Joy started off every morning and ended every night by giving each and every one of the other four emotions in headquarters an enthusiastic hug. She truly loved everyone in her life and everyone in Riley's life and was always looking to show it in any way she could. Unfortunately for her, the other emotions didn't always react entirely positively when she couldn't keep her happiness in check and her hands to herself. Anger often became incredibly irritated, to the point where his fiery head nearly singed Joy's face on a few occasions. Fear was scared by the surprise of her hugs and Sadness would often break down in tears after a hug, crying about how she didn't deserve one. And of course Disgust would be disgusted when Joy would give her an overly tight hug and yell cheerful things into her ear. Since Anger, Sadness, and Disgust were so much shorter than her, it meant that Joy would usually pick them up to hug them, raising their face to hers and nuzzling her face against their cheek. This would only earn a variety of negative sounding groans from whichever emotion she was hugging at the moment.
For years, Joy saturated the other emotions in hugs, assuming that despite their reactions, they really didn't mind as much as they acted like they did. But one night, at the end of a particularly bad day in Riley's life, her actions caused the other emotions to snap.
"I've got dream duty tonight," Joy smiled, "I know today was rough, but we'll make tomorrow better!"
As Anger was the first emotion to trot off to bed, Joy gave him a nightly hug as usual. On a good day, he would have tolerated it and been done, but after a bad day, it caused him to erupt in rage almost immediately. Fire spurted from his head and he nearly burnt her. She immediately put him down.
"Not tonight, Joy! Not after a piece of crap day like this!" Anger exclaimed furiously, "You need to learn that this isn't appropriate all the time! I get sick of dealing with it every day and night!"
"I have to agree Joy," Fear chimed in, scolding her, "I'd like a chance to wake up nice and slow each morning without you yelling at me and grabbing me and scaring me awake."
"And you shouldn't hug me," Sadness moaned, "I don't deserve it. I'm not good enough."
Disgust stood silent and decided to watch the others' interaction play out. She watched as Anger continued to fume and Sadness continued to cry. The other three emotions continued to admonish and criticize Joy. After their outbursts were done, Joy was able to have a moment to speak.
"I'm sorry, you guys," she frowned deeply and took a long pause, "I'll try to keep my emotion in check from now on."
"Good!" Anger grumbled and headed off to sleep for the night.
"You always made me keep my sadness in check," Sadness added before doing the same.
"Hopefully you learned your lesson for once, Joy," Fear said plainly as he too went off for the night.
Disgust was the last to leave for bed. Had the other emotions been too hard on Joy? Her eyes met Joy's for a second before she went away for the night. She didn't really have anything to say. It wasn't her place to say anything about these types of matters. Was it?
Disgust tossed and turned that night trying to fall asleep. Something about headquarters just felt wrong. Something that hadn't felt wrong since… Since Joy was gone! That was the last time she had struggled to sleep like this. But Joy wasn't gone, although she had looked quite sad when the other emotions had gone off to bed. That wasn't good was it? If Joy herself was still unhappy tomorrow morning that would not bode well for the entire day. Negative emotions would take control and no one's life would get better as a result, including Riley's and her own. Disgust groaned, she would have to go outside of her intended purpose and try to comfort Joy. Oh well, she wasn't getting any sleep that night either way so the least she could do was try.
Disgust exited her bedroom and made her way into headquarters' main room, still in her nightgown. She saw Joy sitting at the control console, frowning as she was forced to watch that night's unpleasant dream. It wasn't exactly a nightmare, just more of a downer of a dream. It appeared that the dream was based off of Riley's altercations with her friends that had occurred during that day. Now she was dreaming about losing some of her good friends forever. Disgust knew it would be difficult for a more negative emotion like her to cheer Joy up, especially with this rotten dream on the screen. Fortunately, as an emotion in headquarters, she had the power to change dreams in some ways. She could call down to the theater that was in charge of Riley's dreams and ask them to change the dream. But the more simple solution was to simply override the current dream with a pleasant memory. Disgust quietly scrolled through some memories along the wall behind Joy, who had not yet become aware of her presence. She wanted something very calm and peaceful. Then she saw it, the perfect calm and joyful memory to make the night a little better for both Riley and Joy. She gently placed it on the pedestal that projected Riley's memories and soon the nasty dream was silenced and replaced with a slowly scrolling view of a starry night sky. The memory was from a camping trip a few years ago where Riley had lain beneath the night sky in the wilderness and watched the stars for nearly two hours before falling asleep.
Joy gasped, a bit surprised as she turned around to see Disgust stepping down from the memory projector. Disgust walked slowly to her side at the console and looked up at her. She wasn't sure what to do now to comfort Joy. Just try not to sound sarcastic or cold, she guessed.
"Hey," her tone was dry and awkward, "I thought maybe you and I could just watch some stars together for a while."
Joy was silent for a moment but then she smiled warmly at Disgust.
"I would love that, Disgust," Joy beamed at her. Underneath her smile she was still reeling from what had transpired earlier.
The two of them leaned intently over the console, watching the stars scroll by for a while. Disgust put her hand on top of Joy's and squeezed gently. Joy turned her hand over and squeezed back so that they were holding hands. It felt a bit awkward, but Disgust really enjoyed it. She knew she could be stuck up and sarcastic at times, but it really felt good to make a genuine connection with someone else.
Joy took both of Disgust's hands in her own and they turned to face each other.
"Hey… thanks for putting that memory in and spending some time with me tonight," Joy said as she looked down into Disgust's deep green eyes, "You're really considerate."
"Only from watching you be considerate," Disgust smiled back up at her.
The two of them turned back to the dream of the starry night sky, still scrolling silently.
"Remember the night this memory was made?" Joy asked, "The five of us got to stay up late in headquarters. Everyone was calm, even Anger and Fear. We all talk about our dreams and aspirations in life, what we wanted Riley to achieve, how we wanted her to feel." Joy spoke slowly and sentimentally.
"We could never have such memories of inner peace without you," Disgust replied, looking back at Joy who was still holding onto her hands.
"I can make happy memories but it takes all of us getting along for a moment to create a peaceful one," Joy explained, "A beautiful momentary silencing of inner turmoil."
"That's what I'm feeling right now," Disgust said softly. Then she thought did I just say that out loud? While Joy's holding my hands? She blushed and looked away, but didn't let go.
"I would be, but, I feel guilty about Anger, Fear, Sadness, and what happened earlier," Joy sighed with remorse.
"I'm sorry they got upset with you," Disgust frowned and looked back up at Joy with sincerity.
"Maybe it's for the better, maybe I need to learn," Joy admitted, "Maybe I should dial back all my hugging and horseplay and just focus on Riley's happiness instead of trying to make the rest of you more like me. I should apologize to the others tomorrow."
"Don't. They'll get over it," Disgust said in a tone that was both stern and comforting. Then she leaned into Joy and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her tight.
"Please," Disgust said lovingly, still hugging Joy, "Don't you ever change one bit."
Joy, being much taller than Disgust, wrapped her arms gently around the green girl's head and neck, leaning her own head softly on top of Disgust's. The two of them stood there like that for a moment before pulling out of the hug.
"You know something, you're right," Joy smiled.
"Of course I am," Disgust replied smartly, in a tone that was more like her usual biting sarcasm. However, she was only being playful.
"Hey, I feel a lot better now, why don't you get some sleep while I finish up dream duty?" Joy asked.
"Sure, but I better get my hug tomorrow morning," Disgust warned, "You kept me up really late working for it tonight!"
"You can count on it!" Joy exclaimed, "And so can Anger, Fear, and Sadness!"
As Disgust walked back to her room to leave Joy to dream duty she couldn't help but say "And maybe one of these days give me a kiss, too," under her breathe.
"What's that?" Joy asked.
"Oh, nothing," Disgust blushed and headed off to sleep.