Title: From The Mouths Of Babes
Author: Daisy
Fandom: Zootopia
Setting: Summer Camp
Pairing: Pronk Oryx-Antlerson/Bucky Oryx-Antlerson
Characters: Pronk Oryx-Antlerson, Bucky Oryx-Antlerson, OC: Estella, OC: Mick, OC: Cujo
Genre: Friendship/Supernatural
Rating: T
Chapters: 1/1
Word Count: 1196
Type of Work: One-Shot
Status: Complete
Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, Summer Camp AU, Pronk = 12, Bucky = 11, Fluff, Bloody Mary, Unbeta'd
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Mick, Estella and Cujo.
Summary: At Summer Camp, Bucky and Pronk try to prove their bravery over a game of Bloody Markhoor.
AN: So, this has been sitting around FOREVER. But, I'm glad it's finally getting typed up. For reference, Estella is a beaver, Mick is a Tamaraw, and Cujo is a wolf. A Markhoor is a type of goat, I believe, and it looks pretty scary on its own. xD Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!
From The Mouths Of Babes ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"No way that's true." The young Oryx frowned as he spoke, crossing his gangly arms. He was going for 'disappointed' but his eyes belied his fear.
"I'm serious!" Cried a short beaver, pulling anxiously at the hem of her skirt, "THe Razor will come and eat any mammal that tries to get in his way!" Now, she spread her arms over hear head and mdae a mock slashing motion.
"And what is his way, Estella?" Bucky questioned, brows drawn like curtains over his dark brown eyes. He seemed so calm and cool, even Pronk felt a little better knowing they shared a cabin. It was his own fear he felt ashamed of in that moment, if the younger mammal could be so relaxed hearing all of this.
"He wants to take captives!" Estella threw her bespectacled gaze around wildly for effect, "He takes you home and steals your body parts! To put on yourself!"
The other children gasped, Pronk included, the oryx stepping back and reaching for Bucky's wrists. The kudu still didn't seem impressed.
"That's a story for babies." He chided with a shake of his head, "If you really want to be scared, you should relay the story of Bloody Markhoor." It was his matter-of-fact tone that made the eleven year old sound like he was wise beyond his years. Maybe there was something to the way the already too-tall Kudu looked down his nose at everyone, like they didn't even deserve to look him in the eyes. Everyone but Pronk, but that probably had more to do with his most recent growth spurt than actual respect.
"What's a Blood Markboar?" A little tamaraw asked, peeking over the worn edge of his security blanket.
"No, no, Mick. Markhoor." Anunciating carefully, he sighed as his hand slid up, arm bending at the elbow to lace his hooves with Pronk's. The twelve year old managed to keep his long legs from shaking as the other kids settled around them in a semi-circle. None of them seemed to care that Pronk was riding side-saddle to Bucky's stories, and the oryx was quietly thankful for that. After all, he was, and had been since the second they met, always tangled up in the whirlwind that was Bucky Antlerson. Every year at camp, they were ridiculously inseparable, and nobody fought it once Mr. Antlerson's name was slung around enough.
"Tell us!" The children chanted, all their voices growing until Bucky's eyes landed on Pronk with the intent of hanging heavy between them.
"Shut up, give him his space, don't crowd." Had he been capable of a growl, it would have been one, "Let him speak. Go ahead, Buck." Even if he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to hear this, he'd stay near his best friend despite himself. He had a hard enough time sleeping away from home without the nightmare fuel about to spill from his best friend's mouth… But the thoughts about what to do with his lips otherwise shouldn't have seemed so important in the moment. They did manage to make him miss the beginning of the tale, though, and his already impressive rack pulled eyes to him as he shook his head to clear his mind. He didn't keep their attention long, Bucky's words in the forefront of their minds.
"And if you go into a bathroom in the dark, and say Bloody Markhoor three times, he will come to kill you." The Kudu gave a sudden jerk forward that had Estella and Mick clinging to each other in fear, a shared shriek leaving the, "But if you turn the lights on before five seconds is up, then he can't get you."
The kids gathered around them gave him a few sheepish glances, and Bucky followed their gazes to his arm. Shock flittered to an odd understanding on his handsome features, as he seemed to finally notice the death grip his companion had on his elbow. Blinking a few times, his head tilted and Pronk's hoof sunk down over his forearm, only to connect their palms once more.
"Pronk's scared!" Estella laughed, immediately earning the ire of the pair.
"Am not!" Pronk denied this vehemently, pitching forward before he felt a hoof heavy on his chest. A questioning, confused expression crossed his face and he furrowed his brow.
"We'll prove it." Bucky announced and the oryx nearly froze, a quiet, 'we will?' falling from his parted lips. "Yes, we will. The bathrooms at the edge of camp, after lights out."
Just like that, Pronk's destiny was laid out before him. Throughout all of their activities, he only had half of his mind on working at any given time. Two balls to the face, one on his horns, and an oar to his knees had been painful proof of this. WIth his fate sealed, all he could focus on were his anxieties and his constant proximity to Bucky. EVery reflex he had seemed to go to the protection of the kudu, even if it put him at an unprecedented end.
By lights out, Pronk felt pretty close to dropping right off the edge of the planet, but he allowed himself to be pulled along, anyway.
"Thought you weren't going to show."
"Who invited you, Cujo?" Bucky's hooves rested on his hips as he lowered his head a little, nearly forgetting to let go of Pronk's hand. The wolf smirked, sticking his tongue out.
"Stick over there told Mestella about your little idea, something about you two lamers dying. Thought I might see you off." Grinning almost manically, Cujo quickly gestured with his paws, "Go on, Grazers. Let's see your bravery."
Pronk very nearly leapt at him, but Bucky's hoof pressed to his stomach and the tone of his voice had the scimitar oryx pausing.
"Pronk and I will show all of you. We aren't scared, are we?" The look in those honeyed eyes had the elder shaking his head wordlessly. "Come on."
Both young bucks entered the bathroom, stepping in front of the mirror, hooves laced and otherwise alone. It was a mystery to the oryx to when they started holding hooves, but he could hardly complain. After a moment of stumbling towrads the mirrors in the dark, BUcky went still.
"B-Buck? What's-"A kiss to the underside of his snout stopped the twelve year old's questions, his breath leaving on a shaky exhale.
"Sorry for dragging you into this…" Bucky's voice was barely a whisper, and his apologetic smile shone through it. Pronk had been close to responding when Cujo's bark of laughter left him scowling instead.
"You two getting married in there?"
"Shut up!" Both males hissed in response. Hooves pressed together, they sighed. In unison, they began.
"Bloody Markhoor."
Pronk tensed.
"Bloody Markhoor."
Bucky's hold on his wrist tightened.
"Bloody Markhoor."
For a beat, nothing happened.
A crash behind them sent both bucks running from the bathroom shrieking. Needless to say, they shared Pronk's top bunk for the week, and the oryx couldn't help but find it the most comfortable sleep he'd ever had.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ AN: