Work Text:
It was a particularly stressful day at university for Ernest. Well, just a tense day all around. He was startled awake by his dorm mate yelling at his cousin over the phone, he couldn't eat breakfast because that same dorm mate took all of the food to a party without telling him, and he had disappointed Dr. Ohlm by being tardy to one of his lectures, which made his heart sink into his stomach. It just seemed like nothing had been going right that day.
Luckily, Ernest knew of something that could calm his nerves, if not just for a little bit. When he got back to his dorm at 12:30, he ran to his personal box and rolled in the combination on the little lock. The box clicked open and revealed a variety of old toys, ranging from small toy cars to plush animals.
These were his treasures.
With a quick frazzled mental chant of 'Eeny, meeny, miny, moe', Ernest decided on grabbing his plush bear, Bromley. It was a toy his mother had sewn for him long, long ago, when he was just a child. He hugged it to his chest and breathed out a relieved sigh. He could already feel his heartbeat steadying the longer he held the old bear to his heart.
That moment of serenity was cut short when he heard the door to his dorm creak open.
"Hey! You here already, Greeves?" His dorm mate called out.
He quickly shoved the bear into his backpack and slammed his box shut.
"U-Um, yes! Just got here." Ernest replied.
"Great. Can you help me with these, Mate? I regret deciding to not take two trips."
"Oh. What did you get, Matthew?"
"Food. Quick, Ernest, I'm losing circulation!"
Ernest quickly stood up and ran to the hall where his friend stood with lines of grocery bags hanging from his arms.
Ernest tried his best not to laugh as he pulled a few bags away from Matthew.
"I was supposed to get groceries, Matthew. Oh, your poor arm's all red!" Ernest sighed as he walked towards the kitchenette.
"Yeh, I know. I was just trying to make it up to you, y'know? Emptying the fridge last night, I mean. Didn't think of you for a sec." the lad straightened his glasses and followed Ernest.
Ernest smiled.
"Thank you, Mat. That's a weight off my shoulders."
Matthew sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and chuckled.
"Ahh, no problem. Uh...Do you have any more weights on your shoulders?"
"Haha, many."
"Mate-"
Ernest jolted at his friend's concern and nervously laughed.
"I-I'm kidding of course! I'll put this stuff away, but then I really need to get to work."
Matthew unloaded the contents from one of his bags into the fridge and chuckled.
"Oh, that's what you're calling it, now? Why don't you just call it what it is? 'Getting shoved around by your dream girl and talking to a dog while solving weird family disputes'."
"Oh, hush! We do real detective work!"
After unloading the groceries, Ernest grabbed his backpack and rushed out of his dorm, making his way to the Layton Detective Agency.
—
"Ernest, could you please grab those biscuits I bought yesterday? I believe I left them in the pantry." Katrielle called out from behind her desk.
Ernest nodded enthusiastically as he set the feather duster he was holding on a nearby table.
"Yes, Miss!" He said quickly as he made a beeline towards the kitchenette.
He yelped when he felt his foot collide with something soft and he nearly fell on his face. He scrambled and bumped into the kitchenette door.
"Woah!" He yipped.
"Ha! Are you alright?" Kat giggled as she looked up from the small wooden sliding puzzle she was fiddling with in her hands.
"Y-Yes! I just tripped on-"
Ernest looked down to see what exactly he had tripped on, and his stomach sunk when he saw his backpack on its side, opening up to reveal a little brown plush arm.
Oh no.
He brought that silly thing to his job?! He must have forgotten he haphazardly hid it in his bag when he ran to the agency. Ernest went red and snatched up the bag in his arms before Kat could see the little plush limb.
"-MY BAG! Aha, I just tripped on my bag! Golly, I should really watch where I'm stepping!" Ernest forced a laugh as he felt his palms get sweaty against the rough fabric of the backpack. He held it in a death grip as he watched Katrielle's expression. Had she noticed?
Katrielle raised an eyebrow. Oh golly, had she already seen?
"Hm. Well, set it aside then. We don't want it getting kicked about, do we?"
Ernest sighed with relief.
"Of course, Miss. I'll try hanging it on the coatrack."
Ernest rushed to the front of the agency and fumbled with the bag in his hands before hanging it by the back traps on the coatrack. He wiped his sweaty hands on his vest and huffed.
"I'll go get the biscuits. Sorry about that-!"
"Aghh, I can't take it anymore! Ernest, I saw the bear!" Kat blurted out, setting the sliding puzzle down harshly with an unreadable expression.
Ernest went quiet as he stared at her, absolutely flabbergasted and horrifyingly humiliated at the same time.
He could only force out a small "H...How...?" in his current state.
"I tripped on the bag earlier while you were in the kitchen! He kind of just... fell out onto the carpet and stared at me. I tried shoving it back into the bag but I didn't want you to think I was rummaging through your belongings when you walked in so...I kinda just...left it like that."
Katrielle and Ernest both awkwardly gazed elsewhere and avoided looking at each-other's expressions, both fearing some kind of wrathful expression from the other.
Kat cleared her throat.
"He's a very cute bear. Is he yours?"
Ernest went crimson and sputtered for a moment. He went to lie again, he went to say he was holding it for a friend or younger family member, but Kat already knew he didn't have a family anymore and he couldn't spin up a story fast enough about a friend's cousin's neighbor asking him to hold it without stuttering profusely, so he sighed and succumbed.
"Yes." He mumbled.
"Oh." Kat propped her chin on her hand as she leaned forward, her lips curling up into a curiously delighted smile.
"Well? What's his name?"
"I-I beg your pardon?"
"His name? What's his name?"
Ernest folded his arms and tilted his head back and shifting his weight from his heels to his toes repeatedly and nervously closed his eyes as he inhaled tensely.
"Mr. Bromley." He answered.
"Ah." Kat couldn't hold back a giggle this time, covering her mouth with her other hand.
Ernest felt humiliated. He knew that Miss Layton thought less of him now. She must think he's some kind of joke! He knew she thought he was childish and hilariously pathetic, he just knew!
"Ha ha." He forced out a blunt, fake laugh before straightening up and walking towards the kitchenette once more.
"I'll get the biscuits."
"Oh, Ernest, wait!" Kat stood up and rushed to Ernest before he could push the swinging door open. She gently pulled his arm and made him turn his head to face her.
"Come on, Ernest, I'm not mocking you! I just find it incredibly charming!"
"You...wh...Charming?" Ernest turned to her and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes! I didn't know you liked that sort of stuff. Do you...usually bring Mr. Bromley with you to the agency?"
Ernest shook his head.
"N-No! I just forgot to put him back in the treasure box- BOX! Tr- Regular box!" Ernest smacked the side of his face and groaned.
"Bother."
"'Treasure box' ? What do you mean by-?" Kat clapped her hands together and her eyes lit up as she grinned.
"Don't tell me you have more of those toys! Is that what you call them? Your treasures? Ahh, Ernest!"
"S-Stop! I'll go grab your biscuits if you just let go of me-!"
"This is much sweeter than any biscuit I could ever eat! Come on! Tell me more-!"
Ernest smacked his hand over his eyes and let out a frustrated groan.
"Just stop!" He shook his head. He didn't want her to see the tears that threatened to form in his eyes. The humiliation was hot in his stomach and made him feel sick as his face burned.
Kat went quiet as she looked up at him, still gently holding his other arm.
Her demeanor softened.
"Hey..." she spoke quietly, just under her breath. She gently moved Ernest's hand away from his face. He tried to avoid eye contact, but Kat could see the redness in his eyes and cheeks.
"Oh my." She whispered. She looked to the sofa and quietly lead Ernest to sit down.
Ernest could only lean to the side of the sofa and stare at the carpet. He didn't want to look at her. He didn't deserve to. He felt ashamed, being in his current pathetic state. Why did he get so upset to the point of tears all the time?
He heard small footsteps at the other side of the sofa and a familiar rustle of fabric. After a moment, he could feel a soft little button nose press up against his cheek. He scoffed.
"Muah." Kat said in her best cartoonishly gruff bear as she pressed the bear's face against Ernest's.
Ernest couldn't hold back a small smile as he snickered softly. He slowly looked to Kat and the bear.
Kat plopped the bear in Ernest's lap.
"There you go. No more sadness."
Ernest awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Thank you. I'm sorry. I-I'm not actually sad, if you can believe it. I just get...um...overwhelmed sometimes." He looked down to the plush in his lap and patted its head.
"That's why I keep things like this. They calm me down a bit. They always have. I've been waiting to grow out of it for years but it hasn't happened yet." Ernest did his best to explain.
Kat nodded knowingly.
"I understand, Ernest. You know, Uncle Luke has a teddy bear, too."
Ernest raised his eyebrows.
"What? Really?"
"Mmhm! He always used to take it with him when he went on adventures with Dad. He even took it with him during the relics case!"
"Oh..." Ernest mumbled thoughtfully.
"I guess I'm not the only one, then..."
"Not at all! Oh, and Mayor Lowonida! She's got a teddy, too! And she's a pretty powerful woman!"
"I guess you're right..."
Katrielle leaned on Ernest and hugged him nicely.
"So...You don't need to feel embarrassed, alright? It's perfectly normal to have comfort treasures."
Ernest leaned into the hug and nuzzled his face into Kat's shoulder.
"Thank you, Miss."
Kat lit up again.
"It's my pleasure! After all, I just can't bear to see you upset!"
Ernest groaned as Kat giggled.
A clicking sound was heard as the agency door opened. Sherl trotted in.
"I'm back." The basset hound grumbled. He paused in front of the two lovebirds and glanced at the lad in Ernest's lap. The dog smirked.
"Friend of yours?"
"Oh, go play with your chewed up baseball, Sherl." Kat waved him off.