Thank you for reading and reviewing! This chapter is longer than the first two, it's kinda all over the place, and it stillhas a lot to get through, so I'm splitting it up again. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.
Holly Jolly Help
~French Narrator~
"Meanwhile, away from the hustle and the bustle."
The dainty, cushiony-soft flecks of shimmering snow continued to fall ever so slightly outside of the treehouse, where SpongeBob and Sandy worked to remove a stack of bins filled with scientific supplies away from a tall door.
The freezing air was cutting through SpongeBob's porous body, but he was too happily distracted by the thought of looking into the mysterious closet and decorating to even care about the icy knife stabbing his skin. And getting used to being without his water helmet was surprisingly easy to him; the thick moistness of the air was just enough to keep him from drying out, which felt a bit strange but also freeing.
Dark shadows permeated throughout most of the room, in contrast to the white brilliance of the outside. The house made of oak was in desperate need of a festive change, and the two were one step closer to making that happen.
"Hmph," Sandy grunted softly while she lifted the last box, finally revealing the full view of the closet door that was built from a miniature tree. "There," she said, smiling with her hands on her hips in satisfaction.
Catching the effect of her contagious smile, SpongeBob grinned up at her and rubbed his hands together. "Ooh, I can't wait to see what's inside! How come you've never shown me this area of your treehouse before?"
"Well," Sandy hesitantly began, twisting the brown, metal doorknob. The creaky door swung open, and the pitch-blackness of the deep space stared back at them.
The shadowy square-footage gave SpongeBob chills that he should've been getting from the cold. He was never a big fan of the darkness. And seeing as how they were in a room surrounded by it, looking into a place that resembled an endless void, he couldn't help but remember the time that he ran back and forth to the grocery store like a crazy man to buy nightlights.
He swallowed and swiftly shook his head, smiling in a nervous way. "Oh, I think I see why," he said, suddenly overtaken by a cold sweat.
Sandy looked upon him with a little bit of sympathy, sinking to her knees alongside him. "Yeah, I always figured you might be bothered by such a thing."
"You mean the dark?" he asked, raising his eyebrows while she nodded.
"Uh-huh. But hey, it's okay. There ain't nothin' wrong with bein' afraid of the dark," she said with an understanding smile.
He chuckled with complacency, closing his eyes. "Oh-ho, me? Afraid of it? Heh, it seems you've still got quite a lot to learn about me, Sandra." He was drenched in cologne that she had yet to notice and was dressed to impress. Letting her believe that he would be so childish as to be scared of something so silly was not on his list of things to present himself as "manly" today. He had to be strong, tough! He had to show no fear, no matter what!
Of course, any hope for that was destroyed when loud sounds of sharp and plastic-like objects hitting the floor escaped from the closet.
"AH!" he screamed, zooming to the side so that he was protected behind Sandy's back.
His trembling was evident to her just by his cold hands gripping her shoulders. She rolled her eyes. Typical SpongeBob. "Naw, I'm pretty sure I know enough about ya already, Robert." She pulled out a red flashlight and flipped the switch to "on", which didn't seem to be working, so she repeatedly smacked the side of it with her palm.
SpongeBob's widened eyes peeked at what she was doing, his nose resting on her shoulder, close to the side of her neck. "No, Sandy! Don't do it! You never know what kind of creepy, horrible thing could be lurking around in there!"
"Oh, don't be silly."
"That's what they always say in horror movies before someone loses their hand!" he gulped. "Or their head."
The light inside the bulb finally showed through, and she shined it into the open space, much to SpongeBob's horror.
He shook his head into her back, squeezing her shoulders even tighter while he spoke muffled words, terrified. "No, no! We're doomed, we're… doomed…" his voice trailed off. "What the…?" he stood higher on his knees.
A tiny earthworm slithered out of an open, brown box that had fallen to the floor, among other items that had crashed. The creature slowly moved past them, seeking another home inside the tree.
Silence fell between them until Sandy spoke up in a lighthearted tone. "Well, who knew such a 'creepy' and terribly cute little critter could cause that big of a ruckus?"
SpongeBob moved out from behind her back, his face flooding with embarrassment. Sitting beside her again, he rubbed the backside of his head. "Hahaha, yeah. That's what I say whenever Gary throws a tantrum at home, ahaha… heh." He looked away from her. He might as well forget about that mental "manly list".
Sandy peeked at him from the side of her eye and smiled to herself without him noticing. There was something about his pride fading into nothingness that was cuter to her than she would like to admit out loud.
"Come on, why don't we have a look-see at what we can find?" she smiled, elbowing him playfully. SpongeBob smiled in response and followed her into the closet.
The awkwardness subsided after they sorted through the contents that had spilled from the boxes. One box, in particular, was still filled high with some of the "shiny and pretty things" that Sandy had mentioned a while ago: Christmas bulbs of many colors, silvery tinsel and rich, green garland, blue and white rubber window clings shaped like snowflakes, gold stars attached to strings that were designed to be hung from high places – everything they found fascinated SpongeBob, which Sandy knew would be the case, as he was never anything less than endearing and childlike in the best way.
With all the other boxes of supplies they needed set aside, Sandy was flabbergasted by the latest discovery in her hands. "Hey, SpongeBob, looky at what I just found!" she called from the right corner of the closet.
By hearing the excited tone of her voice, SpongeBob was prompted to leave his own corner and see what she was talking about as quickly as possible. He turned around, shining the second flashlight that she had given him. "Ooh! I'm coming– "
Bonk! His right leg hooked the inside of a box, causing him to roughly fall facedown. "I'm not… coming…" he groaned, his voice cracking and his hands burning from getting scraped against the harsh ground.
Sandy shined her light on him and shook her head. What a klutz, she thought, good-naturedly. Once she reached him, she grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up to his feet.
SpongeBob dusted himself off. "Thanks. Ptooie!" he spat a small chunk of wood onto the floor. He looked up and noticed the old-looking, large, black book she held between her fingers. Greatly intrigued, he took a big step toward her, his eyes focusing on the object.
"So, what is it, Sandy?"
She smiled at him, happy to share her sentimental finding. "This here's an old photo album of Texas." The book opened like magic in the palms of her hands; perfectly captured pictures from different eras of The Lone Star State were spread out across the off-white, stained pages.
"Wow, this is amazing! Look at that one," SpongeBob pointed at a black and white photo of a young cowboy squirrel, having the time of his life while riding a bull.
"That's my great grandpappy! He was a rodeo champion eight times in a row back in his day, yee-haw!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot in excitement.
SpongeBob scratched the side of his head. "Yeesh, it must've hurt his butt real bad to ride that bull."
"' Course it did, but that's part of what made it fun!"
SpongeBob wanted to believe her, but after the bad accident that he had years ago that made him too scared to leave his house, he just couldn't bear to think about slamming one's keister into something as hard as the back of a beast.
Sandy turned the page once more, and pictures that appeared to be taken during wintertime were revealed. She smiled brightly at one of a young, female squirrel standing in front of a tree.
"Hey, look! It looks like she's wearing your dress!" said SpongeBob in surprise.
"That's my great granny, SpongeBob. Remember what I told ya earlier?" she asked, looking down at him.
He thought for a moment, glancing at the floor. "Oh, yeah. Now I remember," he smiled.
Finally, both sets of eyes landed upon a bustling town full squirrels and other rodents, some of which were riding those huge animals called "horses". The ground was covered in a layer of white that looked to be around eight inches thick, and decorations adorned every corner of the town. Though none of the photos were in color, they still brought Sandy a sense of warmth and joy toward her family, her old life in Texas, and most of all, the holiday spirit. Looking at the specific photo that she was at that moment, those feelings only grew stronger.
"Golly," Sandy shook her head, reminiscing. "I can't believe I forgot about this thing. I've just left it in here all these years…I haven't looked at it in so long."
Her voice, the look of deep thoughts written on her face, and her endless gazing at the book brought SpongeBob to a realization. "Sandy… this book belonged to your great granny, didn't it?"
It took mental strength for her to meet his eyes. "It did, SpongeBob. It did. My granny loved the holidays, and she loved her family. The fact that she loved me enough to gift me with all her memories just warms my Texas-tough heart in ways I never even thought it could."
SpongeBob offered her a sweet smile and brushed his hand over the crisp page. "Aw, you've got a big heart, Sandy."
"Eh, it's not as big as yours, SpongeBob. Other than my granny, I don't think there's a single person I've ever met who has a heart that's half as kind as yours."
He was he taken aback by her truthful remark, and was also moved on the inside; his heart dancing on air. He found himself kicking up dust with his shaky foot, looking away from her. "Oh, well, I… t-thanks, Sandy."
She smiled. "Hey, I'm only tellin' ya what's true." She looked up from the book, taking notice of his change in demeanor. "Are you okay?"
Right then, he couldn't have been more grateful that she wasn't shining her flashlight on his face, or else she'd see the neon pink blush that was spreading across his cheeks. "Oh, yeah! I'm fine, totally fine! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…" how actual sweat poured down his face in such a cold environment was a mystery.
Sensing that, for whatever reason, he was uncomfortable, Sandy closed the book, creating a thud. "So, how's about we get to decoratin'– "
"Oh, yes! Great idea!" the words sped out of his mouth as he bent down and grabbed a box, then darted out of the closet to exit the treehouse. Luckily, he didn't trip this time.
The squirrel was left to ponder his reaction. Was it something she said? Was her fur stinking? She shrugged and followed in the footsteps of her friend, picking up a box full of decorations that she planned to use, in conjunction with the other items sprawled out in random areas.
~French Narrator~
"Cue the required humorous montage."
After finding some more window clings that were spread out -some that were twice as large as the ones in the box- SpongeBob stood with his feet sunken into the sparkling snow, staring up at the frosty dome and wondering how he was going to make this work, while Sandy was using the ladder to hang the gold stars on the other side of the room, attaching them to the ceiling with hooks.
Smirking and sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth, he hatched a new plan that would not only get the work done but also impress a certain squirrel.
Sandy, after finishing with half the stars and twisting and tying strands of garland around her exercise wheel, came into view carrying her own box; her purple dress dragging through the slushy snow.
"Oh, Sandy!"
Her head whipped around at the teasing voice coming from behind her. "Hey, SpongeBob! Wow…" her eyes wandered around in awe of the snowflakes, Christmas trees, and snowman shapes smoothly stuck to the entire left side of the dome. "Y'all are doin' a great job with them clings!"
He smiled vainly, clutching the last one to his chest. "Why, thank you. Care to see how I accomplish such a unique feat, Miss Cheeks?"
She placed one hand on her hip, and her eyebrow raised in amused skepticism. "I would love nothing more, Mr. SquarePants." She sarcastically muttered.
With a wiggle from his hips and a determined look in his eyes, SpongeBob readied himself to perform. "Very well, then. Prepare to witness… the 'Master Dome Decorator of the Century'!"
Sandy bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at his ridiculous self-title.
The sponge charged toward the polyurethane, rising into the air in slow-motion. His arms lifted above his head, and his feet flew in the direction behind him as he cried out, "HI-YAH!". He was about to complete his stunt and successfully stick the cling in its rightful place…
That would've happened if he hadn't missed his target by about ten feet. Within seconds, he plummeted into the snow, leaving a deep, square hole where his body landed.
Moments later, while he tried to figure out why his trick had failed him, Sandy stood above the hole, staring down at his squished face. "Want me to grab the ladder?"
"Yes, please," he said, his voice distorted by the odd position of his mouth.
Next, Sandy circled around the picnic table, straightening out the bright-red cloth that elegantly draped over it. To add the finishing touch, a pure-white vase filled with fresh poinsettias was placed in the center.
She crossed her arms over her chest, pleased with her work. "I just know ol' Rosy's gonna love these. Hey!" a cold blast of ice hit the back of her head. She turned around, her brows furrowing.
"Dahahaha!" SpongeBob laughed hysterically from the very top of the tree. Unfortunately, there was plenty more ammunition from the leaves he was sitting on. "Your move, Snow-Day. Get it? Snow-Day?! Bahahahaha– BLEGH!" a bowling ball-sized snowball was launched into his mouth, making him fall back onto the greenery.
Sandy smirked, standing next to her catapult that seemingly came out of nowhere. "My name ain't 'Snow-Day', but you clearly had too many of 'em when you were in school. Or should I say, weren't? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" she cackled, holding onto her stomach and doubling over.
While she was too busy enjoying her own humor, she was unaware of the square shadow that drew closer and closer above her head.
"EAT SNOW!"
"Huh?!" she looked for the source of the battle cry at the very last second.
PLOP!
A second hole was made in the white mess. As Sandy lay on her stomach, she wasn't too surprised about how tolerable it was to have SpongeBob stretched out over her back after he smashed into her; he was very lightweight, after all.
Breathlessly, SpongeBob asked, "Did… did I win?"
"Huh… no," she breathed. "I think we both lost, actually."
"Tartar sauce."
Furry fingers worked to gently wrap the shimmering tinsel around the dark-green wreath that was going to be hung on the outer steel door. Sandy sat at the picnic table, poking her thumb and index finger every few moments from the sharp needles on the wreath, but it wasn't because of carelessness.
"Hehehe."
"Ow."
"Tee-hee, hahaha."
"Ow."
"Dahahaha!"
"GALL-DARN IT, SpongeBob!" Sandy exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table.
He looked up at her from the middle of the room, where he was busy crafting a snowman. "Something the matter, Sandy?" he asked, oblivious.
She curved her lips in deciding how to respond. "Well, yeah, kinda. I can't concentrate on makin' this wreath glitzy with you giggling and goofin' around."
"Oh," he frowned and looked at his masterpiece which, Sandy had to admit, was the best dang snowman she had ever seen.
She sighed, feeling guilty. "Just go find somethin' else to do for a bit, okay?"
"Okay," he nodded, speaking like a disappointed child.
Sandy sat back down, ready to be able to relax and finish her task.
Alas, even a brief moment of relaxation was not willing to be on her side today. She rose from her seat and peered in the direction of a strange shuffling sound.
SpongeBob could not contain his giggles as he lay on his back in the snow, swinging his limbs up and down vigorously. "Look, Sandy! I'm making a snow angel! Does this count as doing something else?"
"Well, of course, it does, but– "
"But what?" he innocently asked, continuing his movements.
Lifting her finger to tell him that by doing something else, she meant something productive, she soon realized that it was of no use to argue with a man-child. The breath she was holding released itself from her lungs, and she stared into space in defeat. "But nothin', I guess."
SpongeBob saw her answer as an opportunity to put her in a better mood. "Why don't you take a break from that wreath for a while and do 'something else' instead?" he smiled, biting his lip.
How could such an insufferable creature also be so unbelievably persuasive and charming all at the same time?
Sandy's mouth smiled on its own without her permission. "Oh… alright, fine. You win."
"Hooray! Finally!" he cheered. "what's my prize?"
"Don't push it," she warned, laying down on the soft snow beside him and imitating his pattern of motions.
Three hours later…
Using a number of innovative methods, they were bringing the place to life. They took a look around the humongous dome, deciding that even with the hundreds of window clings and gold stars, it still needed more of that Christmas pizazz.
While Sandy inched her way along the walls, stringing up what was possibly the world's longest cord of lights, SpongeBob had fashioned a rope to the oak tree and swung three-hundred and sixty degrees around the dome, hooking the rest of the lights in place. It took him only seconds to complete what Sandy had spent hours just starting.
She itched the side of her head in confusion and wonderment. What in the… how come I didn't think of that? I'm the smart one here!
"Woo!" SpongeBob shouted as the cold wind blew into his face, and his stomach took off on him like a plane. He had finished the job, but he wasn't finished with having fun. "Hey, Sandy! Guess what?"
"You're dizzy as all-get-out?" she asked loudly while still watching him.
"Dahaha! Yes," he responded in a regretful voice. "but that's not all. I'm Sponge-zan! Ooh, this reminds me of when I was stranded in the kelp forest with my lucky peanut!" he shifted his eyes up in thought. "Do you wanna be Jane, Sandy?"
She was unsure of how to take such a question. After all, Jane was Tarzan's love interest… was he suggesting–
"Uh, no thanks, jungle-man. I can't do any more work if I'm as dizzy as a dog chasin' its tail."
"Oh, well. Suit yourself. AHHHHH!" he belted out his poor imitation of the famous call made by the wild character, his voice high-pitched and squeakier than a chew toy.
Sandy's back was turned as the structure shook violently and he grunted. There was only one explanation for what happened.
She turned around to see "Sponge-zan" squashed against the side of the dome. It was a good thing she decided not to swing on that rope with him.
In conclusion to the "outside" work, their final endeavor was climbing the oak tree, taking their time in threading the rest of the Christmas lights through the prickly branches.
Globs of snow would occasionally fall on SpongeBob's head, and Sandy would laugh at him. Though the teasing got on his nerves after a while, he did his best to keep moving forward. Of course, as karma would dictate, things shifted in direction when Sandy became frustrated with a section of the cord that refused to cooperate.
"Gosh-dang it! For Neptune's sake, just get on the branch and STAY THERE!" she demanded, punching the side of the trunk. Subsequently, she looked a lot like the snowman SpongeBob had built earlier.
Now, it was his turn to laugh. "DAHAHAHA!" he fell back onto the branch, kicking his legs like a school kid who was enjoying another child's misfortune.
His chuckling came to a halt when he began to slip off the branch, unable to stop himself. "Whoa… WHOA!" he yelped and teetered until a hand wrapped around his wrist. He looked up at Sandy, who had wiped away the slush from her eyes.
He smiled. "Oh, thanks, Sandy! You– AHHH!"
He should have paid better attention to the devious look on her face before she flung him down into the snow and laughed.
The French narrator sighed exhaustedly. "Finally, eh… eh…" he panted. "oh, my goodness, that was a lot. I am tired just from watching them. Anyway, a few adjustments later…"
"Alrighty, almost done…" said Sandy, fiddling with the green extension cord while she sat on a long branch inside the dark tree.
SpongeBob breathed heavily, leaning against the thinner branches behind him. "Heh, that's… great…" his hands rested on his stomach, and his eyelids began to droop.
Sandy heard the fatigue in his voice. "Hey, I know we worked hard, but ya can't fall asleep yet, SpongeBob. You'll miss out."
He nodded, his head slowly falling forward. "Oh, don't worry, Sandy. I'm as… wide awake as a… a scallop soaring through the sky," he yawned.
Sandy steadied the prongs of the two plugs to meet the outlet, then smiled at him. "Well, I don't believe that to be the case right this second, but you'll definitely be wide awake after this."
He looked at her with a questioning face before she proved her own statement true.
The tree exploded into a canopy of brightness; every branch was wrapped up in an endless strip of dazzling red, green, blue, purple, pink, and yellow lights. Gold and silver tinsel twinkled like stars, reflecting off the blazing colors. And traditional Christmas bulbs hung from the boughs, catching the light and creating a shimmery, white stripe across each one.
SpongeBob's tired expression had disappeared, and he beamed in astonishment at the spectacular world surrounding him. All their hard work had truly paid off. "Oh my gosh, Sandy…" he began, searching for the right words to describe how awestruck he was. "T-this is so beautiful! This is fantastical, this is… wow."
Sandy chuckled. She had been hoping for a reaction somewhat like this, and he did not disappoint her. "You said it, SpongeBob! I've decorated my tree plenty of times before, but I knew it wasn't nothin' compared to what the two of us together could do," she smiled, leaning toward him.
SpongeBob stared into a blue bulb that dangled in front of him, amazed by how clearly he could see his reflection. "You're right, Sandy. Goodness! Rosy, and your nieces are gonna flip out when they see this!"
"And this, too," she said, pulling back the leaves for them to see that the Treedome looked just as breathtaking.
SpongeBob shook his head in disbelief of what they accomplished. He was bursting with exhilaration. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Patrick– "
Ring, ring! Ring, ring!
They looked at each other after the sudden interruption. SpongeBob reached into his back pocket, pulling out his purple shell phone. "Hello?" he answered, sounding friendly.
"Oh, hey, SpongeBob. I'm glad you picked up; I wasn't sure if I had the right number or not."
SpongeBob glanced at Sandy, wondering if she was as confused as he was by Patrick's words. "Um, Patrick?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm pretty sure you've always had my phone number."
The pink starfish shrugged, staring at the dirt residue on his hands that he never washed. "Well, how long would you say 'always' is?"
"Mmm… I don't know, I'd say about twenty years or so."
Patrick scoffed, showing a goofy, clueless smile. "Ha, twenty years is a long time, SpongeBob. You can't just expect me to know it off the top of my head."
SpongeBob cocked a brow. "Patrick, that… doesn't really make any sense."
"What doesn't?"
Sandy could hear a lot of what the starfish was saying, and she had to restrain herself from roaring with laughter at SpongeBob's perplexed countenance.
"Oh, never mind," said SpongeBob, brushing away his utter confusion. "anyway, Patrick, I'm so glad you called. Sandy and I just spent hours decorating the Treedome, and it looks amazing! Oh, I really wish you could see it."
Sandy smiled at him while she straightened out a couple of the bulbs.
"Ahh, that sounds awesome, SpongeBob… ahhhh."
Sandy's face molded into a look full of disturbance and questions. However, she decided she'd rather not find out what Patrick was sighing so happily about on the other end of the phone.
"Uh, Patrick? W-what are you doing?" asked SpongeBob, uneasy.
"Huh? Oh, I'm just sitting on the couch while Gareth massages my feet."
The mollusk in question had formed two parts of the underside of his belly into the shape of hands, reluctantly squeezing the pink stubs that were making his eyes water, even though his nostrils were pinched tight with a clothespin.
"Wha– Gareth?" SpongeBob wondered. "Patrick, are you still in my house?"
Patrick nodded as if his friend could see him. "Well, duh. You can't just leave your house unprotected from some kind of bad guy who could show up, so I decided to stay and guard it while you were gone," he smiled.
SpongeBob was about to absentmindedly thank him until Gary voiced his opinion. "Meow (Lies. You just wanted to eat our food.)"
"HEY, BE QUIET!" Patrick commanded, giving him an angry look. "I'm talking to my best friend," he chewed loudly on a handful of popcorn from a bag that he stole from the kitchen cabinet.
Gary was becoming more annoyed the longer he was there. "Meow! (Whatever. You'd better pay me for my services, Tubby!)"
"I will, just as soon as I get a job!" Patrick said in a whiny tone.
"Meow (Which means I'll never get paid.)"
SpongeBob looked worried while hearing their strange argument. "Is everything okay over there?"
"Yeah, everything's fine, I guess," he and the snail glared at each other. "So, what are you guys up to now? Have you made any of those gingerbread cookies yet?" he asked, eagerness rising in his voice as he channel-surfed with the remote.
SpongeBob didn't know why, but when he looked at Sandy again, he couldn't control the smile that appeared or the little chuckle that escaped his lips. "Uh, no, we… haven't made them yet. We still have the Treehouse to decorate before we do that. We're sitting in her tree right now, just… hangin' out," he smoothed the rough surface of the branch beside him.
If only the sponge knew what his response had planted inside Patrick's brain. He grinned, deep giggles running up his throat.
"What in tarnation is he laughin' about?" asked Sandy, unsettled.
SpongeBob shrugged, shooting her an honest expression as he whispered, "I don't know." Clearing his throat and raising his voice back to normal, he asked, "What's so funny, Patrick?"
Patrick wiped away a joyful tear. "Oh, nothing, Mr. SpongeBob KissyPants."
SpongeBob's eyes shot wide open. "W-w-what are you talking about?"
"You said you and Sandy were sitting in her tree, right?"
"Well… yeah."
"And since it's snowing, you don't need your helmet, right?"
"Right, but… I don't think I get– "
"Sponge and Sandy, sittin' in a tree," Patrick tauntingly sang, patting his hand against his thigh. "K-I-S-S-I-N– "
Suddenly, SpongeBob felt more uncomfortable than he had the entire day. He pulled the phone away from his ear and hurled it out of the tree like it was poison. Patrick, as if he knew what was happening and was physically experiencing it, yelled from the speaker, "GEEEEEE!"
Sandy watched him blankly as he panted and hugged his knees to his chest. "Uhh… what was all that about?" she was unsure if she had actually heard Patrick right.
"Huh?" he looked up at her like he had been caught in his underwear. "Oh, ah, ha, ha!" he nervously waved his hand. "It was nothing, just… Patty being… Patty."
She blinked, and they then held a staring contest for five seconds, which felt like hours. "Oo-kay, then. Well, y'all ready to get started on the inside?"
He couldn't nod fast enough, and he began to move from his spot. "Oh, yeah! That would be wonderful, heh, heh."
"Great!" she said with enthusiasm, shifting from where she sat.
They stood on their knees for a moment, trying to find a way to properly get down without hurting themselves. When Sandy leaned forward, an intoxicating scent of woodsy air and musk flowed into her nose.
SpongeBob grew tense as she inhaled deeply near the side of his head. "Well, I'll be darned! Are you wearin' cologne?"
Oh my goodness, she finally noticed! He thought, overwrought. "Mm-hm, yep!"
With either one wearing helmets whenever they saw each other, they never gave the idea of what the other smelled like much thought. And Sandy certainly wasn't expecting to be hit with such a pungent, delightful odor from him; she knew he was obviously a man (sort of), and he tended to dress like one most of the time, but for him to go out of his way to smell like one, was interesting to her.
Did it have something to do with the fact that he knew he was going to her home?... where she didn't need to wear her helmet, and her sense of smell was free to explore?
She smiled slyly. "Whoa, then ya better be careful there, partner. You don't want a bunch of crazy women chasin' after ya because ya smell so good."
This time, under the bright lights, SpongeBob had no choice but to show her his flushed face. "Ohh, well, I wouldn't say it could ever go that far, heh. It doesn't usually happen to Gary when he wears this cologne."
She stared at him, confused.
He stammered, discerning the way his sentence sounded to her. "N-not t-that it belongs to Gary, haha! It's mine, I just let him borrow it sometimes."
"Uh-huh."
"No, really, Sandy, I– what's that sound?"
Crackle, crackle…
Sandy's eyes traveled down to the branch they were leaning all their weight upon, and it seemed that it had had enough of it.
"AHH!" they panicked as the branch snapped off from the tree, taking them down into a pile of snow. Yet another hole was created, and it was the deepest of them all.
Even after all the merry craziness, the day was still only half over. Neptune only knew what other trouble they were going to get into.