Having your soul owned by Heck wasn't so bad, once you got used to it.
...Which is a madly depressing sentence, but anyway.
Rocko has been working there for about three months now, and it hasn't been horrible. It's less cleaning up and more actual demon related things, like sharpening Peaches' pitchfork or helping him out with the paperwork for soul collection. Still mostly menial, but at least Rocko doesn't feel like he needs to take a long, hot shower every time he comes home from work.
It also helps that he's convinced Chalmers to clean up after himself instead of just making a mess of his house.
Now that the two work together, Chalmers doesn't seem to enjoy coming home to a dirty house as much as he does. So, the two of them now share chores instead of the place being a mess all the time. And Spunky has actual food! So, it's a win, in Rocko's book, at least.
There are definitely some downsides, though. Long hours most of the time, the fact he's growing horns now (Heffer and Filbert had freaked out the moment they saw the sharp peaks sprouting out of the top of his head), and the fact Chalmers work ethic isn't the best. But it could be worse. He could still be unemployed.
Right now, Rocko had been tasked with finishing up sorting some paperwork for some souls Peaches had collected over the last month, the ones that don't work down in Heck like Chalmers and Rocko do. It's mostly mindless work, just double-checking the contracts, making sure there wasn't any loopholes, the whole shebang.
Chalmers was off doing...Lord knows what, probably trying to round some demons to throw an impromptu party with, leaving the wallaby to do all the work, as per usual.
Rocko sighs, ready to jump back into the long, long paperwork ahead of him, until he feels someone lean against the desk.
Rocko looks up and, of course, it's Chalmers.
"Rockford, my dude! Whatcha up to?" The sloth asks, grinning brightly, as if he hadn't run off to do whatever he does.
"The work that Peaches asked us to do like an hour ago?" Rocko mutters, annoyance obvious in his tone. Chalmers' smile falls at that, almost like he felt guilty, though Rocko doubts that. The sloth has probably never felt an ounce of it in his life.
"Sorry, man. Lost track of time while cleaning myself off with the blood and everything, hehe." He rubs the back of his head in embarrassment, which Rocko just stares at for a moment before remembering that Chalmers had been the one to dive into the Sea of Intestines to retrieve Peaches keys after he had dropped them in there. The wallaby was incredibly squeamish, so Chalmers had volunteered to do it instead.
How had he forgotten about that? The hour of reading must have scrambled his brain.
"Sorry, Chalmers. Must've slipped my mind. Sorry mate."
"Naw, it's all good Rockford! Don't even sweat it, bro! Here let me help you out." The sloth says, letting go of any transgression that may happened and walks over to the other side of the desk, and leaning over the wallaby to glance at the contracts that Rocko was currently working on.
For some reason, this makes Rocko blush.
Which is weird.
He doesn't like Chalmers like that.
At least he doesn't think he does.
Rocko's accepted his sexuality, a long time ago, way back when he still lived in Australia, and he had a thing for one of his mates in school, who had promptly called him gross and pushed him down when he told him, so it's not something he brings up very often to most people who aren't close friends, like Heffer and Filbert. Plus, there hasn't been really any boys that've caught his attention in O-town anyway.
Except Chalmers apparently.
Okay, no. Rocko does not have a thing for Chalmers. Chalmers is an annoying, self-absorbed jerk who only really cares about partying and making Rocko's life miserable.
...But he has changed, even if only a little bit. He's less party 24/7 and he's willing to help out on chores and actually loves to watch Spunky when Rocko wants to go out and chill with Heffer and Filbert. And he's nice to Rocko now, no more being a nuisance and much, much closer to being a friend.
And maybe more, apparently.
"Jeez, Peaches needs to learn how to write, dude. Some of this is illegible." The wallaby blinks up at Chalmers, who is seemingly invested in paperwork now, not even really paying attention to Rocko, who is very much having a crisis, with the apparent object of his attraction being right there. He's tempted to start chewing on his fingernails out of anxiety, but he broke that habit long ago and doesn't want to start again, so he just sat there, twiddling his thumbs, scared to move an inch in case Chalmers decides to set his sights back on him.
"Man, you were basically done. Dang, now I really feel bad, dude." Chalmers sighs, putting the remaining contracts back on the desk, seemingly disappointed in himself for letting the wallaby do everything.
"It's fine, Chalmers. You were covered in gunk; I probably couldn't stand to be around you." Rocko giggles out, trying to seem as casual as possible.
"Actually, think I still have some...right here!" It's the only warning Rocko gets before Chalmers sticks his upper arm under the wallaby's nose, causing him to gag.
"Augh, Chalmers, you some like a rotting corpse! Get away from me!" Rocko shouts, but it has no effect on the sloth, who only sticks it further in Rocko's face.
"C'mon man, we're working on your immunity or whatever!" Chalmers pushes forward, making Rocko lean way back in his chair, and throwing the two to the floor.
Rocko sucks in a breath as his back hits the warm ground of Heck, scrunching his eyes closed for a second before popping them back open to be met with quite the sight.
Chalmers had landed right on top of Rocko, and his sunglasses had unceremoniously landed on the ground beside Rocko.
To say Chalmers had pretty eyes was an understatement. The were ruby red, and shining down at Rocko, making the wallaby blush even more than he already was.
"You have pretty eyes." It comes out without Rocko even meaning it to, and watches as Chalmers goes bright red.
"I uh. Thanks Rockford." Usually, the sloth would ramble on a bit more, but he seems lost in the words Rocko had said, gaze off to the side.
"Chalmers I-"
"What are you two doing?!" The two freeze where they are on the ground, and focus their attention on the new voice, only for it be revealed to be Peaches, their boss.
"Peachesssss. Hey man, how's it going?" Chalmers remarks, attempting to seem casual, but it instead coming off as completely and utterly awkward.
"Did the two of you get those contracts done?" There's a tint of anger in his voice, and the two know he's trying to hold himself back from tearing the only two employees he has to shreds.
"Uh, we did sir."
"Good, good...now go home! I already said no overtime this week!" And, as always, Peaches opens the portal to O-town and throws the two inside, plopping them back on the front lawn of Rocko's house.
"Jeez...Does he have to do that every time?" Rocko groans, rubbing the back of his head to dull the pain.
"Sooo...what were you going to say Rocko?" The sloth asks, raising an eyebrow at the wallaby.
"Oh um. Can we talk about this...later? I'm pretty tired."
"Yeah...whenever you're ready, man." They grin at each other, before making it back inside.
Rocko will tell him some other day.
Really.