Work Text:
*Ring*
The elevator doors open, showing a very… colorful apartment, the led lights on the walls doing barely anything to light the room. Once Pest took a step toward the apartment, he laid his sight upon trash all over the room, letting out an irritated huff at the trashed apartment.
It was probably the tourists again… His brain informed him.
As luck would have it, there were no tourists in the elevator, there was actually nobody in the elevator today, making the trip out of his den slightly more tolerable.
He walked inside the apartment. Then he realized that it was strangely quiet for it being Poob's apartment. There was only the sound of the voomba occasionally hitting stuff and his footsteps against the loud floor
He could leave, even being in this apartment is already strange enough for Pest, knowing that Poob didn't bribe him to do anything or even knows that he is here. Heck, he doesn't even know why he's in this apartment right now, he would typically still be in the elevator if it wasn't for his body going against his wants.
He turns towards the elevator and before he can step in, the doors close right before him, leaving him facing the closed elevator doors as he processes the fact that he won't be able to get in another elevator in a long time.
He lets out an irritated huff at the realization that he's going to be stuck here out of all places.
He could just stand here next to the elevator and wait for it since Poob probably isn't here, but for some reason he decides not to and goes looking for the party noob despite his annoyance at the fact that he even is trying to find them.
He first checks in the room to the right of the elevator, looking at the two unoccupied couches and the door that he's body is just pulling away from. He closes the door, having not found Poob in there. He walks toward the room with the boxes next, opening the door to find boxes, of course.
He opens the door next to it and follows the hallway until he started to hear quiet sniffles coming from the door to his left.
Unexpectedly, he reaches out towards the doorknob and holds it, letting out a long exasperated sigh before opening the door.
He quickly spotted Poob sitting on the floor near the couch, their knees up to their chest. Poob didn't look up at the sound of the door opening. Which feels… weird. Everything feels weird about Poob today for some reason.
Well what hasn't felt weird today?
Pest starts walking towards Poob, looking in his pockets for a coin he can hopefully offer to Poob to bring them back from this weird state they were in. As he got closer to Poob, he realized that their party blower was on the floor for once and not in their mouth as it usually was.
He stopped right before the party blower, his shoes almost touching it as he pulled a coin out of his pockets, hanging it right above Poob. His eyes were stuck on Poob's form, seeing no difference in their motionless state.
Pest sighed, seeing no hope to continue swaying a coin above Poob's help if it isn't going to do anything. Slight worry fills Pest at the realization. He shoved the coin back in his pocket and left the room, keeping the door open.
Pest could just leave Poob to their misery, but he's already deep into this… caring bit. It would be more detrimental to just leave them here than actually caring.
An annoyed huff comes out of his mouth before he starts moving towards the kitchen, hoping food can cheer up the still party goer. He stands in front of the fridge, looking through the contents, seeing barely anything he can quickly make for them.
He looks through the freezer next, finding a microwaveable meal after hours of searching—more like two minutes—and closes the freezer. He finds the microwave next, reading the back of the meal for the directions and following them. He slides the cardboard box off the meal and places it right in the middle of the microwave, setting the time for three minutes and presses the start button.
He stares at the microwave in the meantime, his head eventually dropping at the thought of how pathetic this is. Pest, out of all people, having to care for Poob like he couldn't just stand next the elevator and wait or just ignore Poob's existence entirely like he always does. An annoyed huff comes from him at the thought.
The microwave rings, bringing him back from his thoughts. He takes out the meal and peels the plastic top cover, finding a fork from one of the drawers and mixing the contents with it. Once he's done he puts it back in the microwave for two minutes. Staring at the meal in the middle spin with the microwave plate as the yellow glow blinds him.
It rings again and he takes it out, holding it in his hands as he walks back to Poob's room, seeing the door still open. He walks through the door to find Poob in the same spot and in the same position as he found him last time. He sits on his legs. right before the party blower, shifting the meal into one of his hands as the other moves the party blower on his side to get closer to them.
He pokes Poob's shoulder once, then twice, and Poob finally looked up from their knees. Tears were still falling down their face, their eyes watering.
Pest got slightly embarrassed from Poob looking right at them, and as much as he hates to acknowledge it, a little worried from the tears, cause when has he ever seen Poob cry.
They looked down at the food and smiled at the sight, glad that Pest actually got them food. A slight blush appearing on their cheeks.
Their hand instinctively found the side of Pest's neck, gingerly scratching it, the beetle purring into the touch. Poob quickened their pace, seeing the blush slowly crawl up the other's face from the scratches.
Until Pest eventually gets too flustered and bites Poob's hand before they could avoid it, blood spilling from the bite mark.
"Ow—!"