Work Text:
The celebration had lasted longer than it usually did, but Boober did not mind for once. In fact, he wholeheartedly welcomed the company and merriment, especially after the near death experience him and Red had been in mere hours ago. The sun had long since set though, and his dear friends had all retired for the night alongside the other fraggles. “I should probably do the same,” he thought aloud, feeling the exhaustion beginning to catch up to him.
The trek back to his cave was thankfully brief, the blue fraggle giving the cold stone near his cloth door an appreciative pat before he entered. Hanging up his hat and scarf in their respective spots, he stretched with a yawn and moved towards his bed. That was, until the sound of approaching footsteps halted his progress.
“Boober?” Wembley’s unsure voice spoke up from outside. “A-Are you awake?”
He blinked in slight confusion, but before he could dwell on it he found he was already back at his door, pushing the fabric apart to greet him. “Yes, Wembley, I’m awake. Is everything ok?”
The yellow fraggle shifted on his feet, not quite meeting his gaze. It took him a couple seconds to respond. “Y-Yes. Well…yes and no. I just…” He paused to take a breath, finally looking at him completely, “Could I stay with you tonight?”
Boober was surprised by this, but even more so by the rush of warmth that filled his chest at the request. “Stay with me? Why?”
Wembley seemed to falter a bit at the response, rubbing one of his arms and looking down. “What happened today, with you and Red in the cavern…it really scared me,” he admitted. “I tried to be strong; for Mokey, for Gobo, for you two, but the longer it took to move that boulder…the more I started to fear the worst.” He met his gaze once more, eyes pleading. “I almost…I almost believed that I lost you, Boober. A-And I know I didn’t. You’re right here! But no matter what I say or think I can’t seem to convince myself that everything’s ok.” His arms wrapped around himself as he looked away again.
Boober felt his heart ache. Normally this would be cause for concern, but his own well being could wait. He reached out and gently touched the other’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He could see tears at the corners of the yellow fraggle’s eyes, stepping forward to close some of the distance between them. “If being with me helps then, please, stay.”
Wembley just nodded, clearly trying to keep it together even as he was lead inside by the hand and over to the bed. “T-Thank you.” He finally managed as they both sat down.
“Of course, Wembley. What are friends for?” Boober replied, now noticing that he was still holding his hand. His grip loosened, but did not entirely let go yet. It felt strangely nice, his tail shifting and accidentally flopping on top of the other’s in response. His cheeks heated up, thankful in that moment that his hair hid most of his face. “Sorry if my place is a bit cramped.”
Wembley did not appear bothered at all by the contact. Quite the opposite, as he smiled in that kind way of his, the one that Boober found to be contagious. “Not at all. I think it’s cozy.”
They sat like that for awhile, making small talk until it transitioned into a comfortable silence. At some point they had shifted closer to one another, Wembley’s head resting against his shoulder, tails curled together on the bed. The fuzzy feelings inside Boober became even more noticeable as time passed, to the point he felt like he should say something about it. At the same time though, he did not know how to articulate it, nor did he want this to end.
“Hey, Boober?” Wembley’s gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Hm?”
Another pause, followed by the yellow fraggle moving to sit up. The sudden lack of warmth caused a small wave of panic to hit him, his body turning slightly towards the other in response.
“There’s…another reason why I came to see you tonight.” Wembley’s fingers found the hem of his polo, messing with it a little as his own tail curled ever so slightly tighter around his.
Boober could feel his heart beating against his chest. “O-Oh yeah?”
He nodded, and soon continued. “I’ve been feeling different around you for awhile now. Not like how friends should.” His voice was fragile, threatening to shatter. “I didn’t know what to do when I realized it, didn’t know what to say or who I could talk to, so I…I bottled it up and put it on a shelf somewhere I could see it but it was always just out of reach. I thought that maybe one day it would go away, or I would wake up one morning with the courage to tell you. But then…today happened. A-And when I got home it hit me, shook me to my core, that I almost lost my chance. That time waits for no one.” He was fully looking at the other now.
Boober was silent, gripped by the words pouring from his dear friend’s heart.
“I’ll understand if you don’t feel the same. Just please…please don’t let this ruin our friendship,” He begged softly, searching his expression.
He knew he needed to say something, but the words were a jumbled mess on his tongue. He knew he must have taken too long though, because he was acutely aware of Wembley’s tail uncurling from his own and the watery eyes on him finding an unimportant detail in the space between them. “Please…Boober, let me know that we’ll be ok.” He practically whispered.
The next action he registered was his arms wrapping around the yellow fraggle, pulling him close against his body in an embrace that he wanted desperately to convey how he felt, fingers gripping the back of his shirt. When the words finally sorted themselves out, he spoke. “I feel the same, or at least similarly. It’s going to sound silly…but I didn’t know what they really meant,” he moved back just enough so they could look at each other, “that is, until now. And even if I didn’t feel this way, you mean so much to me, Wembley. More than you realize.”
The way Wembley’s eyes lit up and his tail wagged brought a smile to his own lips, filling him with an adoration for the fraggle that begged to be expressed. So, he did just that. He moved his hands to the front of his polo, and brought their lips together.
He could feel the other’s initial surprise from the bold move melt away as he began to kiss him back. It wasn’t perfect; they bumped noses and caught corners, but neither of them cared. What they felt was real, and they were together, and that was all that mattered in that moment. When they finally broke away, they were both breathless, Boober having laid back against the sheets and Wembley having gone down with him, their tails intertwined.
“You know,” he started, gently cupping the other’s cheek and stroking it with his thumb, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this happy before.”
Wembley chuckled softly, cheeks dusted pink. “I know what you mean.” He pressed a kiss to his palm, struggling to keep his eyes open. “We should probably get some sleep. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
Boober nodded in agreement and moved his hand away, scooting over to make room on his bed.
The yellow fraggle’s cheeks turned a darker shade. “A-Are you sure?”
“More than sure.” Boober offered out his arms, then added, “If you still want to stay.”
Wembley was in them in an instant. “Of course I do, Boober.” He smiled against the blue fur, resting his head underneath the other’s chin as they both drifted off to sleep.