This sweet little idea is inspired by asta-may and I thought it'd be a good fic to post for the month of Whumptober2021. Hope you all enjoy this ficlet!

What's in a Nose

"Uncle Gadget, what happened?" Penny quickly sat her school bag down on a chair and hurried towards the kitchen table where her uncle sat, an ice bag held against his nose.

"Er, nothing Penny," said Gadget, his voice muffled against the ice pack. Baffled, the teenager looked over at Brain who quickly signed back an explanation. 'Gadget was chasing down a pickpocket when he ran smack into a light pole. Nose first,' the dog added with an exasperated glance back at Gadget.

Penny winced and approached her uncle. Gadget seemed embarrassed and pulled back when his niece attempted to see his injury. "Uncle, you're being silly," sighed Penny. Honestly, she was fifteen and sometimes felt more like the adult than her uncle.

But she also knew that Gadget's pride and stubbornness were largely due to his desire to be perfect - to be more human - and hide the bionic parts of himself. "I'm quite alright Penny, really," said Gadget again, his jaw set in that familiar stubborn way he had.

Penny ignored his protests and gently tugged his arm down so that she could see the damage. She winced again. Her poor uncle's nose was swollen and already darkening with a livid bruise. There was a bit of dried blood under his nostrils and she quickly went to the sink, wetting a clean dishrag with cold water before returning to his side.

"You should be more careful, Uncle," Penny said quietly as she dabbed at his face. Gadget sniffed and then winced. "Don't be silly, Penny. I'm always careful! Someone must have moved that light pole - I should talk to the traffic division about that! It's a public safety hazard, moving street lights without proper public notice!"

Behind Gadget Brain smacked his paw against his muzzle before giving his mistress a weary look. Penny smiled at Brain before returning her gaze back to her uncle. She decided to not say anything for the sake of his pride. She knew he was sensitive about his appearance and wouldn't add insult to injury.

As she cleaned his face and checked to make sure his nose wasn't broken Penny suddenly recalled a memory from long ago. She had been very young - about six or seven - and like all children her age had been curious about everything.

"Uncle Gadget! Why do you have such a big nose?"

Gadget laughed and scooped his tiny niece up into his arms, holding her against his chest. "Why, I don't know, Penny. That's just the way my nose is. It's not nearly as nice as yours, I'm afraid," he added, a Gadget hand carefully tapping Penny's nose, making her giggle, before disappearing again.

"That's okay, I like your nose," said Penny, leaning forward to touch the tip of her nose against her uncle's, her arms wrapped around his neck. She giggled again as Gadget brushed his nose against her own.

Gadget smiled, the lines around his eyes deepening with warmth as he laughed.

"Penny?"

She blinked and looked down at her uncle who was watching her with a mixture of concern and bemusement. Still thinking of her childhood memory, she bent down and very gently brushed her lips against the bridge of his nose. "Still, try to be more careful. I like your nose the way it is," she added with a smile.

She straightened and turned towards the sink to rinse the washcloth. Penny had scarcely set the cloth down when she suddenly felt her feet leave the floor. Penny let out a startled yelp as Gadget stood and expanded his arms out to gently grab hold of her and pull back towards him.

"Uncle Gadget, put me down!" Penny laughed, her feet dangling a good two feet off the floor as Gadget held her close against his chest.

"Sorry Penny, can't do that," said Gadget, smiling up at her. His expression became softer, fonder as he kissed Penny's slender nose. "And I still think your nose is much nicer than mine," he added with another smile.

Penny laughed and rested her brow against Gadget's, letting her weight sink against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're impossible, Uncle Gadget."