A/N: While I had a terrible headache, my friend helped me feel better by role-playing with me! YAY!

Warning: A bit of deeper-meanings alluding to some… um… boy-on-boy stuff? Oh, and there's geekiness. XD

Disclaimer: It was on my wish list, but as of yet, don't own.

Summary: Drabble-like. Told (mostly) in Chum Chum's perspective. Based on the short life of sidekicks in general. Chum Chum worries. Fanboy soothes. In the end, children don't understand the bigger picture. FanboyChumChum!

Remember:

"Speech"

Emphasis

Everything else

…

Sidekick Or Bust

…

There is a solid and resonating thud of a body hitting asphalt. A cry of anguish, a spasm and cough. The dust settles as the young ward of our hero lies amongst carnage, gasping feebly for breath. Fanboy cradles the sweaty, chocolate colored head in his lap, screaming out in denial, "No! My Chum Chum!"

Weakly, Chum Chum raises a hand to the sobbing and strong visage. "Fan… boy?" he questions with dimming eyes. All the purple-clad hero can do is nod hurriedly. Rolling his head to the side, Chum Chum's last sound is that of oxygen rushing away.

He dies.

"I'll buy you a Frostee Freezey Freeze!" Fanboy declares, cupping the cherubic face of his sidekick. There is no response. "NNNNOOOOOO! WHY? Why?" Fanboy glares to the heavens above, raising his arms as rain crashes to earth. He, too, dies.

As if roused to aide, Chum Chum lifts his lids, coughing out, "Nooo! No! You must live! LIIIIIIIVE!" Fanboy's frail body twitches above Chum Chum. "Go… on… without me! There will be other side… kicks!" The coughing continues.

"Nope. Its Chum Chum or bust," Fanboy says, grinning ear to ear.

So! Once again—he dies.

Quite put off, Chum Chum sits up right, perfectly healthy, and rolls Fanboy's gangly limbs off. "Fanboy," he rebukes sternly, "I don't think you're playing right. Sidekicks die a lot, you know!" Both Fanboy and Chum Chum pause at the words. In the comics, sidekicks do have a tendency to wind up… expendable. With widening eyes, Chum Chum leaps up, frantically pacing. Chum Chum was Fanboy's sidekick! Did that mean that Chum Chum was… expendable… to Fanboy? "Oh no! I really am gonna die!"

Before Chum Chum's panic gets the best of him, Fanboy reaches out, dragging the younger boy toward his chest. There is a moment of safety as Fanboy's long fingers smooth down Chum Chum's head, petting him slowly. Somehow, the warm fingers end up resting in between strands of freshly shampooed hair at the base of Chum Chum's neck.

"Sidekicks never die," he says in that arrogant way only a hero can use, "At least… not my sidekicks."

Chum Chum sniffles, not realizing there were tears in his eyes at all. Death was a sad thing, of course, but sadder still was being torn away from Fanboy. "Really?" is the hesitant inquiry.

"Really," Fanboy's steady and sure voice leaves no room for doubt.

"Hooray!"

Chum Chum cannot stop himself. His feet spring of their own accord and he circles his arms around Fanboy's midsection. Not expecting this, Fanboy topples backward, laughing in a way that makes Chum Chum more exuberant than before.

Neither boy is quite aware, most likely because of their age, of what has just transpired… Simply, all Chum Chum—or Fanboy—understands is that there is no one else.

—END—