A/N: Hello fellow reader and welcome to my new and improved "A Bug's Life" fanfiction! To those who are currently following either me or my other story, please note that I have forgotten about it and still intend to update it. For now, however, I wanted to create a different story that I felt better matched the tone I was originally planning on going for with "Between the Endings". Thus, "A Surprise for Flik" was born. This fanfiction was also meant to help me practice writing a love confession fanfiction, so please tell me in the reviews if you like this fic and what I can do to improve it. I wanted to try and make the story as simple as possible but a simple confession between Atta and Flik didn't seem as easy as I would have liked due to all the baggage between the two. Thus, I wrote this story in a way that I hope satisfies both ends. So with all that said please read and enjoy "A Surprise for Flik".
A crisp, cool breeze with just a hint of warmth blew through the now calm but otherwise unusually still Ant Island. Normally, this small grove, located underneath a towering oak tree and surrounded by a trench that is often filled with water in the springtime, would be abundant with hundreds of tiny ants scavaging away at the local supplies, attempting to get enough food before the cold season began. During the wintertime, it was not uncommon to step upon this small plot of land and not find any ants wandering about outside their compact yet cozy anthill, due to them being in hibernation. Yet now, with the final signs of winter finally drawing to a close, one might confuse the island for a deserted wasteland that had not been populated by a single living soul for years.
The reason for such a hushed atmosphere to take over the otherwise active community was actually quite simple: rest and relaxation. This winter marked the first time that the ants who populated Ant Island were officially free from the dictatorship of an evil grasshopper clan, led by the maniacal Hopper. For as long as the colony could remember, they had been held hostage by this clan of cruel insects, constantly being forced to harvest enough food for their impossible demands or else suffer the consequences. What the consequences were remained a mystery to everyone in the ant colony, but Hopper's demanding presence year after year alone made the threat all too real to take lightly. When the grasshoppers were finally fed and satisfied, the ants themselves had barely enough food and other supplies to make it through the rest of the winter. Then, it would only be a matter of time before the following spring would reemerge, and the whole cycle would begin all over again. As such, the ants eventually began to live under the monotonous motto, "They come, they eat, they leave."
All of that changed when a certain oddball within the ant colony took it upon himself to take action, stand against the tyranny of the grasshoppers, and rid the land of them forever. This ant, a kooky inventor named Flik, came up with a plan to scare away the grasshoppers by using a giant fake bird that could be manned by the ants from the inside. With the help of a special group of circus bugs whom he mistook as warrior bugs, Flik was able to convince his colony to stand up against the grasshoppers and rightfully take back their land for themselves. After a very long and tiring battle, that eventful night ended with Flik himself beaten to a pulp on Hopper's command and the dictator himself falling prey to a real bird and her little hatchlings. Thus, the following morning marked the first time since the colony's founding (and the first time in any living ant's memory) that the colony only had one major thing to worry about: themselves.
The next few weeks at Ant Island seemed to pass by in a breeze for mostly everyone. True, the exterior of the anthill was much too cold for any ant to bear, thus limiting them to the somewhat cramped quarters of the anthill. This fact was made even more true because of the 10 unexpected guests that were sharing the ants' living space ever since the previous spring and were unable to travel back home due to the cold weather. As such, the circus bugs and PT Flea made themselves comfortable wherever they were able to find room in the anthill. However, despite the lack of space, the atmosphere within the anthill was anything but dull.
Gone were the days of mindless gathering to satisfy the unsatisfiable; now, the ants used all of their free time to celebrate their newfound freedom. From extravagant parties to inventing new games to play, to countless comedy routines and plays being performed, to any other pass time the ants could come up with, the entire anthill seemed more alive than it had been in its existence. Such a carefree and easygoing nature among the ants would be perceived as absolutely absurd by the Queen and her loyal Council, especially when there were tasks to be completed. However, even the Queen herself had to admit that these were indeed extraordinary times and deserved a little leeway until the turn of the season.
Unfortunately, not every ant was able to partake in the fun that was being held in the colony. Due to the injuries he had sustained at the hands of Hopper's loyal sidekick, Thumper, the colony's kooky inventor was forced to spend his days recovering in the infirmary ward, with only the sounds of laughter, shouts, and cheers to keep him company during the long hours of the day. Flik was used to being alone; in fact, he often preferred the independence he was granted when he wasn't being scrutinized by the watchful eyes of the Ant Council. In this particular instance, however, while he understood the reasoning behind his seclusion, a part of him could not help but become increasingly lonely, spending the long hours by himself, and jealous of all the others for being able to celebrate and enjoy themselves without him. These feelings were only exacerbated when he continuously recalled that their cause for celebration was only thanks to him and his decision to rise up against the grasshoppers when no one else would.
Where would the other ants be had he decided to simply bow his head and do nothing like every other ant had done for many years prior? Absolutely no different than where they were before, and possibly even worse off had Hopper decided to take action against the ants and actually carried through on his threats. And what had happened as a result of him stepping up and taking a stand? Himself, having gotten beaten to an inch of his life, slowly and miserably recovered alone in an infirmary while his colony celebrated his accomplishments without him. He didn't want to hold a grudge against the colony. He knew that they deserved as much praise for their part in the overthrow of Hopper as he did, if not more. Finding courage in the bleakest of times is a near-impossible task, especially when dealing with a figure as terrifying and menacing as the aforementioned dictator, and not even one has dropped the ball. Instead, every member of the colony had played their part, successfully stood against Hopper, and successfully overthrew him. Flik also realized that had almost anyone else received the same horrific beating that he had and were currently recovering in the infirmary in his place, he wouldn't be paying them much attention either due to the temptation of celebrating the colony's new-found freedom being too big to resist.
Things are different when you are the person in recovery, Flik thought to himself as he continued to listen to the sounds of bliss coming from beyond the infirmary's leaf curtains. Even still, he might have been able to overlook his inability to participate in the fun had anyone else been willing to do the same to check up on him. Aside from occasional visits from Dr. Flora, the members of the colony had been noticeably absent from the infirmary ever since Flik had been admitted. While he didn't expect any one member in particular to hold him in high regard, it still surprised him that no one had visited him in the near three weeks (as far as Flik could tell due to time in the infirmary starting to blend) he had lying on the same bed with the same casts and bandages on him, staring at the same boring walls illuminated by the same bioluminescent mushrooms that cast their ugly and blinding yellow light upon Flik every single moment he looked up. Not even any of the circus bugs or even Dot had come to check up on him since the day of Hopper's death. All Flik had for company was his constantly wandering mind that itched for something to do, the constant sounds of celebration that became more and more unbearable to listen to by the day, and Dr. Flora's semi-hourly visit that always consisted of the same boring checkup followed by the same boring questions and concluded with the same underwhelming diagnosis of "stay put and rest." Needless to say, Flik was understandably becoming more and more frustrated with everything and everyone as the days passed.
All of this, however, paled in comparison to the disappointment and absolute befuddlement he held towards one individual in particular. One individual that he couldn't help but admit to himself he'd had a rather large crush on for quite some time, even despite the class difference between them. One individual, although oftentimes originally dismissive of him, never seemed to hold any ill will or negative emotions towards him for his constant mistakes over the years. One individual that he had surprisingly found himself becoming closer to over the previous few months during the preparations of building the bird, and whom he had believed had noticed and experienced the same levels of awkward tension he'd felt when in their presence. One individual had literally risked their own lives twice for his own, going out of their way to stand between himself and Hopper and single-handedly rescuing him from a very nasty rainstorm and Hopper's evil clutches. One individual that he had not seen since the night of Hopper's death, and him fainting from exhaustion upon witnessing the horrific event. One individual meant the world to him, and he could only dream that he did the same for them. And that individual was none other than the Queen's oldest daughter, Princess Atta.
As friendly as she was beautiful, Flik had always secretly admired her and believed that she would make for a perfect queen herself once her mother chose to bestow the crown upon her. Even despite her own doubts, which she herself once admitted to Flik in a private chat, Flik knew that she was more than capable of taking on the job she stressed her every living minute about and that once she did, she would not only be perfect but would still maintain the lovely personality that Flik had been secretly attracted to for years. While it was true that she had previously banished him from the colony not too long ago and that she had seemingly given him unnecessary punishments for his unintentional mistakes, he had never held any of these moments against her, immediately forgiving her in his heart and realizing that he more often than not deserved what he got and that she was only acting in what she felt was best for the colony. It didn't help that the Council also held heavy influence over her decision-making, but Flik decided to not hold any grudges against them for the time being. After all, they were tending to his wounds and allowing him to stay in the infirmary for the time being, despite him technically still being banished from the colony.
Banished, Flik repeated in his head. Maybe that was the reason no one was visiting him in the infirmary and why he hadn't been allowed to leave in almost three weeks despite recovering fairly quickly. Maybe it was because the colony—and likewise, the Council—didn't want to associate themselves with a criminal such as him, and so everyone was banned from seeing him, including his new friends and even the innocent Dot. Maybe he was seen as such a bad influence for both the colony and the royal family that the moment Dr. Flora cleared him of all injuries in her diagnosis, he would immediately be banished again from the colony without a second thought. As much as it hurt him to realize, maybe even Atta herself was being scorned by her mother and the Council for risking her own life twice to save a criminal who had endangered the colony and nearly brought death upon its queen. Maybe Atta might even be revoked of her privilege to the throne, with the Queen instead choosing a new heir instead. Flik had no idea what was occurring in the colony, and although at times he admitted to himself that the latter of his theories were seemingly farfetched, the mind can play many dirty tricks upon a person who has been isolated from society for so long.
Thus, this led to the complete and utter shock Flik felt the following morning when Dr. Flora woke him up and cleared him to go from the infirmary without a second thought.
"What?" Flik had stuttered, absolutely stunned at the simple, straightforward phrase Dr. Flora had just spoken to him.
"Yes, Flik, you heard me correctly: you have recovered a lot better from your injuries than I had expected, and much faster too. You are free to go," the doctor replied, an indifferent look on her face as she turned her back to him and began shuffling the leaf blanket on another bed.
"But what am I supposed to do now?" Flik asked, still unsure about what to do.
Chuckling, Dr. Flora turned to him. "Well, I imagine that being cooped up in here for so long has made your poor mind go completely bananas without something to do, so I would think you'd want to head down to your workshop and get yourself in order." She winked at him as she continued to make the nearby bed.
Flik continued to sit on the edge of his bed, staring at the doctor as if she were a stranger he had never met before. He was allowed to go. Just like that? No strings attached?
Dr. Flora seemingly could sense the male ant's unbreaking gaze towards her backside, as she turned around with a frustrated sigh and gave him an impertinent look. "Now really, Flik, why are you still here? I need you to leave so I can clear the space for other patients. Go on and go about your business as you see fit." Pointing towards the leafy curtains, she folded her arms and frowned disapprovingly at him.
Taking the hint, Flik slowly slid off the edge of the flowery bed and made his way to the curtain, head hung low. He wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting upon release from the infirmary, but complete indifference was certainly the last reaction he imagined. Reaching the leafy curtain, Flik took one final glance back at the doctor, who had already begun making up Flik's bed as if attempting to get rid of any evidence that he was once there. Dejectedly, Flik turned around and left the infirmary.
All of these thoughts swam through Flik's mind as he sat alone in his dimly lit workshop, attempting to make sense of his current predicament. He had spent the previous night alone in his workshop, unsure of what to do or where to go. He occasionally attempted to busy himself with the ideas for a few new inventions that he had previously shelved, including a portable mushroom light made for easier transportation, a pair of sharp blades that would make cutting through leaves much easier, and even a prototype set of wings that a male ant could wear and allow himself to fly; the latter had proven to easily be the most challenging and least promising, but he'd always insisted that he had wanted to fly himself so that the colony could rely less on their female members to do the flying. Even with his numerous ideas, Flik found himself unable to do much more than simply pick up his blueprints and stare at them for a while, procrastinating on any actual work and instead focusing on his confusing feelings. Just like in the infirmary, no one had come to visit Flik, either to check on his well-being or to sentence him for his crimes, and the befuddled male ant only became more and more confused with each passing minute.
After several long moments of staring at his wing blueprint, Flik angrily crumpled it into a ball and threw it into a corner next to one of his prototype telescopes. Grumbling to himself, he got up from his stool and walked over to the telescope, eyeing it with disdain. "All your fault," he muttered, picking up his invention and hurling it across the room with all his might. The impact against the wall caused the small blade of grass wrapping the telescope to unravel and the dew bead in the center to splatter on the ground.
"All these different ideas for inventions to try to make everyone's lives better, and for what? A couple of destroyed tunnels? The loss of respect from all of your peers? So that your little stalk picker can end up dooming the colony and almost killing them all at the hands of a madman who was perfectly easy to keep happy until you showed up trying to make things easier and you went and screwed it all up? So you could be banished from the colony? So you could get the princess to endanger her own life to rescue your sorry behind when you should have been killed in the first place from Hopper?!"
As Flik ranted, he found himself pacing back and forth, oblivious to his surroundings. Suddenly tripping over his stalk harvester that had unintentionally started this whole mess, Flik turned around sharply and glared daggers at his creation. "This. is . all . your ! fault!" he roared at the top of his lungs. Racing towards the harvester, he grabbed a nearby saw from off his workbench (made out of a very sharp piece of bark from the oak tree) and began hacking away at the machine, allowing every small piece to fall at his feet or be hurled in any random direction.
"YOU STUPID, GOOD FOR NOTHING, PIECE OF TRASH! YOU ARE MORE USEFUL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER! DONE NOTHING BUT RUIN MY LIFE, JUST LIKE... just like..." In his blind rage, Flik failed to notice the absolute mess he had made of his workshop or the lack of any practical design on his once-working stalk harvester. Staring at the invention, Flik dropped to his knees and began to sob. The saw slipped out of his hand, landing with a loud thud on the floor.
"Just like I ruined the princess's life. Just like... I almost killed... everyone. Just like..." Flik's voice trailed off as he curled into a ball on the floor and continued to sob. Never before in his life had Flik ever felt as broken or defeated as he had in that one moment. There were so many negative events that had occurred, all because of him and his sorry excuse for a reputation. Inventor. More like a bringer of destruction, Flik thought to himself as he continued to cry. At that moment in time, he knew he wanted absolutely nothing more than to simply be as far away from this place as possible, banished like he rightfully deserved from the colony that he had wronged too many times. Flik wished at that very moment for something, anything, to happen—to finally end this torment and finally bring him what he deserves.
And little would he realize that his wish was about to come true—just not in the way he was expecting.
"Flik?" came a voice from behind him. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Flik couldn't think properly to make the connection in his mind, finding himself only able to remain in his defeated state on the floor of his workshop like a pathetic loser.
What a sight I must be right now, Flik thought. Of course, of all the times someone finally decides to come visit me, they find me like this. How can my luck possibly get any worse?
"Flik!" came the voice again, louder and more concerned than before. Who was that? Flik swore he knew, but he just couldn't think clearly at the moment.
"Go away. Please?" Flik sniffled, his back still to his visitor. He assumed his request wouldn't work, as he was almost certain that he was telling off a member of the Council, or even worse, a member of the royal family, and that by doing so, he was only making things worse for himself. Cringing, he ducked his head down even further and prepared for their chastising reply.
But it didn't come. Instead, he heard the faint sound of wings flying through the air, coming closer towards him. The next thing he knew, he felt a small pair of arms wrapping around his back and enveloping him in a hug, the small figure burying their head in the center of his back. Flik also swore that he heard sniffling as well from this figure; it surely wasn't his own. Realization suddenly set in for the male ant, and he perked his head up from his arms and glanced over his shoulders.
"Dot?" Flik whispered, completely caught off guard by the presence of his young visitor. Hearing her name, the young ant glanced up from Flik's back and stared at him, her eyes shiny from the tears that they held. Flik quickly stood up and reached behind his shoulders, grabbing for the young princess. Dot released her grip on his back, allowing herself to fall into Flik's arms as the male ant brought her around his head so he could look at her properly. The two friends stared at each other for a long time, neither saying a word. Finally, after several moments, the older ant brought the young child up to his chest and tightly embraced her, tears once again streaming down his own eyes. Small sniffles came from the young princess as she returned the tender embrace.
Flik felt completely ashamed. Here he was, feeling completely sorry for himself, allowing himself to fall into a blind rage of anger and self-pity, destroying his own inventions, and getting caught by his best friend sobbing as if the world had ended. Flik could only imagine what Dot must be thinking about him in her mind, and he dreaded finding out the answer. This surely was not the first interaction he had with his best friend for several weeks to go, leading Flik to question the legitimacy of his gratitude towards seeing his friend again. Quickly shaking his head to rid himself of the negative thought, he slowly pulled Dot back from the hug and looked down at her in a mix of shame and concern.
"How much did you see?" Flik croaked, his voice hoarse from the shouting and crying he had previously done.
Dot bit her lip and briefly glanced at the floor. "All of it?" came her shy response, the young princess cowering as if expecting Flik to discipline her for eavesdropping.
Flik gulped, unsure about how to proceed. Carefully thinking over each word before he spoke, he asked in a small voice, "And what are you thinking now?"
Dot stared back at him with an unreadable expression. Flik felt his heart sink. Please don't tell me I just traumatized her, Flik thought, his mind racing faster than he could comprehend his own thoughts. My first visit in weeks, and here I am, acting like a lunatic. What is she feeling?
Slowly, Dot began, "I... don't know. I guess I'm just wondering if you are okay."
Hanging his head in shame, Flik stared knowingly at the floor, wishing he could be anywhere else in the world at that exact moment. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah. I'm ok now, I think. I wasn't, but I am now."
Dot nodded in understanding, still gazing at her friend with concern. "I was just wandering back to my room when I heard some loud noises coming from your workshop. I wasn't sure what they were, so I came in to take a look and" Her voice trailed off as her eyes grew slightly larger, a hint of fear hidden behind the tears that once again threatened to come out.
Flik sighed, letting the breath linger far longer than normal as he allowed her words to fully sink in. What had he done? Contemplating his next words, Flik opened his mouth to speak, only for no words to come out. Sighing again, Flik looked away, eyeing the large mess he had created from his blind rage.
"You... you probably hate me now, don't you?" Flik muttered, surprising even himself with how cold his voice sounded.
His words must have surprised the young princess too, because her eyes widened even larger than before. Letting out an audible gasp, she leapt forward and flung herself around Flik's neck, hugging him tighter than she ever had before. Flik was so shocked at Dot's sudden movement that he almost stumbled backwards. Quickly grabbing onto his workbench for stability, he steadied himself and slowly returned the hug. As the two stood there silently for several moments in silence, Flik slowly felt his heart become less heavy and instead begin to fill with the one emotion he thought he'd never be able to feel again: love. At that exalted moment, hugging Dot in his workshop, Flik felt nothing but the utmost compassion, love, and gratefulness towards his friend in a way he had never experienced before. Even when she had traveled back for him when he'd been banished and had presented him with the "seed," Flik had never felt as much love and compassion for or from any other person before in his entire life.
After several long but extremely heartwarming minutes, the two friends broke the embrace as Flik stared at his friend with tears of joy. "Thank you, Dot," the male ant breathed, barely able to conjure up the levels of compassion and love he felt towards the young ant at that moment.
Dot merely nodded her head, glancing up at her friend with a warm smile.
After several awkward moments of merely staring at each other, Flik shook his head to clear his thoughts and cleared his throat. "So..." he began, awkwardly laughing as he set Dot back down on the ground before bending down on one knee to come closer to her level. "How... how have you been?"
At hearing his question, Dot's jaw dropped. Looking at him as if he had spoken another language, Flik tilted his head in confusion at the princess's strange reaction. "What?" he asked.
Suddenly, without warning, Dot burst out laughing. Tears streaming down her eyes, she quickly turned away from Flik and bent forward, clutching her chest to keep herself from falling over. Watching her in confusion, Flik merely stood rooted in place, unsure how to react. Once she finally calmed down, the young princess turned back around and put her hand on Flik's arm.
"Oh, my! I'm so sorry, Flik!" She giggled, still trying to control her laughter. "I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just... I'm so happy you are my best friend!"
A tear slid down Flik's face at the princess's heartfelt comment. Even still, Flik tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
Snickering, Dot squeezed Flik's arm before continuing. "I come down here to check on you after hearing you have a breakdown, and the first thing you do upon finishing is ask how I am doing!" Rolling her eyes, she gives a small sigh of contentment and gazes up at her friend with a gleam in her eye. "Good old Flik: always caring about others before himself. You are seriously too pure for this world."
Upon hearing Dot's remark, Flik can't help but laugh as well. Blushing, he brings his other hand up behind his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess I do do that, don't I?" he chuckled, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"It's ok, Flik! That's why I like you so much!" the young princess beamed, sharing a smile with her friend. "You're the best friend a person could ask for! But now, it's my turn to ask you: How have you been?"
"I would like to ask the same question," came another voice from behind the pair, causing the two to jump. Looking over his shoulder, Dot saw their new visitor and smiled brightly. Confused, Flik glanced over his shoulder himself, and his eyes widened.
Atta stood in the doorway of his workshop, gazing at the pair with a warm smile. Seeing the elder princess, Dot suddenly let go of Flik's arm and flew over to embrace her older sister. Atta returned the hug affectionately, rubbing her hand on the back of Dot's head. Setting her sister down, she returned her gaze to Flik, her eyes glimmering with happiness. "Flik!" she cried before flying over to him and enveloping him in a hug of her own, completely squeezing the breath right out of the male ant in the process. Flik stood still, at a loss for words, the elder princess's reaction being so unexpected. Choosing to respect her boundaries, Flik kept his arms at his side as Atta continued to hug him.
"What are you doing here, Atta?" Dot called from the other side of the room. "I thought you were still busy!"
Jerking backwards with wide eyes, Atta glanced at Flik for a moment in shock before whirling around to face Dot. "I came to visit Flik, of course! Why else would I come here?"
Dot stared at her older sister as if she were a ghost. "But..." the young princess stammered, suddenly leaning back and forth on her feet in worry. She stole a worried glance at Flik, causing the male ant's stomach to churn.
Sensing the awkwardness in the air, Atta turned back to Flik with a somewhat awkward smile. "So, Flik. How are you feeling?"
"Atta?" Dot squeaked from the corner, continuing to steal panicked glances towards Flik as if trying to warn him about something. Flik glanced between the two princesses in shock and confusion. What was going on? Why was Dot suddenly acting all worried? Was Atta trying to hide something?
Clearing her throat, Atta continued to face Flik, her smile noticeably becoming more and more strained. "I am so glad to see that you are finally out of the infirmary! It seems like Dr. Flora took care of you."
Grunting in frustration, the younger princess bounced up and down on the ground, looking like she was going to burst if Atta didn't give her any attention. "Atta!" Dot nearly shouted, causing her older sister to flinch.
Whirling around, Atta placed her hands on her hips. "What is it, Dot?" she demanded in a harsh tone. "Can't you see that I'm trying to have a conversation with Flik?"
Dot stole yet another glance at Flik before motioning for Atta to come closer to her. Atta glanced over her shoulder at Flik before walking over to her younger sister. "What is it?" she asked, sounding more worried than upset herself.
"Did you... did you..." the young princess squeaked, continuing to glance between Atta and Flik in alarm. Flik merely stood still and watched the pair, unsure what to do. Clearing her throat, Dot continued, her voice barely above a whisper, causing Flik to barely hear her: "Did you change plans?"
Atta's eyes widened in shock at the princess's question before casting a worried glance herself at Flik. The male ant blinked, his mouth hanging agape in shock. His brain scrambled to find words so he could ask what was happening, but he merely stood in place, his heart pounding out of his chest. Gritting her teeth in defeat, Atta turned back to her sister and muttered under her breath, "What plans are you talking about, Dot?"
"Um..." started the young princess before pulling her older sister closer and beginning to whisper something in her ear. Atta listened intently, glancing at Flik several times with an unreadable expression on her face. When Dot finally pulled away, Atta stared down with a defeated expression. Sighing heavily, she turned towards her sister and began to whisper something back to her. Dot listened closely, her eyes widening as Atta finished.
Turning towards Flik, the young princess stared at her friend in what Flik could only assume was embarrassment, but he honestly had a hard time reading her expression, his mind spinning and his heart racing. "I'm... I'm sorry, Flik! I didn't mean to bring anything up!" the young princess suddenly said, eyes open so wide, they might have burst out of her head.
"Bring what up?!" Flik grunted, finally finding his voice. The two princesses jumped at his sudden outburst. "What on earth is going on? What are you guys talking about?!"
Atta turned to Flik with a melancholy expression. Bowing her head in shame, she turned back to her younger sister. "Dot, can you please wait outside for me? I need to speak to Flik alone."
The young princess nodded, standing up and turning towards the door. "I'm sorry that I ruined things, Atta! I didn't mean to."
"It's ok, Dot," Atta interrupted, patting her sister on the shoulder. "I know you didn't mean any harm. I just... I need a moment with Flik." Dot nodded once more before vanishing behind the doorway. Taking a deep breath and brushing herself off, Atta stood up and walked back to Flik. Risking a glance up towards the male ant's face, she saw nothing but anger and resentment, causing her heart to sink. Letting out a long, soft sigh, the elder princess began, "How long have you been out of the infirmary?"
Flik merely stared back at the princess, refusing to answer her question. To him, her attempt at starting a conversation was nothing more than completely pathetic. If she was going to make any headway with him, she was going to have to explain everything going on, starting with Dot's strange behavior.
Atta hung her head, feeling the anger resonating off the male ant, not that she blamed him. After everything that had gone down and having to witness the two princesses keep a secret right in front of him after three weeks of knowing nothing, she would be pretty upset herself. Realizing the need to approach the situation more delicately and to be completely straightforward with Flik, she began again. "Listen, Flik. I'm so sorry for you having to see that. I'm sure that looked much worse than it actually was. Dot was just..."
"Merely discussing your change in plans for coming to tell me about my banishment?" Flik snapped, causing Atta to jump once more. "Such a helpful new tactic to come down and deliver the news yourself instead of leaving alone in the dark, wondering what is going on, using Dot as your little messenger to come fetch me to deliver the bad news. Well, I get the picture crystal clear! If you want me gone, I'll be on my way.
"FLIK!" Atta shouted, this time causing the male ant to jump. She had previously tried multiple times to stop Flik in his rant to no avail, forcing her to shout at him to get his attention. Though it pained her to do so, she knew she had to act quickly or else Flik might do something drastic.
Breathing heavily, Atta continued, "I'm sorry to shout, Flik, but under no circumstances would anyone in this colony, myself especially, want you banished! That thought never even crossed my mind once!"
"Oh, really?" the male ant retorted, still steaming at Atta for her strange attitude towards him. "And I guess three weeks ago, right after the last leaf fell, it just got wiped from everyone's minds? It no longer exists."
Exhaling heavily, Atta put a hand towards her head, massaging her temple. "Flik, I understand your upset. You have every right. But could you please give me a chance to apologize and explain everything? I promise, I won't hide anything. I swear upon my succession to the throne. If you have any reason to believe I'm lying, I will renounce my claim as the next in line for the throne immediately, and Dot will become the next queen instead of me."
Flik stared at Atta, slack-jawed. Never before in the history of the colony had a member of the royal family—let alone a direct successor to the throne—ever even once threatened to renounce their royal status and throw away their bloodline and claim to the throne. Hearing Atta so blatantly admit her willingness to do so simply to persuade Flik—a nobody in the colony—to hear her out was utterly shocking. Realizing her genuineness towards him, Flik blinked twice before replying, "I could never ask you to do such a thing, Princess Atta. I'm sorry for my outburst, and I'm more than willing to hear out whatever you have to say."
Atta merely shook her head. "No, Flik. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. It was more than justified for you to be angry and snap at me like you did. Anyone in your position would be a fool not to. And I greatly appreciate your generosity about my renunciation, Flik, but I'm serious. I will tell you the whole truth, or I will give up my position as princess and give the job to Dot. She would be a more worthy queen than myself anyway."
"I don't think so," Flik mumbled under his breath, almost immediately. Looking down in embarrassment, he hoped that Atta had not heard him. However, upon glancing up and noticing the red in Atta's cheeks, he knew that she had. Chuckling softly, he offers her a small smile, which she immediately returns.
Giggling softly, Atta grabbed Flik's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Flik. I appreciate that."
"So anyway," Atta began, glancing downward for a moment as she scanned her mind for the right words. "I guess I should explain everything that has been going on over the past several weeks and the meaning of what you just saw Dot and I talk about."
"That would be appreciated, yes," Flik replied, before giving Atta a small, amused smile.
Atta chuckled slightly before continuing. "I just want to say right up front, Flik, that what I am about to tell you is all due to very poor judgment on my part. I had originally wanted things to go by in a different fashion, but I made a poor choice with how I planned things, and I realize now I should have been more open to you from the start."
"Ok," Flik replied, bracing himself for whatever terrible news Atta was prepared to share with him. True, she had just admitted that she wasn't going to banish him, but his mind still didn't feel completely at ease.
Taking a deep breath, Atta resumed her explanation. "I know that you were kept in the infirmary for a long time, probably a lot longer than you honestly should have been. Taking you there in the first place was intentional on my part, as you had taken a terrible beating from that grasshopper and were actually having trouble breathing when I flew us back to the anthill. Dr. Flora took you into the infirmary and informed me that you were actually unconscious for three days before you finally came.
"During that time, I was feeling absolutely terrible for everything that had gone down the previous several days. Here you were, lying in the infirmary, practically dying, all because I made the most selfish mistake in the world by deciding to banish you from the colony. And for what? Because you brought some of the kindest, most loveable bugs in existence back from the city and they didn't meet some special criteria I had placed in my head for them? 'Oh, they weren't warriors; that is such an unforgivable act.' Big deal! I was..."
Atta paused as tears began to form in her eyes. Flik stood by, silently listening to everything Atta had to say and not wanting to speak until she was finished. He would take in everything at once so he could have the full picture and not jump to conclusions too soon. (Heaven knows how well that has worked out for him today.)
Then, out of the blue, Atta again reached out and threw her arms around Flik, pulling him into another hug. Again, the male ant kept his arms at his side, not wanting to seem disrespectful to the princess's boundaries. Atta, however, anticipated this, as she said, "You can hug me back, Flik. It's ok." Upon hearing this, the male ant awkwardly wrapped his arms around the elder princess, giving her a light squeeze. In response, Atta merely squeezed Flik even harder as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.
"I was such a stupid idiot!" Atta continued, her voice slightly muffled while her face was still in the crook of Flik's neck. "I jumped to conclusions way too quickly, and I banished you from the colony without even a second thought. And then you showed back up anyway with the circus bugs in tow and..." She sniffled several times as tears continued to fly down her face, splashing against Flik's neck. "You saved us all! You came up with a master plan to stop the grasshoppers! When it failed, you still stood up strong against Hopper and took the worst beating I've ever seen anyone take! You convinced us that we were stronger than the grasshoppers! You outsmarted Hopper and got rid of him for good! You risked your life for this colony several times! You came back even when you had no reason to! You had done so much even before coming back, and yet... I had completely failed to notice it. You are a hero! You've always been a hero. You... you..."
Atta's voice trailed off yet again as she began to sob hard into Flik's shoulder. Flik, surprised at Atta's raw display of vulnerability to him, awkwardly rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. He had no idea what to do in this situation and certainly did not want to say or do anything to make things worse.
"That's... that's not the only thing I've done to wrong you, Flik," Atta cried, her breathing getting quicker and quicker with each passing word, almost sounding like she was hyperventilating. In truth, she was deeply nervous about what she was about to reveal to Flik, but she knew that if she did not confess everything, it would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"I'm... I'm sure you remember when the Council and I sent you off to the city to look for warrior bugs?" Atta asked, to which she felt Flik's head give a slight nod. "That... that... we didn't send you to the city because we actually wanted your help in finding warrior bugs. We actually had very little faith that you'd be able to successfully accomplish the task at all. So, we... we allowed you to go under the assumption that it would take you a very long time to return, that way."
"I wouldn't screw anything up." Flik finished in a dejected voice. Atta pulled back from the hug, her eyes red and puffy from crying so much. Although she didn't respond, looking into her eyes told Flik all he needed to know to find out that he was correct. A wave of anger flooded over him. His brain immediately spun in a circle, coming up with a calculated retort to slam at the princess in order to make his anger known. And yet, Flik glanced into her eyes. Apart from them being redder than Francis the ladybug, Flik noticed something he hadn't seen there before. Appreciation. Adoration. The same love and compassion that he always spotted in Dot's eyes, including not a few moments prior.
Distant memories flooded back to Flik. He remembered their conversation right outside the infirmary, where she was genuinely concerned about having offended the circus bugs and her first true moment of showing vulnerability to him. He recalled the small glances of appreciation and genuine respect she gave Flik, entrusting him with her personal fears and beginning to see him in a brand new light. He remembered the many adoring smiles she gave him as they were building the bird together—the smiles that made his stomach do some salts even now. He remembered her compassion and genuine gratitude she shared at the party with the warriors, thanking Flik for finding them and giving him a look she had never given him before; although he could not quite place what it was, he knew from the bottom of his heart that it was one meant with the purest of emotions and the most genuine of intentions. He recalled glancing up at her while they were flying away from Hopper and as he ran away from the cover of the rock, only to be confronted by the maniacal grasshopper and later the bird. He remembered her genuine look of concern and fear, worrying for his safety and well-being and wishing for nothing more than for him to remain alive and in peace; the love and compassion she showed in those moments was unlike anything he had seen from someone before, including Dot and the circus bugs. She cared very deeply for him and wanted to make sure she did all in her power to make sure he was safe. Why had she run right in front of Hopper as he was preparing to step on him? Why had she flown all by herself in a rainstorm and in the dead of night, in an unknown direction and towards a sadistic madman, just to get back a single ant when all the rest had literally already gone down into the ant hill? Why was she willing to literally give up her chance at being queen just to make sure he believed her when there was no significant advantage she gained from him doing so?
In that moment, several things clicked for Flik. One, Atta, despite her flaws, was the friendliest, most genuine ant he had ever met, and even if she made mistakes and poor choices, she made them with the best of intentions towards her colony, and she never truly intended to hurt anyone, including Flik. Two, she was a very admirable person, being willing to own up to any mistakes she ever made and doing as much as within her power in order to correct them. Her nobility only made Flik respect her that much more. Even though he knew he had no chance, he had officially fallen in love with her at that very moment, and he knew that he'd never be able to think the same way about her again. He of course would never admit this to her, though, as it was her own choice who she picked as a mate, and a lowly ant like Flik was definitely not the first choice for most royal ants. Even still, the love and compassion he felt for Atta and the knowledge that she felt for him as well were enough to satisfy him forever.
"Princess Atta," Flik began, glancing at the still-weeping princess with sympathy. Upon hearing her name, Atta glanced at the male ant, her eyes still as red as they could be. Deciding to help ease her sadness, Flik gave her a warm smile before continuing, "I can't say that I am happy with the decisions you made towards me, nor do I like them. However, I know that you didn't mean any malicious intent towards me and that you made them for the good of the colony. I can sense that you hold so much love and compassion towards every single ant in this colony, including, for some strange reason, me. You've made some mistakes, but so have I, as I'm sure you know, and the fact that you are more than willing to own up to them and set them right speaks volumes to me. You are such a phenomenal person, Princess Atta, and I want you to know that I hold no grudge against you for anything and that I forgive you for all the mistakes that you've made."
Upon hearing Flik's small speech to her, Atta's eyes lit up brighter than the sun. She felt as if the world had been lifted off her shoulders. It took her several seconds to fully comprehend everything that Flik had just said, but once everything was fully connected, she stared at him in shock. He forgave her. After everything that she did to him, It absolutely blew her mind how compassionate, kind, forgiving, and overall just amazing the person the ant standing in front of her was, and she couldn't understand simply how she was even deserving of all the love and generosity that this amazing soul continuously shared with her. At that moment, Atta decided to make a decision. She knew she couldn't express her gratitude with mere words, so perhaps a certain action could symbolize her feelings for this ant instead. All of her happiness. All of her gratitude. All of her love.
Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Flik's neck. Tilting her head, she closed her eyes and leaned her head forward. She placed a soft, but loving kiss on Flik's lips. Flik's eyes widened so much that they threatened to pop out. Never in a million years would he ever have expected Princess Atta herself to lean forward and kiss him. It was like all the stars in the universe decided to magically align right at that moment and grant him the best wish he could ever ask for. As a result, he stood surprised for only a few moments before closing his eyes and kissing back. Upon feeling the pressure of Flik's lips back on hers, Atta became so excited that her wings began to move, causing her to slightly hover off the ground. Not caring in the slightest, the pair deepened their kiss, becoming even more engaged in showcasing their love for one another.
Feeling even more daring, Atta brought her tongue forward to Flik's lips. He willingly opened his lips to allow her access and immediately fell into a bliss-like trance as he fully embraced and enjoyed the experience of Princess herself casting her tongue along the side of his mouth. After several moments, the two separated for air, panting heavily from the activity they just performed.
"Wow. Princess Atta, that was," breathed Flik before being interrupted by a heartfelt laugh from the princess and having a hand slide across his mouth, preventing him from speaking.
"Flik, you are the most polite, well-mannered, and all-around amazing person I've ever met in my life," Atta cooed, unable to hide a blush from her face. "So, from now on, I don't ever want to hear any more formalities about me coming from you. I am your equal, just as you are mine. I insist that you call me just Atta, not Princess. Is that understood?"
She removed her hand to allow him to speak again, raising her eyebrows in anticipation. However, instead of any verbal response, the stunned male ant simply nodded his head in confirmation. Satisfied, Atta snickered at the inventor's admittedly cute reactions before leaning in and giving Flik another kiss. Flik was once again caught off guard, but this time, he quickly composed himself and deepened the kiss. Prodding his own tongue against Atta's lips, she immediately granted him access and fell into her own bliss-like trance as Flik explored the inside of her mouth with his tongue. After several moments, the two separated for air.
Once they finally caught their breath, Flik raised his eyebrows at the princess. "Prin- sorry. Atta, why did you? "
Atta merely laughed once more and shook her head. "I love your modesty, Flik. It is one of the traits I admire most about you. You are quite literally the best person in my life, and I would not have it any other way. So, putting it quite simply: I love you, Flik. I know that might come as a surprise, but I gave you my word that I would tell you the truth the whole time I was here, and... well, I'd be lying if I claimed anything else. I love you so much, Flik, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Flik's eyes were beyond wide. They were bulging out of his skull at this point. He couldn't believe it. He absolutely couldn't believe it. Atta herself, THE Princess Atta, not only kissed him twice in the span of a single minute but also came right out and admitted she loved him. Reaching over to his right arm, Flik gave himself a small pinch.
"Ouch!" he cried against the stinging pain that now seeped from his arm. Chuckling softly, his smile grew wider and wider until he was practically grinning from ear to ear. Atta, meanwhile, was laughing hysterically at Flik's silly yet adorable reaction to her confession. She knew she had made the right choice. There really was no other clear option for her to choose as a mate. And then, as if the moment were not blissful enough, Flik said something that made things even better.
"I... I've always loved you, Atta!" Flik breathed, barely able to contain his excitement. "I've loved you since I can remember. I never wanted to tell you because I knew it wasn't my place to, and I knew that the class differences in our colony would not have allowed me to appropriately declare my love for you, you being a royal family member and all. But now, I... I feel like I've died and have been reborn! I can't thank you enough, Atta, for even thinking about picking me, but... thank you!"
Sighing happily, Atta shook her head in amusement at her new mate's continued modesty. "No, Flik. It's you I have to thank. You're the only ant who has ever genuinely cared, not just for me but also for the whole royal family as well as the whole colony. I'd argue you've cared more about this colony than any other ant who has ever lived. You should never once in your life have any doubts that you aren't worthy of me. The only person who can claim if you are or aren't is me, and I say there is no other ant alive who is worthy of me besides you. I love you, Flik, and I always will!"
"Oh, I could get used to hearing this," Flik murmured, still high on adrenaline from the kisses they'd just shared.
"Oh, I bet you could!" Atta teased, lovingly giving Flik a peck on the cheek. Then, almost like a light bulb being switched on, Atta's face perked up. "Oh, and I almost forgot! I still have to tell you about one other thing."
"And what is that?" Flik asked, raising his eyebrows in intrigue.
"You were wondering what I was going to say about the previous few weeks and what happened between Dot and me just a few moments ago?" Atta asked.
"Oh yeah, right," Flik confirmed, nearly forgetting about the question himself. "Well, I'm sure it was just private business between you and your sister, so I won't..."
"Flik, sweetie, hush," Atta said, placing her hand over his mouth once again. "I am going to tell you whether you like it or not. Besides, it would be very awkward for me not to tell you at this point."
Flik nodded in acceptance as Atta removed her hand from his mouth and took both of his hands in hers. "So, I do want to apologize once again for you having to stay in the infirmary for as long as you did. You honestly could have come out sooner, but I had convinced Dr. Flora to leave you in there for longer. The reason being that, for the past three weeks, with the help of the Council as well as the circus bugs, I have actually been planning a special surprise party just for you. It was meant to be our special way of saying thank you to you for everything that you have done in helping out this colony this past season! I had deliberately instructed every member of the colony, Dot and the circus bugs included, to not visit you at all in the infirmary until the party was complete so as not to ruin the surprise. Unfortunately, the planning got pretty backed up due to a surprise blizzard happening outside and a large portion of the anthill having to be rebuilt as a result, so we weren't able to get things done nearly as quickly as we'd have liked. I wanted to bring you out of the infirmary so that you wouldn't have to wait as long, but Dr. Flora convinced me to leave you in there for longer so as not to ruin the surprise. I know it was a very poor decision on my part, and I'm sorry for that. That was yet another reason why I volunteered to give up my right to the throne to you. That was just... I'm so, so sorry, Flik. I give you my word now that I will never make any poor decisions again without thinking them through first. Can you please forgive me?"
Flik stared at Atta like she had turned into a ghost. "You mean to tell me that there is a party going on right now in honor of me?"
Atta nodded slowly. "Even though the reveal of it either way would have been very poor on my part, yes, there is. I was..." Blushing, Atta temporarily looked away before continuing. "I was actually planning on confessing my love to you right then in the middle of the dance floor, as well as asking you to marry me, but... I'll be honest when I say I kind of like the privacy better."
Flik chuckled slowly, amused at how much effort Atta put into her attempts to impress him and confess her love to him. All she ever would've had to do was simply tell him at any point she was pleased, and he would have been satisfied. Although he knew he should be angrier with Atta about her secrecy towards him regarding the party, her generosity in planning a party in the first place was enough for him to look over her mistake. "Well, I can't wait to be able to attend this party then, Atta! And of course, I forgive you! Just don't expect me to make you forget about it anytime soon." Flik winked mischievously at her.
"I don't expect you to," Atta replied, winking back in return. "And yes, in case you were wondering, that was what Dot was getting all worked up about. Dr. Flora never told me she released you until only a few hours ago. Apparently she released you yesterday, and I never even knew! I'm going to make sure she hears about that. But anyway, Dr. Flora told me about you being in your workshop, so I figured the perfect way for you to be convinced to attend the party was for Dot to come down and find you. However, when she found you, she said that you were having a bit of a rough time, and she didn't want to disturb you."
"Yeah, I may or may not have destroyed my stalk harvester in a blind fit of rage," Flik admitted, looking down in embarrassment.
Atta nodded sympathetically. "I know, and I'm so sorry that I put you through that, Flik. I should have just told you sooner about everything."
"Hey, water under the bridge, Atta," Flik replied, offering Atta a friendly smile.
"Thank you, Flik. That means more to me than you know," Atta cooed before giving Flik a light peck on his lips. "But anyway, Dot came back to me and told me how she had found you. I immediately told her to go back and visit you anyway, as I was sure you needed some support at that moment. But even with sending her, I realized then and there that nothing would get better if I didn't try to fix all of the wrongs that I had caused you. So I decided at that moment to abandon my position at the party to come down and personally find you so I could explain things to you. I guess that caught Dot extremely off guard, because she pulled me off to the side as you saw, and she whispered to me. I don't remember her exact words, but she asked me in a panicked voice if the party was still on and if what I was doing was going against my original plans. She had thought that I was upset at you for everything and that I had come down here to punish you. I immediately whispered back that I wasn't mad at you at all, but that I had realized that I needed to make some changes to the plan if everything was going to be alright. So I asked her to leave so we could have a private moment together, which I'm glad we were able to. I'm sorry that such a largely unimportant and, honestly, unessential conversation between my sister and I caused even more paranoia for you. But if I'm being honest..."
Atta quickly glanced over her shoulder before leaning forward to whisper in Flik's ear, "I'm honestly kind of glad things worked out this way, because now I get to have my adorable mate all to myself for the rest of the night."
Flik's eyes widened. "Are you sure that you don't want to go back to the party? You took so long to plan it!"
Atta merely shrugged her shoulders and continued to lean in close to Flik's ear. "It's your choice, sweetie. Whatever you want to do. Although I will say that you know which preference I have,"
At that moment, a sudden, unexplainable urge burst over Flik. What it was and where it came from remained a mystery to him. All he knew right then was that Atta had already made his choice for him and wasn't about to give it up.
"Well, my lovely Princess, if that is how you feel, then let's allow your preference to become a reality," Flik whispered back to her. "I just hope that the council and colony will be ok with postponing the party."
"They're going to have to be, won't they?" Atta whispered seductively into Flik's ear before grabbing ahold of his back and lifting him off the ground with her wings. Together, the pair flew across the anthill towards Princess Atta's personal chambers.