After both the Smurf villages were finally together after nearly a century, there was joy everywhere; everyone was celebrating and catching up on what life was like living separately.
Smurfette had encountered everyone and was saluted by all for her courage and sacrifice, but someone was missing. A Smurf who drove her heart to skip a beat every time he'd glance at her, but why that occurred, she didn't know—the one who had stood by her side for years.
Done with waiting, she sprinted towards Brainy and inquired, "Have you seen Hefty?"
"No, sorry. Perhaps you should ask Clumsy." And he went back to chatting with Smurfblossom.
She scanned the village and saw Clumsy, and as fast as her legs could run, she did towards him. "Clumsy, please tell me you know where Hefty is."
He shook his head. "Sorry, I don't. You should ask Papa Smurf."
"Yes?" Papa Smurf heard his name and appeared in front of her.
"Papa Smurf have you-"
He waved his hand and strolled. "Come to my hut, child."
She followed him. "Ok."
"Now tell me what's wrong?" Papa Smurf suspected they might need privacy for this chat as it may take long
Within a second, she had burst into tears. "Papa Smurf, everyone has come up to me and asked if I'm ok, but why has Hefty not? I thought he cared for me, but he didn't! He doesn't! And I'm furious. We are best friends, aren't we? I mean nothing to him!"
The wise Smurf spoke with a heavy heart, "Daughter, when you...when you turned into clay. Hefty died with you, and I had never seen him so broken before. He carried you, and for the first time, I noticed he had no strength. Out of all of us, he was the most impacted by your pain. Hefty hasn't spoken to you because you mean the most to him."
This was certainly not what she had anticipated. "Oh, Smurfs! Papa Smurf, please tell me where he is?"
Papa Smurf laughed and patted her head. "He's in the forest at his usual spot."
Hugging her father figure, she flew to the forest, ignoring everyone who wanted to talk to her, even her best friends. At the moment, she only cared about locating one Smurf, and it was Hefty Smurf.
The first Smurf she met.
The first Smurf she befriended.
The first Smurf she hugged.
The first Smurf she liked.
The first Smurf she loved.
Hefty Smurf.
Smurfett's eyes scanned the waterfalls and trees and logs but not an indication of him.
She murmured under her breath, "This is where he usually is. Where is he?"
And then she saw him standing by the waterfall, his head down and hands playing with the water. His posture exposed his sadness and something else she couldn't pinpoint.
Mustering energy, she approached him. "Hey, Hefty watcha doing?"
All her anger and hurt left her when she peeked at his face. "Oh hey, Smurfette, shouldn't you be at the village? Everyone must be waiting for you; you should talk to them."
His head was low again. "The only Smurf I want to talk to is you, and the only Smurf I want to be waited by is you."
"Smurfette." His voice was heavy. "Please don't. Just go back and hang out with the other Smurfs."
She grabbed his shoulder and locked her eyes shut. "But I want to hang out with you."
Hefty shrugged his shoulder, and her hand fell. "Well, I don't want to, so why don't you go and be with them? Leave me alone."
Before he could take a step to leave her, Smurfette snatched his arm and felt the big muscle harden. "Don't you dare leave me! Not again!"
Unknown to them, this is what pushed his button. "Huh? Me? Me! I leave you? When did I...It's always you! It's always you being the savior and risking your life. Why?!"
Smurfette was startled to hear these words "I-"
Realizing what he had said, he slapped a hand on his mouth in guilt. "No...No...Smurfette that's not...No! That's not what I meant! Gods no!" He groaned loudly. "Why do you have to sacrifice yourself out of all the Smurfs? Why is it always you?! Why are you always looking for opportunities to die? Why can't you for once leave the saving to someone else?"
"It's not like you don't go around fighting for others! All the times you have fought by my side, and don't you remember the times you've been hurt helping around the village? So why is it that you get mad when I do it? Hefty, you're being hypocritical."
They were blessed to be alone in the forest because they shouted aloud, "And I'll do it a thousand times again! Why do you have to sacrifice yourself all the goddamn time!"
She clenched her fists, and smoke built up in her "So you can do as you wish, but I can't? I can't fight for the Smurfs I love?"
"No, you can't." He tightened his jaw and meant every word of it.
Coming closer to his face, nose to nose, she asked, "Why not?"
Challengingly he scowled at her. "Because I said so."
Finally, the smoke arrived out of her ears. "And what gives you the right?"
Now he was tight-lipped, and his body relaxed. "You're right. I don't have any right to give you an order."
"I'm glad we agree."
She stepped back, but Hefty drew her close. "Where are you going?"
"Back to the village since you're clearly out of your mind."
And he let her go. "Right, I'm out of my mind."
Her pupils squinted. "Is that sarcasm I hear?" The truth was she didn't want to leave.
Hefty rolled his eyes and pivoted to look at the waterfalls again. "No, it isn't. Go and leave me alone now."
"What's wrong with you? You're not the Hefty I remember. You are a rude hypocrite! Not the sweet Smurf who wore a heart on his sleeve."
He silently nodded. "You're right."
"Fight me! Say something! I came looking for you so we could talk about what happened. I wanted to hear words from your loving heart...and you weren't there."
"Go back, Smurfette."
She punched his back with her tiny fist. "And all you seem to do is yell at me and push me away! What's the matter with you?"
But he stood facing away from her. "Leave."
"Look into my eyes and tell me you want to leave. Say it the way you do, and I'll leave. I'll never talk to you. But I want my Hefty to say it, not whatever the heck you are right now." She shook his shoulder, but he didn't budge.
He gently shoved her hand away. "Go."
Stubborn as she was, she repeated, "Look into my eyes and say it."
"Smurfette." He sounded irritated and exhausted.
Being done with his act, she wandered around him as she knew she didn't carry the strength to shift him. "Now, mister-" His unforeseen tears shattered her "-Hefty?"
The one Smurf who never cried, cried. "Are you happy now? Enjoy seeing me cry."
Within a second, she leaped, embracing him fiercely. "You pigheaded fool. How can I enjoy seeing tears in my Hefty's eyes."
His heart ceased beating. "My Hefty?"
She clutched harder. "Yes, my Hefty. Now tell me who hurt you so I can hurt them back."
And the argument came rushing back to him. "There we go."
"What is your issue?! I saved the village. Shouldn't you be congratulating me and asking me if I'm ok instead of yelling and being a jerk?" Even mad, she didn't let go of the hug because she knew how much she missed it.
For the first time, he hugged her back, not letting her go as she tried to "Don't you dare leave."
Muttering under her breath, she swatted his back. "I thought you wanted me gone?"
He was bewildered at what was going on in his mind. "Stay."
All the events of a few hours ago hit him.
She died. He tugged her closer to him.
She sacrificed herself for us once again. He shifted and dug her face into his neck, smelling her scent. She was real; she was here.
She turned to clay, and I had to carry her in my weak arms. He let out a tear and caressed her hair at the back of her head.
She loves us; she loves me. He placed a sweet kiss above her ear.
She left me; I can't live without her. He pulled her as close to himself as he could.
"Hefty?" For the first time ever, she blushed and was glad her face was hidden.
What he had done caught up to him, and he turned pale. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."
This time she ordered him "Stay." She held onto him as life depended on it. "I want to feel safe."
These were simple words, but he openly sobbed upon hearing them. "Don't put yourself in harm, please I can't live without you, Fette." And that's the nickname she loved. The name only Hefty calls her by.
And now Smurfette understood why he was mad at her. "I'm stupid, aren't I?" As brilliant as she was, she could be exceptionally oblivious at times.
"No, you're the smartest, bravest, and most loyal in the entire village. And this stays between us, but you're stronger than I am." He poked her side jokingly.
At last, she laughed, and Hefty loved the beat it sent to his chest. "And I thought you carried the ego of all the Smurfs."
He slowly removed his face above her head and stared into her eyes. "It's true...I thought I was the strongest Smurf, but holding your dead body in my arms made me realize I'm not the Hefty everyone thinks I am."
She was quick to shut his beliefs down. "I still think you're the strongest and most handsome, Smurf." The last part wasn't needed, she thought.
"Smurfette, what if it was me who died multiple times? Wouldn't you feel frustrated and sad? Wouldn't you want me to stop and stay safe?"
Smurfette replied in a heartbeat, "Yes, I would, and I will!"
He placed a hand on her cheek. "Then, can you understand why I am mad at you for keep getting in trouble?"
And she finally understood. "I do, now, I do" She placed her hand on his "I need you to stay by my side and keep me safe and tell me to stop when I make rash decisions. Forever."
"What if you get mad at me?" He smirked.
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "I'll look back to this moment and rethink my decision. Because Hefty, I can't live without you too, and if this is what it feels like to live without me, I wouldn't want you to feel this."
He leaned closer, and his forehead brushed hers. "Can I be honest with you?"
She nodded. "Always"
"I love you, like love you love you as a partner." Hefty shyly mumbled, and Smurfette had expected these words from him.
There were tears in her eyes, surprisingly out of sadness. "Hefty, there are hundreds of girls in our village now. Why me? Before, I was the only option but why now? You have so many options."
His voice was decisive and held no doubt, "And out of those hundreds of girls, I'll still choose you. Even if we get a million more, I'll still choose you. The most gorgeous, fearless, awesome, and strongest in our village." Quietly whispered in her ear, "Stronger than me." She giggled, and that was the Smurfette he loved.
They finally kissed.
After years and years and years of being oblivious or stupid.
Hefty wasn't strong without Smurfette. She was his true strength.
Smurfette learned to put her warrior character to a stop and be his strength.
They promised to stop each other from getting into hurtful situations because they knew leaving each other was unbearable.
So they did.
And they treasured the other till the final breath.
As they vowed.