Again, I fail at updating XD There's no excuse

I promise I'll try and do better, lol

There's only 10 chapters


Brain was perched on a suitcase, a book before him. He'd been trying to read, trying to drown out Pinky's babbling ever since the dancing fiasco. It was simpler to dive into a mathematics book and ignore the ponderings and analyzing of his feelings than it was to face the ponderings. He didn't feel anything for Pinky besides friendship and the sooner the peabrained fool left him alone, the sooner he would be able to convince himself of that.

What worried him, though, was how soon their room was going to darken. Dimitri was already fast asleep, taking the floor and leaving the bunk beds to Anya and Vlad. Brain and Pinky were going to share a drawer that had already been stuffed with a pillow and a small blanket. He'd rather just spend the night reading than be in close proximity to Pinky while in this confounded state. He and Pinky may have spent nearly two full years sharing a bed, but that was no reason to... to continue the practice. They were grown mice. Pinky could sleep on his own.

Scowling, he turned a page, rustling the paper unnecessarily to drown Pinky out.

"-and that's why swing dancing is faster! Zort! So, see Brain? It's different and I'm really sorry I made you think I was a wishy-wally-dancer." It had been the seventh (or eleventh, he was bad at counting) time he'd gone through the whole apology, but it still didn't seem to make Brain feel any better.

Pinky whimpered softly. This wasn't good at all, The Brain wasn't even looking at him. All he'd been focused on was that book of his, not a single bop on the head for pestering him. Shoulders slumping, he plopped down on the same suitcase Brain was sitting on and watched Pooka bound around the room. He couldn't bring himself to play with the puppy right now, not with Brain mad at him, so Pooka was left to his own devices for entertainment. Part of it involved burrowing into a bag near Dimitri.

Anya and Vlad talked quietly off to the side, the girl brushing her long hair as they readied themselves for bed. Pinky sighed, he wouldn't be able to sleep with this twisty snake in his tummy. He'd just have to try again! Placing his paws on the top of Brain's book, he hoisted himself up and peered over the edge, crinkling the page in the process. "Please, Brain, I'm sorry!"

It was the first time Pinky had actually touched the book and Brain realized that the stooge wasn't just going to stop. His short attention span didn't seem to be doing its normal job. Brain looked up, scowling deeply. "Fine, Pinky! Your apology is accepted. Now stop it and go away."

"No! You're still mad and scowly!" He wailed, though his ears finally perked up at the attention. "Poit! And not in the good scowly way!" There was a difference. Clearly.

"Did it ever occur to you that I'd be less 'mad and scowly' if you would leave me alone to think?"

"Ummm..." Pinky glanced up for a moment, as if thinking, then met Brain's gaze again. "Is that a trick question?"

With an irritated growl, Brain pulled his book away from Pinky. "Leave me be, Pinky."

"But Brain!" He followed, jumping back atop it because it seemed like the only way Brain would talk to him. Pinky tried to inch a little further up the book this time, leaning more than half his body over the pages, blue eyes big and pleading. "I'm sorry!" He placed his palms together in the typical begging gesture. "Puh-leeeze don't be mad-whoa! Waaaaha!" His weight overbalanced the book and it toppled over, both book and mouse falling atop Brain. "Troz..."

Brain pulled himself out from beneath the book, turning to glare at his imbecilic sidekick. "Pinky! Is 'leave' too big of a word for you now?" He knew he was being meaner than necessary, but he couldn't help it. "Just... just go! Get out of my sight!" Leaving the book, Brain spun away and stalked off to the dresser and climbed up it to the one that had been opened.

Wringing his hands together, his ears wilted once again dejectedly. "Poit." Oh, he'd gone and messed everything up! Brain didn't like him anymore! Pinky turned around to face the rest of the room, searching for Pooka so he could ask for his advice on what to do next. He seemed to be an expert. The pup was playing with Anya it seemed, he'd fetched her a lovely little box of some kind. Were he in better spirits, he would've wanted to play with it too.

Vlad climbed up to his bunk, whilst Anya scooped up Pooka to let him cuddle up with in her bed. Oh, he couldn't talk to Pooka now, not with the lights being turned off and everyone going to sleep. He'd have to wait until morning. Still, that also posed a problem. Where would he sleep? Pinky glanced longingly up at the dresser, but that certainly wasn't an option right now. And he couldn't exactly sleep with Pooka, not while he was on Anya's bed, people would talk. Her shoes looked quite comfortable though. He crawled into the one that was lying on its side, curling up into a ball as he rested his cheek against his arm. He'd talk with Brain more tomorrow, maybe he'd be less angry after he got some sleep.

It took Brain all of fifteen minutes, now that he had nothing to distract him, to ponder and dismiss everything that had happened on the deck. Pinky had been inappropriate, but he always was. He couldn't blame the simple-minded mouse for being, well, simple-minded.

He'd also discovered that he wasn't going to be able to sleep without the mouse's presence. Not because he needed Pinky in order to sleep, mind, but because the guilt at snapping so cruelly at him would keep him awake. He sat up and threw aside the covers for the moment, crawling to the edge of the dresser and peering out over the top of the drawer. "Pinky?" he hissed, looking about. Where had that idiot gone?

His ear twitched, but Pinky stayed where he was. "I'm asleep, Brain." He said quietly, not sure if he could hear him, but didn't want to disturb anyone from their sleep. "Leave a message. Narf."

Actually, it'd be better if he didn't leave a message. Pinky didn't really want to be yelled at again, and it usually took Brain much longer to calm down than this. Besides, his shoe was comfortable and he was starting to get awfully sleepy. It had been a busy day of montages after all. They'd done so much, and yet so little.

"Pinky!" Brain called again, trying not to wake anyone. Either he was asleep already or just ignoring his calls. Either option only served to make Brain irritable all over again. Then again... There was also the possibility that Pinky's feelings had been hurt. That brought the guilt back and Brain grabbed his ears, tugging them sharply. "Pinky, I'm-" The word stuck in his throat. "Pinky, come here!"

Ooooh, he sounded mad again! Pinky clapped his hands over his ears. He was out of his sight, what more did he want? Unless Brain had X-ray vision and could see into the shoe... That would be really neat! Still... if he wanted him out of sight and was now asking him to come back... maybe he was ready to let him apologize now.

Crawling out of the shoe, Pinky poked his head out over the top of it. He looked up to see Brain over the the edge of the dresser drawer. "Can I say sorry now, Brain?" he asked, stepping towards the piece of furniture.

Oh, that didn't help the guilt. "You've apologized enough, Pinky. Just come up here so we can get some sleep."

Ears and tail both perked and he scaled the dresser in record time. "Oh, thank you, Brain! Narf!" He hugged him tightly, overcome by his relief that Brain liked him again.

Brain allowed the embrace for a moment longer than he normally would have thanks to some wild idea about letting Pinky squeeze the guilt from him. But when that Pinky-esque thought was fully realized, he pushed away like normal. Clearly, he'd been around Pinky for far too long. "Yes, yes. Just go to sleep. We've a long day ahead of us."

"'Kay!" Pinky flopped down on the pillow, it was quite a bit more comfortable than the shoe after all, and rolled onto his side to face his friend. "Goodnight, Brain!"

Brain rolled onto his back so he wouldn't have to look at his sidekick, but he was... pleased to have him nearby. He closed his eyes with a soft sigh. "Goodnight, Pinky."

Unfortunately, sleep eluded him now, his heart buzzing with excitement. He'd been forgiven, oh, he was so happy! Pinky tossed and turned for a little while, then tried to count sheep, but that didn't work because a nasty ol' wolf came and disrupted him when he couldn't remember what came after three and chased all the sheep away. It was very rude. Finally, he eyes grew heavy, feeling sleep creep up in the corners of his mind as a pretty green glow edged its way into the room.

Wait. A pretty green glow? Pinky sat up to get a better look, rubbing his eyes to make sure it wasn't just exhaustion making him see things. The smoky green glow snaked along the floor, practically hissing as it nearly made contact with Dimitri before sliding the opposite way. Right towards Anya. He was distracted from it, however, when the girl began to stir. She yawned in her sleep, stretching her arms up over her head before rising from the bed.

"Poit. Miss Anya, it's beddy-by time." Pinky chastised quietly as she stumbled towards the door. "Where are you going? Oh, wait, your eyes are closed. You don't know where you're going. Zort!" The green glow vanished back out under the door, the girl following it. "If you're going to take a walk, you should really open your eyes, Miss Anya!" But she didn't listen, the door closing behind her.

Pooka startled awake, glancing around for his owner as Pinky scampered down the dresser and over to the door. He was going to have to help her, lest she bump into any walls or sea monsters. "Don't worry, Pooka, I'll get her!" He reassured the puppy before squeezing through the crack of the door. He popped out on the other side and shook his head. Anya staggered down the hall, towards the stairs that led up to the deck. Rain pelted the steps exposed to the outside of the ship, and lightning lit up the corridor. With a gasp, Pinky ran after her. "Wait, Miss Anya! You'll get all wet if you play in the rain!"

The dog was barking. Pinky's voice had started to awaken him, but it was the dog's incessant barking that really did it. Brain rolled over with a groan, pulling the blanket over his head. "Pinky," he mumbled, "make the mutt be quiet..." When there was no response, the small mouse reached out to give Pinky a shove to show that he meant it.

But when his hand met only air, he cracked open an eye and found their makeshift bed empty. "Pinky...?" He sat up, stretching. "Pinky, I told you to get some sleep. Stop playing with the..." He leaned over the edge of the drawer and trailed off. Pooka wasn't playing around; he was desperately trying to wake Dimitri up.

He scanned the room, searching for a familiar spot of white, and discovered rather quickly that both Pinky and Anya were missing. "Pinky!" he gasped, hearing thunder boom outside. What on earth would Pinky be doing? He scrambled out of the drawer, scurrying down the side and over to the frantic mutt. His head wouldn't fit under the door without a helpful shove from Pinky, so he had little choice but to help awaken the human.

Pinky jumped when cold water sloshed up against the wooden planks, latching onto Anya's pajamas to keep from getting more wet. He craned his neck upwards, and called out to the girl again. "Miss Anya, I think we should go inside now! You don't have an umbrella or proper galoshes! Poit!" But she didn't seem to hear him, just kept smiling all silly-like as she climbed the stairs. The boat rocked with the storm, more of the sea spilling over across the deck. Pinky's ears plastered themselves to the side of his head. "Egad..."

In the room, Dimitri groaned, swatting the puppy away. "Pooka..." he growled, but the dog didn't stop. So he grabbed hold of him and lifted him up, giving up on sleep. "Pooka, what?"

"It's Pinky and Anya!" Brain snapped even while Pooka wriggled free and scrambled to the door, barking at it. He didn't quite understand why his levels of panic had risen so rapidly, but he was too lost in the urgent emotion to question it properly. "They've gone into the storm!" he shouted and was terrified. Pinky!

Dimitri looked to the empty bed, eyes going wide. "Anya!" He hastily got to his feet, The Brain latching onto one of his loose suspenders as the young man shoved aside the suitcases he'd been sleeping by and slid into the hallway. Brain was momentarily crushed between his body and the wall when he slipped into it, seeing how the idiot human was in socks, but he held on just the same as he started up the stairs. Pooka was left behind, unable to get up the wet step on his own, and barked pitifully after them.

Pinky's discomfort rose to fear as the girl stepped up onto the edge of the ship, precariously balanced between the safety of the deck and the vicious ocean. He clung to her pant leg, his fingers shaking, as he stared wide-eyed at the swirling, dark depths below them. Gulping, he tugged hard on her clothes. "Miss Anya!" He cried out, the storm was so loud, he tried to be heard over it. "Miss Anya, this water isn't for swimming!"

Brain and Dimitri had emerged clear on the other side of the deck, Brain staring wide-eyed at the dark sky above. Why on earth would the two of them have come out here? "Pinky!" he shouted as Dimitri called for the girl. His ears went flat, though, as a large wave came careening over the boat. "Oh, dear," he managed and tightened his hold on the human's suspenders as they were swept away by it.

The water receded, leaving the two deposited high in the crow's nest. Brain bounced around, coughing and choking on ocean water. "Anya!" Dimitri suddenly called, but the tone of surprise had Brain looking over to see her on the edge of the ship. She was about to step off, but what truly caught his attention was the glare of white visible by her leg when another spear of lightning lit up the area.

"Pinky!" he shouted.

Dimitri latched onto a nearby rope and desperately swung on it; Brain clutched the suspender for all he was worth. "Anya, no!"

He landed behind her and Brain reached out one hand to Pinky. "Pinky!"

"Brain!" Pinky tore his eyes away from Anya and focused on the arrival of Dimitri, and The Brain hanging on his suspender. He went to reach out as well, but the girl was no longer happy and smiling, instead she was moaning, grunting as she tried to fight something back, her weight tipping them back and forth. Holding tight to her leg for security, Pinky cried out as they seemed to go towards the ocean, until Dimitri's arms wrapped around her, pulling her back to the deck. She kicked and thrust her arms about, and Pinky took that opportunity to leap from her to Brain, his heart thundering in his chest.

Keeping one hand tight on the suspender, Brain clutched at and clung to his companion, managing to band his free arm around his waist. "Pinky! Dear lord, Pinky, what in the name of Frederick Griffith are you doing out here?" He could vaguely hear Dimitri yelling at Anya to wake up, but he was too focused on Pinky to pay overmuch attention.

"Miss Anya was trying to swim with her eyes closed!" Pinky explained, his arms wrapping around Brain for security and comfort. "I couldn't let her do that! Narf! She could've been hurt! But she wouldn't listen, Brain!"

"She was sleep-walking, Pinky. That's all." He'd only been trying to help... Good god. "You scared me half to death, you idiot." There wasn't any heat in Brain's words, just a quiet desperation as he nuzzled his companion. "You could've been hurt."

Pinky nodded against him, his heart slowing and his panic dying down. It made him very conscious of how wet and cold it was outside. "Sorry, Brain. I didn't think she'd try to jump in. Poit."

"It's fine, Pinky. Simple-minded cretin." Brain pressed their noses together, rubbing unconsciously, relief overruling his sensibilities. "How am I supposed to take over the world without you?"

It wasn't nearly as cold now, not with the warmth flooding his cheeks, branching out from his nose. Pinky nuzzled back. "Umm... Is that trick question, Brain?"

Anya had successfully awoken, cradled by Dimitri as she cried over her nightmare, a very vulnerable position for the feisty girl. The young man began to lead them back below deck, to get out of the storm and prevent any more potential accidents. Pinky held on tighter as the suspenders shifted with Dimitri's steps.

As the relief faded, embarrassment replaced it, but the megalomaniac kept his hold on Pinky just the same as they were taken back below decks to a very relieved Pooka and a still-sleeping Vlad. He'd discovered something as potent as dancing when it came to revealing love, it seemed, and he would probably need a lot more than fifteen minutes of solid pondering before being able to shake this.

With a sigh, he gave Pinky a careful squeeze. "Let's just dry off and get back to bed, Pinky."

Relishing the affection, but still uncomfortably wet and cold, Pinky pulled away to fetch a towel of some sort. "'Kay, Brain!" They made do with a washcloth from one of the suitcases, the taller mouse only giving himself a quick rub down with his end of the cloth.

Brain rolled his eyes, drying off as much as possible. The wave had soaked him thoroughly, while the other mouse had only been dampened by rain. Still, he'd rather not have to sleep beside a wet mouse, so took over the task of drying off his cagemate himself. "You need to dry off properly or you'll make yourself sick," he grumbled by way of explanation.

Pinky wiggled in delight as he was dried, then ran his hands up and down his fur as it fluffed out. "Look, Brain! We're like marshmallows! Zort!" He reached out to feel Brain's fur too, to see if it was as fluffy.

Brain stiffened at the unexpected touch, but couldn't make his feet move in order to step back. He couldn't very well remember a time, if ever, when someone had run their fingers through his fur. "Pinky, don't... do that. We're both sufficiently dry; it's past time for bed. To sleep."

He looked over from where he was gliding his hand along Brain's arm. "Don't do what now?" Pinky asked, but it was clear that bedtime meant lying down. So he simply held on to the arm he'd been caressing and tugged him over to their pillow. "Aww, just sleep, Brain?" He hopped onto the squishy surface. "No bouncing or bedtime stories?"

The irritation that wrought returned his equilibrium to normal, thankfully, so Brain threw the blanket over Pinky's head. "Absolutely not. Just sleep."

Settling down, Pinky adjusted himself beneath the blanket before scootching closer to Brain. Much closer than he'd been earlier when they'd tried to sleep. He rested a paw on his shoulder, closing his eyes and curling his fingers in the fur. "'Night, Brain. And thanks for coming to get me. Poit."

Pink eyes were squeezed shut, a hand lifting to push away the one on his shoulder. But at the words, he only left his hand over Pinky's and sighed. "I always come to get you, Pinky... Goodnight."


Aww

Yes, Brain, you always come to get Pinky :D

Even when he goes to Hell after selling his soul so you can have the world~