It Started With A Nap (A Mao Mao x Badgerclops fanfic)

Chapter 1: Mao Mao Is Tired

Adorabat had went to stay with her dad for the night and the alarm hadn't gone off, so Badgerclops and Mao Mao were left to figure out what to do.

Badgerclops wanted to watch a ninja movie, and Mao Mao would have been fine with that, but...Mao Mao was tired. He hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep in three days and was running on fumes. Of course he wouldn't let Badgerclops know that. In Mao Mao's mind, being tired meant being weak, and heros weren't supposed to be weak. So naturally, instead of taking a nap, Mao Mao agreed to watch the movie.

"You okay, Mao?" Badgerclops asked as the movie started playing, "You don't look to good."

"I'm fine." Mao Mao mumbled through a stifled yawn. As the cat yawned, Badgerclops noticed how his friend's fur seemed ruffled and his eyes were droopy. Badgerclops didn't ask about it because he knew Mao Mao would tell at him.

"Alright then, let's watch the movie." The pair turned to the TV, and Badgerclops was soon lost in the story, but Mao Mao was struggling to stay awake.

His head kept rolling to the side and his eyes kept dropping. The only reason the badger next to him didn't notice was because his full attention was on the movie. Seeing Badgerclops so lost in the digital arts gave Mao Mao an idea. Maybe he could catch a quick nap without Badgerclops noticing. The cat smirked as he let his eyes close and he slowly drifted off. He felt something extremely soft underneath his side and assumed he'd just turned so his side was leaning against the couch. It wasn't long after that until the little hero was asleep.

Badgerclops on the other hand noticed the small figure leaning into his left side almost immediately. He let out a tender little sigh of awe upon seeing his friend asleep against his side.

"Let's get you to bed." Badgerclops whispered to himself, trying not to wake the sleeping cat. As soon as the badger moved his arm, Mao Mao moved and readjusted himself into Badgerclops's lap in his sleep. Mao Mao was curled so that his head rested against the soft plushieness of Badgerclops's chest, and his body was in his friend's lap. The little hero's cape was now wrapped around him like a cozy blanket as he nuzzled Badgerclops's chest. The badger's face was a bright pink as he gazed down at his sleeping friend. Seeing Mao Mao so affectionate in his sleep was just so...cute, he couldn't bring himself to disrupt such an adorable scene. The larger hero lowered a hand and gently pet Mao Mao on the head, and to his delight the cat began purring.

"Oh my gosh!" Badgerclops let out a loud whisper, still trying not to wake the sleeping cat. He readjusted himself so he was laying down on the couch, Mao Mao still asleep on top of him. The deputy had decided to let the sheriff sleep. Of course, he continued to gently pet the sheriff's head so he could hear the adorable purrs. Badgerclops stopped suddenly when he heard Mao Mao mumble something in his sleep, it took a few moments before Mao Mao mumbled again.

"Mmmm....Badgerclops......" The badger hadn't understood anything else the cat had said, but his name had been crystal clear. Badgerclops waited until Mao Mao mumbled something again.

"Don't go...I'm not weak...I can be...strong...don't go..." Mao Mao's voiced cracked, sounding on the verge of tears as he began shivering. Badgerclops felt his heart sink as he realized Mao Mao was having a bad dream. He knew Mao still had issues about being underestimated, under appreciated, and left behind by the people he cared about, even after the whole ordeal with his dad. Now the poor guy was having a nightmare that he, Badgerclops, was doing the same thing his dad and sisters had done to him.

"I'm right here, buddy." Badgerclops hoped Mao Mao could hear him in his sleep, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with the most legendary hero ever." Badgerclops felt Mao Mao's shivers lessen as the cat seemed to calm down in his sleep. Badgerclops continued petting Mao's head, hoping it would keep the poor guy relaxed.

Badgerclops couldn't help but smile as Mao Mao drifted off into a peaceful sleep full of purrs. It was nice to see that Mao was capable of relaxing, even if it was in his sleep. Having the cat curled up on top of him just made something in the badger's heart flutter. Mao was so adorable and peaceful looking like this, Badgerclops couldn't help but like it, maybe even love it. A part of Badgerclops wished there was a way he could make Mao Mao look like this all the time. It was very rare that Mao let his legendary hero act drop, and it was incredible that he and Adorabat saw glimpses of just how sensitive and vulnerable Mao Mao was underneath. Badgerclops wondered how many other parts to Mao Mao there were hidden away behind his desire to be a legendary hero.

Unfortunately, Badgerclops forgot about the movie playing, and like most movies, it got really loud during the final battle of good vs evil. The music began blaring, causing Mao Mao to startle awake and jump into a position where he was on his hands and knees, still on top of Badgerclops. The sudden movement forced the wind out of the badger, making him cough. Mao's head whipped down and made eye contact with the badger underneath him. Badgerclops's swore he could see Mao Mao's cheeks turn red.

"Wh-what happened?" Mao Mao demanded as he retreated to the other side of the couch, getting off of his deputy's chest. Badgerclops pushed himself up into a sitting position and clicked the off button on the TV remote on the coffee table.

"You fell asleep. I didn't want to wake you up." Badgerclops could see Mao Mao's guard go back up as his blush faded.

"And you didn't wake me up!?" The sheriff hoped off the couch, landing on his feet. His face looked angry.

"You were tired!" Badgerclops retorted, crossing his arms angrily.

"You know what, I'm going to go train!" Mao Mao shouted as he began to storm off towards the dojo.

"Mao Mao, wait!" The deputy got up and started to follow, "Are you okay? It looked like you were having a nightmare!" Mao Mao stopped dead in his tracks when he heard those words. He didn't turn to look at his friend as he remembered his dream. He'd dreamed that Badgerclops had said he was to weak to be a legendary hero and had been about to leave when Mao Mao had begged him not to leave. The cat didn't want anyone else to leave him alone. He'd been about to cry when Badgerclops had turned around to hug him, telling him he wasn't going to leave the most legendary hero ever. Had the words the Badgerclops in Mao Mao's dream come from the real Badgerclops? If so, did that mean Badgerclops somehow know what he'd been dreaming about. No, it wasn't possible.

"I'm fine! And I don't have nightmares!" Mao Mao continued stomping to the dojo, Badgerclops deciding not to follow. Once in the dojo, Mao Mao slammed the door shut, turned around so his back was to the door, and slid down so he was sitting on the ground. For some reason, Mao Mao felt really warm in the face. He couldn't believe he had ended up using his friend as a pillow. How long had he been sleeping on him? Had he said the things he heard in his dream? Why did the thought of him curled up on top of Badgerclops, using the badger as a giant pillow, make him feel so fuzzy and warm?

"I need to clear my head!" Mao got up and went over to beat up a training dummy. Training always cleared his head. Training should help him get rid of his weird feelings. But then again, he didn't even know what these weird feelings were.