I Need A Hug || Goob x Shrimpo

02 || Unecessary Feelings

TW: strong language, self hatred, angst

as of 8/11/24, this episode has been edited so shrimpo has he/him instead of she/her for clarity
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Goob woke up as his alarm sounded, ringing throughout his room. He scrambled to turn it off, kicking the blankets and sheets off of his bed. Goob somehow always forgets he has an alarm set for 7:30. What's the point of even having an alarm if you're just gonna fall asleep after an hour or two? Nevermind that. He got up, trying to recall what actually happened before he went to bed. Goob's face lit up when he remembered what all happened, kicking his dangling feet with a soft giggle. That's the closest he's ever been to Shrimpo. Goob stood up, jumping up and down slightly. He wondered how Shrimpo felt, as he thought he had seen the slightest blush on her face as she had left Goob's room. He went into his connected bathroom/changing room, getting ready for the day. No matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind kept wandering back to Shrimpo. He just shrugged it off for now, leaving his room and going to the main area where the Toons go to chat and hang out. Since it was pretty early, only a few toons were out there. There was Roger, who hadn't slept, Teagen, Tisha, Pebble, and Astro, who seemed pretty nervous about something (or someone). He could've sworn he heard something in the vents.. but it shouldn't be that big of a deal; probably a rat. Or Toodles. Damn anklebiter.. Goob shrugged it off. He wondered if Shrimpo was awake yet. He walked around for a moment, trying to find any sign of Shrimpo. After a good few minutes, he spotted him sitting in the kitchen area, arms crossed and annoyed like usual, a plate of bacon sitting in front of him. He couldn't help but notice something off about him, though. Shrimpo seemed to be deep in thought and unsure of something. Maybe it was bad sleep? Perhaps Astro didn't give him good dreams? What could it be then? Goob cleared their throat, trying to gain attention from Shrimpo. "Hey, Shrimpy! How's your mornin' been, bud?" Shrimpo's head shot up from the plate, eyes narrowing slightly as he grumbled. "Bad! Just leave me alone! Not in the mood.. and that's not my name! It's Shrimpo, I've told you that!" Shrimpo muttered harshly under his breath. Something seemed to be irritating him, and Goob could easily see that. They walked over to Shrimpo, sitting beside him and holding onto one of their hands. He tried pulling away, but honestly couldn't bring himself to do it. "What's up? Sumthin' wrong?" Goob questioned, tilting his head. His facial features softened, trying to comfort Shrimpo in any way. Shrimpo just sighed, scowling slightly and looking away. "I told you it's fine! Stop nagging me. Not like you'd care, anyways!" He hissed out, pulling his hand back roughly. Some of the bandages came undone, resulting in a small wince and Shrimpo attempting to rewrap it. Goob felt a bit guilty, pulling back. "Fuck, I'm so sorry. I'm just worried! Actually.. last night, after the-" Goob was cut off by Shrimpo, interrupting him. "That was a one time thing, don't think anything about it! Tisha made me do it." His voice grew softer at the end. He was lying, Tisha didn't even know about the hug. Shrimpo did it all by herself. He avoided looking at Goob, who's face softened. "He didn't really mean it? It didn't mean anything..?" Goob thought to himself, muttering the last bit to themself. He stood up, nodding. He crossed his arms, sighing. "Alright, I'll go. Cya later, friend." Goob put on a fake smile, waving goodbye to Shrimpo and leaving the kitchen area. Shrimpo felt guilty, watching them leave. Did he just fuck everything up? Why the fuck would she do that? Fuck.. He picked at his food after Goob left. He could hear his door slamming, causing him to flinch and sigh. Shrimpo pushed the plate and rested his head on the table, tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He rubbed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Shrimpo lost his appetite a long time ago, pushing his chair back and standing up. He didn't bother cleaning the plate up, knowing Tisha would get it later. It's not like she would know it was her. He left the kitchen area, walking past the awake Toons. Toodles had just so happened to wake up a little earlier, going up to Shrimpo. "Good morning, Shrimpo! Good morning! Good morning!" She exclaimed, running up to him and jumping up and down. Shrimpo got startled, scowling. He was not in the mood after his talk with Goob and just wanted to be alone. Poor Toodles, she just wanted to be kind. "Fuck off, Toodles! Can't you see I'm busy?! Leave me the fuck alone, idiot! All you do is annoy me! Go. The. Fuck. Away!" Shrimpo shouted, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. He had no idea what he had just said, and it was all in a fit of sadness and self-hate. Shrimpo had no intention of yelling at Toodles, especially not like that. The cursing was definitely too far, even for him. Toodles was 8, for goodness sake! Toodles backed away shakily, tears already going down her face rapidly. Some of the Toons heard the commotion and yelling, leaving their rooms. Her head hung down, looking away from Shrimpo. "I- I'm so sorry..! Please don't hurt me, I just- I-" She spoke with a stutter before running off to Roger before Shrimpo could stop her. "No- wait, Toodles! I didn't mean to- Fuck!" Shrimpo exclaimed in a genuinely worried tone, trying to catch up to her. She was just too fast for him. He froze, knowing just what he'd done and what the consquenses were. Shrimpo stomped his foot on the ground, rushing off to his own room. He slammed the door, the sound echoing throughout the floor. Every Toon was probably awake now. Shrimpo sat against the door, catching his breath. He brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. He dug his head in between his chest and knees, crying. Why did he have to do that? What the hell was wrong with him? "I'm so fucking stupid..! Stupid, stupid-" Shrimpo hissed out in a choked sobs, his body tense.

"You had one shot at getting the guy you like, and you fumbled! Fucking idiot..!"
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1075 words
poor shrimpo, poor goob, poor toodles..
I HAD THE IDEA, I JUST HAD TO DO IT.. IM SORRY..!! forgive me, please!!:(

with love (and apologies),
  phoenix..<3