Chapter Text
“This cannot be a good idea, Rain.” William Boar sighed, staring down at the strange, pitch black hole now in his office floor. It was late; most of his employees had already gone home, and none of them were currently in his office. They were unlikely to notice his absence at all at this hour.
“Toons do it all the time!” Rain reminded him, her tail wagging happily behind her. “Someone is bound to see us and get suspicious if we go on the streets. And I want to hang out with you somewhere but this boring old office.”
He let out a sigh, debating his options. Not that he’d verbally return the sentiment, but he did feel the same. There was only so much they could get away with in his office. “But I’m a cog. We have no idea if this even works for cogs or what it could do.”
Rain gave a shrug, like this whole situation was normal. “It’ll be fine. Just hold my hand.”
William wanted to decline. He wanted to give her the most incredulous look in the world and turn away, insisting she was insane and he was not going to do something as toonish as hold her hand and then jump through a mystery hole in the floor.
However, that’s not what he does. In the end, William reaches out a hand for her and she takes it. It hits him quietly this is the first time he’d properly held her hand, as close as they’d gotten over the past few months. Her fur was soft. The sensation was uncommon against his hand.
The Derrick Man closed his eyes as he jumped into the strange portal, trying not to shriek at the unfamiliar and terrifying feeling of falling through empty air. Rain squeezed his hand tightly.
She landed firmly on her feet, like it was as natural to her as walking itself. William, however, landed awkwardly and only just managed to avoid face planting into the grass. He disliked the sensation of it against him.
Rain tried to stifle a laugh at his rough landing but failed.
“I- I’m sorry!!” She said, giggling. “I can’t help it!”
He glared at her. She wiped tears from her eyes. “Sorry. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you’ll get it!”
Would he? Would he really be traveling to this toon’s house so much he’d get used to using their transportation system?
The Derrick Man got up, taking only a brief moment to look around. There was a grey mailbox on a curved post with Rain’s name on it. There was a large, towering tree that gently swayed in the mind. There was a shallow pond where William could already spot various fish swimming happily. William wondered briefly if Rain liked fishing. She’d never mentioned it.
Her house itself was a cool blue, curved and sloped in that nonsensical way that seemingly all toon buildings were. It would always baffle him, no matter how much he’d gotten used to Rain’s presence.
Rain looked at him, with that smile that he hated to admit he loved, that always made something in him short-circuit. It properly hits him that this is a date. He’s going on a date with a toon at her house. Was this too early for such a thing? He felt rude somehow for intruding on her space, even though she’d been the one to invite him. It was just that they couldn’t safely go on a date anywhere else, really. There were quiet areas in Toontown, but neither of them wanted to take the risk of someone, cog or toon, walking by and spotting them. It would cause trouble for the both of them.
“What are you thinking about?” Rain asked him, looking up at him as if she already knew the answer.
“Nothing,” He insisted, turning away from her. She gave him a look that made it abundantly clear she did not believe him in the slightest. He sighed. “Are you…sure you’re okay with…having me here?”
“I wouldn’t have invited you if I wasn’t,” She told him with a snort. After a few moments, her expression softened and she put a hand on his arm. “Of course I am. Are you okay with being here?” Her expression displayed a hint of anxiety that was rare for her.
William hesitated, but nodded. Rain’s expression relaxed immediately, and she tugged him towards the door. She couldn’t exactly move him, but he got the message that he should probably go inside.
Rain’s home was somehow exactly what he expected, and somehow not expected at all. It was as toonish as expected, colorful and crowded. The walls were a light blue with a panelling with seashells on it. There was a small kitchen and living room, and even a guest bedroom. There was a multicolored, worn down looking couch in the living room. The house was much bigger than his own apartment.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit lost, feeling like an idiot as he just stood there, unsure what to do next. He felt like he needed instructions on what one was supposed to do on a date, especially on a date with a toon.
However, Rain seemed eager enough to act like this was just another day for them. Her expression was playful and her movements quick. She pulled out a deck of Toono cards and hopped onto the couch, patting the spot next to her.
Part of him hesitated. He knew he shouldn’t have been doing this. He knew he never should’ve let himself get so attached to a toon in the first place. It had started small. It had started with her telling him jokes through the bars of her cage, with her continually pranking him. It had started with them playing Toono together. Their conversations gradually became less tense and almost playful. They talked to each other like old friends, and it hadn’t been terribly long before they’d grown into more.
William still remembered the first time she’d kissed him. He remembered how her lips felt against his own, how strange organic flesh felt against silicone, but god, how much he craved the feeling.
He went and sat next to her and the two began to play.
“And you’re sure no one will visit at this hour?” William asked, trying and failing to hide his worry.
“Of course,” Rain said, with an eyeroll. “It would be rude for someone to visit at this hour. Even if they did, I could have you hide somewhere and find a way to get them to leave.”
“Didn’t know you toons had the spine to do something like that,” William hummed, with an affectionate eyeroll. Rain jabbed him in the side lightly, more so to avoid hurting her own hand than to avoid hurting him.
“We toons can take a hint sometimes!” Rain insisted, and William raised a highly skeptical eyebrow.
“But not the hint to stop breaking into my office?” William asked, with a chuckle. He wasn’t about to admit how grateful he was that she hadn’t listened to him.
Rain laughed right back, serving him a draw four. William had gotten better at not rage quitting the game when she did that, but couldn’t help but give her a death glare that she only giggled at. “You like having me around! Admit it!”
“You can keep telling yourself that,” He mumbled, with a slight smile on his face. It was hard to tell when a cog like him was being serious, but Rain had gotten good at reading his subtle cues. William had gotten used to how overt hers were.
“Keep talking like that, and I’ll send you home,” She teased. “Toono!”
“Oh no, how I’d hate to get back to peace and quiet,” He chuckled, but his smirk grew wider involuntarily.
Rain leaned forward suddenly and kissed him on the lips, catching him off guard. He couldn’t help but lean into it, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer. She happily wrapped her arms around him, her tail thumping against the couch as it wagged.
He hated when she pulled away from him. Damn organics and their need to breathe. He couldn’t help but lean his forehead against hers, desperate for what scrap of contact he could get when the notion didn’t embarrass him. It would later. He knew later he’d berate himself over all of this, tell himself he was being ridiculous for falling for a toon of all creatures, but none of that mattered now. He had Rain, and he was content.
He was so content that he’d failed to notice Rain put down her final card as she’d leaned in to kiss him.
It took him several moments to notice, and when he did, he sputtered, not bothering to hide his outrage and embarrassment. “Rain!! You can’t-” He hid his face out of sheer embarrassment, letting out a groan. “You can’t trick me like that!! You can’t just-”
Rain laughed at her own trick loudly, nearly doubling over. “You should’ve seen your face!! I win!!”
“As always,” He grumbled, but there was little actual anger in it. He shook his head, exasperated, but didn’t comment further. He was too flustered to do so.
There was a moment of comfortable silence between them, and Rain leaned close to him again, sitting on his lap. The look in her eyes made him feel like he was the CEO. It made him feel important, like he could’ve stayed with her in his arms forever if she’d let him. It was so, so easy to not think of anything else with her in his arms.
For once, he didn’t want to think about work. He didn’t want to think about the risk they were taking. He didn’t want to think about anything else except how good it felt to have her in his arms. She leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. He couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her, feeling…comfortable in a way he hadn’t quite a while. Comfortable in a way he rarely felt, even on the rare occasion when he was at rest.
“What if one of my coworkers notices I’m gone? Even if we’re lucky, I would still get written up for skipping work.” William couldn’t help but fret.
Rain rolled her eyes. “You said yourself that barely anyone is there, meaning anyone is highly unlikely to notice.”
She kissed his cheek. He let out a sigh, forcing himself to lean into the affection. Rain’s lack of worry about this certainly stressed him out, but…
It was easier to lean into it. It was easier to tell himself that she was right, that nothing was wrong and that there was no way they were going to get caught.
He tightened his grip on her a bit, and he felt her squirm just a bit. He loosened immediately. “Did I hurt you?”
She let out a breathless laugh. “No! I’m fine, I’m fine. Just be easy on me, okay?”
He let out a breath, keeping his grip loose. They were so, so different. She felt so small in his grasp. So small and soft. He could so easily hurt her, even on accident. He was reminded so intensely of how different they were. She was a toon. Her entire existence revolved around being joyful, telling jokes and spreading mischief. Fighting the cogs. His did not. His involved work, work, and more work. It was rare for a cog to get a moment of rest, unless they were one of the higher ups. William had certain privileges as a manager, but he was the lowest ranked manager of all. The other cogs would never let him forget it.
But he didn’t want that to matter to him right now, so he lifted Rain’s chin and gently kissed her, stroking her ears in that way he’d learned she liked. She leaned into his touch and caressed his face.
When she pulled back, he glanced at the oil on her hand, staining her otherwise pristine fur. Something in his chest ached, just a bit.
“Your fur is going to get stained,” He warned. He looked down at her couch. A drop of oil had spilled onto it. “I’m staining your couch.”
He stood up, suddenly feeling the urge to leave. He felt like a little trapped toon, wanting to run but unable to. He didn’t even understand why. Of course his oil was going to get on her things. She would have to have been stupid to not imagine it would, but he felt so, so immensely guilty and panicked regardless. “I- I’m sorry, Rain, I didn’t mean to deface your lovely home, I’ll-”
He turned away, ready to get out of here, ready to stop ruining everything for the both of them.
“No, no!” Rain took his hands in hers. “Don’t- don’t go, please.” She looked up at him with pleading eyes, and he paused in his tracks.
“I- I don’t mind.” She went on, tightening her grip on his hands. “That your oil stains my fur or my furniture. I can clean it later. But I don’t often get time like this with you.”
He swallowed. The world felt like it had stopped as she looked up with him. He could still try to leave. He could still make the sensible decision and go back to work before anyone caught them. William told himself he ought to.
And yet, what he does is pull Rain into a hug that she returned in an instant.
“I just want you here,” She mumbled, burying her face in his chest. “For as long as I can have you.”
He didn’t know how long exactly being gone would be considered safe. He wasn’t technically required to, but he worked nights more than often, to the point where Corporate would likely get onto him if he didn’t. He’d already taken off the previous night.
William knew he ought to say something back to her, but the words wouldn’t leave. He hoped him tightening his grip ever so slightly, hoping so desperately he wasn’t hurting her, would convey the message.
The two stayed like that for a long time, before Rain glanced towards the couch. Scooping her up into his arms, William walked over, setting her down in his lap, where she happily cuddled up to him. He felt calm like this, and he could tell Rain did too. He let himself stop thinking about it all. He let himself stop thinking about getting caught or how dangerous and stupid this all was. He let himself close his eyes, just for a bit.
William Boar woke up with something soft and light in his arms. It took him several moments to register where he was, and he immediately panicked. He was still in Rain’s house. They’d fallen asleep. He immediately shook Rain awake.
“We have to go back, now!” William could see light shining through the windows. Morning was coming. He was going to be late.
He heard Rain curse under her breath, and she threw a hole at the floor, grabbing his hand and jumping in with him.
William’s landing was only slightly better this time. He stumbled, but managed to steady himself by grabbing onto his desk. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and ignore the voice in his head that was screaming he was going to be decommissioned.
“See? It’s okay!” Rain soothed him, but even he could see the anxiety in her eyes. She hopped on his desk to get the needed height and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “See you later when I break in!”
She threw the portal at the floor again, and was gone. William let out a breath, and settled down shakily at his desk. Rain hadn’t been wrong before. Things would be okay. He hoped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was rare to see a Flunky near headquarters. They were rarely called in unless it was for something negative. This flunky, however, hadn’t been called in. He was silent, holding a photo in his hand. A photo that just might get him a promotion.
He walked towards headquarters silently, entering the ornate building. He hadn’t been here since he’d been built. He risked being chewed out for simply entering, and that was almost what happened.
A Corporate Raider stopped him before he could meet the cog he knew he needed to see. “What do you think you’re doing here? Toontown Central is that way.” The cog told him, pointing in the opposite direction. The Flunky knew better to try to argue against the slight insult. It wouldn’t lead to anything good.
“I have a report the CEO needs to see,” He said, calmly.
The Corporate Raider huffed as if he’d said something ridiculous. “I can’t imagine that would be so important that you would need to see the CEO and not report it to your supervisor.”
“The problem is my supervisor, sir,” He replied.
The Corporate Raider scoffed. “Aww, are you here to report your supervisor because they were a little hard on you? Scram.”
The Flunky simply handed the other cog the picture. The other cog stared at it, his eyes growing wider.
“I’ll come with you to report this,” The stronger cog said, amazement in his voice. “He’ll want to see this.”