Chapter 48

After eating lunch, Poppy and Smurfette had stayed for the rest of the day, Poppy finding every opportunity she could to tease Creek about his relationship with Brainy. Twice Creek had to tickle Poppy into the protection of Smurfette's arms to make her stop, which Smurfette didn't seem to mind in the least. The girls finally left after dinner.

"I am sorry about Poppy," Creek apologized, still sitting on the chair by the window. "Once she gets an idea in her head it's very hard to make her let go of it."

Brainy hummed, not really responding. He didn't talk a whole lot while the girls had been there and it was a little worrying.

Turning towards Brainy, Creek wondered what caused it. The Smurf's fear of Poppy? Or Creek ignoring Brainy's feelings while he told Poppy nothing was happening between them. He knew it was a bit cruel but Brainy was too nice of a Smurf to get stuck on a Troll like him.

"At least you don't have to deal with it much longer," Creek tried to ignore the tension in the air now that Poppy wasn't there to keep it at bay. "I'm feeling much better and we'll be leaving Smurf Village soon enough."

"Will you talk to Therapist Smurf first?" Brainy finally spoke, watching Creek.

Not wanting to lie, Creek shrugged, "I don't know. No offense to you but I really have no desire to return here and I doubt Therapist Smurf will tag along to the Troll Tree whenever Smurfette and Strong Smurf go to see Poppy and Branch."

"Don't forget about me," Brainy spoke softly, "When I come to visit you."

"Ah yes, of course," Creek smiled a little. "We didn't really speak much during your first visit. I'd be happy to show you around some more, my uncles notebooks and the like. I could even host you and your girlfriend when you find a nice Smurf to date."

Clenching his fists over his knees, Brainy's gaze fell to the ground, "Please stop saying that."

"Stop saying what?" asked Creek.

"Stop alluding to me dating some girl Smurf," Brainy clarified. "I don't want that." He looked up and met Creek's eyes, "You know I don't want that."

Creek swallowed but remained silent. It would appear that Brainy was not going to allow him to feign innocence anymore in the matter.

Slipping off the bed, Brainy stood, "I like you. I really like you."

"Thank you Brainy," Creek said slowly, trying to think of the best way to go about this but failing. "But I'm going to tell you what I told Poppy the first time she thought something was happening between us. I'm not interested in the Smurf package: I'm not interested in dating a near-immortal or having a long-distance relationship. I'm sorry but the answer is no."

"I know," Brainy said slowly, absently rubbing over his arm. "I overheard you and Poppy talking when you thought I was asleep."

That meant Brainy heard almost all, if not the entire conversation. Creek huffed, "You're more deceptive than I thought."

"I never lied," Brainy defended.

"But you allowed me to think you didn't hear anything important," said Creek, "If you heard that then that means you also heard about…"

"Your feelings for Branch?" Brainy ventured, nervous.

Creek nodded, "You know that and yet you still…"

"You said you needed time to get over Branch," Brainy commented, hesitated, and chewed his lower lip. "But I feel like you don't want to get over Branch. Your feelings for him allow you to keep others at arm's length."

Frowning, Creek stood. He wasn't sure what he intended to do but he had no intention of sitting there and listening anymore.

"Would it really be so bad?" Brainy asked, making Creek stop. "Taking a chance that you could fall for someone else?"

"I have tried," Creek protested. "I have had lots of relationships. I wasn't just sitting on the sidelines pining away like a fool."

"Have you considered that they weren't the ones fate intended for you?" asked Brainy.

"And you think it's you?" Creek scoffed. "I've already said: I'm not interested. We're different species! Our cultures are different. Our people live far apart. Not to mention the fact that you're already older then I could ever dream of being. I don't care what Branch and Poppy hope to accomplish with their relationships but I want no part of it."

Angry, Creek turned his back to Brainy and looked out the window. Unfortunately, he could still see Brainy's reflection, as it was dark outside as well as raining. He absolutely hated Brainy looking miserable but he couldn't just change how he felt or the facts of the world.

"Look," Creek sighed and kept his back to Brainy, "You've been very kind to me and I do like you, just not in the way that you want. We'd both be better off if we forgot this conversation ever happened, agreed?"

Brainy bite his lower lip and wrung his hands, his mind scrambling. It would be easy to just let it go and keep Creek's friendship but his heart ached at the prospect. He couldn't let himself give up so easily. Not this time.

"You know I want you," Brainy sang out, voice soft and nervous, "It's not a secret I try to hide."

Surprised, Creek turned back to Brainy, but remained silent.

Blushing, Brainy continued, "I know you want me."

Creek raised a skeptical eyebrow and Brainy had the decency to blush further.

Pushing through, Brainy stepped closer, "So don't keep saying our hands are tied."

Crossing his arms, Creek continued to remain silent. He had to admit that Brainy's voice, while not amazing, definitely had a lot of potential. He half wondered if Brainy wasn't so nervous maybe his singing would be better.

"You claim it's not in the cards
And fate is pulling you miles away
And out of reach from me," Brainy continued to sing, slowly moving closer as he did, "But you're here in my heart
So who can stop me if I decide
That you're my destiny?"

Stopping in front of Creek, Brainy carefully uncrossed Creek's arms and held his hand, "What if we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine
Nothing could keep us apart
You'd be the one I was meant to find
It's up to you
And it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
Maybe the world could be ours
Tonight."

It was an odd situation but Creek couldn't help but smile a little bit. He couldn't deny Brainy the courage it took to do this but it wasn't going to work. One song, or twenty, was not going to sway Creek that way it did Branch.

Really Brainy should have known better than to use a song with a build in rebuttal. Just a few tweaks and a Troll spin on the circumstances and Creek would have Brainy flabbergasted and out of control of the situation.

Using Brainy's grip on his hand, Creek pulled Brainy forward as he stepped to the side, making them stand shoulder to shoulder.

"You think it's easy," Creek sang, walking forward and keeping a grip on Brainy to make the circle each other in a sort of tango, "You think fate will bow to you."

Brainy frowned, already confused by the change of lyrics. Really the Smurf didn't stand a chance if he wasn't able to be more flexible.

"But there's a distance
And there are years we can't undo," Creek sang and twirled Brainy outward, then pulling him back in to lead them in a waltz around the room, "I know you're wondering why
Because it's been
Just you and me
Within these walls
But when we go outside
You're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all."

Dancing out of the bedroom, Creek flipped out the chair at the table with his foot with a smooth step. Brainy didn't even notice until Creek used the chair as a step to get them onto the table, continuing the dance around it without any fear of it tipping.

"No one can rewrite the stars
How can you say I'll be yours," Creek sang, twirling Brainy away again, "Everything keeps us apart
And I'm not the one you were meant to find," Creek pulled Brainy back and continued the waltz, "It's not up to you
It's not up to me
When the world says what's to be," Creek danced them back off the table, "How can you rewrite the stars?
Say that the world can be ours," Creek twirled Brainy into sitting onto the chair and hovered over him, holding the back of the chair and looking down at Brainy in challenge, "Tonight?"

Wordlessly, Brainy's mouth opened and closed, too caught off guard by the different lyrics and the dance to respond.

Smirking, Creek leaned down and sang into Brainy's flushed ear, skipping to the end of the song, "You know I like you
It's not a secret I try to hide
But I don't love you
I'm not staying and
Your hands are tied."

Backing off, Creek straightened and walked away. Straight to the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

"W-wait," Brainy leapt to his feet and tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. He knocked as he continued to try to open it, "Creek, please!"

When Creek didn't answer, Brainy slumped to the ground and leaned against the door. As much as he tried to fight it, he couldn't stop the tears running down his face.

Not knowing what else to do, Brainy returned to the song and sadly sang, "All I want is to fly with you
All I want is to fall with you
So just give me all of you."

Brainy sobbed, "It's not impossible

Say that it's possible…"

The door opened and Brainy fell back in surprise, looking up at Creek.

"Crying is cheating," Creek sighed, shaking his head and stepping back into the bedroom, going to sit on the bed.

Rolling onto his knees, Brainy quickly got back to his feet and went to join Creek on the bed, "Does this mean that-"

"I have not changed my mind," Creek cut him off. "I just can't stand to hear you crying. I'm a jerk but I'm not completely cruel."

"You're not a jerk," Brainy wiped at his face.

"No, I am a jerk," Creek shook his head, "You've called me that a couple of times before, remember?"

"Okay, you are sort of a jerk," Brainy's lips twitched to smile but didn't manage it. "But I kind of like that about you."

"You like that I'm a jerk?" Creek repeated, "You're such a weirdo."

"It's part of how you show your confidence," Brainy explained. "And you're never mean spirited about any of it."

For a while Creek stayed silent, watching Brainy, trying to figure out what the Smurf saw in him, "What will it take to make you lose interest?"

"I don't think it's that simple," commented Brainy. "If I said something you'd do it just to push me away and it wouldn't be genuine."

Creek sighed, it just had to be the smart Smurf that fell for him. Wait, that's it, "Then how about an experiment?"

Brainy perked up at that, it catching his interest, "An experiment?"

"Yes," Creek nodded. "We do something that couples do and if things remain unchanged, then you back off."

"Something couples do," Brainy repeated, "Like a date?"

"You've been in here with me for days," commented Creek, "If none of that frightened you away then a regular date wouldn't do anything."

Pausing, Brainy thought about it some more, "Are you suggesting copulation?"

Eyes widening, Creek flushed and both hands flew up to cover his heart, "Brainy!"

"What?" Brainy blushed in response.

"I take back what I said about your aura of innocence," stated Creek, "I had no idea that your mind would go straight to the gutter!"

"I was just trying to figure out what you meant," Brainy blushed more, covering his face in mortification.

"Too late," Creek teased, "My perception of you is forever warped now."

"Just tell me what you meant," Brainy insisted.

"A kiss," said Creek.

Lowering his hands, Brainy stared at Creek, "I, um, I've never kissed anyone before."

"I could gather that from previous conversations," commented Creek.

"Won't that skew the results?" asked Brainy.

"A kiss is a kiss," commented Creek.

"But if it doesn't work then I have to give up?" asked Brainy.

"That's the wager-experiment," said Creek.

Brainy nibbled his lower lip, "How do I know you won't lie just to make me stop pursuing you?"

"You don't," Creek admitted.

"Then what incentive do I have to do this?" asked Brainy.

"If this," Creek used air quotes, "works, then we'll give this thing a shot. If you don't have an alternative I have no qualms about going out, in the rain, in the dark, to try to get home on my own, right now just to get away from this situation.'

"You wouldn't," Brainy stared in disbelief.

Creek stood.

"Okay, okay," Brainy held up his hands in surrender, "You win."

Creek sat, "Never play poker."

Sighing, Brainy wrung his hands together, "Um, before we do this, could we, um, could I have some tips?"

"Tips?" Creek questioned, "On how to kiss?"

Though blushing, Brainy nodded.

"Alright," Creek said slowly, "First of all, first kisses are usually awkward. There's often nose bumping, teeth grinding and all sorts of other awkward things. Don't forget to breath and, most importantly, try not to overthink it. A kiss is supposed to feel good, not be about technique."

Absently, Brainy nodded, still blushing tremendously. Slowly he looked up, "Creek?"

"Yes?" asked Creek.

"If this doesn't work," Brainy nibbled his lower lip, looking down, "Could we still be friends?"

Creek sighed but smiled, "Yes, I would like that."

Relieved, Brainy looked up, though he was still blushing, "Alright."

"Alright," Creek moved closer. All things considered, he was going to have to take the lead on this.

Brainy watched silently, expression nervous but wanting.

Reaching up, Creek cupped Brainy's face and leaned in, "Don't forget to breath."

Closing the gap, Creek kissed Brainy softly, exploring his lips slowly. He tilted his head to better the connection, pressing a little harder.

Slowly Brainy began to respond, holding onto Creek as he tried to imitate his movements. His heart was pounding and his head was spinning and he wanted so much for this kiss to be perfect but he had no frame of reference. He tried to push those thoughts aside, wanting to listen to Creek and not overthink it and to savor it while it lasted.

When Brainy opened his mouth for him, Creek hesitated. The kiss felt good and Brainy tasted divine but he was supposed to be figuring out his feelings through this kiss, not taking more advantage of Brainy than he already had. Though he wanted to keep kissing Brainy, nothing felt different. He still thought Brainy was cute and kind but that wasn't love.

"God, you taste good," the voice from Creek's nightmares breathed into his ear.

Creek jumped back, breaking the kiss and turned to look but no one was there. Why did he look? No one was ever there.

"Creek?" Brainy called dazedly, face flushed and lips slightly swollen.

It was tempting to kiss Brainy again, but Creek held back, "I commend you; you're a natural kisser, but I'm afraid it changed nothing."

Brainy blinked, the dazed expression replaced by a crestfallen one, "Oh."

"I'm sorry," Creek sighed. "You should probably head back to your mushroom now."

"I'm staying," said Brainy.

"But you agreed that-" Creek began.

"I'm just your friend who wants to stay and make sure you're alright," Brainy didn't meet Creek's gaze, "That's all."

"Fine," Creek gave in, "But if I have to spend another night here, we're getting Poppy."

Brainy nodded but stayed silent.

No more words were exchanged as they got into bed. When Brainy took hold of Creek's hand, Creek tried to pull it away but Brainy held firm.