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“Hey Mape,” Squiddo says, opening Mapicc’s door. He doesn’t open his eyes to see her, though, because he has a killer migraine. Like, the tight pinching in his skull kind. He can’t even tense his jaw a little without a stab of pain through the left side of his head. World fucking sucks. “Zam said you had a migraine.”
Mapicc doesn’t respond, ‘cause– y’know. He’s already super nauseous. And fuck man, all he wants to do is sleep, but it’s hard when he doesn’t feel safe.
“I brought Ash,” Squiddo informs him, walking over. Mapicc instinctively opens his eyes a sliver, then immediately relaxes his face because right the pain.
“Uh, hi,” Ash greets quietly. Mapicc sighs like a forlorn dog. He is a forlorn dog.
“I don’t think he feels up to talking, right now,” Squiddo shares. Probably for Ash, maybe Ash can’t tell.
“Mmmm,” Ash says like he’s really taking that in. “Mhm.”
“Stay still, Mapicc,” Squiddo tells him. Dutifully, he obeys, even though he wants to flinch when his bed dips– he stays still. She told him.
He only realizes he’s been tricked when Squiddo sits right at his side and puts a hand in his hair. All the tension(pain, really) from focusing drains away.
“Poor you,” Squiddo coos, too high pitched, and starts petting him. The tone hurts his head, but he’ll tolerate it for this. And it’s Squiddo, he has a Squiddo bias. In lieu of words, Mapicc tilts his head slightly closer. It hurts, but she’s nice.
“Um, can I..?” Ash starts, but doesn’t finish. Mapicc hurts his head by subconsciously furrowing his brow. What’s wrong?
“What, babe?” Squiddo asks, still petting.
“I don’t wanna– Mapicc, can I… can I come in?” Ash asks, perhaps the most awkward phrasing ever.
“Yeah,” Mapicc breathes, careful to move his jaw as little as he possibly can.
“Okay,” Ash says, and the bed sags down again. This is– Well it’s not nice at all, because he’s nauseous and in insane pain, but at least his team’s here. Some of them. Red and Zam are still grinding, he’s pretty sure. “..What’s going on?”
A smile tips Mapicc’s lips upwards and his eyes flutter, trying to suppress a grin because that’ll hurt. It mostly works, and he swallows down the joy.
“Do you know what a migraine is, Ash?” Squiddo asks, critical. Mapicc’s mouth curls again. This is why he has a Squiddo bias.
“I– Yes, but…” Ash trails off. Mapicc lets himself melt into Squiddo’s side. “What do I do? Where- Where do I…”
The bedsheets rustle as.. Something happens around him. He’s too chronically ill for this. Ow.
“There,” Squiddo says. Mapicc almost instinctively opens his eyes, but he’s smart. And then someone presses into his other side, and he jolts and snaps his eyes open.
Oh, it’s. Ash.
And it’s painful too, fuck. That wasn’t smart, that wasn’t–
“Shit–” Ash curses at the same time that Squiddo speaks. Mapicc is too busy collapsing back into his comfy nest and trying to stay as still as possible to make out any words. Ow, ow fuck. Breathing hurts, of course breathing hurts
“Oh my go– Sorry, I should’ve–” Squiddo is saying before he interrupts them.
“Ow,” Mapicc breathes, slackjawing just to get enough air. Fuck.
“I– We should have warned you that– I’m sorry, Mapicc, we really didn’t mean to… to startle you.” Squiddo apologizes. Mapicc focuses on breathing right, getting the tightness out of his chest. He forgives them, duh. Duh duh duh. It’s his team.
“Lay down,” he manages. “I just w…hh,”
“Laying down,” Squiddo narrates, and reassumes her position. It’s not really laying down, not really protective, but he’s really too tired to bother. Ash hesitates. Come on, dude. Squiddo reads his mind though.
“Ash.” She scolds, which kickstarts him into moving. He actually lays down, thank every god ever, giving Mapicc a perfect body to lay on. Ash is warm and smells like computer fans and dry air. Almost like nether wastes, but just a little offkey. Close enough to a den.
“Oh, um–” Ash says, then exhales. Ow. Mapicc growls on instinct, then cuts himself off and digs his fingers into Ash’s shirt when that hurts. “Sorry!”
“Babe, don’t yell,” Squiddo scolds, and shifts behind Mapicc, laying down. Good. Nice. Chill. Mapicc loosens his grasp. He wishes the rest of his– his friends were here, but that’s… They’re busy. Hard to coordinate and stuff.
“Sorry,” Ash repeats, much softer. Mapicc just relaxes into him more. Hopefully the forgiveness comes across. Ash didn’t even do anything.
Squiddo reaches over Mapicc, brushing against him, but, y’know, the whole closed eyes means he can’t see what. He drifts against Ash’s warm shape, content to ignore the pain to the best of his ability.
Then Ash puts a hand in his hair, and Mapicc purrs before he can have second thoughts. Again, like the growl, he cuts himself off, and hopes Ash continues.
The universe loves him, because all Ash does is pause, mutter something, then keep petting him. This is awesome. The world could actually be so beautiful.
“See?” Squiddo says distantly. Mapicc can sense himself drifting off. “I told you. He likes it.”
It’s nice. He loves his teammates– his warm teammates. Ash is so gentle with him. Squiddo too. God bless Squiddo for all their hard work. He loves his teammates. Loves his… his… mmmmm
-
Zam walks into the Lsoss base and her heart almost explodes.
“Oh my god,” she says quietly. Ash stares at her with desperation. “Oh my god that’s so cute.”
“I know, right?” Squiddo agrees.
“I don’t know what to do,” Ash says pathetically. Red coughs to suppress a laugh, but Ash is too distressed to glare.
“Oh wow,” Zam offers, and walks up to the bed. They really don’t wanna wake up Mapicc. That’s the absolute worst case scenario– one, because he looks really cute when he’s asleep, a contender for Spongs’ title. Two, because it’s causing Ash stress. Three, didn’t Mapicc have a headache? That’s probably why he turned in so early.
“He just fell asleep,” Ash whines. Mapicc’s ear flicks in his sleep. Aww.
“Probably because you’re warm,” Zam offers, deliberately avoiding ‘hot’. Ashswag is not hot. Okay well maybe he is, but she’ll never tell him, ‘cause fuck Ashswag.
“I need to cool down,” Ash says, and stops petting Mapicc. It’s a coinflip if that wakes him up. “I don’t– I’m gonna wake him up!”
“Dude,” Red says.
“Ashswag!” Squiddo gasps.
“Wait no please,” Zam protests, and crawls onto the bed, pressing up to Squiddo, ‘cause Red is on Ash’s other side. No room for a poor PrinceZam.
“Not on purpose!” Ash rushes, high pitched. Zam reaches over Squiddo to pet their Mapicc. Oh my gosh! Their sweet sleeping Mapicc. “Not on purpose, No! I just– He shoul– He could’ve chosen anywhere on the bed to fall asleep and he chose me?”
“You’re warm, dude,” Red shrugs. “He’s from the Nether, right? You’re warm.”
“Squiddo’s warm too,” Ash protests half heartedly.
“Not Nether warm,” Squiddo argues. Ash sighs, then freezes and looks at Mapicc. Thankfully-still-asleep Mapicc.
“None of you are any help,” Ash laments. Zam pulls their hand away, and drops their weight onto Squiddo. They sigh.
“Today was exhausting,” they announce, changing the topic.
“Yeah,” Ash supports, petting Mapicc. This team is so fucking awesome. “But we made it through. With the power of gummyworms.”
“We cringed on,” Squiddo agrees, rolling onto her back. Zam hugs over her front, and finds their head on Mapicc.
“We cringed on, yeah wow,” Zam says, putting on an amazed voice. “That’s beautiful.”
”It really is,” Ash agrees, then he starts giggling.
“Aye, some of us are tryna sleep,” Red says sarcastically. Zam laughs, but they shut up. For Mapicc’s sake; fuck Reddoons. She hopes Red gets no sleep.
Okay not really. Zam tilts her head and relaxes into Squiddo, staring at Mapicc. She hopes Red gets a beautiful sleep, ‘cause she loves him and she loves her team.
It’s a good team. Today was good. Long, but… good.
And really, what else could she ask for but good? It’s (almost– fuck you minute) everyone she wanted to team with, together and safe. And the day was good. Her life is good.
She deserves it too, she thinks. A good life.