Hi! I know I still haven't finished Holly Jolly Help (and I know that I should've finished it a while ago since it's way past Christmas, lol) but I just thought it'd be fun to share a new little fic with you guys – a Valentine's Day fic, that is! And now, some other things before we start. Firstly, since this fic focuses on two different relationships, it may move a little slowly – I sincerely hope it isn't boring or anything, haha. If it is, I apologize in advance. Secondly, the title of it might change. And finally, the other thing is that the story will most likely continue after Valentine's Day because I've become a lot slower at writing these days, lol. Anyways, enjoy and thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: I own nothing here, except the story. SpongeBob SquarePants and its characters belong to the late and great Stephen Hillenburg, Nickelodeon, and Viacom.
Lifelong Valentine
Friday, February 14th, 10:30 a.m.
Bright, warm sunlight cast itself down upon the busy, little city; its light was golden, mixing perfectly with the sparkling crystal blue ocean and creating a visual that was a vivid, captivating treasure for anyone or anything that had eyes.
Since springtime had yet to arrive, the ocean water still held a bit of that wintery coldness that could especially be felt whenever a breeze would go by. But after that fiery ball in the sky had had enough time to help heat things up, that slight chill became much more tolerable and even pleasant for the townsfolk that chose to spend their time outside.
And boy, was today a wonderful day to be out in the open.
The sidewalks and crosswalks of downtown Bikini Bottom were as crowded as a plant that was filled with fleas. Fishfolks traveled on their ways to their destinations; some walking their pet worms and snails, while others spoke on their shell phones as they crossed the street (with looking both ways, of course). Some other fishes had better luck with transportation: driving their boat mobiles, taking the bus, even riding their bicycles as they whistled happily, greeting every person they met with a kind smile.
Valentine's Day was just as important to the Bikini Bottomites as Halloween and Christmas; while one holiday was all about the children and teenagers rotting their teeth with candy and playing pranks, and the other having to do with family, gift-giving, bright lights and waiting anxiously for Santa Claus to arrive, this day was something entirely different.
It was an excuse for a man to lavish his wife with a fancy dinner and a kiss goodnight. It was a time for adolescents to explore their new discovery of a blooming crush; perhaps a young boy would gift his little lady with a stuffed animal and a cheap piece of candy from a claw machine. This day was a chance for two lovebirds to spend all their time enjoying each other's company.
Overall, this special occasion was meant to bring people closer – whether they be spouses, lovers, or even good friends – nothing could tie two souls together like the celebration of the day of pink hearts and red roses.
Even strangers on the streets grew fond of one another for a time, as each person spilled over with friendliness like an overflowing water fountain. Everything was as pleasant as could be.
Of course, for a certain young fry cook, this day wasn't any different from any other sunshiny morning that he usually had.
Merrily marching down the sidewalk was the ever-joyful SpongeBob SquarePants (formally known as SpongeRobert). A blissful smile was painted on those yellow lips and freckled cheeks as he held his purple clamshell phone up to his ear.
"Oh, Patrick, it's such a nice day! I wish you were in town with me, so you could see all the lovely faces of all these beautiful couples," he beamed. Biting his lip, his smile grew larger at the sight of men and women of all ages holding fins, feeding each other sweets at outdoor cafés, grinning and giggling at one another while telling lame jokes and making lovey-dovey gestures, such as rubbing noses.
"Pft, sounds too good to be true in my opinion," Patrick said, scoffing and rolling his eyes as he sat in his chair made of sand, cleaning out his bellybutton lint with a cotton swab.
"What?" SpongeBob questioned with a chuckle, raising an eyebrow that his pink friend couldn't see. "What are you talking about, Patrick?"
Patrick shrugged with indifference, staring with a blank face at the commercials that passed by on his television. "Pssh, come on, SpongeBob. You know all that lovey and mushy stuff only happens on things like soap operas."
Patrick seemed to have forgotten that years back, he himself had experienced rather tender emotions when he fell head over stubs for the princess of the sea, Mindy the Mermaid. Said mermaid had been at SpongeBob's birthday bash a while back, but she never got the chance to speak with Patrick and catch up with him, as he had been on land all day in a mobile fish tank, exploring the human world with his best friend.
As smitten as he had been with her, one would think that he would have his mind on the blue-haired young lady. But alas, Patrick's thoughts often drifted off to places that were completely senseless; he couldn't even focus on the task of brushing his gnarly teeth, let alone think about his first crush.
SpongeBob stopped at the edge of the sidewalk in front of the local flower shop, his eyes continuing to follow the figures of all the fish couples. It truly warmed his heart to see such affection being shared. "Well, Patrick, I can assure you it is most certainly not 'too good to be true'. The air is filled with love today," he inhaled deeply, causing his nostrils to flare. "Well, technically, it's actually water that's filled with love. Bahahaha!"
"W-wha…" Patrick mumbled, drool spilling from his mouth and his eyes crossing. Again, his mind had floated off in another direction while SpongeBob had been talking. "W-what was that, SpongeBob? You lost me there for a… good minute or so."
SpongeBob, being as tolerant of his friend's short attention span, as usual, kept that wide smile and placed a hand on his hip. "Oh, nothing, buddy, ahaha. Say, speaking of soap operas, how's the one at home going? Has Marco proposed to Jenna just yet?"
"Mmm, I'm not sure. It was on commercial when I got up to use the can; I came back like five minutes later and it was time for their wedding. So, no, I don't think anything's happened yet."
"Ummm… Patrick?"
"Yeah?"
"I-I think it's safe to say he's already proposed."
"What makes you say that?"
For a moment or two, SpongeBob figured he was just joking around. Even after being his best friend for over twenty years, SpongeBob still couldn't fully recognize Pat's stupidity; perhaps it had something to with the fact that his brain wasn't too far off in size when compared to Patrick's.
"Well, I— " SpongeBob's smile became crooked, showing his amusement as he itched the back of his head. "Never mind, Patrick."
"Never mind what? You're really confusing me today, SpongeBob."
"Ooh!" SpongeBob shouted as the big, red bus across the street appeared; its doors opening and allowing men, women, and children to get on board. The things that immediately caught SpongeBob's eye were the one dozen gloved-shaped hats, balloons and bright pink T-shirts with designs of a puffy glove, its palm stretched out while a crimson red heart hovered above it.
"All aboard the first bus to Glove World! Climb on up and take a ride to the greatest theme park in Bikini Bottom for a day of romantic fun and adventure!" a young man standing on the end of the bus announced; his tone bright and perky.
As the people standing at the bus stop entered the vehicle, they each were handed an off-white flyer with information printed on it; information that SpongeBob was just dying to scan with his excited, blue eyes.
Patrick had been left hanging on the other end of the phone for the past thirty seconds. "Hello? SpongeBob, you still there? Did the Hash-slinging slasher get you and leave you for dead on the sidewalk?! I thought he only came around at night...Oh, my gosh!" he sprang from his seat. "Don't worry, I'm coming to get you, buddy! PATRICK-MAN TO THE RESCUE!"
"WHAT?! No, Patrick! I'm fine," SpongeBob assured him, sweat running down his brow. "I can see a guy handing out Glove World flyers across the street at the bus stop. Everyone's all dressed up in these cool Valentine's Day T-shirts and wearing their glove hats… oh, I wish I could get my hands on one of those papers—BAH, OH, OH!" he was splashed in the face with cold, dirty sewer water as a boat carelessly sped by him.
"Ugh, gross. Now I'm all stinky," SpongeBob looked down at himself in disgust; his clothes dripping. It took him a moment to catch himself off-guard when he realized how strange his words sounded coming out. Rolling his tongue around in his mouth, he felt the sudden need to stick it out and discover whatever that balled-up object was that was invading his taste buds.
"Well, hey! Would you look at that!" he exclaimed after pulling the crumpled-up paper off his tongue and unfolding it.
"What?" Patrick stared into his shell phone after he sat back down in his chair. "What is it? I can't see anything!"
"Looks like I got my wish – there's a big Valentine's Day event going on at Glove World today!" he examined the black and red ink that was slightly smudged and dirty from laying in the gutter and getting run over. "It says there are new games to play, some new stands where they're selling special 'romantic' merchandise," he let out a sly giggle, "they've created brand-new rides, OH! And they've even set up a big space for an outdoor movie theater right dead center in the park! Oh, this all sounds so exciting!" he jumped with enthusiasm. "What do ya think about leaving home and coming with me to Glove World today, Patrick?" he asked with great hope.
"Good gosh, that sounds awesome, SpongeBob! And you know I never pass up a day at Glove World!" Patrick said; his tone leading his friend to believe that his answer was going to be satisfactory.
SpongeBob grinned, biting his lower lip hard.
"But sadly, I don't think I can go."
"Aw," SpongeBob then frowned, his nose drooping. "Why not, Pat?"
"Well, for one, I'm all out of cash." In truth, Patrick had been out of cash his whole life; he only ever "paid" for things with chewed-up gum, paper clips and trash, which didn't purchase him very many quality items – it only got him kicked out of places.
"That's no problem, buddy! I can pay for you!" SpongeBob offered in a sweet, understanding voice.
"Nah, that's okay. You should save your money for those flowers you said you were gonna buy for Sandy the other day."
The mentioning of the scientist shouldn't have made SpongeBob's heart speed up so suddenly; nevertheless, that's what occurred. He couldn't tell if his face was becoming hot because of the sun, or if he was blushing. "I… w-well, I— " he chuckled nervously, "I, uh… are there any other reasons you can't go today, Patrick?" he swallowed hard, hoping that his friend would be accepting of his decision to stay on the important subject at hand. Not that getting something for Sandy wasn't important, too; he just found it difficult to process those strange emotions he was feeling at the mere thought of her at the very moment.
"Eh, yeah. There's one other reason."
"What's that?"
"Well, I came across this boring show earlier, and some science-y guy was talking about this strange disease that a lot of people suffer from. I think I may have it."
SpongeBob's mind flipped over to worry at the thought of his best friend possibly being sick with some horrible illness. "Oh, no!" he shook his head, "that's terrible! What is the name of this 'disease'?"
"Laziness," Patrick answered slowly, with a far-off look as if it was some breakthrough discovery. "The symptoms are just awful! Aching bones from sitting around all day, tired eyes from consuming too much daytime television, not taking a shower or changing your pants! Ooooh!" he shuddered.
"Patrick," SpongeBob started, raising an eyebrow once more. "I hate to say this, but… you've pretty much always been lazy. And I really don't think it's what you would call a 'disease'. "
"Oh, yes it is, SpongeBob! The science-y guy on TV said it was. And you're right. I've been sick with it for way too long. I'm a sick man! I must seek the help of a professional as soon as possible!" having his attention drift away again, his nose was pleasantly met with the delightful confectionary scent coming from his kitchen. "Hmm…" he smirked, "maybe I'll do that… after I dig into those fresh doughnuts I took from your house earlier this morning while you were sleeping."
"Wait… you… you did what now?"
"Okay, bye! Say hi to Sandy for me!"
Click
SpongeBob pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it after Patrick had hung up. He was a bit disappointed in his decline. "Oh," he kicked a rock that sat on the sidewalk. "Gee, I never thought I'd see the day where ol' Patty was too lazy to have fun. Oh, well," he shrugged, placing both hands on his hips. "The day has only just started! Maybe I could find something else to do…"
Just then, that over-the-top, jovial part of his brain lit up like a Christmas tree when Squidward came riding by on his bicycle. He sat leaned back against the seat, wearing his protective helmet and a smile of contentment.
"Hi, Squidward! Enjoying the day on your bike?" SpongeBob asked with friendliness, watching him pedal by.
Squidward didn't even have to turn his head to know that his annoying headache of a neighbor was the one who had spoken. "Why, yes, SpongeBob, I certainly am. But you know what I've been enjoying even more?"
"No, what?" SpongeBob smiled with cheer.
"Not getting the usual migraine that plagues me every day from a certain irritating thing that plays laughter like an instrument! Heh, heh, heh!" he chuckled smugly.
"Oh, wow, Squidward! I didn't know your clarinet made laughing sounds! Gosh, you learn something new every day!" SpongeBob swung his arm and smiled obliviously, not catching the true meaning of his neighbor's insult.
Squidward's eyes shot open with confusion and hatred. "I— ah—what?! I wasn't talking about Clarry, you nincompoop! I was talking about y— AHHHHH!"
"Squidward, look out! Manhole!" SpongeBob yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth as he feared for the safety of his second-best friend.
Unfortunately, it was too late for the grouchy octopus. SpongeBob always had bad timing when it came to warning people about an oncoming accident, and Squidward's case was no exception. He had taken a deep dive into the dark, round hole that was missing its plate in the middle of the street where construction was taking place. The workers wearing hardhats stared down into the smelly passage, listening to the sounds of Squidward's screaming and the splashing of his bicycle and his body into the filthy water.
SpongeBob's eyebrows furrowed, showing his concern. He moved to take a single step off the sidewalk. "Hold on, buddy! I'm comin' for ya!"
As soon as his black, squeaky shoe touched the asphalt, on came a flood of tires that were attached to speeding boat mobiles; just barely missing his fragile foot by a few centimeters.
He gulped, slowly stepping back onto the concrete. "O-on second thought, I think I'll let those hardworking men over there fish you out, heh, heh…"
Squidward's groaning echoed out of the hole, revealing that, though he was in pain, he was alright.
After a few moments of listening to the traffic and feeling the light wind rush by his face, SpongeBob sighed, turning around towards the glass. There was a feeling in his gut that made him think that he was not only going to be visiting Glove World today but also that he was not going to go alone.
There might've also been something else that was even more important that he and the "company" would take on, and he was interested in finding out what that something was.
Hmmm, what to do, what to do, he thought; the theme park slipping his mind. He searched the ground until the temptation to look up at the familiar shop window took over.
A feeling of warmth and amazement washed over him as he stared up at the gorgeous display of elegant, vibrant bouquets of flowers; red, pink, beige and yellow bunches of roses were surrounded by a soft, velvety-looking sheet that was magenta in color and hanging like a curtain. Fancy lights sat in the two bottom corners of the window, illuminating everything perfectly.
He pressed his nose and fingers against the glass, fogging it up slightly. "Oh, my goodness, those are even prettier than the ones they had here last week!" he said eagerly before an older woman peeled back the sheet to place another bouquet for display. As soon as she saw the strange-looking weirdo smashing his face up against the window, she jumped; letting out a yelp and looking at him with distaste.
SpongeBob saw that look in her dark eyes and pulled back. "Heh, sorry, ma'am," he said loudly enough for her to hear. Moments went by, and he finally noticed what she was still peering at.
"Ha, l-let me just… fix this for ya," he said sheepishly, blowing his breath over the glass and using his elbow to wipe away the smears that he had left behind with his face and hands.
"Hmph, hooligan," the lady remarked, yanking the curtain back so that she didn't have to look at him anymore. Indeed, Bikini Bottom had some rather friendly people.
SpongeBob found himself instantly drawn to that new bouquet of pink daisies, wrapped up in white plastic that was designed to look like lace.
"Hm…" his lips grew into a small smile as he observed their delicate beauty. "Maybe Patrick was right." He spoke quietly as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, checking the middle fold and counting his dollar bills. He looked back up at those richly colored petals, imagining how fresh and sweet they must've smelled.
There was that twinkle in his eyes that appeared whenever his heart began to ache and swell with sentiment, such as when he looked at a Krabby Patty. But his thoughts weren't on sandwiches right now.
In his mind's eye, he could very clearly see the scene that he was making up of him and Sandy standing on the same sidewalk across from each other; her eyes glowing, and her smile big as he whipped out that bouquet. The mental tape ended with her bringing him into a bear hug and squeezing the life out of him; he did love it when she got aggressive.
He opened his eyes and smiled, knowing that he would be rewinding that scene in his head like a VHS tape for the rest of the day.
But why should it only stay inside his imagination? Why not turn the scene into a reality?
His decision would've been fully made had he not been interrupted by a voice.
"Busy lookin' at them flowers?"
"Mm-hm," he muttered, then sighed peacefully with his eyelids half-closed, continuing to gaze up.
"They're real nice, ain't they?"
"Oh, they sure are. They remind me of my friend, Sandy. I was actually thinking of getting some for her today."
"The pink daisies?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Lucky guess."
Moments of silence filled the water around them.
It still seemed that he wasn't getting the hint.
"So, where is this 'Sandy' friend of yours?"
"Bahaha! You know, I'm not too sure, but I know she's around here somewhere. I can feel her."
"Can you hear me, too?"
"Yeah, I can hear you just fine, Sandy."
Tick, tick, tick… tick, tick, tick… pop, pop, pop…
As the seconds blew by like leaves on a gentle breeze, and that odd sound was made any time that a creature blinked, the realization of who the heck was standing next to him couldn't have come any slower. Her name had rolled off his tongue twice, and his head still had yet to recognize it.
Then, as quick as the snap of a finger, his smile fell into a straight line. Slowly, his eyes moved from the flowers and shifted to the right in the window's reflection.
She was watching his reaction – and seemingly loving every moment of it.
"Ah!" he jumped, suddenly facing her. "Oh, hi!" he tried to laugh off how mortified he was. "Sandy, w-what a… pleasant surprise. Heh, heh. Is that a new spacesuit? It looks so coral! Ha, ha, ha… heh."
Maybe it was time he stopped listening to Pearl and the lingo of her and her teen friends because it wasn't doing him any favors.
She was still watching him as he rubbed his right hand up and down his left forearm. Why the barnacles was she smiling at such a humiliating sight?!
Because it was simply adorable.
Seeing his cheeks turn a light shade of pink and his eyes dart all over the place while he sweated was charming to her in a peculiar way. The fact that this little, spongy man-child was thinking of her on the most romantic day of the year was not only surprising – considering that he was who he was – but it was also more flattering than she could put into words.
Because he was so sweetly childish by nature, the idea of him wanting to do something special for her carried even more significance than, say, if it were just an average person who wanted to do it for her. His affection was unfeigned and precious, and that's what made the whole thing so meaningful.
"Naw," she waved him off, "it's still the same ol' suit. But hey, maybe it's about high time I get me a new one! I've been wearin' this thing the last twenty years, after all, haha," she chuckled.
"Well, it's like Gary always says: there's nothing more important than change!" he said, smiling brightly.
"Wow! Gary says that?"
"He sure does! Although, he usually refers to the need for me to change his litter box whenever he says it. Sneaky little rascal," he shook his head with an annoyed yet still playful smirk.
Sandy couldn't help but laugh. His snarky pet snail often outsmarted his owner and played verbal games with him, which was still hilarious to her, even after all these years.
"That critter's as slimy as a rattlesnake in a pickle barrel," she said. It was a phrase she had used a few times before in the past, but it still as fresh as a cup of morning sea coffee in SpongeBob's eyes.
"You're right about that, Sandy. But even though he's a snail, he's still all meow, no slither… "
Sandy cracked up so hard, she bent in half to cackle, then stood up to throw her head back shortly after, while SpongeBob laughed along with her and slapped his knee. The two were disrupting the atmosphere with their loudness, causing some people to stop and stare.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Woo!" Sandy pulled her arm inside her suit to wipe away a single tear that had escaped her eye. "Y'all are gonna make my head explode if ya keep tellin' jokes every time I see ya. Maybe you should keep stand-up comedy as an option for a side career," she said, smiling and placing her hands on her hips.
"Oh, I would, but I don't think it would work out. Remember the last time I tried stand-up comedy?"
"Yeah," she nodded, sighing at the memories that came to her. "People still, to this day, are askin' me how many squirrels it takes to change a light bulb." She scowled. "Boy, I ought to tell 'em a few jokes myself…"
Smiling sheepishly, SpongeBob said, "Oh, I get ya. You'd probably make sure they'd get the punchline, right?"
"You betcha."
"Hey there, dudes!" Larry the Lobster greeted, approaching them from behind.
"Hiya, Larry!" SpongeBob replied, smiling up at the giant sea creature that could snap a person in-half if he wanted to.
"Howdy, Lare!" Sandy said, happily.
"Hey, Sandy, are you by any chance busy at the moment? 'Cause I could really use your help with something."
Sandy and SpongeBob glanced at each other, sharing a shrug and a smile. "Nah, not really. I'm just shootin' the breeze with SpongeBob. What seems to be the trouble?"
"Well, you see, a dude who was fooling around at my gym yesterday accidentally flung an exercise ball at the ceiling and broke one of the lights. I was wondering if you could help me change it."
Oh, boy.
It only took a moment for Sandy's blood to start boiling.
The only warning that the lobster received was that look of pure fire she was giving him.
"Whoa there, chill out, Sandy. Did I say something wrong?"
SpongeBob had no idea if Larry had made up his own version of the infamous squirrel joke, or if he was serious; either way, he made it a point to back away as quickly as he could before the lobster's jaw was met with a brutal punch from Sandy's fist.
Like a rocket ship, Larry flew off into the distance, hollering frightfully until he landed on the soft sand of Goo Lagoon. At least it wasn't on the asphalt that he slammed into.
Everyone enjoying their day at the beach turned around quickly upon hearing Larry's unusually high-pitched scream and the loud thud of his harsh landing.
"Whoa, dude, what happened?!" asked a random fish, leading the concerned crowd of people.
"Oh-ho…" Larry groaned, sitting up and rubbing his aching jaw. "I haven't the slightest clue, bro. I guess today was a bad day to ask a squirrel to help me change a light bulb."
Cautiously, SpongeBob walked back to Sandy, who was shaking her fist and rubbing it.
"Gosh, Sandy, do you think Larry was being truthful or just messing with you?" he asked, looking at her with a bit of guilt.
Sandy, though she knew she shouldn't have reacted so dramatically, stared off with anger in her eyes in the direction that said lobster disappeared in. "I don't know, but I sure as heck don't care to find out. Come on, why don't we just get on with our day and take a walk?" she said, walking backward while keeping her eyes on him and waiting for him to follow her.
SpongeBob glanced back at the flower shop; his smile fading into a look of lost hope when he noticed that the bouquet of pink daisies had vanished. He became somewhat panicked, shifting his head from side to side in an attempt to see past the magenta sheet.
"Everything alright?" she asked softly and looked at him with a hint of sadness once she saw his gloomy expression.
"Hm? Oh, haha! Y-yeah. Everything's fine, Sandy. Uh…" he stood up straight with a fake look of determination and marched ahead of her. "A walk it is."
Sandy caught up with him after getting her thoughts straightened out. She knew what he had wanted to do and could tell he was disappointed that he didn't get to do it.
But she couldn't care less about the flowers; as long as she was with him, it was sure to be a good day.
~French Narrator~
"A few minutes later…"
Sandy was glad to see that her spongy friend's mood had improved since they started walking. The nice greetings from the fish folk on the sidewalk had a hand in cheering him up. It was a good thing he was so simple-minded and easy to please, or else he might've remained depressed all day like a certain octopus that they knew.
After a little talk about Patrick, his supposed "disease", and how he said "hi" to Sandy, the two friends walked alongside each other in silence, glancing every few seconds at the couples that openly displayed their affection by sharing kisses and cuddling on sidewalk benches.
"Well, looks like people are feelin' mighty festive today, huh?" Sandy asked, looking at him through the side of her eye.
Even though she wasn't looking straight at him, the weight from her brown eyes was still heavy on him. "Heh, heh, yeah. You should've seen how things were earlier. They were just— "
"Oh, you!" a young female fish giggled, walking with her boyfriend in front of SpongeBob and Sandy and causing them to abruptly stop so that they wouldn't run into them.
The sugary-sweet sight enshrouded the two in an invisible blanket of awkward feelings, even after the couple had left.
Without turning their heads, their eyes found each other. Neither was able to hold back their shy laughter.
"Heh, well, I-I guess things haven't really changed much since a little while ago," he said with a quiet laugh as they continued to walk past an alleyway.
"I'd say it's only gonna get sweeter from here," she said.
"Hope we don't get tooth decay from all this… sweetness, ah, ha, ha, ha…"
The bouncing of his shoulders earned a warm smile from her. "Eh, not to worry. We'll be fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Hmmm… really, really?"
"Okay, don't you start with that little game; my fist may still be in pain from earlier, but I got another one right here that's clenched and ready to go," she playfully warned while showing off said fist, starting to chuckle with him again.
Their bubble of innocent, flirtatious fun popped when the sound of sobbing took a pin to it.