Feeling Blue: A Smurfs Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-One

A knock. Brainy glanced at the door, stress knotting his stomach. It was quieter than Gutsy's knock, had more taps than Star... What if it was Hefty? The idea was a nauseating one. He glanced up, making sure the door was locked. It was. The knock came again. Maybe it wasn't Hefty, he would be insulting him by now.
"Brainy, are you in there?" Papa called. Brainy sighed, heading over to the door and opened it. Papa gave him a friendly grin. "Afternoon, Brainy, may I come in?"
"Sure," Brainy agreed, reluctantly, stepping aside so he could enter. Papa sat in the wooden chair, Brainy sitting opposite him, the two waiting in an awkward silence for the other to say something.

"Um...how are you?" Brainy asked, not able to cope with the tense silence anymore.
"Good. You?" Papa asked.
"Same." The awkward silence returned. It was moments like this that he missed the old Brainy: he talked so continuously that an awkward silence was unobtainable. "So...can I help you with something?"
"Gutsy mentioned the wand situation," Papa said. Brainy flinched, eyes remaining locked on the ground, waiting for the metaphorical axe to drop. "And I wanted to apologise for making things so bad for you that you didn't feel comfortable enough to tell me."
"It's fine, Papa," Brainy said. The flatness in his voice, the defeat that curled his shoulders forward, and how much he seemed to accept not being able to trust anysmurf confirmed to Papa that it was anything but fine.

"I came to give you this," Papa said, passing over the box with the wand in it. He chuckled slightly at Brainy's surprised expression. "I gathered it wasn't fair of me to take it in the first place."
"Do you know why I could hear it?" Brainy risked asking, finally looking up. He felt a slight sense of relief when he looked up and saw no anger from the eldest smurf.
"My guess is that you and magic go well together," Papa said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It is known that beings with magic have been known to link with the item."
"So there isn't something wrong with me?" Brainy asked. "Well not more than usual at least..."
"There is nothing wrong with you," Papa said, shaking his head slightly. "I really have failed..."
"What do you mean?" Brainy asked. The obvious confusion caused a slight pang in Papa's heart. How long had it been of them tearing Brainy down for the bespeckled smurf to not understand the issues with how he now saw himself. Papa was meant to be there, for all of his smurfs, but clearly in this case he hadn't fulfilled his duties.

There was another knock, this one distinctly Gutsy. Brainy opened the door.
"I told Papa, he said he'd come give you the wa-" he began before his eyes landed on Papa who looked pretty amused. "Oh."
"I'll leave you two to talk," Papa said with a smile. He could tell, or at least assumed, that Gutsy liked Brainy. Maybe, if he left them to talk, he would be able to boost Brainy's self esteem at least a little. He left, closing the door behind him, whistling as he headed back to his mushroom.

Gutsy and Brainy waited for the other to say something.
"Thanks..." Brainy finally said, smiling lightly as he opened the box and got the wand out. There was still some essence powering it and he was already turning his mind to think of an alternative power source. Smurf essence was one of the most powerful things, yes, but that was far too morbid to think about.
"You won't be able to use it much longer," Gutsy commented, noticing how little was left in it.
"Unless I think of an alternative," Brainy mused. Gutsy noticed something he hadn't noticed in a long time, something he had missed. The certain spark of determination Brainy used to possess.
"Any ideas?" Gutsy asked. Brainy considered a moment, chewing on his lip in thought. The idea came quicker than he expected.
"The smurf formula...I've adapted it before," he said. Gutsy flinched slightly at the reminder of that. "I am pretty sure I could adapt it for an item."

Gusty smiled slightly. Brainy's statement was quietly confident. He had missed that. Brainy never had that anymore so there even being a hint of it was assuring. Maybe there was a chance of the old Brainy returning or at least it increased the odds of his self esteem getting a boost.

"I'd better go then," Gutsy said, tone clearly disappointed. "I know the Smurf Formula is strictly confidential. What food should I bring you from the dinner hall?" Brainy frowned slightly. "And don't you dare say you aren't hungry. You don't eat enough."
"I eat plenty," Brainy murmured. "Anything then?"
"Okay!" Gutsy said, cheerfully. He looked at how Brainy's glasses were slipping and gently adjusted them so they didn't slip off. "See you soon, laddie!"

In the food hall he got some mushroom soup, figuring getting one of Brainy's favourites meant he was more likely to eat them.
"Hey Gutsy," Star's voice from beside him made him jump. "Have you told Brainy you like him yet?" Gutsy nearly dropped the tray of food, gaping slightly.
"Do you have to announce it to everysmurf?!" he asked without thinking. Star's expression was smug.
"So you do like him! Good to know," Star said. "You should tell him." Gutsy just stared blankly at her before shaking his head and walking away. She caught up. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"
"Why are you so invested in my love life?" Gutsy asked, rolling his eyes.
"I am invested in Brainy's," she said with a shrug. "He deserves to be happy and he always seems happy around you."
"I'll think about it then," Gutsy said, sighing. He would but saying anything was unlikely. "I better take Brainy's food."

He got back to the mushroom and when he came in there was a distinct blue glow coming from the cauldron. Brainy didn't seem to notice him, concentration locked merely on the work in front of him. A steady stream of blue flowed out of it into the wand, powering it so much that the silver of the dragon turned entirely blue. He made the spare float into a beaker and the cauldron back to where it belonged. He turned around, nearly jumping out of his skin when he saw Gutsy there.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," he said, awkwardly.
"You are amazing..." Gutsy said, still amazed at the display of magic he just saw. Brainy paused, hoping he wasn't blushing at the compliment.

Gutsy put the tray down, sitting by Brainy, the two nearly touching.
"Seriously, you could do a lot with your magic," he commented as they both ate their soup.
"Most smurfs wouldn't want me to. I already betrayed everysmurf, they don't need me being like Gargamel!"
"Hey..." Again Gutsy gently took Brainy's face in his hand, lifting it so the two made eye contract. "You are nothing like Gargamel. For one you are more talented than he ever could be and smarter. Plus you are way too nice."
"Nice?" Brainy repeated, doubtfully, pretty sure he was blushing by now.
"Mm," Gutsy confirmed. Realising how close the two were he also blushed, letting go and returning to his soup.

The two remained in silence as they kept eating, stealing each other side looks as they both wondered how much longer they could keep their feelings to the other bottled up and secret.