Archive of Our Own

“Come on! Come onn! Let’s go already!!” 

Second can only chuckle in amusement as he watches Red drag Green out of their house, his hands latched onto the taller’s shoulders and pulling him backwards with all his might. Next to him, Blue and Yellow watch their antics with laughs and grins of their own, whispering quiet jokes to each other. The three of them are gathered outside their shared home, as per Red’s request, a basket in front of Second on the floor at his feet, and a small bag full of fish in Blue’s hands. Yellow holds nothing, simply leaning on the command staff at his side. 

Not long ago-- maybe an hour and a half prior, give or take-- Red had burst into his room with the widest grin on his face, jumped right onto Second’s bed where he was lounging, (the action nearly making Second scream , his face immediately heating up when Red eagerly pounced on his mattress and leaned oh so close to him, grabbing onto Second’s hands and smiling so brightly, so wonderfully in his face) and rambled about this beautiful place he’d discovered and how he and their friends had to have a picnic at this very moment. With shouts of excitement, Red had given him the task of gathering Blue and Yellow while he wrangled Green downstairs, and Second could only nod wordlessly in agreement. Red had been way too close for him to focus on anything else besides the warmth radiating off him, his bright glittery eyes, and the tingling feeling of his rough yet comforting hands on his. 

And so, here he was. Watching Red wrestle Green out of the house, with Blue and Yellow snickering and joking at the two. He doesn’t pay much mind to their comments, however, Red being too entertaining and silly to have his attention averted. 

“Agh! Hey! I was working on something! Can’t this wait?!” Green complains, attempting to grab onto the outer wall of their house. Red yanks him back abruptly before he can do so.  

“No! You said you would come after 30 minutes and it’s been, like, uh--” Quickly, Red whips his head towards Second. “Sec! How long has it been?!” 

Happily, he gives Red a smile before answering. “30 minutes, 46 seconds. You’re out of time, Green.” He relishes in the proud grin he receives from Red, as well as the mouthed thank you! thrown his way. It brings a swelling kind of joy to Second, whenever Red is pleased with him. 

Sighing, Green ceases his struggle and turns to fully face the direction Red was pulling him in, finding the glowing and swirling Nether portal awaiting. He crosses his arms in defiance, yet he trudges ahead anyway as Red beams at his success, hastily running ahead of him. Blue and Yellow share another laugh before they walk forward to join them. 

Picking up the basket from the floor, Second rechecks it to make sure everything’s securely packed inside. A picnic blanket, sandwiches, water, fruit, and whatever else Red insisted on bringing all sit organized to the best of his ability. Looking up, he finds Green, Blue, and Yellow listening to Red ramble about what lies beyond the portal, how cool it was, and how they would “ definitely, definitely love it!”

“Okay, everyone ready?!” Red comes bounding up to Second, grabbing hold of his free hand that wasn’t holding the basket and pulling him towards the portal. He apparently trusted that Second could support the weight of the basket with only one hand, and as much as he wanted to protest against the idea-- the basket was quite heavy with all their food, snacks and supplies packed in there-- he finds he enjoys the warmth of Red’s fingers laced with his too much to argue. 

“Where are we even going? All we know is that you wanted to have a picnic.” Yellow comments, his fingers aimlessly trickling along the base of the staff.  “Is this place even safe?” 

“Sure it is! I took a look yesterday and everything was great! Now let’s go!” Yellow looks like he’s about to say something else, but Red rushes into the portal before he can get another word out. Second’s pulled forward, and the misty sensation of the Nether portal washes over him, a familiar and soft purple light flooding his senses. 

.

.

The journey through the nether is uneventful, for once. No life-threatening accidents, ambushes or attacks occur-- and the five of them safely make it to the place Red has been dying to show them. 

“This is it! We’re here!” He exclaims, animatedly waving his hands around a portal and bouncing on his toes. The rest of them can’t help but smile at his excitement, Second especially feeling a surge and a flutter inside him as he watches Red’s contagious enthusiasm. 

“Are you ready? You should be ready, we’ve come all this way after all! Ah, y’know, when I was here yesterday, I went in and I was like-- wow! It was just so cool and wonderful and super super sunny, and great, and awesome! I promise you guys will find it absolutely, incredibly amazing! There’s like all sorts of things in there, and, and--” 

Red’s excited rambling is cut off by Blue, who puts a hand on his shoulder. “Woah, there, calm down!” He giggles, amused. “How about we go inside before you start your retelling of yesterday, so we can see for ourselves what’s so amazing. ”

Red takes a breath in as he listens to Blue, before he’s frantically nodding and rushing towards Second to grab hold of his hand, yet again, and tumbling through the portal. Second is given no time to react before he’s dragged forward and the hazy purple particles wash over him once more. 

.

.

.

Stumbling, he barely catches and steadies himself on his feet before a blinding and warm light hits his eyes. He feels Red let go of his hand, and he brings it up to shield his face as he blinks away the remnants of light from his pupils. A soft and gentle breeze brushes past him, carrying with it the refreshing scent of flowers and grass. The air around him is warm but not humid, just the right amount of cool and not chilly-- a perfect atmosphere where the air flows smoothly, floating leisurely and clear through his breath.

The spots of brightness clear from Second's eyes, as he lowers his hand down to finally take in his surroundings. He’s met with lush green fields, stretching endlessly in front of him with patches of colorful and lively flora springing out of the grass; their petals dancing in the wind alongside various butterflies, dragonflies, and bees-- small friendly bugs that zip past them free and agile. To his right, he finds a long and winding river flowing past, its path twisting and turning in the most curious yet alluring ways, and its rushing stream crystal clear. Small rocks and pebbles are carried along the current, glittering and gleaming in the sunlight. He takes a few steps forward with his eyes wandering up to the sky above, finding large masses of fluffy clouds looming above them and cradling around the bright and blinding sun, as if creating a protective canopy. There’s birds flying freely in the sky, playing amongst the clouds as their chirps mesh together in a pleasant melody. 

It’s wonderful. It’s amazing, and beautiful, and cool-- something that he definitely, definitely loves, just like how Red said they would. Just as Red eagerly promised, the sight is really something to behold, the place a hidden treasure within the Nether they thought was thoroughly explored. 

Faintly, he can hear Yellow, Green, and Blue’s footsteps and gasps of awe behind him, surely admiring the view as well. He readjusts his hold on the picnic basket, this time with both hands, and takes a step forward as his eyes fall from the sky. He finds Red standing still in front of him, his back turned and hands clasped behind him as he glances across the area as well. With bated breath, Second watches Red’s short and fluffy hair flow gently from the wind, butterflies flying around his head. 

He’s oddly pretty like this , Second thinks, even with his back turned, even when he’s no longer holding Second’s hand or shouting excitedly in his face. It’s a rarity when Red is quiet, even rarer when he’s quiet in a field full of flowers under an endless stretch of blue sky. A place that would surely spark excitement in Red, cause him to scream and shout freely under bright and fluffy clouds. Second predicted Red would be cartwheeling, running, and playing in the fields already, instead of just standing and admiring. It’s definitely a new sight, yet welcome all the same. 

Somehow, as if sensing Second’s focused gaze on him, Red turns right as the breeze picks up. A multitude of petals come flying past just as Red’s face comes into view, a soft and dopey grin etched on his features, his eyes crinkled at the edges, and an ever so slight brush of pink on his cheeks. The wind causes most of his hair to fly out of his face, earning a breathy puff of laughter from Red, which Second’s heart can’t help but skip a beat at.

The sunlight rains down on him at all the right angles-- his lively eyes twinkling and glittering in the bright rays, and his blazing red hair reflecting the beams so perfectly as if he were glowing. And to Second, he most definitely was. 

“Red, this is amazing! How’d you find this place?!” Yellow runs past him then, appearing from behind Second and snapping him out of his daze. He grips the basket tighter as he shakes his head, bringing himself back to reality and quietly hoping nobody realized he was staring for longer than he should have. 

“I told you you guys would love it! Isn’t it so pretty?!” Red exclaims, spinning around to gesture to the nature surrounding them. “It’s the perfect place to have a picnic, and there are a ton of plants here!” 

“Really?!” Blue comes bouncing into view, the bag of fish in his hands jumping along with him. “What kind of plants? Can we go see?!” He questions eagerly, leaning in to both Red and Yellow. The three burst into happy conversation and joyful gestures, and Second cracks a smile at their laughter as he watches Red’s buoyant movements and dopey grin. He doesn’t make any move to approach, content with just watching for now. 

“Yoo-hoo, Sec?” He yelps, surprised at the sudden voice before finding Green next to him. The guy in question laughs at his shocked expression. 

“What’s up? Are you too taken aback from this place to move?” Green takes the basket from Second, giving his hands a break. He laughs sheepishly, rubbing his hands together. 

“Ah, uhm. Something like that. It’s nothing, really.” His eyes wander back to Red, still engaged in his conversation with Blue and Yellow. Green follows his eyes and hums in consideration. His gaze darts between Second and Red, observing how Second’s eyes narrowed in soft focus at the redhead before it suddenly clicks. 

“ Ohh, I see.” There’s a mischievous chuckle next to Second, and an arm looping around his shoulders pulling him close. 

“Huh? What?” He gives a short laugh in surprise, looking at Green curiously. 

“Maybe it’s not the place that’s got you taken aback, but maybe it’s a specific… someone?” Green questions, smiling smugly at the way Second stiffens in his grasp, his cheeks threatening to warm. 

“ W-what?  Someone? Pfft, what are you talking about, Green? Don’t-- Don’t be silly.” He tumbles out, his voice a bit more squeaky and high pitched than he intended, trying his best to avoid Green’s gaze. This, however, only confirms the other’s suspicions as an even wider smile breaks out across his face. 

“Oh, you know what I mean, Sec.” Green lets go of him then. “Don’t think I didn’t see you staring.” 

“Staring? No, no- I was just looking at the, uh, the grass! The fields! I wasn’t staring at anyone.” Second tries, looking back to counter Green. The greenette doesn’t buy it one bit. 

“Uh-huh, sure. And Red --” Second’s eyes widen at the name. “--just happened to be right in front of you, hm?” Sporting an impish smile, Green’s voice dips into a whisper. “You liiike him, right?” 

Turning away, Second slaps his hands on his face as his cheeks start to feel warmer. Sure, maybe he was staring a bit too long at Red and kept on looking at him, but it wasn’t like, like that, right? Red was just generally pretty, and sweet, and cute, and amazing, and always making Second’s face and ears heat up, and his heart race, and he really did love when Red held his hand, and--

Oh. 

Oh god. 

He can hear Green snickering beside him as he slowly and hesitantly turns back to face him. “You… do you think so?” He asks, barely above a whisper. 

“Oh, I know so. You’re so obvious, Sec. It’s a miracle nobody else has picked up on it.” He elbows Second in the side, flicking the basket around in his other hand. Second only huffs in return, rolling his eyes. Was he really that obvious? Or was Green just in a teasing and jabbing sort of mood? 

“Well, actually, no, that’s wrong.” Green continues, his hand coming to rest on his hip. “I bet Yellow knows already. And if Yellow knows that means Blue knows, so basically everyone knows.” Well, damn. Second can’t help but smack his hands over his face, again, a bit ashamed at how revealing his actions were. 

So…if everyone knew, did that mean Red knew too? Could Red tell he had been staring? At him? Did Red know how flustered he constantly made Second feel? Or how the hand holding and their constant close proximity made Second’s heart race and his head spin? 

Oh wow, was Red doing it on purpose? 

Or did he actually have no idea about Second’s feelings about him, or wait-- so this was an actual thing now? Was it an absolute, definite, no-question-about-it type of confirmed feelings? What was he supposed to do with this now? What should he be thinking now? Should he do something? Say something? Oh, he’s so incredibly fucked. And stupid. So, so stupid for not thinking this through. 

“Heyy! Sec, Green! Are you guys coming?!” There’s Red again, his flighty voice cutting through Second’s thoughts. He’s waving to both of them on his tippy toes alongside Blue and Yellow, who both send them curious looks. 

“Yup!” Green calls back, linking his free arm with Second’s to drag him forward. “Come on,” He whispers, “I’ll enlist the help of our trusty friends to help you with your cute little crush, kay?” Winking, he sends Second a confident grin. Second can’t help but nervously chuckle at Green’s offer, wondering exactly how his friends would help him with this whole.. situation-- is what he’ll call it, for now. 

When they all gather together, Red immediately reaches for his hand to drag him along, and Green lets go of him with the smuggest smile he’s seen so far, his eyebrows raising in amusement. Second has to send him a pointed look to wipe the wolfish smirk off his face before Red sees it. They continue to trek farther into the newfound area as Second reminds himself to keep breathing, keep walking normally as his heart jumps and races. Red’s been holding his hand a lot today, and well.. Second isn’t exactly sure what it means anymore. It’s confusing. 

Red turns for a moment to look at him, smiling brightly. The confusion only builds. 

“Bye bye! We’ll be back soon!” Red calls, waving with both hands. Blue stands next to him, waving a calmer goodbye before the two set off to find some plants to take home. 

Second waves back, watching them go from his seat on the picnic blanket. The sandwiches, drinks, and fruit were long eaten and cleaned up, the five of them having found a comfortable picnic area not too long ago.

Their chosen area was warm, comforting, and serene-- a large canopy of trees looming above them to shield them from the bright sun, yet also allowing for a few spots of sunlight to make their way through and decorate the picnic blanket with specks of daylight. The grass the blanket was laid upon was soft and fresh, a few tiny flowers peeking out between blades, and several cute tiny bugs wandering about. A peaceful atmosphere, a wonderful environment that should’ve been infinitely enjoyable, and Second would’ve enjoyed it to the fullest-- if not for the constant panic and trepidation he had to deal with. 

During the duration of their picnic, Second was faced with the terrible and daunting task of not freaking out as Red leaned against him nearly the whole time, despite being engaged in a conversation about plants with Blue. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder, with Red comfortably leaning his body weight against Second without a care in the world as Second tried his best to control his definitely reddening face and the heat rushing to his ears. And even worse was when he had reached over Second’s lap to try and catch a butterfly that had wandered over-- completely oblivious to the internal turmoil he was causing Second just by simple brushes of contact against each other, the trusting pressure resting against him, and Red’s warmth bleeding into his skin. 

As mean as it sounds, Second’s grateful that Blue had been so excited about the potential plants to drag Red away to show him, because Green had been smirking so damn hard the entire time that Second was tempted to send a punch straight to his face. Endearingly, of course. Green’s his friend after all, but fuck did Second wish he hadn’t figured out his whole crush situation with Red. His constant smirks and teasing looks were becoming unbearable, and somehow Red hadn’t noticed a single one. 

“Oooh, you got it bad, Sec. You’re like a tomato right now.” Green remarks, plucking a blade of grass out from the ground. He flicks the piece of grass towards Second, but it doesn’t exactly make it over and instead falls to the blanket. 

“Shut up.” Second groans in response, bringing his knees up and burying his face away. He can hear Green laugh like the bastard he is. 

There’s a confused noise from Yellow, looking between Green and Second before he suddenly gasps. “Holy shit, is this about Red? Are we finally talking about it?” 

There’s a triumphant laugh from Green, loud and wild. “Ha! I knew it! See, Sec? Yellow knows too! That means Blue knows, which means you gotta do something about it!” Second only groans louder, hiding his face more. 

Eagerly, Green comes up to Second’s side and shakes him, “Come on! Isn’t this like the perfect place to confess your crushy blushy feelings?!” Second peeks his head up slightly to look at him. “This place has got everything Red likes! He’ll be in a great mood at any point of time today, which means you gotta tell him now! Right, Yel’?” 

“Yes! Ohh, I can’t believe this is finally happening! You’ve been dancing around him for so long,  it’s about time you get it off your chest!” Yellow joins them, sliding down on the other side of Second and bumping shoulders. “You have to tell him!” 

“But- but what if it doesn't go well?!” He blurts out, surprised by how panicky his voice sounds as he shoots his head out of his hands. “What if he doesn’t like me back, or-- or what if I say it wrong?” 

There’s a scoff, “Don’t worry about the details! And besides, it’s only what, 8 letters? I’m sure you can do it!” Yellow points a finger to write out the words in the air. “I… love.. You! See? Simple.” 

8 letters. 8 letters, so what if it’s 8 letters? That didn’t just make it easier! 

“No it’s not! And-- wait, love?? I have to say that I love him?!” 

Green and Yellow share glances. “Uh.. yeah? Don’t you love him?” Green asks, puzzled. 

Second takes a gulp. “Well, yeah… I- I really… really like him-- but love is such a, I don’t know, serious term? Like, it’s so scary to say! What if it freaks him out?!” 

“Oh my god, Sec. You’re not gonna freak him out! It’s Red! The only thing that freaks him out is like, animals dying or stuff like that. He’s not scared of words.” Yellow leans exasperated against him, Second can only sigh miserably.

There’s a chuckle. “Okay, so maybe you don’t have to say love. You just gotta express how much you care! You can just say that you really, really like him and that you’d like to hold hands and skip into the sunset together and all that crushy stuff.” Green offers, slinging an arm around his shoulders. 

“Ew, skip into the sunset? That’s a weird thing to say.” 

“Oh, shut up Yel’, it’s not like you don’t want to do that with Blue.” 

“Hmph. Touché.” 

Second sighs, running a hand down his face. Was it really this simple? Did all he have to do is just say a few words, express his feelings, and that was it? Was he even capable of saying those 8 letters, that one phrase, that one sentence to Red’s face? (His cute, wonderful, adorable face that always made Second short-circuit when he looked at him--) When would he even do it? When would he even be able to get them alone long enough to muster up the courage? And would Red even listen? 

“Oi, you still with us, Sec?” Green knocks lightly on the top of his head. “Something going on up there?” 

“Do you think I can do it? Like, honestly. I don’t… what if I can’t say it?” His voice ducks into a whisper at the last part as he turns to look Yellow and then Green in the eyes. They both frown as he turns his head back forward. 

“He’s just so… y’know, Red. He-- god, I can’t even breathe when he looks at me sometimes, how am I supposed to say everything about how I feel to his face? That I find him so, so cute and sweet, and amazing and incredible--” He drops his head back into his knees. “I don’t think I can do it. I’m not brave enough to.” 

Telling Red how he felt has never once crossed his mind. What if Red didn’t feel the same way? What if confessing his true feelings only worsened their relationship? Would they even be able to stay friends? Would it make things awkward? 

And hell, Second hadn’t even figured out that the weird feeling whenever Red was around-- the way he was always so drawn to him, so willing to go along with his antics, the constant fluster, the giddy nerves that shot through him whenever Red reached for his hand-- meant he had a crush on him until earlier today. Which was stupid, as 1. None of his other friends ever made him flustered or jumpy like Red did, and 2. People don’t usually stare or stop breathing or have their heart skip a beat because of someone who isn’t their crush. God, he’s so unbelievably, unfathomably stupid. How could Red like someone like him?

“Sec.” The teasing is gone from Green’s voice now, instead being replaced with a gentle yet serious tone. The arm around his shoulder tightens slightly, a comforting grip around him. He lifts his head back up. Green levels his gaze with his, meeting him intently in the eyes. “You are a brave person. You’re a wonderful, amazing friend and you’ve been nothing but kind and amazing to each and every one of us. And you’re strong, Sec. I know you can do this.” Green gives Second a comforting shake, his other hand patting his arm. 

“Green..” Second thinks he might cry. 

“Absolutely! I agree!” Yellow joins in then, throwing his arms around both of them, hugging them tight. They all laugh at the gesture, squeezing each other close. “You deserve to tell Red exactly how you feel. Don’t be scared, or nervous, and don’t doubt yourself because you got what it takes. As long as you’re honest and genuine, I’m positive your feelings will be conveyed properly!” 

“You guys--” Second sniffles, tears pricking at the edges of his eyes. What did he do to be blessed with such good friends? “Thank you.”  He means it, really he does. With Green and Yellow’s gentle and kind words, Second feels like he can do anything now. 

There’s laughter. “Aww, anytime. You know we got your back.” Yellow ruffles his hair softly. 

“Of course! What type of friends would we be if we didn’t reassure you about your crush dilemma?” Green untangles himself then, getting up on to his feet. “So, how about it, Sec? You ready to make a plan?” Yellow joins him, standing up as well. They both extend a hand out to him. 

Don’t be scared. You are a brave person. Don’t doubt yourself. You got what it takes. Their words repeat in his mind as he takes a breath in, his heart pounding in excitement and not nerves this time. 

“Ready.” He responds, both of his hands meeting his friends’ as they help him up. 

He could do this. He had to. 

“We’re baaack!” 

Second prides himself in the fact he doesn’t jump or flinch as much as he wants to, when he hears Red’s sudden and familiar voice. He wasn’t scared anymore, no, he was past that now. (Not entirely, but at least enough to not want to run and hide his face from view) They had a plan, a complete and solid plan for Second to confess his feelings, so he had no reason to be nervous anymore!

…Right?

“Yellow, Yellow! Look! Aren’t they pretty? Red and I found a whole garden full of these things!” Blue comes racing back first, carrying in his hands a bushel of pinkish purple flowers. Yellow gushes over the flowers with Blue when they make contact, both of them giggling as he slips one of the blooms into Blue’s hair. 

“He so wants to skip into the sunset with Blue, that one.” Green jokes, murmuring into Second’s ear as they watch Blue and Yellow interact. Second can’t help but laugh at the remark. 

“Sec! Look what I got for you!~” Red sing-songs, as he approaches the two of them. Second tenses for a slight moment before Green pats him on the back reassuringly, and his shoulders relax again. 

Red presents a bunch of daisies to Second, happily bringing them up to his face. “Pretty, right? I thought you’d like them, so here you go!” 

I thought you'd like them. Holy shit, Red was thinking about him? About him? Second? What did this mean? What was he trying to say??

“I got this for you too, Green! Here!” In his other hand, Red produces a bunch of dandelions this time, holding them out towards Green.

Oh. So they weren't special, then? 

“Ooh, thanks! They're cute.” Green gratefully takes his bushel, observing the dandelions before looking over at Second-- who's standing still and simply staring at the flowers Red brought back for him. 

Green takes a moment to subtly bump Second to snap out of his daze and take the flowers from Red’s awaiting hands. Second blinks rapidly as he snaps back to reality, and Red remains patient as he continues to hold out the small bushel. 

“Uh- Thanks Red! They're really…” Second trails off for just a moment, staring into Red's attentive and lively eyes. “Pretty. They're beautiful.” 

“Mhm! I knew you'd like them!” Red beams at him, and Second feels like he could melt right then and there. 

Glancing at Second, Green laughs fondly before clearing his throat. “Anywaaay! Red! You’ve been around here before, right?” 

“Yeah! I was here yesterday!” 

“Cool, great. How about you take us on a little tour of the forest? You already checked out the flowers with Blue, is there any other place you want to show us?” Green prompts, sending a look towards Yellow who nods and sends a thumbs up. 

Red absolutely lights up at the idea, his eyes widening and his smile spreading ear to ear, and it takes everything in Second’s power to not cover his face and blush to his heart’s content. Red was just-- so cute . 

“Yes! That sounds so, so fun! I’ve got just the place!” He does a little jump before he turns and waves Yellow and Blue over. 

Once they gather together, Red takes Second’s hand in his once again, leading the pack. He turns his head to look at the three behind them, and Yellow makes some vague gestures to explain that Blue was in on their plan as well. They all send him encouraging smiles and silently cheer him on. Second sends them all a nod, turning his head back around to walk forward. 

The plan Yellow, Green, and Second-- mostly Green and Yellow-- had made consisted of three parts. 

     1. Leave Red and Second alone, long enough for Second to convey his feelings properly and wholeheartedly, and with enough subtlety that Red didn’t pick up on the fact that his other friends were purposefully sneaking off. If Red knew the other three were trying to leave them alone for some reason, he might get too curious and start questioning. And that was a big no-no.

     2. Set the mood. Yellow had offered, with great joy, to use the command staff to aid in creating the most perfect atmosphere for crushy blushy feelings-- as Green called it-- to amp up the romantic tension or whatever sappy name the two had given it. 

     3. Confess. Easier said than done, but Green and Yellow had reassured Second endlessly that the mood would be so perfect and lovely and sweet and sappy that he would have no choice but to blurt out his feelings right then and there. And then, according to Green, Red would leap into his arms and they would twirl around and blush and giggle and flowers would fly through the air and birds would start singing a wedding anthem. Needless to say, Second has given himself a reminder to never involve Green in anything romantic ever again. 

Now, was Second slightly doubtful about this whole thing? Most definitely, yes. But he trusts his friends more than he trusts himself, so he might as well give this a shot. 

…Soon. He’ll do it soon. Because right now, Red has somehow led them all to a village full of cats. 

“Tada!~” Red shouts, stretching his arms out in front of the large mass of cats wandering about. “It’s a cat village! Aren’t they soo cute?!” His voice goes extra high on that last part as he swoops down to pick up the closest cat into his arms. The feline squirms about, but Red keeps a tight and comfortable enough grip to not let it escape. “This is why I said to bring a bag of fish! ‘Cause now we can feed all of them and they’ll be super happy!” 

“Oooh, I see! These guys are adorable.” Walking up to the cat in Red’s arms, Blue gives the feline a light pet before opening the bag of fish he brought. He takes out a small salmon before gently nudging it towards the cat. It sniffs it for a few seconds before starting to nibble on the fish. The two watch the cat eat the fish happily, and Second can’t help but watch how gentle Red was with the feline, despite being so excited. His grip around the animal expertly supports its weight, his fingers delicately holding around the fur. His crimson eyes shine with love and adoration for the animal as he softly pets its head as it eats. So caring, so kind, so gentle and sweet--

A sudden push against his right leg causes Second to cast his attention downwards, as he finds a rather large fluffy white cat rubbing against him. “Aw, hi…” He coos, kneeling down to pet it and relishing in its soft warmth against his palm. 

“Hey.” There’s a voice above him as he turns to see Yellow bending down to talk. “Just tell us when you wanna start the plan, kay?” 

“Mhm. I’ll let you guys know.” Second stands, watching the white cat saunter off. Yellow straightens up alongside him. “I’ll do it soon, but first, I…” Looking around the blonde, he gazes over Red petting nearly every cat he can find, squealing about how cute they were and showering them with fish snacks. Cheery, he skips and bounds around the several cats, talking to them in a high-pitched voice asking them how their day was, if they’re hungry, and what fish they would like. There’s a flutter inside Second’s stomach, wondering who in the world let Red be so cute and bright and silly all the time. 

With a knowing look, Yellow simply leaves Second to watch Red in all his glory, giving him a simple pat on the shoulder. It’s slightly embarrassing that Second barely registered the touch, his entire being focused on Red’s infectious smile. 

He shakes his head, trying to regain more of his awareness and focus, and looks up to where Red is sitting near a gathering of small, cute kittens. Second couldn’t just stay away from Red before they commenced the plan, despite how jumpy and rattled the redhead made him feel. That wasn’t very nice.

So, with a short intake of breath, Second musters up his courage and walks over to Red’s side. 

“Hi Sec! Aren’t the kitties soo cute?” Red meets him with a lovely grin and sparkling eyes. There’s various kittens already crawling about on Red’s lap, one of them even nibbling on the hem of his shorts. “Sit down, sit down! You should hold one, they’re really soft.” He waves his hand in a sitting gesture, and Second complies. 

Once he’s seated, in criss-cross, a black and white kitten is gently brought over to him with caring hands and plopped right into his lap. It gives a soft meow, a quiet purr as it squirms about. It’s so small that Second’s slightly afraid to touch it. 

“Uh.. hello, little cat.” He chuckles, nervously. His fingertips remain still on the grass beneath him, unsure of how exactly to pet something so delicate. Would it run away if he petted it too roughly? Kittens were quite fragile, right? He knew cats were particular and picky about petting, and were also fairly durable, but they weren’t as small as this. Would Red be mad at him if he petted the small thing wrong? 

Sensing Second’s hesitation, Red carefully picks up the kittens roaming around his lap and sets them back down on the grass. Standing on his knees, he shuffles over and around to Second’s other side, and grabs his hand. The sudden action startles Second slightly, and he silently hopes Red can’t feel the slight shake in his fingertips. 

“Wha- Red?” 

There’s laughter, airy and light. “C’mon, don’t be scared. You’re not gonna hurt him,” Red’s fingers kindly lace around Second’s palm, guiding his hand towards the little cat. His skin is rough, and slightly calloused from all his antics, yet so, so gentle.

“See? Just like this.” Red’s voice ducks into a whisper, his hands emitting a radiating warmth through Second’s skin. The feeling of the kitten’s fur sends a tingle to Second’s fingertips as the two of them pet the kitten as softly as possible, but he isn’t watching the small animal in his lap anymore. 

Instead, Second’s focused on the length of Red’s eyelashes, the way his hair fell around his face and cradled all his soft features, the compassion in his eyes watching and making sure the kitten didn’t feel an ounce of discomfort, and the curl of his lips that created a smile so sublime Second was sure it was a work of art. And wow, he was close. Red was so unbelievably close to Second with linked hands and shoulders bumping softly into each other with every movement. Was he dreaming? Was any of this even real? Was Red real? 

“Got it?” Red suddenly asks, which takes Second out of yet another daze. He blinks rapidly, gathering his thoughts. 

“Mhm. Yeah, I got it.” He says, as Red’s hand leaves him. His hand feels colder now that Red’s presence has left, and it feels like every cell in his skin is fighting to hold on to a remnant of Red's warmth. Second continues to pet the kitten in the same way Red had shown, gentle and delicate. 

“Good.” Red’s voice is barely a whisper, leaning more towards a breath in the dainty breeze, which sends a flutter in Second’s stomach. Hoping his cheeks weren’t too flushed, he averts his attention solely to the kitten in his lap, praying the distraction would be enough to calm down. 

Letting out a content sigh, Red stretches his arms upwards before falling down into the grass besides Second, laying on his back. The other kittens around them come over to swarm him, nestling into the crooks of his arms and nipping at his hair. Red laughs brightly, allowing the young felines to play. 

“Kittens are adorable, aren’t they?” On the grass, Red’s eyelashes flutter as his eyes close slowly, relishing in the warm sunlight. “I’m so happy I found this place.” 

“..I’m happy too. Thanks for bringing all of us here.” Second murmurs, his voice low. Red hears him anyway, and he smiles once more.

“You don’t gotta say thank you, silly. I like to bring you guys everywhere.” His eyes open, just a little, as he glances up at Second. “But--” 

A kitten suddenly pounces at Red’s scalp, biting and tugging on a tuft of hair. “Ah! Heyy!” He yelps, as Second stifles a laugh. Grabbing the cat from above him, Red brings it down to his chest, lightly scolding.

“You can’t do that, little miss! My hair is not for biting, okay?” The cat, uncaring, simply roams around Red’s chest instead, nestling near his stomach. 

“What’s your hair for, then?” Second jokes, chuckling. Red grins at him. 

“Looking nice, of course.” He says proudly, dramatically flicking one of his short locks.  

“It always looks nice.” 

The words tumble out of Second’s mouth before he can catch himself, his own eyes widening at what he just said. Red only stares at him for a split moment, before he beams. 

“You think so?” 

He gulps. “Mhm. It’s.. fluffy. And shiny too.” 

“Yeah? Green said it reminded him of an animal before. ‘Cause it’s always messy.” That gets a laugh out of both of them, before an indulgent, small idea pops into Second’s mind. 

“You.. do you think it’s like a cat?” He blurts out, not really thinking anymore. 

Red perks up at that, his eyes glancing at the kittens around him as he ponders. “Mm.. I don’t know. I never compared my hair to a cat’s fur before.” 

“Oh, yeah. Well--”

“Wanna see?” 

“Huh? What?” Second’s taken aback. Is Red implying what he thinks he is?

“Let’s see if my hair’s like a cat's! C’mon.” Moving the kittens off of him, Red sits up and shuffles over to Second, leaning forward all the way into his space-- both hands placed firmly on Second’s thigh and head tilted forward. Vibrant and wild scarlet hair falls over Red’s face, close enough to touch. 

Biting his tongue, Second holds back a reflexive and undignified yelp crawling up his throat as his face flushes. How did it come to this? What was happening? What-- what the fuck was he supposed to do? Why did Red’s hair look so touchable? So pettable? So pretty?

“Here! Tell me if it feels the same.” Looking down at the kitten in his lap, Red must be referring to the black and white kitten, to compare the two textures and see if they’re similar. But doing that meant…

“You-- do you want me to pet you?” This was crazy. This was insane. How did Second get so lucky?

“Uh.. yeah! I guess. How else are we gonna find out?” Red replies, unfazed. Did Red ever realize how much his antics impacted Second? 

“Okay.. okay.” This was fine. This was absolutely fine. Second definitely wasn’t freaking out. Nope, not at all. 

Hesitantly, Second raises his hand up to Red’s head, hovering above the velvety red tufts. He could do this. This wasn’t weird at all. It was just for comparison, nothing more. 

Could it be something more? 

As gently as possible, he lowers his hand down onto Red’s hair, which is incredibly, comfortingly soft. Albeit a bit awkwardly, he begins petting his head, relishing in the warmth that comes with the action. Red giggles as he does so, sounding like bubbles and sunshine. It helps Second relax just a teeny bit, knowing that Red was having fun. 

They sit there together for a time that feels like hours, but must’ve been only a few minutes-- Second tenderly stroking Red’s lovely, soft crimson hair. It’s just as fluffy as it looked, as plush and luscious as a cloud, or a sheep's cotton wool maybe. Second thinks he could do this forever. 

He's about to ask Red if he's comfortable, if Second was helping at all with this weird experiment, before he catches a glimpse of Blue waving at him from a distant patch of bushes. Yellow and Green wait beside him as well, and Second only now realizes they've been watching the whole time. He's incredibly, overwhelmingly embarrassed by this fact, but Blue thankfully distracts him. 

Plan now? The bluenette mouths, gesturing with his hands. 

Was this a good moment? Red was definitely happy and having a good time, so maybe now was his chance? He couldn't stall forever, he'd have to face this headfirst if he ever wanted to get these feelings off his chest. Red deserved that much, and so did his friends, with their eagerness to help. 

So with a nod, he mouths yes to the three watching, and they grin wildly back at him before disappearing into the bushes. Second only sighs, hoping everything goes well. 

“Hey.. Sec?” Red murmurs, his head tilting slightly. 

“Hm?” Second doesn’t stop petting his hair, letting it ease his nerves. It's so soft. Soft, and smooth, and silky, and so warm--

“Y’know… you’re supposed to pet the cat too.” 

.

.

.

Fuuuuuuuck-- 

So much for things going well, huh??

“Right! Right-- ah- uh- of course, yeah.” He tumbles out, voice high pitched. His ears heat up so fast he feels dizzy, as embarrassment crashes into him, again. Thankfully, Red takes his antics with humor, and allows Second to keep his hand on his head. 

Reaching for the kitten still in his lap-- Second honestly forgot it was there-- he pets it too, comparing the two textures to each other. They were quite similar, Red's hair and a kitten’s fur, but the feline was obviously softer and less tangled. Red's hair constantly had knots in them, despite the short length, and Blue or Green often had to wrangle him to sit still as they worked through the tangles-- making sure they didn't have to chop anything off. Second should join them next time, so he could feel, once more, how soft Red’s hair was. 

Retracting his hands, he gives his verdict. 

“They're similar, your hair and a cat's.” Red moves his head back, yet remains seated right by Second's side. The hands on his leg don't move. “But yours is-- kinda more tangled.” He continues, glancing down at Red's hands before back up at his curious eyes. 

“Yeah? Hmm, well that's good to know! Maybe I should comb my hair more..” Red plays with a strand of his own hair before giving his attention back to Second. “That was fun though! We should do this again, ‘cause it felt nice.” 

“It-- it did? My uh.. petting?” 

“Yup! Now I can see why the kitties like it so much.” Red plays with another nearby kitten, completely ignoring Second's starstruck gaze. 

What-- what was he supposed to do with this information? That Red liked it when Second pet him? That he wanted Second to do it again? Was this a sign of some sort? Some kind of signal? 

“Well, I..” Second starts, and Red hums when he looks over at him. “I can--” 

There's a gasp, cutting his words off as Red points to something behind him. 

“Woah! Is that a flower tree?! I didn't notice that here before!” 

Second blinks, before whirling his head around and finding a sakura tree. Oh god. Oh no. The plan was starting. 

Yellow had briefly, very briefly, mentioned turning the trees into sakura trees to set the mood, but Second didn't think they'd actually be doing it! It was so cliche, and obvious. Too obvious! 

...But Red seems to like it, with how his eyes sparkle and glitter at the sight of the petals falling down, flying in the breeze. So maybe Second could like it too. 

“I didn't notice that either,” he plays along, “Wanna go see it?” 

“Yes! C'mon, let's go!” Red jumps to his feet, and Second quickly follows suit. Their hands find their way to each other yet again, even though they're only walking a few feet over. Why was Red holding his hand so much today, anyway? 

(Not that Second minded, not one bit.) 

“Look! The petals are so pretty! And it smells so nice, too!” Second's hand is released then, as Red bounds and skips around the big sakura tree. Catching petals as he hops about, Red's eyes are full of wonder and joy. Second can feel a smile creeping on his face from the sight. 

Another gasp, excited. “SECOND! There's more!! Look, look!” Red crashes into him, forcing him to turn around as Second's met with another cherry blossom tree. And another, and another-- almost every single tree in their vicinity transformed into a large, pink, fluffy tree. 

Even if Second thought it was a bit cliche, he can't help but revel in the trees’ beauty, their delicate blush petals cascading off the branches and floating in the breeze. The smell is wonderful too, floral and light. Yellow and Green were right, somehow, the change in atmosphere really did make Second feel more confident for his eventual confession. 

“There is!” He exclaims, feeling lighter than before. Red matches him with enthusiasm of his own, hooking an arm around Second's to drag him further into the circle of giant pink trees. 

Together, they race into the middle as petals fly past, and Red twirls them both around with bouts of laughter. Staring at the sky, the fluffy clouds floating above blush petals, Second finds himself having fun despite how anxious he initially felt. 

Red climbs one of the trees' branches, as Second knew he eventually would, giggling when petals fall in bunches on top of his head from his movements. They spill all over luscious red tufts, decorating and complimenting their vibrant hue perfectly. 

“This is amazing! I didn't know the trees in this place could magically change! They were green when we got here, right?” 

“Yup! I remember them being green too. Maybe this place is more wonderful than you thought.” Second remarks, looking up at Red swinging his legs on a branch. 

“The cats like it too.” Second adds, watching the kittens and older felines jump and chase at the petals. 

“Of course they do! Everyone loves flowers!” Red shouts, before hooking his legs around the branch and letting himself dangle upside down. A petal lands on the bottom tip of his nose. “Especially flower trees! They're so fun to climb.” 

“Yeah?” Second watches Red’s antics with a grin. “Don't hang upside down for too long though, what if a petal flies in your mouth?” He jokes, and with a small burst of confidence, cups the side of Red's face and removes the stray petal on his nose. He lets it fly away in the breeze as he watches Red's reaction. 

Only for a moment, Red stares at him with a surprised expression before he laughs. “I think I might choke if that happens.” He says, before reaching a hand out to Second.

“Help me down?” Second can still feel a slight warmth on his cheeks from his burst of courage, but he complies anyway. 

“Mhm, I got you.” 

Red beams, flashing a grateful smile before reaching his arms back up to the branch above him, doing somewhat of a curl up, and adjusts his legs. Second extends his arms out ready underneath him, and once they're both settled, Red drops from the branch right into Second’s arms. 

A shower of petals fall with him, raining on them as Second catches Red in what looks like a bridal carry, although Second might short-circuit if he called it that. His ears are probably glowing as bright as Red's hair right now, as the redhead sits comfortably in his grasp, arms wrapped around his neck. 

His legs swing playfully, shaking off the fallen petals off his head. Releasing one of his arms, Red also dusts off a few petals that landed on top of Second, picking them off with great care. 

Green gasps, watching Red drop into Second’s awaiting arms. The three of them were pretty far away from the other two, but were still close enough to be able to see what they were doing.

“NOW! YELLOW, NOW!” He shouts, wildly waving his hand at the blonde. Blue gushes next to him, muttering and rambling about how cute the two were. 

Nodding quickly, Yellow points the command staff up to the sky, moving the clouds and generating a bright sparkling rainbow. 

Red stills in Second's arms, his legs ceasing their swinging as he watches the forming rainbow with awe. With his mouth slightly ajar and eyes wide and attentive, his expression is one that Second can only describe as adorable. He holds Red a bit closer, a bit tighter, as they both gaze at the rainbow in the sky. 

The clouds make way for the prism of light, fleeing like an opening curtain. The sun shines even brighter, refracting the hue in the sky and painting the grass, the trees, the little kittens on the field below, and both of their smiling faces with patches of color. With the pink petal trees, this blinding, beautiful rainbow, and Red secure in his arms, Second feels the atmosphere is finally complete. Now, all he had to do was take the last step. 

“The rainbow looks so nice, Yellow!” Blue shouts, while he rummages through the picnic basket. 

“Thanks, Bluey! I knew it'd be a good addition.” Yellow replies, still concentrated on making the rainbow look as perfect as possible. 

“What else did Red bring in here, anyway? It's still heavy even though we already ate.” Green searches through the basket with Blue, pulling out random things. Both of them stop when Blue pulls out a rather large and strange bag of… dark green dust?

“What the hell is that? Did Red grind up grass or something?” Green pokes at the bag, and Blue lifts it up to the sunlight to see it better. 

“Dunno… looks like dust. Or powder.” They both stand, Blue moving the powder/dust/potentially ground up grass around the plastic baggie. “Why's Red bringing this to a picnic?” 

“Let’s open it, maybe it's drugs or something.” 

“Drugs? C'mon Green, it's Red , not me.” 

“True. But still, I wanna know what it is.” 

“Eh, alright. I'll open it.” 

And with that, Blue attempts to open the bag, his fingertips trying to peel the opening at the top. Surprisingly, it's sealed really tight and it remains shut even as Blue pulls it harder and harder. 

“Huh?? Why's it sealed so tight?” Exerting more strength, Blue tugs the sides of the bag harder, as Green leans over to watch. He tugs, and tugs, and tugs until it finally pops open, and quite literally explodes. 

“AGH! BLUEE!” Green shrieks, as the grass dust flies straight into his face, right into his eyes and up his nose. Ouch. Maybe Blue shouldn't have pulled it so hard--

Green coughs, gags, and his eyes water as he rubs at them wildly, trying to clear the powder out of his face.

“Oh my God! I'm sorry! Sorry, Green!” Blue shouts, frantically throwing the rest of the green-powder bag away to the side, and using his shirt to wipe at Green’s face. It doesn't exactly help, and Blue also starts to cough when flying particles of powder shoot up his nose as well. 

There's another scream, a yelp of surprise, and Blue whips his head over to see Yellow covered with green dust, coughing and sneezing. The bag Blue had discarded rests on top of Yellow's hair. “What the fuck?--” He coughs out, shaking his head and rubbing at his nose. 

Ohh, Blue really fucked up now, hasn't he?

“Yellow! Shit, shit, I'm sorry!! Can you breathe??” Blue rushes over, dusting off Yellow's green-tinted hair. The dust also got into the blonde’s glasses, obscuring his vision. He wipes at Yellow's face with his sleeve, a bit roughly in his panic, which makes the blonde topple slightly. 

“Agh-- Blue, is this more of your drugs?? I thought we--” He coughs, “-- talked about this!” 

“It's not! I found it in the picnic basket! Red packed it, not me!” 

“Red d--” The blonde sneezes, the command staff in his hand moving and wobbling. “--Did? It can't be drugs then, but it sure feels like them. My eyes sting. ” 

“Hold on, I'll get some water, okay?! Just stay still!” Blue shouts, at both Green and Yellow who are still coughing and tearing up at the powder stinging their eyes, before there's a sudden meow. 

Blue turns, finding a cat wandering over in the grass. Right, they were in a cat village. 

He's about to ignore the feline, a more pressing issue was at hand after all-- his friends were literally choking on dust-- before there's another meow, another feline popping out of the grass. 

And another. 

And another. 

And three more. 

Five more. 

Eight more?? 

AND MORE?? 

Blue watches in bewilderment as practically every single cat they had run into comes rushing out of the bushes, the trees, and the grass-- racing over to either Green or Yellow, meowing and purring. 

It clicks then, what that green powder actually was. 

“WAIT! WAIT--” Blue tries, catching one and then two cats before they can jump on Yellow, but unfortunately isn't able to defend Green behind him. 

There's a terrified scream, various meows and mewls, and finally the sound of Green crashing onto the ground with a pile of cats pouncing on top of him. They lick at the powder on his face, roam around his hair and sniff at his clothes, effectively swarming him. 

“IT’S CATNIP! IT'S--” Green screams, before a cat slams right into his face, silencing him. There's only muffled shrieks as he struggles on the floor whilst the cats attack. 

Yellow, catching sight of Green’s pitiful state through his blurry vision, barks out a laugh-- before he turns and finds numerous beady eyes staring at him. He gulps, and soon it's his turn to get mauled by hungry felines. 

“NO- WAIT! BLUE, THE STAFF! THE STAFF!--” The blonde yells, as cats jump and tackle on his back, his head and his torso. He stumbles with the sudden weight, falling onto the grass as the staff falls with him, a beam of energy shooting off in a random direction. Blue scrambles between helping Green or Yellow, before he gazes at the sky and he gapes. A cloud has suddenly turned into a tree. 

“Oh, fuck.” He breathes, staring at the sky. 

“FUCK INDEED! I CAN’T SEE-- AGH-” Green screams, nearby. His voice is still slightly muffled from the cats all over him. 

“Hold on! I'll help you! Just stay still!” After throwing a couple cats off of Yellow to no avail, Blue switches his attention over to Green, racing over to him. There's so many cats in the area they were hiding in now, and he has to jump, hop, and whirl around several cats running about. 

“Get off! Off! Shoo!” Grabbing cat after cat, Blue pries squirming felines off of Green, throwing them to the side. (Not too harshly, and they land safely-- since they're cats-- and Blue also takes care not to throw the little ones) A valiant effort, however the cats come racing back just as quickly as they're removed. 

Green’s able to at least sit up with Blue's efforts, and thankfully the catnip has mostly been licked off of his eyes. There's probably still powder in his hair though, but it's kind of hard to see. 

Nearby, Yellow attempts to wriggle away from the cats and points the staff upwards at the out of place tree in the sky. 

“Wait! Yellow, don't--!” Blue yells, but it's too late. 

A cat jumps straight onto the staff and onto Yellow's face as a beam of energy is shot out, and with a yelp and glasses flying off, the tops of two cherry blossom trees are suddenly turned into clouds. 

“We gotta fix that! Sec's gonna freak out!” Green yells, jumping up to his feet as cats dangle off him. He wipes at his eyes that still sting like a bitch, sniffles, and runs over to Yellow with Blue. 

While Blue attempts to pry yet another cat off Yellow's face and find his discarded glasses, Green picks up the staff and points it at the sky. 

“Come- onnn!” Blue whines, tugging at a cat that simply refuses to let go of Yellow. “Just let- GO!” With a final pull and shout, the cat releases its grip, and both Blue and the feline go tumbling backwards from the force he exerted. Blue's almost about to crack a smile at his success, allowing the cat to run off, before his back suddenly feels… wet. 

“What the..?” He starts, turning his head and placing a hand on the back of his now wet sweater. Bringing his hand back, it seems to be water, but it smells like… 

Oh fuck. 

It smells like fish. 

In horror, Blue whirls himself around to find he's toppled right into the bag of fish he had brought, the fish water splashing on the back of his sweater and the various fishes thrown and sprawled across the grass. The smell is really strong, and he's sure even Yellow and Green can smell it with the way they both turn to him. And if they could smell it, so could the… 

There's what feels like a rumble, as all three crane their heads, jaws dropping in terror. 

“CATS!! THERE'S MORE!” Yellow screams, attempting to get up quickly before he's completely absorbed by even more cats crowding around him. It looks like a scene from a zombie movie, with the way only Yellow's outstretched hand is visible amongst the pile of fur. 

“OH FUCK! NONONONO-” Green shouts, pointing the staff at the sky and hurriedly trying to fix the tree up there. Blue also gets swarmed, attempting to flee from the cats who can smell him clear as day. He's basically a fish in their eyes-- their hungry, predatory eyes with no mercy. 

“WAIT-- Yellow, what's the command for this again?? How do I turn it back?!--” 

“MMPH-- CL--” 

“WHAT?!”

Fuck it, Yellow's too far gone. Taken by the cats to never be seen again. 

Pointing at the sky, Green's about to put in the most likely command for a cloud, before more cats swarm around his legs, crawling up on his thighs and back. He screams, shouts, and attempts to get them off before they topple him over and make him lose his balance. 

Once more, a beam of energy is shot out to the sky from the staff as Green falls, being buried alongside his friends. Underneath the masses of felines, they all hear the distinct sound of a thunderclap, and panic when they begin to feel a heavy, pouring rainfall. 

Second isn't really sure what to think when there's a sudden tree in the goddamn sky. 

He doesn't really know what to say either, when Red hops out of his arms, walks forward to get a better look at the tree that's definitely not supposed to be up there , and looks back at Second, asking, “Uh, do you see that too? I'm not hallucinating right?” 

He blinks-- confused, puzzled, weirded the fuck out. Because why was there a tree?? In the sky?? Everything was going so well, too! Why now??

So, with little fanfare, he looks Red straight in the eye and says-- 

“You're hallucinating. What tree?” 

“Huh??” Red exclaims, looking at Second like he’s insane before whipping his head back to the tree in the sky. “But-- it’s right there?” He mutters to himself, rubbing his eyes and looking at the tree again. It obviously remains where it is, since, unfortunately, it's not a hallucination. 

Second feels a little bad, for tricking Red like this, but what was he supposed to do? He didn’t have a clue how it got there, but he knew it wasn’t supposed to be there. Something was clearly going on with the other three, which could mean that the plan was going to fail. 

Second couldn’t, wouldn’t let that happen. Not now, not when he had finally worked up all this courage, and not when they had just been in the most perfect moment. He needs to get Red’s attention back, somehow, get him back within his proximity and tell him truthfully, wholeheartedly how he felt. 

“May- Maybe you’re tired, Red! The only trees here are the cherry blossoms around us--!” 

Suddenly, the tops of the two cherry blossom trees right next to Second turn into clouds. Red gapes at the sight, and Second wants to slap himself. What. The fuck. 

“Wha- CLOUDS?!” Red shouts, running towards the trees and looking up at them. The trees look so goddamn weird, being cut off by clouds that glitch into the branches and barely float. It looks more like balls of matted cotton than fluffy, luscious clouds. 

Jumping onto a branch, Red climbs up and reaches for one of the clouds, intrigued by their sudden appearance. Second follows him quickly, waiting at the base of the tree as anxiety crawls up his throat. 

This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. They had such a perfect moment, and now there’s a tree in the sky and clouds on top of trees! Not only that, but Red was really distracted now, barely sparing Second a glance as he attempts to grab a puff of the clouds. How could he get his attention back? How could he get Red to sit still and listen to him? He couldn’t confess now, not with all this crazy stuff going on! What was going to happen next, huh? A storm?!

There’s a thunderclap, grey clouds rushing into the sky and wiping away any trace of the rainbow, and finally, a heavy downpour. Second watches the dark sky with wide eyes and a racing heartbeat, anxiety whirling and settling deep in his chest as the droplets rain down mercilessly, dampening his hair and breaking petals off their branches.  

No- nononononono-- this couldn’t be happening! After all their planning?! What was he supposed to do now?!

Second could take the easy way out. He could choose the easy decision to give up on his confession for today, regroup with his friends, and return home to a dry, warm house. But he takes one look at Red, takes in his shocked, surprised eyes, his mouth that was no longer smiling and decides that no, he won’t make this easier for himself. 

Nothing was ever easy when it came to Red, after all, except for loving him. 

“Red! Come on!” Second shouts, extending his arms up and out to him. Red blinks rapidly, surprised at the action before he nods soundlessly, and drops into Second’s arms once more. It’s not at all as peaceful or as gentle as the first time, their bodies crashing into each other with an intensity that matched the thunder above them, but Second takes it all in stride. Once Red is settled on the ground, Second grabs his hand tight and leads them away from the circle of cherry blossom trees. Their petals have fallen rapidly from the rainfall, no longer floaty or airy, instead becoming matted patches on the wet grass. 

Dragging them both in a random direction, Second isn’t exactly sure where he’s headed, simply looking for a place to take shelter. Red follows him without protest, their shoes splish-splashing in the puddles of rain in unison, their fingers laced tightly together. They flee into the trees and down a winding path leading to what seems like nowhere, before they eventually find a cave. It's quite far from their original spot and a bit eerie looking, but it's shelter all the same. 

Rushing inside, they both take a moment to catch their breath, their hands still intertwined. There’s a breathy giggle, Red laughing like everything was fine. 

“What-- just, happened?” He starts, letting go of Second’s hand and leaning against the cave’s wall.

“That, that was crazy! I’ve never seen rain so heavy before! Not in a place like-- this!” Sliding down the wall, he sits with his legs stretched in front of him. His shorts are drenched, as well as the rest of his clothes, droplets of water decorating his skin. Just like he always does, Red takes the unexpected situation with humor, smiling and grinning as he shakes his head to clear the water in his hair. 

Second moves to sit next to him, sliding down the wall as well. “I don’t know, it just came out of nowhere!” The truth, although Second’s pretty sure the other three might’ve caused that storm by accident. 

“Oh, the poor kitties. I hope they found somewhere dry.” Red remarks, a finger to his chin. He glances outside to watch the still pouring rain. 

“I’m sure they’re fine. Cats are smart.” 

A laugh. “Yeah?” 

“Mhm.” A smile. 

“That’s good then. But I guess we’ll be stuck here for a while, huh?” They both look back outside, even the grass is getting a bit trampled with the heavy rain, little flowers bending under the droplets' pressure. 

“Pretty much. I don’t think the rain is stopping anytime soon.” Second squeezes some water out of his low and thin ponytail, watching the water drip down. His clothes are also drenched, and he’s sure it’ll start feeling cold soon. 

Red hums, agreeing, before he tips his head to the side and rests it against Second’s shoulder. Second almost jumps at the action, looking over at Red smiling with eyes closed. 

“What?” He asks, opening one eye and glancing up at him. Second flushes ever so slightly. “Might as well get comfy if we’re gonna stay here for a bit.” There’s a content sigh, and Red’s eyes slip closed. 

Second only nods, wordlessly, before he brings a hand up to pet Red's damp hair. It’s colder now, but still just as soft. 

They sit there for a bit, the only sounds being the rain crashing down outside and steady breaths. Second feels a bit sleepy himself, but there’s something he has to do before he can succumb to a slumber. 

“Hey.. Red?”

“Hmm?”

Second swallows. He had to say it. He had to. 

“Y’know.. I- I like you. A lot.” 

.

.

.

There’s barely a reaction, barely movement from Red’s side before he pipes up. 

“Uh-huh? Uhmm.. wait. Like, you like me?” His eyes open then, but he keeps his head on Second’s shoulder. “Or like- you like-like me?” 

“What?” What was Red saying? Like-like? The fuck was that? 

“No, I- I like you. Like, really like you.” Second repeats. Maybe Red just wasn’t getting it? Did running in the rain mess up his head or something? Was he too tired?

“Wait- waitwaitwait--” Red rambles, shooting up off of Second’s shoulder and staring at him. 

“--Like- you like-like- like-like me? Really like-like ?” He looks surprised, eyes wide. There’s a brush of pink on his cheeks. “Like, like-like as in you like me in that kind of like-like way? Like, not like like but like-like kind of like??--”

Woah, woah-- what was Red saying?? How many likes were there? How many times did he just use the word ‘like’ in two sentences??

Second couldn’t take this anymore. His cheeks and his ears and his forehead and his entire being was already on fire , blushing like he was running a goddamn fever. What could he say to make Red understand? And what did like-like even mean??

Firmly, he plants both hands on Red’s shoulders, pulling him close and shouting-- 

“God, Red, I like you! I love you, don't you get it?!”

There’s a beat of silence, Second breathing heavily, his heart pounding as Red stares at him with wide eyes. 

Holy shit. Was that too much? Was that too intense? Too sudden? God, Second’s such an idiot-- that wasn’t how it was supposed to go! He was supposed to say it nicely! He’s so stupid-- stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid--

“You… love me?” It’s muttered small, quiet, and a little wobbly. Red’s eyes are brimming with expectancy, waiting for his answer. 

“Yes.” Second replies, desperately even. Please, please, please, he begs, please let Red understand-- 

(Please, let him feel the same way.)  

Red’s hands make their way to his forearms, cradling them gently. “Have you always loved me?” His eyes are glittery, and wonderfully bright. Second only hopes Red thought the same of his. 

“Ever since I’ve got to know you. Ever-- ever since I saw how wonderful you are. How gentle, caring, and compassionate you are.” Second gulps, before continuing. 

“When I saw your courage, your boldness, how you never ever give up, your strength, your love for your animals and our friends, the way your-- your head does that little tilt when you’re asking me a question, how you can never sit still, and when you grabbed my hand I…

…I couldn’t help it. Loving you.” 

He said it. Second had said it. It was done, it was out there now. How he felt all this time, his true and wholehearted feelings. 

“I…” Red starts, his eyes shining and his lip suddenly trembling. Second pauses. What? What?? Was he going to cry? What did that mean??--

With a squeal, delighted, happy, ecstatic-- Red throws his hands over Second’s neck, pulling him close and nuzzling his chin into his shoulder. “I can’t believe it! This-- it’s not real. I’m dreaming, aren’t I?!” 

Second blinks rapidly, arms wrapping around Red’s torso. He's hugging him. He’s hugging him tight, squealing in his arms--

“Sec, I--” Red pulls back, facing Second with moist eyes and a few tears trickling down, yet an eager smile on his face. Second brings a thumb to wipe at his tears, his heart racing. 

“I’ve always liked you. And.. I’ve like-liked you for a while now.” He admits, cheeks warming up. “Oh, and uh, like-like, what I mean by that is uhm, y’know, I…” Red chuckles at himself, his hands playing with Second’s ponytail behind him. 

“I love you. I love you too, Sec.” 

I love you. 

He feels the same way. Red feels the same way. He-- he said he loved him. He loved him. Him. 

It’s Second’s turn to scream now, throwing his arms around Red and squeezing him tight, grinning ear to ear.

“You do?! You really do, Red?!” 

“Yes! Yes! I do! I love you, Sec!”

Red pulls back, out of their embrace, and slams a messy, quick kiss on Second’s cheek, the area burning and tingling in the best way possible. He grins at him, all smiles, taking both of Second’s hands in his. 

“I love everything about you-- how kind you are, how smart, strong, and brave you are, the way you can get out of any situation, how you take care of me, and Green, and Yellow, and Blue and everyone else, how you always have to sleep at 9 p.m. latest, the sway of your head when you’re getting sleepy, your art, your drawing skills that are so, so, so amazing and cool--” Red takes in a breath, holding onto Second’s hands as he rambles, oh so lovingly, about everything he adores about Second-- how he adored Second. 

“-- and I love, I love, love, love your heart Sec. You’re always so… generous.” 

“That’s a big word.” Second jokes, his voice thick with emotion. His remark earns an affectionate eye roll from Red. 

“Let me finishhh.” Red drawls, giggling. 

“Okay, okay. Shoot.” 

“I mean it! Even when we first met you, the first thing you wanted to do was show us what we were missing. You wanted to share something new with us.” Second remembered that. He was excited to see other people for the first time, ecstatic to take them on a tour around the space outside the confines of their old home. 

“And even with Purple, you were generous to him too. I know Green is the one who really brought him over to our side, but I know you had a lot of mixed feeling about Purp' in the beginning. But you're so forgiving Sec. You looked past his mistakes, his wrongs, and you gave him a chance." 

Red brings their hands closer, bumping foreheads with Second. 

“And I love that about you, Sec. You’re the sweetest, most kindest person ever. I’ve had so much fun ever since you came into my life, and I love you.” 

Second can feel tears gathering in his eyes, listening to the gentle, soothing cadence of Red’s voice, telling him how much he loved these little parts of Second. How he loved him. He couldn’t believe it at first, thinking he must be dreaming, but the warm grip on his hands and the comforting pressure of their foreheads leaning into each other convinces him this is reality.

It’s all real. Second loves Red, and Red loves Second. 

“Ah! C’mon, Sec, don’t cry!” Red cups his face, bringing his face up to look at him. The tears only continue to stream down his face. 

“What is it, hm? Did I say something bad?” The tears are wiped away gently, Red’s thumbs swiping them away. Second sniffles. 

“I’m just really happy.” He whispers, smiling as more tears pool out. Red laughs at that, squeezing his cheeks lightly. 

“Crybaby.” 

“Hey! You were crying too!” Second protests, moving out of Red’s hands. 

“Was-- was not!” 

“Yes you were!” 

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Okay, fine! But only a little! You’re crying a lot!”

“Because of you!” 

“Because I love you?!” 

“Yes!” 

They both pause, breathing heavily as they stare into each other’s eyes, before they break down in laughter. They laugh and laugh, Red’s giggles filling the air and sending bubbles to Second’s stomach, and Second’s chuckles sounding like music in Red’s ears. 

As they do so, their hands find their way to each other once more, their fingers intertwining and holding tight. 

.

.

.

“Sec, can I tell you something? Something that you can’t tell the others?” Red whispers, when they’ve finally calmed down. 

Second hums, leaning into Red’s touch as they sit shoulder to shoulder. The rain had dissipated now, leaving only a few droplets dripping from the cave entrance. “What is it?” 

Red grins before leaning into Second’s ear, his breath warm and tingly. 

“I actually only wanted to hang out with you today, but I couldn’t figure out how to ask you. I wanted this place to be our little secret.”

Oh??

“It can be.” 

Red leans away from Second’s ear, eyeing him curiously with a tilt of his head. 

“How? I’ve already brought the others here.” 

“Simple. Just don’t tell them where the portal is. You’re the one who led us, the others don’t remember how to get back here.” 

There’s a gasp. “You’re right! You’re so smart, Sec!” 

“Am I?” 

“Mhm! The smartest!” 

“I think that title goes to Yellow.” 

“Oh, maybe.. But between me and you, you’re the smartest.” 

“I’ll take that.” 

There’s another kiss, a quick peck that Second places on Red’s cheek. 

“You’ll remember the way here, right? So we can make this place ours?” Red looks at him expectantly, his eyes twinkling. Second returns his eagerness with a smile of his own, and a hand brushing a lock of Red's hair behind his ear. 

“Of course.” 

He means it.

“So.. what-- what happened to you guys?” Second asks, barely holding back his laughter as Red doubles over in stitches behind him. His laughter is loud and wild, tears pricking at his eyes as he almost collapses in his fit of giggles. 

“Don’t fucking ask.” 

“I hate cats.”

“It’s kinda my fault… It's a long story.” 

Green, Yellow, and Blue answer together, all of them absolutely drenched from the rain, numerous scratches and bites over Green and Yellow’s faces, and their hair and clothes looking like they’ve been caught in a tornado. The neckline of Green's shirt is ripped and pulled down, there's bite marks on his arms, and there's a clear rip at the bottom of his pants. Yellow's vest is torn at the side with frayed strings hanging off it, his glasses are cracked, and his sleeves are also scratched up and dirty. Patches of the catnip stay matted in Yellow’s blonde hair, as well as around Green’s cheeks and nose. Blue looks the least roughed up, but his braid is tangled, his clothes look like they've been trampled on, and he smells like fish. Most notably, there’s a small kitten perched upon Yellow’s head, sleeping in his messed up hair. 

“So did you confess, or what? Did we get absolutely mauled for no reason?” Green questions, crossing his arms. The other two look at Second curious, forgetting their hatred for cats temporarily. 

Second grins, grabbing Red’s hand and holding it up. The two of them beam at their friends. “Yup!” 

The three of them let out relieved sighs, Yellow resting heavily against the command staff and Green’s uncrosses his arms, thankful they didn’t get attacked for nothing. 

“That’s great! Congrats, you two!” Blue’s about to hug both Second and Red, before he remembers the cat fiasco. He looks down at his sweater, dirty with dirt, rain and catnip, and smells the stench of fish. He laughs sheepishly, retracting his arms.

“Eh.. I’d give you guys a hug, but I think I should take a shower first.” 

“Yeah, definitely.” Red settles for patting Blue on the head instead. “Let’s go home now, kay?” 

They all agree, and both Second and Red lead them back home with interlocked hands. 

It’s warm, comfortable, and everything Second’s really wanted. 

To have Red as officially his, to feel his mellow presence besides him knowing that he loved him back. 

It was a hard and chaotic journey to get to this point, but now that everything's out in the open, Second doesn’t think it can be any easier. 

It was so easy, love, liking, like-like, and everything in between. With Red, it was easy.