"i refuse."
"…What?" Razz's confounded expression nearly made Comic burst into laughter, but the tension in the air stopped him before he did.
"Brother! It's impolite to refuse a gift! Especially one that has so much effort and meaning put into it! Which I'm sure it has! Even though I don't understand it!"
Comic sighed but took the gift with both hands, and looked doubtfully at it. "you sure 'bout this razz? i know how much this means to you…"
"I don't need it anymore," Razz said firmly. "You, on the other hand…"
Comic could hear the unspoken words behind Razz's silence. He turned the red bandana over in his hands and sighed lowly. "if you're sure about it…"
His phalanges trembled as he wrapped the bandana around his neck, fumbling while tying the knot while in the uncomfortable position. Blossom offered a hand to help his brother, only to be pushed away gently by said brother's good wing.
Comic stifled a frown, tugging at the cloth uncomfortably. He could feel the waves of protective intent washing over him from the bandana, and while he was sure the bandana didn't quite mean the same as collars in the fell-verse cultures, it felt pretty damn close.
Razz somehow noticed the stiffening of his body. "Relax, Comic," he said, his voice a low and soothing rumble.
Somehow, much to the surprise of both Sanses, it worked. Comic's shoulders let go of the tension and relaxed into an easygoing real slouch. His normally forced grin relaxed into something that somewhat resembled a real one.
"jeez," Comic noted, kind of surprised. "how much intent did you pack into this bandana?"
"A lot," Razz admitted. "I was worried it would wear off eventually."
Blossom blinked. "I am going! To go now! You two! Can! Continue bonding!" And he disappeared. If the two hadn't known better, they'd have said that Blossom had teleported. But from experience, Comic knew that it was just the immense speed his brother possessed.
"so, did you know that giving away prized possessions is a sign of suicidal intent?" Comic mentioned offhandedly after a few moments, phalanges playing with the fabric.
Razz flinched. "Something like that," he admitted.
Comic sighed, then snapped his phalanges, teleporting two chairs to where they were. He plopped himself down on one of them. Razz sat himself gently on the other. "feel like talking?"
Razz grinned, ever-so-slightly, and leaned backwards onto the backing of the chair. "It's not exactly suicidal intent. It's…" He hesitated. "The surgery."
"oh." Comic sighed, rubbing his forehead. "you're scared that the surgery will go wrong. that you may not come out alive or end up coming out without the ability to feel emotions rather than the greatest likelihood of losing only romantic love."
"Yes," Razz nodded, furrowing his nonexistent eyebrows. "In that sense, I get why you don't want to do the surgery. But I don't think some lost feelings are worse than death."
"about that…" Comic smiled sheepishly. "can i… tell you something?"
"What?"
"i haven't told them yet."
Razz snapped his skull around. "Are you KIDDING me?"
Comic shrugged, a light blue blush across his cheeks. "you heard me."
"Comic…"
"have you seen them razz? they're happy together. who am i to come between that?"
"Comic we had this conversation before. This is your life on the line here!"
"razz… my illness knows better than me. they don't return my feelings-"
"That's because there don't know there are any feelings to return! Comic," Razz poked the other's ribs. "If you don't tell them within the week, I'm going to take matters into my own hands. Unless you're not up to the challenge."
Comic looked skeptically at his friend. "i'm not an undyne. the challenge thing doesn't work on me."
Razz hesitated, looking as if he'd forgotten who he was talking to. "Right."
"but. uh. fine. stars knows i don't want to worry 'som anymore than i already do."
Razz fixed him with a hard look. "Promise?"
"c'mon razz, you know how we feel about promises."
"Promise it Comic."
"fine. i…" Comic looked away. "i promise."
"Good. And you better keep it."
.
The surgery went perfectly fine. Razz came out perfectly fine. Comic was happy for him, really. He tried to return the bandana to the other, only to get a firm glare in return.
There was only one issue.
"Comic. Your time is running out. There's two days left - and you promised."
Comic sighed, suddenly avoiding all possible eye contact with his alternate, playing with one of the red celosias that had grown out of his eye socket. He twisted it, and plucked it out, only to be shocked by a sudden burst of pain stemming from his soul, and spreading out throughout the rest of his bones. He clutched his eye socket, wincing in pain, tears collecting in his other socket. The pain was… indescribable.
Razz gently pried his alternate's phalanges away from the skull. "Don't do that…"
There was a sudden urge to spite his alternate and pluck the rest of the flowers out. Comic did just that, snatching his hand back and plucking out a whole fistful of flowers. He winced at the pain, but otherwise welcomed it.
"Comic!" Razz all but screeched, hands extended.
He took a step back. There were vines growing along his neck, and since he was at it, why not tear that bunch out as well? It wouldn't do if he was found out.
"Comic," Razz teleported forward and grasped his hands tightly. Comic could feel Razz shaking. "Stop."
He wrenched his hands away, and ripped out the vines, suppressing a yelp of pain that threatened to escape. And then he couldn't move.
Razz's lone eye light flared a bright crimson red, not unlike Red's. He realised dully that his soul had been summoned and, judging by how he couldn't move, turned green. Whoops. Did he go too far this time?
Word Count: 991 words
(A/N: I'm sorry.)
