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It’s been about three days since the crash with Electra, Slick and Greaseball happened. All three of them are still healing from their injuries, and nobody has really seen them since. Slick’s basically been locked up with Momma until she is able to properly walk again, Electra has been back and forth between the component and the repair shed, and Greaseball has refused to leave the engine’s shed since she got out of the medical ward.
This is due to her injuries, obviously, and probably shame too. She’s supposed to be the racing champion, the diesel who can never be beaten, and then she lost to a steam train. She thinks about that all the time. Something else she also thinks about a lot is Dinah. Despite her saying sorrry, she still gets that funny feeling in her stomach, even if she’s convinced herself that Dinah didn’t need that apology in the first place.
The time she’s had alone has caused her to overthink about a lot of things, something she usually did when nobody was here to distract her. It’s always the same thing too. Winning. If she doesn’t win, what is she? She’s nothing without her status, nobody is going to love her if she isn’t the champion.
Racing was the only thing she had, and Rusty took that away from her. The crash didn’t help either. Greaseball can’t even face going outside anymore due to her being embarrassed of it. People would see her vulnerable and injured, something that Greaseball is not meant to be to others. She’s supposed to be a cocky, over-confident racer who only cares about herself, right?
So seeing her in the state she’s in will make her a laughing stock. Seeing her struggle to skate around and falling over will make people think she’s a loser.
The only person who really seen her vulnerable, which was rarely as Greaseball refuses to show it to anyone, was Dinah. And she didn’t have Dinah anymore due to her own shitty actions, she knew exactly what she did. Acting like that caused her to lose the one person who actually understood her. She never admitted that Dinah was that person. She probably isn’t ever going to, that will make Greaseball look weak.
She looked at the empty spot next to her on the bed, the spot Dinah where would usually be. But there was no Dinah, there wasn’t a dining coach lying next to her like usual. No one there to comfort her with her injuries. So Greaseball continued lying there in pain, all alone.
Her legs were still messed up, but they were better than what they looked like when she was rushed into the medical ward. Her back hurts badly, but what part of her body doesn’t? She feels like her body has been set on fire, it almost did actually. There were scars and scabs all over her and that did not help at all.
Greaseball looked back over to where Dinah would usually be if she still loved Greaseball anymore, and sighed. She didn’t want to admit how much she wanted comfort from the coach right now, but Dinah needed her distance.
She looked back up at the ceiling then closed her eyes. Even though Greaseball was in way too much pain to fall asleep, it was worth a shot. The diesel hadn’t slept since the crash happened due to the amount of pain she was in, so what made her think she actually had a chance right now?
Just as Greaseball was about to give up on going to sleep, she smelt the familiar scent of strawberry shortcake. A scent she had been dying to smell for days. It couldn’t possibly be her, could it…? Greaseball slowly turned towards the door and seen the pink and blue coach stood in the door frame.
“Greaseball?” Dinah’s voice was quiet, but still had the sweet tone Greaseball never thought she would hear again.
“Dinah..? What are you… What are you doing here…?” Greaseball slowly tried to sit herself up, wincing as she did so then leaning back against the headboard. She tried her best to hide the fact she felt like death right now, but it wasn’t really working.
“I came to check on you. You haven’t left this tip since you got out of medical treatment..” was Dinah’s reply. Greaseball was half-surprised that Dinah had even took the effort to come over. Did she not want space after the way Greaseball treated her?
“I— go back to your shed, Dinah.. I’m fine..” Greaseball spoke, turning back over so her back was facing Dinah. Again, Greaseball was pushing her away. Couldn’t she see how much Dinah cared for her? Pushing her away was not helping their relationship at all.
Greaseball had thought Dinah left, saying how she didn’t hear any movement whatsoever after she turned over, but her guess was proven wrong as she felt someone getting in bed next to her. There was a distance between the two, which was good. Greaseball never tended to like being incredibly close to Dinah in bed because she likes her space, but also because she struggles to get used to the feeling of someone being so close to her. She only got used to holding hands like four weeks ago.
“You’re still hurting.” Dinah said to her, slowly sneaking her hand in Greaseball’s hair and gently stroking it.
“How would you know that..” Greaseball replied, her body slowly relaxing a little when she felt Dinah’s hand, but it still confused her.
“Because you’re tense, and your body is all stiff.” Dinah’s voice was still quiet but calm, her hand running through Greaseball’s mullet.
“I— I feel fine.. I’m over what happened. I’m not a baby.” Greaseball turned around again to face Dinah.
Dinah opened her mouth to speak,
“Just because you’re in pain doesn’t mean you’re a baby. That crash was horrific, you’re bound to be in agony for weeks.” She was right, the severity of the crash was bad. Really bad. So were the injuries. Greaseball was a little upset that the crash was brought up though since every time she thought about it she felt ashamed. Everyone saw her in that state, and she hated that.
“I can deal with it myself.” Greaseball didn’t want to come off as vulnerable. She hated when she came off as vulnerable. Dinah shook her head and scooted a little closer, but not too close due to Greaseball’s strict rule of not being incredibly close and Dinah’s new boundaries she had set after the final race. She desperately wanted to break them, but for her own sake and Greaseball’s, she didn’t.
“You don’t have to fake being okay in front of me, sweet. I won’t judge, I.. I love you too much.”
Love.
“Don’t call me ‘sweet’, that’s cheesy.”
“Sorry. It just slips out sometimes.” Dinah continued running her fingers softly through Greaseball’s mullet. For once, she felt like Greaseball actually wanted the comfort from her. Greaseball tended to deal with things by herself, which wasn’t good, but this time maybe she wanted to be comforted.
“When was the last time you slept…?” Dinah asked.
“… Three days ago.” Dinah frowned. “Three? That’s a long time. You must be exhausted.”
“I’ve tried to sleep. I’m in too much-“ Greaseball cut herself off. Damn it, she was showing weakness again.
“No, say it.” Dinah’s frown deepened.
“… I’m in too much pain… and it felt… empty without you… in your spot.” Greaseball admitted, which shocked Dinah because when would you hear a cocky diesel train say something like that? Someone who usually thought only about herself and brought Dinah down just admitted that she somehow missed her?
“Not that I need you to sleep. I’m just used to someone being there…” Dinah smiled a little bit. Of course she was covering it up with that.
“Okay, GB…” She kept playing with Greaseball’s hair, twirling it round her fingers every so often which caused Greaseball to unconsciously lean into Dinah’s touch. There was still a distance between the two, which was just how they liked it. Dinah had to admit she would like to be a little closer, but boundaries.
“You wanna try and go to sleep now? Someone’s beside you now so you could possibly fall asleep.” Greaseball stayed silent before nodding, slowly lifting her duvet up for Dinah to get under but wincing as she did so. Dinah kept her hand in Greaseball’s yellow and black hair, lying down fully on the bed.
“Don’t try anything, Di…” Greaseball mumbled quietly, her voice small and tired. Dinah couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit.
“Of course I won’t. I’ll just lie here until you go to sleep.” Greaseball smiled a little bit before closing her eyes, looking a tiny but more relaxed but still obviously feeling the painful effects from her crash.
___
After about ten minutes, Dinah felt Greaseball tugging her arm down from her hair, her eyes still closed.
“Love, what’re you doing…?” Dinah questioned, but allowing her arm/hand to be held by the diesel next to her. All that was heard from Greaseball was a small mumble, then her fingers interlocking with Dinah’s. They were holding hands, except not really. Greaseball was more hugging Dinah’s arm? That’s beside the point. The point is Greaseball wanted to hold/hug her hand, meaning she wanted some sort of affection from Dinah. The thought made Dinah smile. Maybe they would work out after all?
“Greaseball…” Dinah spoke, looking at Greaseball’s almost-asleep form.
“… Mhm…” The half-sleeping diesel answered, her grip on Dinah’s arm tightening.
“I love you.”