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It’s a hot day in Greasepit. It’s been a week since the alleged ‘Robo-Truck of the Future’ was nothing more than a hoax. Darnell walks in on Buddy talking to his Rabble Rouser.
“What are you doing, babe?” Darnell said.
Buddy looks at Darnell. “Nothing…?”
Darnell gets closer and sees a suspicious-looking green light glowing from the inside of the truck.
“Uh-huh. Really? You’re doing nothing?”
“…Fine! I’ve been talking to your voice on my truck for the past few hours.”
Buddy hugs the hood of his truck, nuzzling his face on it.
Darnell huffs, putting his paws on his hips. “My real voice is superior to the robot voice. I only put it there so some things can be paws-free.”
“It was kind of funny seeing you crawl out of the hood,” Buddy said, waving at his truck. “Look, look! I can make my truck recognize my hand gestures. Paw gestures? Whatever those are called.”
Darnell observes Buddy for a bit. Going to his workbench, he stares at his reflection on the handheld mirror on the table. Darnell glazes at the silver wrench. His eyes move back and forth between the wrench and Buddy. A couple minutes pass. Darnell slinks over to the sofa in the living room. He cozies up with a worn-out throw pillow as he slouches, squinting his eyes at the TV. An advertisement for pork sausage patties for ten percent off plays in the background. He sips some soda with the bottle on the sofa.
***
Sunset turns to night. Buddy steps away from his truck, turning off the voice command feature before leaving the garage. He shuts the door quietly behind him. Darnell lounges on the sofa, moving only to change positions every so often. Buddy looks at the pile of laundry and decides to fold the clothes. He observes his boyfriend wearily staring at the TV, about to fall asleep. Buddy gives a green fleece blanket, laying it over Darnell’s body. Darnell grunts softly and cozies up with the blanket. Buddy sits with him, cuddling up gently with him.
Darnell wakes up slowly. “Hm? Oh, hey. Did I fall asleep?” He jolts upright. “Is the Rabble Rouser okay? Am I gonna be sausage links?!”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s me,” Buddy said, bringing Darnell’s head closer to his chest.
Buddy pets Darnell’s head while he watches the TV. It’s showing yet another news report about Greasepit’s roads getting their potholes repaired. Darnell lies on Buddy’s lap.
“Y’know,” Buddy said. “I never asked this but, um. What’s with you and sausages?”
“Sausage links are inferior to patties.” Darnell knocks down the empty soda bottle on purpose, the bottle rolling over to his feet. “Urrrgh…the bottle hit your foot.”
A few seconds pass. Darnell rolls over to his back, staring at the ceiling. He fiddles with his fingers, looking at Buddy for a moment.
Darnell sits up. “Fine. I can’t take it anymore! I just hate listening to my voice on your truck. Shouldn’t have implemented it. I just wanna shove a wrench in it so badly!”
“That’s what’s been bothering you all day? Couldn’t you just, y’know, remove it?” Buddy said.
“It’s a little more complicated than that. I coded and inserted the tiny chip inside the sliver of the hood where the engine is.”
Darnell looks to the side. He overhears an advertisement on the TV faintly playing some sort of junkyard destruction site. His ears perk up.
Hmm… Darnell thought. He gets off the couch. Going to the garage area, he grabs a wrench from his toolbox and prepares to aim for it.
Squinting his eyes, Darnell swings his arm and throws it at the Rabble Rouser’s hood.
Buddy jumps up from the loud boom, the foul smell of smoke coming from the garage door. “Wh— Are you insane?! That’s my baby!” Buddy said, running towards his truck and hugging it.
“It’s not gonna be your baby anymore unless I can force it out!” Darnell cackled. “We’re discontinuing it, Buddy. Trucks do not feel pain.”
The wrench fell to the floor. Clanging noises rang throughout the garage.
Buddy sharply exhaled, slowly turning to Darnell. “…Is it bad that I like seeing you angry?”
Darnell put a paw on Buddy’s shoulder, gripping it firmly. The voice glitched in and out as sparks flew out of the hood. The words ‘I love you, Buddy’ looped again and again distortedly.
Darnell covers his ears. “It’s unbearable! You see what I mean?!”
Buddy scans the area before grabbing a hammer, chucking it at the hood.
“Ka-Boom! Take that, Mr. Rouser!”
“You named it Mr. Rouser? What are you, seven?”
More sparks fly out of the Rabble Rouser.
“Uhh, Buddy?”
“Yea—Oh, fart nuggets.”
The truck explodes. Debris, dust, and smoke cascade down on Buddy and Darnell all at once. Buddy picks up Darnell and kisses him on the lips.
“Greaaat job, man. We destroyed the truck!” Buddy said, holding up his paw for a high-five.
Darnell tries to jump to high-five him. Buddy laughs, slightly losing it.
“Dude. I never knew how short you are. C’mon, don’t be shy.”
“You always make me do this,” Darnell pouts. “What’s next, calling me pet names you found in your phone?”
“I have plenty! Ferret, weasel, uhh…fuzzy tail?”
Darnell chuckles, shaking his head as he walks to open the cabinet. “Ferret’s fine. But we gotta fix the garage.” He points to the ceiling, where more debris falls on Buddy’s head, knocking him unconscious.
***
An hour later, Darnell fixed up the truck. Parts of the garage walls and ceiling were patched. He wipes the oil and sweat dripping from his forehead, seeing Buddy bring over two plates of buffalo chicken wings.
“Made some wings. I forgot to get the hot sauce, though, so I made buffalo wings instead!” Buddy said, setting the plates down on the foldable table.
Darnell smiles, wobbling slightly towards Buddy. “Thanks, heh. I fixed your, uh, truck though.”
Buddy catches Darnell before he falls. “Gotcha.” He holds him by the waist, sitting Darnell down in a chair. “Your knees actin’ up?”
“Nah. I tripped over my trusty wrench and flung myself onto the wall. Not gonna lie, I didn't expect you to make dinner this time.”
“It’s the best I could do. I ain’t no chef, but I got some from Artichoke’s takeout place.”
Buddy winks playfully. Darnell pauses.
“Really? Again? The one who kicked our butts and hugged it out afterwards?” Darnell shrugs and takes a bite of the wings. “Oh. My. Gosh.”
“Told ya. They’re the best in Greasepit.” Buddy said, pulling up a chair and eating his food.
***
As the minutes passed by, Buddy and Darnell lay on a blanket together on the grass to stargaze. The crescent moon emerged from the clouds. A shooting star passed by.
“What do you wanna wish for?” Darnell said.
“I don’t know. Win more races? Maybe spend more time with you?” Buddy sighs. He holds Darnell’s paw.
Darnell scoots closer, nuzzling on Buddy’s chest and closing his eyes. “Sounds great. I wish that we could do more of this often.” He yawns, nodding off.
Buddy gazes at the sky, looking at Darnell. “Love you, Darnell.”