Chapter Text
Tiredness isn’t exactly avoidable with the task that Astro holds.
He was constantly throwing himself around, pushing his limits to the point of break, yet still having to continue; bringing himself to no return. His routine was the exact same every day, unlike the other toons having fun things to do in their meantime, not always pushing themselves to do things that they know they can’t.
When in runs, he’d constantly be running around; giving stamina to those who barely even needed it because of the constant complaints of him being lazy, never actually helping, always failing skillchecks. He needed to push himself further, needed to help.
On top of this was his duty having to give all the toons good dreams. He’d never get any sleep, catching short naps and “resting his eyes” during runs, waking up in the elevator alone hours after.
He was done.
The lune lay restlessly on his bed, sobbing. His cold body shook, curled into what looked like an uncomfortable position. Ichor trickled onto the bed from fresh cuts, his wrists trembling and irritated. He had been so exhausted, so tired, his overworking duties having finally leaving him spent. The sight of the cuts disgusted him. He quickly got to his bathroom, throwing up nothing but stomach acid, having not eaten in days.
He wearily dragged himself back to his bed, sobbing. His throat was burning, the horrible taste of acid in his mouth. He couldn’t even bring himself to cover up his sobs, tired and done with everything.
Slow footsteps echoed in the hallway, then stopped.
Sprout stood frozen on the other side of the door, the sound of muffled sobbing drowning out everything else. He hesitated for only a second before knocking quietly.
“Astro? Are you okay?”
“...I’m coming in.”
Astro lunged for his blankets, wrapping himself into them. He faced the wall, praying Sprout was just bluffing, that he wouldn’t actually come in. His prayers went unanswered. The door creaked open, and Sprout stepped inside, quietly clicking the lock behind him.
“Astro..”
Sprout steadily walked over to his bed, sitting on the edge of it. He didn’t get any closer, leaving him space.
Astro peeked from the safety of the fabric, his gaze flickering toward Sprout for a fraction of a second before he recoiled, burying his face back into the pillow.
Sprout didn’t push. He simply shifted, his weight dipping the mattress as he settled against the headboard. He remained a steady, quiet presence until he reached out, resting a hand on Astro’s trembling shoulder.
His breath hitched in sharp, painful gasps, his jaw locked so tight it hurt, refusing to lean into the comforting hand on their shoulder despite the way his body racked with silent, desperate sobs.
Astro choked on a sob, his throat dry and burning from his crying. He trembled, exhausted from crying. He finally spoke, his words raspy and quiet.
“I’m fin—”
“No, don’t give me that, Astro. I know you’re not.”
Sprout lightly uncovered Astro’s head, moving his blanket a bit. He lightly placed his hand on his head, stroking the soft fabric of the sleeping cap with his thumb.
Astro flinched, the sudden touch a bit new to him.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.. Can you show me your face?” he asked quietly.
Astro slowly turned to him, his eyes red and puffy, tears falling onto his cheeks. His body trembled a bit, the pain and exhaustion still making him shake. Sprout gently cupped his cheek, gently caressing his soft skin. Blessedly, he didn’t flinch.
“Good.. thank you. Can you take the blanket off for me?”
Astro nodded reluctantly, knowing that eventually he would have to. He removed the blanket, looking at his cuts and becoming nauseous again. Sprout’s heart dropped, seeing what he’d done to himself. Astro cringed, Sprout noticing and quickly reassuring him.
“Hey- hey.. It’s alright. Can I see? Please?”
Astro reluctantly gave Sprout his wrists, flinching from the burn of it. He winced, having to sit up while Sprout held his wrists. He barely even trusted Sprout with what he was doing. He didn’t even know why he did what he asked. Though, for some reason, he felt.. Safe. Secure. Cared for. So, he did as he asked.
“Will you be okay if I leave for a second? It won’t be long. Promise.”
It took a second before Astro hesitantly nodded, unhappy with the absence of Sprout’s soft touch.
“Okay. Just a few seconds.”
Sprout, true to his word, came back in under a minute. He brought a first aid kit and a glass of water for Astro, sitting back down on his bed in front of him. He placed the first aid kid beside himself, offering the water to Astro.
“Astro, can you take a few sips? I know you haven’t drunk or eaten anything in days.”
He was stern, but it was true. It had been a couple of days since he’d consumed anything.
Astro nodded, his shaking hand grabbing the glass. He wasn’t able to take more than a few sips before he got a bit nauseous.
“Good.. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to do this, Sprout..”
Astro spoke, his voice still raspy and quiet. He could barely speak, but it was getting better.
“I do. Don’t say that,” Sprout said.
Sprout took the glass, his fingers brushing Astro's for a brief second before he set it on the nightstand. The click of the first aid kit opening felt loud in the quiet room.
He reached out, taking Astro’s wrist and cradling it in his palm as if it were made of spun glass.
“I’m going to wrap this up,” Sprout murmured, his voice low and steady. “I promise, it'll only sting for a second.”
Astro watched, his face burning as Sprout worked. Every swipe of the disinfectant was a sharp reminder of what he'd done. He felt like a toddler being tended to by a babysitter, small, helpless, pathetic.
He tried to look away, but the methodical way Sprout secured the medical tape kept his eyes glued to his own skin. One wrist finished. Then, the other.
He could feel the tears burning his eyes, His throat was tight, looking down at his wrists. He was disgusting. Why would he even do this? If he wasn’t such a crybaby, none of this would’ve happened. This was so stupid. Please, don’t cry–
“Hey, Astro, look at me.. It’s okay..
He rested his hand on top of the lune’s, bringing his other hand up to gently cup his face. He caressed the skin on his soft cheek, his movements tender and slow. Sprout tilted Astro’s head up to look at him, wiping away tears from his eye.
“You’re okay..”
Astro lunged into sprout, clinging to him in desperation. He buried his face into his chest, soaking the fabric of his shirt as he wept.
Sprout gently caressed his back, holding him in a comforting hug.