated thinking about this. But he knew what Basil was asking for. “I can’t say for sure if my chest was hurting then. I just remember trying to pry Dozer off of Bobble… I remember the purple haze of the night shade from the scouts and waking up here some time later… but every time I think about it… it hurts then… it hurt that night and I couldn’t sleep.”

“It was a rather horrific day. I’m not surprised you couldn’t sleep.”

Clank flexed his fingers a few times. He thought back to that night, sitting awake, unable to sleep. One sickening thought kept swimming through his mind back then, just as it did now “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“You have to promise not to tell anyone.”

“I promise.”

“Especially Bobble. Please don’t tell him.”

“I won’t tell him anything, Clank. You have my word.”

“Okay…” Clank sighed. “That night… when I couldn’t sleep… I was having the chest pains then. But it was more than that. I was thinking about him, about Dozer. I kept thinking we were never going to see him again, that he was going to die out in the woods.”

“And you were feeling guilty?”

Clank swallowed hard. “Not exactly…” he stood and took a few steps away from the table. “I was angry.”

“Angry?”

“Yeah…” Clank nodded. He could remember vividly the thoughts that had run through his head that night. Everything he wished he could have done. Every terrible thought he’d tried to forget since. “I was angry that I couldn’t do anything worse; that I couldn’t pay Dozer back for everything he’d put Bobble through.”

Chapter Text

Basil didn’t react the way Clank expected. In fact, he didn’t seem to react at all. He simply folded his hands in front of him and dipped his chin slightly. “That’s a rather powerful feeling Clank.”

“It’s terrible!” Clank said. “Dozer was awful to Bobble for longer than I’d known him and it really messed him up. But that doesn’t mean I should want to hurt Dozer, does it?” Even thinking of it now, Clank felt the old anger bubble up and his chest burn with pain. He didn’t bother to hide it and Basil nodded toward the counter where a bottle of medicine stood. Clank ignored it. He didn’t want it.

Eventually Basil stood up, seemingly unbothered by Clank’s frustrated pacing, and took the medicine bottle. He poured a small amount into a little cup and set the cup on the table with the blocks. He gave another look at Clank as if to say, ‘take it if you need it.’ “Dozer hurt the person you care most about. Your anger is completely understandable. And perhaps since he was gone, you were feeling as though you could have prevented it if you had retaliated against Dozer’s actions towards Phineas.”

“Yeah… yeah, maybe…” Clank said. He rubbed his chest, but the burning wouldn’t stop. He paced around the exam room, avoiding going near the table. “Except that wasn’t the only time I thought that.”

Basil, still unfazed, sat back down and gestured for Clank to do the same. Clank paced a moment more. He had an unexpected energy that he couldn’t rid himself of. All the while, Basil waited for Clank to stop his motions and talk to him. Eventually Clank relented and sank into the chair opposite the healer and pushed the cup of medicine to the side.

“It was a really bad day for Bobble… I didn’t know what was bothering him, and he skipped out on dinner that night. I was talking to my friends about him because, y’know… I was worried about him. But then Dozer was there… he was always there at the worst times. He said I should ditch Bobble… that I was better off without him… that I was better than him and that Bobble was useless and just using me.” He paused, the pain building in his chest, but Basil still appeared calm as ever.

“I told him off. I called him a roach and told him exactly what I thought of him. When I did, I expected him to fight back. I thought he’d at least argue. But he went quiet. And that’s when it occurred to me… I could hit him. I could hurt him. I could hurt him so bad he’d never so much as look at Bobble again. And I thought I might actually strike him if that Baker hadn’t spoken up. I ended up leaving without throwing a punch, thank the stars. But I can’t deny that I really wanted to.”

Still completely calm, Basil tapped his fingers on the back of his own hand. “It must have taken a great deal of emotional strength to hold back.”

“I guess…” Clank sighed, taking the blocks from the table one by one and standing them on end next to each other. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that kind of anger toward anyone else.”

“Never?”

Clank shook his head. “I don’t think so… not even when Fairy Gary-” he immediately cut himself off.

“Fairy Gary? What did he do?” Basil asked.

“Nothing.” Clank said quickly. “I don’t want to talk about it.” The pain shifted from burning to stabbing, and he winced.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it right now, but you should when you’re ready.” Basil said gently.

Clank nodded, staring off to the side. He wished he hadn’t mentioned Gary. He didn’t want to be angry at the guild leader, and he certainly didn’t hate the sparrow man. After all, he was only trying to give Bobble advice the other day… how was he to know he’d get in Bobble’s head so badly? Bobble’s panicked face flashed through his head again and the stabbing pain clenched around his heart. Unable to bear it anymore, Clank grabbed the cup and threw back the medicine, grimacing at the taste for the second time that day.

“It’s becoming clear to me that it’s definitely more than a pulled muscle that’s ailing you.” Basil said as Clank wiped at his mouth.

“Really? Then do you know what it is? Because I haven’t thought it was a pulled muscle at all.” Clank said, surprised he wasn’t gagging this time.

“As I told you yesterday, I have a theory. I’m going to have to run a few tests to be sure.” Basil said.

“Do it! Please. If you can find what’s really wrong then you can fix it!” Clank said desperately.

Basil frowned and held up a hand, wordlessly asking Clank to calm down. “Please know my theory could be wrong. It could still be muscular. Or, more likely this could be from high levels of stress. You seem to be holding on to a lot of past troubles, such as your anger towards Dozer. And on top of that your time in the woods was high stress enough that you can’t have let go of that burden yet. I’ll run my tests, but I want you to keep coming to me to talk. Working through any emotional problems will help ease what’s hurting you whether my theory is right or wrong.”

Clank nodded again. “What’s your theory?”

Basil shook his head. “It’s better you don’t know just yet. I’ll tell you when your test results come back.”

That didn’t make a lot of sense to Clank, but he didn’t argue. “So what do I need to do for these tests?”

Basil stood again and opened a drawer on the counter. “Well, first of all, I’m going to need a few samples. We’ll get the hardest one out of the way now.” He came back to Clank and took one of his hands. “I’m going to need some of your blood.”

- - -

Clank had no idea how much time had passed when he finally left Basil. He now had a small bandage wrapped around his left middle finger tip. Basil had cut him and taken a few drops of his blood for examination. He also took a swab of Pixie Dust from his wings and told him to come back the next day. He didn’t specify if it was for tests or for more conversation, but Clank assumed it would be both.

To his surprise, when he stepped out of the exam rooms, Bobble was huddled in the corner of the waiting area, hugging one knee to his chest. His bandages had been removed, though he still had several visible scratch lines on his arms and legs. His head was drooped forward as he appeared to have dozed off waiting. A lovely warmth seeped into Clank’s heart. He went to Bobble and lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Bobble stirred at the touch. Blinking awake, he looked around in a daze until his eyes landed on Clank. “Ah, there you are… I was beginning to wonder if I’d missed you.” Bobble yawned, stretching his arms wide as he got to his feet.

“Sorry I took so long. We had a lot to talk about.” Clank smiled. “Should we head home?” Clank slid his hand into Bobble’s.

“Aye, that’s a good idea.” Bobble agreed. He squeezed Clank’s hand and his expression shifted. He held Clank’s hand up curiously, looking right at Clank’s bandaged finger. “What happened here?”

“Basil took a blood sample. It’s fine.”

“Blood sample?” Bobble asked.

“He’s just running some tests. He’s looking into my chest pains a little more.” Clank explained.

“Oh! That’s good! Hopefully he’ll be able to cure you quickly.” Bobble said brightly. They lifted off the ground and began flying home.

“What about you? No more bandages?”

“Nope,” Bobble said. “I stopped by to see Miss Clara when I was finished speaking with Celeste and she removed them. They’ve healed enough that I don’t need them wrapped anymore. Thankfully she said none of this should leave scars.”

“That’s great!” Clank said. “Glad to know there’s no lasting damage from our time in the woods.”

“Aye…” Bobble said a little sullenly. He didn’t continue the conversation and the rest of their flight home was quiet. Clank wondered if maybe he’d said the wrong thing when mentioning the woods.

Before long, they were back home and Clank set about making tea for the both of them while Bobble unpacked his belt. Still, neither of them said anything and there was an odd tension building in the house.

By the time the tea had finished steeping, Bobble had gotten a fire going in their fireplace. He sank into one of the chairs by the fire as Clank came to join him, handing him a cup of tea. “Thank you, Clanky,” he said.

“You’re welcome. Are you okay?” Clank asked.

“I’m okay.” Bobble sighed, and Clank did not believe him. “So what did you and Basil talk about today? Besides blood tests of course.”

Clank ran his thumb down the side of his tea cup and stared into the amber liquid. “Oh, y’know… just stuff. Chest pains and … stuff.”

“Hmm.” Bobble nodded. “Celeste and I talked about the woods.”

Clank felt the pain pulse slightly. “Oh… and how… how did that go?”

Bobble shrugged. “It was hard to talk about. But… I think you were right. I think it’s a good idea to talk about it.” Clank didn’t respond. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had deliberately avoided talking about the woods with Basil. What good would come from it anyway? It happened, it was over and he and Bobble were home safe and happy. Right?

“Clank…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you… are you angry with me for getting us stuck out there?” Bobble asked.

The question hit harder than the accompanying stab to his chest. Clank gripped his cup tightly. For a moment he couldn’t answer. Bobble watched him from behind his drink. It was strange, he seemed calm, maybe even a little sad. Clank expected Bobble to be afraid of the answer to such a question. No, that wasn’t quite right. Clank didn’t expect Bobble to ask a question like that at all after everything that had happened in those three days.

The silence, though only a few seconds, felt like an eternity pressing in on Clank. He wanted to answer, to say he wasn’t angry, to say once again that he’d already forgiven Bobble for everything. The words wouldn’t come out.

“If you are,” said Bobble, “it’s okay. I understand, really. I made such a mess of things and it was all so foolish of me.”

“No…” Clank finally croaked. “No, I’m not mad. Of course I’m not mad. I could never be mad.” His chest burned as he said it. I’m not mad. Im not! Im not…

Bobble carefully sipped his tea. “I think I might be.”

“Might be what?”

“Angry,” said Bobble, “with myself. I know you said you forgive me, but it’s hard to forgive myself. Celeste told me I need to be patient with myself and let it go a little bit at a time and eventually I’ll stop feeling so terrible about putting us in that situation.”

“But it wasn’t your fault!” said Clank. “Besides, it doesn’t matter anymore, right? It was days ago and we got home. We’re okay and… and we’re gonna get Tied and spend our lives together…”

Bobble stood and stepped in front of Clank. He caressed his cheek. “Aye, we’ll get Tied and be together forever. That much is true. But Clanky, it’s been less than a week and I can’t help but feel like you’ve forgiven me far too easily.”

Clank swallowed hard. Stop. Hurting. NOW. He managed what he hoped looked enough like a real smile and wrapped his arm around Bobble’s hips to pull him into his lap. “It’s easy to forgive you because I love you. Why is that so hard to accept?”

Bobble let his weight sink into Clank’s body and shrugged. “I don’t know, Clanky. Maybe since I’m still upset with myself I just assume you’d be upset with me too.”

Clank brushed his lips on Bobble’s forehead. “I’m not.”

“You’re certain?”

“Absolutely.”  Clank mumbled just above Bobble’s ear.

“Hmm…” Bobble leaned his head on Clank’s shoulder. “That’s good.”

Every bit of Bobble seemed so relaxed. Clank brushed his thumb back and forth along Bobble’s hip. I’m not upset… I’m not angry… I love you. I love you so much. Clank set his drink down and gently tipped Bobble’s face upward. Slowly, he leaned in and hesitated just out of reach of Bobble’s lips. Bobble did not wait to close the distance and Clank could feel his smile in their kiss. One small, soft kiss. Then another, then one more, deeper and more passionate.

Clank easily took Bobble’s cup and set it aside as Bobble adjusted himself in Clank’s lap to wrap both arms around Clank’s neck. Clank held him under one thigh and slid his free hand down Bobble’s spine, lightly brushing his fingertips along the base of his wings.

After a moment, Bobble pushed back, laying his hand over Clank’s heart. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked softly, making gentle circles over Clank’s heart.

“I’m okay.” Clank replied, though the excited hammering of his heart barely masked the uncomfortable ever-present pressure he still felt. He pulled Bobble back in and kissed him again. He hooked his hands under both Bobble’s legs and stood up. Bobble held onto his neck without breaking the kiss, pressing their chests together.

Clank carried Bobble to the bed and lay him down. He took a moment to drink in the sight of Bobble laying there, cheeks pink, slightly labored breathing, those beautiful blue eyes. Clank could hardly hold himself back. He leaned in to kiss him once more.

Suddenly there was a rapid knocking at the door, startling the both of them. They froze, shooting their attention to the door. No! Go away! Clank thought, frustrated at whomever was outside. The visitor knocked again, louder. “Hello! Clank, Bobble? Are you home?” It was Silvermist.

Clank let out a frustrated sigh. Maybe if we don’t answer, she’ll go away.

Bobble pressed on his shoulders. Clank looked down at him. “Let me up,” he mumbled. “I’ll see what she wants.”

Frowning, Clank nodded and crawled off of Bobble, who went to answer the door. He pulled it open just enough to see out. “Oh, hello there Silvermist, Iridessa. What brings you here?”

“We wanted to check on Clank, is he here?” Silvermist asked. “We’ve been worried all day after what happened at lunch.”

“Are you doing okay? You look red.” Iridessa said.

“Aye, we’re okay.” Bobble said quickly.

“Iridessa’s right, Bobble. You’re really red. Are you sure you’re okay?” Silvermist asked.

Clank clenched his teeth as Bobble talked to the girls. We’re busy! Please go away.

“I’m fine,” Bobble insisted.

“What about Clank? Is he here? Can we see him?” Iridessa asked.

No! Get out of here! The burning in Clank’s core flared up with his thoughts. No no no! Not again! Not now!

“I… well um… Ladies, the thing is…” Bobble said awkwardly. Clank grunted painfully, and Bobble spun around, the look of worry back on his face.

In a flash, Bobble flittered to his side, leaving the door open for Silvermist and Iridessa to follow him inside. Clank quickly tried to hide his pain, but it was too late.

“Oh no! Is he still hurting?” Dess gasped.

Sil sat on Clank’s other side and took his hand. “Are you okay? Do you need us to get the doctor?”

“I’m fine…” Clank lied through clenched teeth. I was fine before you showed up.

“Maybe he needs more medicine!” Iridessa said, looking around for the bottle.

“No! I don’t need it!” Clank said harshly.

“Are you sure?” Bobble asked.

“I’ve had it twice today! Keep that stuff away from me!” Clank growled.

Iridessa shrank back and he felt Silvermist flinch. “Clank,” Silvermist said carefully. “We’re worried about you…”

Clank squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. I know! I know that! But I was fine! You showed up at the worst time! He shot a desperate look at Bobble. Please make them leave. Please…

Bobble dipped his chin, and pressed slightly on his chest before letting go. “Ladies, I think you should go.”

“What?” They both cried.

“But Clank’s hurting!” Dess said. “Shouldn’t we stay and help?”

No! Clank screamed in his head. He clutched his fist tightly and sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep his voice inside.

“No, I can take care of him. I’ll make sure he’s alright.” Bobble said.

“We could still go find a Healer.” Silvermist suggested.

“If he gets worse, I’ll send for one.” Bobble said. “Now please…”

Clank hated the reluctant, worried, almost hurt looks on their faces. But still it was a relief when Silvermist said, “Okay… we’ll go… but please tell us if there’s anything we can do to help.”

“Aye, of course.” Bobble said.

Clank gave a tense nod. “Sorry…” he hissed. “I’m sorry.”

Iridessa took his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “It’s okay, Clank. You don’t have to apologize for hurting. Just get better, okay?”

Clank held her hand tightly and the burning eased. He nodded again and tried to say he’d be okay, but the words wouldn’t come.

“We’ll see you boys tomorrow.” Silvermist said. Iridessa let go of Clank’s hand, and Clank hissed, clutching his chest again.

As soon as the door had shut behind the girls, Bobble made Clank lay down. “What can I do to help?” He asked, standing over Clank. “If you’re not going to take more medicine, what can I do to help you stop hurting?”

“I don’t know…” Clank panted. “I don’t…” he reached for Bobble, not knowing what else to do. He wasn’t feeling passionate like before, but he wanted Bobble close to him.

Understanding, Bobble laid beside him, fitting his body perfectly into Clank’s side. He lay his left hand over Clank’s heart, and laced his right hand with Clank’s between them.

“Don’t let go…” Clank whispered.

“I won’t.”

“Don’t leave me…”

“Never.” Bobble whispered back.

Burning and stabbing overwhelmed him. He held Bobble tight, begging the stars to make the pain stop. Maybe I should have more medicine after all… Clank squeezed his eyes shut and felt hot tears leak down his cheeks. Bobble reached up and wiped them away. “Rest, Clanky. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Chapter Text

It was morning again before Clank realized he’d fallen asleep. Once again, there were no sounds of Bobble moving about the house preparing for the day, but this time, Clank didn’t wonder where Bobble was. He squeezed the smaller hand, still fitted into his and it squeezed back.

“Are you alright?” Bobble whispered, replacing his free hand in the usual spot over Clank’s heart.

“Better than yesterday…” Clank mumbled back. The burning was gone, but the tightness remained, and seemed like it had crept out to a wider radius. His throat felt sore and dry, and though he must have slept through the night he was exhausted.

Bobble nestled in closer. “You were rather fitful last night. Was it just the pain, or did you have a nightmare too?”

Clank shrugged. “I don’t remember dreaming anything.” In fact, he didn’t remember dreaming at all in the last few days. “Did I keep you up?”

Bobble shook his head. “I didn’t sleep much, but that’s not your fault.”

“You’re worried,” Clank sighed.

“Of course I’m worried.” Bobble replied calmly. “You seem okay in the mornings, but by evening…”

“I know.” Clank sighed. They lay in silence for a moment. Bobble held Clank’s hand tighter than necessary, and his other hand felt stiff on Clank’s chest. Clank knew if he were to get up, Bobble would be pacing all over the house, hands fisted in his hair, trying to puzzle out anything he could do to help Clank.

“You’re seeing Basil again today?” Bobble asked eventually.

“Yeah…”

“And he’s running tests?”

“Uh huh.”

Bobble buried his face in Clank’s shoulder and sniffled. “He’d better find out how to make you better.”

Clank thought about Elowen. Basil had healed her when she had nearly died. He thought about the little fast flier. She seemed so confident that Basil could help him. I’m not dying… I’m in good hands. “He’ll figure it out,” said Clank. “I’m going to be okay. Basil will know how to fix me.”

They laid in bed for a while. Clank wished they could lay there forever. He didn’t want to get up and face the day. He didn’t want Bobble to leave his side for even a second. He kept wondering when the pain would come back this time. It always did… but as long as he laid here with Bobble, he didn’t hurt. Here with Bobble, he was okay. If only they could wait like that until it was time to see Basil.

Unfortunately, Bobble sighed heavily and said, “We need to get up Clank.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Neither do I…” Bobble replied. “But we need to at least check in with Fairy Mary.”

Clank groaned. For once he didn’t feel like Tinkering; not even a little bit. He didn’t care if Fairy Mary planned on giving him easy tasks or if she would let him work like normal. Not a single project or invention he could think of excited him enough to want to get out of bed.

The weight of the bed shifted as Bobble sat up. Now that he could see him, Clank saw that Bobble had at some point removed his shirt and goggles in the night. For a brief moment, he let his eyes wander down Bobble’s back, admiring his slender figure and beautiful wings. But when Bobble shifted around to face Clank, he could see that Bobble was clearly just as tired as Clank felt. There were clear lines of exhaustion in his face and dark circles under his eyes.

“Bobble…” Clank reached up to cup his cheek. He swallowed hard, and the feeling in his chest and throat tightened. He winced. So it begins… already…

Bobble laid his hand over Clank’s on his cheek. “I’m alright Clanky. Just tired. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m so sick of this…” Clank sighed.

“I know…” Bobble muttered. “If you like, I can tell Fairy Mary you’re not well. Then you can rest a while longer.”

“No,” said Clank. “No, I’m okay. I’ll go with you.”

“Are you sure?” Bobble asked.

“Yeah… Just…” Clank glanced over at the table. “Just… make sure you have the medicine.”

- - -

They made their way down to the workshop much slower than they normally would. Many Tinkers were already hard at work as they made their way to their station. Surly Fairy Mary would be cross with their tardiness and scold them once she found them.

They managed to get to their tables without encountering her and Bobble took initiative in getting things set up for them. Clank didn’t even offer to help. His mind was the furthest from Tinkering as it had ever been. He’d taken a small dose of the medicine before they’d left and so far it had warded off the pain that had been creeping in, but still he was well aware that if the pain were to flare up more, he’d have to take another dose to fight it off. He kept thinking to himself that soon he’d see Basil again and the Healer would have answers. Basil would fix him. He’d be okay.

“There you two are,” said a surprisingly calm Fairy Mary. “I’d expected you to be here earlier. Are you feeling well?”

“I’m afraid we’re not at our best today Fairy Mary.” Bobble replied, honestly.

“That’s rather unfortunate. Do you need the day to rest?” she asked.

“We’re already here…” Clank said, surprising himself when all he wanted was to go back to bed.

“I see…” Fairy Mary said as Bobble raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, if you need to leave, let me know. In the meantime, here are some projects for you. Take as much time as you need.” She handed a list to each of them. As Clank expected, it was simple tasks, much like he’d done the day before. He shrugged, not minding today.

However, Bobble furrowed his brow at the list he’d been given. “Fairy Mary, this is pulley system maintenance.”

“Yes, I need you to work on that for me.” Mary said.

Bobble took Clank’s list, which would keep him at the work station then looked desperately at Fairy Mary. “This will take me away from Clank… I really think I should stay with him.”

“I understand,” Mary said. “But these are the pulleys you installed last year and I need you to have a look at them as soon as you can. It shouldn’t take long.”

Bobble put his hand on Clank’s shoulder. “I don’t think you do understand Fairy Mary… I’m not leaving him alone.”

“Phineas-”

“I said I’m not leaving him alone!” Bobble repeated more firmly. Clank looked up at him as Bobble’s grip on his shoulder tightened just slightly. He had never seen him quite like this, especially not towards their boss. Bobble had a fire in his eyes and held firm beside Clank and it was obvious that he wasn’t going anywhere, and there wasn’t a thing Fairy Mary could do to make him.

She sighed. “Alright then. I suppose the pulleys can wait. But I do still need you to check them soon.”

“I understand,” Bobble replied, “I’ll make sure to get to them when I can.”

Fairy Mary had nothing more to say and left them to their menial tasks. Bobble sat across from Clank and took the tools from the table. Clank watched him as he began cutting into an acorn shell, still surprised at how he’d replied to Mary. You didn’t have to do that, Clank thought. You didn’t have to risk getting in trouble for me. I would have been fine on my own for a little while.

“Thank you…” Clank muttered. Bobble gave him a small smile and kept working.

- - -

Over the next couple of hours, Bobble worked as he normally did: extremely focused and mumbling to himself over his progress. Clank worked much more slowly and was acting more of an assistant to Bobble, handing him tools as he needed them, rather than weaving the berry basket that he’d been tasked. It was comforting, watching Bobble work.

It felt almost normal seeing his usual mannerisms as he carved holes into acorn shells to assemble into kettles later. But Clank could still see the way Bobble carried himself right now was different than normal. His jaw was set tighter, his shoulders were curled forward, rather than being relaxed. Clank wondered if he was worried he’d upset Fairy Mary. But even if that were the case, Clank was glad that Bobble had stayed with him.

Bobble held his hand out for another tool and Clank placed it there, knowing what Bobble needed without asking. It was then Clank noticed someone standing at the edge of their work station, watching quietly. Clank knew him. Dark eyes, tanned skin and sleek black hair, Steel nodded to Clank when they made eye contact.

“Hello…?” Clank greeted curiously. Bobble looked up and turned around, noticing Steel for the first time.

“Steel! Hello!” Bobble wiped his hands on his shirt as the strong Tinker approached them.

“Good morning Phin, Clank.” He nodded to each of them.

“Can we help you with something?” Bobble asked.

Steel shook his head. “Basil sent me to find Clank.”

“He did?” Clank asked, confused. “He didn’t send another Healer? Or Elowen?”

Steel shrugged. “I was helping him set some stuff up and was coming back here anyway. Might as well send the message through me.”

“Oh…” Clank said. I guess that makes sense.

“Thank you Steel,” Bobble replied. “Would you mind telling Fairy Mary we’re leaving?”

“Of course.” Steel replied, turning to leave. He paused for a moment then glanced back at Clank. “I hope you start feeling better soon. It’s a real shame being sick when you should be enjoying your engagement.”

Clank swallowed hard, trying ignoring the tightness creeping in on him once more. “Yeah… I hope so too.”

- - -

When the two of them reached the Healer’s station, Basil was standing in the waiting area with another Healer. She was slender and had short silver hair. She smiled at the Tinkers as they landed. “Phineas, good to see you again,” she said, then she turned to Clank. “And you must be Clank. I’ve heard so much about you from your mate. It’s wonderful to finally put a face to the name.”

Clank stared at her for a moment, realizing this was the Healer Bobble had been speaking with the past few days. “You’re Celeste, right?”

“Indeed I am. And I must say, you’re just as handsome as I was expecting.” Celeste grinned.

“Oh!” Clank blushed. “Th-thank you?” Beside him he noticed Bobble was also turning pink.

Celeste laughed, “I apologize, I didn’t mean to embarrass you two.” Basil chuckled beside her as the Tinkers shook off the embarrassment. “Anyway, Phineas, should we get started?”

“Already?” Bobble asked. “I was hoping I could go with Clank…”

“I’m afraid so,” Celeste replied. “But don’t worry, Basil will take good care of Clank.”

Basil stepped forward then, folding his hands behind his back. “Clank and I have a lot to do today, but I’ll do my best not to keep him too long.”

“Okay…” Bobble frowned. He slid his hand into Clank’s and squeezed. Clank suddenly felt like Celeste being ready to intercept Bobble was very convenient for Basil. He still hadn’t shared his reasonings for keeping these sessions between the two of them, but Clank was too tired to comment. He smiled slightly to Bobble and held onto his hand until he walked away with Celeste.

Basil then gestured for Clank to follow him down a different path than the previous days. It took them to an open space behind the main Healer’s station, and Clank stared in awe at all the contraptions that were set up in the space.

Clank swallowed hard, “What is all this?”

“Don’t worry about that just yet,” Basil said. “We’ll get to them. I promise they’re not that scary.”

“Heh…” Clank shrugged. “They look like a lot of the things we have around Tinker’s Nook.”

“Makes sense.” Basil said. “Steel helped me set all this up this morning.”

“Really? This is what he was doing?”

“Mm hm,” Basil nodded. “He often helps me out when I need large equipment like this. Though I’d imagine any of you Tinkers would help us out in a wingbeat. But Steel and I have been friends for quite some time, it’s much easier for me to ask him.”

 Clank nodded slowly, looking around the objects again. There were weights and pulleys, a large running wheel and several poles stuck into the ground in a straight line. Would Basil be using these to test Clank? What exactly were they testing?

“So, I’ll leave the choice to you,” Basil started. “We can either talk first, then do the physical tests. Or, we can talk after the tests.”

Neither option really appealed to Clank. He knew he should probably tell Basil about the incident last night, but he didn’t really want to think about it either. He also felt so weary and everything around him looked like it was made to exhaust him further. Though it may be better to get that out of the way while he still had some energy to work with.

“Tests first.” Clank finally said.

Basil clapped his hands together once and directed Clank to the pulleys and weights. “Do you do basic weight training exercises?”

“Not really.” Clank answered honestly. “But I do a lot of heavy lifting in the workshop.”

“Ah, of course. This shouldn’t be too difficult then.” Basil went to the machine and attached a weight to each pulley. “I want you to sit on this bench and hold these ropes. You’ll pull them to your chest and move them back out again.” Basil demonstrated the motion for him and let Clank sit to give it a try. “Do at least twenty repetitions if you’re able. If your pain flares up, stop immediately.”

“Okay…” with the ropes in hand, Clank pulled toward his chest just as Basil had shown him. He frowned, confused, and repeated the motion a few times. The weight was much less than he had expected and easily completed the twenty repetitions and looked to Basil for his thoughts.

“Very good. How did that feel?” Basil asked.

“Fine… it wasn’t hard… Tweak had me moving heavier stuff last week.” Clank said.

“Would it be alright to add more weight then?” Basil asked.

“Go ahead.” Clank replied gripping the ropes again. Basil added weight to each one and Clank began the exercise again. It still was much easier than expected and he completed it with no trouble and no pain.

“Good job.” Basil smiled.

“It’s too easy.” Clank said.

“Oh?”

“I’m one of the Heavy Lifters.” Clank explained. “Maybe we should double the weight.”

Basil laughed. “I’m not trying to challenge you, you know.”

“Lets just try it.” Clank insisted.

“Okay,” Basil relented, clearly humored. He doubled the weight and signaled for Clank to try again.

This time when Clank pulled on the ropes it felt much more like what he was used to hauling around Tinker’s Nook. “This is better,” Clank said, slowly pulling the ropes to his chest. “This is more like what Tweak had me hauling the other day.”

“So what were you and Tweak working on?” Basil asked.

“Just some crazy idea of his. Like a tall storage shed for our wagons.” Clank said.

“Tall?”

“Yeah, to stack them all on top of each other. Dunno what he was thinking.” Clank said, now having finished ten repetitions. It was definitely much more difficult than before. “I agreed to help him on the condition that he’d cover for me while I set up a date for – AH!” Clank immediately dropped the ropes and clutched his chest. The weights fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Immediately Basil was kneeling by his side, one hand on Clank’s back and the other pressed over the hand Clank had clutched to his chest. “Breathe… slow, deep breaths. In… and out…”

Clank followed his instruction and the sharp stab ebbed away. “Wow… okay… maybe it’s muscular after all…”

“Possibly,” said Basil. “I still want to try a few things. Do you need a moment to rest?” Clank nodded, and Basil retrieved him some cold water which he drank slowly.

When he’d felt recovered enough Clank told Basil, and Basil brought him over to the large running wheel. There were a couple of these in the workshop, most of which were run by centipedes, though in a pinch a Tinker would run in one if needed. Clank had never done it himself, but Bobble had once and it didn’t seem to bother him.

“We’ll start at a steady walk.” Basil said, stepping into the wheel himself.

“What are you doing?” Clank asked.

“Walking with you.”

“Why?”

“I can’t let you have all the fun.” Basil laughed. “Besides, I could use the exercise. Now come on, get in here.”

Clank couldn’t help but grin at Basil’s energy and floated up beside him. Basil set one foot forward. “Alright, Clank. Try and match my pace. We’ll gradually speed up. If it gets too fast for you, step out or fly.”

“Okay.” Clank agreed. Basil began walking and Clank quickly moved to match his step. Basil was shorter than him, but had longer legs. So trying to match pace was a bit awkward. Thankfully Basil kept things slow and easy.

“Very good,” said Basil encouragingly. “Let’s speed up a little.”

The adjustment didn’t faze Basil at all, but Clank nearly stumbled at the increase. He managed to keep upright and fell back into pace with Basil. “Is this still okay?” Basil asked.

“Yeah,” Clank said. He’d done plenty of walking recently. This was nothing compared to No, don’t think about that. Clank scowled and made himself focus on walking.

They kept at that pace for a moment longer, and eventually Basil informed Clank they would speed up to a jog. This was harder for Clank to keep up with, but he still insisted he could handle it. Besides, they weren’t going too fast.

“Once more, we’re going to speed up,” Basil said. “Let’s bring it up to a run Clank.”

Run Clank! Bobble’s voice rang through his head and Clank tripped and fell forward. The spinning wheel drew closer to his face and he squeezed his eyes shut. The impact never came, and a hand quickly gripped his arm. Clank cracked his eyes open and realized his wings had taken over as he hovered in the middle of the wheel. Basil held onto both him and the now stopped wheel and exhaled a sigh of relief.

“I suppose that was too fast.” Basil said, releasing Clank’s arm. “Did you just trip, or is it the chest pains?”

Clank panted. Pain pulsed with every beat of his rapidly pounding heart. “Both…” he managed to reply.

“Take a moment to rest.” Basil instructed.

Clank landed heavily and sat on the ground, wiping the sweat from his brow. Basil stood beside him, offering him water once more and a cloth to dry his face. He held a small book in front of him and scrawled notes in it in silence for a moment.

“May I ask what you were thinking about during the exercise?” Basil asked.

“Nothing,” said Clank. “I was trying to focus on running.”

“Trying to?” Basil asked. “Did something else occupy your thoughts?”

A flash of black scales and a loud hiss flashed in Clank’s head. It can’t chase us both! Now RUN! Clank groaned and held his chest.

“Is there something you’d like to talk about, Clank?” Basil asked patiently.

“No!” Clank shouted. “No, I don’t want to talk about it.”

That was clearly not what Basil hoped to hear. He frowned at Clank and wrote in his book again. “Are you able to do one more exercise?”

“I guess so… in a minute.” Clank replied, though he wasn’t sure what good it would do.

“Let me know when you’re ready.” Basil said, and he flew to the vertical poles.

Clank panted, still holding his chest. He thought it strange that Basil didn’t offer any medicine as he’d done before. He probably has a good reason, Clank thought. At least I don’t have to taste that stuff again.

It took some time, but Clank finally felt rested enough to do Basil’s next exercise. He joined the Healer at the vertical bars and asked what exactly he’d be doing this time.

“This is an agility test,” Basil explained. “You’ll be weaving between the bars like this.” He floated off the ground and flew down the line of bars, zig-zagging between them as he went. “You can fly through slowly a few times to get a feel for it, but I want you to try and make it through as quickly as possible when you’re ready.”

“Okay?” Clank had no idea what this would show Basil, if anything. Still, Clank mimed Basil’s example and flew through the bars slowly. It wasn’t too difficult, so he flew through a second time, once again having no trouble.

“Try going more quickly this time,” Basil instructed.

Clank faced the poles. He took a deep breath and took off. In and out, he wove through the poles. The first few were easy, but the further he flew, the harder it was to turn and make it through the space between. He wasn’t yet half way down the line when he didn’t take the turn tight enough and struck his shoulder on the next pole. The shock of the impact stunned Clank, making him plummet to the ground.

His shoulder hit first and he rolled to his back, staring straight at the sky. In an instant, a memory flashed before his eyes. Brown feathers. Sharp talons. A loud, horrifying screech. Bobble! Clank squeezed his eyes shut and threw his arms over his face.

A firm hand pressed on his sternum. “Clank, it’s okay. You’re safe. Breathe.” Basil’s voice was so calm. “Try to relax, and slowly… open your eyes.”

Each breath he took felt like something being driven through his heart, but he tried to focus and slow his breath down. Basil’s hand was exactly where it hurt, and much like when Bobble held him, Basil’s hand was a comfort. More importantly, it gave Clank something to focus on. He imagined Bobble with him, his hand over his heart, calming him.

After a long moment, Basil withdrew and Clank sat up. “Are you alright?” Basil asked. Clank nodded wordlessly. Basil stood and offered a hand to Clank which Clank took. “What did you see?” Basil asked.

“Huh? Nothing. I didn’t see anything.” Clank replied. “There wasn’t anything there.”

Basil shook his head slowly. “What did you think you saw then? You looked terrified just now.”

“I didn’t…” Clank hesitated for a moment, “the hawk.”

Basil gave a knowing hum. “That was years ago. You’re still bothered by that?”

“No,” Clank replied quickly. “That was forever ago. It does’t bother me.”

“Clank,” said Basil gently, “if the incident with the hawk still has this great an affect on you, then –”

“What exercise are we doing next?” Clank cut him off, looking away.

Basil let out a strained sigh. “No more exercises. I’ve got what I need for now. I think we should take a break for lunch. Afterwards we can talk.” He moved away from Clank and collected his notebook, flipping back to where he’d been writing before.

His frustrated tone caught Clank off guard. “Yeah. O-okay. That sounds like a good idea.” Basil didn’t look up from his notes, and Clank took that as his cue to leave. He hadn’t intended to annoy the Healer and hoped Basil wasn’t angry with him. He quietly made to depart.

“Clank,” Basil called to him, snapping his notes shut. Clank paused and turned back to him. “I know there are things you’re not ready to talk about. But the deeper you bury these things, the worse you’re going to feel. I’m only trying to help you, so if you can at some point bring yourself to talk about the bad things with someone, that will really do you some good.”

The weight of Basil’s words felt like a stone in Clank’s stomach. He couldn’t see how reminding himself of all the bad things he’d experienced would help. But the slight edge in Basil’s voice told him he ought to not argue. He inclined his head. “Okay…” he muttered, and quietly left.

Chapter Text

The sun was high overhead as Clank stepped back out to the waiting area. He could hear fairies passing by, talking and laughing as they went to lunch, with a nearby call of “I’ll see you soon” overhead. He wondered if Bobble was waiting for him, or maybe he was still talking to Celeste. Surely he wouldn’t have gone back to Tinker’s Nook without him. At least not without waiting to tell him first.

Frowning, Clank squeezed his eyes shut and did his best not to react further to the new jab to his chest. I shouldn’t expect Bobble to waste the day waiting around for me. Besides, he has work to do.

“You’re going to give yourself a headache tensing up like that.” A voice in front of Clank said. He opened his eyes and glanced down to see Elowen standing in front of him with a basket hooked on one arm. “Hello Clank. How are things going with Basil?”

“Oh, uh… great! They’re great…” Clank lied. He couldn’t possibly tell Elowen that he’d clearly frustrated her mate just moments ago.

“Uh huh.” Elo smirked. “So then I’m not going to go back there and find him in a sour mood because he can’t figure out how to get you to open up?”

“I – That’s not…”

“I’m teasing.” Elowen replied. “Basil’s a patient sparrowman. He knows if you’re ever comfortable enough to talk to him that you’ll speak up. If he’s frustrated, then he is at himself for not knowing how to help you.”

“Oh… really?” Clank asked.

“Really.” Elowen smiled. “So, where are you off to?”

“I’m getting some lunch… Then I gotta come back here to talk with Basil some more.”

“Oh, well, hang on.” Elowen dug into her basket and produced a leaf wrapped package. “I thought you’d be joining us for lunch today, so I brought that for you. But feel free to have it out here if you need a break from my mate.”

Clank half smiled, taking the package from her. “Well, I would join you… but I think I’d better give you two some time to yourselves.”

Elowen smiled back, kindly. “You are welcome to join us though, if you change your mind.”

“Thanks,” Clank replied.

She inclined her head and turned away, disappearing back the way Clank had come. With that, Clank took the package she’d given him and sat at the very edge of the waiting area. He unwrapped the leaves to find an assortment of fruits, vegetables and a couple of buns. Under all that, was another small bundle wrapped in rose petals. Clank set that aside and tore one of the buns in half and began eating.

Despite Elowen saying that Basil was frustrated with himself, Clank still felt incredibly guilty for upsetting him. He was only trying to help. But what help would come from bringing up all the bad things that had happened to him? Clank already didn’t want to talk about the woods. He certainly didn’t want to drag up ancient memories of the hawk attack. Why, after all this time, was he suddenly so bothered by that? Just the other night, it hadn’t bothered him at all, even with Bobble touching his scars. Now, a sick feeling bubbled in his stomach to accompany the building pressure in his chest.

Over the next few moments, Clank tried to push the thoughts from his head. He slowly made his way through Elowen’s lunch until all that was left was the rose petal package. He reached to pick it up, when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the familiar form of Bobble emerging from the back rooms.

There was no need to call out to him, as Bobble spotted Clank immediately and flew directly to him and threw his arms around him. “Clanky… I’m so sorry I kept you waiting.” He kissed Clank’s cheek. “Were you out here very long?”

“No? Sort of? I wasn’t sure if you were still here.” Clank replied. “Basil still wants to talk to me, so I’m having some lunch before I go back again.”

“Oh,” Bobble sounded surprised. “Well, he did say you both had a lot to do… So what’s this?” he asked, gesturing to the rose petal package.

“I dunno. Something Elowen packed.” Clank shrugged. “She apparently thought I’d be having lunch with her and Basil.”

“That’s very considerate of her.” Bobble smiled. He took the package from Clank and made to open it. “Do you mind?” Clank shook his head and Bobble unwrapped the petals. Inside were a dozen pink cookies with a short message..

For you and Phineas. Congratulations on your engagement – Elowen

Clank felt a warmth in him then, smiling at Elowen’s kindness. “That’s so sweet. She doesn’t even know us.”

Bobble sat close beside Clank and took one of the cookies. “We’ll have to thank her somehow.” He bit into the cookie and gave a satisfied hum. Clank took a cookie for himself and bit it. It tasted like strawberries. He wondered if, or when Elowen had special ordered the cookies for them.

“So Basil still wants to work with you? Have you not finished his tests?” Bobble asked.

“No, we did… I think. But he still wants to talk to me.” Clank replied with a frown.

“I see…” Bobble took a second cookie. “Did the tests go well? Did he find anything?”

Clank shrugged. “I dunno. He hasn’t told me.” He wasn’t entirely sure what those exercises accomplished. If anything the pain flaring up with physical activity further proved Basil’s point that it was something to do with sore muscles. But that didn’t explain why the pain would come back so randomly. “Hey Bobble?”

“Aye?”

“Do you think any of this is actually helping?” Clank asked. “I mean… you’ve been talking to that other Healer…”

“Celeste.”

“Right, Celeste. Do you think it’s done any good?”

Bobble shifted in his seat and nibbled at his cookie. “I think it might have. At least a little bit. Why? Do you think it isn’t helping?”

“I dunno…” Clank sighed. “I don’t really see the point in all this. What good does talking about… y’know… the other day… what’s that supposed to help?”

Bobble tilted his head to one side. “Well… it does help me put my thoughts about the whole thing in order. We were talking yesterday, Celeste and I that is, about why I got so upset in the first place…” he rubbed the back of his head and his cheeks began to flush red. “We were actually continuing that discussion in a way today… she’s been giving me bits of advice ever since we started. I’m not sure if it’s really helping or not… but it feels like it might be?”

“Hmm…” Clank stared down at his lap. “Put your thoughts in order…”

“Is it not working for you?” Bobble asked. “Maybe it would be better to talk with someone else?”

Clank shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t really want to tell another person all this stuff. At least Basil already knows.”

Bobble hummed in response, and laid his head on Clank’s shoulder. “It was rather uncomfortable telling Celeste everything. At least you already knew Basil.”

“Not really,” said Clank. “I mean, sure he stitched up my back a few years ago, but I don’t really know him all that well.” Bobble didn’t reply, but Clank felt him nod on his shoulder. “But he really seems like he wants to help me…”

“Aye?”

“Yeah. He kinda does this thing where he switches between listening and doctoring.”

Bobble chuckled. “What does that mean?”

“I mean, one minute he’s asking questions and we’re talking about stuff,” Clank explained, “then the next he’s checking my chest pains and talking me through them.”

“So, he is helping you then?” Bobble asked, grinning up at Clank.

Clank shrugged and quickly combed his fingers through his hair. “I mean, yeah. I guess so. At least some. I think he’s getting close to figuring out what’s wrong with me.”

“Really? So it’s really not a pulled muscle then?” Bobble asked, sitting back up to face Clank.

“It might still be. The tests he had me do were physical and the pain flared up then.” Clank said, rubbing gently at his chest. “But if it’s something else, Basil will know and be able to fix it. I’m sure he’ll be able to tell me something before I come home tonight.”

“That’s good,” Bobble said with a glimmer of hope. “I hope he figures it out soon. I hate seeing you hurt so much.”

“I know…” Clank pulled Bobble into a hug. “I hope he fixes me soon too.”

Bobble held tight for a moment, then pulled away with a small smile. “When do you need to go back again?”

Clank glanced back toward the exam rooms. He half expected Basil to be standing there waving for him to come back, but there was no one. “I probably should go back… Basil’s probably waiting for me,” he sighed.

“Do you want me to come back with you?” Bobble asked.

Yes, Clank thought. “I dunno if Basil will be okay with that.”

“Right…” Bobble hummed, disappointed. He then stood and rewrapped the remainder of Elowen’s cookies. “Then how about… I take these home and I’ll lay out a good dinner for us when you get home? Then you can tell me what Basil figures out.” He flashed such a sweet smile, one that for once didn’t hold that edge of concern that had been there all week.

“Sounds perfect,” said Clank, unable to keep from smiling back. He stood and disposed of the wrappings from lunch. “And maybe you’ll have time to look at those pulleys for Fairy Mary?”

Bobble sighed, rolling his eyes. “Aye… I probably should have a look at those.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Clank said.

“Don’t worry about it Clanky, I wasn’t going to leave you alone…” Bobble said as he escorted Clank to the exam rooms. Clank heard the unspoken words running through Bobble’s head. I don’t want to leave you now either. Bobble slid his hand into Clank’s and ran a thumb along Clank’s wrist, tracing the line of the union cord. “I wish I could come back with you.”

“I know. But I’ll be okay”

Bobble nodded, squeezed his hand and quickly pecked his cheek. “I’ll see you soon Clanky.”

Clank watched as Bobble flew toward home, and noticed Bobble look back at least twice before he disappeared. With a sigh, he trudged back to the open area with the machines. Putting my thoughts in order… does that really work? Will that help? It does for Bobble… and Basil says I’ll feel better if I talk about the bad stuff. As he thought about it, he drew nearer to the back rooms and the voices of Elowen and Basil ahead of him reached his ears.

“You really still haven’t told him?” He heard Elowen ask. He paused, still out of sight of the couple and listened.

“I can’t. Not until I’m absolutely sure.” Basil replied.

“How much more sure do you need to be?” Elowen asked, sounding either concerned, annoyed or both. Clank wasn’t sure. “You seemed pretty sure three days ago.”

“What if I’m wrong?” Basil asked. “What if it’s something else? I don’t need to remind you what happened last time…”

Elowen sighed heavily. “No, you don’t.”

“And we really don’t need that happening again.” Basil said, sounding defeated.

“But Basil… Everything you’ve told me so far… it doesn’t sound like you’re wrong.”

“But I still could be…”

“What more proof do you need?” Elowen asked.

“I’m testing some samples right now. Once I’m finished with that, I’ll know for sure.” Basil said. “And then… I’ll tell him.”

“So what are you going to do now? He needs your help.” Elowen said gently.

“I know, Elo, I know. I’m trying. But I can’t force him to open up. He needs to be ready to talk… even if it’s not to me. I want to help him, I do, and I will in any way I can. But if he’s going to let me help him… It has to be Clank’s choice.”

Clank stifled a gasp. They’re talking about me, he thought. He stepped back, letting their conversation sink in. What isn’t Basil telling me? What is he so sure… yet not so sure about? Does he know what’s wrong with me? What samples is he testing? The ones from yesterday? The exercises? What isn’t he telling me?Clank wrung his hands together. He says he wants to help me… and that it’s my choice…

He heard the two of them say their goodbyes and before he could act like he was just showing up, Elowen passed him. She paused, smiling at him like before. “Did you enjoy your lunch?”

“Y-yeah! It was delicious. Thank you.” Clank said. “And uh, thanks for the cookies too. And uh, Bobble liked them too.”

She nodded. “I’m glad. Anyway, I gotta get going.” She looked over her shoulder at Basil who could clearly see both of them. She gave Clank a grin as if to say He’s waiting, then flew off.

Clank took a deep breath and approached Basil, thinking of everything he overheard. Basil offered him a seat and they both sat down facing each other.

“So, where did we leave off yesterday? Did you want to talk about your anger towards Dozer some more?”

Clank stared down at his hands, his ears buzzing, his chest holding the awful discomfort once again. Put my thoughts in order… it’s my choice… what aren’t you telling me, Basil? He swallowed hard and slowly shook his head. “No… I don’t want to talk about that…” he hesitated for a moment as Basil eyed him curiously. Steeling himself, Clank exhaled, It’s my choice. “I wanna talk about what happened in the woods.”

Chapter Text

Basil sat calmly across from Clank, folding his hands in his lap. “You’re sure?” He asked. Clank was certain Basil hadn’t expected him to want to talk about the woods, and in fact, he didn’t really. But if talking was helping Bobble, then maybe it would help him too.

“I’m sure,” Clank replied, sighing.

“Alright,” Basil took his notebook and flipped open to a blank page. “Before we begin, please know that you can stop or take breaks as you need. I know this is a difficult subject.”

“Thank you Basil.” Clank replied. And with Basil ready to listen, notebook at the ready, Clank began.

- - -

Clank had never felt such excruciating pain in all his life. No injury he’d suffered in the workshop had felt this bad. Not even the pain of hawk talons slicing through his back compared to what he was feeling as he flew. Bobble was gone. He’d flown away, scared, panicked, with only a sudden wordless shout as an explanation.

It didn’t make any sense. They were in love, weren’t they? They’d spent so many tender moments together and helped each other through hard times and grew closer every time. Shouldn’t Bobble have been excited and agreed to Tie right then? Why did he flee?

Does he not love me?

The trees grew dense around him, and he hadn’t found Bobble yet. Had he really come this far? Clank knew Bobble was low on Dust, so logically Bobble would know not to fly this far or he may run out and become stranded. Except Clank also knew Bobble didn’t think logically when he was upset, and clearly he was… but why?

Why didn’t matter. Bobble wasn’t thinking clearly, so in all likelihood he was out in these trees somewhere with no Dust to fly home. The sun had long since set as  Clank wove through the trees, calling his name over and over again for hours. “Bobble! Bobble, where are you?” But the only answer he received was the wind in the trees. Why doesn’t he answer? Clank thought to himself. Did I go the wrong way? Is he not really out here? … is he hiding from me?

Suddenly, there was no more lift in his wings. Clank felt himself dropping like a stone. He tried to flap his wings as hard as he could but the ground came up fast and before he knew it, he slammed on the ground with the full weight of his body.

The wind knocked out of him and for a long moment he stayed as he fell, flat on his face with his heart pounding in his ears. His chest throbbed with pain with every pulse, spreading out through his body more and more. He clenched his fist and grit his teeth as tears spilled from his eyes.

A powerful scream exploded out of Clank as he pounded his fists on the ground. “WHY?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE?! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!” He sobbed harder than he’d ever cried before, repeatedly slamming his fists on the ground. Eventually he wore himself out. He rolled to his side and held himself. His throat hurt from screaming, he could hardly breathe from his nose being so stuffed up and his eyes were so sore from sobbing. But all of that was nothing, absolutely nothing to the horrible stabbing, burning, pulsing pain that coursed through him. Still, the only thing he could whisper in that moment was “Bobble…”

- - -

Clank paused. Remembering all of that, he’d expected to feel that pain all over again. He did hurt more than when he started talking, but wasn’t nearly as agonizing as he’d expected.

“Are you alright?” Basil asked.

“I’m fine…” Clank muttered, rubbing his chest. “Just hurts again.”

“Ah,” Basil reached into his hip pouch and produced the familiar medicine bottle and a cup.

Once Clank had swallowed a dose, ignoring the awful flavor, he asked. “Why didn’t you give me any before?”

“I wanted to see if any of those exercises were triggering your pain.” Basil explained as he jotted down notes. “If you were numbed by the medicine, it wouldn’t have done any good.”

“Oh, okay that makes sense I guess.” Clank sighed.

“I will have to brew some more soon,” Basil mused. “This is my last full bottle.”

“Hmm…” Clank replied, not really feeling up to discussing medicine again. That night alone in the forest swam through his head, and he tried to make himself continue talking but the words wouldn’t come.

“So,” Basil said, getting back on topic, “you were understandably heartbroken that night.”

Clank shrugged. “Yeah… that’s an understatement…”

“Hmm,” Basil nodded. “That also explains why you were unable to fly.”

“Heh… yeah, we realized that.” Clank replied. “Don’t really need to be a Dustology master to figure that one out.”

“Yes Indeed,” Basil nodded. “So, I know you two did eventually find each other. Do you think you’re able to talk about that?”

Clank was quiet for a moment, then silently nodded before continuing.

- - -

He didn’t sleep at all that night. He couldn’t, even if he tried. He just lay on the ground where he’d fallen, feeling rejected and alone. But he still felt worried about Bobble. He was out here somewhere, and Clank was the only one who knew… not that he could go back for help at this point anyway… he thought he’d had plenty of Dust left. But he’d apparently been so wrong about important things lately, that he must have been wrong about Dust too.

He finally managed to make himself get up some time after the sun rose. Bobble wasn’t going to find himself… probably… either way, Clank had to find him and find his way home. He began calling for him again. His voice was hoarse from the yelling and he was getting incredibly thirsty. But he kept calling out as loud as he could. If Bobble was out here somewhere, surely he’d be able to hear him.

Desperately, Clank screamed out “Phineas Tailer Kettletree Esquire! Where are you? Can you hear me?” He didn’t know what to expect. He’d been calling out ‘Bobble’ for hours. Why would he suddenly answer to his full name? He was about to shout out again when two words carried through the trees: “I can!”

“What…?” Clank gasped to himself.

“I can hear you Clank!” Could that finally be Bobble’s voice? Clank stepped toward the voice… somewhere off to his left. Bobble called out again, “Clank! Claaank!”

“Bobble?” Clank replied, his voice starting to give out as he picked up the pace, trying to reach the voice. “Bobble! Where are you?”

“I’m coming Clank! Don’t go! Please!”

As if he would leave now that he’d found him… Clank hurried forward. He saw a bright patch ahead of him, where Bobble’s voice seemed to be coming from. He shuffled through the leaves on the ground and found himself in a clearing, and directly across from him finally, he found Bobble. Both of them so tired that when they spoke each other’s names, Clank’s strength left him and he fell to his knees. The pain in his chest was impossible to ignore. It seemed every breath he took it felt worse and worse, but before he knew it, Bobble was at his side.

It was such a relief to see him, and it was even more so that Bobble ran to him rather than away. He would have winced at the thought if he wasn’t already cringing at the throbbing in his chest.

“What are you doing out here Clank?” Bobble asked.

Clank shot him a look. What do you mean what am I doing out here? He wanted to shout, but instead said “I was looking for you… been looking all night.”

Bobble seemed taken aback. He bit his lip and started digging in his pouch. A moment later, he was placing his dewdropper in Clank’s hand and telling him to drink. Clank tried to protest, but Bobble insisted, saying he wouldn’t need it even if his lenses popped. The pain waned a little then… even after last night, Bobble was still trying to take care of him. So… he does still love me?

He thanked Bobble and Bobble knelt in front of him, checking him over. He asked if he could fly, and Clank said he couldn’t. He explained again that he’d been searching all night, he told him he hadn’t stopped to sleep, leaving out the fact that he’d spent at least half the night laying on the ground after he’d fallen.

“That’s really dangerous, Clank.”

“You’re the one who ran off!” Clank shouted, unable to stop himself. The pain intensified again and he grabbed his chest as Bobble winced.

“I know… I’m sorry.”

Clank frowned and waited for Bobble to explain, but he didn’t. Instead he stood awkwardly for a moment, then turned and started pacing, stating the facts of their situation and how long they’d been gone, clearly trying to formulate some sort of plan to get back home. He seemed to grow embarrassed for a moment, but again wouldn’t explain why. They figured no one was looking for them yet, and Bobble grabbed the strap of his goggles, another one of his puzzled motions… a stressed one.

Clank thought, since they were stuck out here anyway that maybe now would be a good time to talk about what had happened… why had Bobble freaked out, and why were they now stuck out here instead of announcing to all their friends that they were set to be Tied? But even as Clank was about to bring up the subject, his stomach growled and Bobble suggested finding food. He knew Bobble was going to keep dodging the topic, so he just agreed to find food. But Clank wanted to know. He wanted answers, he clenched his jaw to keep from asking, and silently followed Bobble.

He knew that Bobble was thinking about what had happened though. He had noticed him fidgeting with the cord on his wrist as they walked, but Bobble wouldn’t say anything. Clank didn’t know how to feel about him wearing the cord right then. He had basically rejected him last night, so why did he still have it on? What in all the realms was flying through Bobble’s head?

“I sure wish I hadn’t gotten us stuck out here.” Bobble eventually said. Clank raised an eyebrow. Is he finally ready to tell me what happened? “It’s bad enough that I’m stuck out here and can’t fly… but you chased after me and got stuck too. I wish you were at least home safe.”

Clank stopped. Do you not want me here? Did you not want me to come looking for you? He turned to face Bobble, “Yeah, do you think maybe we could talk about that now?” Bobble fidgeted a moment, then seemed to focus in on something behind Clank. “I mean, it’d really be nice to know why exactly you flew away from me and got us stuck out here.” He couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice, but Bobble must have been aware of how upset he was.

“Clank, we might not want to talk about this right now…”

- - -

Clank stopped talking again and put his face in his hands.

“Do you know why he didn’t want to talk then?” Basil asked.

“Yeah, this is when the snake attacked us.” Clank shivered, remembering the long black serpent creeping up on them. He’d really expected this to be the end for the both of them, and he’d never know why Bobble had left him that night. But as always, Bobble had put Clank’s safety before his own. ‘It can’t chase us both’ Bobble had said. Clank still couldn’t believe what had happened. Bobble had shoved him, ordering him to run, but then in what had to be the most stupidly brave moment of his life, Bobble jumped on the snake’s back. As soon as Clank had hidden himself, he saw the snake slither away at high speed with Bobble on its back. Clank screamed after them, but was certain he wasn’t heard.

All at once Clank’s world ended. Bobble had saved his life, but there was no way he’d survive that snake once he’d lost his grip. Clank felt tears slide down his cheeks as he remembered stepping out of his hiding place and followed in the direction the snake had gone. He remembered thinking Bobble was surely dead, and there was no point in finding his way home now. There was no home without Bobble.

Even just thinking about it made Clank feel the same hopelessness he had out in the woods. I thought talking about this was supposed to make me feel better. He sniffled hard and wiped his eyes in a failed attempt to stop the tears.

Basil held out a handkerchief. “That must have been terrifying.”

Clank nodded and took the handkerchief and blotted the tears off his face.

“Do you want to tell me about that?” Basil asked.

Clank shook his head. It was bad enough thinking about it. He didn’t want to voice that terror again.

“That’s alright,” Basil said gently. “I know that was one of the worst parts of your time out there. But the important thing is that you both managed to escape that snake. You’re both home now and you’re safe.”

“Yeah… I know.” Clank sighed.

“I’d like you to say it,” Basil said.

“Say what?”

“That you’re home and that you’re safe. Any time you find yourself thinking of that snake, I want you to remind yourself that you’re home and that you’re safe.” Basil said.

Clank raised his head, staring at the Healer who just watched him patiently. Clank sighed heavily. “I’m home and I’m safe.”

“Good. Does that help you feel better at all?” Basil asked.

Clank shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe? I still don’t wanna talk about it.”

Basil nodded “So then what happened after the snake was gone? Phineas was trapped in the blackberry brambles, correct?”

“Uh huh,” Clank confirmed. “That’s how he got the worst of his scratches. But I did manage to get him out.”

“That’s good.” Basil wrote in his notebook for a moment. “So then what happened?”

Clank went quiet, unsure if he was willing to continue. But he remembered what Bobble had told him before coming back in here. Talking helped put his thoughts in order. Maybe he could work through the worst part of that whole ordeal. “Okay, so what happened next was…”

- - -

Clank pulled Bobble into a tight hug the instant he stepped out of the bramble. “What in Clarion’s name were you thinking?” He felt like he might start sobbing again, but was so relieved that Bobble was alive and well.

“Wh-what?” Bobble gasped in his arms.

Clank squeezed a little more, holding onto Bobble like he might vanish at any second. “You jumped on a snake! I thought for sure… I thought… you’d get eaten… that I’d lost you all over again…” His heart was doing funny things, beating rapidly, excitedly, while still radiating that intense pain. But that didn’t matter. Bobble was okay, and Clank held him tight, never wanting to let go again.

Bobble hugged him back and explained that he had done it to protect Clank, which he found insane. Why would Bobble risk near certain death for him?

“You’ve done the same for me.” Bobble had replied.

Clank knew that was true and had the scars to prove it. And even though Clank never wanted Bobble to put himself in danger like that, he could feel in his soul that Bobble would sacrifice his own safety any time to protect him. Clank felt the same, he’d do anything to protect Bobble. Including chasing him out here. “Still, that was reckless Bobble! But thank you.” He said, taking Bobble’s hand.

They took berries from the bramble and sat down to eat. Neither of them had anything to eat since the night before and Clank was starving. He knew from the juice that had gotten on Bobble’s hands that they weren’t nearly as sweet as the ones he was used to eating at home, but he still wasn’t expecting them to be quite this sour.

He thought maybe he could joke about it. Bobble did seem to be doing a little better now that they were out of the bramble. Some casual conversation might help. “Eugh…” Clank made a sour face as he chewed the blackberry. “You know what would be good right now? Some of that jelly we had the other day. The berries Dulce uses are a lot sweeter than these.” He tried smiling at Bobble to let him know he was only teasing.

But Bobble only dropped his berry and hugged his knees, looking even more distraught than before.

“Bobble, are you okay?” Clank asked, he moved closer as Bobble sniffled. He lay a hand on his back and whispered “What’s wrong?”

“I want to go home.” Bobble replied.

Of course he did. Clank did too. But they were making their way and they’d get home eventually, wouldn’t they? “I know.” Clank replied. “We’ll get there, don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

Clank immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say. Bobble threw his hands down and cried out “It’s not okay, Clank!” Clank flinched back and Bobble kept shouting. “None of this is okay! None of this should have even happened and it’s all my fault! I wish I could somehow fly backwards and undo it all. I want to make thing’s right but I can’t! So I just want to go home and forget any of this happened!” He fisted his hands in his hair where his goggles strap would normally sit. Clank could see how tightly his fists were clenched. This was more than a puzzled position, Bobble was stuck and had no idea how to get out.

Silently, Clank stood and plucked more berries from the bramble. Bobble’s words echoed in his ears. You want to undo it all? You want to forget any of this happened? How much? Just coming out here, or… is it more…? Do you not want to Tie with me? Of course not… you wouldn’t have run away if you did.

Clank forced a smile as he returned to Bobble. He pushed a blackberry into his hands and helped him to his feet. “Let’s go then. We can eat on foot.”

“Clank… I…”

“We’re gonna get home. It’s gonna be okay, I promise.” Clank said. Though he wasn’t exactly sure what okay meant. As they started walking he let Bobble take the lead. Until now, he had been ignoring the pain growing inside him. He silently clutched his chest and tried to breathe through it.

The sun eventually set, plunging them into darkness. There only light was the moon peeking through the treetops. There was no telling how far they’d gone or how long it had been since they spoke. Clank accepted that Bobble was not going to tell him what was bothering him. He was pretty sure he’d figured it out by now. But it still hurt every time Clank caught Bobble looking at his wrist, staring at the cord Clank had spent hours weaving for him, spent weeks planning to give to him. Every time Bobble so much as glanced at it, a new stab would pierce Clank’s heart. And he looked so many times.

It was getting harder to breathe. Every breath Clank took was agonizing. But he had to keep going. Bobble walked beside him, glancing from his wrist, up to Clank. Clank would avoid his gaze, not wanting to face what he was sure Bobble was thinking. Bobble sighed heavily, looked at his wrist and walked away. In that moment the moon slipped behind a cloud, and a thought that Clank had been avoiding screamed loudly in his head. A pain more intense than anything he’d felt in the last day tore through him so hard it knocked the breath out of his lungs. He stumbled and leaned against a tree, squeezing his eyes shut. When he managed to blink them open… Bobble was gone.

- - -

The same pain returned, full force as that awful thought came back to Clank. He clutched his fists against his chest so suddenly and fell forward out of his chair, only barely managing to catch himself.

“Clank!” Basil cried, now on the ground in front of him. “Clank, breathe, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

Clank shook his head angrily, still unable to gulp down enough air to speak. He grabbed at Basil’s hip pouch and the Healer tried to pull back. “Clank, stop! What are you doing?”

 Clank was stronger than Basil, even in his pained state. He shoved his hand into the pouch and grabbed the medicine bottle and pushed Basil away. He didn’t bother to measure this time. He threw back his head and drank straight from the bottle three large swallows. He didn’t care about the taste, he didn’t care about the texture. All he cared about was that cooling sensation that made the pain go away.

Basil snatched the bottle back and shoved it into his pouch. “Well I certainly hope that helped you! What in the world were you thinking?”

The medicine took effect. The pain eased, but not completely. Clank still hurt badly and had to hold his chest, but he could breathe again. He glared darkly at Basil. “You’re supposed to be helping me.”

“Yes, and I would have given you the medicine if you didn’t steal it from me.” Basil said, clearly frustrated.

The pain and the cooling effect warred with each other as Clank clenched his teeth, hissing with each breath he took. “I’m not talking about the medicine,” he growled.

“I’m doing my best to help, Clank.”

“By making me relive that nightmare?” Clank snapped.

“You told me you wanted to talk about it. I told you you didn’t have to talk about anything you weren’t ready to.”

“Then what’s all this even for?” Clank barked. “How does any of this help?” He thought back to the conversation that he’d overheard between Basil and Elowen. “Do you know what’s wrong with me?”

Basil stared evenly. “I’ve told you…”

“I know! I know! You have a theory! But you’ve never actually told me what the theory is! What is it Basil? What’s your theory?” The more Clank shouted, the more the pain burned through the cooling of the medicine.

Basil took a deep steadying breath. “I can’t tell you yet.”

Hot, angry tears leaked down Clank’s face. “Why not? Why can’t you tell me?”

“Because I might be wrong!”

“Don’t lie to me! You’ve had a theory ever since I came out of those woods! You know what’s wrong with me don’t you?”

Basil clenched his fists and set his jaw. “I might know. But I really could be wrong. I can’t tell you until I’m absolutely sure.”

“Why not? Why can’t you at least tell me what you’re thinking even if it could be wrong?” In an instant pain flashed through Basil’s eyes. He hid it quickly, but Clank saw it. I don’t need to remind you what happened last time…

Elowen, her small frail frame and sweet smile flashed through Clank’s mind. Basil’s sad eyes when Clank brought up their past soon followed. Last time…

“Am I dying?” Clank whispered.

Basil’s eyes went wide. “No, of course not.”

“I told you not to lie to me.”

“Clank, you are not going to die.” Basil said more firmly.

Clank hissed, pressing against his chest harder. “Then what in all the realms is wrong with me?”

Basil moved closer. “Clank, I can’t tell you just yet. But I promise I will be able to soon. I should have results tonight, so when you come back tomorrow –”

“No.” Clank cut him off. “I’m done.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m done talking to you. I’m not coming back tomorrow. If you’re not going to help me then why should I bother coming back?”

“Clank,” Basil lay a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” Clank jerked away. “I don’t want to hear it! I’m sick of this! I’m sick of you. I’m going home!” Without another word, Clank turned away and threw himself in the air. He expected Basil to try and stop him, chase after him, call out to him, but the Healer stayed behind and stayed silent.

Still seething with anger, Clank flew home. His chest burned and the effects of the medicine were practically unnoticeable. At least soon he’d be with Bobble. When he was, he’d feel better. Bobble would hold onto Clank until the pain and the anger stopped. They’d find some other way to make the pain go away completely.

Clank made it home and stepped inside. Before he had a chance to call out, he saw the house was empty. Of course he’s not here… Clank ground his teeth together as he dragged himself inside, past the dining table with two place settings, past the strawberry cookies divided evenly on each plate, and past the slip of parchment that had been left for him. He collapsed on the bed as exhaustion took hold. Of course no one’s going to help me.

Chapter Text

“Try it now!” Bobble called down to Thimble as he gave one final tug on the ropes. Thimble took a step forward in the large wheel to set the machine in motion. Bobble watched carefully as the ropes moved along each wheel. At last, everything was moving smoothly. After changing out the ropes and reworking the wheels, it felt like Bobble had built the whole system over again. He wiped the sweat from his brow and floated back down to Thimble, touching ground just as she stepped out of the large wheel.

“Nice work, Bobble!” Thimble said. “We really should have fixed this whole system days ago.”

Then why didn’t you? Bobble thought. He brushed his hands off on his pants and faked a chuckle. “Glad to help.” He gathered his tools, thinking how he’d spent too much time here. Yes, it was kind of nice working on a project again, but not nearly as nice as it would have been to do so with Clank.

“Heading out?” Thimble asked, once Bobble got all his things together.

“Aye,” he nodded. “I’ve got some evening plans.”

“Date night with Clank?” Thimble grinned. Bobble felt his cheeks warm, but nodded. “Is he feeling better then?”

Bobble shrugged. “I think so.”

“It’s too bad he got hurt,” Thimble said. “He’s gotta be frustrated about being on simple tasks. Tweak feels awful for overworking him last week.”

Bobble’s brow furrowed. “It’s alright, Clank isn’t upset with Tweak, and he’ll be better soon.” I hope.

“That’s good to hear. Well tell him I say hello!”

“Will do, Thimble.” Bobble grinned and headed off. He didn’t like the idea that Tweak was getting blamed for Clank’s pain. Bobble seriously doubted that it was a pulled muscle. If it had been, Clank would have shown signs of pain at their picnic before everything happened. Bobble may have been out of sorts then, but he didn’t remember Clank clutching his chest at all that evening. Which could only mean that it’s my fault.

Redirect. Celeste’s voice rang in his head.

Bobble took a breath. I made a mistake and Clank forgave me. Celeste had been reminding him that he was only making himself feel worse by blaming every little bad thing on himself. It wasn’t going to help anything, and even if some things were his fault, dwelling on it wouldn’t make things better. It was difficult to adjust to this. Bobble had spent too many years being talked down to and blamed for things by Dozer that he started to do it to himself without realizing it.

It’s going to take a while to retrain yourself out of that behavior. Celeste had told him, whenever you find yourself blaming yourself, redirect and think of the situation a better way. And remember to be patient with yourself.

Bobble took another deep breath. Be patient with myself. He shook the thoughts from his head and went to find Fairy Mary.

Mary had caught him just as he returned to Tinker’s Nook after sharing Elowen’s treat with Clank. He had hoped he could get home and make the house look nice and get something Clank would like for dinner before he got back from speaking with Basil, but froze on the spot when Mary had caught him.

“Bobble! A word, please?” She called out to him, sounding none too pleased. Bobble went stiff, but kept his face neutral as he turned to face her, keeping the parcel of cookies held to his chest.

“Aye, Fairy Mary. What do you need?”

“I see Clank is not with you?” She raised an eyebrow at him. Her accusation was heard without being said. You said you weren’t leaving him alone earlier.

Bobble nodded. “He’s with his Healer right now. I was putting this away for him.” He indicated the package in his hands.

“I see.” Mary said crossly. “How long do you expect him to be there?”

Bobble shrugged. “I couldn’t say. I suppose only Clank and Basil would know that.” He knew he shouldn’t be giving her attitude, but he couldn’t help himself. He knew he was right to stay with Clank this morning, even if he was going to get in huge trouble right now.

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. “In any case, you should have plenty of time to work on those pulleys that you had no time for this morning.”

“Fairy Mary, are the pulleys really in such bad shape that I need to work on them now? And why does it have to be me that works on them? I may have installed those, but it’s not like it’s impossible for some other Tinker to fix them!” The words escaped him before he could stop himself, and even though he meant every word he said, he shook his head and looked away from his leader’s stunned face. “I’m sorry.”

He expected a lecture from Fairy Mary about not slacking off and about taking responsibility for the tasks assigned. Instead, Mary laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry too,” she said, gaining Bobble’s full attention with those three words. He stared at her, surprised and she sighed. “I do understand how you’re feeling, Phineas. There have been plenty of times when Gary was hurt or ill and I felt like I couldn’t do enough to help him. And there were plenty of times when the rolls were reversed.”

Bobble’s shoulders slumped. He didn’t bother to hide his worried frown. “His pain was really bad last night.”

Bobble’s own worry reflected on Mary’s face. “And you say he’s with a Healer now?”

“Aye, Fairy Mary.”

“That’s good. And what have they told him?”

Bobble shrugged. “I don’t really know. That it’s a pulled muscle… that it might not be a pulled muscle, that he’ll feel better soon, but how can I believe that when Clank is in so much pain?”

“Come here, come here…” Mary pulled Bobble to her and wrapped her arms around him. “It will all be better soon. If the Healer says Clank will be well soon, then he will.

“I hate seeing him this way.” Bobble said, voice trembling.

“I know,” Mary said. “But he’s with his Healer and he’ll be just fine. What you need to do is take a little time to not think about it. Dwelling on it won’t help Clank, and it won’t help you either.”

Bobble chuckled as he pulled away from her. “That’s what Celeste keeps telling me.”

Mary smiled. “I’ve been told that a few times myself. Now, don’t worry about the pulleys. Just take a little time to clear your head.”

“Actually, I think working on the pulleys will help me with that.”

Or at least it would have cleared his head if it hadn’t taken so long. He admittedly did feel a bit more relaxed when he started the project, but the longer it took the more he worried that he might not have time to do everything he intended to before Clank got home.

He approached Fairy Mary to tell her he’d finished and that he was leaving for the day. She saw him approach and looked surprised. “I didn’t expect you to still be here. Is everything alright?”

Bobble nodded. “The whole system’s running smoothly now. I’m going to head home if that’s okay.”

“Yes, yes. Of course! Get out of here!” Mary said, shooing him away. “And tell Clank if he has another rough night that he can take tomorrow to rest.”

“Aye, thank you Fairy Mary.” Bobble gave a slight bow and left. But not before catching a glimpse of Mary’s worried face. He frowned as he flew back home. He appreciated that Mary understood how he felt, and was glad that she had backed off on pressuring him to work. But something in her face didn’t sit right with him. Just a few hours ago, she insisted that Clank was going to be fine, but something in that look said otherwise. Did Mary doubt Basil’s ability to heal Clank? Should Clank choose a different Healer?

Bobble shook his head and scolded himself. “You’re being crazy, Phineas.”

He pushed open the door to their home and glanced around. “Okay, good. Clanky’s not home yet.” He went to the table where he’d dropped off the strawberry cookies and unwrapped them. There were six left, and Bobble figured it would be nice to share them with dinner. He left the cookies on the table and went to fetch the dishes from the cabinets.

Normally they didn’t bother with nice place settings, but since returning home from the woods, Bobble had begun making an effort make things a little nicer, more homey, for the two of them. This included setting the table for dinner as he’d done when Rosetta visited the other day. But tonight he took extra care to make the table look nice. He then set three cookies on each plate and went to check the food they’d brought home the other day.

“Hmm. Now what would Clank like best?” Bobble mused as he scanned their pantry. Nothing really jumped out at him saying ‘This! This is what Clank would love!’ With a dissatisfied hum, Bobble closed the pantry and turned away. “I wonder if I have enough time to get an order from the kitchens…”

He glanced out the window. It was still somewhat early even after all the work he’d done, but he didn’t know when Clank would be returning home. He really wanted to be here when that happened. “It shouldn’t take too long… should it?” Bobble bit his lip in thought. He really wanted to do something special for Clank. “It should be fine.” He moved toward the door then hesitated.

Glancing around the house, everything looked nice. All he really was missing was a good meal for them to share. I’ll be back before Clank gets here. It’ll be fine. He sighed and grabbed a scrap of parchment and wrote a quick note for Clank: ‘I’ve gone to fetch our supper. I’ll be home soon, Love Bobble.’

“At least he’ll know where I’ve gone.” Bobble mumbled, feeling rather silly as he flew out the door. “It’ll be fine.” He wanted nothing more than to give Clank a good night. Clank deserved a good night after all the painful ones he’d had over the last few days, and Bobble wanted to give it to him.

He felt a shiver down his spine as he thought about it. All these chest pains that kept flaring up at all the worst moments were doing more than just harming Clank. Bobble had been seeing fewer and fewer smiles from Clank in the last few days. In fact the truest smile he remembered seeing was when they were still lost and Bobble had given Clank his union cord.

“I really did mess up…” Bobble sighed.

Redirect.

“But we got home and he’s going to be okay. And we’re going to have a lovely evening tonight.” Bobble landed in the kitchens and headed inside. He went to consult with one of the cooks over what he should serve tonight.

“Bobble! Hey, Bobble!”

Bobble glanced over his shoulder to see Terence hurrying toward him. Bobble smiled at the Dust Keeper and signaled to the cook that he’d continue his order in a moment. “Hi there Terence, it’s been a while.”

“Sure has, how’ve you been? I heard you and Clank got engaged!” Terence said excitedly.

Bobble laughed and held up his arm to confirm. “Aye, we did, just a few days ago.”

“That’s great! I bet you guys already have the ceremony scheduled and everything, right?”

Bobble chuckled and shook his head. “Not quite. But we’ll let you know as soon as we do.”

Terence laughed. “I was just kidding, but yeah, definitely let me know. Anyway, where’s Clank?”

“Oh he’s…” Bobble paused, not wanting to bring up Clank’s ailment and make Terence worry. “He doesn’t know I’m here. I’m surprising him with a nice dinner tonight.”

“Oooh, gotcha.” Terence grinned. “So what are you getting?”

Bobble glanced back at the cook who was speaking with another fairy, but gave him a questioning look. Bobble held up his hand, not quite ready to order yet. “I haven’t decided yet. But I know I want to get some fresh rolls… maybe a nice soup…”

“How about some pasta?” Terence suggested. “That’s what I’m getting. They make this really creamy sauce that’s really good. I bet you and Clank would love it.”

“You think so?” Bobble mused.

“Definitely.” Terence waved the cook over. “That pasta I asked for. He’d like some too for him and his mate.”

“I heard you say rolls and soup as well?” The cook asked Bobble.

“Aye, that’s correct.”

She smiled and nodded. “May I make a suggestion? If this is for a special occasion, perhaps you’d like a cake as well?”

“Oh! That’s a splendid idea!” Bobble said. That was exactly what he was missing. Clank would absolutely love a nice cake to go with their meal, even if they did still have cookies.

“Let me go find Gelatta,” the cook said. “She can help you with the cake and I’ll get the rest of your food ready for you.”

Bobble thanked her. Beside him, Terence tried to hide a grin. “What are you smiling at?” Bobble asked.

“Nothing,” Terence smirked. “Gelatta makes the best cakes. But she’s a little particular.”

“Oh? You know her?”

“I’m a Dust Keeper. I know everyone.” Terence shrugged. “Hopefully Baylee gets Mousse too.”

“Mousse?” Bobble asked.

“Oh you’ll like him.” Terence grinned widely, but said nothing more.

Bobble eyed him curiously as he waited for the cook - Baylee - to find Gelatta. As Terence predicted, she returned with two fairies. One small and curvy with rich brown hair and the other tall and hefty. He must have been the other baker Terence mentioned. Immediately, Bobble guessed why Terence said he’d like this baker. He looked extremely similar to Clank.

Gelatta greeted Bobble as Baylee went to prepare his food. “So, you’d like a cake?”

“If you have any available. Unless one can be made quickly?”

“We have a number of cakes we’ve baked throughout the day, and we have a few that haven’t been claimed yet.” Gelatta explained. “May I ask if this is for a special occasion?” The big sparrowman behind her nudged her. “What is it Mousse?”

He pointed to Bobble’s wrist and Gelatta caught notice. “Ah! An engagement! You’re here to select your ceremony cake then? We really should wait for your mate then, shouldn’t we?”

“No, no! It’s not for our ceremony, it’s just a surprise treat… for a nice evening.” Bobble said shyly. “Do you have anything for that?”

Gelatta raised an eyebrow. “Well of course we do, all our cakes are perfect for any occasion.”

The large sparrowman cleared his throat. “What did you have in mind?” His voice was even similar to Clank’s. Perhaps a bit deeper, but definitely softer.

“Um… well… maybe something with blackberries?”

“Nothing we’ve baked today has blackberries in it, I’m afraid.” Gelatta said.

“We haven’t frosted the white cake yet.” Mousse pointed out.

“No, we haven’t. But we were going to –”

“I know, but could we make an exception?”

Gelatta hummed and Bobble glanced between the two bakers. She shrugged and threw up her hands. “Just this once I suppose we could. Go get the icing ready, love.” Mousse smiled with pink cheeks and excused himself. “We can have a cake ready for you shortly… um… what was your name again?”

“Bobble.”

“Yes of course. Now if you can wait here a moment, Mousse and I will get that ready for you.” Gelatta excused herself, following after Mousse.

When they had gone, Terence whistled behind Bobble. “That went a lot smoother than I expected. Gelatta doesn’t normally budge on changing cake designs when she’s got them in mind. You got lucky Bobble.”

Bobble shrugged and gestured the way the bakers had gone. “Those two… are they…?”

“Yes,” Terence grinned. “I’m betting that’s why they were so easily persuaded. But hey! You got your cake! And a good meal for Clank too! Wow… you’re going to have a lot to carry.”

“I… hadn’t thought of that.” Bobble said.

“Don’t worry about it. I can help you.”

“Thank you, Terence.”

After a while longer than Bobble would have liked, Baylee and Gelatta both brought out the meal and cake Bobble had asked for. The cake’s icing came out in a nice purple color and smelled amazing. They helped pack everything into baskets for Bobble and Terence to carry and Terence followed Bobble back to Tinker’s Nook.

When they reached the front of Bobble’s house Terence set down his basket and retrieved his own food from inside. “You want me to help you carry this all inside?” Terence asked.

“No thank you, I’ve got it from here.” Bobble smiled, hooking his arm into the second basket.

“Okay, have fun tonight.” Terence pat Bobble on the shoulder and waved as he flew off.

Bobble carefully carried everything to the door and nudged it open with his foot. Okay, I just have to set all this out before Clanky gets back. He kicked the door shut behind him and set down the baskets. The sound of heavy breathing reached his ear.

Quickly, Bobble spun around and his eyes landed on the bed where the large form of Clank lay. “Oh… oh no.” I’m too late.

Ignoring the newly acquired food, Bobble hovered over to the bedside. Clank was fast asleep. Was I really gone that long? Even in sleep Clank looked pained and stressed. But he wasn’t fitful as he had been the past few nights, not yet at least.

“Oh Clanky, I’m sorry.” Bobble leaned down and kissed Clank on his temple. He knew Clank had been exhausted. Even more so than Bobble was. Maybe I should let him sleep for a while. I can still set out this meal and wake him later… maybe.

Bobble pulled a blanket over Clank and rubbed his back. He kissed him one more time before moving away to lay out their meal. He laid out the rolls and pasta and went to the cabinets to get butter and jam for the rolls. He then took the cake and set it in the center of their table. Only then did he notice the cookies had gone untouched. Not only that, but his note was exactly where he had left it. He picked up the note and glanced at Clank. Did you even know where I was?

He couldn’t help but wonder how Clank felt when he’d returned home. Was he just so tired that he went straight to bed? What had he learned from Basil? He wouldn’t know until Clank woke up.

Bobble took the soup he’d brought home over to the fire place. He poured it into the cook pot they kept there and lit a fire to keep the soup warm. Poor Clanky… I hope you’ll be alright. He thought about the night before, how he’d stayed curled up to Clank’s side all night, trying to comfort him as he slept. He’d been disappointed at the untimely visit of Iridessa and Silvermist, but looking back on it, Bobble was convinced that Clank would have had those pains no matter what. The way Clank had kissed him felt different in a way Bobble couldn’t quite describe. But one thing he knew for sure was that something was bothering him.

It’s not fair. Of course something’s bothering him… after everything I put him through.

Redirect.

“Not this time, Celeste…” Bobble sighed. He knew how badly he’d messed up, and even if Clank forgave him, he knew Clank still had every right to be upset about it, even if he wasn’t saying so. Bobble had been trying to make things right, but felt like there was nothing he could do to help Clank now that he was in so much pain. “It’s all my fault…”

He held his face in his hands, listening to Clank breathe. Every now and then sounds would come from him; quiet grunts which might have been words that Bobble didn’t quite interpret.

So much for a good night, Bobble thought, I should have been here when you got home. Then maybe…images swam through Bobble’s mind of what he’d been hoping for and his cheeks warmed with the thought. He raised his gaze to the sleeping form of Clank. Now’s not the time to think this way, Phineas. But he couldn’t help the mental image of Clank holding him by the hips, himself running his hands down Clank’s chest in a wonderful moment of passion.

Bobble shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. He’d been having those thoughts so frequently the last few days. It was as if a switch had flipped in his head and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wanted Clank. If it weren’t for all the interruptions… chest pains… friends showing up at the exact wrong time.

“Why couldn’t I have felt this way a week ago?” Bobble grumbled. It wasn’t like these thoughts were anything new. He’d imagined himself with Clank plenty of times throughout their relationship, but never could bring himself to act on these desires despite knowing Clank was very interested. But since getting home… no, that wasn’t quite right… since that morning by the river, Bobble wanted Clank more than he thought was possible.

He brought it up with Celeste during their session today. He’d gone through the usual commentary of being worried for Clank and her telling him that Basil was helping Clank as they spoke and now was the time to work on himself. She asked if he’d like to talk more about what led them to the woods and Bobble, frustrated with himself had expressed to Celeste that it was because he was a fool who always felt the wrong thing at the wrong time.

“First, you’re not a fool, so please refrain from calling yourself one.” Celeste said gently. “Second, what do you mean you feel things at the wrong time?”

Bobble sighed and paced. Celeste always let him pace when he needed to. When the words finally fell into place in his head he sat back down, but his heel kept bouncing. “For the last few nights I’ve really wanted… I’ve wanted to…” he cleared his throat, trying to continue. “I’ve wanted ph-physical intimacy… with Clank.”

“That’s understandable,” Celeste said. “Sex is usually a normal part of a romantic relationship.”

Bobble nodded, throat tight. He could feel his cheeks burning at his admission, but he couldn’t make himself elaborate on why it was a problem. Thankfully Celeste picked up on it and asked.

“Has Clank not been receptive?”

“No… no that’s not it.” Bobble replied, the urge to pace returning. He managed to explain to her that despite trying a few times since returning home it hadn’t worked out for one reason or another.

Celeste nodded, understanding. “May I ask you something?” Bobble nodded. “Have you ever had sex?”

Bobble felt like he couldn’t get any redder. “No, we haven’t.”

“Did you ever before you were with Clank?”

“No.”

“May I ask why?” Celeste asked.

“Well, Clank’s the only one I’ve ever dated.” Bobble explained.

“You don’t need to date to have sex.” Celeste said. “Some fairies just do it for fun.”

Bobble curled into himself, wrapping his arms around his knees. His feet still tapped nervously as he looked to the side. “Well, not me. I’ve never… not before Clank, not even with him.”

“But now you want to.”

“Aye…”

“And you’re feeling like you wanting to now is bad timing?”

Bobble nodded. “Clank has been wanting to for a long time… and I’ve been too nervous. I… I felt like I would have to when Clank asked me to Tie with him but…”

“You weren’t ready then.”

“No… so I ran away and messed everything up.”

“Redirect, Phineas.”

“I can’t.” Bobble sniffled.

For a moment, Celeste was quiet. Thinking how to respond. “Why did you feel pressured in that moment?”

Bobble dropped one leg, but kept the other hugged tightly to his chest. “Because of what Fairy Gary said to me.” Without her asking, Bobble recounted the encounter he’d had with Fairy Gary. It still made him uncomfortable to talk about, even though Gary had apologized upon their return. He made it clear to Celeste he wasn’t upset with the Dust Keeper leader anymore.

“Remember, you may still be upset with him even if you say you aren’t. But let’s not focus on that right now.” Celeste said, and Bobble nodded. “So you felt pressured, and you weren’t ready.”

“And I ran.” Bobble confirmed.

“Yes, and you and Clank found each other and you returned home. But you felt pressured.” Celeste easily redirected back. “May I ask, has Clank ever pressured you to have sex?”

Bobble didn’t even have to think about it. “No, never. I mean, there have been plenty of times where we have we’ve gotten… passionate… but he’s never made me do more than I was willing to do. He always backed off the second I got uncomfortable.”

Celeste smiled. “Good.”

Bobble felt himself relax a little more and dropped his other foot to the ground and leaned forward onto his knees. “He’s always been so careful with me. He’s so aware of my feelings… he was even able to figure out why I freaked out the first time we tried.” Bobble rubbed the side of his neck, but dropped his hand quickly as he felt his stomach tighten uncomfortably. “When I told him in the woods… about why I ran away… he was so understanding. He even blamed himself. It’s not his fault though… who could possibly blame him for being excited about asking to Tie? I should have been ready then…”

“But you weren’t.” Celeste said before Bobble could scold himself for running away again.

“I wasn’t.” Bobble agreed. “But I am now.”

“Do you know why that is?” Celeste asked.

Bobble remembered what Clank told him in the woods, grinning. It’ll happen sooner or later, when we’re both ready. “I do.”

“Good,” Celeste said gently.

Bobble sighed, getting up from his chair and moving to stir the soup over the fire. He allowed the daydreams to run through his head. His heart beat a little faster with every mental image, but he smiled. He’d never imagined being any kind of intimate with anyone until he fell in love with Clank. He was more than ready to share it with him, but he knew he’d have to be patient and wait for Clank to be ready again. Maybe he would be when he woke up. But that would depend on how his session had gone that day. Bobble hoped Clank got good news from Basil.

“No…”

Bobble’s head shot up at Clank’s voice. “Clanky?” He stood and moved to the bedside where Clank’s breathing had gotten considerably heavier. He gripped the blanket Bobble had put on him and turned his head back and forth.

“No… No!” Clank cried, not waking.

“Clanky…” Bobble carefully held his shoulders. He wasn’t sure if he should wake him or try to soothe him as he slept. He’d been fitful like this for the past few nights. He’d said he hadn’t been dreaming, but clearly Clank was locked in a nightmare now.

“S-stop…!” Clank gasped, still not waking. He was sweating, trembling, but still wouldn’t wake.

“Clank!” Bobble gripped his shoulders tight and gave him the smallest shake. Still, Clank didn’t wake. His teeth were clenched, his breath came in pained hisses, he looked to be in so much pain. The medicine…Bobble still had it in his pouch from this morning. He quickly pulled it out and tore out the stopper. He shook Clank’s shoulder again, harder. “Clanky, please! Wake up!”

It happened faster than Bobble could react. Clank’s eyes shot open. His arm swung out. Bobble hit the floor and the medicine bottle smashed on the ground. Clank shot up in bed screaming as his wild, unfocused eyes stared down at his tense, shaking hands.

Chapter Text

Tall trees stood in rows on all sides of Clank, rising higher and higher until they blended with the black, starless sky. He rose off the ground, trying to reach the tops to find where he was now. The higher he flew, the more the trees seemed to grow. They were endless and he gave up and floated back down to the ground, mere inches below his feet.

Lost again.

He whipped around. Who had said that? He swore he knew that voice, but could not place from where. But the voice was right. He was most certainly lost. But now he had no idea how he had gotten here. He didn’t know which way to go or if anyone was looking for him. But there was nothing to do but pick a direction and go.

He found himself walking, even though flying would have been faster. But it didn’t feel like speed mattered here, especially since every tree he passed looked the same as the last. He looked back and everything appeared the same as where he’d started.

“Hello?” He called out. For a long moment there seemed to be no response.

Lost and alone.

Clank spun. He couldn’t see anyone. The voice sounded like it came from every direction. “Hello? Who are you?” Clank called. But again, he got no reply. “Is someone there?”

He waited but there was still nothing. He chose another direction and started moving. There had to be a way out of here, but still nothing changed. It felt so familiar. Like he’d done this before. But different somehow. Like something was missing.

“Oh Clanky, I’m sorry.” At that, Clank turned quickly. That voice was unmistakable.

Bobble. When he’d done this before he’d had Bobble. “Where are you?”

There was no answer. But he knew which way the voice had come from. Right in front of him. He lifted off the ground and flew fast. “Bobble! I’m coming!” The trees around him began to change. Long black vines began hanging down in front of him. A strange sound arose all around him. “Bobble?” He shouted over the sound filling his ears.

Alone and afraid.

Clank’s heart raced. “Bobble! Bobble answer me please!”

The black vines began dropping from the trees, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. They landed all around Clank as the unnerving sound grew louder and louder. The vines around him began moving in a way Clank had seen only once before. Squirming and sliding along the ground in silence. Ends of the vines lifted from the ground and pointed toward Clank. Snakes. Long black snakes. An uncountable number of them surrounded him. Clank felt his breath quicken. “Help…” he breathed, as the sound of hissing grew.

Slowly, menacingly, the snakes crept in closer, encircling him with their long bodies, sliding over one another creating a high black scaly wall of serpents that closed in tighter and tighter. “Help me…” Clank gasped again as the closest serpent’s scales brushed against his skin. “Save me…” he wanted to close his eyes, but found that he couldn’t even protect himself that way from the impending doom he faced.

“Bobble…” Clank’s voice was barely a whisper. A serpent head shot from the wall directly at him, fangs long and dripping with bright green venom. Clank felt something press against his temple as the snake’s jaws snapped.

The fangs never touched him. There was a loud thud and the wall of serpents collapsed around him. “What…?” Clank watched as everything around him fell. The multitude of serpents became one single body which lay lifeless before him. A figure appeared on the snake’s head, kneeling with his fist pressed in the center of it’s skull.

Slowly, the figure stood, red dripped from his clothes. A familiar knife withdrew from the snake’s head. Clank stared in disbelief as his savior casually strode off the dead serpent and floated down before him. It was Bobble. His clothes were torn and he was covered in red looked more like black berry juice than the snake’s blood.

“Bobble… what…? How…?” Clank reached his arms toward him.

Bobble just smiled and took Clank’s hand. The instant their hands touched, there was a low rumbling sound as many of the trees around them shrank into the ground. Clank stared around in wonder, never letting go of Bobble’s hand as the sky above them lit up and the ground beside them split with the gentle flow of a crystal clear river. Even the snake disappeared as everything changed.

“What’s happening?” Clank asked, feeling the smile grow on his face. He looked to Bobble and he too had changed. The red was completely gone, he was spotlessly clean to the point where he seemed to radiate light without his natural glow. He had no belt, no tools, and his open shirt hung loosely on his shoulders.

“Bobble?” Clank knew his heart was racing as Bobble led him to the base of a tree beside the river bank. Without a word, Bobble lightly pressed on his chest and Clank sat down. Bobble climbed into his lap and draped his arms over Clank’s shoulders. The sweetest, brightest smile graced Bobble’s lips as he leaned in closer. Instead of meeting Clank’s lips, Bobble pressed a kiss just below Clank’s ear. His lips, his breath, were both so warm against his skin as Bobble kissed down the side of his neck.

“Bobble…” Clank breathed. His hands found Bobble’s hips and pulled his body in closer. He allowed his hands to trail up his sides feeling that warm soft skin beneath his palms. He tilted his head back, tracing his fingertips up Bobble’s spine, meeting his wings. He felt a warm glow radiate off Bobble’s wings as Bobble’s lips kissed up Clank’s throat along his cheek and finally, barely brushed against his lips.

Bobble then pulled back, smiling blissfully. His blue eyes full of joy as he softly stroked one hand along Clank’s cheek.

“You really ought to tell him.”

Clank blinked at the new voice. He leaned to look behind Bobble where he saw none other than Basil watching them. Something was off about him, but Clank couldn’t place it. It was definitely Basil, standing there, patient as ever. But something about his face was wrong.

Bobble laid a hand on Clank’s cheek, turning is attention back to him. He still shone brightly, but his smile had faded to a look of concern. He slowly shook his head and laid a hand on Clank’s chest. Clank took that hand in his own, raising it to his lips to kiss his knuckles. He was still very aware of Basil standing there staring at them as Bobble leaned forward, touching their foreheads together.

“You shouldn’t keep that from him.” Basil said. “He deserves to know.”

Clank felt Bobble shake his head. Before Clank could say anything, Bobble pressed his lips to Clank’s. His lips were soft as ever, his body warm against Clank’s chest, his hands gentle as they trailed down his body.

“He’s the reason this happened.” Basil said, sounding angrier than Clank had ever heard him. His voice sounded rougher, and not quite the same as the voice Clank knew to be his.

He felt Bobble’s grip tighten on him, Clank curled his arms around him, holding him tight.

“You’re nothing but a crutch to him.” Basil said. That was Basil… wasn’t it?

Clank’s inhaled a sharp breath, and Bobble curled his arms around his neck. Their lips broke apart briefly as Bobble pressed kiss after desperate kiss to Clank’s forehead. Clank still felt his warmth, but Basil’s strange, familiar words bothered him. He tried to look past Bobble at the Healer, but Bobble held his face in his hands. The look on Bobble’s face sent a shock through Clank. He looked desperate and terrified. He shook his head again and leaned in to kiss him again.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Every kiss from Bobble felt more and more desperate, he could almost feel Bobble screaming ‘don’t listen to him, don’t look at him, stay here with me.’

Clank held tight to Bobble. Something in the way Bobble held him told him that trying to look at Basil would be a terrible mistake. He closed his eyes, and felt Bobble’s warmth against him as the kisses stopped and Bobble hugged him tightly, pressing their chests together. “I won’t let go, Bobble…” Clank whispered.

Without warning, the warmth disappeared. A horrendous stab pierced his Clank’s chest. He gasped as his eyes snapped open. The sky above broke, plunging them into darkness once more. Bobble’s arms dropped from his shoulders. He stared at Clank, then down between them. A long, silver blade protruded from Bobble’s chest and sank into Clank’s own. They looked at each other again and Bobble mouthed a word soundlessly. Clank recognized his own name on Bobble’s lips.

“You really think he’s worth anything?” Basil said in someone else’s voice. Clank couldn’t stop himself. His eyes snapped toward Basil, finally looking at him clearly. His features were all wrong. Clank now realized why. Basil’s eyes were wrong. They weren’t the kind brown eyes he knew, but instead vibrant, wild and green. Basil’s features turned hard and dour. His hair faded from their usual golden waves to shaggy, dirty, grayish brown.

Dozer grinned wickedly and wrapped his arm around Bobble’s neck. Bobble, despite the blade through his body reached up and grabbed Dozer’s arm, desperately trying to pull him off.

“No!” Clank cried as Dozer yanked Bobble away. The blade never left Clank’s chest, but vanished from Bobble as he was pulled from his reach. Clank tried to grab the hilt to pull the knife free, but his hands wouldn’t move. He tried to stand, but his body stayed still. He was frozen in place and could only stare as Dozer dragged Bobble from him.

The sight before Clank was horrifying. Dozer threw Bobble on the ground and planted his foot in on Bobble’s stomach. Bobble gripped his ankle and tried to throw him off, but wasn’t able to shake him. Dozer’s foot sank deeper and he laughed as he shot another wicked smile to Clank. He then pressed his other heel into Bobble’s right shoulder, Bobble released that arm and Dozer moved his foot over Bobble’s arm, half way between his elbow and his wrist and pressed. The only sound then was the horrific snap of bones. Even though Bobble’s face contorted with pain, and his body heaved, no sound escaped his screaming mouth.

“No!” Clank cried. All his muscles tensed as he tried so hard to move. Still his limbs wouldn’t budge. The pain in his chest morphed, no longer feeling like a cold, stabbing knife. Instead, he felt like a red hot hand had reached into his chest and taken hold of his heart, gripping it tightly as it dug long sharp nails into him. The burning spread through his limbs as he watched Dozer kneel on Bobble’s chest, pinning his good arm to the ground and placing his free hand over Bobble’s throat. “NO!” Clank screamed again.

Bobble struggled on the ground. It was no use as Dozer pressed down on Bobble’s neck. Clank stared with wide eyes as Bobble’s face turned purple. Still he could see Dozer grip tighter, eventually releasing Bobble’s arm and wrapping his second hand around his neck, laughing as he choked him. Clank’s breath came in short, fast gasps as he fought against the invisible force holding him. His entire core was burning with pain and rage stronger than he’d ever felt before.

Bobble’s eyes fell on him, wide and fearful. “Clanky…”

If he could only move. If he could just reach Bobble… if he could just pry Dozer off of him… if he could just…“Stop!” Clank cried.

Everything around him froze. Dozer became statuesque, with that awful, evil smile on his face. Beneath him, Bobble was mid struggle, but completely still, his terrified eyes focused on Clank. All Clank could hear was his own breathing. Loud, and slowed to a crawl. He heard an echo of his own name, called in Bobble’s voice. He felt something on his shoulder; a hand gently laid there. A presence unknown, yet oddly familiar leaned close to his ear. She said only two words.

End him.

Before he even realized what happened, Clank had Dozer by the front of his shirt, held high off the ground. Rage like an inferno coursed through Clank, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do with it. Now in full control of his body, he threw Dozer with all his strength at the tree he’d just been pinned to. There was a loud thump as Dozer hit the tree and crumbled to the ground. Before he could stand, Clank was on him again. He grabbed Dozer under the shoulder and held him up. Everything this roach had done boiled inside Clank along with all the pain and fury he felt. He couldn’t have stopped his fist if he wanted to. With a loud CRACK Clank’s knuckles met Dozer’s jaw.

Dozer’s face twisted away from Clank. There was a brief pause as Dozer began to straighten up. Before he could lift his head, Clank’s fist flew again. Then again. And again. Clank couldn’t stop. He struck Dozer over and over, panting heavily as he did. Dozer didn’t try to fight back. He just took every single hit.

He deserves it Clank thought to himself.

Suddenly, Clank felt someone grab his shoulders. He froze and faced who it was.

Bobble stared at him, horrorstricken. He seemed to be mouthing something but Clank couldn’t tell what.

“I was trying to help you…”

Clank gasped at the voice and looked back to Dozer. But the roach was gone. In his place, bruised and bloodied, stood Basil. Clank gasped and stared down at his red hands as something shook him.

“Clanky, please! Wake up!”

Clank swung his arm trying to banish the sight of Basil before him, knocking into something as he did. His eyes shot open as something hit the ground hard, accompanied by a shattering sound. Clank screamed. He stared down at his hands, still seeing the red that coated them.

What did I do? What did I do? Clank shook as every part of him pulsed with greater pain than he felt even in the woods or when talking with Basil. He grabbed his chest with one hand, and the side of his head with the other. He couldn’t stop the panicked scream as the visions replayed in his head.

“Clanky…”

Clank glanced to his side. Bobble lifted himself from the ground. No… no! I hurt him! Clank jerked his head away, digging his nails into his scalp, still unable to stop screaming. “No! No! I didn’t mean it!”

Slim arms encircled his shoulders. “Clanky, I’m okay! It’s okay!”

“No!” Clank cried. “I didn’t mean it! I didn’t mean it!”

“Clank, please! Look at me!”

The arms held tightly, but Clank barely noticed them. The pain was too much. The red still filled his vision. The things he’d done kept replaying in his head. “I didn’t mean it!”

“I know, I know! It’s okay! Look at me, I promise it’s okay!”

Clank shook his head. It was the furthest thing from okay. He squeezed his eyes shut, gasping loudly for air.

“Clanky, please…” the arms held him tightly for a long moment. Clank couldn’t calm down. It didn’t matter if his eyes were open or closed, he still saw what he had done. There was a sigh in his ears as the arms released him. If it were possible, the pain got even worse. He managed to crack his eyes open. He saw Bobble open the door.

“No…” Clank reached out to him. Don’t go… please… I’m sorry…

“Help! Somebody please help us!” Bobble shouted. He looked back to Clank for a second, then shouted out the door again. “Anybody! Please help us!” He left the door wide open as he flew back to Clank, gripping his outstretched hand in his own. “It’ll be okay Clanky. I won’t leave you. I promise.”

Chapter Text

Evening fell over Pixie Hollow and fairies and sparrowmen of all talents began settling down. Some met with friends, others went home to rest. Basil, however sat in his workshop alone. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d made the wrong call. Clank had been right. Ever since he first stepped into his exam room nearly a week ago, Basil was fairly certain he knew what was going on.

But I’ve been wrong before.

Why can’t you tell me? He wanted to tell Clank. He wanted to share his theory, but the incident from years before still haunted him. He could not afford to be wrong this time.

If you’re not going to help me then why should I bother coming back?

As much as it hurt, Basil couldn’t deny that Clank’s response was valid. After his outburst, all Basil could do was stand there and watch as Clank flew away. He had been trying to help Clank, but he was also aware that it wasn’t working, not yet at least. Have I pushed you too hard to talk? He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. I promise it will help… but not if he doesn’t want to open up. I can’t force him… that only makes it worse.

Shame filled every part of him. He thought he’d be as helpful as Mr. Owl, but clearly he still had a lot to learn. Unfortunately, Mr. Owl wasn’t near Pixie Hollow right now. He’d asked Paws and Rei to be sure. Maybe if he had been, he’d have sent Clank to him instead. Then maybe Clank would be improving.

But he would still need a proper Healer.

Basil huffed an unamused laugh. “And then what? He’d still be hurting.”

To his left, there was a slight knock. “Basil?” He glanced up to see two of his guild members looking in at him, Elixa and Celeste. He waved a hand in acknowledgement and they came closer. Elixa held a basket of ingredients which she set at his feet. “I hope this is enough. You really should have started the brew sooner.”

“I know…” Basil groaned. “But I didn’t expect…” he trailed off and looked to his side. He didn’t really want to vent his problems to them.

In the strained silence that fell, Basil could feel Celeste’s eyes on him. He couldn’t look at her, but he knew what she was about to do.

“Elixa, can you save us a table in the kitchens? I’ll be with you shortly.”

“Of course,” Elixa grinned and gave Basil a slight bow before leaving.

Now alone with Celeste, the weight of Basil’s shortcomings doubled. He was all too aware that while Clank was struggling just as bad, if not worse than when they started that Celeste’s patient, Phineas, was doing much better. Maybe he should have let Clank talk to her instead. She had been around longer and was much more experienced. But that also didn’t mean that Basil wanted to give up his patient to her.

“Things not going smoothly with Clank?” Celeste asked. Basil scowled and looked away. Celeste took a seat beside him and pat his shoulder. “It’s going to be alright. You’ve only been talking to him for a few days. You can’t expect him to be cured in that short amount of time.”

Cured… Basil sighed heavily, but he knew he must have looked more frustrated as Celeste frowned sadly at him.

“I know, I’m sorry.” Celeste said. “What have you told him?”

“About what?”

Celeste raised her hand to her chest in answer and Basil looked away.

“All I’ve told him is that I have a theory.” Basil sighed. “But maybe I shouldn’t have told him that.”

“Why?”

“Because now he’s holding onto hopes for an answer, and every time we talk there’s more pain and I can’t tell him.” Basil explained.

“And why can’t you tell him?”

Basil shot her a look. You already know why. But he was well aware that Celeste wanted him to say it. He slowly shifted his gaze to the ground and whispered, “because I might be right.” He squeezed his eyes shut as the words hung in the air. His fingers twitched, but he kept them in his lap.

Celeste rubbed his shoulder. “And if you are, then you’ll help him like you’ve helped so many others before him.”

Basil sighed and shook his head.

“Don’t let this shake your confidence again,” Celeste said gently. “You’re a great Healer. You know you are. And you have proof every single day that you are. She wakes up next to you every morning because of you.”

Elowen…

“And if it were her talking to you instead of me, she’d say the same thing,” said Celeste.

Basil sighed again. “I know.” He tilted his head up and grinned just slightly. He didn’t feel completely better, but Celeste’s words did help. Plus, she no doubt would know exactly what he would need now to really feel better again.

“Would you like to join me and Elixa for supper?” Celeste asked, though she must know what he was going to say.

“No, thank you. I still have work to do.” Basil stood up and picked up the basket Elixa had left.

Celeste nodded, understanding. “I’ll send Elowen your way when I see her.”

A moment later, Celeste was gone and Basil pulled the medicine bottle from his pouch. It was nearly empty after Clank had drunk from it earlier. Basil grimaced. He set the bottle aside and was on his feet again. He started a small fire in his fire pit and placed the cauldron he used for potion brewing over it. It had been a gift from Elixa from when she’d finished training him in brewing medicines, but it hardly ever made but one thing. He poured the base liquid into the cauldron, filling it half way. He stirred for a few minutes while it simmered then began adding in the other herbs to the mixture. It was already smelling weird and sharp. He shivered, but it was too early in the brew to test it.

He got to a point where all he could do was wait and began pacing around the workshop. He kept glancing at his notes from Clank’s session until he finally picked them up and began flipping through them. Repressed anger, haunting memories, pain flared up during physical exercise… but some seem random.

The exercises that Basil had put Clank through should not have hurt a Tinker as strong as he was, especially since he had been put on simple tasks by Fairy Mary according to Steel. His body should have had plenty of time to heal from a muscular injury. He thought back to his theory again and shut the notes.

“It could still be something else…” Basil tried to convince himself.

He turned back to the cauldron just in time to see Elowen step into the workshop. A warmth filled Basil immediately and some of the frustration left him. “Elo,” he went to her and kissed her softly.

“The talk didn’t go well then?” Elowen asked.

“How’d you know?” He asked. But Elowen just smiled. No one knew him better than she did. Even if Celeste didn’t tell her anything, she likely could pick up just from how he moved that something was off.

“So… what happened?” Elowen asked.

Basil explained to her about Clank’s second session of the day. He didn’t go into details about what Clank had shared regarding his experience in the woods, despite wanting her opinion on the situation. Instead he simply reiterated the parts she’d already been told by Clank and Phineas. He told her that before Clank had finished, pain had hit him again and that he’d lunged at him and stole his medicine from his pouch, which led to their argument that had Clank leave so angrily.

Elowen’s eyes were full of concern. She gently lay her hand on Basil’s forearm. “Are you alright?”

Quickly, Basil nodded. “I’m okay. But I have to figure out what’s going on with Clank.”

“Right,” Elowen agreed. “How can I help?”

“You don’t need to worry, Elo.” Basil said, turning back to the cauldron. “You can go get dinner with Fluss if you like.”

Elowen grabbed his hand as he went to stir the pot again. She looked Basil straight in the eye. “I’m not leaving you to do this on your own. I’m here to help, now what can I do?”

The warm relief flooded Basil’s heart again. He kissed Elowen’s forehead and smiled. “You know what herbs this needs, right?” Basil asked, gesturing to the brew. She nodded and Basil stepped aside. “You can add them in while I stir?”

Elowen stood by his side, a confident smirk on her face. Over the next hour, they worked on the brew. Elowen added in herbs as she’d done with Basil many times before. Every few minutes Basil would raise the spoon to his nose and smell it, then declare what was needed. They’d done this enough times that Basil recognized the stage of the mixture by scent, but even when it was finished, the medicine wouldn’t work right until it had cooled down.

“So, you know for sure what’s wrong then?” Elowen asked.

Basil shrugged. “I think so. I still haven’t checked the samples, but that should tell me for sure…”

“And then you’ll tell Clank?”

“When he comes back, yes.” Basil nodded.

“What if he doesn’t?” Elowen asked.

Basil frowned. I’m not coming back tomorrow. I’m sick of this, and I’m sick of you. “Then I’ll go to him.”

He saw Elowen smile out of the corner of his eye, which in turn made him smile too. She was always there to give him the push he needed. He couldn’t imagine where he would be with out her.

Suddenly, Basil’s muscles tensed up. He was back in the past, with Elowen lying in a bed, her glow so weak that some Healers had already given up on her. There were too many patients. Too many to handle, and it was Basil’s fault. He had told Elowen what he thought was wrong, and had treated her the same as he’d done before. But he’d learned he was wrong. And because of his mistake, dozens of fairies came in with horrible symptoms. The potion brewers could not keep up. The physical Healers could not control the influx of patients. But to Basil, none of that mattered.

No one in these rooms mattered more to him than Elowen, who lay dying before him. He took her hand and she smiled so weakly at his touch. He slipped a cord around her wrist. He had been holding onto it since before she’d fallen ill. He would have squeezed her hand, but feared hurting her more. Everything hurt in that moment. Every part of him, every part of her. He didn’t know how he would survive without her. He could barely breathe as he leaned down to whisper to her as his hands fumbled to tie the cord. “Please, Elowen… Please live… I need you by my side… I need you here… please…”

Elowen’s fingers flexed in his hand. “Is… that a union cord…?”

“Yes…” Basil whispered. “I want to Tie my heart to yours… if you’ll have me…”  he couldn’t stop the flow of tears that streamed down his cheeks. ”You don’t have to answer now… you can wait until you’re well… you can…” he choked back tears.

He could feel Elowen trying to squeeze his hand. But there was barely any strength there. He looked in her blue eyes as she said barely audible, “yes…”

“Basil!” He felt a shove in his side and snapped back to the present. Elowen was staring up at him, annoyed but clearly worried.

“I’m okay.” Basil said quickly, banishing the thought along with all the feelings that came with. I saved her, and she is right beside me.

Elowen said nothing. She brushed against his arm, reassuring him that yes, she was here with him now.

“I think it’s ready.” Basil said, taking the spoon again and raising it up to smell it. It certainly smelled right, but he also took a sip from the spoon even though it was still hot. The flavor was awful as ever and the texture was bad enough to make one’s skin crawl. He felt only a slight cooling in his body. It would be much stronger later, but for now this was correct. Basil set the spoon aside and placed a lid over the cauldron before lifting it off the fire.

“Not going to try and fix the flavor this time?” Elowen asked.

“As low as the supply is now, I can’t mess with the recipe.” Basil set the cauldron in the shade and returned to extinguish the fire.

“I’ll take care of this,” Elowen said, putting herself between Basil and the fire. “You need to go check those samples.”

Basil hesitated, but nodded. He knew the samples would be ready now, but he was still nervous to check them. But he could not put it off. Clank needed help. He needed answers. He had been patient long enough, and Basil needed to know if his theory was right. He went to the counter where the swabs of Clank’s blood and Pixie Dust sat with the two controlled samples Basil had taken after Clank left the night before. If they were a match, then that meant Basil was right and he could tell Clank without a shadow of a doubt what was going on with him. He took a deep breath and checked the blood sample.

Just as Elowen got the fire snuffed out, Basil returned to her side. He took her hand and squeezed. “We need to go.”

“Now?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Understanding washed over her and she nodded solemnly. The two of them left Basil’s workshop together and flew directly to Tinker’s nook. All the while, Clank’s hurt, scared face hung in Basil’s mind. He did everything in his power to fight off the feelings Clank’s expressions left in him, but he was sure it showed on his face how bothered he felt. Elowen kept a solid grip on his hand, but even that reassurance didn’t make the feeling go away completely. But Basil fought through it. He needed to tell Clank now.

“Help! Somebody please help us!” The two of them froze in the air at the edge of the Tinkers’ houses. Basil’s breath caught in his throat.

“That was Phineas…” Elowen whispered.

“I know…” Basil breathed. Clank…

“Anybody! Please help us!” Phineas’s voice shouted again.

Basil felt his heart racing. The sheer panic in Phineas’s voice sent chills through him. This could only mean bad things for Clank, but even so Basil couldn’t move.

“Come on,” Basil felt a tug on his arm. He snapped out of his trance to see Elowen pulling on him, a fierce look on her face. He swallowed hard and nodded, allowing his mate to pull him forward.

It wasn’t hard to figure out which house the shouts had come from. Many Tinkers were gathering around the open door, but no one dared step inside. The crowd was so compact in the doorway that Basil couldn’t see through.

“Move it!” Elowen shouted in a loud voice she’d developed from years of spending time with Fluss. “If you’re not a Healer, get out of the way NOW!”

Several Tinker faces turned back to them. Among them was Steel. His eyes serious as he waved to the crowd. “Back up everyone, let Basil through.”

A gap formed and Basil was able to make it in the house with Elowen right behind him. He could feel the crowd closing in behind him but the door snapped shut. He could hear Steel directing the others to disperse, but he couldn’t focus on that now.

On the bed against the far wall, Phineas clasped one of Clank’s hands as the large Tinker held his own chest. He heaved hard, loud breaths that sounded more like hoarse screams. But the look in his eye struck Basil the hardest; a look of sheer terror.

“Clank, it’s okay… I’m not going anywhere… and Basil’s here to help you.” Phineas whispered, eying the Healer warily.

Clank didn’t seem calmed by that statement in the slightest. Instead he flinched back, unable to pull those terrified eyes away. Basil could hardly breathe himself as he watched his patient trembling with what could only be described as fear.

“I’m sorry…” Clank whispered hoarsely. “I didn’t mean it…”

Chapter Text

Clank didn’t trust his eyes.  Basil.  He’s there, standing in front of me. But…I….killed him. I killed him with my own hands. But I swear… he could only see a wicked green-eyed face in his head. “I’m sorry…” Clank choked on the words as he spoke. “I didn’t mean it.…”

“Didn’t mean what?” Elowen asked as she stepped closer.

“I’m not sure.” Bobble replied, clearly worried but trying his hardest to remain calm.” It could have been a nightmare, but I’ve never seen him act like this.“

A nightmare? No… It was real. I felt everything. Can’t he see the blood on my hands?

“Do you know if he has taken his medicine?” Elowen asked.

“No… it’s…” Bobble’s voice trailed off as he looked to the floor where the shards of the bottle still lay. A dark puddle on the ground showed the remainder of the medicine that Clank so desperately needed right now. Clank was in unbearable pain. The only things that kept him somewhat anchored in this moment were Elowen’s voice and Bobble’s hands tightly clasped around his own. How is Bobble able to tolerate holding my bloody hands?

“Basil…” Elowen held her hand out to the Healer, worry filling her face. 

Basil seemed off; afraid almost. Clank’s breath shuttered with small gasps as he watched him reach into his pouch, keeping his distance as he did. He’s afraid of me… he knows what I did… he knows… 

Another pulse of pain, worse than the last, coursed through Clank’s veins as he flinched. Bobble quickly grabbed him by the elbow, pulling himself in closer. So solid, so real. He wanted to hide behind Bobble, keep from seeing the fear in the Healer. But if he were to look away, what was stopping Basil from turning into Dozer again? Clank choked out another desperate cry and vaguely heard Basil speaking.

“I don’t have it… I must have left it in my workshop…”

“He needs the medicine!” Bobble insisted.

“I know! I know he does! Elowen, can you fly back and get it?” Basil asked.

“No…!” Clank gasped. Everyone turned to him. “I… I need you here.” He couldn’t explain why. She was the only element here that proved that this scenario was different. She hadn’t come to him in the woods. Clank hoped that with Elowen’s presence, Basil would stay Basil… and that Clank hadn’t hurt him after all.

The three of them stared at Clank helplessly for a moment before Bobble and Elowen turned their attention back to Basil. “What can we do?” Elowen queried.

Basil took a step forward, reaching for Clank. Clank flinched visibly.  

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it…” Clank whispered again, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Why does he keep saying that?” Elowen asked.

“It must be the nightmare…” Basil said. “Phineas, has he said anything?”

“No, he hasn’t.” Bobble replied. “Basil, please… please help him.”

There was a beat of quiet where Clank silently begged Basil not to touch him. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone! He thought he heard Basil say something, but he’d said it so quietly that Clank couldn’t understand it. So much of what they said didn’t sound like words to him. He struggled to follow their hushed conversation, but all he could focus on was the ringing… a high pitched sound. It was familiar, somehow, but he couldn’t identify it. Screeching? That wasn’t the right word. A cackle. It was a sharp, terrible cackle. His blood boiled as he wished to silence that terrible laugh, but the pain coursed through him as he remembered what happened when he tried.

It took a moment for Clank to notice, but a new sound resonated in his ears. No, it was just in his right ear. A quick, but steady beat. He hadn’t even realized his ear was pressed against something… someone. Bobble curled his arms around Clank’s shoulders and held his head tightly against his chest. It was his heartbeat that Clank was hearing. It was faster than Clank was used to. He must be afraid…

Afraid of me.

But there was mumbling too… Clank could hear Bobble saying something. He strained to listen through the sinister fog in his head. “I’m here… you’re okay… whatever you saw, it’s gone now. It didn’t happen… I’m right here and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” 

Bobble’s voice sounded so calm.  It was a beacon, an anchor. But Clank noticed that Bobble’s heart was racing. You’re afraid of me… you’re afraid… but he listened more. Bobble continued assuring Clank that he was there, that he would keep him safe, that he wasn’t going anywhere. You’re afraid… for me?

Slowly the ringing faded from Clank’s ears. Dozer’s menacing laugh faded into the background of his mind. Soon all he could hear were the sounds of the room; there was the crackling fire in the hearth, the soft footsteps of either Basil or Elowen on the far side of the house, the easy tapping of fidgeting fingers on the edge of a table, and of course Bobble’s heartbeat in Clank’s ear accompanied by his soft words. 

Clank curled his arms around Bobble, and buried his face in his stomach. He clenched his fists tightly, still wondering how Bobble could tolerate holding his repulsive hands for as long as he did. But then Clank realized that he couldn’t feel the sticky moisture of blood on his hands anymore. Had it dried out already? He pressed his fingertips into his palms, but felt nothing but dry skin.

Carefully, he disentangled himself from Bobble, who kept one hand on Clank’s arm as he sat up. Clank carefully studied his hands. Clean… or at least not bloodstained. The usual dirt that one would expect from a hard-working Tinker was all that appeared on Clank’s hands. He slowly exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and Bobble’s hand found its way into his own. Clank gripped it tightly.

“Welcome back,” said Basil gently. He looked just as he always did. Calm and patient. Kind, patient brown eyes and the usual golden locks. This was unquestionably Basil, and not some awful blend of Basil and Dozer. 

Still, Clank’s breath caught at the sight of him. “Basil… I’m so sorry…”

“Whatever you think you need to apologize for, I forgive you. But you’ve done nothing wrong as far as I’m concerned.” Basil assured him.

“What are you doing here…?” Clank asked. Surely Bobble’s cry for help hadn’t reached the Healer’s station. And even if it had, there’s no way Basil could have gotten here so quickly.

“One thing at a time, Clank. Is the pain easing up?” Basil asked. 

Clank’s chest still ached worse than it had in the last week, and his veins still burned like they were on fire. But he still recognized that it wasn’t as bad as when he was still caught in the waking nightmare. “Yes… but it still hurts really bad.”

“Do you want me to go get the medicine?” Elowen asked from where she stood on the opposite side of the house.

Clank shook his head. “Please don’t go…” he knew he was awake now, and that it had all been a terrible dream, but still seeing Elowen there helped confirm that this was reality. Thankfully, she nodded and moved closer to stand beside Basil. 

“Alright…” Basil sighed. “Let’s give you a moment to settle then… try to keep your focus on Phineas for right now. We’ll talk when you’re ready.”

“Take your time Clanky… you’re going to be alright. I promise.” Bobble said to him gently. Clank looked at him. He could see Bobble was trying to wear a calm expression, but he couldn’t completely mask how worried he was. 

He remembered how sweet Bobble was in his dream. How he’d kissed him so passionately, how warm he was. But what stuck in Clank’s memory the most was how brightly Bobble shone. He held onto that light in his mind as he leaned his head on Bobble’s shoulder. Bobble meanwhile kept one hand in Clank’s in a solid grip while he had his other arm around Clank’s back, rubbing gentle circles just below his wings. For once, Bobble wasn’t pressing his hand to Clank’s chest. With Clank’s focus on Bobble’s hands, on the memory of that light, the pain faded bit by bit. 

As Clank began to feel more normal, he relaxed his hold on Bobble’s hand, but couldn’t make himself let go even if he wanted to. Bobble seemed to relax with him. He still was clearly worried, but as Clank returned to himself, Bobble began to smile a soft, but genuine smile.

When at last Clank felt well enough, he sat up straighter, removing his head from Bobble’s shoulder. He kept hold of his hand, not quite willing to release that anchor. But he wanted to know what Basil had to say, and he and his mate had been very patient in letting him regroup.

“How are you feeling now?” Basil asked. 

“It still hurts… but not as bad. More like really bad pressure… I think.” Clank answered.

“So more like what you’re used to.” Basil didn’t ask it as a question, he stated it as fact. Clank nodded. “Good. Or at least… better.” He sounded like his normal self, but the way Basil carried himself still seemed off. It was almost like he was uncomfortable being in Clank’s presence. Clank couldn’t imagine any conceivable reason why though. It wasn’t like Basil knew what Clank had done in his nightmare.  Did he?

Clank winced and Bobble squeezed his hand. “You’re okay…” Bobble whispered, “I’m here.”

“Right…” Clank breathed. “Basil… why are you here? How… how’d you get here so fast?”

Basil frowned and looked over to Elowen. She gave what looked like a ‘go on!’ motion and Basil sighed. “I was on my way here to speak with you when I heard Phineas call for help. It just happened to be good timing I suppose.”

“I guess so…” Clank agreed. “What did you want to talk to me about?” I couldn’t imagine you’d want to speak to me after the way I shouted at you… Bobble once again gave a quick squeeze. Clank hadn’t noticed that he’d reacted to the slight jolt in his chest this time. But Bobble had…

“I finished testing the samples I took from you.” Basil said. 

Clank’s spirits lifted just slightly for the briefest of seconds, but based on Basil’s demeanor, he wasn’t convinced that this was a good thing.

The Healer seemed to struggle for words. He cleared his throat a couple of times before he could speak again. “I’d like to give you a chance to talk about whatever dream you had before we continue. But only if you want to.”

“Basil… what did the tests say? What is wrong with me?” He didn’t want to delay any longer. 

Basil looked pained, but nodded. “There really is no easy way to say this. The pressure in your chest, the feeling that you can never take a breath that is deep enough, the pain that’s always there, sometimes sharp and icy, other times fire coursing through your veins, lurking in the background, until it erupts in unbearable violent flashes.  Too many sparrowmen, too many fairies have these exact same symptoms.  I wanted to tell you sooner, I wanted to prove to myself that it might be something else.  But all the tests were conclusive. 

“Okay…” Clank said carefully.

“So how do we cure him?” Bobble asked.

Basil squeezed his eyes shut. Elowen took his outstretched hand. The words Basil held back visibly pained him. Finally the Healer looked at Clank with a calm, practiced demeanor. “We don’t have a cure. Not yet.”

It was as if Clank’s world fell out from under him. It was like his wings had been ripped out. He almost couldn’t breathe after hearing Basil’s admission. His chest felt a new cold stab as Bobble released his hand. 

Bobble was on his feet, fury radiated from every part of him. “No cure? What do you mean not yet?” Bobble demanded. “Clank is in the worst pain I’ve ever seen and you can’t heal him?”

“Phineas, please,” Basil tried.

“No! There has to be a way to heal this! You can’t just leave him like this!” Bobble shouted. “This happened because of me! There has to be something you can do.  There has to be something I can do!” His shouts whimpered, becoming desperate pleas. “Clanky… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause this… I didn’t mean to hurt you, especially not like this.” 

Elowen sat gently on the edge of the bed with the Tinkers. She touched Bobble’s shoulder gently. “Breathe,” she said. “It’s going to be alright.”

“How can it be?” Bobble wept, pushing his goggles up to wipe his eyes, reddened with despair. “He’s going to die. I did this to him. I did this. My fault.”

“You didn’t do this, Phineas.” Basil said. “And he’s not going to die any time soon.  None of our patients have died from this, and we have no reason to believe that they will.”

“What about Elowen? Didn’t she nearly die from this?” Clank asked quietly, having scarcely moved for some time.

“Clank, I never had this ailment. What happened all those years ago… I had a dreadful injury. I’d been pierced by a thorn. An emergency Healer removed it and patched me up, but I began to have chest pains some months after I should have fully healed.  They got worse and worse and I was afraid for my life. We thought my chest pain was the same as yours, but Basil discovered just in time that a small bit of thorn was still in me, cutting into my lungs, nearly killing me. The other healers had given up on me. He didn’t. He saved my life.” As Elowen explained, a look of shame haunted Basil.

“Basil did everything in his power to help me, and I can tell you that he has been working non-stop to find a way to beat this.”

As her words sank in, Clank held his hand to his chest, feeling the shots of ice with every heartbeat. They were manageable at the moment. Despite his own pain, he couldn’t imagine how much Elowen had suffered.

“Even so, I still brought this on. Clank was fine until I ran away!” Bobble exclaimed. 

“That’s not accurate,” Basil protested. “Quite the opposite, in fact. You are likely the reason it has taken so long for Clank’s condition to make itself known.”

“How can that be? All this started immediately after I ran away from him!” Bobble shook his head. “I did this. I know it!”

“That’s not true.” Basil said. The Healer turned to Clank. 

“Clank, you told me you couldn’t remember how you felt after the hawk attack, correct?” Basil asked. Clank nodded and the Healer continued. “When you think of it now, does your level of pain change?”

A flash of talons and feathers crossed Clank’s mind and he winced. Basil quickly grabbed his shoulder. “You’re safe, Clank. Nothing can harm you here.” It took a moment, but Clank fought off the memory. “It’s highly likely that you felt this same pain the day you were attacked but it was overshadowed by your physical injury. And what about Dozer’s trial?  How does your chest feel when you remember your anger towards him?”

It wasn’t difficult to drag those memories up, especially after seeing the bizarre form of the banished Tinker harming Bobble in his nightmare. The fire burned in his heart, starting to course through his veins.

“Clanky?” Bobble said carefully. Clank snapped out of the memory and slowly the fire faded as well, turning back to ice. 

“So what… this is all brought on by bad memories?” Clank asked.

“Sometimes, yes,” Basil said. “I can’t explain every instance of pain that you perceive. But one thing that I know for sure is that the more joy and calm a fairy with this condition has, the less often the pain makes itself known. You and Phineas have been very happy together for a long time… so without knowing it, Phineas has been helping reduce the severity of your pain.”

Clank faced Bobble, who stared back with wide eyes. “So when I hurt you…” Bobble started.

“There was nothing to hold the pain back.” Basil confirmed. “The sad fact of the matter is that Clank has likely had this condition since the moment he arrived in Pixie Hollow.”

Chapter Text

“Clank has likely had this condition since the moment he arrived in Pixie Hollow.” Silence hung in the air for a long moment following Basil’s statement. Clank took a shaking breath. As usual, it didn’t feel deep enough. I’ve had this all my life? I was born with this pain? Can that really be true? But if it is… then I really can’t be cured, can I?

“How?” Bobble asked, breaking the silence. “How is that possible?”

“We don’t know,” Basil admitted. “It’s something that has baffled Healers ever since its discovery.”

“And there’s really no cure? Nothing to help him feel better?” Bobble asked, his temper flaring again.

“I didn’t say there was nothing to help him feel better. But as for a cure, there isn’t anything we have discovered that will rid a fairy of the Malady.” Basil explained.

“Malady?” Clank echoed softly.

“The name they’ve given the condition.” Elowen offered. “Apparently it was just referred to as an unfortunate malady when it was first discovered, but as more and more fairies were discovered to have it, Malady just became its name.”

“Well that’s creative…” Bobble huffed. “So if there really isn’t a cure, then how do we help him?”

Basil paused and took a slow breath, steadying himself and turning to Clank before answering. “Well, for now it really is going to take time for you to return to a state where you’re not having these frequent flares of pain. The medicine helps relieve the worst of it, as you already know. And yes, I know it’s terrible, but still better than fighting off pain. I’ve also found…” he paused again, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. When he opened them there was a strange emotion behind them that Clank couldn’t place.

“I’ve found that others with the Malady try to keep a pleasant moment in their hearts and minds to fight through the pain. Something like a sunset, or a fun activity, or even the face of a loved one,” Basil nodded in Bobble’s direction. “Just as it’s easier to fly with a happy thought, it’s easier to ward off the Malady with one too.”

Clank frowned. “That’s it?”

“And you definitely need to rest whenever it flares up,” Elowen added.

“Yes, that’s right,” Basil confirmed. “It’s going to be difficult at first, I know, with all the troubles you’ve been carrying lately. I’m willing to keep counseling you if you wish. I can even find someone different if you’d rather not work with me. I’d rather you work with someone else if you feel like talking with me doesn’t help.”

Clank felt a stab from the guilt that hit him then. “I never really gave you a chance…”

“And that’s alright too,” Basil replied evenly. “You wanted to be better and you didn’t think what I was doing was helpful.” He grimaced them and muttered something to himself. Clank couldn’t hear him, and was sure Bobble hadn’t either, but Elowen must have as she touched Basil’s shoulder gently with a sad look in her eye.

“You don’t have to decide now.” Basil finally said after a long, uncomfortable pause. “We should leave you two now. I’ll have more medicine for you in the morning. Come by whenever you like to pick it up. For now, I hope you can enjoy the rest of your evening.”

As Elowen and Basil turned to leave. As they reached the door Clank called out, “Wait!” There was a desperation in his voice. “You’re certain that’s what’s wrong? That I have this… this… Malady?”

Basil looked back with sad, pained eyes. “Yes. I’m completely sure. And I’m sorry. I had been hoping it was something else, something curable. No one deserves to hurt for no reason, least of all someone as kind as you.”

“And you’re still searching for a cure?” Bobble asked.

“Until the day my light fades.” Basil nodded. Elowen bowed her head sadly, taking Basil’s hand in her own. They said no more and let themselves out.

As the door clicked shut, Bobble shifted uncomfortably. He glanced at Clank briefly. Clank could guess what he was thinking: No cure. If I hadn’t run this wouldn’t have happened. No cure. What can I do to help you? NO. CURE.

“Are you alright, Clank?” Bobble asked softly.

No cure. No cure…

“I don’t know…” Clank answered honestly.

Bobble reached out to Clank, hesitated and retracted his hand. He stepped away from Clank, pulling his goggles back over his eyes. Clank sighed and stared at the floor.

What am I going to do now? How long is it going to take to feel normal again? Is that ever going to happen? And what about work? Am I gonna be stuck on easy tasks forever? Clank stared down at his palms. He nearly shivered thinking of how they’d appeared in his dreams. But now they were just his normal hands, worn and calloused as usual. Would they soften without the work he loved?

And what about Bobble…? Clank ran his thumbs across his fingertips as he thought. What does he think about all this?

Just then, Bobble’s feet stepped into view. Before Clank could look up at him a hot bowl of soup was placed in his hands. He blinked at it then raised his gaze to meet Bobble’s. “What’s this?”

“Part of dinner… if you want it,” Bobble shrugged, holding his own bowl of soup.

“When did you get this…?”

“Sometime between seeing you at the Healers and when you got home. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you.” Bobble said sadly.

Clank raised the bowl to his lips and sipped at the broth. It had a nice tomato flavor and had large chunks of vegetables. “Thank you,” he said.

“There’s more, if you’re hungry.” Bobble gestured to the table. Clank looked past Bobble and saw a single layer cake, frosted in purple in the center of the table. Along with the cake was a meal that Clank hadn’t noticed until now. It looked to be untouched. Curiosity got the better of him and he stood to investigate.

Bobble followed and took his usual seat at the table, and Clank sat across from him, setting his bowl of soup by the covered plate at his seat. He lifted the cover to find a plate of pasta in a creamy sauce. There was so much here…

“Terence helped me.” Bobble said, answering the unspoken question. “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” Bobble stuck his fork into the pasta and began quietly eating. Clank was silent for a moment before taking his spoon and helping himself to more sips of his soup. He knew he was hungry, but he didn’t have much of an appetite.

For several moments, neither said a word. Bobble ate. Clank picked at his food. No doubt they were both thinking about Clank’s condition… the Malady. Even thinking of it made the pressure in Clank’s chest increase. He did his best to ignore it, but would wince every now and then as he felt small stabs in his chest. And every time he winced, Bobble would pause, stare at him questioningly, and when Clank didn’t acknowledge him, Bobble would slowly return to his meal.

Basil said that Bobble helped ward off the pain… I get why I was hurting in the woods… and why thinking about everything that happened out there hurts me… but why did I have to hurt those times when it was just us? Just you and me, Bobble… together, home and safe. Why did it still hurt?

Bobble set down his fork with about half of his meal still on his plate. He leaned his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. Another thinking pose, Clank noticed, but this time he didn’t ask.

“It’s not fair.”

Clank lowered his spoon and looked to Bobble.

“It’s not fair!” Bobble repeated more forcefully.

Clank sighed and pushed his bowl away, bracing himself for what he was sure Bobble would say. “What’s not fair?”

“Any of this! The Malady, the fact that there’s no cure, and that you’ve somehow had it your whole life? It’s not fair!” Bobble shouted, rising to his feet and pacing as he always did. “And I can’t even blame myself for it, but it still feels like my fault! It happened because of me! My actions! But I’m supposed to believe you’ve had this Malady since you arrived? How could we never notice in three years? It’s not like we haven’t been without troubles in that time!”

Clank winced as he felt another stab of pain. “Would you stop? You’re not helping!” Clank yelled.

Bobble halted and faced Clank, noticing that Clank was again holding his chest.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry Clank!” Bobble said reaching for him.

“Stop! I know! I know you’re sorry!” Clank growled. He pushed back from the table and turned away. “You being sorry isn’t gonna fix me. I know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but if I’ve really had this Malady all my life, we were gonna find out sooner or later, alright? You don’t have to keep apologizing. You’ve been doing everything to try and help me ever since you found me out there…” Clank’s words died on his lips. Suddenly he understood and stared down at the table. “I’m the one who should apologize.”

“What?” Bobble sank into the chair beside him. “Why? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I lied to you.” Clank sighed. “Twice.”

“What are you talking about? When?”

“That last day in the woods… and last night.” Clank sighed. He remembered the night the pain was the worst. He remembered the thought that brought on that onslaught of agony. He hadn’t wanted to admit it to Bobble, especially after everything that had happened, and definitely not after everything was right and how it should be.

But not all was as it should be. That much was clear. The pain was pulsing in full force with icy daggers in his heart. But Clank knew what he had to say. “I’m angry with you Bobble. I’ve been angry with you since you left. I thought you didn’t want me anymore… that you didn’t love me. I thought you were going to leave me for good… So I was going to break up with you… I didn’t want to, but I thought… I thought that’s what you would want.”

“No…” Bobble breathed. “No I never wanted that…”

“I know,” Clank said evenly. “But you hurt me so bad, Bobble! You broke my heart! And I know you’re sorry, and I know you didn’t mean it, but it still happened! And what’s stopping you from running away again? I don’t think I could handle that a second time!”

“I won’t!” Bobble said desperately. “Clanky, I swear I won’t! I never wanted to hurt you. And I never want to hurt you again! I’m going to stay with you, I promise!”

The stabbing pain worsened. Clank grit his teeth and grabbed his chest. Bobble lurched forward and grabbed the hand on his chest, pulling it away and holding it tightly. “Clanky, listen to me. We both know I messed up, and you know how sorry I am, and I can’t apologize enough. But I don’t want for us to break up… I love you, Clank. You’re the most precious person to me in all the realms. That said, you have every right to be angry with me… because I did hurt you.”

The feeling in Clank’s chest shifted, feeling both stabs of ice and pulses of fire. His throat was tight as he spoke. “But I don’t want to be angry with you!”

“But you are, and that’s okay,” Bobble sighed. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t!” Clank replied, pulling his hand away. “I don’t wanna be angry! I don’t like who I am when I’m angry! I don’t wanna hurt you Bobble!”

Surprise flashed across Bobble’s face, followed by confusion. “You’d never… You wouldn’t hurt me… you’d never hurt anyone.”

Clank pressed the heels of his hands to his temples, squeezing his eyes shut. The nightmare returned to him, all too real once more. He sucked in a sharp breath. “Yes I would.”

“What…?”

“I hurt someone. I… said I didn’t mean it… but I lied.”

Bobble pulled his arms close to his chest, lowering his chin. Clank knew he’d figure it out quickly. “The nightmare… who was it?”

“Dozer…”

“Of course.”

“He was hurting you.” Clank explained. “I couldn’t stop myself. A voice told me to end him and… and I did.”

Bobble raised an eyebrow, but kept whatever question he had to himself. “But it was only a nightmare.”

“It was real… it felt so real…”

Bobble fell quiet, curling his arms around himself. Clank expected him to look fearful, but he instead looked shameful. “I’ve… done something similar.”

“Huh?”

“When I ran…” he swallowed hard. “When I was hiding in that tree… a vision of Dozer came to me… I tried to drive my knife through his heart.” His shame deepened as he admitted it. “Seems he still plagues both our nightmares.”

“Yeah… but it’s worse… Bobble, when I attacked Dozer in my nightmare, he turned into Basil. What does that say about me that I’d hurt someone who’d been trying so hard to help me?”

“It doesn’t say anything, Clanky… it was just a nightmare.”

“But what if it wasn’t? What if I get angry like that in real life and hurt someone? What if I hurt you?” Clank asked.

Bobble leaned forward and took Clank’s hand again, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “You won’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I know you Clanky. I know you. You’re so kind and gentle. And it makes sense to have such strong anger toward Dozer. And it sounds like you were protecting me in the dream, Aye? It doesn’t mean you’d hurt someone in real life.”

Clank sighed. “I wanted to though. I wanted to hurt him back then. I thought… I thought if I hurt him just once… then maybe he’d leave you alone.”

Bobble sighed heavily. He sank into the nearest chair, releasing Clank again. He stroked his chin, looking more perplexed by the second. “You’ve never told me that before…”

“I thought you would think less of me.” Clank sighed. “We weren’t together yet when I felt that, and by the time we were…”

“Aye, he wasn’t a problem anymore…” Bobble nodded. He tapped his heel on the floor. “I confess it is rather shocking to hear you admit all this. But Clank, just because you wanted to hurt him doesn’t make you dangerous.”

“But the nightmare…”

“Was just a nightmare.” Bobble assured him. “You didn’t actually hurt anyone.”

Clank shivered. “You don’t know how real it felt.”

“No… I suppose I don’t,” Bobble agreed. “But Clanky, just because you’re angry with me doesn’t mean you’re going to hurt me.”

“I knocked you down.”

“Aye, true… but you were still caught in that nightmare then.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.”

Bobble stood again and took Clank’s hands. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t. And it’s okay that you’re angry. I did have my suspicions you might be.”

Clank dipped his head with a long sigh. “I’m less angry now.” He wrapped his arms around Bobble and buried his face in his shoulder. “Thank you Bobble.”

Bobble squeezed him tight. “How’s your chest?”

The pain had subsided considerably. He still had a dull ache, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t deal with. “It’s a lot better actually.”

“That’s good.” Bobble replied as Clank pulled back from the embrace.

“So I guess that’s something else we’re gonna have to deal with from now on…” Clank sighed.

“Aye. And I’ll help you manage this Malady in any way I can. If you’re okay with that.”

Clank touched Bobble’s cheek. He gazed down at Bobble’s smiling lips. He felt a warm glow in his heart as he leaned forward and gently kissed those lips. “You’re already helping now.”

Chapter Text

Over the next few hours a calm began filling the house. After Clank had confessed his anger and started feeling better, his appetite returned. He was finally able to enjoy the incredible meal Bobble had brought home with Bobble sitting across from him, smiling softly every time their eyes met. Clank was glad he was finally honest with Bobble. But more than that, he was glad he’d been honest with himself.

It was hard to admit that he was angry. Yes, he had forgiven Bobble, and no, that had not changed. But Clank had never allowed himself to truly be upset about everything that happened. Clank hadn’t realized he needed that. And he was glad that Bobble was so understanding about his being upset. He had seemed different lately. Normally, Clank would expect Bobble to be upset about his anger, beg for forgiveness and ask how to make things right. But Bobble made things right by listening and understanding. He must have learned that from that Healer he’d been talking to.

Now with dinner eaten, Clank was enjoying the last of the pink cookies from Elowen. He smiled thinking of her as he ate the cookies. It was so kind of her to give these to them, and even more kind of her to come with Basil to deliver the news of his ailment. He may not know her all that well yet, but he knew he could consider her a friend. Plus, if it weren’t for her, Clank would not have sought out Basil’s help in the first place. Who knows how he and Bobble would have fared if not for the help from Celeste and Basil?

Clank was just taking the last bite of cookie when Bobble stood and reached for the cake. “Would you like a piece, Clanky?” Bobble asked.

“Yes, please.” Clank said through bits of cookie, though admittedly he was feeling a bit full. “Wow, you really went all out, didn’t you?”

“Aye,” Bobble grinned. “This was supposed to be a special night, so… special meal.”

“Special? How?” Clank asked.

Bobble turned slightly pink and shook his head. “Never mind. It’s not important.” He set a slice in front of Clank and took a second slice for himself, sitting closer to Clank than before.

“No, really. How was tonight supposed to be special?” Clank asked.

“Oh, I don’t know Clanky.” Bobble shrugged, turning a little pinker. “I wanted for us to have a nice night together is all. You’ve been going through so much lately, I wanted tonight to be good for you… for us. But I suppose it’s a bit of a stretch calling tonight good at this point. Not that it’s exactly bad now.” He smiled sweetly at Clank, making Clank’s heart feel warm.

“Well… it got off to a bad start,” Clank admitted. He stuck his fork into his cake. “But it’s going better now, right? I mean… I feel a lot better at least.”

Bobble’s smile widened as he lay one hand on Clank’s arm. “I’m so glad to hear that.”

You were really worried about me, Clank thought. He just grinned and dug into his cake. Like all the other food, the cake was delicious. Its icing reminded Clank of the blackberry jam he was so fond of. He was willing to bet Bobble chose that with him in mind. All the while, Bobble just leaned against the table, watching Clank with a grin on his face. He barely touched his own slice of cake.

“So, is there anything you’d like to do now, Clanky?” Bobble asked.

Clank paused. It had been a long night already. The nightmare, though not the focus of his thoughts, still lingered in his mind along with the news of the Malady. It was rather overwhelming, and even though Clank was feeling much better, he also felt rather tired. “Honestly?” said Clank. “After everything, I’d just like to relax.”

“Do you want to go back to bed?” Bobble asked. His tone was kind of funny, like he wanted to suggest something but was holding back.

Clank shook his head, figuring Bobble was merely letting him decide how the rest of the night went. “Not yet. I think I’d like to sit by the fire for a bit.” He wasn’t quite ready for sleep yet. He was honestly a little nervous about seeing another nightmare.

“Okay Clanky,” said Bobble, sounding more normal. “Would you mind if I sketched out some things for work?”

“That’s fine with me,” Clank replied.

They went to sit by the fire. Bobble crossed his legs in the chair with a pile of sketching leaves in his lap. He promised to try and keep quiet as Clank leaned back in his own chair. He folded his hands behind his head and basked in the warmth of the fire. For the first time in days, he actually felt mostly normal.

Belly full, and surrounded by the coziness of the room, Clank felt much of the tension he’d been carrying all week leave him. The sounds of evening soothed him even more. There were crickets chirping outside and a gentle breeze rustled leaves in the nearby trees, while the fire crackled before him. But the most comforting thing was the sound of Bobble mumbling to himself as he sketched. He was obviously trying not to mutter, but Clank knew Bobble couldn’t help himself. He always mumbled when he worked, and Clank grinned at the sound of his voice.

As relaxing as all this was, there were still many things that Clank had on his mind. I still have to go see Basil tomorrow for more medicine. I wish I hadn’t wasted what I had. Did we ever clean that up? I hope Basil doesn’t need that bottle back… Plus I should talk to him about more sessions…But I don’t think I want to have them every day. Maybe once or twice a cycle would be good? I hope they’ll help me like they did for Bobble. It’s gonna be weird, trying to manage the Malady.

It’s even weirder that I never realized I had it before… I wonder who else has it? Basil said there were others. I wonder if he’d tell me who else has it? Is it really my business? Should I just worry about myself? What if Bobble has it too and we just haven’t noticed yet? No… he probably would have noticed a long time ago… before I even got here. What about the rest of our friends? Do any of them have it? Probably not… they would have recognized it in me… unless they don’t realize they have it. I hope they’re all okay…

Clank felt the pressure in his chest build up again. It didn’t quite reach the point of pain, but he did realize his train of thought was stirring up the bad feelings again. I can’t worry about them now. I gotta think about something else. Something Basil said before he left crossed his mind: think about a loved one. That was easy enough. He’d heard Bobble shift in his chair a few times. By the sound of things, he was probably bouncing his leg as he thought through his design.

“What if I… hmm… maybe…” Bobble muttered.

Clank chuckled silently. Whatever Bobble was sketching, he was sure would be amazing and he couldn’t wait to work on whatever it was with him. Just like always. He listened for a moment longer as Bobble hummed to himself and his charcoal scratched furiously at the sketching leaf. Clank grinned.

Oh Bobble, does your mind ever slow down? Your brain always seems so full. No wonder you’re always over thinking things. Bobble’s various thinking poses flashed through Clank’s head; the arms tucked into his chest as he chewed on his thumb, the fingers laced before him as he leaned into his hands, the arms behind his head when he was completely stumped… all of which Clank had seen several times this week as Bobble tried to help him.

You really were worried about me… you weren’t just trying to fix a mistake, you wanted to help me.Clank took a slow deep breath. I should’ve known. I know how much you care about me. Bobble’s smiling face filled his mind’s eye, making his heart feel warm. Over the years, Clank had memorized every detail of Bobble’s face. His eyes had always been the most stunning blue, and with the goggles Clank could see so much more of that blue. His red hair was so soft, but was always a mess no matter what Bobble did, with or without the goggles. His smile was so warm and full of joy, and his lips… Clank felt his heart speed up. His lips were always so soft when they kissed. It took him by surprise almost every time. He pictured himself kissing those lips; he thought of the first time he’d wanted to, and the first time they actually did, he thought of the first time Fairy Mary caught them, and so many tender moments since then, including when Bobble had accepted his proposal. That had been such a happy moment, despite everything that had happened. Clank sank deeper into his chair, feeling so much love and joy in his heart.

But something was different. Clank pulled himself from his daydream just long enough to realize how quiet it was. There was still the sounds coming from outside, and there was still the crackle of the fire. But the scratching of the charcoal had ceased. The soft tap of his heel had gone quiet, and Bobble’s mumbling had fallen silent. That was strange. Clank hadn’t heard him get up. And even if he had paused his sketch, Bobble would at least have some kind of contemplative hum here and there. But Clank hadn’t heard anything from Bobble in several moments.

Did he fall asleep? Clank cracked one eye open just enough to glance at Bobble. He was most certainly not asleep. Bobble had one knee pulled to his chest. His sketches had fallen to his side, forgotten. He rested his chin on his knee and was smiling, but more than that, he was staring. Bobble’s eyes lingered over Clank, and he noticed they were slowly roaming all over, but clearly never stopped looking at him in some way. It was just like the other day when he was in the bath. Bobble wore the same grin as he did then, and had the same dreamy sparkle in his eye. But it seemed Bobble was unaware that Clank had caught him.

Clank blinked his eyes open and lifted his head slightly. “Bobble?”

Bobble startled and sat up straighter. “Huh?”

“You were staring at me.”

Bobble’s cheeks turned as pink as one of Rosetta’s dresses, but he didn’t look too embarrassed. In fact, he was still smiling, just like when he did by the bath. “Aye, sorry. I thought you’d fallen asleep.”

“Do you always stare at me when I’m sleeping?”

“No!” Bobble said quickly. “No, I just… I was just…”

Bobble was tripping over his words again. Clank knew one question that could help him. “What were you thinking about?”

Bobble went from pink to red in an instant, and without him saying a word, Clank was almost certain he knew what Bobble was thinking about.

“It’s nothing really!” Bobble’s words came fast. “I was just thinking about earlier, after supper. How you asked me why tonight was special, and I was thinking about… well I was hoping that… I thought tonight we could… but you’ve been hurting so I know it’s probably a bad idea. You might not even want to right now. It’s fine though! I don’t mind waiting, I just thought… and my imagination got carried away… and… and I was staring at you. And you looked so happy and so peaceful and I couldn’t help staring!”

The rapid words made Clank’s head spin, but he was pretty sure he got the gist of what Bobble was trying to say. He was clearly flustered now, but not the same way he used to get a couple weeks ago. “Bobble,” said Clank.

“Aye?”

“Come here please.”

Bobble inhaled sharply. He stood up and the charcoal that was in his lap tumbled to the floor, forgotten like the sketches. The second Bobble was within reach, Clank threw his arm around his back and pulled him into his lap. Their lips met almost immediately and the desire behind this kiss surpassed anything Clank had felt before. Bobble had initiated plenty of kisses before, but never one quite this intimate.

Without breaking the kiss, Bobble made quick work of the buttons on his own shirt, allowing it to fall open slightly. Clank brushed his fingers along his chest as Bobble removed his belt and threw it unceremoniously on the floor. With his shirt now fully open, Clank ran both hands down his sides. His skin was so soft, so warm, just like when they kissed in his dream.

Oh! That had been the wrong thing to think. There was a slight jolt to Clank’s chest, but nothing he couldn’t deal with. He pushed the dream from his head and focused on the real Bobble here with him now. Clank pulled back just long enough to peel his own shirt off and almost instantly, they were pulled back together. As always, Bobble’s lips were so surprisingly soft. His chest was warm against Clanks, and Clank could swear he could feel Bobble’s heart beating in time with his own.

We need more space, Clank thought. He stood, holding Bobble who had his legs hooked around Clank’s hips. Bobble broke the kiss, panting as Clank carried him to the bed. “Are you alright?” Bobble asked. Had he noticed that brief moment of pain? How could he? It happened so fast Clank hadn’t had time to react to it.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Clank replied breathlessly. He lay Bobble down on the bed where he stared up at Clank with half lidded eyes.

Clank crawled over him, holding himself up just enough to gaze down at that lovely face. No interruptions this time… please. Bobble reached up and brushed Clank’s hair behind his ear, allowing his hand to gently glide to Clank’s cheek as he lowered it. Clank moved with Bobble’s hand and found his lips again. Stars above, he loved kissing Bobble! And the way Bobble’s hands slid down his chest sent shivers down his spine that made his wings flutter.

Bobble’s hands soon found his waist. His fingers danced along the top of his pants. Clank was astounded with how forward Bobble was being tonight. This was the furthest they had ever gotten, and not once did Bobble make any signs of wanting to stop. I love you, Clank thought as he pressed another deep kiss to Bobble’s lips. I love you so much.

Wanting to gaze down at Bobble, Clank pulled back for just a moment. He was so beautiful. His face was flushed, he was breathless, and his chest heaved with every breath he took. It was such a wonderful sight. Clank was about to lean back in when in the space of a blink, he saw a different scene. Bobble still breathing heavily, his face still red, but instead of love in his eyes, there was fear. He was bruised and beaten and just for a second the ghost of a wicked laugh ran through Clank’s head.

“Ngh!” Clank grunted as the pain shot through him. No, no, no! Stop! That didn’t happen that wasn’t real! But closing his eyes to banish the vision only made him see it clearer.

“Clanky?” Bobble’s hand immediately found Clank’s chest where the pain radiated.

“I’m fine!” Clank gasped. “I’m okay, really!”

“No Clank, you’re not.”

“I am! I am, really!” Clank tried to smile through the pain, but he knew it wasn’t a convincing lie.

Bobble squirmed out from under him, and the pain got worse. “Clank…”

“No!” Clank cried. “No, please! I can ignore it!”

Bobble pressed on Clank’s shoulders, making him sit up. “If you’re in pain we should –”

“I don’t want to stop!” Clank interrupted. “We always stop if I hurt, but I don’t want to stop! I want this! I want you! Please, Bobble! Please…”

Bobble had a whirlwind of emotion run through his face in a matter of seconds: worry, disappointment, sadness, and finally compassion. “Okay Clank, okay. We don’t have to stop yet, but,” he paused and rubbed circles over the sore spot of Clank’s chest, “let’s slow down for a moment and let this pass.”

Bobble sounded sincere, but what if the pain didn’t go away? Bobble leaned his head on Clank’s shoulder, holding him so gently. His hand had left Clank’s chest in favor of caressing his large stomach. Without realizing it, Clank’s breathing slowed to match Bobble’s. He lay his cheek in Bobble’s hair, closing his eyes. The vision still sat there, but not nearly as clear with Bobble holding him with such care.

“Thank you,” Clank whispered. The pain was gradually fading away.

“Are you feeling better?” Bobble asked softly.

“Some… not completely.” Clank answered honestly.

“Okay, you tell me when.” Bobble continued with his soothing motions. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Clank shrugged. “It was the nightmare again. I saw you hurt and I couldn’t unsee it. I still kinda see it when I close my eyes.”

“Oh dear,” Bobble gave him a slight squeeze. “I’m sorry, Clank. That nightmare must have been horrible.”

“It was.”

“Any idea why you saw me like that just now?” Bobble asked.

“I dunno,” Clank shrugged again. “I was just… you looked so amazing. I wanted you so much. Then there you were, on your back and all beat up and broken.” Clank waited for the impending stab of pain, but it didn’t come.

Bobble hummed in thought. His hand slid around the curve of Clank’s stomach to the point where he held Clank in a loose hug. “And you still see it now?”

“Less so, but yeah.” Clank sighed. “I just wanna feel normal again.”

“You will,” said Bobble.

“I know. I gotta be patient.”

“Aye. Easier said than done.”

Clank found himself chuckling at the truth of that. He held Bobble a little tighter and turned to kiss the top of his head.

“Are you feeling better?” Bobble asked again.

Clank took a deep breath. The pain had passed and the pressure eased. “Yeah, loads better.”

“Good,” Bobble pulled back. “How about you lie down then?”

Clank was about to protest, say that Bobble said they were just slowing down for a moment and that they wouldn’t stop. But then he caught the smile that played at Bobble’s lips and knew he wasn’t stopping at all. He lay back without argument and Bobble stood on his knees by Clank’s hip. He trailed his fingertips down Clank’s chest, then his stomach down to his hip, slipping under the waist of his shorts slightly.

“You’re always so good to me Clanky,” Bobble said softly. He allowed his open shirt to finally slide off his back. Clank’s eyes went wide and his heart began to race again. “I want you to feel as good as you make me feel.” He lay a hand on Clank’s knee and climbed over him so he sat between Clank’s legs. Clank could feel himself getting more excited as Bobble ran his hands up his thighs.

Oh yes, Clank loved the idea of Bobble being in control. It was something he’d wanted, but never could bring himself to suggest. Bobble lay across Clank’s body and caressed his cheek. He kissed Clank gently, then again, and a third time. He slowly trailed kisses to Clank’s ear and softly bit just below his ear.

Clank inhaled sharply. “Bobble?”

“Aye?” Bobble whispered in his ear.

Clank almost didn’t want to ask, but he knew he had to. “What if I start hurting again?”

“Then we’ll wait for you to feel better.” Bobble replied. “It’s okay Clank. We can take this as slow as we need to. And it’s okay if we need to stop too. I want this as much as you do, but don’t be afraid to tell me if you need to stop.”

“Okay,” Clank nodded, feeling Bobble’s hands trail lower. “Okay… and you too, okay? You tell me too, if you need to stop.”

“I will.” Bobble whispered. “Now let’s keep going.”

Chapter Text

Dawn arrived and morning light broke through the curtains of the little Tinker home. Everything was quiet and peaceful. The plates from dinner still sat on the table, the embers in the fireplace had long since died, and the only sound that filled the house was the sound of steady, quiet snoring.

With a deep breath and a stretch, Clank woke naturally. For the fourth morning in a row, he was not greeted with the sounds of breakfast and tea being prepared, nor did he hear Bobble getting ready for the day. Instead he felt the presence of a warm body beside him.

Clank rolled to his side to face Bobble. He was still sound asleep; a rare occurrence Clank thought. He couldn’t recall a time that he woke before Bobble since they started living together. He was tempted to wake him and ask if they could go again, but resisted in favor of watching Bobble sleep for a moment longer.

Bobble lay on his stomach, curled around the pillow his cheek was buried in. His wings were limp with sleep, but would open and close just slightly in time with his breathing. The blanket they shared was entirely in Bobble’s possession; draped over his hips and hanging off Bobble’s side of the bed, leaving his bare legs exposed.

To Clank, there was nothing more beautiful in all the world.

As he stared, the better parts of last night played in Clank’s head. Bobble had been so gentle with him. Every touch, every kiss was so full of tenderness that even thinking about it now filled Clank’s heart with warmth. That wasn’t to say that the experience didn’t have its hiccups. Bobble’s nervousness flared up soon after they were both naked and needed a moment to calm down. His face had gotten so red, and Clank worried for the briefest moment that Bobble would want to stop. But once Bobble had gotten his nerves under control, he picked up right where he’d left off.

What was more surprising was just how prepared Bobble had been once he’d shaken off his nerves. He seemed to know just how to touch Clank to get him excited and how to pleasure him. It made Clank wonder if Bobble had done this before.

“I haven’t,” Bobble had assured him. “I just have good council.”

Clank wasn’t sure exactly what Bobble had meant by that. Had he asked Celeste advice on how to have sex? Somehow Clank couldn’t picture him doing that. But talking with her seemed to help Bobble in other ways, so perhaps he had brought it up with her.

Clank reached out and brushed a lock of hair from Bobble’s forehead. He was so happy to have shared that experience with him. He hoped they’d do it again soon. He really wanted to make Bobble feel as good as Bobble had done for him. He smiled, blushing as he continued to think about it. I love you…

Bobble didn’t seem ready to wake any time soon, but Clank was now wide awake with everything running through his head. Carefully, he climbed out of bed and once on his feet, he pressed a soft kiss to Bobble’s temple. Bobble snorted, but didn’t wake. Warm butterflies filled Clank’s stomach as he stared down at his slumbering mate. He would have loved to kiss him again… and again, and again, but once more resolved to let Bobble sleep.

He retrieved his shorts from where they’d been discarded the night before and moved to the kitchen to lay out breakfast. It was interesting having their roles reversed. He was so used to Bobble being an early riser and having most everything laid out for them by the time Clank finally dragged himself out of bed. It felt good to finally return the favor.

After several moments, Clank had everything laid out: biscuits, butter, jam, diced fruit, and two hot cups of tea. With that out of the way, Clank returned to check on Bobble.

He was still sound asleep, but had rolled onto his back and was now taking up most of the bed. Clank chuckled softly, seeing him sprawled out like that and did his best to squeeze back into bed beside him. The motion had been enough to stir Bobble from his slumber. Bobble snorted and stretched, accidentally batting Clank in the shoulder. He retracted his limbs quickly, then rolled to face Clank with a sleepy grin on his face.

“Morning,” Clank said softly, feeling his heart melt all over again.

“Good morning,” Bobble mumbled in reply. “Did I wake you?”

“No, I’ve been up for a bit,” Clank replied. He gently stroked Bobble’s arm til their hands met, and Bobble lazily laced their fingers together.

“Are you feeling okay?” Bobble asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“Yeah, I feel great,” said Clank. “I went ahead and got breakfast laid out for us.”

Bobble smiled and exhaled a sigh that may have been a laugh. “That’s my job…”

“Not today.” Clank squeezed Bobble’s hand. “You ready to get up?”

Bobble yawned and replied groggily. “I suppose.”

“Good then come eat with me.”

Bobble flopped to his back again, stretching his arms wide. He purposefully pushed his hand into Clank’s face as he stretched, making Clank laugh and swat the intruding hand away before sitting up and offering an arm to Bobble.

Still half asleep, Bobble took the offered arm and stood, holding their blanket at his waist. Clank considered telling Bobble he could leave it behind but knew that Bobble likely wouldn’t forgo common decency. But before they even took a single step away from the bed, Bobble turned to face Clank, wrapping one arm around his hip and laying his other hand over Clank’s heart.

“Really though Clank, how do you feel?”

It had been so easy a moment ago to tell Bobble he felt great, and that was still true. He felt amazing after last night. How could he not? But so many things had happened last night, and Clank understood what Bobble was really asking. Clank gingerly lay his hand over Bobble’s, concentrating on how he felt physically. He’d been on such a euphoric cloud that his body had gone mostly ignored.

And there it was, the same pressure he felt every day for as long as he could remember. Like a stone had been laid on his chest as he slept. Granted, the hypothetical stone was much smaller this time, but that didn’t mean he could pretend the pressure wasn’t there. Clank frowned. In the back of his mind he had hoped… no, he had wished that maybe this might turn out like a story… like something he heard from Fairy-Tale theater, or maybe even like the ones Elowen and her friends wrote. He’d wished that maybe a grand act of love or something might cure him of the Malady.

His fingers tensed around Bobble’s, pressing their hands more firmly into his chest. This was no fairy tale. There was no magical love cure. The Malady was still with him along with the pressure and soreness he felt from days of aching stabbing pains.

“How bad is it?” Bobble asked.

Clank hadn’t thought about that yet. He had been more focused on the fact that the pressure was still there. The stone was smaller, he reminded himself. He then thought of the soreness. It wasn’t new, fresh stabs. It felt more like phantoms of pain that would pass soon. He wasn’t sure what to think. “I mean, it’s not too bad,” he finally said with a shrug. “It’s definitely still there, but it’s… I dunno, manageable I guess?”

With a deep sigh of relief, Bobble drew his hands back. “That’s good… or at least better, right?”

Clank nodded. “I think so. It’s something, for sure.”

“Do you think you need your medicine?”

“Oh stars no!” Clank shouted. “Keep that stuff away from me!”

There was a pause where the two of them looked at each other. Bobble looked surprised, but then he pressed his lips together as if he were hiding a smile. Clank felt it bubbling inside him as well and suddenly they were both laughing.

“It’s really that bad?” Bobble managed to ask through his laughter.

“Yes!” Clank bellowed, unable to stop laughing himself.

Bobble clung to Clank’s arm as the laughter puttered out. “Okay then,” he chuckled. “Okay, after we get more from Basil, I’ll keep it away from you.”

“Unless I actually need it.”

“Aye, unless you need it.” Bobble straightened up, looking more serious now. “You will tell me, right? When you need it?”

“Yes, of course I will.” Clank replied.

Bobble leaned in and wrapped his arms around Clank, not bothering to catch the blanket when it fell. He lay his head on Clank’s chest. “I don’t want you to hurt anymore.”

“I know,” Clank said softly, hugging him back. “But you’ll help me when I am?”

“Of course I will.” Bobble replied.

In that moment, Clank was certain; knew without a shadow of a doubt that one day, somehow he would be cured. It may not happen for a while. He may have the Malady for years. But he was sure one day he would be free of the pressure, relieved of the pain. And until that day came, he knew Bobble would stand by his side to keep him strong.

Chapter Text

The sun hung low in the sky, saying good night to Pixie Hollow as Elowen and Basil made their way back to the Healer’s station. They had managed to avoid most of the curious, worried Tinkers who had been congregated outside Clank and Bobble’s home not long before. There were only two Tinkers they stopped to converse with. The first was Fairy Mary, whom Basil made a point to seek out.

He took a moment to explain to her what had happened with Clank, not mentioning plainly what his condition actually was. “He will need to be careful while working,” Basil explained.

“Of course,” Fairy Mary agreed. “I’ve been keeping him on simple tasks until he recovers.”

“You may not want to do that,” Basil said. “Let him return to his normal work load. The easy tasks may be affecting him negatively. He should be able to handle his normal tasks.”

“You’re sure?” Mary asked.

“Absolutely. He needs to regain a sense of normalcy. Having his usual work ought to help with that, but don’t throw him into anything overly difficult for a bit unless he has help… specifically Bobble’s help.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Mary smiled and laughed to herself. Elowen saw her mouth silently of course he needs to stay with Bobble. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“Not much,” Basil replied. “Only that if he is in the workshop tomorrow, remind him to come get a refill of his medicine.”

Mary grimaced, but nodded. “I’ll be sure to remind him.”

They left Mary then and as they reached the edge of Tinker’s nook they were stopped one more time. Steel was waiting for them, standing on a high branch and leaning against the trunk of the tree.

“Shouldn’t you be meeting up with Paws?” Elowen asked.

“I will soon.” Steel replied, floating toward them. “So, Clank…”

Basil lowered his gaze, and Elowen squeezed his arm.

Steel turned somber along with them. “I’m sorry. I know you wanted to be wrong.”

“It’s fine,” said Basil firmly. “He’ll be fine. He’s clever and he can learn to manage it.” He pulled away from Elowen and crossed his arms.

Steel hovered closer and pat Basil’s shoulder. “What about you?”

Basil scowled, jerked away from Steel and flew off in the direction of his workshop. Steel stared after him, as Elowen flew up beside him.

“I’ll make sure he’s okay,” she said gently.

“Let me know if there’s anything we can do.”

Elowen nodded and followed after her mate, giving Steel a quick wave goodbye. She hoped Basil would wait for her, or at least move slowly enough for her to catch up. She was well aware of what he was feeling right now, as it was far from the first time he had to deliver this particular diagnosis to an anxious patient.  However, it had been over a year since the last time he had to do so.

She did notice that Basil had neglected to mention something that he normally told his other patients diagnosed with the Malady. A long-since faded guild leader set a strict rule for all healers: They were to instruct Malady patients to not to spread word of their condition to anyone; something that Basil had not mentioned to Clank.  Elowen had always thought the rule to be stupid, but had Basil merely forgotten to tell Clank? Or did he agree that it was ridiculous for those with the Malady to keep their condition hidden?

Regardless of how Elowen felt about that rule, she saw first hand why it was put in place. When she’d fallen ill from her injury all those years ago, she and Basil both thought she had the Malady. They had told too many of their friends, and word spread across pixie Hollow along with a fear. Countless terrified fairies and sparrowmen came to the healers with horrible pains… all of which were confirmed to be cases of the Malady. The Healers were overrun. It was such a difficult time… and both Elowen and Basil still carried the guilt from being the catalyst of the hysteria.

The rule had been reinforced, and the number of new cases dwindled. But they didn’t stop completely. And every time a new case arose, Basil always took it the hardest of any Healer.

Elowen knew this, and hurried faster after Basil, catching sight of him as he neared his workshop. She called out to him, and he glanced back to her and stopped mid air. She could see the pain in his eyes as she drew nearer. She took his arm in hers and held firmly. “I’ve got you,” she promised.

Basil was breathing heavily. They were in for a long night. She needed to get him inside and get him to rest… a difficult task to be sure. It was likely neither of them would sleep much tonight, if at all. Elowen would be up worrying about Basil, and Basil would be up pacing and blaming himself for a condition that was out of his or any other Healer’s control. Just like last time, and every time before. But one more thought would be haunting Elowen tonight: yet another friend of hers was in pain. She was certain Basil felt the same.

She held onto Basil as they made their way into the workshop. Basil pulled away the moment he was sure no one else could see him. A lump formed in Elowen’s throat as she watched her mate stagger across the room desperately. She moved into action quickly, all too familiar with what Basil needed. She placed a cup in his hand just as Basil reached the edge of the cauldron. By now, he was covered in sweat and gasping for air as he gripped the brim of the cauldron with white knuckles. Basil practically dunked the cup completely in the fresh batch of medicine and drew it back out, completely full and dripping. Without hesitation, he drank.

Elowen wrapped her arms around herself, unable to look away. Most of the time, Basil was able to hide when he was hurting, especially in front of patients. But she knew he was feeling the worst of it right now. She often wondered how badly the Malady hurt. Was it worse than the thorn in her heart? Was it this painful for everybody?

A tear trickled down her cheek as Basil threw the empty cup aside. She had asked him once, what does this pain feel like? It was never the description of the pain that had bothered her, but what Basil said afterwards.

It’s a pain that never completely goes away. It always is with you in the back of your mind, waiting to return at any moment of weakness. It can feel bad enough to kill you, but it never does… but sometimes, I wish it would.

Basil held his chest as he stumbled away from the cauldron. The pain would lessen soon, or at least Elowen hoped it would. She took him by the arm again and led him to a chair to rest. They still had to make their way home, but Basil was in no condition to fly yet. She stood alert beside him, ready to grab anything that he needed. She knew already, of course, what he needed. But she would wait for him to ask.

It was a long moment later, when Basil’s breathing finally settled. He leaned forward in his chair and held his face in his hands. Gently, Elowen lay her hand on his back. His wings dropped as he sighed. “I need the book.”

Elowen tensed slightly, but nodded. She withdrew to the shelf across the workshop and easily found the red book tucked away on the bottom shelf. Elowen hated this book. She hated every time it was mentioned, every time it was needed, and every page Basil wrote in. She brought it to him and laid it in his lap. He gripped it with shaking hands.

“Elowen!” He sobbed. “I can’t keep doing this!”

Elowen quickly wrapped her arms around him. She very much wanted to tell him it was okay, but she knew that was a lie. “Shh… you don’t have to write it yet.”

“Not that!” Basil shouted, tossing the red book on the ground, holding his face again. “I can’t keep giving the same bad news again and again like this!”

“I know…” Elowen replied gently. “Basil, I know…”

“I wanted it to be something else… I wanted to cure him.”

“You will,” said Elowen. “You just have to keep trying.”

“What if I can’t? What if I can never find a cure? What if the Malady can’t ever be cured?” Basil cried. “What if our people have to keep suffering forever?”

Elowen carefully took Basil’s hands in hers. “Don’t say that,” she rubbed the back of his hand, looking him in the eyes. There was so much pain there. “Don’t even think that. You’ll find a cure someday. You promised you would. You’re going to free yourself and everyone else from the Malady. You can’t let this defeat you.”

Basil bowed his head, unable to hold her gaze. “I know, I know…” he breathed, “it’s just so hard…”

“Which is exactly why you can’t give up,” said Elowen, squeezing his hand.

Basil nodded, and Elowen pressed her forehead to his. “I know,” he whispered.

“I believe in you. You’re a great Healer.”

He nodded again and squeezed her hands. She held on for a long moment; as long as Basil needed. Eventually he was able to settle his breathing again. Slowly he pulled away and released her hands. Elowen picked up the book from where Basil had dropped it and held it out to him.

Face still stained with tears, Basil took the book and flipped it open. He turned page after page, filled with names. He paused only once when he reached the page that contained his own. He touched his name, breath shaking once more, then quickly turned the pages again until he reached a blank space. Dozens of pages… each containing dozens of names… reluctantly Basil wrote the name of his latest patient, Clank.