…
…
…
Comforting each other in the quiet. Inv reaches the pipe leading to the room full of slime mold. Doing what he did earlier. I'm pulled back down to his lower back, this time also warning me before he did it.
…dork…
…
Exiting out of the pipe, my head resting on Inv's shoulder, I start explaining to him how to get past the rot in front of us.
"Just climb the pole in front of us Inv and jump to that other one…"
I tell Inv where to jump, navigating him up several poles to a solid surface.
…
"So… i ponce?" Inv looks over the edge, looking down at the rot below us.
"Yup, you see all the slime mold on the other side?" I tell him, seeing the light orange glow emanating from the other side of the rot.
"Ye ye, i du. Ok Joey, ge redy!" Inv gets into a pouncing stance, his fur tightly wrapped around.
Lunging forward, Inv flys over the rot, grabbing onto a pole that is right above the slime mold.
Sliding down the pole, Inv lands next to the slime mold. Just enough to fill me for the cycle.
"Es dis enoug Joey?" Inv asks while looking around at slime mold.
"Mhm, just let me down and I can quickly eat this. Then we can go back to the shelter" I say, ready to quickly eat up the slime mold as fast as I can.
…
"Inv?" I say Inv's name, confused why he hasn't let me down yet.
"H-hoaw abou dis!" Inv quickly bends down picking up one of the slime mold.
Holding it up to my face that's on Inv's shoulder.
"I-i pik up, u eet! Muh faser!"
…
While I do feel flattered by Inv's consideration… I can't just be carried around and babied like this…
"Inv… are you worried about me?" I turn my head to Inv, ignoring the slime mold he has raised to my face.
"W-waa? Nu, o cours noat…"
I stare at Inv, not believing that for a single second.
Under my gaze, Inv immediately breaks under the pressure.
"I umm… y-ye? I jus…" Inv trails off slightly looking away from me. His turning a darker shade of blue.
…
"... i don wan tu se u hur agan…"
…
I could feel the sincerity in those words. The feeling of being cared for. For another being to worry about me…
The only way I could describe the emotion I felt at the moment when he said these words was…
"Joey?" Inv looked back at me, his eyes growing slightly wider as he looked into my one eye that displayed my emotions.
…
'I think I know what gold means now…' I looked back in Inv's eyes. Feeling multiple positive emotions at once. Feeling the best I have in a very long time.
Euphoria. A state where one feels extremely happy. Doesn't it just make sense for such emotions to shine at one's best moments?
With this realization I start to slowly laugh. Now fully understanding that all those times Inv glowed gold was when he was happy.
"J-joey??" Inv stutters, probably confused on why I'm laughing right now.
"Hahaha! Inv you… haha, Inv you… you're such a dork!" I say without thinking, feeling elated at the moment.
"H-huh?? Drk??? Wat dat??"
"It means I love you, you doofus!"
"Wa ar u talin abou??? Dofus, drk, lov??? Wha es dat????" Inv asks me, not knowing what these words mean.
Interesting to know he doesn't know what love means. It's a good thing I have a long time to teach him.
"Don't worry about that for now Inv" I calm myself down from my laughing fit, quelling my spiraling emotions so we can focus back on the present.
Taking a couple deep breaths, I calm down.
"Inv, is this about what happened when that lizard bit me?"
…
Inv doesn't answer back, his face clearly telling me the answer.
"Inv… sometimes there's just things we can't stop. No matter how prepared we are for things there's always a chance for something to go wrong. The only thing we can do is try our best when those things happen…"
"B-bu…"
"I know you don't want to see me hurt Inv, and I… really appreciate that. But that doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself. I don't want to become a burden to you"
"U-u nevr wud b on!"
"Haha… thanks Inv… in the future I want to help you more as well. I know I'm small and weak… but we're partners, right?"
…
"Ye…"
"And partners help each other out… How could I call you my partner if I make you do everything?"
…
After a brief moment of silence, Inv's fur starts to loosen around me. Giving me the freedom to hop down on the ground.
Looking up at Inv, I see him look down with an apologetic look.
"I sory…"
"It's ok Inv" I say while patting Inv on the stomach several times.
"If you're concerned about something then just tell me. And if I'm concerned about something I'll tell you, alright?"
Hearing my words, Inv lets out a sigh. A small smile on his face
"Ye… tank u Joey…"
"Mhm, now just let me gouge this mold down and we can head back to the shelter" I tell Inv, a questioning gaze on his face while tilting his head by my choice of words.
Gathering up the 6 slime mold. I begrudgingly scoff it down. The taste is as bland as usual. Just literal goopy slop that somehow counts as edible food.
Seeing me finish the final piece of slime mold Inv walks up to me.
"U ful Joey?" Inv asks me while looking down at me.
Currently sprawled on the floor at the moment, trying to settle the mold I just ate. I look up at Inv.
"Yup… it just has to settle now…" I reply, trying to lick off any remnants of the mold on me.
"Muh gud!" Inv happily answers back, his tail slightly thumping on the ground.
Man he's adorable…