(AN: So yeah, this fic still exists.
Sorry guys, I didn't abandon it. I just... got lazy, and had suddenly a LOT of shit to do and with work and all that, and my parents leaving for vacation and still not getting my procrastination problem any better... Blegh, again, I apologize.
No worries, I'll try to get the next few chapters out on time. But anyway, welcome back to Treasure Trove. Now that we're in the double digits, things will only move forward from here. But is it good or bad?
Time for you to find out!
Oh and by the way, in the time I've been gone, thank you for the 1k views!)
It was bath time for Espio.
Bath, however, was more of an understatement. Rather than bathing in the large marble bath back in the temple due to the plumbing being damaged, the chameleon took his baths in the river after getting water to drink or use for cooking.
It was yet again, another day that Vector visited the kingdom. He sat on a nearby log and watched Espio bath, his nude self-pouring a pail of water over himself as he let his scales soak. Normally, he wouldn't even look at the sight in front of him at the slightest. However, Espio wrote that he didn't particularly mind.
And so, pouring some of the shampoo Vector generously gave to the fuchsia reptile, he washed his scales as the water of the river flowed through his feet and legs.
By Vector lay his backpack, where a new pair of clothes that he had bought for the chameleon lay. After all, he didn't want Espio to walk around in tattered and dirty rags for clothes. And so, after finding clothes that would suit his ability to hunt, but also finer than anything he had, the crocodile knew he would give the other reptile a big surprise. But for now, all he did was cross his arms and wait for Espio to finish his bath.
"I swear... why do I keep lookin' at him? Ya think I wouldda looked away by now, but every time I look at him, it's like I can't stop starin'. I mean, he's just takin' a bath fer cryin' out loud!" Vector murmured under his breath, the unaware Espio gathering more water. He dumped water all over himself, his scales shining in the sunlight.
"Well... shit, I guess I can't lie. The dude really is lean as all hell... I think he's someone I'd like to run mah- oh, fer Chaos' sake, Vector! Were ya really gonna say that 'bout yer friend?!"
Something about the way Espio looked when exposed... maybe it was the way his body was cross between skinny and muscular. Maybe it was all the scars and even healed up wounds over his body, or...
"That cute tail..." Vector said, covering the front of his snout with his hand. He wouldn't lie... he wanted to at least feel it.
"...well, that certainly ain't weird in the SLIGHTEST," The crocodile thought.
Finally, Espio finished up his bath. After being handed a towel from Vector, he dried himself off and was about to get his rugged-up clothes when the other stopped him.
"Hey, uh, Espio! Don't get those, man!"
Espio looked at him as if he wanted to say, "And what? Do I walk around naked then?"
"I gotta little surprise fer ya, turns out! Wait right here!"
Vector ran back to his backpack and pulled out the clothes he got.
"Yer gonna love these! Ta-daaaaa!"
He held out the clothes as Espio walked up to them, holding them and looking very mystified.
"They're fer ya! I figured ya were tired running around in those dumb ol' rags and thought, hey, why not getcha a new wardrobe? It's the best of the best, so make sure ya take good care of them! Go on, get changed! I wanna see ya in them!" Vector said, walking back to the log and sitting down. He was shaking with excitement, wanting to see how Espio would look.
The other simply nodded as he took off the towel and began to dress himself carefully. After two minutes, he had everything on. He had an orange shirt with a blue '9' in the corner, a pair of silk basketball shorts, and a new pair of red shoes and socks. Vector grinned as he saw Espio's new look.
"Man, he looks so cute in that... better not say that," He thought., proceeding to say, "Lookin' great!"
Espio did his usual hand motion, pulling his fingers back towards him to signal that he wanted his notebook and pen to communicate. Vector found it by Espio's old clothes and handed it to him, sitting back down as he waited for the chameleon's reply. It took a while, and Vector could tell the other was writing a long response. Finally, Espio showed him what he wrote.
"Thank you so much for the new clothes, Vector. It means so much that you're willing to use your money to help out someone like me. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I love them, and it almost reminds me of what my brother would wear. I couldn't ask for any better wardrobe."
Vector smiled hard seeing this, and gave the other a long, big hug. He didn't even care if he got a little too cozy, all the crocodile knew was that Espio deserved it.
"How ya been enjoyin' the chips, Espio?" Vector asked when the two returned to the temple. Espio covered his mouth, seeming like he was about to chuckle.
"What? What is it?"
Espio got out his notebook and pen, writing down his response. He silently giggled like a high school girl writing a love letter to her crush.
"I... I KIND OF already ate them all. Could I have more? Barbecue and Ketchup flavored chips are delicious," He wrote.
"Y-ya ate them all?! Didn't I tell ya to save some so ya wouldn't get hungry?!" Vector exclaimed. Espio rubbed his hand behind his head before writing once again.
"Heh heh... sorry. I just had a few chips and well... I just really liked it so much that I had some more. And then a few more after that. And then as soon as I opened it, the entire bag was gone. And though I knew I shouldn't have had more, I opened up the other bag. And just as I opened that one TOO, all of it was gone. I just really like chips."
"Oh yeah, I betcha love chips. Next time I'll get ya those disgusting biscuits and gravy chips."
"Those exist? Can you bring those?"
"I... fine... besides, I'll have ya know sour cream and onion are the best. Hell, I'll stock up my pantry full of 'em so ya can have as many as ya want before ya get sick of 'em."
Espio turned his head, confused. "What do you mean?" He wrote.
"Oh, right. I haven't told ya. So, Espio, I know yer probably bored of bein' on this island, seein' the same stuff. And that's why I decided to do something fer ya, somethin' big! I wanted to invite ya over to mah place to stay!"
Espio's eyes widened before quickly scribbling down his response, his writing sloppier than it usually was. "You really mean it? You want to bring me over?"
"Well, yeah. Why not? Yer mah friend, and I should get ya to see new sights. Besides, yer gonna really like everything we do there. And maybe, just maybe, I can get yer confidence high enough so I can hear that voice of yers."
The chameleon set aside his notebook and walked up to Vector, hugging the large reptile. Vector was taken aback, but as soon as he saw that Espio wasn't letting go, he returned the hug. From what he just said about wanting to hear the other's voice, to the long hug consisting of him patting the fuchsia reptile's back, something was arising in Vector's gut. It was a feeling like he couldn't explain. Awkward? The long for wanting to be around Espio?
All he knew was that he didn't want the hug to let go...
...until the thunder came.
"What the?" Vector said. "Wait, was it supposed to rain?"
Espio quickly put the notebook back into his knapsack so it didn't get wet.
"Oh geez, and we ain't even anywhere near the temple! C'mon Espio, before we get rained out!"
The two reptiles quickly ran back to the temple, the first rain droplets falling down onto them. Vector cursed at himself mentally. He planned to return back home once they returned to the temple. Now he knew Rotor wouldn't fly in this kind of weather...
As the two ran back, Vector put his backpack over his head as the rain only picked up. Once the two reptiles finally made it at the stairs leading up to the temple, a very close lightning strike hit a tree. The sound of booming thunder rattled Vector's eardrums as they finally made it inside the temple, the heavy rain hitting the roof above. The cold wind howled into the temple, and Vector shivered.
"Hell, I knew I shouldn't have put on these shorts today... Hey, the place shouldn't flood should it?" Vector asked. Espio shook his head in response.
"Good... I don't wanna spend mah time getting buckets to dump out all the water so this place dun floods... Anyway, what should we even do? I can't go back in a storm like this. Guess I might as well overstay mah welcome then," Vector put his hands on his hips, huffing. Espio simply looked at the larger man in front of him and nodded, putting up a finger.
"Wait, where are ya goin'?"
He watched as the chameleon walked down the hall to the right, a part of the temple he had never been to. Vector wanted to follow behind to see what else the temple had hidden, but knew it was far more respectful to stay put.
After waiting around and watching the rain through the open 'door' of the temple, Espio finally came back with his hand balled up in a fist. It was clear to the crocodile that he was holding something.
"What the heck is that?"
Espio couldn't write, and so he motioned what he wanted Vector to do with his free hand.
"Ya want me to spread... somethin' out?" Espio shook his head.
"Ya want me to... flick mah hand?" He shook his head once again.
"Ya want me to... open mah hand?"
This time, Espio nodded.
"Well, okay."
Vector opened up his large hand, waiting for what kind of surprise Espio had in tow. The chameleon put something in his hand, a small, metallic object. Something also pricked his fingers.
The chameleon proceeded to close Vector's hand and shook it. Bringing out his notebook, he wrote, "You can open up your hand now."
Complying, Vector opened his hand to reveal... the Scarab Jewel Ring.
"Wh-what is this?! Espio, ya aren't really thinkin' 'bout?"
Espio nodded then wrote back again. "I trust you, Vector. That's why I'm giving this ring to you."
It was such a short reply, but... it was the only answer Vector knew he could have. Here it was finally: the ring that had killed two people and almost lost him his job.
And now that he had it, he didn't know what to do with it.
"I've spent all this time bein' close with Espio that I wanted to say 'Screw this ring!', but even then... my main intention was to get the ring and sell it. That's why I even started seein' Espio in the first place. But I can't do somethin' like this to him... This is his family's ring, his only memento. I... I can't do somethin' like that to him!" The large green reptile thought.
"It's... it's a really thoughtful gift, Espio. But... are ya sure ya really want get me this? I feel like I dun deserve it..."
Espio nodded. He went back to the notebook and wrote down, "I told you, I trust you, Vector. I won't take no for an answer. It's yours."
Vector didn't know what to do or what overcame him, but for the third time that day, the two reptiles shared yet another hug.
The two were on the floor in Espio's "room", napping while Vector waited for the storm to cool down. However, with the howling wind, lightning and thunder, and the heavy rain, the storm showed no sign of stopping.
The two shared a blanket, cold from the weather outside. Though water dripped on his head, he felt warm being next to the chameleon despite being a cold-blooded creature.
Espio simply napped away, unaware of what Vector was doing and what he thought.
And the only thing on the crocodile's mind was how much he enjoyed having Espio be his little spoon.
As he rolled over to look up at the ceiling, he simply felt the water drop straight on his forehead. It felt like water torture, but it reflected his confusing thoughts about the chameleon.
"So much has happened with me and this lil' guy over the past few months... I just dunno what to say or even THINK of him..."
Espio simply slept peacefully, not moving a muscle. It looked so cute to Vector.
"What's going on between us?..."
The large green reptile rolled over again, back away from the chameleon.
"And further more... does Espio know? And what does he think about me?..."