why was 6 afraid of 7? [a BFB/TPOT fanfiction]

9:reflections

Two looked back at One, a sour, puckered up look on their face. Four stood not too far from the other, getting distracted either by the moss growing on one corner of the library's tall dusty window frame or the absolutely horrendous smell of old books permeating throughout the air.
One peered up from their desk, looking toward Two and adjusting their glasses.

" I.. take it you're here to see- "

The yellow variable would hesitantly walk out of the office at the sound of One's voice, pressing a contact lens into his eye and squeaking out a little ' hmh ' before spotting the two familiar hosts standing at the counter.
Oh. Oh gosh.. How long had he been there? No wonder they were looking..

One swiveled around in the chair at X, smiling a little. " Your friends are here, X. I take it we'll meet again at Five's? "

X perked up. " Oh.. Sure! " They quickly walk out from behind the desk. Four takes a step forward, smiling a little at X.

" Thank goodness, X. What were you doing here? I almost got worried. "
X's face dropped. Ouch. Though, a nice thing to hear, especially from Four.
" You didn't need to get worried, ha ha.. I was just.. erm. "
Two poked their face toward the two, pointing to the door X had just walked out of.
" Why were you in One's office? " .. X froze in place at the mention of it, forgetting all about an excuse.
" Uh. I- erh. Was.. Just, " One intervened quickly amidst the variable's stammers.

" Book club. X came to me with the most FASCINATING idea of starting a book club. Maybe you two should listen to them more. A wonderful way with words, X has. "

X goes completely dead silent at the mention, unsure if they're supposed to be relieved or flattered in the slightest. Four, quickly became offended and barked back in embarrassment, " As if I don't know that!! I. I listen to X all the time. That should be obvious, "

Two leans on the side of the desk, eyeballing X for a moment and smiling in a smug sort of way,
" You know X, I never took you as an avid reader. "

One rolled their eyes, glancing toward Two. " You'd best be on your way, now. You might wake the bats up, with all that talking. "
Two's demeanor quickly shattered, their voice wobbling. " BA Ts....? " Two shivered. X looked over Four's shoulder, raising a brow at Two. " You don't like bats, Two? " X curiously looked about just incase One had been right. Four smiled down at the variable.
" Two was scared of Eigh-. "

Two reached out, squeezing Four's palm out of X's direct eyesight.

That shut Four up very quick.

The green number, happy with the reaction, let go, bearing a proud grin and heading toward the door, a pep in their step.

Four begrudgingly turned around if that weren't the most terrifying thing he's ever felt as he'd follow along.
X thinks little of it, though a bit confused as to why Four went so quiet. No less, they glance softly back at One.
" Thanks. " X says, with a nod.
The indigo number smiles in the slight.
" Why, anything for what you've given me, partner. I'll see you then. "

X waves, trying to catch up to the others to the best of their ability. ( short little legs are both a blessing and a curse )

And whilst X hadn't noticed the slight of hand the two numbers shared, One certainly did. It wasn't usual for them to poke into someone else's business in such a way..
They certainly expected more of a.. rivalry, out of the hosts.

_______________________________

It took a bit, for X to get some alone time. A barrage of questions were sent their way by the two- ( not like it's a bad thing. talking to their fellow hosts is always a pick-me-up, right? )

But then, X was finally in solitude, amidst the charred, dead grass as it waved in the wind.

Their voices never went away, of course. As much as it pained X to admit, they only grew more painfully apparent. And this only brought along more shame, inevitably.

It started off little. The subtle whispers of Nine's doing.
The chattering sounds, from Six.

X stared at the mirror.
The contact lenses did help, admittedly.
But their mind- it still felt tainted.

The two numbers sit among X in the mirror's cold, cold reflection, humming softly, a hymn of sorrow. Grieving.
It all rang in X's brain.

In a fit of anger, they'd thrash and slam the mirror against the ground, stomping on the glass, golden tears hitting what's left of it's shards as X weeped, and weeped, and weeped, in a small pathetic little way.

In a guilt-ridden, way.

They didn't even know what they.. did. To Six. The curiosity stung like no other.

..

And all at once, a thought struck them.

How. How were they going to survive this party?