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It always felt so awkward. Shuffling after Blue down a stretch of road. Trying to keep pace, not going too fast, not stepping on anything. The quiet jingle jangle jingle of spurs was too loud compared to Blue’s light footsteps. Like he was walking on air.
“Where’s to are we goin, exactly?”
Yellow finally spoke up, trying to keep that nervous flip in his chest down. He always got that when Blue was involved. Blue gave a knowing look over his shoulder but kept walking to some unheard rhythm between them.
“Blue,” Yellow frowned as he had to trot a bit to keep up, hand jumping to his hat in reflex, “hol’ up, some of us ain’t floaty dancers now.”
Blue’s airy laugh followed as always.
There was a comfortable sort of routine here. A testament to the slow growth and rooting they had undergone side by side. Before this Fountain had given them space to actually be.
“Yellow, my love, give it some time,” a blue hand reached back and quickly took hold of Yellow’s. Offering a quiet squeeze, “You are going to work yourself up again.”
The cowboy faltered, cheeks immediately turning hot at the soft touch. Every bubbling concern in his chest instantly twirls away. Off to some field or flying off - whatever worries and issues did when they left.
“I am?”
“Yes, you always do this.”
The soft smile soothed more worries. Blue tugged Yellow along the road still. Boot heavy, jingling footsteps finally falling into step with light tips and taps of a dancer’s feet.
When he wasn’t looking around like a groundhog pokin from its hole, the Dark World they lived in was nice. Asgore was away for once so they were to their own devices for now. It was pretty. Grass swaying, the slew of flowering plants and vines. Some distant sound of the others doing their own thing. Giggling, the crunching of feet on the ground. Distant now yet Yellow still swiveled their head backward to catch a look.
Yellow had been fine watching them at first. Stood just a bit away with his hands deep in his pockets. Unsure what to do, just a quiet ball of nerves. Nervous he would do something wrong, or something illegal would happen. He didn’t want to be JUSTICE to the other flowers if he could help it. The lawman just… needed to watch. Just in case! Things went better if he kept an eye on things.
Blue had swept over. Stood beside Yellow in silence for a few moments, and then quietly tugged him away and onto this path. Had told Yellow that they needed a break from his post.
“Y’ain’t gonna answer where we are goin? At all? I wanna be prepared for whatever it is,” Yellow continued their quiet probing of the situation. Looking down at Blue’s head between steps.
“It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise! For me?”
Yellow jabbed his free thumb back into his chest. Their face twisted in pure bewilderment, cheeks still rosy despite that. Blue’s hand always felt nice in his.
“Yes,” Blue laughed, “for you.”
Blue’s face always lit up when he talked to Yellow. His eyes, his mouth, everything. Yellow blinked a bit, staring with that same bewildered look. How did Blue do that? Always look so… so beautiful when he didn’t even seem to try.
“You think all the other’s gonna be okay?”
Yellow glanced back again, he only ever really cared for Blue. Still. Things got out of hand quickly around here and he shouldered the act of fixing it. Punishments or whatever it be.
“Yes, Yellow.”
Blue never got annoyed with the little moments of reassurance that Yellow needed. They gonna be good? Punishin’ is like bein’ a criminell sometimes ain’t it? You sure? Always something with the lanky man beside him. It was a wonder he didn’t work himself into a tizzy over the wind sometimes.
It was charming. In a… very specific way. A way Blue really couldn’t resist. Even if it meant constantly making sure Yellow wasn’t being too hard on himself, or jumping the gun to some grand conclusion that was far from true.
They fell back into a comfortable silence. Yellow’s hand grew slick with sweat. Clammy against the cool calm of Blue’s hand.
-
Eventually the shaggy grass of their path broke into small circle. Still swaying slow and steady. Trees and vines entangling like a quiet barrier on each side. Blue flowers scattered around the treeline.
“Gee,” Yellow stopped as he lost the weight of Blue from his hand. Pulling the hat off his head and holding it to his chest, “Purdy out here.”
“It is.”
Blue plopped down into the grass easily. The frills of their clothing evening out. Melting to mesh with the purple grass even if they weren’t the same colors. Like Blue was meant to settle here. A natural growth amongst trees and peace. The cowboy paused, watching with wide eyes for a moment. Yellow dropped down as well. A little clunkier. He wasn’t sure his roots were meant for soil like this, he felt stark and unnatural in such a shady spot. Always preferred fields and grasses with plenty of sun. Blue always said he was more like a wildflower than a decorative flower. Free and on the range. Made Yellow feel like a proper cowpoke.
“How’d you come abouts findin it?” Yellow dropped his hat in the grass beside them. Still so starkly in contrast.
“Just stumbled upon it,” Blue offered a shrug, twirling a piece of grass between his fingers, “come here to just be sometimes. Practice out here sometimes too.”
Yellow blinked, nodding as he looked down at his boots. Always so hard keeping eye contact with Blue, made him all nervy. They swallowed thickly, his own movements a bit less coordinated as he fisted clumps of grass between his fingers.
“You’ve been so tense, Yellow.”
Blue spoke with genuine concern after a moment. Tilting their head with a soft frown, a gentle hand catching Yellow’s jaw to tilt his attention back to the here and now.
“Sorry,” the immediate apology was expected. Yellow immediately grabbed the cowboy hat in the grass. Grasping the fabric tight in his fingers. He didn’t want to accidentally rip up grass. Murder ‘nd all. Even if they weren’t exactly plant-y in the same way as the flowers.
“Don’t apologize to me.”
Blue chuckled and shook his head. Getting a good look into Yellow’s eyes for a second. Mildly amused that the cowboy immediately flushed a very vibrant red.
“What is going on?”
It was always hard to get Yellow to articulate his feelings. He wasn’t good at it. Not exactly the type to think in that way. Just knew when things felt bad and typically reacted in some self punishing way, or withered up and refused to soak in the sun until properly tended too by Asgore. Such a finicky flower. Reacted to everything as it would kill him.
“Nuthin, I promise.”
“Just the normal then?”
Yellow nodded stiffly. Still twisting that cowboy hat in his grip. He would wrinkle it at this rate. Blue sighed, wrestling it away and grabbing Yellow’s hands in his own. He gave Yellow a moment or two, and then gently ran his thumbs over the back of their hands. Smoothing and soothing whatever ugly thing was rearing its head.
“Just er-“ Yellow watched Blue’s hands. His brain felt scattered and jumbled, the same way it looked when used bullets tumbled from a revolver, “Everythin’ seems so gosh darn big. ‘Nd I am so small.”
That was probably the most he could string right now. It said a lot, at least it did to Blue.
“You definitely are not small,” Blue hummed with a patient smile, “you are the tallest of all of us, aren’t you?” It was a stupid joke; one that hopefully at least brought a smile to Yellow’s lips. Even if just for a moment.
“Besides, nobody small would wear the badge like you do, would they?”
“Gee, I would sure hope not.”
Yellow blinked through the genuine shock in his tone. The idea of someone who was actually small and useless having a badge like this? It was insulting! But it also definitely sounded like him, “Maybe I should go on and give it away then…”
“Don’t do that,” Blue shook their head firmly, “You are the only flower who could do it. You care about it more than anyone else.”
Yellow wasn’t exactly sure. He really had just… wanted to be a cowboy. Cowboys were cool. They upheld justice! Wore cool clothes. Talked cool… was he cool?
“You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Blue added that last part quickly. Yellow always seemed to think he was the one doing things wrong and needed to punish himself. Such a dramatic response that was more a critical self-reflection.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The dancer always sounded so… confident when he said that. Pressing a quick kiss to Yellow’s nose just to see that violent flush jump back and for Yellow to immediately stammer and put his hat over his face. Blabbering some nonsense that Blue barely heard.