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The only thing Treasure Chest could hear while being stood beside a cabin door was the air breeze past him, stopped in its tracks by his arm lifting up to knock on the wood once more. It was the morning after another challenge, specifically one in pairs, and his pair won… but at a cost.
“Bottle?” he called out after having knocked a few times already, still to no response… maybe add another. Not too many times though, remember what he said. “You alright in there…? I know last night’s vote was rough, but… I'm here if you need me.” he added, breathing a sigh of relief that he had said just the right amount.
Truth is; he felt that Bottle's choice to vote Post-It Note didn't make much sense. Bottle knew Treasure Chest didn't like Chainsaw as well, why not vote with him? Well, he only kind of disliked him. It's complicated what Treasure Chest really thought of him; or anyone else for that matter.
His mind itself was complicated.
Standing for what felt like forever in front of the cabin door, he overheard Plasma Ball shouting at Knight Helmet playfully about how she was “gonna get him”, and when Treasure Chest looked to see what was up, he found that she was chasing him around with a stick, both laughing to each other.
He chuckled, almost wanting to run over and ask if he could join in, before hearing a small knock back from the cabin door - Bottle was definitely awake now. Looking back, he asked if she wanted to talk, unaware the last two members of Team H had already run off together.
“I'm… good,” Bottle began, her voice empty and fragile - just like the glass she was made of. “just- yeah, maybe leave me alone for now… don't want to push you away too.” she muttered as cracks began to show in her voice, seemingly about to burst into tears.
“Okay, I'll leave you be for now…” Treasure Chest replied, stepping away from the door, and just standing there silently, unsure if he should leave or stay, but… something reminded him not to stay past his welcome. A desire to not push too far again.
Breathing in, Treasure Chest stepped back, before turning back around to see no-one else around, except for Bronze, watching from the cabin the other ingots would be - well minus Platinum for obvious reasons.
The two looked at each other, and Treasure Chest felt a small urge to walk over to him; so he did. The grass felt firm but gentle, and the sky shined a bold blue. Looking up at the ingot, he smiled just a bit.
“Tried to get her to come out?” he asked, leaning into the balcony. “Yeah, you're not the only one-”
“Not exactly… just reminded her if she needed anyone to talk to, I was there…” Treasure Chest quietly corrected, looking down at the grass. “Say… how are you and Silver doing after the whole… shed stuff?”
Bronze looked past to the trees, before saying they both were doing okay, and Silver was actually running alongside Plasma Ball and Knight Helmet. While she was scared at first, Bronze quickly calmed her, and they ended up playing “I Spy” the entire time.
“Oh, that's good…”
“Yeah, she's really gotten attached to those two. Probably because Knight Helmet loves that tabletop game too. By now she's almost like their daughter!” he laughed slightly, Treasure Chest mimicking that laugh as well. “It'll suck though when one of them gets out…”
After a rather light-hearted conversation between the two, Silver and her friends came running back, with Plasma Ball being chased by some buzzing insects. Bronze quickly rushed over, making sure his cousin was alright, before looking up at the other two.
“Now explain THIS?!” he asked, half-angry and half-amused. The two then locked eyes, then looked back at Bronze, and explained that during their chase, Plasma Ball had accidentally knocked a wasp nest and angered its inhabitants; meanwhile, Silver was laughing to herself about it all.
Still watching from beside the balcony, Treasure Chest (while amused as well) had felt as if he heard enough, and began to walk past, still overhearing the conversation as he went by, albeit it getting fainter and fainter.
He wasn't sure where he wanted to head, he just felt like walking around… though it was kinda lonely just walking around on his own… eh, the merge just does that to you. You lose the community you had in the team - then how come are all of Team Bracket’s members all chatting together?
Watching from afar, Treasure Chest noticed them all sitting down by a tree, a picnic blanket they must've taken from one of the cabins laid down onto the grass underneath. Basketball and Slipper sat next to each other by a tree, Slipper keeping a close eye on Ukulele, who clearly looked like she wanted to get up and leave… or maybe that's what Treasure Chest was hoping.
As for Chainsaw, he stood in front of them all, ranting about anything that came to his mind. At some points the others (usually Slipper) would chime in, but it was mostly just Chainsaw ranting… though maybe Treasure Chest got unlucky with what exactly his current topic was.
“He acted like he was our mom or something!”
The second he heard those words, they began ringing in his head on repeat, just like a song you'd get stuck in your head. However, unlike that, where the song is usually one you like… he didn't like this. Actually no, he HATED this.
It was a reminder of something he kept locked away from everyone, so there was no way they knew, but… it still hurt. A lot. In fact, it hurt so much that he couldn't even process who it was that even said that, just that it was said at all.
Yet he couldn't bring himself to move to run away, or speak to fight back. He just stood there, holding himself up so he didn't collapse onto the ground in tears… tears which were already beginning to form. The surroundings blended into just greens and blues, and everything else Team Bracket said immediately left his mind, while being called the “overbearing mom” stayed stuck in his mind…
I'll always be perceived as feminine no matter what, won't I? Treasure Chest thought to himself as the tears became too much to repress any longer. He had to run out of here. To where? He didn't know, just anywhere except here. Anywhere except the reminder that he would never be like the other boys.
He would always be different.
Treasure Chest ran into the first place he saw and slammed the door behind him, the tears finally coming out as he fell onto the ground, holding his knees closely. Due to being pressed against the door, nobody could enter to check on him - but that didn't mean nobody was there.
“Treasure Chest…?” he heard, almost jumping at the realization somebody saw him in this state. Beforehand, he thought it was just like last time, where he could cry in a secluded area and nobody would know… but in reality, just like last time, a ray of sunshine was there to glow through the clouds of his head. “You running in here kinda woke me up… what's wrong?”
Looking up from the wooden floorboards, Treasure Chest saw a bright golden ceramic cup sat onto his bed, looking at him in concern. Getting up, he carefully walked over, and knelt down close by to him.
“C’mon, I can tell something's up… you worried about Bottle too?” he asked, pressing his hands onto the floor causing it to creak. “I am too… I kinda regret voting Post-It Note last night, it was a really stupid decision honestly-”
“No, it isn't about that…” Treasure Chest quietly muttered, looking up. “Well don't get me wrong Cup, I am worried about her, it's just-”
“Something else?”
“Yeah… something else…” he replied, wiping his tears away as Cup moved closer for comfort. Treasure Chest paused for a while, looking around, seemingly trying to organize his words neatly, while Cup sat there, patiently waiting.
“Sorry I'm taking too long…”
“No it's okay!” Cup quickly called out, holding out a hand of reassurance. Treasure Chest took his hand, and smiled just a bit. “Not everyone can describe how they feel easily, but that just means you should let them take their time with it.”
Treasure Chest laughed a bit, thanking Cup for his patience, in which he almost immediately brushed off as “just being a good friend” - maybe he was even good enough to tell the full story… then again, after having worked to hide it for so long…
…let’s see how far he can get without having to reveal it.
He began, and while at first he was rather contained - it quickly spiralled into an emotional ramble as he began to visibly shake, his mind twisting those into a phrase; one that while to others was completely different, to Treasure Chest they might as well have been the same exact phrase.
You act like you're their mom or something. You've acted more like a mom than you ever could a dad. You're not man enough. You'll never be man enough.
DEEP DOWN YOU'RE JUST A-
The feeling of someone grabbing onto his face snapped Treasure Chest back to his senses, his breath shaky as he felt frozen by tears. Looking forward through the blurs, he could see Cup… even more visibly worried than when he first ran in here.
“I-I-” he tried to begin, before being stopped by a soft yet firm hug.
“You don't have to be tough to be a guy.” Cup whispered softly, hugging tighter as his eyes locked onto his friend - hearing only his breath finally steadying. “Like look at me, I'm not tough at all, yet… I'm a guy too!”
“Just because some guys are tough doesn't mean every guy has to…” he continued, pulling Treasure Chest up to be able to look at him directly. “...and I'll be honest, I kinda prefer more sensitive guys like you, you're safer to be around…”
“Wha-?!”
Cup chuckled, repeating himself, before looking into Treasure Chest’s eyes and smiling.
“...I like being around you, and nothing you've said today is gonna change how I see you.”
Silence filled the air between the two of them, meanwhile outside had all the noise of Bottle and Chainsaw arguing - seemingly over how Bottle “slept in”, when really… Treasure Chest knew she didn't.
“...he's being really loud out there…” Cup said, carefully getting back up. “Kinda don't wanna leave just yet then… you?”
“It's Chainsaw. I'm Treasure Chest. The answer's pretty clear.” Treasure Chest replied, laughing to try to make it clear he was being playful about it - luckily, it landed, and Cup laughed too. “Guess we can just- stay here until they're sorted…”
“Maybe afterwards we can talk to Bottle!” Cup exclaimed, his eyes almost shining with excitement. “But yeah, I'm cool with us hanging out here. If anything, I’m really happy about it! It's like a sleepover!” Cup happily accepted, sitting back down on his bed. Treasure Chest followed suit, and sat down next to him.
“A sleepover without the part where you sleep - that's called hanging out, Cup!”
“Oh, right.” he chuckled, and then he rambled on about how he never got to have a sleepover when he was younger, and that he was kinda sad he missed out on what seemed like such fun.
But unlike how normally when Cup rambled on in his room, no-one else was there to listen… this time, someone was there, and he was listening in fully, realizing that Cup really didn't see him any differently after what he said.
…he was still his friend. Maybe what Treasure Chest was hiding from everyone wasn't as bad as he initially thought… it would be okay. It would always be okay. He had people who would support him no matter what; people like Bottle, people like Cup.
…
“Thank you, Cup. Thanks for… letting me feel better after all of that…”
“...happy to help!”