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It felt almost impossible to even move. It was like Finn was stuck in a sea of molasses, but he didn't even bother trying to get out of it. He found his bed comfortable. Comfortable and safe. But even though the fishbowl was comfortable, the numbness he barely felt and the static in his head was becoming overwhelming.
The only times he had moved was when his joints were starting to hurt from laying down for so long and sluggishly getting up to feed Barnaby, then flopping right back into bed. Why should anyone notice how he's been missing from his work? There was no point if there was no punchline.
Line, he thought... like a fishing line. Maybe he could use that later.
Finn was tightly holding onto a seal plush, blankly staring up at his ceiling. Various stuffed sea animals surrounded him, keeping him company. It was better than nothing, and it was better than the kids and customers who he constantly had to keep entertained.
Was he just a comedian now? He found enjoyment in telling jokes, but this felt almost too much to handle. Finn didn't particularly like the idea of telling jokes if it meant he would sacrifice his love for educating about marine life, but the public meant everything. It didn't matter what Arthur's been spouting about for the past week or two.
Suddenly, another wave of exhaustion washed over the fishbowl. He felt himself starting to drift off again, his eyelids getting heavy. Maybe he could just fall asleep once more...
BANG BANG BANG!!!
Finn shot up, a couple of his plushies falling to the floor. "Mmmgh- ugh..." He rubbed his forehead, getting a bit of a headache. If it weren't for the cork in his head, water would have been splashed across his carpet. The banging at his door didn't seem like it would stop any time soon, so he had no choice but to answer. "Cominnggg..." Finn mumbled just loud enough for anyone on the other side of the door to hear.
Slowly, Finn pulled himself out from under his covers, pushing some plushies to the side. He unhurriedly trudged across the carpet, dragging each foot as if they had 10 pound weights attached to them. His brows furrowed with annoyance as he went, unhappy to have to get up with how exhausted he's feeling.
He carefully opened the door a crack, peeking out to see who was disturbing him so loudly. He looked to the left, then to the right, then down, only to see... Shrimpo? Of all toons checking up on him, the berating, cruel shrimp noticed Finn's absence first? Not a complaint, just... a little unexpected. "FINN!!!" The shrimp barked. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?"
Shrimpo basically invited himself in, stomping into Finn's room and slightly pushing the fishbowl to the side for more room to chew him out. "YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR THREE DAYS."
"...Oh! Umm, hi, Shrimpo." Finn gave an awkward smile and avoided Shrimpo's gaze, fiddling with his fingers timidly. "How are you?"
Shrimpo punched Finn in the arm, then hissed with pain from his fist hitting the hard glass.
"Ow- DON'T ASK SHRIMPO THAT!! I HATE WHEN TOONS AVOID QUESTIONS!!!" He screamed. Finn flinched, his eyes darting around for a second. "Uhh, bwuh-" He sputtered, "...Lemme close the door!" He then grabbed the doorknob, promptly shutting the door with a push.
The two toons stood in silence for a moment, one looking away in shame and the other huffing in anger. "WELL!?" Shrimpo crossed his arms with what seems like him taking some sort of offense.
"Um..."
Finn was staring down at his feet, finding it difficult to speak. His orange fins and tail were noticeably duller, having left them unwashed for a while. His usually covered legs were defaced in scratches and bruises, maybe even cuts. His water had some algae in it making it rather murky due to not changing it, and he was in his pajamas. Some shorts with a goldfish pattern, and a shirt with a stupid joke on it. It had some orange text on it that said M.I.L.F.: Man I Love Fishing. Very in character for the fishbowl.
"...Sorry! My room is a bit of a mess, I wasn't expecting-"
"FINN!!!" Shrimpo screeched, immediately shutting Finn up. "TELL ME WHY YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR SO LONG. NOW. I'M NOT ASKING." He spat.
Finn stared at Shrimpo, biting his lip. He was pulling at the bottom of his shirt, trying to think. The silence felt suffocating.
Suddenly, Shrimpo grabbed the collar of Finn's shirt like a bully demanding his lunch money. "IF YOU DON'T TELL ME I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU." He threatened without any hesitation behind his eyes. Finn avoided the shrimp's piercing gaze, but eventually caved.
"I... haven't been feeling whale lately." The fishbowl admitted.
"YEAH, NO SHIT." Shrimpo scoffed. "YOUR WATER IS ALL MURKY AND YOUR SCALES AREN'T AS SHINY AND PR-" The words felt hot in his throat, his programming not allowing the toon to compliment. "YOUR SCALES ARE TOO DULL AND THEY LOOK UGLY!!!"
"Oh!" Finn chuckled nervously, making note of the attempted compliment in his mind... Shrimpo thought his scales were pretty? "Well um, I guess that would make it pretty obvious, huh..."
"SO?"
"Uhh..." Finn's eyes darted to the left. It was almost like he was being interrogated... but with Shrimpo, he guessed that's not much of a surprise. "I don't reely want to talk to all the kids and customers this week..." He squeaked, acknowledging his shame.
"TALK."
"What?"
"TALK ABOUT IT!!!"
"Oh! Uh, okay."
Finn moved towards his bed, moving some plushies out of the way and patting the spot next to him. Something Finn had noticed about Shrimpo was that he tended to speak in fewer words when he wanted to be nice about something. Well, as nice as he could be anyway. Maybe it was too hard to say kinder things in longer sentences?
"I'm, um, just kind of burnt out from writing jokes y'know?" Finn chuckled, shunning his gaze. "Just like- they've been expecting a lot from me... The customers I mean." He looked back to the shrimp, who was staring, unblinking. Geez, that's... creepy. The fishbowl averted his eyes from Shrimpo, a tad unnerved.
"And... they don't exactly pay attention to me when I talk about fish facts. Guess you could say they were... On the other line? Haha-!"
Finn took a glance back at Shrimpo to see if his joke landed, but the toon hadn't even cracked a smile. The fishbowl cleared his throat with discomfort, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Geez... tough crowd, huh?" He forced a small, nervous chuckle.
Nothing.
"Oh my cod- say something!!" Finn yanked at his orange fins out of frustration as tears begun to prick at his eyes---he really didn't want this conversation to be one sided. Why was Shrimpo even here if he wasn't going to talk!?
"TELL ME ABOUT THEM." The shrimp eventually demanded.
"Wh- What-?" Finn croaked, his throat beginning to ache as he stifled a cry.
Shrimpo finally turned away from Finn. "YOUR... FACTS." He coughed, seemingly feeling just as uncomfortable as the fishbowl.
It was sweet that Shrimpo wanted to make Finn feel better by listening to him talk about marine life... and Finn for sure appreciated it, but...
"Oh-! Um..." Finn sniffled, sort of stunned that Shrimpo was actually trying to do something nice for him. "Th- thanks, buddy, but I think I sort of need a moment. For a second. Yeah." The fishbowl put his forearm over his eyes, averse to the thought of Shrimpo watching him cry. Or really anyone, for that matter.
The silence was quickly becoming even more tense and uncomfortable. The only sounds in the air were of Finn trying to suppress his tears, taking deep and shaky breaths in an attempt to self-regulate. It really didn't feel good. For either of them.
"Augh for gods sakes- JUST CRY ALREADY!!! IT'S PISSING SHRIMPO OFF AND GIVING HIM SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT. IT'S PATHETIC TO WATCH." The shrimp hollered out of impulse.
Shrimpo's shouting finally allowed Finn's emotions to spill out of him, causing him to choke out a sob and letting his tears fall onto his oversized shirt. Finn removed his arm from over his watery eyes, trying to allow himself to be a bit more vulnerable. Knowing Shrimpo, Finn assumed he would be extremely averse to a hug, so instead he reached out to grab his seal plush, burying his face into it for some comfort.
Shrimpo quietly began shuffling over towards Finn, getting uncomfortably close... uncomfortable for Shrimpo, anyway. With very notable hesitation and maybe even disgust, he managed to lean into the fishbowl's cool glassy shoulder.
Finn had noticed the sudden pressure on his arm, and slowly turned his head to gaze at the shrimp. The fishbowl's head rested on the soft plush seal, which was now soaked with his tears. Shrimpo had his eyes squeezed shut, presumably with discomfort... it meant a lot that he was willing to bear that to at least try to help Finn feel better.
With a sniffle, Finn let go of the seal and let it fall to the carpet. He then embraced Shrimpo somewhat tightly, beginning to grow a little calmer. Warmth and relief washed over him, his breathing slowing a bit. Shrimpo reluctantly hugged the fishbowl back, his arms trembling with nerves. The shrimp being able to help anyone feel a little better seemed almost impossible, let alone somebody feeling safe with him. It was... a bit weird for him.
The two toons lingered there on Finn's bed, enveloping each other gently. They slowly swayed back and forth, the fishbowl's tears eventually coming to a stop. Just as Shrimpo was beginning to relax as well, Finn finally pulled away from the warm embrace.
"Thank you, Shrimpo..." He sniffled, his voice choked and shaky. He began wiping the tears from his face, at least the ones that hadn't already dried and left small stains on his cheeks. "I- didn't think you'd be able to handle that." Finn let out a small chuckle, starting to feel like a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Shrimpo turned his head down and averted his gaze to his left, his face flushing red.
"...WELL-" He scoffed, "IT WAS EASY. ANYONE COULD'VE DONE IT. NOT MY FAULT YOU GOT WEAK ON ME."
"That's okay, I... I get what you mean." The fishbowl tilted his head to the side, gazing at shrimpo gently. "...You're actually reely sweet, you know that?" Finn placed one of his hands on Shrimpo's, shifting his gaze downwards to look at it.
With a tingly sensation in his stomach, Finn then pressed his lips against Shrimpo's. His heart beat quickly, his eyes beginning to close. His face burning along with his chest and sweaty palms, he intertwined his fingers with Shrimpo's right hand. He brought up his own right hand to cradle the shrimp's face, and Shrimpo's left hand raised up to touch the glassy hand holding the side of his face, leaving Finn both giddy and reassured.
After a few seconds longer, Finn pulled back from the kiss. His eyes locked with Shrimpo's, and... saying that he was shocked would be an understatement. Shrimpo's eyes were wide open, staring at the fishbowl, completely and utterly dumbfounded.
Finn immediately took his hand off Shrimpo's face. "...Saury, haha-! I probably ruined the-"
"...DO THAT AGAIN."
"...Huh?"
"YOU HEARD ME."
Finn did hear him. He just... never expected Shrimpo to say such a thing. This was really weird, he thought... It's been such a rollercoaster of emotions this entire time.
The two continued staring at each other, the air silent and unmoving. The fishbowl's fins lowered, confused at this sudden switch up. Before he could begin to think any further, Shrimpo locked lips with Finn once again, grabbing his shoulders forcefully. Finn immediately felt warm all over, his head light and his eyes closing. He slowly leaned into it, wrapping his arms around the shrimp.
The water in Finn's head began to bubble and steam, making his skin warmer as Shrimpo felt his glassy arms beneath his hands. The two broke apart a few times for air, eventually sealing lips again. It was strangely natural, making both toons feel increasingly warmer with the intimacy between them.
Finn embraced Shrimpo closely, moving one hand to the shrimp's shoulder, the other carrying his lower back. Shrimpo's hands cupped Finn's face, making it easier to kiss with their differing heights. A mixture of anxiety and giddiness made Finn's heart race with a fluttery feeling in his stomach, his orange scaled tail slowly swaying from side to side.
After maybe a minute, Shrimpo pushed Finn off of him. He seemed nauseated, as if the shrimp absolutely despised what was happening even if he himself initiated it. Shrimpo was never meant for affection. He covered his mouth, doubling over.
"Woah! Umm, are you o-cray...?" Finn reached out to put a hand on Shrimpo's shoulder in a faulty attempt to console him. Shrimpo quickly slapped his hand away, not being able to take much more physical touch. The fishbowl hissed in pain, taking his hand back and rubbing the back of it.
Finn stared down at his hand, his heart still racing. Maybe he shouldn't have done that... it obviously left Shrimpo sick to his stomach. But then again... the shrimp kissed him back. He shifted his gaze to Shrimpo, the fluttery feeling in his gut lingering and making him nervous.
Waiting for Shrimpo's nausea to pass, Finn fidgeted with his fingers. "...You really helped me, actually. A lot." Finn gently remarked, hopefully taking Shrimpo's mind off the kiss. "I... reely didn't think you'd be the first to check on me. After, like, days." He sniffed. "I honestly thought it would be Rodger or something. You know how nosy he is when something isn't..." Finn chuckled, "...Normal."
Shrimpo tilted his head towards Finn. Gazing at him for a moment, he slowly seemed to be getting less ill. "...WELL-" Shrimpo's face flushed red, his eyes shifting to the side. "-THINGS HERE GOT BORING. AND... I HATE WHEN THINGS ARE BORING." He stammered, bashfully hugging himself as the tail on his head lowered a little.
The fishbowl let out a giggle, finding Shrimpo's timidity regarding affection endearing. "Yeah, I definitely remember you saying that before.." He sighed, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at the shrimp. Smiling, the end of his goldfish tail swayed side to side.
After a few seconds longer, Finn looked down at his beat up legs, pulling his shirt over them a bit. "Cod..." He mumbled. "I should reely put some dand-aids on these, um, scratches." He let out a long, drawn out breath, feeling his upper legs ache due to the minor injuries.
"...DID YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF." Shrimpo asked blankly.
Finn flinched, mildly panicking for a moment as his wide eyes shot towards the shrimp. Shrimpo stared calmly, seeming no more angry than usual. Finn, realizing he wasn't going to get berated for it, shifted his gaze downwards in shame and gave a small nod.
Studying Finn, Shrimpo gazed at the fishbowl's face for a moment before turning the upper half of his body to reach for something in his pocket. Oh, right! Finn thought. Shrimpo always carries some dand-aids on him... He's always beat up somewhere. Finn tilted his head to the side as he watched.
Shrimpo then pulled out a little box of them, clutching it in his hand for a moment before shoving it into Finn's. Finn jumped a little, startled by Shrimpo's sudden movement.
Self-consciously, his eyes trailed down to look at the box, carefully opening it with one hand and clasping it in the other. He began placing dand-aids on his upper legs where they needed to be, running a finger over each one to make sure they were secure.
Putting on the last one, he pocketed the leftover paper to throw away later.
"I, um..." The fishbowl cleared his throat, "...Thank you! I reely appreciate it. And... I appreciate you not making a scene about it."
The shrimp rolled his eyes, shifting his gaze away from Finn, who was staring down at his legs. The fishbowl's mind was beginning to drift back to their kiss, feeling his face beginning to warm up. He slowly turned his head towards Shrimpo, studying his face carefully.
Feeling himself being watched, Shrimpo glared back towards Finn, scrunching the bridge of his nose in disgust. "GO WASH YOUR SCALES AND CLEAN YOUR WATER. IT'S GROSS!!" He insulted directly, bringing Finn back into the moment. "Oh! Right! Saury." He chuckled, using his hands to push himself up onto his feet.
Finn lingered there for a moment, glancing around his room and tapping his finger against his leg. He then quickly gave Shrimpo a peck on the lips, dashing away just as fast as he came. This left shrimpo noticeably agitated, his face starting to burn.
Sputtering for a second, the shrimp pointed an accusing finger at the fishbowl. "Whuh- pff- I HATE YOU!!!" He cried out, covering his face with one of his hands.
"You're a reel catch, Shrimpo!! I'll tell you a-boat great whites later!" Finn shouted back, letting out a small giggle as he closed the door to go clean himself up.