Room 43// An Inanimate Insanity College AU

30- (Fuck Around And) Find Out

Paintbrush stared at a singular yellow flower in bloom, warm wind fanning over their face as they crouched to look at the blossom. "It's officially spring," They said plainly, turning to Fan with a deadpan expression. "I can't wait for hay fever," They continued sarcastically.

Fan nodded in agreement, but then quickly backtracked. "I don't get hay fever," He declared with passion, yet the slight shake in his voice gave away the lie completely. "I've actually never gotten sick. Ever!"

Paintbrush rolled their eyes with their blank expression turning amused and fond, shaking their head ever so slightly as they rose from their kneeled position and brushed off any dirt that stuck to their clothes. "Sure, Fan," They said. "Whatever you say."

Sputtering for a few moments in disbelief at the unconvinced tone Paintbrush used, Fan continued with his lie despite knowing that there was no way he was winning this argument. "It's true!" He exclaimed, rocking onto his tip-toes to reach Paintbrush's height. "I've never been sick. Test Tube could vouch for me!"

"Then what happened in the holidays? When Test Tube had to go get you because you ate something that had peanuts in it and threw up all over your bedroom?" Paintbrush asked, leaning against the brick pillars that made up the walls outside the college campus.

"...I think you should trip down the stairs on the occasion, Paintbrush. It would be beneficial to me."

Paintbrush laughed, in pure shock at the speed of the quip. "Wowww," They said, elongating the word for a long beat. "Wow, Fan. Wow." They continued to laugh, almost knocking their head against the brick pillar flush with their head.

Fan laughed alongside them, and Paintbrush kicked off the pillar with their raised foot and started walking. The two of them had planned to go out for donuts (Test Tube and Lightbulb were also invited but they declined) but Paintbrush had gotten thoroughly side-tracked by the blossoming flower.

It was chilly out; there was still snow spotting the ground, although most of it had melted with the sun that had peeked its head out of grey and white clouds. Fan's nose was red-tipped, the cold nipping at it, and he had a yellow scarf wrapped all the way around his neck three times over, if Paintbrush was counting correctly.

As the two of them were walking, following instructions from Fan's phone, something catches Paintbrush's eye. It's a set of overalls in a shop window, nothing too significant, really. Maybe it was the recently-shined buttons holding the front of the overalls against the straps, or the bright yellow of the top underneath, but Paintbrush stopped in their tracks and Fan turned around inquisitively.

"Do you think Lightbulb would like these?" Was the first thing that they thought to say. Fan stared at them blankly for a few moments before snickering, cheeky grin plastered across his face until he covered it with his palm.

Paintbrush stammered, growing embarrassed at the amused reaction. "Wh- hey!" They exclaimed, the tips of their ears growing warm as they ducked their head away from any attempt at eye-contact.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Fan wheezed, calming down from his fit of laughter. After looking up at Paintbrush, he fell into another laughing session. "It's just- That's the first thing that comes to mind? Really?"

"Well..." Paintbrush made a valiant attempt at forming a reply, although they found that they couldn't think of anything that wouldn't incriminate them even more. "You're just a bit of a dick, aren't you," they landed on, making a very rude gesture with their middle finger.

"Okay, Paintbrush, okay," Fan said, grinning and shaking his head.

He began to walk again and Paintbrush followed close behind, a comfortable silence taking its stance, the sounds of the city mid-afternoon washing over the two of them. "So... Lightbulb?"