Chapter Text
“I don’t wanna be different.”
The words rolled off the lynx’s tongue a bit easier than they should have. Made him seem certain. But deep down, was he? Did he really want to be part of his shitty family anymore? The same family that was willing to put him down as long as it was by someone else’s hands, or well, darts. The same family who treat him like he was nothing to them other than a burden.
Was this really the path he was going to choose? How much was he willing to give up people who saw him as something other than a disappointment? How much was all of this worth it?
He could stop all of this now. Grab that pen and give the dying rabbit the antivenom. And save someone who had come to mean everything to him. He was freezing out there in the snow. Pawbert knew snakes couldn’t handle the cold. They’re cold blooded! Of course they can’t handle the cold!
God what was he doing anymore? He didn’t want this! He got what he wanted. Someone who actually cares about him. Someone who appreciates him for who he is. So why is he doing this?
The lynx looked conflicted and to Judy who knows how he looked before he sprinted over to the door he’d thrown Gary out of and picking him up, holding him close. If he could just warm him up a bit and grab that antivenom pen for Judy he could fix this. He wanted to be different from his family. His family never cared. And over the last few days Gary had shown that he genuinely cared about him. All of it was genuine from him. Why did he ever take that for granted? Why was he going to give it all up for a family that would never give him the time of day in a million years? It was stupid. He was stupid. So unbelievably stupid. His family was never going to accept him so there was no point in trying to do anything for them. It should not have taken him this long to figure out.
He was snapped out of his thoughts hearing a weak “Paw…bert” from the bundle of freezing scales he had pulled from the cold snow.
“I’m here, partner. I’m sorry. God I am so fucking sorry. I shouldn’t have- fuck.” Pawbert groaned as he rummaged in the bag for that damn pen. He was rummaging around there for a few seconds before finally yoinking the pen out and stabbing it into Judy’s chest. As much as he wasn’t looking forward to her reaction to all of this, he couldn’t exactly let her die. He didn’t want a death on his hands at all.
The rabbit shot up, making Pawbert stumble back a bit, trying not to drop Gary still. He couldn’t drop him. Not now. He couldn’t let him die. If anyone deserved to die it was the lynx himself. Not Gary or Judy. Just him.
Gary curled up a bit more in Pawbert’s arms to warm up more. Pawbert looked back down at him, making sure he hadn’t knocked any of the snake’s scales off. He couldn’t hurt Gary more. He just couldn’t. He couldn’t lose him.
While that was happening with those two, Judy had already ran off to go meet with Nick and Nibbles, to make sure they were still alive and well, especially since Nick had nearly gotten burnt to a crisp a few moments prior, leaving Gary and Pawbert alone for a bit. Probably not the best idea for Judy to leave a snake alone with the same lynx that had just tried to kill both of them but she never did think anything through did she?
Pawbert shivered slightly as he felt a cold breeze, suddenly remembering the door leading outside to Tundratown and that old reptile district was open. “Shit that’s not gonna help at all-” he muttered before darting over to the door to close it, still clinging onto Gary as if his life depended on it. Yet he didn’t look at him again. He couldn’t. He literally just tried to kill him for fucks sake! Gary probably didn’t even want to look at him either.
Except that wasn’t the case. Gary had kept his eyes on Pawbert nearly the whole time since he picked him up. That bit of hope still shimmering in his eyes. The hope that he almost lost. But he was still clinging onto it the entire time. And it had paid off. Just not in the way anyone expected.
“You can be different from your family. I knew you could be.” His voice was less shaky now. Clinging to Pawbert had at least warmed him up a bit now.
“I- You saw I can’t be. I did exactly what they would have done.” Pawbert sighed. God it hurt to admit now. It was what he wanted originally but now? It just hurt to be like them. To be seen as like them. He didn’t want it anymore if it meant letting go of Gary.
“I’m still alive aren’t I?” Gary chuckled. “A bit cold but I’m alive. I’m pretty sure the others would have killed me on the spot. But you? You didn’t. You saved me. When you really didn’t have to. You are different from your family Pawbert. You’re better than them. Better than they’ve ever been.” He used his tail to guide Pawbert’s head to look down at him.
“You messed up. Sure. And I’m not exactly happy about the murder attempt-” he cleared his throat, “But you didn’t have to bring me back in here. Didn’t have to save me or Judy. You could have left both of us to die. Yeah? But you helped. You cared enough to help”
“But I-”
“No buts. Paw you are better than them. I believe you are. Even if you don’t believe that yourself.” Gary gave Pawbert a small smile. It was the best he could do in that moment, still recovering from being in the snow. “Now can we end this? Get the original patent and prove to everyone how good you can be?”
Pawbert hesitated for a minute. They should still have a bit of time and all that was stressful as hell. Who knows what Milton is going to do to him the next time they have to see each other.
“Can we- maybe just stay here a bit longer? Warm you up a bit more.”
“If that’s what you want to do then we can. Just take your time Paw. We shall succeed.”