Work Text:
There were a wide variety of words used for most object's BFB experience. From "eye-opening" to "brutal", most could summarize their experience as eventful in one way or another. Even some of Fries' teammates back on Free Food. Bell repeatedly used the word "annoying" due to people climbing her string. Yellow Face used the word "thrilling", especially now that he had some form of business rival. Even Puffball had a few words for BFB, but most of them had to do with the fact she wasn't invited onto the all balls team thing. But that's also exactly what got Fries onto his new team, with a very... questionable name. Are You Okay? was decent enough.
Fries didn't have much opinion on most of the team. Golf Ball was bossy, Tennis Ball was a loyal follower who beat him in BFDIA, TV was... TV. Eraser was brash and a little too keen on rivalry and stuff. Puffball was his best friend. And then... then there was Pen. Pen was different. Most of Are You Okay? was some variation of bossy, angry, brash, or just straight up indifferent. Anger welled through a good chunk of the team. And Pen was the ray of sunshine through the clouds. And it wasn't just positivity he radiated, but care too. Pen always made sure to catch up with his teammates, asking how they were doing and listening if they needed to vent.
Maybe that's what lured Fries in. Fries had never been one to let his guard down, he expressed mostly a hatred to working with others. Most of BFDIA he spent playing solo, or at least what he could recall. Those were the best times. Times where he didn't have to interact with others unless it was to be clever and work up interesting strategies. One of his favorites definitely was how he beat out the entirety of the Beautiful Face Devotion Institute by kidnapping Bomby and Needle. And, maybe, once or twice since the formation of Are You Okay? had Fries vented his frustrations of working on a team of "bossy and brash idiots" to Pen.
That, in fact, did not help at all in his current situation. What was his situation, you may ask? Well, it was lunch time, and as per usual, Golf Ball, Tennis Ball, and TV were eating alone and didn't let the rest of the team join, especially because Golf Ball was "commissioned for something". Eraser was too caught up chasing around Teardrop, and Puffball was actually spending time with someone other than Fries today. But that left Pen and Fries as the only two at the main table for Are You Okay?, right next to a window (due to Golf Ball saying the connection to the outside was supposed to be rejuvenating to help them have energy throughout the rest of the day, or something, Fries never listened to her nerd talk.)
Pen was happily rambling about something he and Eraser had done that morning, happy he finally got Eraser to stop being rivals with Teardrop for just a bit so the two could hang out. But Fries couldn't seem to focus on what Pen was talking about, no matter how hard he tried. Pen's expressions captivated him, how Pen would use his arms to amplify his points. His smile was infectious, and Fries felt he could actually relax in his presence. Fries found himself lost in Pen's eyes, in Pen's smile, in Pen's body language. It was just something Fries had never seen in someone who was anywhere remotely close to him, and it left him wanting to see more and more of it.
Fries hadn't even realized he was spaced out until Pen's hand was in his face, waving at him, "Hey, Fries, you okay?"
"Wh- Yeah, I'm fine," Fries bit a tad too defensively, but that was another thing Pen was just magic at: he could tell Fries was lying.
"Fries, look at me," Pen's expression changed, he held out his hands, and Fries couldn't help but have his own land into them, "What's the matter? I won't tell anyone else."
Fries looked down at his hands, laying within Pen's own. How was he supposed to say what was truly the matter? Something like 'Hey dude, I'm fine, I'm just getting lost in how expressive you are and I love it so much I want it forever' would make things way more awkward. So instead, Fries took focus on how Pen's hands felt. Fries had always had extremely rough hands, calloused with scars from blisters that never healed properly, especially ones that were caused from being too close to fire (a surprisingly common occurrence, to the point where Fries even had a burn scar on his left hand). Pen's, meanwhile, were different. They weren't the softest around, but compared to Fries' hands, they were soft. They really matched the gentle expression on Pen's face, how he stared with deep concern right at Fries.
Eventually, Fries spoke, his harsh yet indifferent tone softening, "I... don't want to talk about it right now."
"Oh, alright then!" Pen took Fries words as a sign not to push, still holding his teammate's hands, "So, as I was saying..."
Fries tried extra hard to pay attention to Pen's voice, tried extra hard to be attentive. He didn't have the guts to say what was plaguing him right now. His world before TPOT had been so dull, especially for competition standards, and all of a sudden, there was a light, a beam of joy, within his life. And he was getting lost in that beam of joy, in the best way possible.
Bonus:
"Puffball, you don't understand," Fries voice was much more urgent than usual, "He's more than just a friend, or teammate. He's like a light, no, a beacon, and I'm a moth."
Puffball chuckled, "So you're crushing on him?"
"Wh- Maybe?! I don't know, Puffball, all I know is that I feel like I'm wrapped in his finger and yet I love it??? I don't know, Puffball, I really don't, I need you to help me!" Fries' voice raised in volume as he spoke.
"You're just having a gay panic," Puffball was laughing to herself at how disastrous Fries had quickly become, "Just take a deep breath and think about it for a minute without worrying."
Fries sighed, "YOU ARE NOT HELPING!"