Hihi all. I'm back. Sorry I missed a week there, I was on vacation and forgot my laptop... oops! But I'm back with a Compa story! Kinda turned my brain off and wrote this, hop you all enjoy!
Compa wasn't dumb. Far from it. Sure, she was a bit of a ditz from time to time, and had a tendency to find herself in lala land more times than the average person, but she wasn't dumb. She passed nursing school! That wasn't easy! She didn't think people gave her enough credit. But that was fine, she didn't mind it. But, what did that mean?
She noticed a lot more than she let on. She could read people far better than they often gave her credit for. That also included… her best friend. Her best friend for as long as she could remember. Her best friend she told her grandpa she wanted to marry one day, and even if Compa's grandpa was a very accepting person, he had told her to think it over. But…
She was her best friend she still wanted to marry.
She just wanted to live every day with her.
She was her best friend who she knew felt the same way… but…
She was her best friend who didn't know how to say it.
She was her best friend she was getting tired of waiting for.
She knew IF felt the same way. She could see those looks, she could see her eyes when Compa's skirt would 'accidentally' flip up. She knew. But… how long did IF plan on making her wait?
So as Compa sat in her apartment in downtown Planeptune city, she found herself pouting as she made herself dinner, subconsciously wishing she was making food for 2. She remembered when she had gone to her other friend for advice on her issues at one point, but all her aloof goddess friend had told her was that 'ohhh don't worry about that, miss Iffy can't be a big fat tsun about it forever~!' but…
It felt like forever to Compa!
How long did she have to wait?!
""Stupid Iffy" She pouted as she stirred around the vegetables she was roasting. After all, she needed a balanced diet! She needed to stay in tip-top shape after all! She needed to be there to care for all of Planeptune! Even if… she only became a nurse in the first place so she could care for-
"Hey! Compa!"
Speak of the devil. Compa looked up from her pan as she heard the voice of her best friend enter her apartment. It wasn't all that shocking to her, after all, she had given her her spare key in case she ever wanted to crash at her place or needed-
"Oh my goddess! Iffy!" Compa quickly took the pan off the burner as she turned off the heating as she rushed over to her friend, right armed slumped over, clearly broken as blood trickled down the appendage.
"Yea… an ancient dragon snuck up on me on one of my missions today…" IF tried to laugh off the embarrassment, but soon winced as Compa gently touched her hand,
"Iffy…" Compa seemed out of it as she looked at the disheveled forum of her best friend in front of her, her lip quivering as she looked her up and down. It wasn't even just her arm. IF had a gash above her left eye, blood dripping down the injury that clearly needed stitched. Additionally cuts running up and down her whole body.
Compa hated this. She always did.
"Haha… no worse than usual right?" IF tried to joke. But…
Compa wasn't laughing.
She never did find it funny.
"We need to get you feeling better!" But. She put up with it. She put on her fake smile as she led IF inside and began to take off her tattered coat, withdrawing some of the supplies she kept at home, Compa began to wrap up IF's arm as she winced at the contact. Using the disinfectant she kept on her, she began to flush out all the cuts and scrapes all over her best friend's body. Carefully, she stitched up the cut above her eye, as IF tried not to wince, Compa not having the authority to keep lidocaine or any other numbing agent on her person, so she was forced to stitch IF's wounds with no numbing agent.
All the while she could feel her fake smile starting to break more and more as IF increasingly tried to wave off Compa's worry. How long had this been going on now? How long had Compa had to patch up IF's wounds while pretending she wasn't out of her mind in worry?
Was it from the very beginning?
No. That wasn't true. She used to wear her worry very readily. When they were kids and Compa would bandage IF's bumps and bruises, she used to cry as IF would try and tell her it was ok. Nothing had changed since then, Compa just learned to pinch her tears off to not worry IF anymore.
"Haha if Nep wasn't so lazy, maybe I wouldn't have to go out as much!" IF quipped, but that was a lie. Compa knew it, even if Neptune had worked as hard as Noire, IF would find work to do. She was always that way. Always so brave, so ready to protect others. It was something Compa loved and adored about her. But… didn't she know how to reel it back? Didn't she know she wasn't invincible? Looking at her body close up, Compa could see all the scars that ran the length of her delicate body. Of which she remembered the origin of each and every one.
"Heh. Nep-Nep works when she has to" Compa tried to chuckle back, even if her cute laugh was just ever so much more strained than it usually was.
"Yea! Every other year when someone tries to end the world again!" IF complained as she winced, having a disinfectant sprayed on her legs, "Damn. You'd think I'd be used to it at this point!' She complained, as Compa felt her smile fade,
"You'd think" She mused, as IF rolled her eyes, eventually, as Compa finished up, she threw her coat over her shoulders, as she began to stand up, Compa looking at her incredulously, and as IF began to take off offering her thanks and regards, Compa felt her mind slipping,
"Where are you going?" She gently asked, as IF looked back, confused,
"Home? I need some sleep, I gotta be ready for tomorrow" IF explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world,
"What? You… you're going in tomorrow?" Compa responded, biting her lip. Trying to force down the tears. Her best friend… the one person she loved and treasured more than anyone else… she was…. Tearing herself apart. Did she just expect Compa to watch!?
"Uh? Yea. Don't feel like using a sick day.'
"...have you even eaten?" Compa asked, as she felt a shadow covering her face,
"Meh. Might pick up some McNep's on the way back." IF waved off the concern from her best friend, who she didn't notice was starting to ball her fists at the hem of her skirt.
"...I can make you some food" Compa tried to offer, but….
"I couldn't ask that of you" IF tried to humbly deny. But…
"Why? Iffy… why?" That was the last straw in Compa's mind. As she began to cry gently, IF soon rushing over in shock,
"Compa!?" IF gently placed her good hand on Compa's shoulder, as the usually bubbly nurse slapped away the arm.
"Iffy… why do… you hate yourself?" Compa asked, confused and hurt. "Why are you… tearing yourself apart?" She didn't get it. She didn't get it. Why? Why did she insist on pushing herself to the brink of breaking? Didn't… didn't she see how hurt she was? Didn't she see how much that hurt her?
"Compa… what are you talking about?" IF didn't seem to get it. She didn't know what was happening. But she did know one thing… she hated when Compa cried. She always did. She had taught herself to be strong, to protect Compa. To brush away her tears, and tell her everything would be ok. So…
Why was she crying?
"Iffy… look at yourself… you're breaking! You're hurt… you're hurt… Iffy… I can't stand it anymore… why are you always hurt?" Compa asked in between her hiccups, as she covered her eyes,
"..." IF, though, didn't have a response.
"Iffy… its enough… stop… hating yourself" Compa pleaded, as IF looked down,
"Compa… I… I feel fine" IF tried to reassure, but Compa only cried more,
"Why don't… you love yourself… like I do?" Compa added, as IF suddenly felt a weight in her chest as it finally was occurring to her, "Iffy. I love you… why do you hate yourself? Why do I have to keep fixing you? I hate… seeing you hurt."
"Compa… I… I'm sorry" IF finally apologized, gently, she walked over, as she gently reached out her hand once more, finding this time it would not be rejected, as she pulled her best friend close to her, "Compa… I… I-" She couldn't even finish before she felt her eyes grow as wide as dish plates, as Compa lurched forward, sealing their lips, as IF melted into the embrace,
"Iffy… it's ok. I know… you want to protect everyone. But… you need to protect yourself too. I… my heart… can't take it anymore. Just… today… rest" Compa begged, as IF finally smiled again,
"Ok. I can take a sick day. I can stay here." She presented, before she felt her stomach growl, "And whatever you're cooking smells great"
"Yay! Iffy is finally taking care of herself! I'll go cook us a yummy meal!" Compa soon felt her bubbly energy return as she rushed back to her stove, IF shaking her head with a smile, till Compa added one last line, "Oh! Text Nep-Nep, I'm sure she can help you move your stuff over here!"
…till it occurred what the implications of what she had done set in, and her face lit up so red it might have registered a new color entirely.
"I love you Iffy!~"
"...I love you too"
But maybe that was fine.
And there it is! Everyone loves IffyCompa! Heh... well time for reviews!
end5- Thank you as always
Tony Anderson- Heh. That was one of my favorite stories to write, and 'Nep Nep clears that pile of mid!' was one of my favorite lines to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! And don't worry... the Gold Third will very quickly learn the others were watching...