Love is Vexing - ScarDubs

-Prologue-

Season 5

"Can we go back home, Cub....?"

"Not yet...There are rumors about these woodland mansions. Unspoken treasures hide somewhere, and I wanna be the one to find it."

Cub spoke with such confidence, it was hard for Scar to argue with his close friend. The terraformer choked back the fear in his quivering tone while he spoke, he didn't want to seem like a burden to Cub, simply because of the feelings of uneasiness that twisted his stomach into knots, leaving a sour taste in Scar's mouth. His footsteps echoed through the darkened halls, along with the sound of Cub's torch crackling and burning.

The light guided the two curious males as they ventured through the abandoned mansion. Cub was fascinated at the structure he had never witnessed before, he'd only heard magical tales of creatures unlike any other, beings of magic and unending power.

Scar had only come along to keep his friend safe, but he was starting to regret the decision. He felt....watched. The cat-loving brunet could hear faint whispers and quiet giggles coming from behind him, but as Scar looked to try and spot the voices, there was nothing in sight.

"Cub... Maybe there's a reason why the treasures are 'unspoken'. It could just be another dumb story.. I bet the treasure isn't even real!" Scar muttered as he clung closer to the burning flame that the scientist held, he felt safer in the warm glow of the fire.

Cub chortled at the notion as he fearlessly continued down the hallway, barely taking a moment to consider his safety, too determined and focused on what great things could lie ahead. Scar reluctantly followed, as he grasped the sleeve of the scientist's lab coat, his legs would be frozen in place if it wasn't for his best friend pulling him onward.

"It's real Scar," Cub said as his slow pace began to increase, the scientist dragging the brunet along as his slow and careful walk had evolved into a frantically-rushed search for something, anything, that could be of worth.

"It has to be real!" He cried while dropping his torch, devastated. Cub had always wanted to find something remarkable, something no one had ever seen before, but his luck had just run dry.

"It doesn't have to be real, Cub," Scar comforted his friend as he placed a hand on the male's shoulder, a calm smile on his face, but fear clawing at his insides. The terraformer wanted to throw up, the feeling of nausea overwhelming Scar, as he looked around for the exit for the dark-oak structure.

"C-Cub... Where's the exit...?" Scar choked out with a weak voice, looking to his friend for an answer, his look panicked and stressed as he realized Cub was just as lost and nervous as he was.

"You told me that you knew where we are! You said this wouldn't take long!" Scar blamed Cub with overwhelming fear in his voice, the terraformer's friend hesitating before he quietly spoke in an attempt to reassure the stressed brunet. He reluctantly placed a hand on Scar's shoulder, Cub looking to the ground before he could lock eyes with his best friend.

"I-..I know... I was just so excited, I wasn't paying attention to where we were.. I just wanted to explore with you.." Cub admitted reluctantly, Scar's worried expression slowly fading as the terraformer heard his close friend speak with such honesty. He wrapped his arms around the scientist, Cub startled as the shorter male tightly held him.

"It's okay.." Scar mumbled quietly as Cub slowly embraced the hug, wrapping his arms around the cat lover. "Let's just go back to the shopping district.. I wanna get back to Jellie before she gets mad that I haven't fed her yet.." The shorter hermit said the last part jokingly, but he truly wanted to get out of the woodland mansion as fast as he could. The hair on Scar's arms stood on-end at the creaking sounds and ghostly howling that was heard through the empty hallway, the terraformer beginning to go pale with fear.