Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Two inklings, one red and the other cyan, were sitting outside of the lobby having a very important debate. “NO! MATH IS BLUE!” yelled 8-Bit. “I’m telling you, it’s red!” sighed Shady as Ocho walked in with Mitsuami. “We got drinks!” smiled the yellow inkling. “OH HELL YEAH!” grinned 8-Bit as she grabbed a can of soda and chugged it down. “Thanks.” nodded Shady as he politely took his can.

As those two continued their debate, the purple octoling boy sighed as he sat down next to his yellow friend. “You’ve been acting off lately, are you okay?” asked Mitsuami. “Yes. Perfectly fine.” replied Ocho, almost sounding defensive. “Oh…Okay then.” shrugged the yellow inkling. She knew something was up, but also knew that now wasn’t the time to bother him about it. “He’s been like this for a few days, what could’ve happened?”

An orange inkling wearing an apex sweater and the glassless glasses joined them, exchanging a glance with Ocho. “Hey Wire!” waved Mitsuami. “Wire, help me out! TELL THIS CRAZY GUY THAT MATH IS BLUE!!!” wailed 8-Bit, kind of weirding the orange inkling out. “Uh…Yeah Shady, math is blue!” he spoke in a slightly confused tone. “It’s yellow!” Ocho shouted. “Uh, no!” scoffed Wire. “It’s GREEN!”

“There they go again.” commented Shady. “Ugh, they ALWAYS do this!” groaned 8-Bit. “You know, Ocho’s been acting a bit strange lately. He always admired Wire but they’ve just been endlessly getting into random arguments.” noted the cyan inkling. “Like damn, who shat in his coffee?” shrugged the red inkling.

“Just shut up! You piss me off sometimes!” huffed the purple octoling. “Alright.” replied Wireglasses in an irritated tone. “Something’s wrong.” whispered Mitsuami. “I already told you, nothing’s wrong.” Ocho whispered back. “Ocho, please.” sighed Mitsuami. “I’m worried about you.”

“I already told you Mitsu, I’m FINE!” shouted Ocho, making his leave. “Ocho…” frowned the yellow inkling. “I started this, I’ll talk to him.” sighed Wireglasses. “Wait!” called Mitsuami. “Do you know why he’s been acting like this?” she asked. “No.” answered Wire, shaking his head. “I’ve been going easy on him lately but he still hates me for some reason.” he added, surprising the yellow inkling and even the other two with them. They all knew this was more than some kind of quarrel if Wireglasses admitted to that.

The orange inkling went through the small alley next to the lobby and around the corner to find him. “Hey.” he greeted dryly. “Shit.” thought the purple octoling. “If there’s something wrong, then say it to my face.” said Wire. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” growled Ocho. “Hmph. You’re more stubborn than me.” snickered Wireglasses. “Whatever, we’ll settle this in a turf war sometime.”

The orange inkling looked at the other boy attentively while Ocho’s gaze darted all over the place. Before he knew it, their eyes met and locked onto each other. The purple octoling looked away blushing and ran off. “Did I just fucking scare him or something?” the inkling asked himself.

“Dude, it’s not like you to just run like that!” called 8-Bit. “Cod, why are you guys on my ass?!” snapped Ocho. The red inkling, along with Shady and Mitsuami got a closer look at his face, and all gave each other a certain look. “Are you blushing?” asked Shady. “I’m just cold, okay?” replied the purple octoling, walking away. He left the others concerned, especially Mitsuami. “I’ll talk to him.” she said, catching up to him.

The two ended up in Barnacle and Dime’s food court over some fast food. “It’s too embarrassing.” sighed Ocho. “We’re best friends, and what could be more embarrassing than the Goggles incident?” laughed the yellow inkling. Ocho remembered the humiliating defeat he had against Mitsuami and team blue, but he felt like this situation was actually worse . “Mitsu, I hate being in love.” he muttered, hanging his head in shame. “In love? With who? What?” she asked. “My greatest rival and the coolest guy I know.” whispered Ocho, hoping she didn’t hear him.

“Wire?”

“N-NO! NOT HIM!” shouted the purple octoling in a panic. “I mean, maybe!” he corrected. “I mean possibly- NO I MEAN YES!!!!!!” he cried, looking at his friend in complete embarrassment. “Then tell him.” said Mitsuami. “You’re insane!” groaned Ocho. “He’s too-” He quickly shut up when he saw the orange inkling pass by. Ocho eyed his orange locs and eyes, internally comparing them to a beautiful sunset. His intimidating aura left the octoling smitten.

“No. You two are the cool strong types, what would the others think?! COD DAMN, ACT COOL AND STRONG OCHO!” the purple octoling told himself. “It’s 7, Kojake and I usually go watch the sunset now.” said Mitsuami, getting up and interrupting Ocho’s conflicting thoughts. “Right, see you then.” he sighed, waving back at her.

Like almost every member of the best 8, including Wire, Ocho was full of confidence and pride. Whenever he thought of confessing his love to the inkling, he began to think about it. “I wish I could let it all sink without looking stupid!” He said to himself. “UGH, I joined him to get stronger, not to get a bitch! I can’t fall in love!”

With his best friend out, he decided that it wasn’t worth sticking around in the mall, so he got out of his seat and trashed the empty Squiddy Burger bag. As he walked down the path to the exit, he continued to think about Wireglasses. On the way, he passed by a small flower shop. He stopped in his tracks, struggling to resist the urge to buy the orange inkling a romantic gift.

Believing he’d come up with a good excuse later, he walked into the shop, eyeing the flowers in planters growing almost everywhere– They were placed on tables, vines were growing on the walls, and planters also hung from the ceiling. He also quickly checked the time. “I should be able to get back before the rain hits.”

“INKOPOLIS GIRLS WE’RE UNFORGETTABLE!!! DEEP SEA DUKES BIKINIS ON TOP!!!” rang the octoling’s phone, once again reminding him to change his ringtone. “...What?” he growled.

“OCHO!!! SHADY SAYS MATH IS RED!!! TELL HIM HE’S DERANGED!!!” shouted 8-Bit on the other line. “WHAT? THIS AGAIN?” yelled Ocho. “TELL HIM IT’S YELLOW!!!”

“IT’S NOT YELLOW DIPSHIT!” barked 8-Bit. “Actually, Mitsu left her phone here and I may have seen your latest text to her…CARE TO EXPLAIN?” she shouted. “Explain what?” scoffed Ocho. “Does is wire gay? SOUND FAMILIAR?” she answered, leaving the octoling to stare into space in horror and abruptly hang up on his friend.

“...MITSUAMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“I saw her leave 20 minutes ago.” said a familiar voice.

“W-Wire?”

“Oh yeah, don’t you have a problem with me?” asked Wireglasses, scowling. “Not really…” muttered Ocho as he opened the door. Rain pattered on every surface, except the small stretch in front of the doors, covered by a roof. “Don’t tell me you forgot an umbrella.” snickered Wire. “HEY! I’m the second strongest! If anyone’s gonna get hurt it’s THE RAIN!” shot back the octoling.

Ocho proudly walked into the rain, instantly running back when the water hurt his skin. “Hmph.” sneered Wire, opening his large umbrella and putting it over the other’s head. “...But why?” wondered Ocho, blushing. “That battle against team blue made me reconsider my ways, can’t explain it but it’s something about friendship or whatever.” replied Wireglasses.

“You don’t live near here, do you?” asked Wire. “Nope.” answered Ocho. “Stay at my house then.” suggested the inkling. The octoling gave him a look that said Are you crazy? , but it’s not like there was anything else either could do. “Fine.” sighed Ocho.

The walk to Wire’s house was full of awkward silence. The two didn’t say a word to each other the whole time, but not out of resentment. It was a different kind of tension– One that neither could describe.

The orange inkling held the door for his friend, and began making them tea in the kitchen. “I still don’t know why you’ve been so aggressive around me.” stated Wire. “I don’t hate you.” responded Ocho. “It’s just…I don’t know.”

“I see.” nodded Wireglasses. He sat down next to the octoling on the couch, giving him his cup. The inkling noticed Ocho bought flowers. “Are those for Mitsuami or something?” asked Wire. “Actually they’re for you…” the octoling reluctantly admitted. He was a bit surprised to see Wire’s eyes light up.

“They’re really pretty.” nodded the inkling, getting a blush out of Ocho. “Yeah, put them in water or something.” replied an embarrassed Ocho. Wireglasses smiled softly, something he never does. “There’s something about him right now that I find endearing.” he thought, putting the flowers in a fancy vase.

Ocho found the inkling’s smile beautiful and contagious, as he began to smile too. “It’s nice to see your smile again.” commented Wireglasses. “Haven’t seen it in a while.” He gave Ocho’s locs a little ruffle before sitting back down. The octoling was half-asleep, blushing a bit from the other’s words. Wireglasses put a blanket over him. “You didn’t have too…” yawned Ocho. “I insist.” replied Wire.

The inkling rested on the couch too. Seeing team blue’s unbreakable friendship and how it brought Mitsuami out of her shell inspired him in small ways to be a better friend. When he felt that Ocho was fast asleep, he secretly gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Cute.”

To be continued 🧡💜

Chapter Text

A powerful looking orange inkling towered over the purple octoling, neither wearing clothes. “I’ll have to punish you for trying to overpower me, Ocho.” winked the inkling. “Oh, Wire…” sighed the octoling.

Ocho woke up completely flushed, but he felt like he had the best sleep ever. “Wait, this isn’t my bed…” He yawned, stretched then looked around. The realization hit him when he saw various awards with Wireglasses’ name on them along with several family photos. “I forgot I was here. Wait…Didn’t I fall asleep on the couch in my clothes?”

The octoling left the room, following the scent of pancakes. “WIRE YOU IDIOT!” he shouted. “You were itching the tag on your shirt in your sleep, I had to get you into something more comfortable.” shrugged Wireglasses. “I promise I didn’t look at anything.”

“Okay, but I WAS ALSO IN YOUR BED!” yelled Ocho. “I carried you from the couch, so what?” replied Wire. “ So what? That’s all you can say dumbass? WHEN WE SLEPT IN THE SAME BED?” growled Ocho. “Cod, quit being overdramatic!” sighed Wireglasses. “Sit down, the pancakes are almost ready.”

The octoling watched the other give the pancakes a few last flips. They smelled really good, Ocho felt himself having to prevent his mouth from watering. “I guess you didn’t have a good sleep last night.” said Wire. “Well duh, no shit!” scoffed Ocho. The inkling rolled his eyes and set a plate of pancakes down in front of Ocho. “My mom taught me how to make them.”

“Didn’t know he cooked.” thought Ocho as he reluctantly reached for a pancake. “You’re so damn petty.” grumbled Wireglasses, shoving the pancake into Ocho’s mouth. To the octoling’s surprise, it was probably one of the greatest things he’s ever tasted. They were fluffy but smooth, and were cooked to perfection– Neither burnt or undercooked. Ocho didn’t want to admit it though.

“I know you like them, you’re just not gonna tell me.” remarked Wire. “Shut up.” muttered Ocho. Wire didn’t hear him, and answered the knock on the door. It was Shady. “Hey, since I was in the area I came to-” He saw the two at the kitchen table. “Married life already?” asked the cyan inkling, innocently.

“W-WHAT?” barked Ocho while Wireglasses just calmly shook his head. “New roommates, perhaps?” wondered Shady. “We’re nothing!” groaned Ocho. “Go get Barreleye to sweep you off your feet or something!”

Shady shyly looked down and blushed. “Don’t act like we’re all unaware of what you sent Mitsuami.” he retorted quietly. “What text?” asked Wire. “Oh, for some reason Ocho asked her if you were g-” The octoling was extremely quick to slap Shady’s mouth shut. “SHUT UP!!!”

“Whatever.” sighed Wire. “Shady, there’s extra pancakes if you want some.” he said. Before the cyan inkling could respond, his phone went off. It was a message from Barreleye. “Hey! 8-Bit said she’d take us to breakfast!” it read. “I’m actually getting breakfast with Barreleye.” Shady told Wireglasses as he messaged a reply. “...See you at the reception party.” snickered Ocho. The cyan inkling pretended to not hear that.

A red inkling waved at Shady as he got closer to his table at the restaurant. “OOH! IT’S TIME TO GIVE THE DIRT!” cackled 8-Bit. “You seriously think telling my brother’s a good idea?” groaned Polpo. “Shady!” waved Barreleye, smiling. The cyan squid blushed, the octoling boy had such a grand presence in his eyes. “He’s just shy!” snickered 8-Bit.

“So, what’s the big scandal?” asked Barreleye. “OCHO’S DOWN BAD FOR WIRE!!!” shouted 8-Bit. “REALLY?!” yelled the octoling boy in excitement. “Damn you bro, everyone’s looking at us!” whisper-shouted Polpo while Shady quickly covered 8-Bit’s mouth. “We’re gonna get kicked out!”

After the excitement died down, Polpo just continued having her french toast while 8-Bit got order after order of chocolate chip waffles. This left Shady looking at Barreleye when he wasn’t paying attention, wishing he was confident enough to start a conversation. 

“I like your eyes.” Barreleye said out of nowhere, making the cyan squid blush. “T-Thanks.” smiled Shady. “Come on, don’t be shy!” laughed Barreleye. “You’re even a little cute!” he smirked. “So freaking bold.” thought Polpo as she watched Shady’s face burn off at her brother’s compliment.

“Come on, get it together! He was likely joking, or doesn’t see cute as an exclusively romantic compliment. He’s Barreleye, after all. If anyone doesn’t know what they’re saying, it’s him.”

8-Bit noticed her friend muttering. “Yo Shady, I think you’re overthinking again.” she called, snapping him back into reality. “You didn’t hear me, right?” asked Shady. “Nope.” answered the red inkling. He sighed in relief.

Back in Wire’s kitchen, the orange inkling finished getting dressed into his iconic gear. “I guess I should take you home, unless you want to buy groceries with me.” he said to Ocho, dryly. “I could go with you.” replied Ocho. “It’s just because you’ll probably forget an ingredient for your pancakes.” he added rudely.

“Damn, just admit you like my cooking already!” groaned Wireglasses as he slid his wallet into his pocket. “Whatever, dumbass! Hurry up!” shot back the octoling. “You hurry up!” retorted Wire, grabbing Ocho’s hand impatiently and bringing him out the door. “Cod, he’s holding it.” thought Ocho.

“I’m not letting go in case you get lost.” smirked Wire, giving the octoling’s hand a slight squeeze. “What? WHY?” shouted Ocho. “If you think I’m too stupid to remember pancake ingredients, then how can I trust you with directions?” snickered the inkling. “I don’t think that!” shouted Ocho. “Then why did you say that?” replied Wire, getting nothing for an answer.

“OCHO! HI!” waved a familiar yellow inkling. “Mitsu, get me out of here!” he pleaded. The orange inkling didn’t add anything to the conversation, he actually felt a bit disappointed that Ocho might leave him. “Grocery shopping? Can I go?!” grinned Mitsuami. “YES!” replied Wireglasses. “What the hell are you so excited for?” Ocho scowled.

“Come on guys.” said Wire in a dry tone, giving Ocho a mildly annoyed side eye. While Mitsuami happily walked alongside them, Ocho quietly sulked as he held Wire’s hand. “Wait a sec, are you guys a thing?!” asked Mitsuami. “NO! I already told Shady that!” growled the octoling. “Sorry!” laughed the yellow inkling. “But if you’re gonna hold hands then you gotta expect people to think that!”

The orange inkling opened the shop’s door for the two, and they went to get the first item on the list– a loaf of bread. That wasn’t too difficult, and neither were the next few things. “This is boring.” thought Ocho.

“Hey there! I’m looking for some volunteers!” greeted an older employee, he was an inkling in a green apron with the store’s logo on it. The boys were not interested, but that didn’t matter because Mitsuami very much was. “We’ll help you sir!” she smiled.

“Great!” replied the employee. “I need to organize the back before the manager gets back, or else he’ll kill me!” he added. “So you’re getting kids to do your mundane task? Isn’t that child labor?” grumbled Ocho. “Ocho, it’s not child labor!” responded Mitsuami. “It’s called helping others because you have a pure heart!”

“I don’t think he has a pure heart.” snickered Wireglasses. “Shut up!” shouted the octoling. “The hell do you want?” he asked the employee in a rude tone. “Oh, there’s some boxes laying around the store that just need to go in certain places.” explained the employee. “I can fetch the boxes while you guys stay in the back and wait to organize them!” exclaimed Mitsuami.

Waiting around in the storage room quickly got very boring when Mitsuami wasn’t there to hand the two another stack of boxes. “So, how’s battling been going?” asked Wire in an attempt to make small talk. “My team left me because I stopped paying them.” sighed Ocho. “That’s tough.” shrugged Wire. “Yeah, no shit.” muttered the octoling.

After a while, the inkling’s mind drifted off and he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. Ocho looked over at Wire, but couldn’t take his eyes off of him. Once again, he found himself completely love-struck.

“Delivery for Mr. Staring-At-Wire!” called Mitsuami with a large box of chip bags. “W-What? No!” shouted the octoling as he struggled to snap back into reality. “Goggles told me how he used to look at Hachi like that all the time.” whispered the yellow inkling.

Meanwhile at the restaurant, 8-Bit and the others were getting ready to leave. “Ah, time to prove that stupid Horn Helmet that I can beat her in a turf war blindfolded!” sighed 8-Bit as she stretched. “Sometimes you’re as dumb as my bro.” said Polpo. “I need to watch this.”

“Don’t make fun of me! Shady, you coming to CHEER me on?!” barked 8-Bit. “I was thinking of taking a walk after this, I need to clear my mind.” replied the cyan inkling. “I get it.” shrugged 8-Bit. “Your head’s full of gay thoughts!” Shady covered her mouth while repeatedly whispering “Shut up!” at her.

“I got no plans, so I could totally join you!” smiled Barreleye. Shady gave him a softer, shyer smile back. “Oh, that would be nice.”

“I think my brother likes him.” said Polpo to 8-Bit. “As if that wasn’t obvious!” replied the red inkling, walking over to the lobby with the octoling girl. “Uh, what were they talking about?” asked Barreleye. “Um, I’m sure it’s just…girl talk or something.” chuckled Shady, who heard them.

“BOX DELIVERY!” grinned Mitsuami at the store, throwing a light box of chocolate bars at them. “The boss said we’re on break for 20 minutes!” she added, happily slamming the door behind her. “At least she’s having fun, this is boring.” sighed Ocho. “Maybe that’s because I’m the one putting the boxes away while the little octoling boy stands around doing nothing!” remarked Wireglasses.

“It’s not my fault I’m too short to reach some shelves!” Ocho shot back. “Aren’t you ripped as hell?! You could totally get those lower shelves done!” replied Wire. “You know what? I’m going to hang out with Mitsu, she’d never make fun of me!” scoffed the octoling. The inkling shrugged calmly. “Knock yourself out.” As expected, his response ticked the octoling off a little more. “Don’t act all smug!” shouted Ocho, reaching for the door.

He turned the knob and pushed, but it wouldn’t budge. “Piece of junk.” he muttered, trying to open it again with more force. “COME ON!” he shouted, aggressively trying to get the door to open. He kept trying for a few more minutes before groaning in defeat. “IT’S LOCKED!” Wire’s eyes widened in horror, but only slightly. He knew someone will probably realize the door is locked and come get them. “I get alone time with Ocho while we’re stuck in here…” he thought. “If we’re stuck together, maybe we could put an end to this crap between us.”

“Well, I finally get some more alone time with him, but why did it have to be in the back of a grocery store?” sighed Ocho, internally. “Alright, we gotta get out of here!” he barked at the inkling. “How? Through that tiny window near the ceiling?” asked Wire. “Of course not, dumbass.” sighed the octoling. “Whatever. I’m going to sleep for the next 20 minutes.” yawned Wireglasses, grabbing a sack of flour for a pillow and laying down on the floor. Ocho gave him a look of disapproval before taking out his phone to call for help.

“Damn, it’s dead!” snapped the octoling. “You can use mine.” responded Wire. “But you’ve been such an asshole so maybe not.” he shrugged. “YOU DORK, WE’RE STUCK HERE WITH NOTHING!” shouted Ocho. “Except each other.” replied Wire, getting an annoyed glare from the octoling.

“Even if you’re a huge jerk to me, I can’t bring myself to hate you. You’re strong and maybe there’s something to you I find endearing.” said the inkling, forming a very small smile in his usual resting bitch face. The octoling looked away to blush hard and feel himself getting all warm and fuzzy inside. “Thanks or whatever.” he mumbled.

“I’ll text the group chat.” nodded Wireglasses, turning his phone on. “And quickly, the phone’s gonna die in 30 seconds.” He frantically tapped on his messaging app and began typing.

“at grocery store, ocho and i are stu”

“CRAP, IT DIED!” yelled Wire in anger. “Good going.” scoffed Ocho. “Hey, being stuck back here wasn’t on my bingo card today!” shot back the inkling. “Geez, let’s just get out the hard way. Give me some boxes to stand on.” growled Ocho. Unable to think of another option, Wire agreed to help.

In the visually breathtaking trail near Eeltail Alley, Shady walked alongside Barreleye, unable to keep his cool. “I’ve never fallen this hard for someone before.” he muttered very quietly. “You say something?” asked Barreleye. “No, you must’ve heard the wind.” replied Shady, stammering. “There isn’t even a breeze outside though…” said the yellow octoling.

“Barreleye, have you ever been in love?” asked Shady. “I mean, someone like you has probably at least flirted with someone once.” he added. “Yeah!” smiled Barreleye. “I’m a flirt but my sis says I suck at it!”

“I see.” nodded the inkling. His phone went off. “Wire and Ocho are what?” he asked himself. “Stu…dying? Stubborn? Stupid?” Barreleye noticed the cyan inkling looking visibly confused at his phone. “Is stu slang for banging?” laughed the octoling. “Barrel! No!” panicked Shady. “Aww, he called me Barrel.” chuckled the range blaster main.

“I guess I’ll tell you now…” began Shady, intriguing the other boy. “I’m in love with-” The sound of a new notification stopped him from confessing his love. “I think he meant stuck, they're stuck somewhere in the store” texted Shellmet, someone who rarely talked in the Best 8’s group chat.

“Um, I think we should help those two.” said Shady to Barreleye. “Why? There’s four other people who could easily find them!” shrugged the octoling. “I don’t feel like leaving your side tonight.”

The cyan inkling’s face burned up again, and he could only muster a shy nod. “You’re hella cute, we should hang out more.” smiled the octoling, suddenly taking hold of the inkling’s soft cheek.

“B-Barrel, what are you saying?” asked Shady.

“That I wanna hang out more.” replied Barreleye. “And that I love you!”

“What?”

“I love you! I wanna be boyfriends!”

The inkling couldn’t believe what he was hearing. To make sure this wasn’t a dream, he made the impulsive choice of giving Barreleye a kiss on the lips. It obviously wasn’t, and he felt that when he realized what he just did, and as Barreleye began kissing back. The need for air was the only thing that stopped them from going further. “I love you too.” smiled Shady.

8-Bit angrily shoved her dynamo roller into her locker. “I hope you’ll see me next battle!” laughed Horn Helmet. “Stupid hat bitch!” shouted 8-Bit, getting no response from the pink inkling. The red inkling seethed as she watched her laugh with Polpo.

“I was looking for you.” called a purple octoling girl. “I think Ocho and Wireglasses are stuck in the local grocery store.” she explained. “Honestly Shellmet, that’s something they would do.” shrugged 8-Bit. “HORN HELMET! I NEED YOU TOO!” shouted Shellmet. “I caught you laughing at 8-Bit too, that’s not very noble of you.” remarked the octoling. “YEAH HORNMET!” cackled the red inkling. “SHUT UP!” Horn Helmet growled.

Meanwhile, after what felt like years, Ocho finally felt close to the tiny window in the back room. “Stack them better! I’m gonna fall!” shouted Ocho. “He couldn’t balance on solid ground to save his life.” thought Wire. “HEY! YOUR BALANCE IS JUST OFF!” replied the inkling. “TRY REPOSITIONING!”

Shellmet, Horn Helmet and 8-Bit kicked the grocery store’s door open. “WHERE’S OCHO AND WIREGLASSES?” shouted Horn Helmet, clearly not very interested in being there. “GUYS?” gasped Mitsuami, running over to them. “They’re fine, just in the backroom.” she smiled. “I think they’re stuck.” replied Shellmet. “I still have access to the back if you wanna check on them.” said the yellow inkling.

“IF YOU PANIC YOU’LL DEFINITELY FALL!” shouted Wire. “I’M NOT PANICKING YOU IDIOT!” yelled Ocho. He didn’t loudly freak out or anything, but he was visibly shaking and nervously glancing down at the floor below. Suddenly, he felt gravity pushing down on him, sending him and the tower of boxes flying backwards.

Just after, Mitsuami unlocked the door. “I’M SORRY FOR LOCKING-” She then saw where Ocho landed, without context. To the four girls, it looked like Ocho was about to do something… Intriguing. His face was inches away from the inkling boy’s, and his body was right on top of his. Mitsuami and Shellmet instantly looked away, insisting that they respect their privacy, which deeply embarrassed Ocho. “No need to hide it boys, it’s not like any of us are straight!” laughed Horn Helmet.

“IT’S NOT WHAT YOU-” Ocho was cut off by 8-Bit loudly laughing in his face as he got up. “Quit laughing! We also need to see where Shady and Barreleye ran off to!” said Shellmet. “Oh, those two went on a romantic walk in the park!” smirked the red inkling. “I’ll ask them to meet up with us outside.”

“I swear to cod, I’m starting to turn into Shady around Barreleye when I’m around Wire.” sighed Ocho. As the girls went ahead of them, he took the orange inkling’s hand out of some kind of instinct he couldn’t explain. “If you really wanna hold it, then hold it.” said Wire. “Why did I do that?” Ocho silently asked himself as Wire opened the main entrance.

“Yo Shady, nice boyfriend!” greeted 8-Bit, noticing him holding hands with the yellow octoling. “T-Thanks…” replied the cyan inkling, shyly. “That’s right! Shady and I are official!” announced Barreleye. “Congrats!” smiled Mitsuami. “Finally.” muttered the rest.

Wireglasses looked at Ocho, wondering if they could finally be together someday. As he thought of all the ways a confession to him could go wrong, he began to envy Shady and Barreleye. “One day, you cute dork.”

To be continued 🧡💜

Chapter Text

Ocho woke up, still shaken by the embarrassing events at the grocery store. Over the last few days, he focused on battling and tried to ignore it– He didn’t even run into Wire once. He checked his phone to see a voice message from…Goggles. “Hey Ocho! I’m gonna battle Hachi at Scorch Gorge today at 2! Come watch us!” said the message.

The purple octoling checked the time and his jaw dropped. “IT’S ALREADY ONE?!” he gasped, rushing out of his bed and speedrunning his morning routine. “I hope Wire doesn’t see my sloppy dressing job.” Ocho muttered to himself, before blushing “Wait, why am I so worried about that?” he groaned.

Goggles and his team, despite their idiocy, are great in battle which would help him think of new strategies. Ocho didn’t know Hachi very well, but heard about how he and Goggles somehow got trapped in a weird simulation with Off The Hook Dedf1sh, and their other friends. Apparently the two had romantic tension between them as well, giving Ocho a thought. “Wait NO! Why the hell would I go to Goggles of all squids for romantic advice?!”

Unexpectedly, there was a knock on the door. “Hey, we’re dragging you out to Scorch Gorge!” greeted Shellmet. 8-Bit was with her, but Ocho’s gaze went straight to the third figure– Wireglasses . “We’re helping you.” whispered 8-Bit, smirking. “I’m sure you are.” Ocho sighed. The three headed out to Scorch Gorge together.

“SHOW HIM YOUR GUTS!!!” cheered an inkling with a fishbone in her mouth. “Yo Gakuran!” waved 8-Bit. Gakuran noticed Wire and froze up, becoming unusually nervous. “Is she…in love?” wondered Ocho. Without realizing it, the purple octoling glared at her. “Glaring like that is rude.” said Shellmet.

“I’M NOT GLARING!” snapped Ocho. “Ocho?” asked Wire and Gakuran. “NOTHING!” yelled the octoling boy, running off into the small building that was selling drinks. “What’s gotten into him?” asked 8-Bit. “Let’s split up and find him.” replied Wire.

A blue inkling stepped into the same building Ocho was running towards. He had a white T-Shirt and a pair of goggles on his head. “Ocho, is that you?” he asked, surprising the octoling. “Goggles?”

“You’re never this upset! What happened?” asked Goggles. “Goggles, you’re with Hachi or whatever right?” Ocho’s question made Goggles blush. “W-Well, yeah…” chuckled the blue inkling. “How did you ask him out?” asked Ocho. “I dunno…We just kind of kissed…” answered Goggles. “I think the best ways to ask someone out is-”

“OCHO!” shouted Gakuran, texting the others about finding the octoling. “GO AWAY!” shouted Ocho. “Are you in a fight?” asked Goggles. “He looked upset and ran off.” replied Gakuran. Ocho shook his head. “THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED AT ALL!” he shouted before running off, leaving both inklings confused.

“Is he okay?” asked Goggles. “No clue what his deal is…” replied Gakuran. “I’m gonna tell our group about this.” She waved goodbye to Goggles before going out to find the others out in the crowd. “HEY! OCHO RAN OFF AGAIN!” she yelled to them.

“WHAT GIVES?!” scoffed 8-Bit, but Shellmet stopped her from getting any more angered. “There must be a logical explanation for this.” said the octoling girl. Wire’s expression darkened the most. “Why?” he asked lowly. He needed to know what could’ve made Ocho run away so suddenly.

Wire’s intimidating air was enough to send shivers down Gakuran’s spine. “I d-don’t know…When I found him, he shouted at me to back off, and even shouted at Goggles before taking off again.”

The fact he got angry at Goggles, an inkling he had so much respect for, was really surprising to the others. “We need to find him!” spoke up Shellmet. “You’re right.” nodded Wire. “You and 8-Bit will look around the general area, while I go with Gakuran to see if he’s on his way home.”

“Sounds good.” smiled Gakuran, excited to work with him. “He better not be slacking off somewhere!” shrugged 8-Bit. Wire glared at her. “This is likely very serious, I think it’s all of you that shouldn’t be slacking off.”

When the four split up, Wire and Gakuran began heading for the nearby train station. “I haven’t seen you this heated in a while.” said Gakuran. “It’s because I’m worried.” replied Wire, who quickly realized what he just confessed. “I mean, I want to know why Ocho just got up and left!”

“For a second there, I thought you were in love with him!” laughed Gakuran. A small blush creeped onto the inkling boy’s cheeks. “I am. He’s really cute when you get to know him and I’m not ashamed to admit it! I’m just not usually so vulnerable like this…”

“Vulnerable?” asked the inkling girl. Wire nodded. “Lately, I’ve been noticing more of Ocho’s vulnerable side.” he said. “I guess that’s what I saw back there…” sighed Gakuran. “We started fighting over the smallest things, and after we made up…He’s been blushing a lot and stopped keeping his tough front all the time.” replied Wire. He felt that Ocho was in love with him, but the way he disappeared today began to make him second guess himself.

“Westbound to Splatsville!” said the speaker in the train. The two got on, and made their way to town. Shellmet and 8-Bit were on their own adventure in the Scorch Gorge area.

“UGH! It’s all desert!” growled 8-Bit. “I think we should switch up where we’re looking.” replied Shellmet. “There’s a bus that runs to a small town nearby, we can look for Ocho there and maybe buy something to eat.” The octoling girl put her arm around 8-Bit’s shoulder, making the inkling blush. “I’d enjoy a quick pizza with you.” she smiled seductively.

“Yeah, that’d be great.” 8-Bit smiled, trying to look confident after the other girl made her lose her composure. “Plus, there’s a good chance Ocho could be in one of the shops!” The two stood in the bus shelter, only waiting around 5 minutes for the next one to arrive. The LED display on the bus said it was going to Oasis Hills, a small town near Scorch Gorge.

The town was in a small green area in the vast desert, featuring a park with the town’s oasis and many small stores. The first thing 8-Bit saw was the video game store with a giant sale sign on the window. “THEY’RE SELLING THE NEW SQUID BEATZ AT HALF PRICE!!! PLEASE CAN WE GO?!” the inkling girl begged. “Yes, yes! Calm down!” chuckled Shellmet. 

Meanwhile, Gakuran and Wire were laughing about random turf war memories. Gakuran told Wire about her battle against Goggles, while Wire told her about many small moments he experienced in his battles against Ocho’s teams. “He often came running to me about how he got ripped off on Linkedink.” he chuckled. “I don’t know why he paid inkfish to fight with him, I never found out…”

“Meanwhile I’d never abandon my teammates!” replied Gakuran. “Both him and Mitsuami are looking for permanent teams right now, I wonder if he’ll stop that crap and team up with her.”

“They’re so damn cheerful together, aren’t they?” a purple octoling thought to himself, quietly looking for the door furthest from them. “NOW ARRIVING AT SPLATSVILLE STATION!” boomed the speaker. That’s where the familiar octoling got off. Wire and Gakuran stepped out of the nearest door, heading towards Ocho’s house. “I swore I saw him on the train…” Wire thought to himself.

After booking it the moment he got off the train, Ocho finally got home and slammed the door. He walked upstairs to his room to let out all of the emotions he’s spent so long repressing, as well as his feelings from earlier. The sight of Wire and Gakuran laughing together broke his already cracked heart. “She’s better for him! She actually respects him and doesn’t embarrass herself like I do…Not to mention she can actually keep a team together where it’s not driven by money! Wire deserves someone who actually likes him more than I do…”

A tear fell from Ocho’s eye, he was ashamed that he was going to cry over this. Even after the past while, he still wasn’t sure why he was suddenly so emotional over Wire.

In Oasis Hills, 8-Bit and Shellmet finally made it to the pizza place after they failed to find Ocho in the other shops, the two needed a break. While 8-Bit began going at their pizza like a dog, Shellmet rested her elbow on the table, her hand holding onto her cheek. “This is my chance. I can’t keep secrets from her.”

“You think the others found him?” asked the red inkling. “I doubt it. They would’ve told us if they did.” answered Shellmet. 8-Bit smirked. “Or maybe they found him and the boys are making out, since Ocho would bend over backwards for him! No wait, he’d bend forwards~”

“8-Bit, really?!” Shellmet spoke firmly. “What? You know it’s true!” laughed 8-Bit. The octoling girl couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “I love you sometimes.” she smiled. The red inkling couldn’t help but grow a bit flustered, it fueled her urge to make a move. “Ya know, we should ditch this place and have an evening date at home!”

“D-Date?” stuttered a blushing Shellmet. 8-Bit’s confidence only grew from there. “Look, Ocho’s definitely not around here, and I’m sure he’d want Wire to find him anyway. I’ve got the latest movie starring Front Roe and every Nintendo Switch game ever!”

The octoling girl wasn’t sure if she wanted to abandon their mission like this, but 8-Bit had a point– Ocho might prefer to talk to Wire if he’s this upset, so it might be good to leave him be. She finally came to her decision. “Alright, we can hop on the train.”

When the train the others took finally came back to the station, the girls got on and enjoyed the 20 minute ride. When they got off, they took a cab to 8-Bit’s house. “There’s so many video game posters…” thought Shellmet, looking around her living room. Most of them were pastel and had the cute characters from their franchises on them. “Cute posters.”

8-Bit blushed. “Don’t ask why I have the cute ones, my brother got them for me.” she muttered, embarrassed. “I wasn’t going to.” replied the octoling. “Thank cod.” sighed 8-Bit, opening a case full of cartridges. The case was like a binder, and it also looked thicker than the bible. “So, wanna play one of these or watch the movie? Or should we look for snacks first?”

“I think we should find snacks first.” smiled Shellmet. 8-Bit nodded, her more cheerful and bubbly side was something only Shellmet really got to see. She was still worried about Ocho, though. “I really hope Wire and Gakuran update us soon…”

Ocho was still quietly sobbing about everything in his room. The ring of the doorbell interrupted him, he felt that he had to answer it. “The hell do you want?” he asked lowly, glaring at Gakuran. “And where’s Wire? Waiting for you at some fancy restaurant?”

Gakuran shook her head. “Ocho, you’re going to tell me what’s wrong. I’m not going to judge you or tell anyone.” she said in a serious tone. Ocho could only look at her, feeling intimidated. He’s never felt so intimidated by someone who’s much weaker than him in battle.

“You’re a bitch!” he blurted out. “I like Wire, but you admire and respect him so damn much, I can’t stand how you two never argue or anything! I constantly fight, yell and embarrass myself in front of him, it’s ridiculous, but I also need him…I need him more than you!”

The inkling girl was surprised, and Ocho kept talking. “You weren’t the one who struggled to figure themself out, you weren’t the one who fell so hard they became a vulnerable shell of their former self! You weren’t stuck in the back of a store helplessly with him, or got to sleep at his house…”

He began to ramble as if he was Shady. Wireglasses finally caught up to Gakuran and let himself in, instantly seeing the sight. Without noticing the inkling, Ocho decided it was time to finish his tangent. “WIRE IS MINE!”

Wire blushed upon hearing that, and that’s when Ocho finally noticed him. The octoling blushed harder. “I m-mean…I…”

Gakuran decided to break the tension. “Ocho, I’m not in love with Wire. I guess I do blush and get nervous around him, but it’s because I admire him and his strength. I love watching him battle and destroy his foes, but not Wire himself! We’re not love rivals.” she explained to him.

After a brief feeling of relief, Ocho then remembered that Wire heard it all. He blushed again, and looked away from the both of them. “G-Get out, I need space.”

Gakuran nodded and left. Before Wire followed, he gave the octoling a warm smile. Ocho didn’t see it, but he definitely felt its presence. “Cod…”

The octoling boy wanted to die of embarrassment, yet he was secretly glad Wire heard all of it. He quietly wished that Wire would come back and comfort him. He sighed. “I was a former hierarchy member, why would I need comfort of all things?”

To be continued 🧡💜

Chapter Text

“You called?” asked Mitsuami, walking into Ocho’s room. “Yeah. We need to talk.” answered the purple octoling. “It’s about what happened a few days ago.”

“I heard you had jealousy issues with my cousin.” said Mitsuami, referring to Gakuran. “That’s been sorted out! But, I got too heated with her and shouted something Wire wasn’t supposed to hear…” replied Ocho, blushing. “I don’t know what he thinks of me now…”

The yellow inkling put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Ocho, we’ve been friends for quite a while now, you can tell me anything. What did you say to Gakuran?”

“I told her that Wire belonged to me, and how much I really liked him…But I didn’t know he was right behind me and heard everything! The truth is…”

Ocho sighed and struggled to continue, but he tried anyway. “It’s hard for me to accept that I like men. I had a brief infatuation with Triple, but it was okay for me because it didn’t last long. I’ve never had feelings for anyone like this before, and it’s embarrassing to feel this way…What if my fans are homophobic and don’t accept me?”

Ocho’s blush quickly returned to his face. “What would WIRE think?! We’re supposed to be the two scariest members of the hierarchy, and I act like a useless schoolgirl around him…”

Mitsuami gave him a soft smile before chuckling a bit. “I think everyone will accept you, a lot of inkfish in Splatsville are queer! I can’t relate to anything romantic, but I know how it can make someone act a bit vulnerable or even clumsier.” The inkling girl wiped a tear off of Ocho’s cheek. “I’m pretty sure Wire likes you a lot though, and would never seriously judge you.”

“She’s right.” thought Ocho. He remembered what Wire said to him. “Even if you're a huge jerk to me, I can't bring myself to hate you. You're strong and maybe there's something to you that I find endearing.” were the orange inkling’s words. He also remembered how even if the two bickered a bit, Wire helped him in his more vulnerable moments a lot.

“Thank you.” Ocho smiled at Mitsuami, before the two continued talking.

Meanwhile, Wire opened Ocho’s messages on his phone. “I hope he comes, he hasn’t talked to anyone in days…” he frowned, typing the message.

Wire: hey, my beach house is open and i’m inviting everyone in the best 8 to stay there for a few days. you in? we’re leaving tomorrow morning

Ocho: sure.

The orange inkling felt nervous. Ocho is usually a dry texter, but he rarely replied with one word like that. He knew the octoling was embarrassed about the incident with Gakuran, but he also really missed him. “I want him to say those words again, but to me this time…”

“Cod, I hope he shows up tomorrow.” sighed Wire. “I need him more than anything.”

The next morning rolled around, and everyone made it to the train station with their bags. Most of them had to settle for seats next to random people, but Ocho spotted a completely empty seat. “It must be my lucky-”

Wire also found the seat and got to it first. The octoling felt his chest grow tight. “That was the last seat, and I really don’t know if I can talk to him right now!”  

“ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS, THE TRAIN IS LEAVING IN 30 SECONDS!” sounded the driver on the PA. Ocho scrambled to find a seat without separating from the group. “Come on, come on…”

“Ocho, just take the L and sit next to Wire!” called out Barreleye, noticing how hesitant the purple octoling boy was acting. “Fine.” huffed Ocho, reluctantly sitting next to Wire. It was a challenge to even look this inkling in the eye.

Wire took notice of how tense Ocho felt. “It’s not a good time to talk.” he thought. The two sat in awkward silence for a while, until Ocho drifted off to sleep. The orange inkling blushed a bit as he felt the purple octoling’s weight slowly lean on his side. He couldn’t help but lean into Ocho himself, taking out his switch to play Super Mario Wonder to pass the time.

“NOW ARRIVING AT THE SPLATLANDIAN RESORT!” shouted the driver on the PA, a few hours after the Best 8 boarded the train.

“Squit, Ocho won’t budge…” thought Wire, trying to wake him up by poking and nudging him. As the others were getting up and quickly getting off, Wire only had one choice. “Mitsuami, could you carry Ocho and I’s bags? We’ll be out in a sec.” he asked the yellow inkling. “On it!” smiled Mitsuami, taking the luggage and hauling it out of the train.

Wire slid his arms under Ocho, and picked him up. He quickly got him off, seconds before the doors closed. However, he forgot that everyone else could see him carrying the purple octoling. He heard a mocking whistle come from 8-Bit and Hornmet. Shellmet did her best to get them to stop. The orange inkling awkwardly chuckled. “He wouldn’t wake up…”

When they got to the house, Wire gently placed the purple octoling and his bags on the bed in his room. The next few hours were full of random events, like rare animals being spotted, going to the nearby small town  and everyone catching Barreleye and Shady making out behind the house. Ocho slept through it all.

Eventually, he finally woke up and left the room. Barreleye was teasing Shady with kisses to his head while the cyan inkling was trying to cook lunch. “S-Stop it!” squealed Shady, his face red all over. “You expect me to just ignore a cutie like you?” replied Barreleye, winking.

“They’re insufferable.” Ocho said to himself, grabbing a quick snack off the counter.

“Congrats on the girlfriend, loser!” shrugged Hornmet, shaking 8-Bit’s hand. The red inkling pulled the octoling girl into an embrace. “Jealous?” smirked 8-Bit, kissing Shellmet’s cheek. “You want a pretty girlfriend so bad, don’t you?” she laughed. Hornmet tried to ignore her.

“They’re so damn happy, aren’t they?” Ocho grumbled to himself. The purple octoling couldn’t lie to himself– He felt jealous, and wanted to be just as romantic with Wireglasses. He wanted to leave for a bit to clear his mind, but Hornmet had other ideas.

“LET’S PLAY SPIN THE BOTTLE, BITCHES!” she shouted, holding a beer bottle that belonged to an older inkling in Wire’s family. Most of the group groaned. “Don’t worry, we’ll all consent so we know that no one’s cheating!” grinned Hornmet. “And Mitsuami, you can sit out since you aren’t comfortable with romance and kissing.”

Mitsuami quietly thanked the pink inkling, and went to check on Kojake. Everyone else agreed to play and sat around the bottle. Hornmet gave the bottle a violent spin, so it’d take extra long to stop and keep the suspense going.

The first spin mercifully paired up Barreleye and Shady. Shady was shy to kiss in front of everyone as usual, but Barreleye didn’t hold back. The yellow octoling pulled Shady in so close that they were practically glued together, and ran his hand across Shady’s cyan tentacles as their lips were locked together.

The next round was between 8-Bit and Hornmet. Shellmet didn’t mind, in fact it was funny to see the two rivals having to put their differences aside for a few moments. Besides, the group all consented to things like this happening…until more rounds passed and Barreleye began hissing and clawing at anyone else who got paired with Shady. Hornmet grew a bit frustrated and disqualified the two.

“Okay, it’s time for the next round with no one who really needs a room!” announced Hornmet, spinning the bottle again. It landed on Shellmet, but Hornmet pushed it a bit more to land on Ocho. “WHAT THE HELL?!” growled the purple octoling boy. “You’ve been too lucky, it somehow hasn’t landed on you yet!” responded Hornmet.

Ocho watched in horror as the bottle spun again, not ready to meet his fate. When it landed on a familiar orange inkling, he felt his life flash before his eyes. “Challenge accepted…” muttered Ocho, walking up to Wire.

Ocho went to kiss him, but Wire got to his lips first thanks to his hesitancy. It didn’t last long before Wire went back to his spot. But Ocho quickly left the room, anxiously running off. Everyone was a bit shocked, and Wire decided to follow him. He got up and headed in the same direction Ocho ran down.

“I just saw Ocho run off, I think he was crying…” said Mitsuami as she passed Wire. The orange inkling stopped in his tracks. “Crying?” gasped Wire. “Wire, can we talk?” asked Mitsuami. “There’s some things you need to know about Ocho.”

The two sat down, away from the others. “He really likes you. I’ve never seen him so vulnerable before he began to catch feelings, but can’t really put down his pride.”

“That’s what I thought.” replied Wire, referring to that last part. “You two are the strongest of the hierarchy, and he wants to keep up with you. He’s embarrassed to act vulnerable around you because he’s afraid you’ll think differently of him.” added Mitsuami.

“I want him to be more vulnerable around me…” sighed Wire. “I love him too, and I want to take care of him.”

“It doesn’t help that Ocho…struggles to accept his sexuality. Earlier, he was worried about how Best 8 fans might think about him being gay. He needs someone, Wire.” stated Mitsuami. The yellow inkling smiled. “And I think you’re exactly who he needs.”

“HEY, SHELLMET WANTS TO RENT A SAILBOAT, YOU COMING?!” shouted 8-Bit. Wire felt hesitant. “Wire, I think we should give Ocho space for now.” said Mitsuami. “HOW LONG WILL WE BE GONE?!” asked Wire to 8-Bit. “MAYBE AN HOUR, SINCE NONE OF US REALLY WANNA PAY A LOT FOR THE BOAT!” answered the red inkling. “SO LIKE, BY 6PM!”

Wire agreed to go with the others. While they were already out sailing, Ocho sat by the sparkling shores of the beach, watching the waves and the sunset slowly intensify. “He probably thinks I hate him more than ever now.” The purple octoling felt a tear fall from his eye. “I took my time with him for granted…” he muttered. “I’m such an idiot…”

Ocho heard music playing nearby and his friends talking, but it barely fazed him. Believing no one was around him, he continued to quietly sob into the sand, picking up and fidgeting with the beautiful shells by the water. “I’m sorry…”

“Sorry for what?” asked a familiar voice. His signature wireframe glasses instantly caught the octoling’s eye.

“W-Wire?”

“I’m here.” nodded Wire, helping Ocho up. “I heard you’re afraid of me looking down on a more vulnerable version of you, and some other feelings you have towards me.”

“It’s…” The purple octoling hesitated before impulsively blurting words out. “IT’S ALL TRUE!” cried Ocho, tearing up. “I really love you, but I couldn’t accept it…I couldn’t accept the way you made me feel, in some overly lovestruck trance…And then you heard me shout all those things the other day, and-”

Wire took Ocho’s hands. “It’s okay. Focus on me and try to regulate your breathing.” The two looked into each other’s eyes and the octoling eventually came back to his senses. That didn’t stop one last tear from falling though. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Wire…”

The orange inkling smiled, blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Likewise, Ocho.”

“W-Wait, you’re acting like you don’t remember what I said about you the other day!” panicked Ocho. Wire chuckled. “Of course I remember, but there’s one thing about it…”

Ocho grew nervous. “And that is…?”

Wire’s hand wandered to the side of the octoling’s cheek. “You should’ve told me that directly, because I want you just as much~”

Ocho’s face went completely red, and all he could let out was an incoherent stutter. “You’re still as cute as ever, you know?” smiled Wire. “I love you so much…”

“I-I-I…” stammered Ocho, allowing Wire to bring their faces closer to each other. “L-Love you too…”

At long last, Wire and Ocho’s mouths met, and they kissed without either of them worrying about the other. They kept their lips together for quite a while before breaking apart, but wished the moment lasted longer. Alas, they both needed air.

“Wire…” sighed Ocho, falling into the inkling’s embrace and relishing the warmth of his apex sweater. “I want to stay like this forever…”

“We can.” smiled Wire, kissing the top of Ocho’s head. “I’m proud of you for finally opening up.”

“I’m done with acting tough for you…” sighed Ocho, contently and pressing himself further against Wire. Wire picked him up from his rear to kiss him again, and everything around them was drowned out in their pure love for each other.

🧡 The End 💜