Archive of Our Own

Tall towering spires built of coloured blocks cast hard shadows on the yellow competition grounds. Various assortments of objects passed through, ready to wind down in the hotel lobby and up in their team assigned apartments. Pin stood vigilant watching them. One by one, they grazed her elbow during their passing.

The rest of Team8s remained. Gaty and Saw were doing most of the talking, discussing various matters on how the challenge went. Gaty missed the first half of it, so there was a lot of catch up to do, she started going on some Two-related tangent mid-conversation. This was yet another triumphant win for the team. They got to sleep soundly tonight knowing their team was safe from elimination. Slowly, they followed the rest of the teams lead back to the lobby. Pin stood behind the rest, standing still as a statue.

She picked at her wrist, pouting down at the Earth. That win didn't feel right. Their methodology didn't sit well with her. She was angry she even let them get away with it despite her better efforts. Not even her host seemed as irked as her by their ethics. But that wasn't the most dreadful part.

Coiny lightly tapped her arm, checking her. That familiar gleeful smile washed over his face once her head angled up at him.

"Hey, you gonna head back to the hotel with us or just stand here all afternoon?" He said mockingly.

Through gritted teeth and slight offset stare, she nodded. Coiny looped an arm around her waist as they began walking back. She jittered at the sudden touch.

The regular rigamarole was on display as always in the lobby. Robot Flower was handing out all sorts of unique paraphernalia outside of her little popup shop. Death Pact Again were rather smug over the challenge, still recovering from their Pie loss. Loud-mouth bickering from The Strongest Team On Earth filled the whole room, panicking at their upcoming elimination. Who could blame them? No one on the team aside from Snowball had ever experienced being eliminated. Bell was getting quite the earful from her team for being careless with her tower dropping. Pin winced a bit. It was kind of her team's fault. And by extension, Pin's fault. Poor Belly.

Team8s posse slipped right on by the chaos and gathered on the stairs. Pin watched the other team's reactions closely on her passage—no one seemed to care about the cheating as much as she did. Not to the extent she thought they would. Technically Bell's team wouldn't have lost if Team8's tower wasn't meticulously glued together.

Pin rubbed at her ooze-beaded elbow nervously. None of the other members seemed to notice, they were too busy averting their eyes from the dysfunction of half the lobby. Everyone; except Coiny. His arm remained ringed around right over her hip. He pulled her evidently closer. She gulped.

Each step up was rigorous. Their team's apartment was on one of the highest levels, so they had to make good pace to relax as soon as possible. The other teams were occupying the elevator and Team8s were too restless to wait; so the team was forced to tackle the stairs. Step by step, the team remained chatty. Barf Bag and Donut joined in with Saw and Gaty's joyful discussion and Needle bit her tongue trying to get her own words in amongst the chatterboxes. It was a bit of its own competition. Everyone on Team8s were friends with one another, not a moment of silence ever lingered. Pin and Coiny were lagging behind the crowd, Pin because she was staying cautious of her steps and sweating up a boat load of ooze, and Coiny because he was silently watching her. His arm subtly floated just barely behind her, pushing her up while she heaved. She wasn't weak by any means, but a little dazed from running after Bell.

After a few more pitiful steps, Coiny hooked her waist, causing her to turn. He flashed her a half raised smile. "Want me to carry you?"

"No. I'm good." She chirped back dry and rash.

"You sure? You know I can carry you."

"I'm good."

She shut her eyes under her pride, crossing both arms, and whipped her head right back around. Almost immediately, she noticed the others had already climbed up to the next stretch of stairs. She grunted in frustration, kicking her legs up to continue on, leaving Coiny in the dust.

He watched her effortlessly lunge up the stairs without his help, though with a bit of ooze sweeping down her back. Seeing her so self-sufficient left thick nausea in his throat. He scaled the steps slowly, tailing behind her in case she fell; this kept him feeling somewhat useful.

Finally at the top, Pin fell forwards panting her guts out. "Are we—huff—are we finally at the top?"

A cheeky Coiny emerged from behind her, a half-lidded smirk stretching across his face. He wasn't tired at all. "Yup. We're up."

He knelt down—not that he needed to kneel much at all to meet her face at ground level—and offered a hand up for her. She uncomfortably accepted, being pulled back up onto her feet. His hand dangled right below her base while she stationed herself, a precautious safety net in case she stumbled back. Coiny was being increasingly forward—and touchy. More-so than usual, despite that being a hard feat to do.

She lightly pushed him off of her and walked her way towards the door. Coiny couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to her apprehensiveness. The door pushed open, knocking one of the objects inside forward. It was Donut.

"Wh— Huh? Oh, Pin!" He said, quickly guiding her inside. "You guys were lagging a bit behind, it wasn't until we reached the top where we realised you weren't even with us anymore!"

She gleaned a nervous smile and waved her hand back at him, "Yes, sorry about that. Just sort of tired is all."

"Hah, got worried we were boring you guys. Speaking of you guys, where's Coiny?"

A hand shot from the door and shoved Pin aside, inspiring an 'oomph' sound from her mouth.

"Right here!" Coiny said, marching through the door.

The apartment's layout was large but rather boring. A little monotonous, too. All the team apartments were the same; a large couch nested in the middle of the main room atop a rugged woollen mat laced with team colours. An oak coffee table adjacent to the couch laid against the wall, elevating a large flashy flat-screen, adorned with small paper notes along the rims full of doodles and game plans written by Needle and Pin respectively. There were small potted yoyle-esque plants against the wall and beside the TV, some were funny plants. Curtains lined the outermost wall with windows revealing the most expansive view over the Goiky plains—unfortunately temporarily shadowed by their tall stacks outside. The whole room was decked with fun iconography of each member. Opposite to the TV wall is a hallway branching out to 7 separate rooms, one each for every contestant to sleep in, all adorned with the same set up and furniture.

Pin finally walked herself into the apartment with Coiny leading; he checked behind himself subtly. They both walked past Needle who was already kicking back on the couch long-ways, much to Saw's restrained annoyance.

The door cracked open again. Barf bag emerged with a bucket of popcorn and Gaty carried a plate of chips, balanced masterfully on her pickets.

Pin and Coiny were both a decent way through the apartment, right under the arch of the hallway containing their individual rooms, when a voice broke out from behind them.

"Hey, aren't you two going to stay back for movie night? We brought snacks." Gaty bopped her head up, shaking the plate of chips before losing her balance for a moment, then repositioning herself with a nervous laugh.

"AND POPCORN! Extra butter," Barf bag chirped out. She grabbed a singular flake and chucked it into her mouth like a party trick.

"Yeah, yeah, extra butter—are you guys already heading to bed?" Gaty said.

Coiny shot up and snapped his fingers, "OHHH RIGHT! Movie night. Forgot about that… Pin? We said we'd join earlier today. You down?"

This was true. They promised in the morning that the team would relax together after the challenge. It was a promising hangout. Surely she needed it. But—

"No thanks, I'm too tired." Pin said weakly.

A pensive grew over Gaty's face as she drew out a pout. "What? But this is the perfect way to wind down. With the rest of us." She generously urged Pin to stick with them.

"I think I just want to head back to bed. Maybe I'll come out later in the night," Pin wavered her hand.

"O-oh, alright then. Night guys." Gaty tilted her head in a bow. The chip plate slid off her head in an instant and shattered, littering crisps all across the once clean hardwood floor and staining the team rug with salt and grease.

Pin jumped in fright, "Eep! I can clean that u—" she paused. And coughed, turning back around towards the individual rooms, "—sorry, force of habit."

Back towards her room she went. Coiny paddled behind her and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey—um. Wanna head back to my room?" He tugged at her arm, a warm smile and raised eyebrows splayed his upper forehead.

Pin's fingers nervously twitched. She was kind of sick of this. This… strange helicoptering. It left her restless, unable to catch a moment to herself. She wanted so desperately to politely decline.

But that pleading face. He knew how to shake her to her core—to her heart.

Her eyes darted away from him. "Uhm—OK, sure," she bluntly stammered out.

With a cheek-to-cheek grin and a pep in his step, Coiny dragged Pin by the arm playfully, clung tight to her length insidiously desperate. He launched the door to his room open with the brute force of his foot. The hinges were abused relentlessly (after only a year) from this constant door-kicking treatment. Instantly a familiar copper-stained odour met Pin's nose. She winced a little. It wasn't new to her; she had spent plenty of nights in Coiny's room. Perhaps more than in her own. They've been like this since early IDFB; sharing rooms in apartments and spending their nights together. almost always in the same bed, under the same covers, on the same pillow; no differently had she grown used to his TPOT room. It was messy. Scattered trinkets and what-not scoured the floor—nothing new or out of the ordinary for him. Plenty of photographs of older memories plastered across his walls, some unevenly stabbed into his bed's backboard with familiar looking pushpins. He liked using the red ones. They ranged from pleasant moments to what Pin would consider awful moments. Coiny considered them all good ones despite the obvious weight behind some of them.

Their relationship was quite weird considering the room sharing. They weren't dating. But also not not dating. There was uncomfortable closeness between them—one which they could both notice. At least Pin thought so. Coiny is a difficult guy to figure out. It was glaringly obvious they cared about each other, the rest of their team had probably caught on by now. To what extent they cared for each other was a greater mystery. One which neither of them cared to dabble on. They were friends. Best friends for life. W.O.A.H Bunchers forever.

The room wasn't well-kept by any means. Usually Pin would schedule clean-up days where they'd tackle the mountains of trash he kept in shockingly neat little piles. It was the only way to get him to tidy up. She couldn't quite tell if he was naturally this messy or if he was abusing her generosity—or getting her to spend more time with him. The room did get messier once they started scheduling those clean-ups. Cheeky.

His bed remained the same as always, likely unmade since last night. It was topped with a range of round to rectangular decorative pillows. He didn't even use half of them. A soft orange duvet draped half on the bed and half on the floor, collecting all sorts of dust and grime.

Coiny grabbed the blanket's corner and chucked it haphazardly over the bed, covering the shameful display of disorganised pillows.

"Good as new." He jerked her arm again, "you can lay down now! Since you're so tired."

Pin sleepily stepped towards the bed and flopped onto it as is. The bed was soft as ever; Two always made sure all the furniture was tip-top quality for all the objects. Coiny's bed had such a distinct scent to it. Musky, that signature metallic odour was impossible to ignore. It also reeked of polish—something Coiny himself used infrequently. Pin rolled longways up to his main pillow and nested up.

Coiny stared from the edge of the bed, still gripping the cover. He stiffly pinched the cotton in his fingers looking up at Pin. His head turned around as he bit his lip.

"Want me to turn the lights off?" He said low.

"Yes, that would be nice," she muttered while rolling onto her side. Her front was now adjacent to all the decorative pillows that separated her face from the wall. She grabbed one and pulled it up to her chest. Specifically one of his rounded pillows. It was tenser than the others, made of memory foam. Her arms wrapped around it. Embracing it.

The lights flickered off and the room met darkness aside from a small bedroom table lamp Coiny kept on at all times. It suffered the consequences of his misuse, fighting for its life with what little battery power remained. It left the room dimly lit but dark. Bright enough to just make out their faces and body outlines.

Pin could hear his footsteps inch closer to the bed, silent and slow. She squeezed the pillow in her grasp, staring at the drywall. It was uninteresting on its own but there were a few photographs put up in that specific area. BFDIA ones. She cringed.

Coiny finally reached the bedside once more and with a swing of momentum, hopped up onto the cover, landing on his knees. Scuttling over almost bug-like, Coiny shoved his legs under the duvet beside Pin and jut his elbow into her back during his scuffle settling down.

"Ack—! Sorry Pin." He said apologetically.

There was a small grunt, but besides that… No response.

He blinked blankly at her, expecting a verbal beating. Some sign of life from her. His mouth pursed into an uneasy frown matching the equally uneasy silence. He didn't know what more he could do. Gently, he tugged the blanket over his small body and laid flat on the pillow. He lifted his wrists and laced his fingers together, clasping his fists on his chest while expectantly laying in Pin's silence.

It's not that there's never been silence between them. That's far from the truth. But usually their nights were filled with chatting before bed and plenty of banter. Normally Coiny wouldn't let there be silence. These were always proposed as "sleepovers" afterall, and friends are supposed to talk during these.

But instead Pin clutched at her pillow tighter.

Coiny couldn't make out what she was doing. His line of sight was completely obscured… curiosity stirred while he watched her hunch more on her side. One of his palms lifted and feebly rubbed at her back. He threw his body over onto its side, gluing his other palm over Pin's shoulder and attaching himself to her in a weak hug. Her plastic felt cold.

She was unmoved, grimacing at the sheer act of his lamentable gesture. She breathed a deep sigh and let one hand unwed from the pillow. It grabbed at Coiny's needlessly grabby hand and nudged it up and over her side, sliding right back down to his chest.

He couldn't help but flinch. So unsure of everything. What the hell was bugging her? Why was she being so cold? Making another attempt at closeness, he rested his hand on her hip and sympathetically fondled her waist, smoothing his hand way up her body.

And she shuddered. This time she didn't shake him off.

A subtle clack could be heard as he leaned the top of his head against her back. His breaths remained shallow but shrewdly grazed her plastic, unnerving her.

Silently she flicked her tongue. Between her own short breaths, she wrestled within her mind. Words were clearly needed here. Clarification. Coiny wasn't figuring out what was wrong. Did he really care? Uncertainty had her wrapped around its long spiny finger, condemning her thoughts. Even though she was cross with him, she so desperately wanted him to push for solution. Like he tends to do.

The small coin's arms wrapped around her like fickle thorn vines, stabbing her heart unknowingly. It was unpleasant—she despised it. But she also loved it. She's lived in complacency for so long, it was difficult to keep the act up. She was mad. But she didn't really want to be.

Well—she did.

But she could tell he didn't want this silent treatment to keep.

She clutched the pillow even tighter. Taut and stiff—it was familiar. Substituting for what she desperately wanted. That war waged in her head more as the minutes ticked on. It was only a matter of time until he'd break the silence like he always does. Weighing her heart and mind, she flicked her tongue once more, brokenly opening up her mouth to speak, before exasperating and locking it back up again. Short breathy mouthed words slipped from her lips, all without a sound.

Coiny could feel her rocking slightly. He couldn't make out what she was doing, but his head was rocking with each movement. His brows furrowed trying to make sense of it. Smoothing his hand way up to her flared edge, he pressed his thumb to her temple and sweetly pulled her closer into him.

It was a second attempt at that hug she shrugged off earlier. She let him have this one. She even leaned back into it. His cheek pressed against her back even made her feel warmer.

When an ooze bead formed on her back, Coiny finally decided to intervene.

"Y'know I'm not dumb," he uttered out, "what's the matter?" There was an unfamiliar lower tone in his voice. Direct and sympathetic. Rarely did he ever pull out this volume.

All he heard in response was another one of her short, breathy sighs. He knew she was being aloof but it was still alluring. Even when she's mad he can't get enough of every little sound she makes. He cupped his hand on her chest and rubbed away at her with his index finger.

"Something about the challenge?" he pressed.

Nearly there.

Snickering before he even continued, "was it the cheating?"

Instantaneously, Pin punched her elbow into his chest, stopping his caressing early.

"Ouf—! Pin!" He tumbled over onto his back, letting both his hands release from her. He rubbed his chest in pain.

"You know what it is." She snapped.

"I still don't get it. What's so bad about winning with a bit of an edge?"

"That's not it." Her tone remained stickle.

"Seriously! It was just glue. Two didn't consider it cheating! I'd say it's just working smarter and not harder—working with what we got!" He dismissed.

"It's not just about the glue, Coiny." She hissed back.

"Then what is it about?"

Pin clenched her eyes shut in dismay. She wanted to bang her head on the wall in front of her right then and there. Why does she have to jump through so many hoops just to get the guy to notice something? She rubbed her chin on the pillow in frustration, letting it soak up a small beaded tear from her eye.

"It's about principle! What if the other teams start questioning our ethics? If one team starts cheating, what's stopping all the other teams from breaking the rules too?"

She didn't seem to know where her true problems laid herself.

"What? So you're worried the other teams are gonna start cheating? Pssh—we'll still best them either way. Me and you have so much experience already, we're unbeatable! A little cheating doesn't hurt anyone but our competitors."

"I just don't think cheating should be our thing."

"Pfft—where's the Pin I know?" Here it comes. His tone remained dismissive and sharp, "when have you ever cared about this sort of stuff?"

"I always have," she muffled into the pillow.

"No you haven't." He softly laughed. Still, taking this so unseriously. That certainty…

Pin hurled her face into the pillow. There was no winning with this guy.

She launched herself back and onto her knees, finally facing Coiny head on. All remaining vestiges of hope were depleted. "Where did you get this strange view of me? Why do you all of a sudden think I'm some sort of—some kind of… CHEATER!!!" She shot her arms straight into the air.

Coiny was taken aback by her brashness, defensively raising his arms by his chest. "What's your problem? We've never cared about cheating in the past. Why's it different now?"

"You think I'm nasty. You think I'm a cheater. YOU think I haven't changed." She shouted out while shuffling an inch closer with every you, pointing a damning finger of disapproval straight between his eyes.

"I—What… changed from what…?" Coiny said with a guilty unburdened expression. For once his worries felt grounded. But completely frustratingly clueless.

Pin wrapped her arms into a tight cross. "BFDIA. You still think I'm that Pin."

His stare was hypnotising. He looked like a puppy that just got caught treading dirt on the rug. There was a hint of apologetic-ness but its authenticity was unfounded. He mostly seemed fed up and just wanted them to stop arguing.

"…Are you not? We got so far in BFDIA, why would you not want to be that Pin? You've never stopped being a challenge beast after all. What's there to change from?" A queasy smile drew on his face as his eyebrows dropped along with a shrug.

She tensed up into an angry frown. This was that 'we'll talk later' she asked for mid-challenge. She didn't want it anymore. It was going nowhere. This was never going to go somewhere. They were never going anywhere. It'd be optimistic to have ever believed it.

Pin dropped her defences once she realised it just wasn't worth it.

"Night then," she muttered amidst her frustration. She rotated her body around, back to brooding against the wall, and fell onto her side. She avoided letting him make any more eye contact.

Coiny sat there confused as ever, so unsure of what the hell just transpired right in front of him. He knelt forward a little, dangling his hand above her side before catching himself, and drawing his fist back in.

"Good night, Pin." He bounced back onto the pillow like nothing had happened, though his eyes couldn't leave her. All either of them could hear now was the bedside lamp's humming and the rest of the team enjoying their movie in the other room. It was tantalising.

Multiple times throughout the night, Coiny considered whispering out a hushed apology sometime during her sleep. But he couldn't find the words for it beyond a simple 'sorry'—not that he'd know what he was even apologising for. It'd just be saying what Pin wants to hear, he supposed.

But why apologise when you did nothing wrong?

Groggy eyes blinked open. An arm tip-toed over to the opposite side of the bed, patting down repeatedly. There was nothing but empty space, an untidy thrown blanket, and a single round memory-foam pillow. And Coiny too, of course.

Coiny's eyes finally wedged fully open. His mouth arched with a yawn, spreading his other arm outward. After a few more pats to the space beside him, he finally realised Pin wasn't there. A long winded stare followed suit while he reeled back and onto his butt upright.

He always wakes up first. Always. It's usually his job to wake Pin up in the morning. Yet she was already gone. She must've climbed over him in his deep sleep. He threw his head around the apartment. She wasn't even in the room anymore. She left early.

Nervously, he tapped the table beside him. The lamp he kept on at night had finally blinked dead while they were asleep.

Was it that bad?

The duvet slipped off the bed and ravelled onto the floor as he hopped onto the floor. He approached the door soundly, ignoring all his usual morning routine activities. No morning polishing, no brushing his teeth, not even throwing his new trash into the old trash pile.

There was an itch inside him. A nervous one. Coiny's the confident type, he isn't insecure by any standards. Not outwardly. Pin's apprehension that night had him antsy and alert though. They were inseparable in his mind. He felt he was good for her. That he made her feel good.

Knowing he didn't make her feel good last night killed him inside. So much for being a useful friend.

He twisted the nob and threw it open. The hinges whined as usual, and he crept out darting his head down both sides of the hall like a roadway. Strutting down the hall towards the main-room, he passed some of his teammates' rooms and noticed a few open; Needle, Gaty and Barf bag were out of their rooms already. Not that this was super peculiar, but Gaty at the very least was usually a heavy sleeper. At this point Coiny couldn't tell whether he slept in himself or if today was just a particularly strong morning for all the others.

With the couch now in sight, he caught eye of an arm dangling off the arm rest of the couch. Hoping it'd be Pin, he sped up his strut to check out who it was.

"Hey Coiny!"

It's, disappointingly, only Barf bag. He rudely sighed at the realisation, lacking total awareness that he was doing this directly in her face.

"Oh. Hey Barfy." He said flippant.

"Uh. Rude," she dropped her eyebrows to scowl.

"Sorry—Thought you would be someone else," he shrugged back.

"Pin? Because I saw her leave, like, an hour ago."

"An hour ago?" He threw his hands up in disbelief. "Leave to go where? Y'know where she is?"

"No, but she left with Gaty. Absolutely no clue where they were off to. Sorry!"

"Aghh. It's fine. It's cool—chill even."

Pin leaving his room early is one thing but leaving the whole apartment without saying a word was the cherry on top. And with Gaty of all objects? If he wasn't letting doubt eat away at him before, it was practically peppering him on a plate by now. His foot tapping during his thoughts blew his cover fast.

"Uh—Something the matter, Coiny? You seem rather… perturbed," she tilted her head.

"I need to talk to Pin. Don't worry 'bout it," he shrugged.

"Well, oookay then," she pouted her bottom lip for a moment. "Say, I was waiting for Donut to wake up so we could head down and get breakfast. You wanna come join us?"

"…Sure, whatever. I've got nothing else on I guess." Good opportunity to scout for Pin at least.

"Sheesh, that's the spirit I suppose."

Morning light bounced off the unusual yellow grass blades and into the small picket gate's eyes. She craned a basket from her mouth, full of the usual picnic oddities. Her pikes propped up a sun hat which shamefully failed at blocking out all of the sun's rays. At least it was cute. Bonus points for that. Pin followed closely behind, hauling a massive picnic blanket over her shoulder without breaking a sweat of ooze. It was checkered; red and white. Ditzy and cute.

Pin's lips remained twisted to her side dawdling in thought. Last night was still impaling her. She knew what to think but not what to do. Coiny's dismissiveness had to be addressed at some point. That wasn't really the issue—shrugging stuff off has always been his jam. Though usually he put more effort into caring. She thought he cared more. They were usually like bread and butter. The thought of her potentially ruining their close friendship over something so minute made her feel—

"Pin, the bread and butter? Can you hand it over?" Gaty asked.

She snapped out of her thoughts quickly, and passed over what Gaty had requested. Gaty laid out the picnic mat meticulously with her short feet and little help from Pin. She wasn't too grumpy about it. It's pretty obvious Pin's hurting. Pin’s overt zoning out and pouting drowned out any sense of frustration Gaty had doing all the work for their picnic.

Pin was constantly drifting in and out of thought, thinking back on that night, what he said to her during the last challenge, and snapping back to the present every time Gaty broke her silence.

"Want butter on your sandwich too?"

Pin let out a short "Mmn" in response before going back into her dwelling. She was busy staring off at trees intermittently and loitering around her issues. What on Earth was she going to do about Coiny? Should she continue being mad, hoping he cracks—would that go anywhere? She loves him. Well—cares about him. And he cares about her back, supposedly. But was the Pin he cared about the Pin she was?

You can't act like BFDIA didn't happen…

Yes she could. And she was doing great at it. Her internal scales were at a complete stand still. She just felt… betrayed. By her best friend of all people. They were supposed to be past betrayal now. It's been an entire decade.

What version of Pin does Coiny see when he looks at her? What version of Pin was he "best friends" with?

Gaty bit her lip at the awkward silence she'd been trying to tolerate for the past few minutes. "Pin, when I accepted your picnic offer, I was kiiinda expecting you to be doing picnic stuff too…"

"Sorry. Things are just kind of weird right now. Just mad about—"

"Yeah yeah, Coiny. I get that, but maybe focus on, y'know, the picnic part of your day? Instead of the guy who isn't even here?" Gaty's voice softened after 'guy', trying not to press Pin's buttons too hard. She maintained a sort of fed-up attitude but in the most friendly way possible. Like girls gossiping. Pin was her friend after all.

"Mhm," Pin solemnly nodded, while cracking open the jar of jam beside her. The smell was fresh and sweet, perfect for an even spread on some bread. Ironically she was letting Gaty do all the arm-requiring meal prep. But it's not like she was struggling anyway.

Gaty, like most other armless contestants, had shockingly good precision despite having to do everything with just legs, feet, and wits. She was able to expertly grip onto the knife with just her toes and evenly spread out a layer of jam across the existing butter layer.

"Those are clean, right…?" Pin slightly grimaced.

"Yeah, don't worry, I wiped them with disinfectant wipes."

"OK, good…" Pin said with a slight disapproving squint.

With that, Gaty crowned the sandwich with that final bread slice to create the perfect jam sandwich. She kicked it over to Pin and got to work on a second one.

The picnic wasn't proposed as a flashy event of sorts. Just a hang out to cool off with each other. Pin woke up early in the morning—if it could even be called waking up, she barely slept at all—and the first thing she did was go straight to Gaty. She caught her up on what happened, hence the picnic date. Pin came suggesting the picnic herself, along with keying Gaty in with some bashful insight on how Coiny's been acting.

Gaty observed as Pin took a bite out of her sandwich. Based on her body language and averting eyes, she was still hesitant and overtly distracted. All Gaty could do was watch Pin take shallow bites and then proceed to brood off into the distance. Assuming she was as mad as she claimed, it was a little strange. It felt a little out of character for Pin. More avoidant than she usually was with her emotions. Not that Gaty and Pin were close close friends—Nowhere anywhere near the extent Coiny is—but they had bonded quite a bit over the past year. Enough for Gaty to be able to get a read on Pin. She enjoyed being a shoulder to lean on.

Finishing up the second sandwich, Gaty took a massive bite and instantly spoke back up. "So, you two fought?"

"Yes," Pin said through her chewing, "he claimed I was some sort of cheater."

"Whaaat? But you tried to stop the team from cheating. I was there!"

"He said I've apparently always been a cheater and shouldn't have cared," she pouted.

"Well, you're not a cheater Pin." At least someone has some brains.

"Thanks…" she nibbled her sandwich again.

Pin tapped at her plate with a cheek-faced expression, chewing slower. Then thickly gulped.

"But Coiny should know that too…" Pin said with a wobbly tone. Crumbs and speckles shot out of her mouth as she spoke, landing onto Gaty's face.

Gaty winced, "Ahuh," and wiped the grime off her face with a foot.

They continued their back and forth, plenty of it was filled with complaining. Pin was quick and concise with her thoughts. Everything that could be said was said. Coiny's odd foundation of Pin was unbeknownst to her; to know that Coiny didn't see a differentiation between Pin before IDFB and afterwards was disheartening to say the least, especially considering their bond. All her effort to change. All that effort to make friends—to make a difference in her behaviour. To be kind, to be smart—did he pick up on nothing?

Was there no progress in his eyes?

…And did the others see her this way as well?

It was all overwhelming. Her discretion was all of a sudden tossed and mocked by someone who's been there to see it all. All her ups and downs. Present during her darkest and most miserable days. The object she had opened herself up the most to didn't seem to even know her, not like she knew him.

At one point during Pin's picnic ranting, she hurled a plate like a Frisbee, smashing into a poor passing by Bottle. Shockingly the plate survived—Bottle didn't. It was a display of frustration out of Pin. One which made Gaty increasingly worried.

After some settling down, they decided that was enough picnicking for today. Gaty was more than happy to do most of the clean up while Pin continued to rattle on.

Coiny said this. Coiny said that. Coiny Coiny Coiny. Could she talk about anything else?

Pots and pans were sizzling away with Two on standby. Plenty of teams were down by the lobby and standing by the kitchen door waiting for meals to start being handed out. Usually Two would let the objects gather food and cook for themselves, but after a challenge day they insisted they would put in the work to make delicious meals for everyone to munch on. Two was certainly the kindest host they ever had; Announcer was a bit barbaric at times and didn't provide many resources for the contestants to live off of, though he wasn't horrible or unfair. Not like Four. Four was deplorable. The many hosts across BFDIA weren't terrible but very disorientating, and Flower was part of that bunch which instantly knocked them down a few points. But Two was a uniquely kind burst of fresh air.

Barf bag, Donut and Coiny collectively reached the bottom of the stairs and waited in the lobby with the rest of the objects. Two was handing out meals left and right catered around every little request. You got exactly what you asked for; it was nice.

"So, Barfy, what are you going to ask for? I'm feeling like some waffles personally." Donut said, waving his wrist with a half-shrug.

"Uhh… oh! Probably hotcakes. What about you, Coiny?"

Coiny was only half paying attention. Breakfast wasn't exactly on the mind. Pin was still on the forefront of it. But when was she ever not?

He didn't think there was much to think about. This was just a small bump in their friendship. If Pin was upset with him then he'd just sweet talk her until things became right between them. Remind her how incredible she is. How heroic, brave, fearless she is. Pin was just feeling anxious. She always tends to get antsy during challenges. In his brain Coiny was that knight in shining armour she needed fit for helping her feel better about herself—though even he could admit it was quite a verbose title to claim for himself. Especially after how last night played out. Also considering they're only friends.

But… Her accusations still rang in his head. At what point did he claim she was nasty? Or even specifically a cheater—Pin was a winner. That was one of the most admirable parts to her.

Coiny was calling her a winner.

Why was she upset with that?

Barf bag snapped her fingers, "I said, what are you gonna ask Two for, Coiny?" She was growing increasingly more frustrated with the way Coiny was constantly going quiet around her and Donut. Felt pretty demoralising for a team outing.

"Oh— UMM, probably dirt." Coiny said in the most straightforward, unwavering tone. He kind of forgot who he was responding to.

"Dirt?" Barf bag questioned.

"Yeah, like dirt cake or something."

"…For breakfast?" Barf bag cracked a nervously-funny smile.

"Yeah?"

Coiny's strange affinity to dirt was still perplexing to his newer teammates. Donut didn't raise his eyebrows an inch to his eager response, having got to know Coiny during BFDIA for a month. He brought up his dirt-loving habits while on the original W.O.A.H. Bunch. Seeing Donut not flinch to Coiny's food request, Barf bag didn't harper on it. Coiny was weird after all. She just had to get used to the weirdness.

Coiny was good at keeping up a front. Aside from the occasional bout of silence, Donut and Barf bag could barely tell the guy was distracted. He always held up that same dumb-faced expression when he wasn't being actively spoken to. It let him get away with not paying attention to his teammate's conversation while they were supposed to be 'hanging out' like Barf bag hoped this little outing would become. She wanted to get to know him better. He just wanted to get out of the apartment and see if Pin was in the lobby. She wasn't, so he's disinterested now. What's the point of talking to Barf bag and Donut if they can't give him what he wants?

So he just kept strolling in his head. To think Pin didn't see herself as a winner was worrisome. After all, she's fantastic! Knowing she didn't put herself on that same pedestal Coiny put her on was disheartening. Bolstering her up 24/7 was something he took pride in; a lot of their friendship was spent with Coiny praising her—worshipping her. Like a goddess. Because that's what she was in his eyes. This fantastical, admirable, head-strong leader who ruled with an iron fist. Brash and prideful, open with her thoughts and feelings.

He'd always hoped that goddess would one day wade down her heavy fist for her humble devotee and praise him for his pride and devotion. Maybe someday. For now they were just friends. He didn't deserve to push further than that, digging for praise and adoration. She's been able to provide him with what he's wanted so far, which was affirmation. To have your company wanted and appreciated by someone. Being best friends was good. Being best friends was enough.

She's incredible in his eyes. Someone who does whatever it takes to secure a win. That drive and passion she exhibited is what always has him in a choke hold. It makes her great.

Her outward denial of this fact hurt him, sure, but perplexed him above all else. Knowing he failed to make her feel like a winner both offended and upset him. She basically told him he was a failure.

Hm. Maybe he's thinking too hard on this.

Donut nudged Coiny's arm. "Hey, where do you wanna go sit and eat once we're done in the kitchen?"

"Wh- huh? I'm eating with you guys?" Coiny said, squinting one of his eyes and raising the eyebrow of the other.

"Yyyeah? What, did you want to eat alone?" Well duh. Why would he want to hang out with you two any longer? You're boring. And you're also not Pin.

"No, no, I'll stick with you guys. I just thought I'd find Pin by now or something," It was a little too awkward to back out now, "I was just hoping to talk to her is all."

Barf bag chimed in, nudging Coiny's other arm, "you've gotta start hanging out with the rest of the team, y'know. I feel like we never talk. This is a good opportunity for us!"

Through gritted teeth, all Coiny could do was smile and shrug. "Yeah..."

Despite Team8s having existed for at least a year by now, she made a good point. They really do never talk to one another. Coiny was always off with Pin somewhere, making it nearly impossible to interact with the others outside of challenges and greeting each other in the team apartment. This was an issue that spanned the whole team; Gaty and Saw were usually duo'd up and Donut and Barf bag were similarly closest with one another. Needle stuck out, she'd dip in and out of all the pairings on the team, passed around a bit like a hot potato. Generally, the team was pretty divided by existing friend groups.

Coiny was particularly clingy with Pin. Hesitant to leave her side. He followed her everywhere like some sort of lapdog. Sometimes he was enthusiastic to get to know his new teammates, but he almost always had to have Pin with him to do so. It was his way of including her, helping her make a few new friends—that's what he told himself.

Whenever Pin wasn't around he'd always default to doing one thing; thinking about her.

"Hey Team8s! What'll be your breakfast requests on this fine morning?" Two's boastful attitude broke through all the chitter-chatter of the room. The trio had finally broken through the existing line of objects.

Coiny was at the front, so the other two were expecting him to recount their collective order.

"Dirt."

"…Is that all?"

Barf bag expectantly—and nervously—punched him playfully in the arm.

"What, that's what we wanted?" What he wanted.

"…And our stuff?"

"OH—yeah um… you guys wanted… uhhhhhhh…" he drooled, dumb-faced, with a finger hooking the corner of his mouth.

Two dropped a handful of dirt into Coiny's hands. "Alrighty you lot, I've got a lot of mouths to feed! Get a move on!"

Donut and Barf bag's faces dropped in shock and disappointment. Coiny turned only to awkwardly smile. He really wasn't listening.

The three of them settled outside on a small wooden table with built-in seats. They were spare tables from inside Gelatin's steak house's storage room that had been dragged and set outside by the other contestants. The old tables didn't survive the whole lava debacle back in BFB.

Coiny dropped the pile of sod onto the table. Guess that was breakfast sorted.

"You can have that if you want. I don't know if I'm hungry anymore." Donut said awkwardly, scratching his head.

Coiny shrugged, grabbed a fistful and shovelled it into his mouth.

Barf bag shrugged, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to… try?" She pinched some dirt and sprinkled it into her mouth. She winced, before then sending out two thumbs up.

The whole interaction was awkward. Coiny didn't want to be there anymore. He spent most of the time scouting out and looking around in case he'd catch Pin walking by. Donut and Barf bag were happily chatting away while their coin friend modestly ate away at his dirt pile. It wasn't even the dirt cake he wanted, but who's he to complain?

"So, I think we should break the ice a bit. Coiny, do you have any hobbies?" Donut said respectfully.

"Hobbies?" Worshipping Pin was certainly a hobby of his, but felt inappropriate as an answer. "I like gardening I guess...?"

"Oh yeah, you and Pin take care of the plants in the team main-room, right?"

"Yep."

Barf bag joined in, "I always thought that gardening was more up Pin's alley though? She's an expert at it!"

"Uh, yeah? I like helping her with it." Coiny didn't quite get what she was implying.

"Okay… any other hobbies?"

"Hmm… baking's fun!" Coiny perked up.

Barf bag spoke up once again, "you help Pin with that too, don't you?"

"Yeah…?" He saw no issue with this. It's called being helpful. Try it, Barfy.

"Is there anything you do that Pin… doesn't do…?" She awkwardly smiled. Barf bag knew she was poking a bear here; maybe it was a little too intrusive of a question. Maybe even a little rude. But from how Coiny was describing himself it sounded like all he ever does is orbit around Pin.

"Pssh, yeah? She doesn't like… speeches! I like making and practising those." A little specific… but it's all he could think of.

"Cool! I feel like we're making groundwork here."

"…Groundwork?"

"Yeah. Getting to know each other better! Breaking the ice."

She sounded overly enthusiastic. It contrasted strongly with Coiny's much more reserved expression. He still doesn't want to be here.

This is how the conversation remained. Donut and Barf bag continued to speak back and forth, prompting questions toward each other and Coiny. He barely contributed himself. They did get some things out of Coiny but a lot of it boiled down to 'I like this, but I also like doing this because Pin likes doing it.' It got sort of depressing to hear over and over again after a while. Sure, he was his own person, but he didn't make it sound like he was.

With midday rapidly approaching, and the conversation chugging along without issue, Coiny sat inaptly with his chin being held up by his hand. He listened bored as ever and only spoke up when spoken to—until footsteps passed by. And the sound of… dragging? He instinctively turned around to check who it could've been. Literally anyone else showing up could break this boredom. Even if it was Rubber Spatula or something.

To his surprise it wasn't Rubber Spatula or something.

It was Pin and Gaty with their picnic get-up.

"PIN!" He hopped off of the wooden table and ran towards her with a big fat grin. "I've been looking all over for you!"

She sped up faster without turning around. He swore he saw the corner of her mouth sharply frown. Gaty followed suit, just slower. Gaty made weak eye contact with Coiny, giving him a disappointed squint, then turned back around to speed up by Pin's lead.

Coiny looked on, distraught.

Donut and Barf bag curiously stared, feeling completely out of the loop. Then things started clicking in Barf bag's head.

"Do you… need a minute?"

"I think I'm gonna head back to the apartment. I'll catch you guys later!" He didn't sound sad or disparaged at all like they expected. Actually, he sounded chirpier than he had the whole outing. Without turning around to look at them, he ran far out of view. Donut and Barf bag just looked at each other confused and continued with their discussions.

…And politely shoved the rest of Coiny's dirt off the table.

Back at the apartment, Pin chucked the picnic mat off to the side of the room and huffed. Needle was inside on the couch already, observing the scene. Gaty settled the basket and her cute little hat on the coffee table and quickly checked up on Pin. Her storming off earlier was unsettling.

"You okay?"

"Yes. I think I just want to be alone for a bit though. Thanks for today," Pin softly smiled and waved, walking off to her own room at the end of the hall.

Needle leaned herself upward to watch Pin walk down the hall. "Is she—?"

Gaty nodded, "There's just some…team tension…right now. She'll be okay."

Not even more than a minute later, Coiny burst through the team door after tailing behind the two objects. He ran into the living room, out of breath and wheezing.

Grabbing Gaty by her sides, he tiredly puffed, "where's—huff, Pin?"

"Her room."

HER room?

"Thanks," Coiny said, dropping Gaty and running down towards Pin's room. Gaty flashed him another nasty look while he ran.

Swiftly, he began knocking at her door. He made sure his knocks remained soft, he didn't want to appear aggressive with her at all.

"Pin, are you in there?"

No answer.

"Pin, please, we should hang out. I haven't seen you all day!"

Still no answer.

"Pin…?" He kept his tone sweet and level soft. Carrying that exact voice that lulled her at night, that voice that he knew she adored.

Her door remained locked. He knows because he frustratedly jiggled the door knob a little.

Worries only increased. The idea Pin was actually mad at him began seeping in deeper. Coiny could tell he struck a nerve but he just couldn't figure out which nerve. Nor was he surgically equipped to reconstruct that nerve. He felt he owed it to her to helplessly apologise down on his knees, beg for forgiveness like a dog—but she was pragmatic. He had to mean it. And she had to believe it.

But she usually always believes him anyway.

That's when it hit him. He never apologised for anything last night. Even though he didn't understand what there was to apologise to—all he did was call her awesome! He was still figuring out what exactly he should apologise for. But she wasn't letting him. If she won't talk to him, how's he to apologise? Coiny found it contradictory and incredibly frustrating.

Above all else, he just wanted things back to normal. What on Earth was there to be mad about right now. Things are great. Awesome even. They're awesome. Together. A rag tag duo going stronger than ever in this new competition. No more Four, no more Freesmart, no more drama. So why was she fabricating drama on a whim?

Does she just feel like being mad at me???

Coiny swiped his hand on the door, leaving a little sweat behind after pressing so hard on it. He opted to head to bed. Alone. This'd be the first time in a while where they weren't sleeping over.

Heading into his bed, Coiny launched forwards and flopped onto it near motionless. The lights were off already, having never been turned on throughout the day. All light came from his small bedside window. It illuminated him brightly, reflecting against his metal body and creating pretty patterns on the ceiling. Pin used to comment on stuff like that. Pin used to talk to him before bed. Pin used to talk to him. Pin—

Without raising his full body an inch above the mattress, he aggressively kicked his legs to propel himself up to his pillow, then flipped himself so he was now looking up. His arms remained stiff. He raised one, and splayed his fingers up in the air—then banged his fist on his wall of pillows with a taut grunt. One of the square shaped pillows fell onto his legs. A red one.

This entire situation was messy and open ended. The thought that this could possibly lead to something bad between them—whether that be more arguing or their friendship snapping again—was cataclysmic now. It was wholly possible. Would Pin do that to him? To them? Would she dismantle this kingdom they built together?

He thought back to their conversations. Both the one during their challenge and the one from last night. She was upset about BFDIA for some reason. She accused him of pretending to like it.

Pretending?

His fist curled and supported him as he positioned himself up, grabbing the pillow that happened to be sleeping on his feet. Some of his BFDIA photographs happened to be scattered around his bedside. Some of them featured Mecha Pin. Some… featured some even more unfortunate Pin moments. Including when she was faceless and small. Not that this stood out to Coiny though. They were all just 'good times' to him; the days that brought them closer.

Why would I have to pretend to like something cool?

Coiny likes to think he loves BFDIA for a multitude of reasons: Firstly, because it was fun. Plain and simple. The challenges were chaotic and attuned just to Coiny's speed. Secondly, he made friends. Not that he was notably friendless prior to BFDIA, Snowball was a good pal after all, but objects like Needle and Donut were of course great friends to come across, even if some friendships were more rough around the edges than others. They're Team8ers now too, so it led to something great! Thirdly, W.O.A.H. Bunch was born. A staple to Coiny's identity even today. All his friends are his 'Bunch Buddies.'

But most importantly; he met Pin properly. BFDIA brought the two of them closer, more intimately than it had ever brought any other objects.

BFDIA felt like the first time he had ever been truly useful. Capable of helping another object. It made him feel like he had the ability to do good in someone's life. He adored how powerful it made him feel to help someone troubled, someone who actually wanted his help. It just so happened to be that Pin fell right into his hands at that prime time. He was her knight in shining armour; her trusty right hand man. A co-captain. Every command she launched, he'd follow. BFDIA is how he got to know Pin. BFDIA was Pin. BFDIA gave him what he considered to be his everything—his entire world. Pin.

The concept of lying about loving BFDIA baffled Coiny—that would be lying about loving Pin.

His grasp on the pillow tightened. He threw his whole body around it, draping arms across the back and gripping his upper arms. Coiny created this snug, interlocking hug with the pillow. A strong hold. He pulled it as close as he could. He fell onto his back once more, cradling the pillow. A hand slipped off his length and snaked the back of the pillow, silently massaging its side.

His head left its surface one last time.

He stared at it. Wanting something.

And he smothered himself with it, interlocking his face with its surface. Muffled and pleasant sounds crept through… His lips dragged across the fabric, tense and coarse, the texture was unpleasantly alluring—not that its frigid surface was the worst he's explored before. Coiny continued massaging the pillow and excessively scanning its cover with his palm, like he was searching for an exact feeling.

This felt humiliating. Was he really doing this?

Debilitatingly weak. His tongue snuck out at one point, licking the damn thing. He's clearly got experience under his belt here; he's obviously done this before. He groaned into it, completely embarrassed with himself over the display. But he didn't stop. Nor did he even slow. No—he continued longingly. Pressing his lips deep into the plush exterior.

He heaved heavily, breathing into the thick fabric, his breath stained its once clean bleached smell. Each instance of contact left dark patchy spots on its face. Coiny's incessant need to please something at every living breathing moment of his life really spoke through with his technique. He was handsy and all over it. Very passionate.

This display carried on throughout the night. Coiny clung to the pillow like life support, hugging it as a crutch. It got him to sleep.

The state of Coiny's room was left untamed. His kissing-pillow had plopped onto the floor during the night, and his body was face-down splayed out like a murder victim. One hand dangled dangerously off the edge of his mattress, and a foot kicked up to his back. More accurately, it looked like the aftermath of a bender.

Coiny pried his frail body off his blanket. A line of spit stringed from his mouth and his bed from his excessive drooling in the night. He looked as if he had just been flash-banged. A bit of a dramatic display.

Slowly but surely he got himself up and off the bed after wrestling with the blanket. His exit was everything but graceful—he fell onto the carpet as soon as his leg escaped the blanket's trap. He groaned, picking himself back up and finally onto his two feet. Similar to the day prior, he didn't follow any of his usual morning routines. Coiny stumbled up to the door and before he even raised his hand toward the handle, he swiped dust and drool off of himself and checked that he looked passable. Then, for once, gently opened the door with zero enthusiasm.

He walked out as usual. Didn't look off or upset—just plain old Coiny. His pride was able to glaze over his other emotions, it's like a superpower to him. Comes to him naturally.

Before anything else, he walked a few rooms over to check Pin's door. It was locked. Supposedly, she's still asleep. That's all he can assume. Coiny grit his teeth and swiped some sweat off his chest. He headed back toward the living room. It was still early in the morning, he wasn't expecting many of the others to be awake. None of the other doors were open—except for Needle's. and soon enough; there she was on the couch watching the TV. The volume was down low, being courteous of her teammates' beauty sleep. He quickly wiped his face to discard of any remaining drool smears that remained and rubbed his eyes to freshen up even more. Presentation was everything.

Like a disturbed, nightmare awoken child, he walked up to the side of the couch and waved.

"Hey," he said.

Needle wasn't startled, having heard his door open minutes ago. "Hey there…"

The tone was naturally suspicious. Barf bag had spoken to her prior on Pin's odd demeanour towards Coiny yesterday. It was worrisome. Coiny himself didn't appear too off, just a little more lethargic than usual. But he looked pretty average.

"This spot taken?" Coiny said, pointing to the couch space to Needle's side.

"…Nope, you can sit here." She said, shuffling to the side a bit.

Without breaking a sweat, he hopped onto the couch and lounged back relaxed. Blankly he stared at the screen ahead, absorbing the show Needle was watching. It was some sports show—kind of like the Olympics but sadder. Some sort of track-race was being shown in the moment. It disinterested him fast.

His attitude wasn't as upbeat as it usually was but it was certainly on par with what Barf bag had described to Needle. Everything about him seemed ever so slightly off; his posture and attitude for one. It looked way too familiar to Needle. Scarily familiar. She's seen this before.

BFDIA 21. By the tree, near the spaceship crash-site. It's a near identical scene. The blank, zoning stare… the uneasy tension that emanated off of him. If Tennis Ball or Book were here to see it they'd probably think the same.

Does this guy handle everything the same way???

"Hey… Coiny, are you alright?" She said slowly.

"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't I be?" Well, he knew why. But why wouldn't he be alright in Needle's eyes? Needle doesn't know anything. When does Needle know stuff?

"Y'know I can tell there's been some tension between you and Pin lately," she said with great scepticism, "did something happen?"

"Yeah but it's no big deal."

"No big deal?"

"Nothing too bad."

"Pin looked really upset when she came back to the apartment last night. Just saying…" she shrugged, looking back up at the TV. A little bead of sweat formed by her head.

Pin looked upset?

Coiny immediately turned on his knuckle, leaning on his arm towards Needle. "What—how upset?"

"Like she wanted to cry. I didn't get a great look but Gaty told me she was mad about something."

His teeth clutched in an overbite, scowling to the side. Oh my mint.

Cracks were finally starting to show. Though, he of course had to quickly resort back to his tried and true; denying there was even anything wrong. That imminent requirement to not take things seriously.

He wavered his hand, flapping it in Needle's face as he tilted his head an acute amount. "What happens between me and Pin is nonna'ya business Needle! Quit being so nosy."

His flippancy bounced right off of her. "I don't really feel like getting too involved with whatever it is going on—but y'know I'm here to talk to, Coiny. We're all friends on this team, and we can't be having discord so early on."

Man, are we?

Coiny's lips curled downward as he swiftly turned back towards the TV. "'Kay."

And he held it surprisingly well. Needle was uncomfortable at how still he sat. Almost expressionless, not even reacting to the show let alone the fact that Needle was trying to poke into his and Pin's friendship.

…

The TV kept clambering on. Now they're showing who won the race. Needle was pretty fixed on whatever it was showing, but kept breaking contact with the TV to double check Coiny's demeanour. He was kind of… brooding now. It was difficult to make out his facial expression. Blank and sad is all she could make of it.

Now the TV's on about some new race.

Coiny leaned forward a little which Needle caught ear of with the fabric shuffling. She turned to him.

"I'VE MADE A MISTAKE, NEEDLE!!!" He pounced toward her face, grabbing a fistful of both her cheeks pulling her towards him. "WHAT DO I DO?!?!"

Needle jumped in shock at his suddenly explosive behaviour, shoving his hands off her face "What!?"

Organised collections of coins and sentimental ornaments laid exposed to the elements inside display cases half-shut. The room was stained with patented 'Yoyle' fragrance, a distinct husky berry aroma similar to that of blueberries. Pin loved her Yoyle themed stuff. A bit of a reminder of her old temporary home Yoylecity. Everything was pretty organised as one would expect. A complete contrast to the hellish mess that is Coiny's room.

Pin silently swayed her feet forwards and backwards off her bed while she sat staring down at her hands. She was holding a token. A yellow token. The token she got last challenge.

The reward she got for her team's cheating.

Her mouth tensed down to her side while she stared down at it, glaring deeply at her own reflection on the token's well-polished exterior. Two carelessly rewarded the team even after their cheating. They were well aware of their team's glue usage too. Pin made sure of it. And they still chose to reward Team8s.

Cheating is bad though. There's no justification for it. If you cheat then that means you're a bad person.

Pin's face scrunched up more as she palmed a whole hand around the token, covering her view of it. Her hand trembled as she cloaked her own reflection, no longer able to keep looking at herself or the token. A small wet tear fell and soaked the back of her hand.

Softly, she sobbed.

Does Coiny think I'm a bad person?

She shook as she silently wept out more tears. There was no pride in crying. Usually her frustration was dealt out through angry monologuing about how she was so angry, why she was angry, and why being angry sucked. Right now her world felt as if it was slowly coming down upon her. But Coiny wasn't her world. Well he shouldn't be at least. Pin's her own world. Pin's what matters to Pin. She should be focusing on herself. But that only made her feel more selfish.

Desperately, she clutched the fabric of her blanket with her free hand and wiped her tears away—but no matter how much she rubbed, she couldn't stop the crying.

Why am I crying over this?

It's just Coiny.

It's—It's just my best friend being kind of stupid.

Acting like he even knows me.

Telling me who I am. How… how I'm supposed to act.

She released the blanket and clawed her scrunched up eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing. Subtly she grr'd amidst her train of thought.

I'm not a bad person. I don't cheat. I-I'm not some sort of…

Some kind of menace!

She dropped the token immediately and hurriedly turned to her bedside. The token clanked onto the carpet and silently rolled under her bed. Out of sight out of mind. Slamming her drawers open, she dug her fist around until she grabbed hold of a small tin, being sure to take it out carefully and close the drawer behind her.

It laid in her lap. Still shaky, the tin's lid opened under her palm and revealed a neatly organised plate of chocolates. Only a few chocolates were already missing, eaten by Pin herself in the past. She clenched her eyes shut and quickly shovelled one of the dark chocolates into her mouth.

Why's he always pretending around me? I don't need to hear about how awesome his stupid BFDIA was. It sucked!

Sucked big time. Stupid Freesmart season… stupid season where Book got further than me… stupid season where I— MmmmnMMM

She snarled and shook her head at her thoughts before shoving another chocolate in her mouth while her soaked eyes twitched open.

Everything is stupid stupid stupid! Why am I the only object who cares on this team?

Distraught mumbling and sulking damned her brain out while she mulled over the consequences of being upset. What Coiny would think seeing her like this. She was angry she was even thinking of him at a time like this. Why he plagued her mind so horribly. She drowned out the thoughts every time they got too bad with another chocolate. But she didn't know what she'd do once she ran out. It was always Coiny's self-assigned task to help Pin out with her emotions when she was upset with something.

With this, she thought… okay. What would Coiny do right now? How would Coiny make this all go away?

He'd probably… Hug me. Well I can't really hug myself.

Sometimes he'd… put the VCR on in his room and we'd watch a movie. But I don't have one in my room…

Um. Then he'd tell me how great we are. He's… not here to do that…

Her hands tucked over her flared top and soothingly smoothed the plastic with her thumbs, rubbing gentle circles. This was the one thing Coiny usually did that she could perform herself. She then grabbed another chocolate and chucked it in her mouth. The chocolate this time was drizzled in her salty tears. She'd been crying directly over the tin. Now even her chocolates tasted sad.

In her mind there was a clear answer then. Go to Coiny. He'll help.

But that goes against everything she's mad about. She doesn't want to look at Coiny's face again. Not right now. His stupid putrid ugly face. Words she didn't believe, but anyone worth being upset about was 'ugly' to her.

So she's not leaving her room. Not tonight.

The door remains locked tight. She hasn't heard any knocking yet either.

What if Coiny's already forgot about everything. Coiny…

All her thoughts were just a repeat of Coiny, Coiny, Coiny.

"You want me to what!?" Needle blurted out.

"Talk to Pin for me! Scout out why she's mad at me," Coiny clutched to Needle's hips with a desperate grin, "I-I don't think she wants to talk to me at all. She's being so… so difficult! I can't fix whatever's going on if she won't talk to me so I need you to do it!"

Every time Coiny got touchy with Needle she immediately shoved him back off. "So you think me talking to her would help?"

"Yes! Is that so hard to understand?" he rolled his eyes.

"I don't even know what's going on!"

"Neither do I!" He smacked his wrist on his head all aggravated. "Ugh, just do it for me! We're friends!"

Needle looked at him dumb founded. "This isn't something I can fix, Coiny."

"I thought you said I could talk to you about this! Why are you being difficult too?"

She sighed, "Yeah, I said you could talk to me about this. Not solve it for you. I'd like to help but I can't force her to tell me things, Coiny."

His expression soured up a little as he puckered his bottom lip out. He grunted a bit. Kind of child-like. "Trust me, I'd love to fix this myself—but Pin's the one being difficult!!!"

"You sure?" Needle snickered.

"Yuh-huh. You know me, Need-ster. I'm clearly trying to make things right here. Pin needs to talk to me herself. She's caused a rift in the team!"

A rift between two members of this supposed team. 'The team' was just him and her in his mind.

His nagging awoke some frustration brewing within Needle. "Want to know what I think then?"

"Yes. Desperately," he quickly snapped back. Unnervingly high alert for her advice.

"You need to give Pin space and time."

"But we don't have space or time, this place is tiny and who knows how long it'll be until the next challenge!" He grunted out. 'Course Needle's advice would be something lame like that.

"Coiny, you asked for my advice. This is all I can really say until you tell me a little bit more about what's going on."

"Whatever!" Coiny kicked himself off the couch with his arms crossed. "Well maybe I don't need your help."

Needle rubbed the space between her eyebrows, struggling to think of a response. His reflective attitude refused to hear anything about him needing to do something. This forceful know-it-all stance never bent around Needle. Their friendship was astutely lopsided sometimes, it felt. One always needed something from the other—mostly Coiny needing something from Needle. And when he gets what he needs, he doesn't even listen to her. It was nothing short of frustrating.

How on earth does Pin keep up with you? She thought.

Before Needle could force out any sort of verbal retort, as if he'd even stay to hear it, a door could be heard latching open from the other end of the hall where all their rooms resided.

"Can—can you two keep it down, please? You woke me up, and it's only EIGHT o'clock!" Saw stammered out. Flustered by her own loud yell, "Ah, sorry… hope I didn't just wake up someone myself…"

Needle awkwardly paused to check the time on the TV. Oh, Saw's actually right. It's 8am. "Sorry, Saw. I'm trying to help Coiny here with something about Pi—"

Coiny immediately jumped onto her and shoved his palm over her mouth. "Shhuush!"

Needle playfully smirked beneath his finger. Saw, confused but not willing to intrude, just slipped on past to check the funny-plant specific pots lined by the window.

"Oh… the plants don't seem to be watered today… they don't look like they were watered yesterday either. Is Pin la-EIGHT—" Saw ashamedly covered her mouth. That's twice in the same minute. Poor girl. "Pin usually leaves her room around eigh— AHEM, around this time. Coiny, is she alright?"

"Uhh… umm… I—" Coiny muttered out.

"She's still in her room. I think she's sick or something." Needle responded on Coiny's behalf. She'll still stick her neck out for the guy even if he won't fully appreciate it.

"Hmm, alright…" There was a little scepticism in her voice, but Saw simply walked off. She paddled back into the main hallway and knocked on someone's door. Probably Gaty's.

Back to just Needle and Coiny. He laid back, hopping off of needle and braved a giant sigh, crossing his arms once more. His eyes darted off to the side to evade eye contact with Needle, but he felt a tiny bit ashamed.

"Look, Pin said some weird stuff about BFDIA which I disagreed with. It wasn't that big of a deal. But she's acting really strange over it," he said.

"What counts as… weird stuff?"

"She said it sucked! Can you believe that? Saying that about a season where our fellow W.O.A.H. Buncher nearly won?!" He pridefully chanted. Always incredibly boastful about a 2nd place position he didn't even earn himself.

Needle winced, "I mean, I can understand why she thinks it sucked."

"What! Needle, not you too…"

"She kind of went rogue the entire time. She was an absolute menace—"

"Yep, and that's how she kept getting immunity and stuff!" He smiled.

"—But it wasn't very… Pin."

"Are you calling Pin a loser?!" He quickly climbed up on top of the coffee table in front of the couch, attempting to get at Needle's height. He was still far too short. Nonetheless, he was engarde to defend his best friend. "You better not be insulting our Bunch leader!"

"Yeesh—I'm not," she scratched behind her head, "I just think… I mean… wouldn't BFDIA be kind of… I dunno—sensitive for Pin?"

Coiny raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

Needle's expression dropped as she sucked in her lips. She just stared at him. Was—was he joking? He doesn't look like he's joking. Her fists clenched a little on behalf of Pin. How did I ever have a crush on this guy? Bullet dodged…

"You need to talk to her," she demanded.

"We've been over this Needle, she won't let me—"

"You both need to talk to each other," she leaned and poked her finger into his chest, pushing him back ever so slightly, "shape up and fix this. Give her space if she wants it. Listen to what she has to say, too." Whatever 'this' was wasn't something Coiny was so sure of. Needle was completely judging his character by this point. He could pick up on that by her grimace and sternness. This was the kind of tough love she loved to dish out.

Coiny scrunched his eyebrows staring back at her, scowling like he was angry. She was telling him what to do about his best friend. Then his face quickly relaxed, his eyebrows making a sorry expression. "…I know."

A twinge of guilt stirred within Needle at the response—It was incredibly honest coming from Coiny. She gazed down upon him as he softly rubbed at his elbow, struggling to look up at her any longer. It was difficult matching each other's faces with such an extreme height difference. They stood in silence together for a hot minute. Increasingly awkward. Needle could hear Coiny puff out deeper and deeper breaths as Needle sat herself back down on the couch apologetically. She stayed fixed on Coiny instead of the TV show. Less for interest and more out of worry.

Coiny walked up to the couch as well, pressing his hand against the bottom cushion, preparing himself to climb up onto the couch—but then stopped himself. He sighed.

"Uh, enjoy your show." He then walked off into the hallway towards his room.

Needle turned around to watch him walk off from the couch. She just wanted to make sure he was going to his room. He was. She frowned and turned back around to catch-up on the race on TV.

Good luck.

The tin of chocolates was depleted fast. Pin, defeated, was laying back on her bed staring at the ceiling. Her hands were clenched on her face, spread unevenly so her eyes could peer through. She was still shaky but absolutely not as bad as earlier. Her eyes were both wet and dry; streaks stained her under eyes where tears rolled off her plastic. Her heartbeat was unregulated and disorderly, still trying to get itself under control as her mind ran full of hurtful, hurtful things she'd say to Coiny if she saw him again.

"Are you ready to join us again?" …

That expectant, smug smile on his face when he said it that day. It was on everyone else's faces too. Like she was just supposed to get over the cheating right then and there.

If he was here she'd show him a piece of her mind. She'd slap him on the face and wrestle a genuine sorry out of him—

No—No. That sounds like the old Pin. I'm not that Pin. I'm not…

She frowned. Why would anyone choose to be mad at their best friend? Did any of this even have a purpose? Was she just pouting at the ceiling waiting for everyone to understand and know her feelings and tell her everything is okay. Tell her that she's awesome, incredible, heroic—tell her all the things she wants to hear about herself.

And not the things she doesn't want to hear about herself. The unfavourable things. Parts of her that made her feel corrupt or impure. All those actions and poor choices she's made that clouded her reality way back when. Misunderstandings suck.

She threw the blanket over her body and wistfully kicked her feet, dangling off the bed. Tucking herself slightly, she rolled to her side and stared at the empty chocolate tin ahead of her sight. Like a cat, her arm slowly pushed the tin off the bed, and listened intently when it made a loud clanking impact against the carpet. The sound spiked her heart.

She dragged her body off the bed and onto her knees to collect the tin and dispose of it properly, before she caught sight of the token she had dropped earlier, right out of reach under her bed. Grunting, she knelt down further and irritatingly contorted her body in all sorts of postures and positions to claw out the coin from the darkness under her bed. But she lacked reach. The longer she swiped for it, the angrier she got. It began to fester, as she loudly grr'd at every missed attempt, then—angrily kicked the chocolate tin across her room. It smacked hard into her wall, with a BANG that shook the drywall.

The sound didn't even make her flinch. Instead, she felt relieved by the release of emotion. She took massive, fast, shaky breaths while her eyes adjusted to the damage. It felt good. She wanted to do that again. Her eyes fixed on a small casing of tokens stored on her bedside as she draped a hand over and swiped it to the floor. With one big kick, it followed the chocolate tin's same fate against the wall.

It felt really good. Her mind was static while tension boiled over, bottling things up never felt great. Photo frames, trinkets, little mint containers; they were all tossed and kicked across the room making a cacophony of noise. She got a hold of one of her pillows and tore it open with her teeth like a feral animal, scattering feathers all across the floor. Pin wasn't proud of this one bit—but it felt incredible. This rush of energy…

Knock knock knock.

Pin's heart jumped out of her chest as she snapped back to Earth. She stares wide at the door. Laser eyeing it, awaiting a scolding voice—awaiting Coiny.

A small paper slipped beneath the door. Some sort of card. Unsure of what to do or who it was from, she dropped everything and slowly edged back towards her bed, ashamed.

Oh my pin factory. He totally heard me being weird. What was I doing?

I really am a menace…

She threw both her duvet and regular blanket over her whole body and hid beneath the covers. Not even her point stuck out from her self-made cocoon. She had inwrapped herself entirely, away from the outside world. Away from further confrontation.

Soft sobs could be heard from underneath the covers. Quietly, she wept.

Another night would go by without someone to tell her goodnight. Another night she would question whether she liked him, or deserved him liking her.

Morning rays split through Coiny's room, dispersing off his shiny body. His chin rested up against that same square pillow he hogged the night prior, soaked and stained with his saliva again.

His room was different. Missing some things. The walls were barren and noticeably emptier; it was the photos. They were all taken down. All that remained were the stabbed in holes from all the pushpins that held them up.

Stacks of photographs laid across Coiny's blanket where he was sleeping. Lots of them depicted Pin and only Pin. Sometimes Coiny too, but you could tell who was his favourite subject. One photo was pinched between his fingers while he snored. Miraculously, he hadn't dropped it at all in his sleep. It captured a moment with Pin in her mech suit. She looked angry and upset, frustrated about something. She looked sad.

"Mm…" His face rubbed gauze against the fabric of the pillow while he sleepily blinked his eyes open and subconsciously shifted the photo-possessing hand a little closer to his head.

Sluggishly he rubbed circles over his eyes with his free fist, letting out an extended yawn. The first thing to greet him in the morning was the photo he was holding. Mecha Pin.

He stared at it. Pretended he could comprehend it. What about it was so horrible to Pin. So grotesque and gruelling that she made a point out of it souring his favourite season. She looked so badass in the mech. Sure, she was a little evil in it, but she made sure to use it for good. Good as in, used it to secure wins for W.O.A.H. Bunch. If he was honest with himself, she was kind of hotter in the mech suit—not by much! Pin on her own was hot enough.

He smooshed a hand on his cheek in shame, hiding their warmth.

If this kept up, maybe he wouldn't have the privilege to call himself her friend, nevermind anything more than that. Maybe he was stretching their friendship too thin of what it could offer.

Maybe he had to hear it from the source. He's never actually sat down to ask her what she thought about the season. There were only assumptions that she loved it too, him filling in the blanks of her feelings. Wrong assumptions. Fabricated ideas of what Pin does and doesn't like. The idea that he's falsified a part of her in his mind… something kicked at him in his stomach. Needle was right in that they had to talk about this. How they'd start a new conversation was lost on him but he'd do anything to get Pin to talk to him again.

Come to think of it, Pin had never spoken about BFDIA after the fact. Never. She would dodge the topic constantly. Tip-toeing around it.

Coiny collected the photographs and flicked through a portion. She looked miserable in all the BFDIA ones. She wasn't smiling in any of them. The IDFB ones were a lot more cheerful. Pin's sleek white casing complimented her cheeky smile.

"Hm…" Coiny pleasantly hummed, staring at those happier Pin moments.

…She was gorgeous. Stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. His heart began racing the more and more he flipped through the IDFB memories. She looked so pleasant.

You're beautiful… he thought, resting his chin up on his hand. You were then and you are now.

I wish I could just walk up to your face and tell you that.

Maybe that'd make things worse.

He stared blankly at the similarly blank walls.

Lamp light flickered on as Pin pulled its switch down. She stared at the note in her hand, afraid to open it. Afraid to hear what Coiny had to say that he couldn't say to her face. She wrestled with herself all night, angry that she refused to read it in the moment. Keeping him waiting.

Bracing herself, she opened the letter.

Hi Pin, I know we're not really close (yet) but Gaty told me what happened (SORRY IF I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO KNOW) and I hope you two feel better soon. Sniff this funny plant when you get sad again. They help me! I'm always here if you want to talk.

(P.S. When you aren't mad at him can you tell Coiny to give me back my toothbrush? I think he stole it. Sorry if this is insensitive to ask in a get-better letter. Oh my metal it probably is. I'm sorry I don't have any whiteout so this is going to stay in)

—Love, Saw. (GATY IS HERE TOO AND SAYS HI)

A small funny plant flower head slipped out from the note and fell onto the floor. It was sloppily taped onto the inside of the paper and already dying.

Oh. It was Saw.

She felt a little embarrassed at being so worried. But… she was kind of hoping that it'd be from Coiny, even if it was the more frightening scenario.

She parkoured over all the destroyed items laid across her floor and sat the card open by her bedside, sadly placing the flower head in the bin for its own sake. Rest in peace, funny plant.

Cleaning up her small outburst would be a task for future Pin.

Clutching her chest, she was finally ready to step foot outside her room. She kicked aside shards of glass from thrown photo frames and shakily opened her door, stepping outside. Simultaneously, another door creaked open not far from her. She stepped out from her room. And so did Coiny from his.

They definitely both noticed each other, but Pin walked off towards the lobby fast before Coiny could say or do anything. Not that he was going to. Needle said space, and he'd try to give that to her.

He looked quite sad about it though.

It's extremely difficult to avoid someone when they're all that's ever on your mind.

This kept for days, compiling into a week's worth of avoiding each other and dawdling.

Coiny found himself hanging out with Donut most days, they got along shockingly well. They both had a consistent eye for nostalgia. Sometimes he'd check out what Saw was up to, but he didn't click nearly as well with her as he did his other sharp teammates (though perhaps Needle is debatable). Her uncontrollable eight tick got on his nerves and he ended up making Saw feel even awfuller about it most days, much to the disgruntled annoyance of the rest of his team.

The days where he wasn't around any Team8ers were usually spent trying to catch up with The Bros. Pin was a huge factor in why he never hung out with them as often, so their time apart left ample opportunity to reconnect. It was nice most of the time. He missed her, but seeing his guy friends again was a nice treat even despite their differences.

In the worst ways, they reminded him of Pin. Brutish, snarky, unpleasant—no, that's not quite right. No matter the case, she was still the main object on his mind.

Pin was off with Saw and Gaty most days, sometimes Needle too. They routinely went on walks together, sometimes to go spend their time rage rooming under the watchful eye of Death P.A.C.T Again to limit casualties. Her room wasn't a great place to exert her frustrations so this was the next best thing. It was freeing, no longer being suffocated by his helicoptering, but she still missed him. Every little outing concluded in a solemn Coiny would've liked this too…

She'd often miss the feeling of staying over in someone else's room though. It felt taboo to ask her other friends despite it being a friend thing she'd do with Coiny. No matter how close she got with Gaty, Barf bag, anyone, it felt improper to propose sleeping in the same bed with them, staying up late to talk about whatever was on their minds, and watching movies alone with them away from the rest of the team. That was a her and Coiny thing. Their special thing they did together.

Sleeping in her own room didn't hit the same way. It was always colder. The moon just shone through his window better. She preferred the way his bed sheets smelled. Maybe it was the layout he had that she just preferred over her own. His room felt more like home.

Despite it all, she enjoyed this short stretch of independence. That wasn't a part of her that got to stretch its legs often, again, with Coiny's insistence to do everything for her.

Pin was pleasantly surprised Coiny hadn't walked up to her one of these days. She was kind of betting on it.

There wasn't necessarily an end goal in sight anymore. She finally got the space to breathe. But she couldn't quite get a hold of Coiny throughout all of this. Did he miss her at all either? Why hasn't he spoken to her yet?

Of course him approaching her right now would make her mad, she made it obvious she was giving him the silent treatment, but it's uncharacteristic of him to be so… compliant. It was like she hoped he'd invade her space again. Like that feeling of being mad wasn't faint enough and she wanted an extra kick of it.

She was still conflicted on the whole BFDIA thing of course. But constantly walking the opposite to him in the halls and sharing short glances was starting to do more mental torment than talking to the guy ever could.

So she had to accept that she was ready to face him again.

…

"Coiny?"

A hushed voice split through the living room's silence. Team8s was piled on the couch. It was one of their movie nights, this time everyone was present. They were watching some superhero movie this time, the specifics aren't important.

Coiny, snuggled within a blanket cocoon, snorted the half of him that was asleep awake, and he hurriedly turned to the voice. She hadn't said his name in a long time. Not around him. It was a wake up slap for sure.

This was actually the closest they had been all week. Pin had her cheek smooshed against the coach's arm rest with a small patch of drool from her drowsiness, just barely viewing Coiny from the corner of her eye. He was sat wedged in between Needle and Saw. Needle was all that separated them. And she was thin, so they had a good angle of each other across from her. He didn't know what to say back, or if he even heard her correctly. She went silent for a few seconds. There was a twinge of worry that he heard her in his dream and was now awkwardly staring at her for no reason.

Pin sleepily rubbed circles over her eyes, turning more to face him. "Can we talk?"

Coiny thickly gulped, wide eyed ogling her down. "…Yeah, of course," he whispered back. Everyone else was asleep. The movie ended an hour ago.

They both left the couch. Pin led him down the hall, they didn't touch.

She stopped at Coiny's door.

Coiny gently opened the door for Pin. Pin kept her hands to herself, remaining on her front. Coiny followed her in, careful of their closeness. He nearly grabbed her waist but it felt too intrusive and weird.

Pin instantly noticed the naked walls. The room looked completely anew. Those photos were something he took major pride in. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach with such a sudden change to a room usually familiar and untouched. She wasn't trying to get him to redecorate, though the absence of BFDIA Pins breathing down her neck felt reassuring.

She blankly fixed on the stowed away photos on his bedside. They were all flipped upside down aside from a few.

"Can we sit down for this?" Coiny spoke up.

"Mm. Yes." Pin said.

They both cushioned themselves on his comfy duvet beside each other, dangling their feet off the bed. Coiny leaned forward with his elbows digging into his shins, propping his head up with a hand, turned to Pin. His posture read as incessant, needlessly looking into her. Pin sat reserved with her hands rested in her lap. She read as polite.

There was still an awkward silence between them. Nervousness in which they were unaware of how to shatter. Pin's mouth hung open for a few seconds before closing up with a puffed cheek. She tilted her head back and fourth, tossing words around in her brain.

Coiny noticed her unease and decided to break the ice first. "Okay, Pin, be real with me here. Why are you angry at me?"

"You… know why." Her response was soft spoken but cold.

"…Okay, better question: Why don't you like BFDIA?" He said brokenly.

Coiny had an aching tone. He sounded hurt admitting she didn't like it. Exposing a wound to her, asking her to deface an era in which he cherished so dearly for its gifts to him. She was a gift of BFDIA.

"Because it was bad." She snickered.

"Wh—we had so much fun though!—" You're talking over her Coiny. "—sorry." He placed his chin back on his hand awkwardly, an admission that he overstepped. "Can you explain why at least?"

She flicked her eyes towards him. Coiny sat expectantly and willing to listen.

"I spent the entire season being evil."

"Yeah, but you spent it winning."

"Coiny, I had no limbs. It sucked."

Coiny gripped his knee. "It ended out alright though. Fifth place isn't something to scoff at!"

"That doesn't matter to me. Freesmart spent the entire season picking fights with me. The competition was against me. It wasn't fun and I spent nights alone while people thought I was a monster." As the sentence ended her cadence wavered. She was starting to get tense and shaky, holding her bottom edge tight like a schoolgirl fidgeting with her shirt.

"I didn't think you were a monster." Coiny broke through her soft shuddering.

"But I betrayed you—"

"I betrayed you too though. It was stupid but it didn't make me a monster." He cut her off.

Pin lifted a hand to her cheek to rub it. She was trying to hide it, but she was also wiping away a tear. Coiny pouted with sorry eyes but held his tongue.

Pin lowered her voice… "Why do you like it?"

He scratched the back of his head at the question. There were a million answers to it, but one direct answer stood out in his mind. He didn't find the answer satisfactory at first, so he danced around it. "Because it was fun—for me I mean. I liked the challenges."

"That's a stupid reason to like a season. They all had okay challenges." She proclaimed in response. "That can't be it, right?"

He rubbed his palm, softly breathing while he stared out at the carpet ahead of them. His eyes dragged up to the blank apartment walls and all the damage left behind by each individual pushpin that stabbed through his walls. His mind weighed heavily, digging for that slightly more intensive answer. The truer answer. He sighed, looking back at Pin.

Just like in the photos, she looked beautiful. Unlike the photos, she was crying over something a bit more personal. His chest tensed while his eyes fixated on her, unable to unlock.

He could notice the soft tears she had been trying to rub away from her eyes. Even when she was crying she looked like a queen.

Fidgeting with his hands, he gulped.

"I like it because I met you, Pin."

Coiny felt real stupid for dropping that while she was clearly emotional. Considering why she was upset, this felt incredibly insensitive. Shit.

Her face was indescribable. It wasn't happy; more stiff. Not emotionless, it teetered to disbelief. It'd be a more satisfactory answer if she knew the Pin she met him as was a good person. Or if the Pin he was looking at today was even a good person. She destroyed her room a week ago; nothing about that screams mature or kind in her heart.

"Coiny," she spoke brokenly, moving her hands from her face, "do you think I'm a good person?" Her voice shook as she spoke, holding back what tears she could.

Shell shocked by the sheer audacity to ask such a stupid question— "Yes! What kind of question is that?" His posture changed entirely, now sitting completely upright, turned towards Pin.

"I-I don't know…" Pin folded forward into her own lap, gripping her thighs. "I don't know if I've done a good job anymore. At changing." She clenched harder. She was starting to outright sob. "You didn't even know I was trying."

Coiny rarely sees her full-on cry. His hands raised, trying to console her… then picked her up into a tight hug.

"I think you've always been a good person, Pin." He lulled her. Grazing his rimmed edges against her side like an animal, he gripped her plastic taut as if he was at risk of possibly letting go. She embraced the hug in response, folding her arms over his shoulders. Coiny hummed while her tears ran. Her morals were never much concern to him as they were to her.

"I've never really drawn attention to it. You've always just been Pin. To me. There are no other Pins besides the Pin I'm looking at. This probably sounds so corny—ha-ha, but I care about you, Pin. You. This Pin, that Pin, you Pin."

She clutched at him harder. "Coiny… you are corny."

"There's a reason my name sounds like it."

She snickered back a laugh. Coiny could feel her bounce with her laughter and he softly chuckled himself. "Pin—"

She tucked back out of the hug, Coiny holding onto both of her sides from in front now. Pin was practically in his lap; unintentionally of course.

"—Pin I care about you so much." His thumb gently smoothed her side. "I love you, Pin."

Some words are better off said. As if he wasn't aware of the phrase he just muttered, he dumbly smiled at her weak, processing expression. As if it was just any old 'you're my best friend' statement.

Her heart rate jumped, breathing quicker and softer. "You love me?" She whispered.

"More than anything."

The tears didn't stop streaming despite the sudden confession. It made him feel queasy, but Coiny was too love-struck to be too unsure on the timing. Whether it was inappropriate to drop on her mid-consolation was far beyond him, and he didn't care about that. All he cared about was Pin.

That tense, vice-esque grip snaked its way down to her hips. He didn't want to let go. Not now, not ever. She was finally close to him again. After refusing to even look at him—she was finally up in his arms and closer than ever. Never again did he want them to have another friendship mishap.

No, not another bump in their friendship.

"Coiny, I—" Pin was stammering, twitching under his touch, "Mm."

Coiny still couldn't make out what Pin's reaction meant. Both his breathing and his chest got tighter.

He gently lifted his hands to Pin's cheeks.

"No matter how much I love BFDIA, it'd never compare to how much I love you," he paused. He wanted to soak in the sights of her flushed face. "Because you basically were my BFDIA. You're incredible, funny, smart… you are everything a teammate could dream of. Everything I could dream of."

She felt breathless, no longer damned to hear the words that burdened her so vilely... Pin was being listened to. Understood.

"So I'm a good person?" She wanted to hear him say it again.

"Yeah, didn't you hear me the first time? Or the second time?" He scoffed, smiling.

Coiny led one hand to grab hold of Pin's wrist and slowly lift it up to his mouth. He pressed a small kiss right on the back of it by her joint. Coiny wasn't sure what exactly made him do it. He was running on a bit of autopilot right now. His face quickly flushed at his own gesture.

Pin, taken aback, didn't pull her wrist away. Her hand dragged slightly until her fingers fell and laced between Coiny's, pressing against the palm of his hand and hooking his rough skin. One of her fingers glossed the soft joints below his fingers in a linear motion.

"What do we do now..." Pin stayed fixed on their hands. She had no idea what to think.

"Well, are you still mad at me?" Coiny's head raised.

"No." She said, slowing down. Her eyes blinked softly, hydrating themselves after all the tears. "I don't want to be mad at you. It felt horrible." She knelt over slightly.

One of his thumbs rubbed the corner of Pin's mouth, caressing her bottom lip. "So we're cool now…" he quieted, thinking. "I don't think I'll ever fully understand why you don't like BFDIA…" he paused.

Pin's breath stiffened again.

"For the record I hate Freesmart. And… I hate what you went through," he whispered softly into her, "But I can't hate what gave me you."

Pin's breath resumed its pace.

Coiny's other hand dug deeper into her palm. "But I guess we don't need to agree on it."

Her lip twinged under his touch. "Yeah."

She was arched slightly over him, quick breaths glazing his smooth surface as he dumbly smiled up at her. Her stature was towering, massive compared to him. He was smaller. Much smaller. If she fell she'd squish him like a bug. He wouldn't mind that one bit. Coiny pulled their laced hands to Pin's side, shaking her wrist off of him so he could get a hold of her hip. His other hand lurked to her cheek again, this time cradling her face. He leaned towards her. Their surfaces were barely apart.

Pin's hands were wasted space, no effort to contribute to whatever was going on. Once realising they were both resting in her lap, she laced a hand down to Coiny's left bottom side, and the other onto his right thigh. Her grip was loose. There wasn't much thigh to grip.

Coiny kept leaning until their foreheads clacked together. His chin smoothed her plastic as he swept his lips across hers, finally interlocking.

"Mmf…" Pin sighed out.

Coiny rubbed incessant circles over Pin's hip, greedily draping his sweat over her. Pin's hand snuck to his back, lacing her fingers over his warm metal surface and gliding across its polished glossiness. They stayed in a choke hold formed of each other's obsession and needless desire to stay attached. That urge to merge with the other's being. If they were never apart prior, what difference did they make that they were finally doing this.

They might not understand their thoughts and feelings. There's an utter lack of comprehension of issues and emotions—but they had all they needed right now.

Pin wriggled under his hand, squirming as he caressed her in a cradle hold. Her knees dug into his inner thighs while she sat tightly locked in his lap. Pleasant sounds Coiny's never heard before slipped from Pin's lips with every slick motion. He hummed into it himself, trying not to let himself get too lost or carried away now that he was finally kissing the real deal. He kissed like how he spoke. Smug and full of it, lots of passion with each taste he got of her. His mountains of practice finally paid off.

A spit line strung out from their mouths as Coiny pulled back to soak in the sight. The sight of seeing her so close again. No longer shoving him away, cold or distant. Her insecurities washed away for just this brief moment with him. Pin was his. And he was Pin's.

They took a minute to breathe and observe one another. Pin's cheeks were flush green, fluorescent like her ooze. Coiny's were rosy red and washed over almost his entire face. He somehow looked more flushed than Pin was.

She breathed intently and hushed under her own voice, "I love you too, Coiny."

He forgot he hadn't even heard it said back to him until now. Coiny peered into her lustfully, half lidding his eyes. "Does this mean we're…"

Pin gawked back, biting her lip for a moment. "I guess, but nothing really changed," she laughed.

Coiny smooshed his lips onto her cheek, giving her tiny pecks while lifting her in another hug. "I'm okay with that," he breathed out against her plastic.

She replied with a hum and a smile. A disgustingly sweet smile.

Pin felt safe here. Somehow safer than she had ever felt. It was a teensy bit familiar to how she's felt once before; back in BFDIA. Back when Coiny was, voluntarily, watching her back. When she was fighting to survive and was making awful decisions, that stupidly smug coin never doubted her.

His metal body rung as it ran across her body while he travelled small distances between pecks.

"You're amazing, Pin. Amazing."

Sounds of contestants arguing and crying pierced through the dark blue walls. The room was still unfamiliar to her. Assimilating has been difficult without him. The team itself remained separate to who she was—Death P.A.C.T. Yet Again just didn't roll off the tongue as well as Team8s did. Everything was neat and tidy. Untouched looking. Tame. Considerably boring compared to the disorganisation of her prior team. Disorganisation that brought charm.

Pin walked through the doors slowly, watching her pace, distracted by something in her hands. Fidgeting with something small. Tree, Marker and Fanny breezed past her without much notice of their red teammate. Pin lifted her eyes from her fixated view on her palms to shoot them a small nasty look but didn't have much energy left in her. Not after today. So all she could offer was a weak stare.

The world nearly ended. It sort of did end. They thought it did. It felt like it did. There was a brief period where… where it felt like nothing. No existing, no consciousness, no matter. A moment where all the contestants were released from existence.

That unnerving state between alive and dead. A paradox.

It was a dreadful feeling. Most of the contestants were still trying to grapple with it. Death P.A.C.T. Yet Again was particularly stressed given their whole preserving life deal. Especially Black Hole. He took a while to finally pass through the door, being overly cautious not to suck any of his teammates up. He was somehow quieter than usual. Too quiet.

Pin was too.

She paced back to her room without checking behind her or even glancing at her teammates. She wasn't close enough with any of them to feel like their consolation would even be valuable. What she needed was alone time.

At least—alone time from them. In actuality 'alone time' was the thing she wanted the least. The thought of being held right now sounded great. That misunderstanding guise that wants to tell her everything is okay when it's not. Hopeful optimism that keeps her roped into his hold. That bright wide infectious smile that no one could ever wipe off his face. His rough callous hands brushing her soft, newer palms. His cheerful laugh, his obnoxious rejection to change, his—

The pushpin bounced back onto her bed and fell longways onto her pillow. She held her hands up to her face and slowly uncupped her hands, revealing the small object she had been holding. Her yellow token; the token Coiny technically won for her through cheating.

One thumb rubbed up against its surface. A small swatch of ooze was left behind by her thumb due to her nervous sweating. It gently glazed its surface effortlessly. She felt it up and down, dragging her fingers against its encompassing ridges.

It was the one thing she had left that felt familiar.

A reminder of her old team and friends. Memorabilia that told her someone's waiting for her. That she needs to stay strong.

She doesn't know how much longer she can pretend that she knows she's strong.

But at least she can shut her eyes knowing; she's a good person.