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They were laughing as they drove closer to McQueen’s biggest recent fear, the Cozy Cone. Ever since his nightmare last night, he has been terrified to go back to sleep, especially in the small, closed area. He got a shiver just thinking about it. “You alright there bud?” Mater asked, pulling McQueen out of this trance. “Yea, yea I’m fine, it’s just…” How embarrassing! Mater wasn’t scared of Frank so why was he!? He wasn’t afraid of the dumb Cozy Cone, going to sleep, or the dumbtruck Frank!
That’s what he tried to tell himself. In reality, he was more scared to be alone. Basing his whole life around racing gave McQueen so little and losing that was terrifying. But now it wasn’t the only thing he had. He had a friend and admitting he was scared and possibly losing him was an even scarier thought. But being without him when he needed his comfort. It was all so confusing for McQueen! He never had to deal with things like this!! Mater could see the internal struggle the other car was having, “Hey bud, you know you can talk to me.” Mater placed a comforting wheel on McQueen's back which the racecar melted into. Was this comfort? Affection? Real love and caring?
McQueen tried to quiet his thoughts as much as possible and just go for it. “I uh…” Mater listened patiently. “Can you sleep with me tonight!?” “HUH!?” McQueen immediately began to back peddle. “N-Not like that!! Sorry! I just mean… like in the cone with me? I uh…never mind this is so stupid, sorry I asked,” McQueen began to try and drive away but Mater drove in front of him. “Come on buddy, talk to me, I can’t help ya if ya don’t tell me what’s wrong.” There was so much genuine care and concern in his voice McQueen caved, “I just…ever since the night in the field, I had this nightmare and I’m scared of it having it again and waking up alone.” Mater was listening intently, “DADGUM! A sleepover! I thought you’d never ask!” McQueen smiled as Mater raced off to the Cozy Cone. McQueen eventually caught up to him and Mater slowed down.
“You know the first night I met Frank it was pretty much the same for me so don’t worry too much about it bud,” Mater smiled. “Thanks, Mater,” McQueen drove in closer beside Mater leaving almost no space between the two.
They finally arrived at the cone when the realization struck that McQueen’s room was only meant for one. “I call right bunk!” Mater shouted as he sped into the small cone and got comfortable on his side. McQueen just chuckled and followed. It took a bit of maneuvering and bumping but eventually, the two cars were comfortably in the cone. Maybe a bit too comfortable as McQueen fell asleep almost instantly from the comforting presence of the other car.
When morning came Mater was already gone and McQueen felt better than he had in ages, he hadn’t slept that well since he was just an engine. When the realization came McQueen also realized he missed the presence of the other car so he went to look for him.
“Mater is my best friend of course I want to hang out with him. Plus he helped me out and I appreciated it…” he tried to justify these new warm feelings he was having about the tow truck. He eventually found the tow truck at Flo’s with others. McQueen silently joined the group, he saw Mater and they smiled at each other, “Hey bud! Didn’t want to wake you, ya just looked so peaceful,” Mater cooed and everyone looked between the two in shocked confusion.
McQueen blushed from embarrassment and stuttered, “Oh uh yea it’s fine Mater, thanks,” he tried to brush off. McQueen cleared his throat awkwardly as he tried to change the subject, “So what are you guys up to?”
“Clearly not as much as you,” Ramone teased making McQueen blush again and panic.
“Well, I- Uh-”
“Clearly not since you still have a road to pave,” Doc rolled up and butt in. McQueen sighed dramatically.
“Actually he was just about to tell us about his cozy night with Mater, isn't that right stickers?” Sally then chimed in.
Doc smirked, “Oh, is that so?”
If McQueen wasn’t already red the others would be able to see his beet-red cheeks from miles away like they were a flashing stop sign, “Nope! Oh man look at the time, I should really get back to that road! Don’t wanna leave you guys waiting too long!” And he zipped off to go get hooked up to Bessy as everyone chuckled…beside Mater, he looked worried.
Doc immediately noticed the look on the tow truck's face, “Why don’t you go help him get set up Mater,” he nodded in McQueen’s direction, still with a pleased grin on his face.
“Oh uh…yea sure…” and he slowly went after his best friend. Everyone watched as Mater left and were now heavily intrigued by the new town drama.
When Mater caught up to McQueen he was struggling to get hooked up, “Come on ya stupid- UGH!” A clamp snapped close before McQueen could get in and had him stuck again.
Mater slowly approached and took over without a word, McQueen let himself be guided by the tow truck, the feeling of being so close and gently touched by the other reminding him of last night, until he clunked into place in the machine. “Thanks…” He mumbled but wouldn’t make eye contact.
“No problem bud,” Mater offered back as normally as possible but he had a sinking feeling in his gut. It was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, “Did I do something wrong?” He asked.
McQueen finally looked at him, “No no no! Not you Mater! I just- it’s a bit embarrassing having everyone know we slept together last night but that’s just me, you know race cars and their reputation,” he chuckled nervously. As much as McQueen wished Mater hadn’t mentioned it in front of everyone he really couldn’t blame the tow truck. McQueen knew how he was and knew Mater didn’t see it as such a big deal as others might, McQueen kind of loved that about him.
Mater smiled, “Oh yea yea, you big shot race cars,” he joked and McQueen laughed. “So you’re not upset I left you early?”
McQueen chuckled, “No Mater.”
“And you’re not upset everyone in town knows you needed your buddy to sleepover because you were scared of nightmares,” Mater teased.
“That’s definitely not what they think,” McQueen thought to himself, “Alright alright,” McQueen tried to laugh off, “And no, I’m not…uh actually.” Mater looked patiently at McQueen as he trailed off. Go big or go home right? Last night was the best McQueen had slept in years. He got a warm comforting feeling when being that close to Mater that it made sleeping so easy. “Would you wanna spend the night again? Maybe?” McQueen kind of mumbled but the tow truck definitely heard as a huge grin spread across his face.
“Well shoot, of course! Can’t leave my best bud in his time of need! As long as it won’t hurt his reputation too much Mr. Fancy race car,” Mater joked as he bump McQueen with his tire.
McQueen just rolled his eyes, “Yea yea, see you tonight at Flo’s,” he said as Mater began driving away.
“See ya tonight Mr. McQueen,” Mater chuckled and zipped off.
McQueen blushed at the name, he was not going to look deeper into why that turned some gears inside him. He shook it off and started working on the road, far more excited to work than usual.
That night they slept in the Cozy Cone again. And the night after that and the night after that. Soon McQueen stopped asking and Mater just kept showing up. An unspoken agreement. McQueen had long stopped having nightmares and being scared and part of him told him that Mater knew that but Mater still came by every night. Everyone in town was hushed about it, whispering and making bets amongst themselves while the two cars weren't around, or so they thought. McQueen heard a lot of the gossip. It was like a superpower that as the one being talked about you had to know what was being said as a race car. Either to play into it for good press or change behavior so you didn’t get any bad press. But this was different. It felt different to McQueen anyway. He had had rumors about his dating life and living situation before but with it about him and Mater he felt, nervous. Mostly because as much as he did hear he didn’t hear enough to know if they were disgusted and laughing at him or supportive and rooting for him. The fact that that mattered to him told McQueen enough. As much as he tried to deny it with all that thinking time while paving the road he had come to a conclusion. He had a crush on Mater.
One night McQueen’s mind couldn’t stop racing, fully coming to this conclusion made sleeping with the tow truck much harder. “Hey Mater?” He whispered just to see if the other was awake.
Shockingly he was, “Yea?”
“I can’t sleep,” “get the tow truck to solve your sleeping problems again McQueen because that worked out so well last time”, McQueen mentally cursed himself.
“Me neither, too cramped,” Mater chuckled, McQueen chuckled and agreed too then it was dead silent for a bit. “Wanna sleep at my place tonight?” Mater offered and McQueen couldn’t turn that down.
When they rolled out of the cone the night air was crisp and cold, McQueen shivered but Mater seemed unbothered. When they got there Mater immediately seemed at peace and started getting drowsy.
“Mater?” McQueen shivered a bit.
“Yea bud?” the tow truck mumbled.
“I’m a bit cold do you have a-” McQueen was cut off by Mater pressing into his side where he immediately felt the warmth spread through his whole body. It took a bit but eventually, McQueen fell asleep.
And boy did he sleep as noon started to come around and Doc had seen no sign of the race car so he went looking for him. Even Sally was confused when they looked in his regular cone and he wasn’t there. It all made sense when he rolled around to Mater's and found the two cuddling close and still fast asleep. Doc chuckled and shook his head as he drove away.
Not long after McQueen was shaken awake, “McQueen! McQueen! We slept in!” Mate shouted.
McQueen went from asking for five more minutes and falling back to sleep to wide awake, “SLEPT IN!? OH NO OH NO OH NO! SORRY SEE YOU LATER MATER!” Mater laughed at the rhyme as McQueen raced off.
He busted into Doc’s office, “Sorry I’m late! I’m here now! I’ll start right away!” McQueen panted.
“I should hope so, sleeping in when you have a job to do,” Doc scolded jokingly, waiting to see if McQueen would catch on.
“I know, I know It won’t- wait, how did you know I slept in?” The race car asked worriedly.
Doc smirked, “Out in the open with it now, I saw you and Mater all cozied up. Thought you would have at least told me you’d be out late first,” Doc was implying a lot of things and it was making McQueen’s head spin.
“It’s not like that! We’re just best friends!” McQueen pleaded, he didn’t know who he was trying to convince more, Doc or himself. He couldn’t make heads or tails of Doc’s reaction, mostly because he was far too panicked to think rationally for even a second.
“Seems likes more than best friends to me son,” Doc pressed.
McQueen felt like he was chasing his own dust trails in his head, everything came spilling out at once, “I mean yea sure we sleep together every night and it’s always the best sleep ever and he makes me feel warm and safe and is funny and adventurous and I don’t know what I’d do without him and I kinda wanna kiss him but I don’t know if he feels the same or how everyone will take it and I don’t want to lose any of this! This town, Mater, they’re the best things to ever happen to me.” McQueen finally breathed. Doc just stared for a moment while he caught his breath.
“I didn’t think race cars were that dense,” Doc chucked.
“What?”
“The guy is falling over himself after you son, you’d have to be a blind fool not to see that.”
“But wha-”
“And the town has been betting on you two for weeks on who's going to confess first and you don’t wanna lose do ya?”
McQueen was once again at a loss but things started to click in his head and he got excited. Mater liked him, the town was rooting for him, he had to win. “Thanks, Doc!” Was all he said as he zoomed out in search of his tow truck. It didn’t take long for him to find Mater as it seemed Mater was looking for him as well.
“Mater I have to tell you something!”
“McQueen I have to tell you something!”
They looked at each other surprised but both continued at the same time.
“I like you!”
“I like you!”
There was a collective groan from the town as technically they confessed at the same time but none of that mattered to either of them as they smiled big and leaned in for a kiss. And the rest is history.
McQueen slept at Mater’s every night, especially when he came to visit after a race. They would act cute in front of others until McQueen got embarrassed and everyone laughed and reassured him. They even made the front page once the press caught on and they were labeled “Couple goals” in multiple magazines. Doc was just happy his road was finally done…and that the kid and tow truck were happy.