Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How about you go play outside, honey?” Ness’ mother spoke, struggling to keep hold of the box in her hands, “I’m sure you can find something to do while I finish unloading the truck, right?”

Ness nodded, quickly stepping down from the stairs in front of his new house. When he reached the bottom he looked around for a moment. What did his mother expect him to do? The closest park was all the way in Onnet, and his mother would never let him walk all that way alone. It was so different compared to Fourside, there were no towering buildings, no loud honking of cars, and nothing to do. Ness almost felt relaxed, if it weren't a strange feeling in the back of his head. It crawled up the back of his neck and made him feel sick. He felt like he was being watched. 

Ness fidgeted with his hands as he gazed around, a silence surrounding him. The greenery blended in together, it all looked the same. Tree, grass, bush, dirt. That's all it was. But something caught his eye. Something, or someone, was peeking out from behind a tree. Whoever it was seemed to have noticed Ness looking at them, because they ducked back behind the tree as fast as they could.

“Hello?” Ness called out, but the silence continued. He took a tentative step forward, continuing to the treeline. “I know somebody’s there!”

Before Ness even realized what had happened, whoever was hiding bolted even deeper into the treeline. Ness immediately took off after them, dodging rocks and suspiciously poison-ivy-looking plants as best he could. Whoever he was chasing clearly knew the forest like the back of their hand, and Ness tried his best to keep up. It wasn't long until Ness’ clumsiness caught up to him, his foot caught in the root of a nearby tree. He fell face first into the dirt below him, a burning pain traveling up his leg. Ness shakily sat himself up, dirt and mud coating his arms and legs, ruining his perfectly clean clothes. He twisted himself around to a sitting position, letting out a cry of pain. His ankle was twisted, and thick drops of blood were running down his leg from a cut on his knee. 

Ness looked around desperately, but all that surrounded him were trees and more trees. He was completely lost. Tears formed in his eyes as he squeezed them shut, he wished he was at home.

“Are you alright?”

Ness jumped at the sudden voice, his eyes snapping open. A boy, barely older than Ness, stood over him. His overalls were tattered and dirty, his messy hair covered his eyes in a way that Ness wasn't sure if he could even see. 

“You- uh…” Ness began, but the pain clouded his brain again and he lost the words in the fog.

“Why’d you chase me?” The boy asked plainly. 

Ness paused, “You were spying on me first…” 

The boy clenched his hands, “But you chased me.”

“I was bored,” Ness winced when another burst of pain shot through his leg, “and who are you, anyway?”

“Nunya!” The boy crossed his arms.

“You're mean, y’know!” Ness pouted, “and to answer your question, no I'm not alright! I had to chase you through this stupid forest and my ankle is twisted and I'm bleeding and you're just being mean!!”

The boy seemed rather taken aback by Ness’ tone, because he sighed and held out a hand for Ness to take, “Stop being a baby, I’ll take you back home.”

Ness looked down at his knee, then back at the hand that was offered to him. He smiled softly as he took the boy's hand, allowing him to pull Ness from the ground. Ness wrapped an arm around the boy, trying to balance on one foot. The boy helped Ness to walk, being patient as he dodged every rock and poisonous looking plant. It only took a few minutes for them to make it back to the treeline, and when they did, the boy paused.
“Are we… friends now?” he asked, his voice much softer than before.

“I don't even know your name,” Ness smiled, half-teasing. 

“Pokey…” He said, looking at the ground “My name's Pokey.”

“Well, then we’re friends!” Ness unwrapped his arm around the older boy, instead balancing himself, “I’m gonna go home now, but I’ll see you around, yeah?” 

Ness started off towards his own house, yelling a goodbye to Pokey as he opened the door to his house.

“Wait but I never got your-” Pokey cried, but it was too late. Ness was gone. Pokey sighed, the boy didn't even need his help, he could walk fine on his own. But a strange feeling in his stomach made him feel like everything would be alright.

Chapter Text

Ness let out an annoyed groan as a shrill noise came from his guitar. He set his instrument to the side, taking his guitar pick in two hands and snapping it in half. Pokey looked up from what he was sketching in his notebook.

“What’s wrong with you ”? Pokey asked, setting his pencil down next to him. The two were sitting on the bed in Ness’ room, having already done their homework.

“I’m fine .” Ness said, much more viciously than he meant too. 

Pokey frowned, fidgeting with his hands, “You can uh… talk to me, y’know?” 

Ness just sighed, laying his head in his hands, “I’m sorry, Pokey, I just…” Ness paused, “I don't know who I am.”

Pokey looked at Ness, a confused expression on his face, so Ness continued.

“I mean, I know who I am, I just don't know who I want to be . I’m no good at the guitar and I’m too fat for baseball and-”

“Hey! That's not true!” Pokey cried, “you make amazing music and you're not too fat to do anything! That’s just not true! All you're seeing is your mistakes, and everybody makes those!”

Ness kept his head in his hands, but a small smile crossed his lips “We’ll always be together, right?”

Pokey grinned, “Of course… We’ll get a house together, or an apartment in the city-”

“I don't wanna live in the city!” Ness looked up from his hands and playfully shoved Pokey, who shoved him back in return.

“What would you rather live in the country?” 

“No way! More like the suburbs!” Ness leaned his head on Pokey’s shoulder, “We’ll get a house in the suburbs, and we’ll have a pet dog-”

“-Cat.”

“ Dog.”

“... Both?”

Ness paused to think for a moment, “Alright, we’ll have both.” Ness continued, “And I’ll have the most famous band in the country-”

“-The world”

“And I’ll have the most famous band in the world , and you’ll be the most famous artist in the world,” Ness smiled, “There, is that good?”

“Yeah… That’s alright.” Pokey picked his pencil back up, continuing his drawing in his notebook. Ness just watched Pokey make his art, he can continue his own passion some other time.

Chapter Text

Ness laid on the floor, hugging himself as he turned into a crying, sniveling mess. His chest ached and his throat was dry, and yet he couldn't find the energy to care. A deep red spotted on his carpet, and colorful flowers surrounded him. At first it was just petals, Ness ignored it best he could, and yet it got worse. From petals to leaves to entire bloody flowers, even vines and stems. He could hide it as best he could, but it's kind of difficult when you're coughing up a rather bright flower. 

“They’re Zinnias!” His sister had said, reading from her book of flowers, something she stole from the school library, “It means you're thinking of absent friends.”

Absent friends. Yeah, he was absent alright.

When he first started coughing, when they were just petals, he didn't know who it was for. He thought about Paula, about any of his friends, and yet it wasn't any of them. It was Pokey . Even now, when Ness thinks of him, his chest aches and another flower blooms. But how could he tell him? Pokey was gone and he's never coming back. 

Ness took a strained breath in, trying his best not to cough. He was going to die soon, and there was no way to stop it. No matter how many words he came up with in his head, the ones that vaguely formed a confession, it would never be spoken. Ness couldn't confess if there was no one to confess to. 

More tears rolled down Ness’ face. God, he didn't want to die. He didn't want this at all. He wanted to be able to breathe. He wanted to be able to think without his chest aching. But he couldn't, because it all led back to Pokey.  Every memory, every thought of the future, it was about Pokey. That's what he really wanted; Pokey.

Ness sucked in a breath, a familiar scratching in his throat causing him to gag. Coughing up the flower, he just wanted it to end. It scratched at his throat, a horrible disgusting feeling that Ness was all too close with. He covered his mouth with his hand, dropping the flower from his mouth. He looked down at the flower in his hand, now covered with blood. But it wasn't a zinnia, no, it was much different. It was bright orange, and Ness recognized it immediately. Butterfly Weed. He thought back to Tracy’s book, trying his best to remember what it said. His hand tightened around the flower in his hand, tears running down his face. Of course, how could he be so stupid. His sister had said it to him. The meaning of Butterfly Weed.

Let me go. 

Chapter Text

“You can't seriously make me do this!” Pokey cried, but Ness just continued dragging him along by the sleeve of his jacket. 

“Oh come on you big baby!” Ness giggled,  “It’s just ice cream, then we can go back home. And Jeff n’ Tony are nice, you’ll be fine!”

Pokey sighed, “Yeah, but why would they be nice to me ?”

Ness immediately spun around, the gravel below him making a sick crunching noise. Pokey almost ran face first into him, but he jumped back in surprise. 

“What do you mean?” Ness cocked his head to the side.

“Ness…” Pokey pursed his lips, “You know what I did, they know what I did.”

Ness frowned, letting go of the sleeve of Pokey’s jacket, instead he intertwined his hand with the older boy’s. “But you feel bad about it, don't you?”

Pokey looked down at their hands, “Of course I do.” He winced at the memories of leaving Ness behind, of hurting all of Ness’ friends. He didn't like to think about that.

“Well how are they supposed to know that?” Ness smiled softly, and Pokey looked back up to meet his gaze, “If you never tell them you’re sorry then how will they know, they can't read your mind like I can, y’know?”

Pokey flashed an almost surprised expression, before a smile crossed his lips, “Yeah…” He thought for a moment, “alright fine let's go get ice cream,”

Ness grinned, softly squeezing Pokey's hand before whipping back around, dragging him all the way to the ice cream parlor. 

~~~

The bell to the ice cream parlor rang as Ness and Porky walked in, finding  a seat near the back. Pokey bounced his leg nervously, and Ness flashed him a smile. It wasn't long before the bell rang again and in walked Jeff and Tony. They seemed already immersed in their conversation, something about Jeff’s recent robotics project. Pokey frowned, he wished he could ask Jeff about it, but he was sure Jeff wouldn't be so pleased to share all his knowledge with the same person who had tried to kill him just a couple months ago. 

The conversation was cut short when Tony noticed the duo in the back. They sat across from the two, Jeff across from Ness and Tony across from Pokey. Ness and Jeff immediately began talking about things they missed or drama at school. Tony joined in with his own comments every once in a while. But Pokey kept quiet, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. They talked for a couple minutes, before they seemingly remembered where they were.

“Hey,” Ness said softly, pulling Pokey out of his trance, “You just want your usual?”

“Oh, uh yeah,” Pokey nodded, and Ness smiled.

Ness and Tony got up to order, leaving Porky and Jeff by themselves. An awkward silence surrounded them, creating an atmosphere of dread. Pokey thought about what Ness said, and he internally sighed, he hated confrontation. 

“Uhm, hey…” Pokey began, clearing his throat awkwardly, and Jeff looked at Pokey confused, as if asking him to continue. “Listen, I’m, er, I’m sorry for everything I did. It was… shitty .”

Jeff paused for a moment, before sighing and speaking, “You did do some things that you should regret, but I digress, Ness is happy around you. He trusts you immensely, and it may be a stupid decision but I trust Ness. And if he trusts you then I guess I will too.”

Pokey paused for a few moments, almost in shock, “Right… uh, thank you.”

Jeff smiled and used his hand to push up his glasses, “Hey, don’t sweat it. And Tony thinks the same,” his face turned a deep shade of red when Tony’s name was mentioned.

Pokey smiled, “Alright lovebirds,”

“And I could say the same about you and Ness,” 

Pokey turned as red as a tomato just as Ness and Tony came back with the ice cream. Ness sat Pokey’s in front of him. A banana sundae, he’d been getting it since he was a kid. The trio started talking again, and Pokey followed along as they all ate their ice cream. It wasn't until they started talking about Jeff’s projects that something else came to Pokey’s mind.

“Uh, hey Jeff?” Pokey said, quieter than he meant to, as he played with the ice cream in front of him. Everyone directed their attention towards Pokey, making him just a bit more nervous than he already was, “There’s this project I’ve been working on, but I can’t get the hydraulics to work. I was wondering if you could figure it out?”

Jeff stared for a couple moments, before smiling, “Alright, walk me through everything and I’ll help you!”

Pokey smiled, his anxiety immediately washed away as he began explaining his process in extreme detail. Ness let out a small sigh as he just realized exactly what he got himself into.

Chapter Text

“Ness, you’re so lucky… I envy you. I have no luck….” Pokey paused, “But, Ness… You’re so cool, I’d really like to kiss you.”

Ness took a step back in surprise, his face turning a shade of red he didn't know was possible. “Wha-what!?”

Pokey tilted his head to the side, a confused expression crossing his face, “What’s wrong?”

“I just didn’t… think you'd say something like that?” Ness looked down at his feet.

“Well, probably because I'm not real!” Pokey smiled and pointed to himself, “I'm just the Pokey in your imagination! I do whatever you want me to!”

Ness crossed his arms, “no way, I would never want Pokey to say that to me!” 

Pokey just grinned at Ness, a shithead grin that made Ness incredibly annoyed.

“Don't look at me like that, I'm telling the truth!” Ness sounded like a pouting child.

“Well,” Pokey crossed his legs, “If you don't like me why are you making me say stuff like that, hm?”

Ness was about to say something in retaliation until he paused to think. Why did he make Pokey act like that? If Magicant really was a representation of Ness’ own mind, why would his Pokey say stuff the real Pokey never would. He thought about it a bit more, a foreign fluttering feeling making his stomach feel silly.

Ness grabbed at his shirt. No. No no no. Was he in love with Pokey? He thought back to the last time they had talked, but his mind kept going back to his lips, his hands, every detail Ness subconsciously remembered. His heart fluttered as he looked down at his hands. How long had he been going not even realizing the massive crush he had on his best friend.

“Well?”

Ness’ head snapped back up to the Pokey in front of him.

“Oh god… I have a crush on him, er, you?” Ness mumbled, his face a horrible shade of red and his hands shaky.

Pokey laughed, “Man, you must really be a fag to imagine the boy you like in your head!” 

Ness sighed, annoyed, “and I was just about to say you're too nice to be Pokey, but I guess I was wrong.”

Pokey just shrugged, already bored with the conversation he went back to whatever he was doing before Ness got there. Ness took a few breaths, trying to calm his nerves. Right now he needed to worry about getting out of Magicant, he can worry about feelings some other day.

Chapter Text

Everyone says it's a beautiful experience, how it all comes to you like a wave of euphoria, as if it was fate . The colors were stunning, they’d say, like your world just completes itself as soon as you see them. But Ness hated it, and he hated the boy he saw them with. He remembered looking at him, then everything was just… loud . It hurt his eyes and made him want to throw up, and yet he’ll always remember that boy. The boy with hair just long enough to cover his eyes, the boy with calloused hands and scraped knees, the boy that made Ness’ heart flutter, if not just for a moment. In that moment, Ness remembered a word his mother had used;

Soulmate.

After they first met, they began seeing each other more and more. Pokey , that was his name, he was Ness’ neighbor. And every time they locked eyes the world just seemed a little bit brighter. But Ness wasn't very sneaky. His mother could see what was happening. How Ness’ drawings seemed a bit too perfect, how what should have been just grays and whites to him seemed to interest him to no end, and how that neighbor boy kept his eye for just a beat too long. 

Ness remembers the day it clicked for her. The day cried and screamed, but he just didn't understand why. 

It was just after his bed time, he snuck downstairs to get a drink of water, his throat dry and his eyes heavy. But the sound of his mothers soft voice caused him to freeze, but she wasn't speaking to him. Ness bent down, looking through the banister of the stairs. She was on the phone, her voice so soft you could barely hear her words. It was about him, he knew that, but he wasn't sure why. He didn't do anything wrong, Ness thought so at least. He heard her mumble a soft goodbye before the phone clicked. Ness didn't wait to see what she did next, he just ran back to bed, thoughts running through his head as he willed himself back to sleep.

Ness didn't see Pokey again after that.

He waited. He waited for days, weeks, months. But Pokey never came. Ness had asked his mother, begged his mother to tell him where he went, but she just responded with the same few words every time;

He went away.

Ness just wanted him back. Everything was lonely, it was too quiet without him there. 

~~~

Ness let out a sigh as he hugged the pillow closer to him. He no longer felt joy seeing how vibrant the world around him was, instead, it only made his chest ache. Seven years. That’s how long it’s been. Seven years and only now does he know where that boy is, where Pokey is, where his soulmate is. He clenched his fists, pulling at the soft material of his pillow. Ness wishes he wasn't a boy, because it's his fault Pokey’s there. It’s Ness’ fault that the love of his life is at that stupid camp and he's never coming back, because they just had to both be boys. Fate really has a way of messing with Ness.

Ness hates fate, and he really fucking hates color.

Chapter Text

Porky took a few deep breaths in and out, the cold air around him creating a cloud of condensation that looked like smoke. He looked down at his shaking hands, attempting to ignore how blotchy and strange his skin looked. He tried his best to steady his quickly beating heart, but his nerves made him feel as if he were about to throw up. He leaned on his good leg, his balance threatening to give out on him. He heard the floor beneath him creak, a cruel reminder of where exactly he was standing; Ness’ front porch. God, what was he doing? He wanted to turn around, go back to whatever timeline he was hiding out in that week, and just go back to bed. Yet, his body wouldn't move. He felt sick, taking a deep breath in, but a sharp noise drew his attention back to straight in front of him. He took a quick step back, but his bad leg caused him to fall backwards. He held out his hands behind him, catching himself as he fell onto the gravel below. The sharp rocks pierced his hands, and Porky winced at the pain in his back.

“Pokey…?”

Porky’s head immediately snapped up. 

No. No no no. In front of him, Ness stood wide eyed, staring at Porky.

Neither of them spoke, the silence a thick air around them. Porky could feel the gravel digging deeper and deeper into his skin, but he ignored it, instead too busy focusing on trying not to cry. 

“You… came back.” Ness said, though it sounded more like a question. Porky’s lack of response made Ness swallow hard. He slowly reached out a shaky hand for Porky to grab. 

Porky hesitated; why would he accept Ness’ kindness now ? He’s been so cruel, so demeaning, why would Ness want to help him in the first place. But there was this feeling, a horrible nagging feeling that made his heart hurt and his head heavy. He brought his hand up from the gravel, looking down at it. It was red, tiny splotches of blood spotted the  indents of where rocks used to be. Porky let out a shaky sigh, wiping his hand on the side of his pants before accepting Ness’ offer, albeit reluctantly. Ness pulled him up rather easily, Porky noticed he’d gotten much stronger than the last time they hung out, well, hung out as friends . Porky balanced himself on his good leg, the thick air of silence surrounding them again. They stood there for a few seconds, Porky’s hand still in Ness’, before Ness hesitantly let go.

“Pokey, I-”

“It’s Porky.” 

Ness frowned, “what…?”

“My name. It’s Porky now.” He said firmly. 

Ness stared at him for a few moments before his gaze softened, “Porky…” he paused, “I didn't think you’d come back.”

Porky looked down at his shoes and just nodded.

“Hey, is your leg alright?” Ness sounded concerned, and Porky looked up to meet his gaze. His throat felt tight and his heart felt like someone was hitting it with a meat tenderizer. Porky opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He covered his face with his hands, a soft sob escaping his lips. Tears ran down his face, trying to hide it as well as he could. He felt so stupid, breaking down in front of the same boy he’d been so mean to. 

Porky felt something warm wrap around his body, he instinctively flinched, but hesitantly fell into the touch when he realized it was Ness. The taller boy stayed quiet, instead running soft fingers through Porky’s hair. But it just made Porky feel worse. He moved his hands from his face, instead wrapping them around Ness, hiding his face in the crook of his neck in a pitiful excuse for a hug. 

“I’m so sorry,” Porky’s voice sounded pathetic, he felt pathetic, “I’m so stupid, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,”

“Hey…” Ness’ voice was quiet, “you’re not stupid,”

Porky ignored his words, “I never…” another sob escaped his lips, “I never meant to hurt you.”

Ness paused before he spoke again, his voice melancholy, “I know…”

There was so much more Porky wished he could have said, could have done. But instead he just clung to Ness as his body was racked with sobs. The only thing that brought him comfort was Ness’ warmth and his soft fingers through Porky’s hair. He could feel Ness’ chest rise and fall in an unsteady rhythm, he tried to copy it as best he could. He could feel his breathing get more and more even as his sobs died down, but Porky didn't move. He wanted to stay with Ness forever, to be able to hug him like this whenever he wanted, but Porky knew that was just a pipe dream.

“Porky…” He could feel Ness’ breathing falter as he spoke, “please come home.”

Porky froze. His heart told him to accept. He could stay with Ness as long as he wanted. But his head told him that staying with Ness meant facing everything he'd done, it meant going back home, it meant going back to school, and it meant his life would go back to the way it was before. No, Porky didn't want that. He didn't want to be hit, to be ridiculed. He was a new person now, a stronger person, someone that wouldn't take that abuse. But, it also meant he could stay with Ness. If Porky's life was the vast expanse of space, dark and lonely, Ness was the shining star leading him in the right direction.

And yet, that star is getting farther and farther away.

Porky pulled away from the hug, looking up and meeting Ness’ eyes, the same eyes full of pain and hurt Porky had never seen before. 

“I'm sorry, Ness…” 

Ness’ body tensed, “ Please , Porky, we can make this better, we can fix it!”

Porky looked at him with cold eyes and shook his head.

“Please!” Ness cried, “I can't lose you!”

“You don't care about me.” Porky said firmly, “you just don't like to feel guilty whenever you think about me.”

Ness stared at him, his eyes wide as tears began forming, but they quickly softened as he looked to the ground.

“I'm sorry…” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Porky’s voice softened, “Maybe in another universe this could've worked out.” 

“I wish it was this one.”

“I know.”

Chapter Text

Ness tapped his foot on the floor below him in an attempt to get the boredom to go away. He could hear his teacher talk about some big end of year group project as he internally sighed. Ness always thought art class would be fun, and an art credit was required for him to graduate anyway. And yet, it was just so boring . Art was supposed to put your creativity on full display, and yet the teacher always wanted to look a specific way, to be done in a specific way. Ness thought that completely butchered the idea of art. He wasn't as artistically skilled as many of his other peers, but it also didn't help that he had the biggest distraction of them all in the same class. 

A few seats behind him, in the back of the class, sat his ex-boyfriend; Pokey Minch. Every once in a while Ness would feel like eyes were burning the back of his skull, and when he turned around Pokey went back to whatever he was working on as if nothing happened. Ness could practically feel the tension, nothing more than a small nod had been shared between them, and even that seemed forced. 

Ness was drawn out of his thoughts by his teacher, who was  beginning to pick groups for the projects. Ness wanted to hit his head on the table, of course she had to pick groups.

“Hmm.. we have an uneven number…” She thought to herself, scanning over all the students, “Our group of three will be Ninten, Lloyd, and Ana,” 

Ness looked back at the three, already sitting next to each other, and sighed as she began to list more names. He laid his head on the table and listened for his name.

“Lucas and Fuel,”

The two smiled warmly at each other.

“Claus and Nana,”

Both girls flashed each other a thumbs up.

“Hm…” The teacher paused for a moment, thinking, “Ness and Pokey,”

Ness immediately straightened up, a strange feeling of dread filled his stomach. He turned around towards Pokey. He was looking down at his sketchbook, a hand covering his face as if to shield himself from Ness’ gaze. Ness could hear the teacher continue to say names, but he ignored them, instead he just stared down at his desk, his leg bouncing anxiously.

As soon as the bell rang Ness was out of the door, he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. If anyone asked he’d just say he was going to miss the bus. But even if Ness was the fastest person on earth, Pokey would always somehow be faster.

Pokey pulled him aside right before he could get out the door, causing Ness to internally sigh. He did not want to talk to him, at least not right now.

“We should probably talk about the project later…” He mumbled, his voice was hoarse, “I’ll text you tonight… probably.”

Ness just nodded.

“Just… remember to unblock me.” Pokey said flatly, before he walked out the door.

Ness walked home that day.

Despite the strange feeling in his stomach, he immediately opened his phone to Pokey’s contact when he got home, unblocking it with almost no hesitation. While Ness waited for the text, he went through his and Pokey’s old messages. As much as he would like to deny, it made his heart ache. 

He threw his phone to the side, covering his face with his arm. He had homework to get done, but his body protested every movement he wanted to make. He sat there for a few minutes, still and unmoving. He was about to will himself back up when a vibration came from his phone. He picked it up as fast as he could, it was from Pokey. His face immediately got hot, now flushed with red. He opened the message with a smile;

Hey

Hi :)

Wat r we doin 4 our project?

Shit. Ness didn't pay attention enough to even know what they were doing, let alone what the options were.

Idc

Oh. Alright.

Ness frowned at Pokey’s sudden tone change, but switched his phone off anyway. He needed to get up, he knew that, but something kept him from it. He sighed and switched on his phone again, sending another message;

 wanna go 2 Mach Pizza tmrw?

Pokey typed for a good while before finally responding;

Sure. 

meet there @ 4 after skewl?

k!!

Ness threw his phone to the side and screamed into his pillow. He didn't get any work done that night. 

Ness woke up that morning with an intense wave of anxiety. He threw on whatever clothes were clean and boarded the bus to school, still being cautious as to not sit too close to Pokey. He counted down the hours in his head, internally practicing what he would say to Pokey when he saw him. His friends asked him if he was alright, but he just told them everything was a-okay (willingly leaving out the hangout with Pokey). They didn't have many classes together, so it was easy to avoid him. Well, that's how it was until the last hour of the day; art class. Neither of them knew how to approach their new partnership, so while the other groups got together, Ness and Pokey stayed in their own seats. Ness saw his teacher shoot him a glare, but he ignored it.

As soon as the bell rang, Ness was out of his seat and out the door. 

He didn't take the bus that day, instead he used the walking time to stress over his imminent date (was it a date?) with Pokey. Should he get there early? Or late? Or should he just not show up at all? He knew that no matter how much he planned, the words he really wanted to say would get stuck in his throat and he'd be unable to truly express how he felt. It had happened before, and Ness knew it would happen again.

Ness decided the best option would be to get there early, so he started off on his way. While walking, he called his mom to tell her that he'd be home late. He could hear the smile in his mother's voice as she told him to be safe and that she loved him.

Ness let out a soft sigh as he clicked the disconnect button, but that same feeling of dread filled him again as he approached the entrance to Mach Pizza. 

Whoever was running Mach Pizza clearly knew their target audience, because as soon as they opened their doors to dine-in customers their earnings doubled. It was rather popular with kids Ness’ age, but as he opened the door he let out a sigh of relief. Almost no one was in the restaurant, but he still made it a point to find a seat away from the other tables.

He sat himself down, his back to the wall, and set his bag down beside him. He shot a glance down at his phone; 3:38, he had 22 minutes to mentally prepare himself for whatever would happen.

He distracted himself as best he could, listening to music or doomscrolling on his phone, but still the minutes ticked by agonizingly slow. He tapped his foot on the floor below, taking deep breaths in. His heart felt like it was about to explode out of his chest, but still Ness waited.

He looked down at the time again, 4:16. Ness was just about to convince himself to leave when the bell on the door rang. He kept his head down, instead pretending like the calendar on his phone was the most interesting thing in the world. He only raised his head when he heard shuffling and the chair in front of him being pulled out.

Pokey fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, and an awkward silence surrounded them.

“Sorry I'm late,” Pokey feigned an awkward cough, “Picky’s sick and I had to check in on him.”

“Is he alright?” Ness did notice that Picky wasn't on the bus that morning, but he felt it too awkward to ask about.

“Yeah, he's just throwin’ up alot.” 

Guilt immediately flooded into Ness’ heart. He knew Pokey didn't like to leave his brother alone, especially at home and especially with his parents. Ness knows how they can get.

“Sorry, I wouldn't have invited you out if I knew.” 

“It's fine.” Pokey fidgeted with his hands, “What are we doing for the project?”

Oh, right. Ness had totally forgotten that's what this was for. He supposed he got so caught up with what he would say to ex-boyfriend after almost three years of silence towards each other he didn't really care about that stupid project anymore.

“I don't care, you can choose.” Ness wished he was anywhere but there in that moment.

“Ah, alright,” Pokey dug around in his bag for a few moments before pulling out his sketchbook. He opened to a page and put the book in front of Ness, “it's not very good, just a sketch.”

Ness looked down at the paper. On it was a rather messy but beautiful sketch of the hill by the two’s houses, the one the meteorite had crashed into years ago. 

Ness looked back up at Pokey, “It's beautiful…” 

As Pokey's eyes met Ness’ both of their faces turned a horrible shade of red. The tension that surrounded the two got thicker as a silence enveloped them. Ness swallowed hard before he spoke.

“Pokey, I'm sorry…” Ness sighed, “I was a shitty boyfriend, alright? And I'm sorry, but I still…” Ness trailed off, waiting for Pokey to say something.

“Yeah… you were.” Pokey finally said.

Ness looked down at his hands in his lap, “I'm sorry, I should have told people, I know that's what you wanted-”

“No,” Pokey shook his head, “I don't care if people knew we were dating, it's the fact that…” Ness could hear Pokey sniffle, “You pretended like we weren't even friends around everyone else, then-then I would go over to your house and you'd be the best boyfriend ever and I just… I got so sick of it.”

Ness' heart hurt, “Pokey…” Ness clenched his fists, “is it bad to say I still love you?”

“Ness, don't do this.”

“Pokey,” Ness took breath in, “I was such a shitty boyfriend and I'm so fucking sorry. I was just so scared of what other people would think about me that I freaked out in the moment! I know that's a shitty excuse for what I did, but… But I never fell out of love with you, Pokey!”

Ness surprised himself with how well he spoke, he really didn't expect himself to be able to do it. He looked up to meet Pokey's gaze. His eyes were full of tears, but he wiped them before he spoke.

“Ness… Ive always loved you. It's just hurt so bad every time.” Ness winced, ready for a rejection, “but… I can't take another year of silence.”

Ness eyes lit up, but he didn't celebrate just yet, “you're giving me another chance?!” 

“One strike,” Pokey held up one finger in Ness’ face, “you get one strike, then it's over.” 

Ness nodded fervently, a smile  crossing his face.

“Alright then,” Pokey smiled as the deal was finalized, “I guess this is happening now.”

“So,” Ness grinned, “is this technically our second-first date?” 

“Not if you don't buy me pizza!”

The two barely got any work done that afternoon. But they talked about everything under the sun, and even held hands on their walk home. 

Ness' mood had clearly gotten better, as his mother shot him a smile as he walked through the door. He dropped his stuff in the floor of his room, flopping headfirst into his bed. He screamed into his pillow and kicked his feet, only getting distracted when another vibration came from his phone.

haii

rememebr tht comic I ws wrking on a long time ago?

Yahh??

i added a bnch of stuv 2 it

ill sho u it tmrw on the bus XP

Okayyyy

Now I'm excited…

want sme spolierz??

Yeess…. >:))

u sure???????

Cmonnn just tell already XP

Neither of them got any sleep that night, both too wrapped up in the conversation they were having. When the sun eventually rose, Ness got dressed as quickly as he could, running downstairs to grab some breakfast before heading out the door. This time, both boys stood at the bus stop together, and even sat together on the bus. Ness could feel Tracy bearing suspicious looks in the back of his head, but he ignored it to the best of his ability.

When the bus finally reached the school both boys got off the bus together, hand in hand. Usually, Pokey would go to his first class of the day, while Ness would go to the cafeteria to meet up with his friends. Today, Ness was able to convince Pokey to come with him to the cafeteria. 

As soon as they entered the crowded cafeteria, Ness' friend immediately ran up to him, starting a conversation Pokey didn't really understand. He only knew them from the stories Ness would tell him. Paula, Jeff and Puu were their names, well if Pokey remembered correctly.

Out of habit, Ness dropped Pokey's hand. He backed up a bit, preparing to slip away before any of Ness’ friends could notice him.

“Oh hey, uhm, who are you again?” Paula asked, gazing at Pokey with a look of confusion.

Pokey went quiet, not sure how to respond, but Ness answered the question for him. He grabbed Pokey's hand again before speaking;

“Oh! This is my boyfriend!” Ness grinned, and all his friends stared blankly for a moment before smiling.

They practically embraced Pokey with open arms, asking him questions and talking to him as if they'd been friends for years. They led him to their lunch table and told him he was free to sit with them at any time.

Ness shot a smile at Pokey, “see, I can be a good boyfriend,”

Pokey feigned a sigh, “And yet you still made me pay for pizza.”

They never ended up finishing that art project.

Chapter Text

Ness curled the blanket around himself, warm tears ran down his face. He hated feeling like this. He hated the nightmares, he hated the intense guilt he felt, and he hated how it was all his fault. But he kept it together, because that's what he always did. He kept it together when Pokey sent that letter telling Ness to go find him, he kept it together when the nightmares kept him up for nights on end, he kept it together for weeks, for months. Four months and sixteen days into the investigation into Pokey’s disappearance, he was declared dead. But even then, Ness could hide behind the thin veiled excuse of a headache just so he could hide in his room and cry. 

Two weeks later, there was a funeral. There was nothing to bury, yet there was a grave. At the top of the hill by his house, where the same meteorite that housed the beginning of Ness’ entire journey had landed, now sits the grave of Pokey Minch. His parents didn't even come, but Picky did. When it was all over, Ness saw him stay behind and cry over the grave of his brother. But still Ness kept it together.

Ness spent the night of Pokey’s funeral at his desk, milling over homework he knew he’d never finish. After tapping his pencil absentmindedly on the paper he sighed, getting up from his desk to distract himself. But a thumping noise and what sounded like glass shattering drew his attention to the floor. Beside him laid a photo frame, face down. It must have fallen down when Ness pushed his chair out from the desk.

He hesitantly picked it up, making sure not to accidentally cut himself on any of the broken glass. He flipped the frame over. It was an old photo of Ness and Pokey, one his mother had taken when they were much younger.

That's the night Ness’ couldn't keep it together anymore.

He cried until he couldn't breathe, his vision so blurred he could barely even see when his mother came rushing to the room, a look of pure concern in her eyes. He gave in, telling his mother everything; about the nightmares, about his guilt, about Pokey. And yet, all she was able to offer in return was faint ‘it’s okay’s and ‘you’re alright’s. And yet he wasn't.  Ness didn't want to be comforted, he wanted answers. He wanted to know why he felt like this, why he felt such an overwhelming sadness when he thought about Pokey.

Because that's what it was; sadness. Ness hated thinking about him. He hid all of their photos in a box by his desk, he avoided any mention of the boy, he would even ignore Picky when he tried to talk to him. He couldn't think about him, because when he did his heart would ache and he would feel an overwhelming urge to cry.

Sadness. That's what it was.

But soon, that sadness turned into anger.

Oh, Ness hated Pokey for what he did. He hated Pokey for making him feel like this, he hated Pokey for hurting his friends, and he hated Pokey for leaving him. His crying turned to yelling, his aching heart turned into a horrible headache, and those fond memories turned into fuel for the fire. 

Ness curled the blanket closer to him, his hands shook with anger. God, he didn't want to feel like this. He wished he could just forget Pokey, to wipe him from his memory forever. He wanted to scream, to yell. He wished he could find Pokey, just so he could shout at him and tell him he hated him. 

Ness threw the blanket off of him, wiping at his tears. He stepped down onto the floor, quickly balancing himself as he walked himself to his desk. He bent beside his desk, where the box with all of his old photographs lay. He hesitantly opened the box, pulling out the first photo he saw. It was the one without a frame, the same frame he broke the night of Pokey’s funeral. 

He pulled himself back up, photo still in his hand. He grabbed a marker from off of his desk, clumsily opening it with his teeth. He set the photo down on his desk and used the marker to scribble all over the photo of the two of them. When he was done he let out a shaky breath, before grabbing another photo and doing the same to that one. He didn't stop until all the photos were vandalized with black marker. 

Oh how he hated Pokey. He wished to forget, to pretend Pokey never existed, maybe then he'd be okay again. 

And yet, his tears still fell. 

Chapter Text

Pokey laid on the floor of his room, incredibly loud music blasting into his ears. He could faintly feel his phone vibrating next to him. He picked it up, his stomach tightening when he saw Ness’ contact.

Please

Im so sorry

Pokey please respond.

I love you

Please respond when you can

Im so sorry Pokey i love you please text me when you want to talk

He stared at the texts for a moment, making sure Ness could see that he read them, before an overwhelming rage enveloped his body. He felt so used, so stupid.

pls just stop ness.

It took a moment for Ness to respond

Pokey Im so sorry. I didnt know that it hurt you but now i realzie how stupif i was im so ssory I love you sososo smuch

Pokey’s hands shook and his eyes filled with tears as he typed.

ness r u even gay.

or was i jst a stupid experimnt ?? 

Pokey please i lobeyou

Imjust so scared

stop txting me.

Pokey please im behgging you

ness im going2 block u

Can we please ust meet up ans talk about this

I promise ill get better

I love you so much

Pleaese dont leav eme

I DONT WANT TO TALK.

I HATE YOU. 

JUST FUCKING GO AWAY AND KILL YOURSELF.

Pokey threw his phone to the side, covering his face and tears ran down his face. What was wrong with him? He didn't mean any of that. He just felt like a toy, someone Ness could use to test things out on one night just to completely ignore the next day. And yet. Pokey felt complete with him.

Pokey grabbed his phone again

Ness im so fucking sorry i didnt mean that im just so angry

Please dont hurt yourself please

A checkmark symbol appeared under his message, meaning that Ness had read it.

I love you so much

! message not sent

Pokey stared at his phone for a few moments, confusion and guilt flooding his brain. 

Oh. 

Ness had blocked him.

Pokey softly turned off his phone, throwing it on his bed along with his headphones as he curled himself into a ball. The tears came faster this time. He let out sob after sob. God, he had ruined everything. He wanted to run to Ness, to tell him he loves him and he's so sorry. But his heart hurt thinking about even seeing Ness again. 

Then his breathing got faster. And the tears rolled down his face. He grabbed at the fabric covering his chest. His brain felt foggy, as if he were glass. Pokey tried to slow his breathing but it only made him choke on air. He looked down at his hands, but the tears in his eyes blurred his vision. He didn't feel real, no, he wasn't real. Another choked sob escaped his lips as he tried to be quiet. 

He could hear the door to his room begin to open. He covered his mouth and looked down, trying to conceal his crying and heavy breathing. The bit of light that flooded into the room hurt his eyes.

“Pokey…?”

Pokey looked up. Picky was standing outside the door, only half his face was visible, as if he was hiding outside. His face was full of concern as he gazed over Pokey, checking for injuries. 

“Are you ok?” Picky’s voice was almost a whisper.

Pokey nodded, he opened his mouth to say something but he choked on another sob. 

Picky took quiet steps into his brother's room, shutting and locking the door behind him (something Pokey had forgotten to do when he first got home.) He walked over to Pokey, as cautious as he could, and wrapped his arms around him. Pokey held onto his brother like it was a lifeline, as if the moment he let go he would die. He hid his face in the crook of his little brother's neck as more tears fell. Picky knew better than to press for answers. 

That’s the first night in years the brothers slept in the same room together.

Chapter Text

“No! Stop, please! Just leave me alone!” Ness covered his ears, curling himself up in a ball as he cried out, “I’m sorry! I'm so sorry!”

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the swirling colors around him. His body felt light, and yet he couldn't move. A horrible voice crept into his head, a horrible headache quickly following.

“Please! I didn't mean to hurt you!” Memories flashed in Ness’ head as he cried out again, “Pokey… I'm sorry.”

Ness’ heart ached with guilt; it was a horrible feeling, albeit one he was used to. He grabbed at his hair, desperate to get this voice out of his head, to stop the aching in his heart, but it just continued. He could feel an overwhelming sense of dread overcome him as he grasped at anything that could keep him grounded. And yet nothing stopped the darkness surrounding him to close in.

~~~~

Ness shot up, his breathing heavy. He grabbed at the soft mattress below, grounding himself. Right, he was in his apartment, the one in Smash City. He felt sick, that feeling of guilt still stuck in his stomach and that horrible voice still in his head. He laid his head back on his pillow, grabbing the old stuffed animal he kept on his bed and holding onto it like a lifeline. 

Then he cried.

He cried until no more tears would come. He cried until his throat ached. He cried until it drowned out that horrible voice. And he cried until he heard the clicking of a door opening and a bright light hit his eyes. Oh right, his roommate.

“Ness…” Lucas whispered, his voice shaky.

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean for it to leak out again.” Ness whimpered. It wasn't the first time Ness’ dreams had leaked out, but this had been the worst one yet. 

“No… It's alright,” Lucas’ voice sounded unsure,“Ness, I…” he paused for a moment, “Ness I have to tell you something.”

Lucas opened the door wider, and Ness winced and shut his eyes as more bright light entered his room. He could hear Lucas take cautious steps before Ness felt the mattress sink next to him as the blonde sat down. He felt Lucas place something on his pillow in front of him.

Ness’ eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to adjust to the light in the room before he looked at what was next to him.

It was a yoyo. It was scratched and faded, whatever design was meant to be on the side was long gone. But its green color was still as bright as the day Ness bought it.

Ness immediately shot up, grabbing it and holding it in his hands in front of it. He moved it around in his hands, looking at every angle it had to offer. He needed to make sure it was real. 

Ness looked up from the yoyo to gaze at Lucas, but he just looked away, an expression of guilt on his face.

“Lucas…” Ness said, barely audible. Lucas scratched at his arms, something Ness had noticed he’d do when he was anxious.

“I'm sorry.” Lucas replied blatantly, though his mind seemed elsewhere. 

“You knew. You knew and you… lied to me.” Ness looked down at the yoyo in his hands, “You said you didn't know how he ended up like that, like how he was in Subspace.”

“I know…”

“Why?” Ness clenched his hand, “Why didn't you tell me?”

Lucas let out a sigh, “Because you don't want to know what he did.”

“He was my best friend!” Ness cried, “Lucas why are you keeping this from me? I deserve to know what happened to him!”

Lucas shook his head, “I can’t…” He looked down at his hands, “I’m sorry I just… I can't.”

Ness paused and loosed the grip on the yo-yo. He could feel Lucas’ anxiousness around the topic, so he diluted the conversation.

“He… kept it?” Ness’ voice was weak, almost hesitant.

“It was his most prized possession,” Lucas paused, letting out a soft chuckle, “Didja know he made a movie about you?” He thought for a moment, “Remember when we first met, and you asked me how I already knew you? That's how. He was obsessed with you, dude.”

Ness smiled, a heat spreading across his face, “do you think… Maybe he still loved me?”

Lucas looked over at him, their eyes meeting, “I don't think there's any way he couldn't.”

Ness let out a sigh. Maybe it was for the better that he wouldn't know what happened to Pokey, maybe it was better for him to stay in the dark. But it still gave Ness a sense of ease knowing that somewhere out there, Pokey still cared for him.

Chapter Text

Once there was a boy known far and wide. The boy loved the people, and he’d do anything for them. In the past, evil monsters had threatened their lives, but the boy had done everything he could to protect the people. But still, even after the evil had been defeated, the boy wanted to make the people happy. And so, everyday another person would come and ask the boy to help them with their troubles. 

‘I need help!’ A girl with a bow in her hair said, ‘Whenever I travel the sun beams down and makes me far too hot to keep walking!’

‘It’s alright,’ The boy said, ‘Take my hat, it will protect you from the sun!’

And then the girl with a bow was gone. And the sun beamed down onto the boy's face.

The next day, another person approached.

‘Excuse me,’ A boy with glasses said, ‘I have so many things to carry, but it’s far too heavy to carry with just my arms!’

‘It’s alright,’ The boy said, ‘Take my bag, it will lessen your load!’

And then the boy with glasses was gone. And the boy’s arms were heavy with his belongings.

The next day, another person approached.

‘Oh my!’ A boy with a ponytail had said, ‘I live far up in the mountains, and I have nothing to entertain myself with!”

‘It’s alright,’ The boy said, ‘Take my yo-yo, it will make you happy no matter how far away you are!’

And then the boy with the ponytail was gone. And the boy was left with nothing to do.

The next day, a strange character approached.

‘Ness!’ The boy with his hair covering his eyes said, ‘You’ve given away everything! Now you have nothing to do, no way to carry your belongings, and are far too exhausted to do anything!’

‘It’s alright,’ The boy said, ‘The people are in need of help, who am I to deny their pleas?’

‘Oh you must understand,’ The boy with his hair covering his eyes continued, ‘You are a person too! You've given away so much, you've even given away yourself! If you do wish to help the people then you must help yourself!’

‘It’s alright,’ The boy said, ‘I have no need for any of that stuff! I will keep giving until they take the clothes off my back, and even then I have more to give.’

‘My…’ the boy with his hair covering his eyes shook his head, ‘But what have they given you in return? Are you forced to sit here for all eternity and wither until the people take your very soul? Must I be as selfless as you, the one thing I give you is my time.’

‘It’s alright,’ The boy said, but still, the boy with his hair covering his eyes sat next to him, ‘I would not want to take from such a precious resource.’

‘Don't you realize’ The boy with his hair covering his eyes smiled, ‘Everything you give is a precious resource, and you would not want to taint it by taking it away from its creator.’

The boy thought for a moment. The sun beamed down onto his face, he could feel the weakness of his arms from carrying his belongings everywhere, and the same stale feeling of boredom crept into his mind.

‘Ah,’ The boy said, ‘I’m afraid I have nothing to give you for your kindness.’

‘It’s alright,’ The boy with his hair covering his eyes said, ‘I need not anything in return. This is my gift to you.’

And then the boy wasn't alone. And even despite all he had given away, the other boy sitting with him seemed to fill the hole his missing belongings had originally vacated.

Chapter Text

Pokey kept a hand over his sketchbook to keep away any prying eyes trying to gaze at his art. It wasn't that he was particularly fearful of people seeing his art as bad, more-so that he preferred to keep his passion to himself. Though, there was someone he’s never hidden his art from.

Ness savored every sketch, every stroke of a brush, every piece of paper he would dig out of the trash after Pokey threw it away, every eraser mark leftover from so many mistakes. And Pokey appreciated that.

“Are you a furry?”

Pokey shut his sketchbook as fast as he could when the question left Ness’ mouth. He hovered over Pokey like an annoying bug that wouldn't leave. Something Pokey would never admit was that he liked the attention from Ness, but definitely not from the glares from the rest of their quiet classmates around them.

“Excuse me?” Pokey said, almost sarcastically. 

“You draw animals good,” Ness smiled, “Is that like, a furry thing?”

“No, it's called being a good draw-er,” Pokey played with the pencil in his hand, “Are you a furry?”

Ness thought for a moment, “No, I don't think so…” He smiled, “But if I was a furry I’d be a cooler furry than you!”

“Nuh uh!!” Pokey shot back, glancing around the classroom to make sure no one was listening to their strange conversation.

“Yup! I think so!” Ness grinned, “You’d just be a pig…”

“Hey!!”

Ness giggled, before thinking a bit, “And I would be…”

“-A blobfish!” Pokey huffed, and Ness feigned an offended expression before he smiled softly.

“Well I think whatever we were you’d draw us pretty good!” He laughed, before sitting back at his desk and directing his attention back to whatever homework he was working on before.

Pokey let out a huff, his face red, and opened his sketchbook back up. He sketched a few lines, working on whatever doodles his mind came up with in the moment. A few minutes went by before Pokey let out a sigh, “A chinchilla.”

Ness looked up from his paper, “Huh?”

“If you were an animal; you'd be a chinchilla.” He spoke almost blankly.

Ness cocked his head and grinned, “Why? ‘Cause they’re cute?”

“Because they’re short and fat and don’t take baths.” Pokey smiled, “Just like you.”

Ness’ smile dropped and he sent Pokey an annoyed glare, “Well you’d be a hedgehog! Prickly and mean and fat!”

Pokey was just about to say something in return before they heard their teacher speak.

“Boys, quiet down!”

The two of them quickly pretended to go back to whatever they were working on, sharing a knowing glance. They were going to finish this conversation later.

Chapter Text

Dreams…

Ness tapped his pencil on the table in front of him, his mind racing with thoughts. He groaned and hit his head on the table a couple of times only stopping to hold his head in his hands. He hated English, especially the stupid assignments. ‘Oh just write a three page essay! It'll be easy!’ News flash, it isn't! Especially when the prompt is just one word; ‘dreams.’

He thought back to all the dreams he’d had, some were scary and some were just strange. But none of them were insightful enough to write an entire essay about. He was just about to give up until a buzzing interrupted him. He picked up his phone and read the message:

im bored 😒

Real X_X

Park?

I cant :((((

I have to work on this stupid english assignment

the 1 do nxt week?

yesssss

dood u hve sm time

cmoonnn com 2 the parrrkkkkkkk

Aaaaaa fine

I havent even started the essay anyway

lul

Same

y do u think im here

o also

pickys here

so bring tracy if u wanna

Kk

Be there soon X3

u beter >:D

Ness put his phone back down on the table, pulling all his papers together and putting them back in his bag. He pulled on his shoes and ruffled his hair before heading down the hall, stopping at Tracy's room.

“Yo,” Ness opened her door, earning a glare from his sister, “Picky’s at the park, wanna come?”

Her annoyed glare quickly changed to an excited smile, “duh! I'll be ready soon, just wait for me this time, alright?!” She practically jumped off her bed as Ness closed the door and headed downstairs. He told his mom where he and Tracy were going, and she just smiled and told them to be back by dinner. 

When Tracy was ready she practically barreled down the stairs and pushed Ness out of the door, clearly more excited than Ness was for the walk ahead. 

The Onnet park was near the school, on the outskirts of town. It wasn't common for Pokey and his brother to escape to the park when their parents were in a bad mood, and it was only a short walk away. 

It barely took them two minutes before they got to the park. Tracy and Picky immediately ran off together, talking about something that had happened at school a couple days before. This left Ness and Pokey to wander around on their own.

“And I totally think it would be better if I made the plot twist the fact that he’s a robot, I mean, wouldn't that be better?” Pokey said, glancing over at Ness, who looked at the sky, thinking.

“I mean, it’s better than the clone thing, or that weird alternate universe idea you had.” Ness responded, smiling back at the older boy.

Porky sighed, “Man I dunno why everyone hates that one, I think alternate universes are pretty cool.”

Ness opened his mouth to respond, but Pokey grabbed onto his arm, causing him to almost lose his balance and fall over.

“Look!” Pokey cried, “There’s this really cool flower field up ahead!”

Pokey smiled, taking Ness’ hand in his and changing direction. After a few minutes of walking, they finally broke through some foliage into a small clearing. It was covered in small purple and blue flowers.

Ness stared at the field for a few seconds, Pokey looking expectantly at him.

“Well?” Pokey prompted, and Ness broke out of his trance to look at the boy beside him.

“It’s beautiful!” Ness grinned, and Pokey smiled softly.

They both made their way to the middle of the field, sitting down on the soft grass of the field, careful not to trample any flowers.

Ness gazed up at the clouds, beautiful designs made by blue and white.

“Hey,” Pokey spoke, directing Ness’ attention away from the sky. He was holding a small purple flower in his hand, and when Ness looked at him, he brought it up to Ness face, holding it right next to his eye. “It’s the same color…”

“Huh?” Ness looked back and forth between the flower and Pokey, clearly confused.

“The flower, it reminds me of your eyes.” Pokey gazed lovingly at the flower, then back at Ness.

Ness immediately went red, looking down at the ground. He paused, before picking a small blue flower and showing Pokey, “And this one reminds me of your eyes.”

Pokey’s eyes went wide, before they softened and he smiled, “I guess they are kinda similar, huh!”

Ness smiled, “yeah, I guess they are.”

The two sat there for a long time, looking at the clouds and talking about whatever they wanted. That’s when Ness realized, a dream wasn't something he wanted to achieve in the future. No, he was already living his dream, with the boy he loved.