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There's a knock on Shrimpo's door. Normally, he would tell whoever it was to fuck off, to leave him alone, but, a single knock, at barely 4 am? He knows who it is perfectly.
He rushes to the door, adrenaline kicking in, making him lose any ounce of sleepiness he might've had. He opens the door and indeed, there he is, his flower, not looking too good, arm bruised from being injected day after day with who-knows-what, just for Delilah's sick amusement. He looks slightly lost, maybe dissociating, and Shrimpo prefers not to comment yet on the rest of the wounds and bruises in his body.
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Their relationship started weirdly, so to say. Becoming friends was the first step, and they had bonded quite well!
Needless to say that the handlers, Arthur, nor Delilah were happy. Quite the opposite. Shrimpo and Dandy had started talking after one specific rough day im which the former was taken in to be "fixed". They thought he was "too friendly" with the toons, even when they weren't making the show. That he had to "adhere" to character. So they took him into Delilah's "laboratory", so to say.
Dandy was there, an IV in his arm, ichor drained out of him to be injected again afterwards from a machine that mixed it with what seemed more ichor. Although a different shade. It looked bad.
Shrimpo was sat down in front of her. Of their creator. Arthur approached and explained that this was his first and only warning. Was he to keep acting unlike him (his show-self), then they'd be forced to take the necessary measurements.
Those measurements weren't good at all. But that warning was more than enough. Dandy watched helplessly. From there they started talking in secret, at night, sharing everything with each other.
And nature takes its course. It wasn't surprising when it finally happened, when they finally shared their first kiss, when they slept in the same bed and cuddled up until early dawn.
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This was one of the many nights in which Dandy came back hurt. He had willingly offered to be the test subject after learning that otherwise, one of his friends would be. He'd rather be the one going through it. It's not like he was happy about it. He didn't want to help Delilah into whatever she was doing, but to refuse her would end up way worse, either strapped down or being told that then she'd get anyone else. It was torture.
Shrimpo shuts the door silently after Dandy enters, this time with a slight limp, plopping down on the unmade, messy and broken bed, wincing as he does, his petals doing a quick job at trying to hide his face by curling up.
He always hides the pain, even from his partner. He can't help it, can he?
—What have they done to you this time?— Shrimpo says. To anyone else, it'd have sounded like he's being rude, even mocking, specially when he's not screaming. But Dandy knows better. Way better than that, he can sense the worry hidden beneath. Shrimpo sits down next to him and slowly runs the tip of his fingers on Dandy's back. So slowly. So soft.
There's ragged breaths and then a choked whine. Shrimpo glances, frowning. Right. Remember, first comfort, you can't go and act all mad (which he was, not with him but on his behalf). He takes a deep breath and keeps running his fingers softly. It makes the sobs louder.
—I'll go get the health kit...— He mumbles, but Dandy's hand quickly grasps around his wrist. His petals had receded slightly and that makes it be seen, those eyes, red in its center. Maybe out of fear, anger, or profound helplessness.
—Don't.
That's the only thing that comes out, his body trembling, before his petals hide his face again and he reaches out to hug Shrimpo, who hugs back begrudgingly, sighing in feigned annoyance.
He sounded desperate. He's not going to handle loneliness well, and Shrimpo knows, so he slowly accommodates him in his arms, the way he knows the flower likes, his arms around him softly, fitting perfectly. He's never been good with words either way, but actions speak louder than those, at least for Shrimpo, they do.
After a few minutes, Dandy must've been coming out of the adrenaline rush state he was in, noticeable by how his grip weakens in the bruised arm and his petals unfurl once again, fully, giving a look into his face, without the smile, he looks absolutely drained.
He's trying to match his breaths to Shrimpo's calmer ones. The other toon slows them down purposefully, to try to help him, and places a soft kiss on his bright red petal. Such softness is uncharacteristic for him but Dandy has him wrapped around his finger.
—Better?— Shrimpo asks in that 'I don't give a fuck' tone. That's just his natural way of talking though. If toons spent more time around him maybe they'd know. Or maybe they wouldn't, maybe he would've gotten "fixed". Who knows.
Dandy nods, and Shrimpo hums. —K'. Stay here, I'll be back.— He untangles from their comfortable embrace and flees the room, leaving Dandy alone with his thoughts. He's doing what he had to do. He's doing this to help.
He hates himself for it. He knows what Delilah's attempting but he allows it, he allows her to hide the truth from Arthur, and next day he would have to go back to routine as if that didn't happen, he would have to be in the center of attention (sucks being the main character huh?) and fake that his organs don't feel one step away from collapsing.
He wants to shut his body down, to feel mental calmness for once, to stop the guilt that comes. Even worse, he's dragged Shrimpo into this, he shouldn't have done that, why can't he just keep his mouth taped? Either way nobody would hear him screaming from the laboratory.
Before any other self deprecating thought can appear, the toon had just come back with a first aid kit, and set it on the bare mattress. —Show me.— Dandy looks at him and slowly does, his bruised arm, then his other arm stops hiding his belly. There was a way too big gaping wound. Scalpel made, possibly. His beautiful chub now stained by ichor.
Shrimpo grimaces. —Fuck. They really went all out.— He grunts and opens the medkit, rummaging around to find gauzes and serum.
He puts the liquid in the gauze and does his best not to press too tight while disinfecting the wound. He's about to stop when he sees the sharp intake of air and a hiss of pain, but Dandy manages to give him a weak, encouraging smile.
Shrimpo's quick to look back down, red on the cheeks. Damn this flower for being so cute. Dandy tries to laugh but his wounds hurt when he does, so he's quick to stop the bubbling laugher that was about to be. —We should call Sprout.
The flower is fast to tense again. —What? No, no, no need, I'll do just fine.— He mumbles, nervous, and Shrimpo lays a kiss on his belly, right above the wound to evade hurting him. Mostly there since he's healing him and won't move too far. It always does wonders to relax the toon.
—Not like I want him here either. But I have zero idea on stitches and these look pretty bad.— He caresses Dandy's thigh with his non occupied hand so tenderly that it's impossible to believe this is Shrimpo himself and not someone wearing his face. —Oh, c'mon, I'll do just fine, I always do.— He keeps that cheerful tone, high-pitched and off to how Dandy talks.
Shrimpo rolls his eyes and looks at the wound again. The ichor wasn't dropping and the stains that were there before were dry, but he's not going to risk it. To risk losing him. —Gee... No need to worry so much about little ol' me!— He chuckles nervously.
He knows there's no way to convince the stubborn toon to reconsider either way. —I'll be back.— He announces, leaving the room and Dandy feeling one step away from having a panic attack.
He's so dead. This was supposed to be a secret and he's involving way too many people now, he can't do this. He should run away, lock himself until he heals, anything but allowing someone else to find out his secret.
—BWORF!— He looks back in the room, surprised, Pebble has found his way on the bed and was wagging his little stone tail. Despite the predicament, Dandy can't help but smile. His beloved pet rock has always been loyal to him. —Hi Pebs...— He mumbles, petting him using his healthy arm.
Shrimpo walks in not long after, and then comes Sprout. He's immediately horrified by the view, specially so when Dandy manages to give an awkward, weak smile and wave. —THE FUCK HAPPENED?— He's quick to approach the flower, analyzing the wound.
—It's a long story. I.. I'd rather not tell.— He mutters. At first the strawberry frowns, about to insist, but he's known Dandy for long enough, so he hums and sits down on the floor, grabbing a thread and needle. —It's gonna hurt... Do we have anything to numb the zone?
Shrimpo rummages around the medkit and shakes his head. —Oh, don't worry, I mean, I was awake while they did this, it didn't hurt! ...much.— The last part is a whisper. Needless to say that both were terrified for him.
Shrimpo positions himself next to Dandy, holding his hand so he can squeeze, while being uncharacteristically silent. He didn't want Sprout to hear a voice tone that isn't loud coming from him, that's Dandy's conclusion. —Take a deep breath.— The flower does, attempting to calm down.
It burns when the needle pierces through his skin, but it's, in no way, worse than the other wound, so it's manageable, his attention on the throbbing cut, left to right. He feels each time the needle pierces through his skin and fluff, and each time he squeezes Shrimpo's hand.
It takes around ten minutes but finally it's all sewn. —Done...— He sighs and looks at them, then their hands, and realization appears all over his face. —Wait you two are— how!? When?— Dandy and Shrimpo look at each other then at Sprout.
—DON'T YOU EVER TELL ANYONE!!!— He gets up, ready to throw hands, and Dandy giggles, then looks at Sprout. —A while.— There's silence between them all, then the strawberry toon talks again. —If anything like this happens again, call me. From. The. Start. Okay?— The other two nod.
—Well, I'll go back to bed... Don't strain too much, don't make any sudden movements. I'll take those away in like. Two weeks or around.— He leaves the room and closes the door behind himself.
Pebble already made himself comfortable on the bed, so there's no taking him away possible. Shrimpo makes sure to lay down Dandy carefully and then plops next to him with characteristic carelessness. At least for himself. And any other toon unless it's his flower but that's nobody's business but theirs.
—Rest.— It's concern disguised as a command. Dandy smiles, this time he truly does, groaning as he attempts to move, although he's quickly stopped by Shrimpo, using a hand to make sure he doesn't hurt himself in the process, then his arm finds his way around Dandy's chest.
Usually he'd be hugging his waist but with the current issue, it's better to evade doing, so he can properly heal. —Thanks, Shrimpo.— He mutters, weary as his mind catches up with everything. —Don't mention it.
He sounds grumpy. Like always. Fuck, he loves his boyfriend so much. Shrimpo changes his posture to rest his body on the non-hugging arm and props himself up to kiss the flower on the lips, then goes back to laying normally. —Now sleep already.
Dandy can't help the bubbling laugher that fills the room, leaving him giddy (or perhaps he's lightheaded thanks to the blood loss). —Love you too.