Disclaimer: I don't own The Mr. Men or any of its characters, but I do own Mr. Thoughtful.
It was Mr. Happy at his door. "Can we go for a walk?" the yellow Mr. Man asked.
"Sure," Mr. Thoughtful said, not sure if he should be worried or not. He had to force himself not to look into Mr. Happy's mind. He felt something bothering him, but Mr. Thoughtful refused to find out what was wrong by spying on his thoughts.
Stepping outside, Mr. Thoughtful closed the door and walked down his sidewalk. He felt Mr. Happy beside him, but he was thankful when he didn't try to guide him.
They walked for a while until finally Mr. Thoughtful asked," Where are we going?" He felt buildings looming above him, blotting out the sunlight and he shivered in the shadows casted by the tall buildings.
"We're in town," Mr. Happy said. Mr. Thoughtful felt him glance at him and he couldn't stop Mr. Happy's thought from entering his mind.
I wish he could see the town himself, the yellow Mr. Man thought, and Mr. Thoughtful felt frustrated that Mr. Happy felt bad for him that he couldn't see.
Before he could think twice of what he was saying, he snapped," I can sense things around me!"
Surprise shot from Mr. Happy, and Mr. Thoughtful winced, realizing his mistake. He tried to think of something to say, but he was drawing a blank. Mr. Happy was quiet for a minute, his mind turning like wheels, but Mr. Thoughtful refused to listen to them, afraid he'll hear Mr. Happy realizing what he can do and deciding they can't be friends anymore.
Finally Mr. Happy asked," How can you sense what's around you?"
Mr. Thoughtful swallowed uncomfortably. "Well, I can sense solid things like you and the buildings around us." He gestured to the nearest building. "I can sense others around us, too. I can't tell who they are because I don't know them well enough yet, but…" He realized Mr. Happy was staring at him, shocked.
For several agonizing moments Mr. Happy didn't speak. Finally he said," You can sense all that?"
Mr. Thoughtful nodded. "And what I can sense I try to picture it in my head. It doesn't always come out as clear as I imagined seeing it would be, but I get by. The longer I'm here, the more familiar everything and everyone will become, like back home." Suddenly sadness washed over him and he stopped talking.
He felt Mr. Happy's sympathy for him and he placed his hand on his shoulder. A vision came on so suddenly that he blinked.
"Wow, you can do all that?" Mr. Happy asked.
"Please don't tell anyone!" Mr. Thoughtful begged. "I didn't want anyone to know. I had to leave my old home because everyone found out!"
"I promise I won't tell," Mr. Happy said. "Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you."
The vision ended when Mr. Happy pulled away and Mr. Thoughtful was shocked. He was going to tell Mr. Happy what he can do? He didn't know when or why he'll reveal his secret, but part of him felt a little better knowing he'll have someone to talk to about his powers.
"Actually I asked you to come on this walk because I need your help," Mr. Happy said. He was quiet for a moment before sighing. "I can't get over what happened at the party. I know Miss. Sunshine forgave me and she's been herself ever since, but I can't believe I snapped at her like that. It was so unlike me!"
Mr. Thoughtful blinked, not sure what to say. "I don't know you or Miss. Sunshine that well," he started, but Mr. Happy interrupted him.
"That's partly why I'm telling you all this," Mr. Happy said. "Everyone else knows me as the happy, everything is wonderful Mr. Man, but… you're new. You might see me differently."
Mr. Thoughtful thought for a moment. "I do see you differently," he finally said. "I can tell you aren't always happy and you try so hard to hide it, but you don't need to." He paused, shifting his feet, not really sure what else to say.
He could feel Mr. Happy's surprise and relief. "You can tell all that?" he asked.
Mr. Thoughtful nodded. "It's natural to feel sad and angry. You don't have to be happy all the time."
For a moment Mr. Happy didn't say anything. Then he sighed. "But I'm Mr. Happy! I should be happy, and sometimes I genuinely am. Then other times… Well, I'm not."
"And that's okay," Mr. Thoughtful said. "You shouldn't force yourself to be happy and you shouldn't hide your other emotions just because of your name." He could feel Mr. Happy staring at him.
"Maybe you're right," Mr. Happy said. "Thank you." They continued to walk down the sidewalk, neither of them talking for a bit. Mr. Thoughtful could still feel Mr. Happy struggling with the knowledge that he didn't have to be happy all the time, but he could also feel a slow acceptance, like he was beginning to believe Mr. Thoughtful was right.
After a while they started heading back to Mr. Thoughtful's house. Mr. Happy asked him how he's liking Dillydale so far and Mr. Thoughtful replied that he was getting used to things and everyone he's met so far has been so welcoming.
Mr. Thoughtful could feel the familiarity of his neighborhood and realized they were getting close to his house. He was so focused on his surroundings that he jumped when Mr. Happy spoke beside him.
"Thank you again for helping me," Mr. Happy said.
Mr. Thoughtful smiled. "Glad I could help," he replied, suddenly remembering the vision he had when Mr. Happy touched him at the party last night. He understood now and was happy that he could help his new friend.
As they approached his house, suddenly he felt a new presence near him, but they didn't seem to be out in the open. He could only hear their mind turning with questions and he felt a smaller presence near the larger one. He sighed. Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small was hiding in the bushes near his house. What were they doing? Waiting for him? Why hide?
He listened and heard Mr. Nosy think, There he is! I want to know more about him! Would he tell me if I asked?
Mr. Small's thoughts were more worried. Perhaps we shouldn't be hiding in wait for him. He'll be upset if he ever finds out we were here.
Both were certain he wouldn't notice them because he was blind, but then they seemed to realized Mr. Happy was with him and they began to worry they'll be caught after all. But Mr. Happy didn't spot them yet– Mr. Thoughtful could tell he was too distracted with his own thoughts to notice the two in the bushes.
Suddenly Mr. Thoughtful wanted to have a little fun– and also show more people that he's a lot more capable than they give him credit for, even if he's blind. Slipping ahead of Mr. Happy, he strolled down the sidewalk toward his house. He could feel the two of them watching him, and as he got to the start of his pathway that led to his house, he stopped, acting like he heard something– which was true because now the Mr. Men in the bush were shifting a lot, making enough noises to alert a sleeping bear.
Turning toward them, he smiled and waved. "Hello, Mr. Nosy, Mr. Small. Whatcha doing in that bush?"
They both jumped to their feet and he could just feel them staring at him, too shocked to speak. They were so close to panic, worried Mr. Thoughtful would yell at them, that he felt bad for spooking them. He frowned. "Sorry for scaring you," he said.
"H-How did you know it was us?" Mr. Nosy asked.
"Oh…" Mr. Thoughtful trailed off, desperately trying to think of an answer. "Lucky guess?" he said lamely.
He could feel the suspension in Mr. Small's mind, and it made him wince. Did he just gave himself away by playing a trick on these Mr. Men?
To his relief, Mr. Happy came up and spoke before any of them could say more. "Hello, Mr. Nosy, Mr. Small. What's going on?" the yellow Mr. Man added, confusion coming off him in waves.
"We were… um…" Mr. Small was trying to think of something to say, but Mr. Thoughtful could still feel him watching him, almost too terrified to continue standing beside the new Mr. Man.
Mr. Thoughtful sighed. His prank only made these two afraid of him, the exact opposite of what he wanted to have happen with the people of Dillydale. He wouldn't be surprised if people start avoiding him and he'll eventually have to start all over again. Real smooth, Mr. Foreteller, he thought, suddenly worried people would find out his real name and put the pieces together.
"We have to go." Mr. Small's voice broke into his troubled thoughts, and he felt the two of them hurry away.
Mr. Thoughtful shook his head, feeling angry with himself.
"What happened?" Mr. Happy asked, turning to him.
"I sensed them nearby, so I snuck up on them," Mr. Thoughtful explained. "But they didn't know I knew they were there, so when I spoke to them, it spooked them out." He sighed. "Now they're terrified of me and probably don't want anything to do with me. Great way to treat new friends," he added sulkily, frowning deeply.
Mr. Happy laid his hand on his shoulder without warning, and Mr. Thoughtful wasn't ready for the vision that came on so suddenly.
Mr. Thoughtful saw Mr. Happy pacing in his bedroom, muttering under his breath.
"What's happening to me?" he asked himself. "Why is this happening to me? I just met him!" He paused and looked out the window. "How can I be falling for someone I hardly know?" he whispered.
The vision ended and Mr. Thoughtful realized Mr. Happy had guided him to his front door. Now the yellow Mr. Man was looking at him, worried.
"Are you okay?" he asked. What happened? he thought. He just spaced out all of a sudden.
Mr. Thoughtful shook his head to clear it. "Yes, fine," he answered. He remembered the vision he had of himself telling Mr. Happy about his powers, but he wasn't ready for that yet. He knew one day he'll confess, but not today. "How are you feeling?" he asked his friend.
"I'm…" He hesitated, and Mr. Thoughtful felt the word wonderful on his tongue, but in the end, all he said was," I'm fine, too."
Mr. Thoughtful just got an idea. "Want to come in for a cup of tea?" he asked.
"That'd be wonderful." This time Mr. Happy couldn't stop the word from leaving his mouth, and Mr. Thoughtful felt slightly amused. He opened the door and walked inside, followed by Mr. Happy.
Putting on some relaxing music, Mr. Thoughtful moved around his kitchen, finding two cups and saucers for them. He asked Mr. Happy to make the tea, while he set up the table. There was a bit of fumbling with looking for stuff, but eventually Mr. Thoughtful got everything ready and Mr. Happy poured the tea. It was hot and they put some sugar in it and stirred the tea.
They sat at the table, talking and laughing and just enjoying each other's company. It was a good time. For the first time since coming to Dillydale, Mr. Thoughtful was relaxed and felt like he made a true friend, and he felt Mr. Happy truly happy, which was a first since he met him, and underneath it all, Mr. Thoughtful felt something starting to bud inside Mr. Happy. It wasn't quite an emotion yet, but it was there, just on the edges of his mind and emotions. Mr. Thoughtful remembered his vision from earlier, when Mr. Happy was pacing in his room and asking himself how he could feel for someone he just met, and suddenly he wondered if he should stop whatever was happening before it started complicated things.
What about Little Miss Sunshine? They never said anything, but Mr. Thoughtful assumed they were dating, since in the vision of her crying in the bathroom, she wondered if Mr. Happy still loved her.
But despite knowing how difficult it could make things, Mr. Thoughtful found that he didn't want to stop the feelings. If they were going to grow and blossom, he wanted to see what would happen. He's never had someone like him before, not like that, and he's never liked anyone else like that before. He was curious and was willing to see it through. He'll let it work itself out.
It was getting dark by the time Mr. Happy said he should be heading home. Mr. Thoughtful got up and walked him to the door. They said goodbye and Mr. Happy left.
Mind whirling, Mr. Thoughtful turned off the music in the living room and went into his bedroom, turning on mediating music and climbing into bed. He sat there, legs crossed, breathing in and out, trying to make sense of what was happening between himself and Mr. Happy. After a while, he laid down and was asleep.
He was immediately transported to Mr. Happy's room where he paced and muttered under his breath.
"What's happening to me? Why is this happening to me? I just met him!" He paused and looked out the window. "How can I be falling for someone I hardly know?" he whispered.
For a while he just stood there, watching the moon rise in the sky and pondering what life would be like if he confessed his feelings to Mr. Thoughtful and they started something. Then he pushed those images out of his mind. He shouldn't even be thinking about that! If Little Miss Sunshine knew he was picturing life with someone else, she'd be devastated!
But Mr. Thoughtful got him, even though they just met. He understood Mr. Happy better than all his friends who knew him for years!
Mr. Happy sat in his chair and just watched the sky out his window until the first rays of sunlight broke through the night, and at some point he fell asleep, which broke Mr. Thoughtful out of his dream of Mr. Happy.
He blinked and sat up, thinking over what he just saw. He didn't know how to feel. His music was still going and after a while it lulled him back to sleep and he didn't dream again.
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I'll post the next chapter soon!