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Morning arrived quietly, softly almost.
Not with an alarm, but instead with the sort of pale gray light that made people think 3 o'clock was evening. The clouds outside made it feel like you were in winter, all safe and bundled up in the depths of an apartment. Rain lightly tapped against the glass with consistency where it was almost annoying.
Parrot woke up first, trying to catch whatever he was dreaming. Something about him going on an odyssey with Wifies. (haha get it)
He didn't open his eyes. Not straight away. Didn't shoot them open like he was waking up for military.
There was weight against him. Warm. Real, oddly weird. A slow heartbeat pressed somewhere near his back, he could feel it through the fabric of his shirt. For a second, he forgot where the hell he was.
Then he remembered.
Wifies.
They'd fallen asleep watching movies again, after a long day of college classes. It had started with staying on the opposite ends of a couch, how they were fighting over who had the right of having a blanket over them.
Then Wifies had declared the couch to be a horrible place to 'chill, bro' and decided to haul the duo over to his bedroom. Parrot had been there countless of times, often playing video games on his console. But this time was different, unfamiliar different.
They'd both fallen asleep before either of them remembered to separate into respectable rooms.
Gulp.
His eyes opened.
Wifies was asleep behind him, one arm loosely draped across Parrot's waist.
Parrot's mind was yelling at him; 'oh shoot what am I doing what am I doing, bro I need to get out what the hell' until he finally calmed down.
"...Oh."
Neither of them had meant to cuddle. It had just happened. He stared at the wall he was facing, eyes wide.
Should move.
Definitely should move.
Instead he found himself stuck, there was something strangely peaceful about it.
Wifies' breathing was slow and rhythmic, like one of those breathing exercises a therapist would teach you once and never bring up again. He looked comfortable.
Parrot wasn't used to people looking comfortable around him. He'd spent so much of his life trying not to inconvenience anyone that seeing someone asleep while trusting him enough to be this close made his chest ache in a stupid, dumb way.
Carefully, he tried his best to untangle himself, mortified. This is easy, this would be ea-
Fuck.
The mattress dipped.
"...Mm?" Wifies' eyes opened halfway. Staring at the back of Parrot's head, the limeish-cyanish hair looking back at him.
"...Morning." Wifies mumbled, a long pause overtaking them. "We're cuddling."
"...Yeah."
"...Oops."
"...Sorry?"
Then Wifies smiled, crooked. Seeing his bestfriend actually safe for once, nearby him, pleased him. This feeling wouldn't dramatically overtake him in the future. No. No. No!
"I don't mind."
Parrot's wings gave a subtle twitch, not knowing if he should be happy with his answer or if he should start to wreck on him for saying something as silly as that.
Only then did Wifies move his arm away, stretching it over his head, ears flattening softly against his messy bed-head.
Parrot slowly sat up. Climbed out of bed.
...
"I love you, bro. You're my bestfriend, y'know. Sorry if I don't say it too much." Wifies suddenly spoke up, a thump of his tail echoing on the bed.
...
"I love you too, dude."
He disappeared into the hallway before Wifies laughed at him.
The bathroom that Parrot had wandered into was cold, a stark contrast to the warmth he felt earlier. He stared into the mirror, looking at his dishevelled appearance. Did he really look like that? Did he seriously look like that? He felt bad for anyone having to actually conversate with him. His eyes had bags underneath them, his- whatever.
Parrot reached automatically for his toothbrush. Then stopped. Their toothbrushes...
Were touching.
The ends of the bristles JUST so barely brushed against each other inside the cup.
Green and purple.
A tiny point of contact, so small! So small yet so big!
Parrot stared.
He had absolutely no explanation for why he felt cared for. This was almost brotherly.
They were toothbrushes! Plastic.
Bristles. Entirely normal items you use daily, which barely affect it. Yet somehow it looked friendly.
Like they'd hugged each other overnight. He knew that wasn't how it worked. But still, it counts. Behind him came gentle footsteps, almost trying to be stealthy but failing miserably.
"You found them."
Wifies stood in the doorway rubbing sleep from his eyes, movements sluggish and uncalculated.
"What?"
"The toothbrushes."
"You noticed?"
"I noticed yesterday."
"...You didn't separate them?"
"I thought they looked happy."
Parrot was just one big fat question mark now. What do you mean they looked happy.
"They're toothbrushes."
"They're roommates."
"They're toothbrushes."
"They're best friends."
"Wifies." Parrot laughed so freaking hard he had to lean against the sink.
"You made up lore for toothbrushes- you're- you're actually so dumb, bro-"
"No- I'm not!"
Wifies reached over and gently nudged the cup where it held their toothbrushes, the toothbrushes shifted and their bristles touched again.
"There! Look how happy they are!"
Parrot couldn't stop smiling. He had this stupid idiot as his only friend. His ultra mega friend. Bro.
Being around Wifies always felt so easy, so normal to do. He wasn't expected to be smart all the time, he didn't have to calculate his social cues. The realisation frightened him more than he cared to admit, because existing around someone was one thing. Needing them, depending on them, that was terrifying.
He shook his head and began to busy himself brushing by his teeth as Wifies brushed his own beside him, staring at his eyes through the reflection of the mirror.
For two WHOLE, LONG minutes they stood together.
It occurred to him that he'd spent years believing he'd disappear quietly one day, how he'd finally sacrifice himself for his friends, how he'd let go. But now, he was wondering.
Wifies rinsed his toothbrush before settling it back into the cup, and Parrot followed. He made sure to move them enough so the bristles wouldn't touch again. One time was a coincidence but twice would be too much.
"It's not happening again."
"Bro-"