Burning Ice & Freezing Fire

Pudgy?!

"...Are you really sure that you...love me?..."

Sportacus holds in his move to walk into the bathroom to fill the hot-water bottle, and turns around to look at the felf, sitting in the bed, still shivering, propped up by a pile of pillows, staring down at the sandwich in his hand.

"...What kind of question is this?..." the hero tilts his head in confusion "Of course I love you!"

"...You don't just...pity me?..." Robbie raises his gaze to search the elf's "...You like me, yes... And you want me to feel better and fight to become healthy again and...that I trust you and let you help me learn to control this...magic power... So maybe you just think that you love me so it will be easier for you to cope with my horrible changing moods and problems without losing your mind..."

The hero blinks slowly. Then he approaches the bed and rests a hand on Robbie's forehead.

"What...are you doing?..." the villain looks up into the blue eyes.

"Checking whether you've got a temperature again after everything you just said..." he furrows his brows then he shakes his head and pulls his hand back "Nope. Still ice cold. So... You actually believe that this could be the case? That I just pretend to love you?! Fooling not only you, but myself as well?!"

"...Yes?..." the felf blinks and a few tears roll down his cheeks, his voice cracking "...I... I don't know... I... I just still can't...understand how you could love...something like...this..." he gestures at himself and then slaps his little tummy with his hand, blushes furiously and quickly lowers his eyes. He waits for something.

A reply...

Anything.

But the only thing he hears a few seconds later is the sound of light steps heading away.

The felf bites his lower lip to keep it from shaking, but now his nose starts wiggling instead and more tears stream down his face. The villain puts the sandwich back on the plate on the bedside table, not feeling able to take a single bite of it anymore.

He knows that Sportacus already assured him that he believes the felf beautiful. Multiple times and very clearly even. But...Sportacus simply is everything he is not. Above all, he's in control...and Robbie...is a threat... He still doesn't know much about love. But he just can't believe that such complete opposite people could actually...love each other...for more than a moment of...confused but seemingly deep emotions...

Robbie only gets ridden out of his dark, sad thoughts when his shirt suddenly gets lifted up. He winces and looks up...straight into gentle, blue eyes. The elf is kneeling on the bed right next to him, his smile is soft, but a little sad just like his voice "We went through this topic before, Robbie... And...it makes me really sad that you still doubt my words... But..." he suddenly bows down to the felf's bare belly and places a short, ghostly kiss right above the navel.

Robbie squeals.

More in actual shock than just surprise, and his fingers dig into the sheets beneath him in an attempt to hold on to reality while he stares down at the hero, holding his breath.

Sportacus smiles a little playfully up to him "...I won't grow tired of searching new ways to convince you that I actually mean it..."

Another kiss.

Robbie can't help a low whimper and his trembling gets worse "...Sportacus... Y-You...really don't h-have to do this!..."

"No..." the hero's hand starts to gently caress the felf's little, soft tummy and he straightens up again, looking into the other's teary eyes "...But I want to. I want to do everything that might help you realize that you're perfect just the way you are. No matter your incredible cute, soft belly, nor your felvish powers. I love you, Robbie Rotten. I always did. Not because I pity you. But because you're the cutest, funniest, smartest, most handsome, lovable and caring man I've ever met. You are the first reason I stayed in LazyTown. And not mainly to protect you from my folk. But because there was something special about you. I felt it the second I've seen you for the first time, but I...wasn't really sure what it was until some years later... I only knew that I liked you, no matter what you did. But I...did more than just 'like' you... Obviously," his smile becomes a little shy, but his hand keeps circling the felf's navel, almost absently "...I don't know how to prove this to you... But I'll keep trying..."