Work Text:
brush… brush…
The sound of TB’s hairbrush against his fuzz is the only thing either of them can hear right now. This was mostly an intervention on Nickel’s part, since he’s found his fuzzy friend in a worse spot than usual health-wise.
"Gosh, this is super greasy… how long has it been since you showered?"
"Like, a week ago? I dunno." TB scratches the back of his head in nervousness, irritating the coin as he most likely has to redo that part now.
"Y’know what." Nickel puts down the brush, and ties his leg to that of his friend’s. "I’m getting you washed up first if it makes this easier."
.
And then, the two were in the shower, hot water running down onto them. Nickel subbed out his brush for a comb since it would help with the washing up. He dolloped some of TB’s shampoo on his feet, rubbed them together, and started gently going through the fuzz.
"N-Nickel, you- you really don’t have to do this.…" TB tries to interject.
"Well, yeah, but i’m your friend. Friends care for each other."
Eventually they get to a part Nickel can’t reach from behind.
"Can you, uh, get the front for me? I can’t reach."
Tennis Ball takes the bottle, and rubs the shampoo onto his face. Then Nickel grabs his comb and aims the shower head at TB, washing it all off.
"Gosh, it’s kinda warm…" TB can’t help but admit that.
"I dunno, seems fine to me… haha." But, Nickel couldn’t hold back the heat flushing up in his face. He’s had a bit of a crush on Tennis Ball since the mid-late game of BFDIA, but after probably nearly ending the world, he’s not sure if the sports ball continues to tolerate him simply out of pity or not.
They repeated what they did before with the conditioner, Nickel inspecting his comb in the process.
"There’s so much lice here too… you really gotta do this more often."
.
And then after they got out, TB opted to put on some terrible sitcom to appease them both while Nickel runs a hairdryer through his fuzz. This eventually illicits a grunt from the former.
"You good..?" Nickel notices his friend’s concern.
"No. This is terrible. I hate it."
The coin snickers a bit.
"Then why’d ya put it on, silly?"
"To appease YOU."
Once again, the coin’s face flushes a deep crimson. He considers himself lucky he’s behind TB.
"D’aww, thanks..!"
Tennis Ball turns the TV of to each of them’s relief, so that it’s just them and the hair dryer going in the background.
"T-Thanks, Nickel." TB says completely unprompted.
"For… what?"
"For this..! I-I’ve just… never really given you an actual chance after what you did with the yoylite, but…" He pauses, carefully considering his words. "You’re really nice. Even after… that, you still decided to stay."
"The first that or the second that."
The first that was Tennis Ball’s villain arc from the lategame of BFDIA, something that drove Golf Ball away from him. The second that was something that happened shortly after BFDIA ended. TB confessed to GB, but she turned him down, said she never saw him more than a friend/lab partner (the ‘slash’ was verbal).
"…Both, haha…" Tennis Ball takes a deep breath. "I… I love you, Nickel. The way I did her. I just didn’t realise until today, a-and, I don’t wanna hold that in until we go our own paths, since I don’t know if we’d ever reunite, and-"
"Y-Y’really mean it..?" Nickel stares at Tennis Ball with puppy-dog eyes.
"W-Well, yeah! Do you not…" TB recoils in worry for a short bit.
"I-I do! I’ve been that way for a while, and- I could give it a shot!"
And then they nodded to each other, and Nickel gave a peck to TB’s cheek and just went back to drying his fuzz since that was more important right now.
"Love you too, by the way. Figured I should say that." Nickel laughs to himself.
"You didn’t NEED to, but… who am I kidding you obviously did." They both end up laughing together before complimenting each-other in increasingly convoluted ways.