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Chapter Text

Pit and Rock were close. That was a fact no one could deny.

The beginning of their relationship had been met with hurdles, what with Pit acting like an overbearing fanboy and Rock's propensity for awkwardness in social settings, but ever since the day they became friends, they had become inseparable.

Wherever one of them went, you could be sure that the other was not far behind, so much so that the people who knew them had taken to referring to them as a duo.

And when Ultimate came around, that fact still held true. The two boys did everything together, joined at the hip as they were: eating meals at the same time, battling side by side, playing the same games, cuddling together, holding hands, sleeping in the same bed... the list went on.

For an outside observer, it would seem as if they were dating, though the two boys would be quick to deny such a thing whenever they were asked about it. Nonetheless, most people had their doubts, and some of the boys' friends may or may not have placed bets on the future of their relationship.

But no matter the label of their relationship, everyone knew that they would raise hell should anything happen to the other: some unfortunate newcomers -Ridley and Kazuya- learned that fact the hard way.

They were just close like that.

But their seemingly unbreakable friendship suffered a massive dent, on a day that had been otherwise pleasant and uneventful.

They had chosen to spend it hanging out with their friend Simon, making use of the training grounds to keep in shape, practice their movesets, and goof off. Not wanting training to be all they spent their time doing, they had decided to end the day by going to the Home-Run Contest to try and improve their team score.

They hadn't managed to break the record held by Ness, Ganondorf and Toon Link, but they had gotten pretty close to it, and had a world of fun doing it, spending quality time with one another.

Once they had collectively decided to finally take a break for the day, Simon had gone on ahead to dinner, leaving his two younger friends on their own, as they chose to stay behind and calmly enjoy each other's presence after a day well spent.

Pit was laying with his back on a wall, his legs brought up to his chest, his own wings wrapped around his shoulders to shield them from the cold breeze the setting sun brought along.

The two of them sat in a comfortable silence, the robot feeling warm all over despite the chilly air of the evening.

“Today's sunset looks amazing.” Pit murmured, eyes looking straight at the horizon. Rock made a noise of agreement, staring as well at the colorful display of sky and clouds.

But, turning around to look at his friend, Rock found him to be much more breathtaking.

His hair and feathers looked impossibly light and soft as the wind made them dance. The sun caught in the angel's wavy brown locks, auburn reflections making it as if the sun had set them ablaze. Pit's entire being seemed to glow, bathing in the soft light of dusk, and Rock couldn't find it in himself to look away, mesmerized as he was.

Their gazes met, Pit blinked, raising his eyebrows in question. “Is there something on my face?”

Rock debated whether or not he should admit what he was really doing. It made him frown: he usually always went for honesty, no matter what. Lying was a bad thing.

Still, it took him a second before he settled on his answer. “Nah, you just look really pretty right now.”

Right on cue, the angel's face took on a light pink tint, as he huffed out some unintelligible words. The robot felt himself smile at the familiar sight: it was far from the first compliment Rock had given Pit, or anyone for that matter, and he had gained the reputation of having little to no filter in that regard. Yet, it seemed as if the angel would always be taken aback and flustered by Rock's words.

The robot grinned, and decided he wanted to see more of that. “It's true, though. You're beautiful, Pit.”

“S-Stop it!” Pit sputtered, his cheeks reddening even more, much to Rock's satisfaction. He did not understand where his yearning to make Pit laugh or blush came from, but what he did know was that he could never get tired of making it happen.

The sentiment was not shared by the angel.

“Why do you always say those things out of the blue?” Pit whined, burying his face in his hands. “I can never tell how you mean it...”

Rock did not answer right away, pondering on the angel's words. What kind of meaning could his words have, other than friendship?

“What are you talking about? We're friends, and you deserve to be complimented, so of course I'm going to say these things.” He settled on saying, but faltered as Pit's frown deepened.. “...Do you want me to stop?”

The angel shook his head, looking away. “No, no... I just... I just wish you'd mean it like I want you to.”

The robot did not know what to say, unable to make a coherent thought out of what his friend was telling him. Instead, he settled on holding the angel's hand, rubbing light circles on the skin, tracing the veins and feeling the angel's pulse quickening under his touch.

“Pit, you know I'm bad at this whole... thing.” Rock tried to explain, gesturing to the emptiness of air with his free hand. “I- I don't understand what you're getting at?”

The angel let out a dry chuckle, and a long, resigned sigh. “Just... hug me, will you? I'm cold, and you're my personal heater, remember?”

Happy for the change in topic, Rock wasted no time in sneaking an arm behind his friend's back, pulling him closer, relishing the feeling of his soft feathers under his palms.

Usually, Pit would let himself relax, going limp into the robot's strong and steady hold, yet this time the angel couldn't seem to stop fidgeting. Rock couldn't help but notice, and felt a pressing urge to resume their halted conversation and ask the angel what exactly was going on inside that pretty head of his.

But before he could get to voicing his inquiries, he felt Pit shift a bit closer, hiding his face in the crook of the robot's neck as he murmured against his synthetic skin.

“Rock... you love me, right?”

“Of course I love you Pit! You're my best friend.” Rock smiled, though it quickly fell as he noticed Pit was not reciprocating.

The angel's next words were whispered, so low Rock would have not heard them had he not been an advanced robot. “Is that really all I am to you?”

“Is... is that not enough?” Rock pouted, lost and confused, as Pit lifted his head, looking him in the eyes.

“No.”

Rock felt hurt. He always thought the both of them were thick as thieves: he had never felt that way about anyone when it came to his friends and family, it felt like their bond was unlike any other the robot had experienced in his existence, and he cherished their friendship like a priceless treasure.

He had always figured Pit felt the same way, so he could not wrap his head around the fact the angel apparently felt like being such close best friends was not good enough.

“... What do you mean?” Rock asked, feeling himself growing frustrated from asking so many questions, and at the cryptic answers his usually impulsive and honest friend had been giving him so far.

“I-I don't know if I can... say it.” Pit gulped, his wings moving up to shield himself from the world, from Rock.

The robot frowned, not used to nor liking seeing the angel in such a vulnerable and frightened state.

“It's okay, if you don't feel like talking about it right now-” Rock started, but Pit interrupted him, abruptly looking back up, his wings coming back down.

“I think...” Pit's voice cracked. “I can show it.”

Rock was suddenly aware that the angel's face was really red. And really close.

And it suddenly got a lot closer. Impossibly so. So much so that their faces touched, connected by their lips.

It was sudden, and Rock was taken aback. He felt himself one wrong move away from short-circuiting, his heater making warmth spread throughout his chest.

After what felt like an eternity, he fully realized what Pit was doing.

Kissing.

Pit was kissing him. On the mouth. With clear intent.

Rock had seen people kiss like this before, but despite this he was clueless as to how he should react. Feeling extremely awkward -yet also strangely thrilled- about the unexpected turn of events, he stood frozen into place, not knowing if he should move, nor when.

The angel in his arms eventually broke the kiss. His eyes fluttered open, and the look inside them broke Rock's metaphorical heart in half.

When he spoke, Pit's voice was as small as he looked at the moment. “... You didn't kiss me back...”

“Was I supposed to?...” Rock asked carefully, feeling utterly baffled.

“No, no of course not.” Pit laughed, the sound bitter, a feeling of dread washing over the robot. “I'm just an idiot who thought you would... that you... we...”

Though his gaze was cast downwards, Rock could easily see the tears threatening to spill from his friend's eyes. In a desperate attempt to mend whatever had been broken in the last few seconds, Rock said the only thing he could think of: an apology. For what, he did not yet know.

“I'm sorry, Pit.”

“No, no you're not.” The angel scoffed, though it came out garbled as a sob wracked his body. Rock tried to reach for him, to give him comfort, as he had done so many times before whenever Pit would wake up from a nightmare.

To his surprise, Pit shot up, slapping his hand away and glaring at him through his tears. “Get away from me!”

“But-” Rock could feel himself about to cry, he held out his hand towards Pit, but the look of hurt and despair that flashed across his best friend's face at the motion made him retreat right away.

Wishing not to cause Pit any more pain or distress, Rock let him go, watching him run away from him, his silhouette disappearing in the distance. The further away the angel got from him, the heavier Rock's heart felt.

He tried to make sense of the tangled string of events that had unfolded, tried to see where he went wrong, as he let the tears fall.

He absent-mindedly brought up his hand to his mouth, touching his lips, feeling the ghost of a tingle as he thought back to his angel kissing him.

He was oblivious, but not an idiot. He knew what kisses meant, especially in this context.

Pit loved him. His best friend was in love with him. He had given him his heart.

And Rock just had to go and carelessly shatter it.

Chapter Text

Dinner had been awkward and tense, to say the least. Neither of them spoke to each other, yet they did not dare sit anywhere other than their usual spot at the dinner table they shared with their friends.

Pit did not spare a glance towards Rock, nor say a word. He forced out a laugh at times, whenever Ness, Sora or Sonic would crack a joke, and the robot felt guilty for how hard the angel was trying to cover up how he truly felt.

Unable to take it any longer, Rock had excused himself from the table, making up a lie about having to call his father a bit earlier than usual. Pit did not react, even if he had to know Rock was not telling them the truth, and this only prompted the robot to clear his spot on the table faster.

He rushed back to his room, trying to find things to distract himself with and calling his family at the time that had actually been scheduled. He forced himself to smile, and not let anything show, but from his father and sister's expressions he knew they were aware than something was amiss.

Thankfully, the subject was not brought up, and as he ended the call, Rock realized how drained he felt.

He let himself flop on his bed, and drifted into sleep in a matter of seconds.

The following days had not been any easier. They tried their best to act normal around each other, all while avoiding any situation where they would have to talk, let alone be left together on their own.

They also tried to keepy any bitterness at bay, but had a hard time quelling their urges to snap back at the slightest remark or keep their cool at minor annoyances.

In short, no matter how hard both boys tried to pretend everything was fine, everyone had quickly caught on that something was wrong.

And things crystallized when Dark Pit had confronted Rock one morning after breakfast.

“I finally had that room to myself, but now he's here every night!” The dark angel complained. “Did you ban him from your room or something?!”

Rock tried to ignore him, not wanting to face the issue, especially not in front of a crowd of friends that was way too big for his liking. So he kept on walking, aiming to escape outside, go for a walk and practice his aim, in the hopes of clearing his mind.

But Pittoo was having none of it, and grabbed his arm before he could take one more step.

“Hey! I'm talking to you, tin can!” He said as he yanked him back. “What the hell is up?! Pit won't tell me anything!”

“Neither will I! Now let go of me!” Rock spat, shoving the angel back with such force, he fell flat onto the ground.

The onlookers gasped, clearly not expecting the robot to use such a violent response. From the ground, Pittoo cursed him out, looking genuinely upset. “What the fuck is wrong with you two?!”

Rock looked around in a panic, feeling every single one of the concerned, baffled or judgemental stares that were locked onto him, and choked on an apology, turning around and darting to the exit, not stopping until he was sure nobody had followed him.

That was how he found himself almost lost, in the middle of one of the nearby forests, mindlessly watching the water travel down a small stream, his confused thoughts canceling each other out, leaving his robotic mind blank of any conscious thought process, a rare and thus distressing occurrence for him.

That is, until his reflection in the water was joined by a familiar, spiky and blue one, startling him back to reality.

“S-Sonic?!” He stammered, turning around to face his friend. “What are you doing here? How did you follow me?!”

“You... do remember I'm the fastest thing alive, right? It isn't hard to keep up with you,” Sonic boasted, “honestly, it's like a leisurely stroll to me.”

“Yeah, yeah, you're amazing and all that...” Rock scoffed, walking away. “Leave me alone, will you?”

Sonic appeared right in front of him, arms crossed, almost making the robot stumble backwards.

“Hoooold on there little buddy. We need to talk.”

Rock grumbled his discontentment, but was quick to admit defeat: his only chance of escaping Sonic would be to turn invisible, and only few people could do that. One of them was...

He stopped that train of thoughts. He did not need to think about Pit at the moment.

“Alright, first off, I won't berate you about what happened back there, in fact, it was pretty funny...” Sonic smirked. “But the emo Pit was right, something's up, and it's not something good.”

“What's it to you?!” Rock challenged, still feeling confrontational.

“Wha- Rock! We're buddies! Besties, even!” Sonic said, undoubtedly concerned. “If something's wrong, or making you unhappy, I wanna know about it!”

“You- I... I'm sorry, I know I've been acting like a jerk lately...” Rock sighed, ashamed of his behavior.

“You can say that again!” Sonic nodded, before his entire demeanor turned solemn. “But that just means you're lashing out because you're hurting, a lot. And me, and all our friends, want to know what's causing this, that way, we can help. Especially Simon. Poor guy's already getting gray hair outta this whole thing.”

As Rock stayed silent, Sonic sighed, looking back towards the mansion.

“Look, dude... All we want is for our old buddy Rock to come back to us, and be happy again.” Sonic explained, in a rare display of genuine care, all jokes left aside from the time being.

And those words. Those words broke something inside Rock.

He, too, wanted to be happy again. He wanted to stop acting the way he had been acting. He wished he could turn back time and erase the last, normal conversation he had ever shared with his angelic best friend.

He wanted to be able to look Pit in the eyes again, without feeling overwhelmed by guilt and confusion. He wanted to glance at him, take in his beauty, be caught staring and be awarded a wonderful, shy smile. He wanted to tease him again, just to hear his flustered gasps and see his flushed face. He wanted to listen to his rambles for hours, in the quiet of the night, both of them fighting back against sleep, unwilling to miss out on a single second they could spend together.

He wanted things to go back to the way they were. But how? How could he fix something without a full understanding of the problem? You couldn't patch a glitch unless you had a good grasp of the program!

He felt a comforting hand on his back, and took notice of the feeling of tears streaming down his face.

He had been crying.

“Hey, hey! It's okay blue bot, it's okay!” He heard Sonic say, though his friend sounded weirdly like he was underwater. “Let it all out, alright? I've got you!”

Rock cried harder.

The hedgehog stayed by his side until the soft sobs of the robot turned into tiny whimpers, demonstrating patience and understanding that Rock guessed few people had ever witnessed.

He was oh so grateful for it.

It took a bit more time for Rock to fully gather his bearings, some stray tears still making it onto the ground, but he felt strangely better after his outburst, albeit tired.

“So, do you feel ready to share what's on your mind or...” Sonic asked, after one last tear had fallen.

“Yeah, it's... it's about Pit.” Rock croaked.

“What isn't with you, am I right?” Sonic teased, though with, again, some air of caution.

Rock leveled him with a half-hearted glare, and his spiky friend got the memo. “Sorry, sorry... please continue.”

“We uh... we fought? I guess?”

“You guess?...”

“It's uh... it's complicated... I mean, it's not, but at the same time, it is? I think?” Rock's hand flew to his helmetless head, gripping at his hair, and he groaned. “I don't freaking know!”

“Rock, bud, I understand you're confused about... whatever this is, but you're gonna have to try and be a little clearer...” Sonic smiled apologetically, “you know I have a negative attention span, and I'm trying really hard right now.”

“Ugh, fine! He kissed me! He confessed to me!”

Sonic was silent, for a second, his mouth opened in shock. Slowly, it morphed into a grin. “Oh, cool!”

Rock raised an eyebrow. “... What do you mean, cool?”

“I mean, you're happy about that, right? Pit being in love with you?”

Was he happy about that kiss, and the knowledge Pit loved him? He supposed he was, though he hadn't given it much thought, more preoccupied with the fact he had broken the heart of the person he cared the most about in this and any other world. And that they had been acting like strangers, at best, for the past few days, as if everything they had could just be swept under the rug, just like that.

“Why would I be happy about it?...” He mused, frowning.

Sonic blinked. “Because of your crush on the guy?”

What?

“Excuse me, because of my what?!” Rock shrieked, feeling his cheeks flare up, his core's temperature rising. What was going on? Why was Sonic saying this as if it was a universal truth? And why was Rock's body reacting that way?!

“You mean- you don't love him?!” Sonic said, a confused frown settling on his face.

“I- no?! Why would you think that?” Rock continued, willing his voice to stop squeaking, and failing. “We kept telling everyone we weren't dating!”

“Yeah well... clearly...” Sonic looked to the side. “Ahem, sorry. It's just that- don't get me wrong I know next to nothing about love but uuuuh... I really thought it was mutual.”

Rock felt like his entire system was working miles a minute. And maybe it was.

But Sonic was just mistaken, right? Surely he would know if he had fallen in love with his best friend?

… who was he kidding? Of course he wouldn't, romance confused him, and he had never experienced it. How would he know what it felt like? And in this case... could he really trust that his feelings for Pit had been purely platonic?

“I... I don't know either...” He finally admitted.

“Oh.” Sonic smirked. “Oooooh... alright, I see. So, um, the kiss. What happened?”

“He kissed me.”

“And you didn't kiss him back?” Sonic asked, and Rock nodded. “Did you like it?”

The robot answered instantly, as that was one of the few things he was sure of. “Yeah, I guess. It felt nice...”

“Would you kiss him again, given the chance?”

“Sonic... I don't think I could kiss Pit again considering-”

“Ok, ok, I get it.” Sonic nodded. “But tell me, if you could go back to when Pit kissed you... would you do it? Would you kiss him back?”

Rock frowned. What was the hedgehog getting at? “I mean, me not kissing him back made him upset, so... yes?”

Sonic groaned, tapping his foot on the ground. “No, what I meant to ask is... Would you want it?”

“I...” Rock bit his lip, his mind overtaken by confusion. And some weird feeling of... was that yearning? For what? The kiss? “I don't know... I don't know Sonic, I...”

“Hey now, it's okay! You just need more time to take it all in, no biggie!” The hedgehog said as he gave him comforting pats on the back. “Just think it over. It's gotta be something you feel.”

Rock half-nodded, still lost in his thoughts. “How... how would you respond?”

The hedgehog blinked, and then squinted at him. “What do you mean?”

“If your best friend kissed you, and you liked it-”

“I wouldn't. It'd feel weird.” Sonic shrugged. “I mean, they're my friend. Friends don't kiss, and if they do, they don't enjoy it, not the way lovers do. And they absolutely do not wish for more.”

Rock was at a loss for words. But he could admit that Sonic had a point: had it been anyone else, would Rock have... would Rock have... enjoyed it? Would the thought of doing it again not only be okay with him, but actually be something he would happily oblige? And back when Pit had kissed him would it have felt...

...so wonderfully right?

“...Oh.”

Sonic might just be onto something, after all.

“Yeah.” The hedgehog chuckled. “Honestly I don't think I'm the best person to ask for that type of thing... sorry.”

“It's okay Sonic. I guess I just needed to talk about it a little... I'll find the answer eventually.” Rock managed a smile. “It honestly feels like I'm getting there. Thank you, by the way.”

“You're very welcome!” Sonic said, making a mock bow. “But... maybe you should talk about your situation with someone who would know more about that stuff.”

“Who do you have in mind?”

Rock had scoffed. There was no way he was going to go to Sora for advice.

It wasn't that he didn't like the guy, he was awesome, really kind and a lot of fun to be around, but for those same reasons he and Pit were basically like long lost twins, and having to deal with another bubbly brunette was definitely not something Rock was in the mood for.

Moreover, he honestly had his doubts on Sora being able to give better advice than Sonic. That guy seemed to be all about friendship, a bit worryingly so, and Rock had never heard him mention anything about romance once.

Besides, he felt like he was about to figure it all out on his own. What he needed to do next was test out his realization, but that would mean getting along with Pit again, or at least be back on speaking terms, and he knew it would require a lot of work to get to that point.

He wondered if Pit was thinking about him as often as he did. He wondered if the angel was as weary of their situation, and yearned to reconnect. He wondered if he, too, was looking as pathetic as Rock was, alone in his room, clutching a pillow for some false sense of familiarity and affection.

Laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, Rock sighed, feeling empty inside.

“I miss you.”

Chapter Text

It didn't take long for despair to set in and make Rock reconsider his position.

Four days, to be exact. After many, many failed attempts at trying to talk to Pit, the angel rejecting each and every one of his peace offerings, or flat-out avoiding him.

But the straw that broke the camel's back, however weird a reason it was, was Rock accidentally stumbling across some of the angel's forgotten belongings in his own room, as he was trying to do some – supposedly - relaxing cleaning.

After another few days spent cooped up in the lab mindlessly working on gadgets and repairs that were far from urgent, regularly screaming into pillows, and absolutely no instances of sobbing while lying on his room's floor, the blue bomber decided that maybe Sonic had been right.

So, despite past experiences screaming at him not to take his best friend's advice, he freshened up, and readied himself to face the world.

However, finding the whereabouts of the Mansion's resident Keyblade wielder proved to be a bit harder than expected: his room was empty, and nobody had seen him around since the morning.

Rock had been ready to just wait it out into the main lounge, but upon entering it, his gaze met with Pit's.

Ness, their mutual friend, was also there, and shot up from his seat, mouth opened, ready to speak, but the robot barely heard the first word, as he dashed right out of the lounge and away, far away from the Mansion.

He was ready to face the world, yeah. But not this.

He only stopped running when he realized what a fool he was making of himself. Again.

Groaning, he leaned against a tree trunk, trying to figure out what to do next.

That's when he felt a drop of water fall onto his head. Then another. And another...

By the time he found shelter, he was completely drenched. The thought of equipping his armor had completely escaped his mind, a testament to how well he was holding up.

He let out a long, exhausted and defeated sigh as he laid down on one of the benches of the roofed picnic table he had nearly cried over upon finding.

“Rough day?” A familiar voice asked, coming from his right.

“Sora?” Rock said, sitting back up and looking across the table where, lo and behold, Sora was sitting, completely drenched as well.

“The one and onl- uh...” Sora scratched his chin, seemingly lost in thought. “I mean, yeah. Me.”

“Finally.” Rock sighed in relief. “I was trying to find you.”

“You were?” Sora asked, leaning on his elbows, his interest piqued.

“I need your help.” Rock winced at the desperation in his voice. “... please.”

“My help?” Sora asked, looking a bit too eager for Rock's nervousness. “With what?”

“It's, um... it's friendship related? And also... more?” Rock shut his eyes, cringing at how badly he was explaining this. “I mean, I had a fight with a close friend of mine lately...”

“Pit?”

“Y-yeah.” He winced. “I guess everyone is aware of it, huh?”

Sora nodded, a soft, apologetic smile gracing his features. It looked eerily like Pit's, and that was one of the worst observations the robot could have made. Rock whined, his forehead hitting the table, the water from his hair dripping onto the wood.

After a while of Rock feeling sorry for himself, and frankly fed up with the world, Sora picked the conversation back up.

“So, let me guess: you guys are in a rough spot, and you don't really understand what's going on with him, or how to make it all better?”

Rock lit up at that, lifting his head from the table.

“Exactly! All I want is just for things to go back the way things were... he just did this thing so out of the blue, didn't even let me have the time I needed to answer the choice he presented me with...” Rock kept on rambling, Sora nodding at his words, “... and now he won't even talk to me, no matter how hard I try to make it up to him! It's so... it's so...”

“Frustrating?” Sora helpfully provided.

“Yeah! Like come on, why is he being petty about this?” Rock huffed. “It's not like I hurt him on purpose!”

To his surprise, Sora laughed. An earnest, shameless laugh.

“What's so funny?” The robot asked, as equally confused as he was annoyed.

“Sorry, sorry, it's just... the way you described it, it reminded me of the time my friendship with Riku had withered.”

Rock raised an eyebrow. “... who's Riku?”

“He's... we're each other's most precious person.” Sora explained, a soft smile gracing his features, as he seemed to recall some memories.

“Like...” Rock hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like Pit and I?”

Because while he still hadn't wrapped his mind around the fact he had potentially been in love with his best friend for all this time, Rock would be lying if he said he wouldn't consider Pit to be his most precious person.

And Sora seemed to agree, as he nodded. “Right. You two have a bond not unlike ours.”

Rock was torn between smiling upon learning Sora had someone in his life that was as important to him as Pit was to Rock, and frowning upon remembering that things had changed when it came to him.

“I suppose we do... well, did...” he sighed, looking down at the ground, “but I messed up. Because of me, our bond is broken, and I don't know what to do to mend it...”

“I wouldn't say broken, just weakened.” Sora reassured him. “But your hearts are still connected. You two love each other too much for a clean break. I'm sure you'll be able to work it out.”

Rock felt his body temperature rise at the use of the word 'love', trying to ignore the somewhat pleasant feeling that had just washed over him, in favor of focusing on the issue at hand.

“That's all very nice but... I have tried to fix it, for us to talk again, but Pit won't let me.” He explained, feeling frustrated as he recalled all his failed attempts. “I don't know what to do, to prove to him that I care, to really get it through to him that I want us to be okay again.”

Sora looked pensive for a moment, and then it was as if a lightbulb appeared right over his head.

“I got it! You want to reconnect, to strengthen your bond again, in some kind of gesture that Pit will have to agree to, and that will also show him how much you love him, right?”

Again with this whole 'love' thing, Rock definitely would end up melting inside once this conversation was over. But he had to concede Sora had pinned him down, nodding for all response.

“Then you should share a paopu fruit with him!” Sora grinned, his arms outstretched.

Rock blinked. “What's a paopu fruit?”

“A fruit from my world.” Sora explained. “My uh, world-world.”

“And why this one, specifically? Can't I just... share any other fruit?”

“Oh, no, no!” Sora vehemently shook his head. “That fruit is special!”

“How come?”

What followed his rather innocuous question was a surprisingly detailed and passionate lecture about hearts, light, destiny, love, friendship and other mushy stuff. What he gathered from the otherwise mess of an explanation was that, according to legend, this fruit, when shared with someone, would tie your fate with said person, intertwining your destinies forever. It was an act that could be seen as greatly romantic, and Rock had a bit of trouble separating the legend from the ritual of marriage, bringing his body heat up again.

“I, alright, I kinda get it?” Rock interrupted Sora in his tangent about bonds whistanding time and distance. “But, I'm still not sure if I'm in love with Pit...”

“It's okay! Sharing a Paopu fruit works for any kind of bond, really, not just romantic. But I feel like it'd be a good start, you know? Make sure you guys' hearts and destinies entwine for the rest of your lives. I'm sure Pit will appreciate the gesture.”

“I'd... yeah, that sounds good.” Rock agreed, trying to fight back the fluttery feeling at the thought of Pit staying by his side for all of eternity. “I'd also really like that.”

A beat. Then Rock voiced a question that had been lurking in the back of his mind for a while now.

“But... will it even work?” Rock mused. “Do I even have a heart? I'm barely a step-up from a puppet...”

“You do.” Sora smiled, a strange glint in his eyes. “There's no doubt about it.”

While they had been talking, the rain had gradually stopped falling, and the two boys decided not to postpone their expedition to retrieve the coveted fruit.

Sora lamented the fact he could not use his Keyblade to travel between worlds while he was staying in the Smash universe, the Hands being strict when it came to dimension hopping.

However, there was a room in the Mansion that was hosting a plethora of portals leading to each of the fighters and assists' home dimensions. Sooner than later, they found themselves inside, not having been spotted by the Hands. Rock found himself wondering if this was intentional.

Not wasting time, Sora dragged Rock through his home dimension's portal, and they both landed into the sea, the robot grumbling about being wet again, while Sora simply laughed the whole thing away, as if he was used to it.

After a short swim, they reached the shore of the “play island”, and Sora started reminiscing about his childhood memories as they made their way across the beach, climbing up to the higher levels of the isle.

Rock listened, first out of politeness, then out of curiosity. He hadn't exactly taken the time to get to know Sora outside of a superficial level.

He heard Sora mention a lot of names, each important to the islander. Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Roxas... and many, many more.

That's when the robot consciously realized that, for all that Sora and Pit could be similar, their lives were very different ones.

And where Sora had a lot of friends back home, Pit...

Pit's life was pretty lonely.

Rock felt an even stronger urge to mend their friendship. Not only for his, but for the angel's sake.

They finally made their way across a small wooden bridge, leading to a tree harboring star-shaped, yellow fruits, and picked the ripest one of them once Sora got done talking, as the sun started its descent into the sea.

When they came back, the sky outside the Mansion was still overcast, a stark contrast to the bright blue of Destiny Islands'.

Sora prepped him, answering all the robot's inquiries about the ritual, if the fruit had to be completely eaten and digested, if there were any side effects, and how long the fruit would last.

This last one made him realize he had a timeframe of two days, at most, to make his move, before the fruit would start to rot. Rock wasn't upset about it, in fact he welcomed the added motivation.

Soon enough, all of the blue bomber's questions were answered. Save for one.

“Sora?”

“Hm?”

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That you loved him?”

Sora's eyes shone with mirth, or maybe it was just the light of the setting sun finally chasing away the gray clouds in the sky.

“For the longest time... I didn't. Yet I feel like I've always kind of known.”

It wasn't exactly what most people would consider an acceptable response. But for Rock? Hearing those words felt like something inside of him clicked into place. Like two circuit boards had finally been properly aligned, allowing the whole system to run smoothly.

He felt himself that much closer to finding his own answers, and he was more than eager for them.

Chapter Text

Rock did not put his plan into motion right away. He had needed to give himself some time to work up the courage to go up to the angel to give this fruit thing a go.

Truth be told, despite Sora's reassurances, he was terrified of another failure, as it would cement in the fact their friendship was officially, well and truly, over.

Rock could take any beatings from Robot Masters, go through any trials and come out the other side, yet he did not think he could take that kind of blow and survive.

But for that same reason – and the time-limit – he could not let himself stall longer than necessary. Like many of his battles, he had to go in and face it, no matter how much he did not want to.

So, with the fruit in hand, he strode as confidently as he could through the mansion's corridors. If Pit had not changed his habits, he would have no doubt been sunbathing in his favorite of the lounges, to unwind after his morning training.

He had not expected to be ambushed on the way there.

“There you are!” Ness said, barring the way forward. Next to him, Toon Link looked grim and stoic, an odd sight.

“There I am?” Rock said, a bit stunned.

“We finally got you, so don't think about escaping this time!” The boy warned, nodding to Toon, who grabbed onto Rock and shoved him in a nearby room. A storage unit.

Rock protested upon being manhandled, but did not resist, his curiosity winning over his frustration.

He remembered Ness trying to talk to him the day before, and wondered if this had something to do with Pit.

Then again, what wasn't these days.

Ness and Toon stood on each of his sides, blocking the exit, looking at him like two mobsters about to interrogate some poor sod from a rival gang. Movie night had not been a good influence on these two. At the very least, Rock much more enjoyed that time they had fully imprinted on pirate movies. That had been some fun months.

“Listen here, mister,” Toon said, “because we need to talk.”

“Talk about what?” Rock asked.

“We need to talk about you talking to Pit!” Ness answered, crossing his arms and looking like he was a teacher reprimanding one of his students on bad behavior. It almost made the robot laugh.

“Which I was about to do?”

“Which you were about to do, exactly!” Toon nodded, before he squinted his eyes. “Wait, what?”

Ness looked just as surprised. “You were?”

“Yes?” Rock said, feeling a bit sheepish. “I've been trying to... but he doesn't want to. But this time I was going to ask him to share this fruit with me.”

“... huh?” Ness asked, frowning in bewilderment.

Toon took a step forward, inspecting the fruit, and his eyes lit up in recognition.

“Oh!” He smiled. “That's a great idea Rock!”

Ness got closer as well, tilting his head as he took in the situation. “Is there something I'm missing here?”

Toon whispered something in his ear, and he grinned. “Toon's right! That might just do the trick!”

“Only if he lets me talk to him...” Rock sighed, dejectedly. “Or even be in the same room.”

“Yikes, so it really was all on him lately.” Ness bit his lip. “Sorry, I thought you were also playing hide-and-seek.”

“But!” Toon interjected. “That makes our jobs, and yours, easier! Because we managed to convince Pit to talk to you!”

Rock felt a wave of hope wash over him at these words. He could not contain the growing smile on his face.

“Really? He won't run away?”

“Swore on his food rations for the next week.” Ness told him.

“And with Ness,” Toon chuckled, “you know that threat will be followed through.”

Rock felt so elated at the news, he went in for a group hug, taking his friends by surprise.

“Thanks, you guys.”

He felt Toon pat him on the back. “You can thank us by giving your boy that fruit.”

“Heck yeah!” Ness nodded, lightly squeezing Rock's side. “Go get 'em, tiger!”

After he let go of the hug, walked out of the storage unit and parted ways with his friends, Rock was once again making his way to the lounge, where he now knew for sure he would find Pit, a determined pep in his step.

Alas, upon seeing the angel, looking ethereal under the light of the late morning sun, the robot's entire being stuttered, his prior confidence shaking under the weight of all of his nightmare scenarios. He gripped the fruit - mindful not to squeeze it - bringing it close to his chest, and counted to ten in his head, trying to settle himself.

“... Rock?”

“Eight!” Said robot blurted out, immediately wanting to bail out of the situation, mortified and shaken as he was. “I-uh I mean, ah... hi Pit.”

Rock took solace in how obviously nervous Pit seemed to be: the angel was curled up in the corner of his favorite window ledge, his wings poofed up, in a defensive stance. His expression was guarded, his eyes darting away from Rock everytime the robot found his gaze.

“We uh... need to talk.” The robot said, trying to start a conversation and finding nothing better than parroting Toon and Ness' words.

“Yeah, apparently we do...” Pit murmured, hugging his knees. This reserved and cautious angel was a far cry from the boy Rock knew, and he felt his metaphorical heart break a little.

Not wanting to bother with words that would bring them nowhere, the blue bomber steeled himself, and chose to act. With a couple of hurried steps, he closed the distance, though he still left some space between them, for the angel's sake.

Without further ado, he shoved the Paopu in Pit's face.

The angel looked between Rock and the fruit in mild confusion.

“What... is that?”

“A Paopu fruit.” Rock lamely explained. “It's uh, it's from Sora's. It grows on some kind of palm tree.”

“Oh.”

The silence stretched between them, growing more awkward by the minute, until Pit broke it off with a forced out cough.

“So, what's up with that papaya-”

“-Paopu-”

“-that fruit thing?”

“It's supposed to strengthen bonds between people. Make them last forever.” Rock explained, growing nervous, as he was having a lot of second-thoughts about his plan.

What if Pit found it ridiculous? What if he mocked him for trying to not only try to fix what they had after he broke it, but have the gall to want it for the rest of their existence?

But Pit's gaze met his own. And Rock had been close enough to the angel to know when he asked a question with his eyes. So, shoving all his doubts deep inside, and holding on to the safe haven that were facts, he went on.

“You, uh, you're supposed to eat it. Share it. Together.” He took a moment to calm his whirring. “With the person you want to intertwine your destiny with.”

Pit went back to staring at the fruit, as if it was the key to the secrets of the universe. Rock simply prayed it would be the key to end this whole ordeal.

“And you got one.” Pit whispered, as if something would shatter if he spoke louder. “Are you... sure?”

“I uh, I want to. I- you're important to me, and I'd like to keep you in my life for... a long time?” Rock sighed, fumbling through his explanation. “I don't- I don't know if I can give you what you want of me, not right away, I'm still unsure of what I feel... and I don't want to give you hope only to...”

He trailed off, thinking back to the terrible sight of the wounded look on the angel's face when the robot had not reciprocated.

“But I do love you, and I think I've been discovering some things about myself – about us. I just wish we could reconnect so that I could see if, maybe, just maybe...”

“And you want us to eat that fruit so it can happen?” Pit inquired, and Rock nodded, failing to notice that the angel's posture was a bit more relaxed, his wings back to their default stance.

“I won't eat a bite as long as you don't want me to,” Rock rambled, “I promise you. I care too much about you to betray your trust, and-”

“I know, Rock.” Pit said, something vulnerable in his tone, which made the robot look up from the ground.

Their eyes met, but the angel looked away instantaneously.

“I realized – well, I was told – that I've been... unfair to you.” Pit admitted, his voice soft. “It's not right of me to sacrifice our friendship just because I didn't get what I want. I've let my selfishness take over, and for that I am sorry.”

“Pit, it's... it's alright.” Rock said, both to his friend and to himself. “I've hurt you, of course you'd want to get away.”

“Maybe, but you didn't do it on purpose. I was mortified, and scared, and angry and I thought it would be better for us both if I cut you off. But in doing that... I've hurt you too.” Pit said, his voice strained. “And you didn't deserve it. You didn't do anything wrong.”

Pit let out a shaky exhale, misty eyes staring straight at the robot. “I'm truly sorry, Rock.”

The robot was speechless. And was so long enough a time for the angel to decide to take the matter into his own hands. Or, in this specific case, the fruit.

“I want to try it.” He said, looking down at the Paopu. “Show me?”

This prompted Rock to shake himself out of his stunned stupor, and he gave a tentative smile as he gave Pit the same instructions he had gotten from Sora.

Soon enough, they were both eating the fruit, their hands covered in sticky juice.

“It's a bit salty.” Pit observed as he munched, if only to break the silence.

“But a bit sweet too, right?” Rock said, though he was aware his taste receptors were below that of organics.

“I guess so.” Pit gave a small smile. “A bit like happy tears.”

Rock believed it was moreso their talk, rather than the legend, that got them to start to hang out again and be friends, much to the relief of everyone. But it did not exactly go back to normal.

While they had gone back to being their good-old battling duo, and played games and shared meals together, Pit was keeping his distance, and they rarely ever hugged. Not that the robot wanted to instigate.

Likewise, Rock had learned to keep his lips closed tight, lest he let a compliment slip through, and cause discomfort in the angel.

Yes, according to the legend, their bond was supposed to have been strengthened, and made unbreakable, but it still felt strained. Despite it all, Rock knew when to recognize victories, even small, and had thanked his friends for their help.

His little peace offering may not have brought things back to how they used to be, but he still had Pit standing in his room, playing a video game as he listened to the robot's stories and ideas, while sparing glances at him from time to time. Those glances always made something familiar stir, deep inside Rock's flurry of emotions, and the robot had faith he would soon be able to confidently put a definite name to that feeling, that he more and more suspected was the same love Pit felt for him.

And, maybe, everything was going to turn out okay.

Chapter Text

It happened when they were hanging out with Simon, on the training grounds.

Their older friend had managed to convince them to come back to it, despite the awkward memories. Rock had honestly started feeling suspicious of his intentions with how insistent the man had been for them to meet and practice every evening. Even more so with his tendency to find a different excuse every single time, when it came to ditching them earlier and earlier in their sessions.

But the issue with Simon was that, for all that he looked like a scary hunk of meat, he had the sweet and clueless act down pat. To confront him would be like yelling at a puppy. A really muscular puppy, but endearing nonetheless.

And with all their training, they had finally managed to get to the top of the board for the Home-Run Contest, so Rock could not complain.

Still, it made him nervous to think that the others might still be scheming behind the scenes, to try and push him and Pit together, and using Simon for their harmless nefarious plans. Things were not perfect between them, and there was some lingering coldness and tension, but they had adapted to it.

They were just waiting for something that would come in its own time. And, as far as Rock knew, they were both okay with that.

Today was the same as any other, though, with Simon suddenly making his way out of the training grounds.

“Where are you going?” Rock asked, playing an internal game of guessing the excuse.

“Babysitting Rosalina's Lumas.” Simon responded, in all his seriousness, utterly flooring Rock. He had certainly not been expecting that.

Pit lit up. “Now this I gotta see! Let me come!”

Simon shook his head. “No, work on your strength instead.”

“I'm plenty strong enough!” Pit pouted.

With a teasing smirk, Simon flexed his muscles. The angel had long since learned doing the same thing would not let him win such an argument.

Defeated, he let the whole thing go, and Simon bid his goodbye, with a wink that was quite forced and obvious.

Rock made an internal note to tell the others about this. Simon may not need to gain strength, but he still needed some coaching on modern social norms.

He moved his attention to Pit when he saw the angel coming his way, chapped lips stuck in a pout. Rock smiled in amusement, as he handed water to the angel. “Don't worry, you are strong.”

“Thanks,” Pit grumbled as he gulped down the water, spilling some down his chin. It was gross. But Rock didn't mind.

Forgoing any further training, after Pit lamented about impossible standards, they went to sit on the wall, as they had done plenty of times before and after that period of turmoil in their friendship. The sun was barely starting to set, and dinner wouldn't come for a while.

They had all the time in the world to rest and simply stay in each other's company.

Pit was looking at something in the distance, rambling about some new games their mutual group of friends were excited about playing soon. Rock, for his part, was having trouble following his words.

But he kept up with the way his mouth moved around them. The way the water that had stuck to his lips made it seem like they were shining under the sun. The way the angel's teeth caught his bottom lip when he remembered some of his losses in their gaming tournaments.

Rock snapped out of his distracted observations when a stray thought rattled him.

I want to kiss him .

And he did. He really did want to do that.

For the very simple fact that he wanted to. Because that is what some people in love long to do.

Because he loved Pit. Was in love with him, even. Always had been, in some way.

Pit must have noticed something was amiss with his friend, because his mouth stopped moving. He looked straight at Rock, a clear question in his gaze.

Rock could only smile, probably looking like an idiot, with how giddy he felt.

A breeze flew by, softly rustling hair and feathers alike.

“What is it?” Pit asked, terribly confused. “Are you low on battery or something? I told you-”

“You're pretty.”

“I-” The angel blushed. It had been a long time since the robot had complimented him in that way. “Where did that come from?”

“Can't I make an honest observation?” Rock teased, his metaphorical heart soaring at finding the drive to do so once again.

“An honest observation, he says...” Pit grumbled under his breath, looking away from him, his wings poofing up a bit. It was adorable, but then again, what wasn't about the angel?

“What, it's true! An objective fact!”

“How is it objective if you haven't said it since...” Pit was about to reply, but faltered. “Since...”

Truth be told, Rock felt a bit nervous bringing in the elephant in the room with a chorus of trumpets. They had not spoken of it since their reconciliation, from fear of making things awkward again. But this time, Rock had a good feeling everything would go smoothly.

So, with a grin, he said: “Since you kissed me?”

Pit's breath hitched, his head whipping around, eyes and mouth wide in alarm.

“Rock...” he warned, something fragile in the way he said his name.

The robot smiled in a way he hoped looked heartfelt.

“Right, that did happen, didn't it?” He started, raising a hand when Pit tried to cut in. “And we haven't settled the score, have we?”

“What do you mean?”

“You kissed me. I didn't get to kiss you.” Rock complained. “How is that fair?”

“What- wait are you saying... “ Pit frowned, hope written clearly on his face nonetheless. “Rock you better not be joking right now.”

“I promise you I'm not.” The robot turned serious, taking Pit's hand in his, making both of them jolt slightly from the touch.

“Prove it.”

“How?”

Pit groaned, his face getting redder by the minute. “Don't make me say it...”

“You could always show me, then?”

“Rooock...” Pit whined, flustered beyond belief, his wings coming up to cover parts of his face.

Said robot laughed, feeling lighter than air in the moment.

“Fine, I get it.” He squeezed Pit's hand. “In that case, could I...”

Pit looked down at their joined hands, wings dropping slightly. He lifted his head to meet Rock's eyes head-on, letting out an exhale.

“Are you sure?”

Rock nodded. “I wouldn't if I wasn't.”

The angel smiled, a sparkle in his eyes, making him look even prettier. His wings parted, leaving his face bare.

“Go on, then.”

Rock did not wait any longer, cradling Pit's face towards his own.

He brushed his lips against the angel's, already feeling a spark of the strange thrill he had felt during their first kiss. The proximity was a bit awkward, and he had to make sure to get the angle right, but the anticipation was more than welcome.

He could feel Pit's pulse under his hand, as quick as it could ever be, his breaths just as fast.

Rock leaned in, closing his eyes, and hit the mark.

Pit's lips were chapped, and slightly humid. But they were also quite soft. And they were Pit's.

He was kissing Pit. With romantic intent.

The strange thrill ran through his body, as he leaned in a bit more, angling his face in a way that allowed him to capture more of the other boy's lips with his mouth.

It felt weird. But good. A wave of happiness rushed through him.Helpless to keep himself from smiling, he accidentally broke the kiss.

But this was alright, as he figured the angel would need to breathe, his hunch being correct as Pit took a great intake of air, his face bright red, his eyes a bit clouded.

He had not kissed back. But Rock knew not to worry about unrequited feelings.

However...

“Was I bad, or something?” He asked.

Pit blinked, seemingly coming back online, a fact that amused the robot greatly.

“No! No it was... I'm sorry it's just, it was a lot.”

“Hmmm...” Rock grinned, pleased with this response, feeling a mighty need for more kisses. “In that case, how about we do it again?”

“... are you sure?”

“Yeah. I love you, and I want to kiss you. I couldn't be more sure.”

“Rock!” Pit exclaimed, looking about ready to combust into flames.

“What?”

“You can't just say things like that...” He mumbled.

And Pit was right. Maybe it was better to show than tell.

Rock kissed him again. This time, Pit kissed back.

They kissed each other for the very first time.

They did not announce this newest turn in their relationship, deciding to have some fun and see how long it would take their friends to notice any changes. But it turned out that nobody caught on, or, if they did, they assumed things had gone back to the way it used to be.

Things only changed once Rock and Pit informed their respective families of their new status as a romantic couple, rumors spreading like wildfire until the two confirmed their feelings in front of their friends.

Said friends were relieved that they not only did go back to the way things were, but that their feelings were out in the open and reciprocated. They insisted on hosting a party in celebration, to both Rock and Pit's embarrassment.

They both became a lot more public with their affections after everything settled down. Rock doubled down on his compliments to Pit, and weaponized all the mushy stuff he could think of, but it came at the cost of Pit growing an immunity to the teasing. However, since it allowed Rock to shower the angel with more praise, he really didn't mind.

They still met up in the evenings, at the training grounds. Simon kept up with the habit of leaving early, but that was because no one wanted to stay and third wheel them longer than necessary. Which was alright with the couple.

As they watched the sunset together, Rock turned to Pit, as he had taken to do, mesmerized by the breathtaking sight, as always.

“You're beautiful, you know?” He said, after a while of observing the shadows cast by the dimming light of the sun gradually move around his boyfriend's face.

“Heh,” Pit chuckled quietly, as he pushed back a bang behind his ear. “So I've been told.”

“You won't mind hearing it again?”

A grin. “Not at all.”

From then on, everybody could tell you that Pit and Rock are the best of friends.
At least, they used to be.

Nowadays, they were that, and something else just as strong.