Work Text:
The Therapee office was warm compared to the rest of the island.
Outside, snow covered the streets in uneven layers, soft flakes drifting past the glowing lights of Spawn. But inside Katie’s office, everything was cozy and slightly chaotic. Papers were stacked unevenly across the desk, ribbons hung from shelves for absolutely no reason, and her TV, which she complained didn’t work like how her old one did. and a little sign near the front entrance read:
“NO TRAUMA DUMPING WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT.”
Underneath it, in smaller writing:
“unless its REALLY juicy…”
Katie insisted it made the office feel “more welcoming.”
Tomate thought it made the office feel like Katie.
Which was probably why he liked being there so much.
The large polar bear stood near the doorway with his camera balanced carefully against his shoulder, quietly recording while Katie reorganized files behind the desk. The camera itself was huge, heavy black metal and glass, almost awkward against his soft white fur, but Tomate carried it naturally by now, one paw steadying the lens while the other adjusted settings every so often.
Filming things was his sole job after all.
The Federation always needed footage. Records. Documentation.
But lately, his recordings had become less about the island itself and more about one very loud woman in a pink suit.
Katie hanging pink decorations around her Therapee because “mental illness is easier in a cute environment.”
Katie arguing with customers because someone tried to pay for therapy with raw salmon again.
Katie talking to Ewron all happy and giddy like she’d just won the lottery over and over again……..
Katie spinning around in her chair because she was bored.
Tomate recorded all of it.
And she absolutely noticed. She had gotten used to hearing the soft mechanical click of it following behind her everywhere she went. At this point, she thought the sound was comforting. If she turned around and didn’t see a giant white polar bear standing there with a camera balanced carefully on his shoulder, something felt wrong.
“You know,” she said suddenly, not even looking up from the folders in front of her, “for someone employed by the Federation, you spend a suspicious amount of time filming me.”
Tomate tilted the camera slightly toward her.
The soft clicking sound of the lens adjusting filled the room.
Katie finally glanced over and immediately caught him zooming in on her face.
“Oh my god,” she laughed, pointing at him accusingly, “you ARE obsessed with me.”
Tomate froze for exactly one second.
Then he slowly lifted one paw off the camera handle:
👍
Crouching quickly after multiple times, his way of saying things are okay.
She snorted loudly.
“That’s not even a denial!”
Tomate’s ears twitched slightly, fluffy from the snow he’d walked through earlier. He shifted his grip on the camera for a second before lifting his free paw again.
This time, he held up a:
❤️
For a moment, the office went completely quiet except for the faint humming of the heater near the wall.
Then she grabbed the nearest throw pillow and launched it directly at him.
“That is NOT fair!”
Tomate caught it easily against his chest without dropping the camera once.
The worst part was that he looked completely calm doing it.
His dress shirt sleeves were rolled neatly to his forearms, soft pastel colors matching Katie’s pink suit almost perfectly. He always looked neat compared to the absolute disaster that she usually was by the end of the day. White fur fluffed around his collar. Shirt slightly crooked from carrying the camera around for hours.
Cute.
Annoyingly cute.
Katie hated that she noticed things like that now.
“You know normal people use words when they flirt,” she complained while dramatically throwing herself backward onto the couch behind her desk.
Tomate lowered the camera slightly.
Then he signed carefully, slowly enough for her to follow every movement.
[ You understand me anyway, don't you? :D ]
she immediately covered her face with both hands.
“Oh my GOD.”
The camera zoomed in slightly.
“STOP RECORDING ME WHEN I’M EMBARRASSED.”
Tomate’s shoulders shook silently.
Laughing.
She groaned loudly into her hands. “You’re literally evil. Freaking invading my privacy like this.”
Tomate finally walked closer, slow and quiet, across the carpeted floor. The office lights reflected softly against the camera lens while snow melted from his boots onto the floor behind him.
She peeked through her fingers.
A HUGE mistake.
Now he was standing close enough that she could see tiny snowflakes still caught in the fur around his ears.
Close enough to smell cold winter air mixed with coffee. Close enough that her heart started acting stupid again.
Tomate carefully shifted the camera off his shoulder.
She immediately straightened a little.
Because Tomate never put the camera down.
Not unless he trusted the moment enough to stop recording it.
The heavy camera rested gently against the side of the couch.
Then Tomate looked back at her.
She swallowed.
“…What?” she asked, quieter this time.
Tomate looked at her for a long moment before signing again.
[ Wanted both hands free. ]
She thought her soul physically left her body.
“Oh.”
That was all she could manage.
Tomate nodded once, almost shyly, before reaching carefully for her hand.
His paws completely covered hers when their fingers touched.
Warm.
Soft.
Careful.
She stared down at their hands while her face burned hotter and hotter by the second.
“You are SO cheesy,” she whispered, smiling anyway.
Tomate shrugged innocently.
Then, he gave her a finger heart:
❤️
She laughed so suddenly she leaned forward into him by accident.
Tomate reacted instantly.
One arm wrapped around her waist without hesitation, pulling her securely against his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then, very gently, he reached down and took her hand in his. His paws were so much bigger than hers that he completely swallowed her hand whole. Warm too. Careful.
Everything about him was so careful.
Her chest ached suddenly with how soft he was.
Tomate rubbed his thumb softly against her knuckles before signing, one-handed.
[ Pretty ]
Sje stared at him.
Then at their hands.
Then back at him again.
“…me?”
Tomate looked offended she even had to ask.
He pointed at her very deliberately.
Then signed again.
[ Always you! ]
She genuinely thought her heart might explode inside her chest.
Without thinking, she buried her face into the fluff around his shoulder with a groan of embarrassment. Tomate immediately wrapped both arms around her like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Katie melted immediately.
It was unfair how safe he felt. How he made her feel.
She spoke in his fur. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She nestled her face in his fur, it was the softest thing she felt, even more softer than her tail.
Tomate rested his chin gently on top of her shoulder. Barely reaching with how tall she was.
Then after a moment, he lifted one paw and signed against her shoulder where she could still see it.
[ Very lucky :3 ]
She gasped loudly. “Okay WOW. Be at least aLITTLE humble.”
Tomate nodded seriously.
His chest shook slightly with silent laughter.
Outside the office windows, snow continued falling softly across the island. Somewhere far away, she could hear explosions in the distance, probably someone dying from a creeper, she doesn't care. not right now.
But inside the office, everything felt warm.
Quiet.
Safe.
She kept talking because she always talked. Rambling about repainting the office walls because “this pink lacks emotional whimsy.” Talking about how Ewron made her upset with how he acts… Telling him how Ishan cried for three hours straight during a session.
Tomate listened to every word.
He always listened.
Even now, while holding her close, he watched her with the same soft expression he always had behind the camera lens.
Like she was something important.
Something worth remembering.
After a while, Katie tilted her head up slightly.
“You know,” she said after a moment, voice softer now, “you’re really obvious.”
Tomate blinked up at her.
She smiled, teasing but fond. “About liking me.”
His ears instantly turned pink again.
“Ohhh, there it is,” she laughed. “There’s my favorite expression.”
Tomate groaned silently and tried turning away, but shejust grabbed his face with both hands dramatically.
“No, no, come back here. You’re adorable.”
Tomate looked absolutely mortified.
Which only made her laugh harder.
“You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed,” she told him honestly.
Tomate stared at her for a second before slowly signing:
[ You are literally hanging off me right now. ]
She gasped dramatically. “And?”
He pointed upward at her.
Then at himself.
Then signed.
[ Big scary horse woman. ]
She barked out the loudest yell. “SCARY?”
Tomate nodded seriously.
She immediately leaned down closer until they were face to face, grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. “You scared of me, camera boy?”
Tomate looked at her for exactly half a second before signing:
[ Only when you flirt… ]
She actually had to stop walking.
Her entire brain short circuited instantly.
“Oh,” she said weakly.
Tomate looked very pleased with himself.
“You’ve been learning,” Katie muttered.
Tomate gave her a tiny shrug, looking smug now.
She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, wow. I created a monster.”
Tomate signed back immediately.
[ Your monster :) ]
Sh made the most embarrassing noise imaginable before grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him close enough that their noses bumped.
“You can’t say things like that to me,” she whispered.
Tomate’s hands moved carefully between them. He looked concerned like he’d actually said something wrong.
[ Why not??? ]
Shstared at him for a long moment. Then she smiled softly, chuckling gently, which made the both of them shake softly.
“Because then I wanna kiss you.”
Tomate froze completely.
The camera nearly slipped off the couch ‘cause he gently bumped into it.
Slowly, the tips of his ears turned pink beneath the white fur.
She immediately started laughing again. “OH MY GOD, LOOK AT YOU!!!”
Tomate covered his face with one paw while she clung to him, laughing so hard she could barely stand.
After a second, though, she softened. Very gently, she pulled his paw away from his face. Katie nearly lost her mind right there.
Carefully, almost nervously, he signed:
[ Please. ]
She laughed quietly under her breath before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down toward her.
The kiss was soft at first.
A little awkward.
Mostly because she couldn’t stop smiling against his mouth.
Tomate made the quietest startled sound when she kissed him again more firmly, his paws immediately pulling her closer like he didn’t know what else to do with himself.
And then—
C R A S H.
The giant camera tipped sideways after Tomate accidentally bumped it with his elbow.
It hit the carpet dramatically.
Katie burst into laughter instantly against his mouth while Tomate covered part of his face in embarrassment.
“Oh my god,” she giggled breathlessly, “your poor camera! What are you gonna tell cucurucho…”
Tomate glanced at the fallen camera.
Then back at her.
Then slowly signed:
[ worth it. ]
Katie stared at him for exactly one second before immediately kissing him again.
________________________________________________________________________
The next day Ash went up to her to ask her what happened, since he tuned into Tomate’s stream to see what he was up to… Only to be met with a black screen and the chat going crazy.
Cucurucho asked the same question… But he had… Consequences…