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It was raining again. The optimal weather to stay inside in Bottle’s opinion, the last thing she wanted was to get caught outside and filled with rainwater again.
So with the challenge canceled, golf she believed it would’ve been, the glass container had all the time in the world to tug herself into her bed with a book and a cup of tea.
Though, she couldn’t seem to stay focused. To be entirely honest, even though it’s been a few days by now Bottle’s thoughts were still with the last challenge. With Chainsaw, with Cup, even with Plasma Ball. And Treasure Chest.
She was worried about him. Yes, they talked about what happened, and they made up and were still working together, something she was looking forward to. He just had pulled back since then, not as abruptly as before but still. His curt answers and tendency to stick to the sidelines hadn’t exactly made it easy to spend time with him. Glaring down at the pages, not taking in a single word, Bottle just felt frustrated.
She sighed, snapping her book shut. She wasn’t getting any reading done anyway, so instead she leaned over to grab her tea, consequently peering out of the window and- Was that Treasure Chest?
Well, speak of the devil she guessed, watching the other run across the field in the pouring rain. Now, while it did seem questionable to her, Bottle didn’t immediately see anything wrong with the other being outside. He at least had the luxury of not feeling like he was about to throw up if he stood in the rain for too long. Though all the water couldn’t be good for his wood, right?
Keeping her eyes on him, she noted that he was walking away from the boys cabin, across the competition grounds. He seemed focused, like he was going somewhere. Moving her eyes in the general direction of where he was going, they quickly landed on-
On the wishing well…
Bottle was already moving when her mind caught up to her, tripping as she fought to get out of the blanket. It took only a few large steps to cross the room, then she was hurrying down the hallway towards the front door. She stopped before it.
Truth be told, as much as she wanted to make sure Treasure Chest was okay, she really didn’t want to get wet again. Looking around, Bottle quickly spotted an umbrella near the door, its design see through and covered in bubbles. Wasn’t that… wasn’t that Bubblewrap’s umbrella? Oh well, the girl probably wouldn’t mind. Stepping outside, she stood for a moment to breathe in, taking in the calming but also depressing atmosphere the weather created. Then she promptly ran into the direction of the well.
Or what was left of it. Wow, she didn’t realize how busted up it had actually gotten. All that was left of it was just a pile of stones and charred wood. As she spun in place, she took in the rest of the scene they had left behind. The busted golf cart, the hole in the ground, the piles of junk and the shards she and Cup had caused. Looking around felt kind of surreal to her, even though she had been here only a couple of days ago. That being said, the scene seemed to be entirely devoid of Treasure Chest.
Had- had he left already? Maybe he went back to the boys cabin and there wasn’t actually anything to be worried about? But no, they were surrounded on all sides by an open field, she would’ve seen him leave. But then where was he?
He could’ve gone past the well, and continued to the forest but then why would he have come here in the first place. Why go to the forest at all? Bottle just stood there, trying to think of something until suddenly, barely audible over the noise of the rain, she heard… breathing. Uneven, wheezing and hitched breathing that was occasionally interrupted by sniffling. Almost like someone was holding back sobbing, trying their best not to cry.
Turning into the direction of the sound, she found herself looking at the hole Treasure Chest had tried to dig during the challenge. The one Chainsaw had buried him in and she consequently had dug him out of again. Walking towards it, she didn’t know what to expect. It certainly wasn’t Treasure Chest, curled up into a miserable little ball as he sat at the bottom of it, his wood soaked by the rain which was only made worse by the small puddle of water the hole had collected. Their eyes met only for a moment before the other let out a strangled whimper, curling up even further as he cast his eyes to the ground. He looked… incredibly small like this.
They both stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Until eventually, “Are you… okay?” Ok, obviously he wasn’t, Bottle already knew as much. But she just- didn’t know what to say. “You know, you’re going to get sick if you stay out in the rain for much longer.”
And while Treasure Chest still refused to look at her, he at least mumbled something in response. Bottle crouched down, closer to the other as she tried to keep her voice comforting. “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Can you repeat it please?” It was louder this time, and a lot more strained in a way that almost sounded angry. But she could just barely understand what he was saying. Her expression dropped as she now sat down at the side of the hole, lifting the umbrella above both of them.
“Treasure Chest, you don’t mean that, right?” Finally he turned to look at her. “And what if I do?” His voice cracked horribly and he looked like he’d been crying for a while now.
“No, just because you unmeaningly hurt others doesn’t mean you should hurt as-” “But I do!” He looked at her, really looked at her. There was so much anger and hatred in his eyes, and she knew none of it was directed at her, at anyone but himself. “I know you said not everything can go my way, and I understand that I really do! But I already messed up so many times, over and over again. Shouldn’t I- I don’t know, face repercussions for that? Experience some karma?” His words were so honest, so believing of what he was saying, and it broke Bottle’s heart. “Everyone you ever befriended has left you. Isn’t that karma enough?”
It caused Treasure Chest’s anger to evaporate in almost an instant. He cast his eyes down again as he started picking at the dirt. “It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Even then, making yourself suffer isn’t going to fix anything. Especially when the people you’re ‘doing it for’ aren’t even here?” She paused, thinking for a second. “... but I’m here, you know. And I want you to be okay. Can… you do that for me, please?”
Silence stretched between them, and it took a while before he answered. “I can try.” Carefully he looked up at Bottle again. She was smiling now, a smile on her face that was so incredibly genuine, it felt blinding. It felt like warmth, after he had been cold for so long.
It was almost overwhelming, so instead he focused on her hand as she offered to pull him up.
“Thank you. Now come on, we’re going to get sick if we stay out here any longer.”
Helping Treasure Chest out of the hole, Bottle pulled him under the umbrella with her, putting her arm around him. He was absolutely soaking, his wood waterlogged and heavy as he stood on shaking legs. Slowly, much slower than before they began their walk back to the cabins, a silence settling over them that was for once not tense or uncomfortable. Instead Bottle took in the scenery around them, enjoying the smell of the rain and the pitter patter against the umbrella while she helped the smaller keep moving.
“You know, when we did the rain collecting challenge, Milk told me she thought rain was incredibly romantic. I never got what she meant until now,” Bottle said absentmindedly. Treasure Chest, who was only half listening as he leaned into her, responded, “Yeah? How so?”
“I don’t know, it’s just the vibes. Makes me want to romance someone.” That made the smaller laugh, an action that caused Bottle’s cheeks to slightly fog up. Though nothing could’ve prepared her for his next words, his tone cheerful despite his exhaustion.
“Well, I’m here. You could romance me.”
It didn’t take long for what he said to catch up to them, as they both abruptly stopped walking, the only reason Treasure Chest not falling square on his face being that Bottle managed to wrap an arm around him before he did. For a moment they both just stood there, shellshocked. Despite the chill clinging to him, Treasure Chest felt hot, and he was kind of glad he was facing away because his face must’ve been so incredibly red. Bottle honestly wasn’t fairing much better.
Though the awkward moment was disrupted when a violent shiver ran through the smaller, causing him to involuntarily lean into the other for warmth. It snapped Bottle out of her surprise, as instead a small smile slipped on her face. Clamping the umbrella under her arm, she picked Treasure Chest up almost too easily, an undignified yelp escaping him as he was held bridal style. It only made his blush worse, and now he didn’t even have the luxury of facing away. But despite his embarrassment, he didn’t feel uncomfortable, even as Bottle laughed.
“You know what? I’ll think about it. As soon as you no longer look like a sad wet dog,” was what she told him as tremors ran through them both. “That being said, I have a warm blanket and a hot cup of tea in my room with your name on it. So how about that?”
She looked at him with a lopsided smile, and they were both blushing, both cold and still Treasure Chest hadn’t felt this warm in a long time. Taking the umbrella from her arm, he lifted it above the two of them, finally returning her smile. His voice was quiet and croaky but not any less happy as he spoke.
“I’d really love that.”