It Doesn't Hurt (Garycato One-Shot)

"It Doesn't Hurt"

Avocato has began to notice something odd about Gary, not because he watches him all the time and definitely not because he likes the man, he just noticed it on a whim.

It all began when Gary bumped his toe against the corner of a chair, over exaggerating the pain by hopping around and screaming dramatically, face screwed and red with pain.

Another time, Gary got a paper cut and went to Avocato crying about how he'd have to cut the whole finger off because the stinging pain bothered him and he couldn't handle it any longer.

"You just have to cut it off, Avocato!!" He cried, as dramatically as ever "its what a bro would do!"

Little Cato had pointed out that maybe, perhaps, Gary just wanted attention. He said that he'd often do the same to get Avocato's own attention and maybe what Gary wanted was to be comforted, finding any reason and excuse to get such treatment.

"Why would he just do that to me, then?" Avocato has asked and it took only an eyebrow raise from his son to notice.

So, when Gary had come to Avocato again with a red nose, having bumped against a door frame... Avocato sat with him and took care of the stupid injury, being as caring and soft as possible (all the while he didn't tremble nervously at all from touching the blond human).

What was stranger than all those encounters, that never really did stop (Avocato was beginning to notice how clumsy Gary truly was and it was impressive to an extent), was that when Gary had a serious wound- he didn't seem to notice.

It had happened after a fight they got caught in, Gary had been grazed by a laser bullet and Avocato had only noticed he had been bleeding because they were sat at the dinner table, eating, and Gary was smudging blood all over.

"Why didn't you say you were injured?!" Avocato huffed as he tended Gary who sat through it as if it were nothing, kicking his legs carelessly

"I didn't notice" Gary laughed easily, with that goofy smile he had and Avocato felt all anger drain instantly.

Another time, Gary's arm had a malfunction. It kept getting sparks and making not only Gary's arm but the man itself twitch and have tics.

When Avocato attempted to fix it, he flinched away as electricity burned through him from the edge of his fingertips to his tail, burning all the while. He hadn't said anything as he worked through it, afraid Gary would notice and ask him to stop.

Still, he hissed with pain and paused as he began to notice.... Gary should've felt those shocks as well.

Yet the man remained completely fine.

The awakening of "something's definitely wrong" was when the group had barely made it through a battle, everyone bleeding and holding onto their wounds.

The crew were all helping around and Avocato was helping tending others, limping around and pausing as his ears caught very quiet muttering from the pilot's room.

Quietly, Avocato walked in. He knew Gary had taken the job of getting them away and with the muttering, which he was realizing was just a phrase being repeated over and over again, Avocato wanted to check on the man.

"It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt-"

Avocato paused, watching as Gary continued piloting away, his hair dirty with blood that showered down his face, his eyes cold... absent.

"It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt." He repeated to himself and Avocato recalled how back in Final Space, when they were stuck on a planet, the man had muttered a series of words in the same manner.

"It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt."

Was this how Gary dealt with pain alone? Was this how Gary had dealt with pain this whole time?

"It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt."

Slowly Avocato stepped up, the muttering stopping abruptly before Gary turned, his absent eyes lighting up naively as if he weren't aware of the situation himself.

"Hey! what's up?" He smiled, that goofy smile of his.