Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Quick A/N before we start:) Ok so, this is my very first fanfic and I’m asking that you please try to be nice about this and bear with me, but don’t be afraid to give criticism on what I could improve!! <3 I’m always willing to learn! The other characters are gonna play pretty significant roles, but the focus will be mainly on Tiger and Eclipse. I imagine this as a kind of Eclipse redemption, not the type where he’s redeemed simply through being with tiger, but the fact that Tiger (and other factors, I’m not *that* much of a hopeless romantic) sort of inspires him to do better with his story.

Also, there will be absolutely NO RXXX/NON-CON ELEMENTS here. I just want a wholesome, sort of vanilla and consensual relationship in this. It might also be a bit slow-burn, so I hope you have the patience for that.

This is set just after Tiger Rock and Roxanne came back to the Pizzaplex after she found him after Vanny’s base got “MONTY PLEAS-“d. (I’m sorry I’ll stop with the Lunar jokes) and Tiger was just making his way back to Roxy Raceway, only to bump into Eclipse in the atrium, as neither of them were paying attention, and Eclipse could probably see right over Tiger Rock’s head.

Also, updates might be a little bit inconsistent, due to lack of time, and probably ADHD issues

Alright, I think that’ll be it, so enjoy!!❤️❤️

- Bee

Chapter Text

Eclipse scoffed as he left the Superstar Daycare, trying his best to ignore Moon's remark ringing through his mind, like a heated knife through butter. That was one thing he always hated; the fact that he still felt so upset at being alone. He knew that he should be better than this. He's had damn near FIVE WHOLE YEARS to get used to that, so why in Hell was it still such a sensitive subject...!? He didn't like too much attention, THAT much was obvious, but...he did sometimes think that it would be nice to feel like he had someone to truly care about him. "Just another weakness," he thought to himself.

Quickly pushing those thoughts from his mind, he kept walking through the main lobby, the bells attached to the ribbons around his wrists jingling softly with his movement. God, how he wished that he could take those damned things off. He didn't stop or slow his pace, a slight clicking sound coming from the slight gaps in his casing that allowed his joints to move freely, until he reached the elevator leading to the Main Atrium of the Pizzaplex. He slowly pushed the button, and stepped inside. He leaned against the wall of the elevator, releasing a quiet sigh as he was pretty much forced to listen to the annoying little jingle of the Glamrocks' main song for shows until the elevator reached it's destination. He'd always wondered why Fazbear Entertainment insisted on the Glamrocks performing that same stupid song for every show. He knew that kids could request songs after the main show, but still; wouldn't hurt to have some depth to the music; those kids could fucking handle it.

After a while that felt so much longer than it actually was, the elevator finally reached the Main Atrium. He stepped out, quickly dodging Map-Bot, before attempting to make his way down to the lower floor of the Atrium. None of the escalators are ever working, so why did it matter which way he went? Although, he still followed the directions, out of some weird wrong feeling at taking the wrong one. Not to mention, random escalators were blocked off, so he had to maneuver a fair bit to make his way down. Out of ALL the things that Fazbear could do to at least TRY to fix their shitty company, they randomly block off escalators that they're not even going to fucking fix. One thing that Eclipse could agree with Sun and Moon on was that Fazbear was really fucking shitty as a company.

Almost a million thoughts ran through Eclipse's head as he made his way through the Atrium, just staring blankly ahead as he walked. How could HE be expected to help bring Solar back from the dead? Why did Puppet or Frank believe that he COULD help? Eclipse barely knew the first damn thing about bringing someone back from death. Just because he went through it, doesn't mean he knew how it worked. What even WAS Frank? He just showed up somewhere, breathing like he was on the verge of an asthma attack. How could he EVEN breathe!?

Suddenly, Eclipse was pulled from his thoughts as he felt an impact around his chest, along with the clatter of another animatronic falling onto the tiles of the Atrium's floor. He must have seen right over their head due to his height, but why wouldn't they see him? He was a damn near 12ft tall animatronic, for fuck's sake! Eclipse himself stumbled for a moment, but kept his balance. He let out a quiet snarl in annoyance, standing tall above the other animatronic.

"Jesus fucking Christ. Do you ever even watch where you're going, you-"

Eclipse's harsh words died in his throat as he caught sight of who he'd accidentally just knocked over. His rays retracted ever so slightly as he met their eyes. Who he'd knocked over was a light, almost pastel purple colored Tiger animatronic. He had been modeled with a white jumpsuit with gold, and some purple accents, the top and bottom separated by a black belt, along with a turned-up collar. At least, Eclipse presumed that it was a jumpsuit, or a one-piece of some description, or simply a matching two-piece. The top part had long sleeves, with the very ends turned up into cuffs, with gold and purple accents, namely gold buttons and two purple stripes running down it. The bottom part was also white, and kind of just plain. Along his purple casing, there were black stripes along his arms and head, along with his tail and his round ears, that he could see. Around where his mouth and nose were was white, along with some of his chest that Eclipse could see through the jacket, which had been left unbuttoned. His build was...stocky, to say the least. It almost reminded Eclipse of Glamrock Freddy, or Monty, when they were presenting more masculine, although maybe a bit skinnier, and a bit shorter. A little more...proportionate. But, his eyes...were the most striking of all his features. The tiger had heterochromia. His eyes were electric blue and green respectively. Eclipse thought he'd seen him somewhere before, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. As the tiger animatronic looked up at him, with a slightly embarrassed expression, Eclipse realized that he'd been staring. Eclipse let out an exasperated sigh, holding out his hand to the tiger.

"...Whatever. Just watch where you're going, dumbass."

The tiger gave a small grin, showing off his sharp teeth for a moment as his paw gently gripped Eclipse's hand as he got up. He let out a quiet, nervous chuckle as he let go of Eclipse's hand.

"Heh...sorry...guess I wasn't...payin' as much attention as I shoulda been...my bad...!"

Eclipse crossed his arms, looking down on the Tiger. One thing, he did not expect the tiger to have a Southern accent. He stayed silent for a moment, his eyes widening a little bit as he realized where he remembered the tiger from. This was Tiger Rock, that musician who'd been going viral lately for his songs. Last he'd heard, Tiger had been missing, with rumors that Roxanne had killed him. Eclipse had heard the rumors through the grape-vine, but hadn't really believed them. Roxanne had always seemed...too tame to do something like that, even with how much of a bitch she used to be. Eclipse let out a sigh. Oh well. Probably just another idiot. Another obstacle. Another one who would eventually try to kill him.

"Like I said, just don't do it again."

Tiger seemingly crossed his arms as well, a slight blush appearing on his face, which Eclipse didn't notice. It was probably just embarrassment, right?

"Yup, I'll make sure to keep an eye out..."

Tiger suddenly held out a paw for Eclipse, supposedly an offer for a handshake.

"I'm Tiger Rock, and...you're...?"

Eclipse was a bit confused. Why was this...stupid cat acting so friendly with him? Hm. That wouldn't last long, once Tiger found out who he was. Regardless, he slowly took Tiger's paw, giving it a light shake.

"Eclipse, and...I already know. You've been pretty all over the place lately. Wasn't expecting you to be here."

Eclipse let go of his paw, as Tiger scratched behind his own ear for a moment.

"Well, yeah, Fazbear decided to employ me so I could...grow my career a li'l more...only so much ya can do on social media, y'know...?"

Eclipse raised an eyebrow slightly, still just looking down at Tiger.

"Interesting...Well, I feel we've talked long enough. Bye, I guess."

With that, Eclipse began walking again, not really thinking about where he was going. He noticed that Tiger looked kind of surprised, even confused for a moment, before he made his way to Roxy Raceway. Well, Eclipse knew where to find him now. He continued his wander, listening to the small clicks of his own joints, now with a new thought on his mind; those striking, electric eyes. How they appeared so...vibrant and harsh in color, yet there was a certain softness about them. A tenderness. Eclipse absolutely DETESTED using flowery language, and all that bullshit, but...he almost found it...pretty...? Eclipse quickly shook himself out of those thoughts, trying to remind himself that it was just a stupid cat, not worth getting all worked up over. Eclipse forced a stony expression, trying not to think about the interaction. Just another weakness.

But...How...? How could someone to appear so...kind, be so friendly to somebody like him? Granted, Tiger had no idea who he was before that conversation, so he doubted that that friendliness would remain for long. Eclipse continued to wander and think, ignoring the slight shift in heat around his cheeks. For him, there's no time or purpose for connections with people.

"No one ever loved you; and no one ever will."

Chapter Text

Eclipse soon left the Main Atrium, quickly growing tired of the noise and flashing lights. What sane person could handle that, anyway? He walked through the lobby, slowly tapping the tips of is fingers against his thumb to attempt to distract himself. It was kind of a habit, but he’d never act like how Lunar used to. All of the exaggerated movements, no matter how…cathartic it could be for someone, it drew way too much attention. Way too many stares. Things like that were better when they were subtle, in his opinion.

He kept walking, making his way out of the Pizzaplex entirely. Maybe he’d head to Earth and Monty’s house, or something. That seemed like a good option.

He continued on, going pretty quick as he’d basically memorised the way to their house already. He knew that he could just teleport, but he honestly kind of liked walking, at times. It gave him time to think, and it kept some part of him distracted from everything else. Soon enough, he’d reached Earth and Monty’s house, as it wasn’t that long of a walk. He walked up to the window for a moment, but quickly ducked back upon seeing Monty. Monty was in their- or her female form, as Eclipse crouched down into the bushes outside.

He and Monty still had some…beef, as some might call it. Eclipse couldn’t really blame Monty for that, As he did blow up Lunar right in front of her, and among other things, he was sure that he did in some of his now many past lives. It was frustrating, not remembering the entirety of his own life, and having to work around the gaps in his memory by trying to use context clues.

Eclipse stayed crouched down in the bushes, just observing Monty and Earth spending time together. Earth looked pretty happy. Happier than when he had talked to her after Solar died, at least. Then again, it would be pretty easy to be happier than that. If Eclipse would be honest with himself, he had almost grown fond of her. She was…a really good person, despite how much of a ditz she could be at times. Eclipse felt the most comfortable around her, maybe partly because she was one of the only people who were actually nice to him, bar Lunar being more neutral to him now, and not wanting to kill him. Proud of Lunar or not, that still hurt like shit. Eclipse hoped the joke he played on her made her happy, when he messed around with her code a little bit so she could talk to animals. She always mentioned how she loved things like Disney princesses, whenever he heard anything about her. She seemed happy when he came in to break the portal and got to see what happened. Although, he’d almost IMMEDIATELY found it embarrassing that he’d done that, and tried to deny it, even though he left a note. That part wasn’t one of his proudest moments. He slowly backed up against the wall of the house and buried his face into his hands, his rays retracting a slight amount again as he tried to think and process the day.

That weird Molten Freddy thing showed up; what even was that? Who names their creation Molten Freddy? Why was Molten Freddy even alive, if it was from one of the collapsed dimensions? Anyway, Moon yelled at him again, no surprise there. The molten thing must’ve stressed him out. He left, and then quite literally bumped into Tiger Rock.

Why? Why was that stupid southern cat sticking in his mind like glue? Remembering Tiger’s bright, energetic eyes almost boring into him, yet…it wasn’t as uncomfortable as when other people did it. Eclipse felt another small bit of warmth come to his face as he thought of the interaction on loop. His voice was…rough, and low, a little like Eclipse’s, but…softer, in a way. No…grit pushed in for sounding tough’s sake. And how could Tiger just…be so nice to him, without even knowing him? Even if he did know him, he’d just hate him more, right? He’d just turn into another person he couldn’t trust. But…maybe while it lasts…it’s a nice feeling, to have someone be genuinely nice to him. But, how could Tiger just…be such a nice person seemingly without any kind of effort? Do people just…do that?

Eclipse put his arms down, the bells on his wrists making a quiet jingling as he did. He slowly looked up at the sky, to the stars. It was actually clear enough to see the stars that night, for once. He let out a quiet sigh, standing up out of the bush as he started walking away from Monty and Earth’s house. Guess there was no time to get a conversation in.

“God forbid I actually know what I’m feeling for once, huh…?” He muttered to himself as he kept walking, back to the Pizzaplex. Maybe he could hang out in the Faz-Cade or something. It’s…familiar, in a way, even though he got trapped there. Maybe it could help him get his mind off of all this stupid shit.

Chapter Text

A few days later, Eclipse was wandering around the Pizzaplex again, his rays slightly retracted and his back slightly hunched over as he tried to block out the bright lights of the Main Atrium so they wouldn’t worsen his headache too much. He stared at the tiled floor, trying to ignore the reflection of the lights as every quiet ring from the bells on his wrists felt like it had been…muffled, in a way. His ‘ears’ were still ringing from his encounter with that stupid Dark Sun. His entire body was still aching from being shocked, over and over again. He had no idea what had been put in his head, in his coding, but at least he knew how to bring Solar back. But, would that really make being basically tortured worth it? Why did EVERY person who tortured him or hurt him always use electricity? Bloodmoon, Moon, Lunar killing him, and now that Dark Sun as well. One would think that they’d all be a little more original, but alas, that was not the case.

Eclipse kept walking, just trying to focus on…literally anything else, other than what had just happened. That stupid Dark Sun, and stupid him, for thinking that he could just get information that easily. He should’ve foreseen that it wouldn’t be that easy. Although…something about that Sun put Eclipse off. To a horrendous degree. The fact that he had…practically killed his Moon, and stolen his intelligence. He wondered what could have happened to Dark Sun’s Moon after that. Did he just…cease to exist? Is he still stuck in Dark Sun’s head, with no memories, no nothing? It was a pretty disturbing thought, that someone could just…transfer all of his data, his memories…and leave him with nothing. Sounds like what happened to Moon, even though it is technically different.

Eclipse didn’t have too much time to ponder these things, as for the second time, he felt the impact of metal on metal around his chest, although this time, he was the one to hit the ground, his head making a harsh impact with the tiles, which only made his headache worse, along with making him slightly dizzy. God, just how hard were those things…!? Although, Monty jumped off of the ledges of the different levels pretty often for…some reason, so Eclipse didn’t exactly blame Fazbear Entertainment for reinforcing their floors. Eclipse laid there for a moment, trying to gain his bearings as he was forced to look at the blinding purple lights. It made his eyes burn. Just who would think that luminous purple lights would be good for ANYONE, let alone a child!?

“Oh, fuck me…This CAN’T keep happening…”

Eclipse slowly sat up, as someone kneeled down next to him. And of course, that person- or animatronic, was Tiger. He was kneeling next to Eclipse, his hand resting on his shoulder reassuringly. He seemed…concerned. Eclipse felt a slight rush of heat to his face upon noticing him. Tiger gave a slightly awkward grin, showing off his teeth for a moment, leading Eclipse to realise how sharp they were.

“Ah, jeez…sorry, Eclipse. Didn’t mean to…bump into ya like that…again….Wasn’t expectin’ ya to fall over so easy, though…”

Eclipse just stared at Tiger, still trying to fully process everything through the lights and the faint music of the Pizzaplex, along with the pounding headache and a slight daze. Tiger tilted his head slightly, looking a bit more concerned.

“…’Clipse? Are ya feelin’ arright…?”

Eclipse blinked for a moment, before even thinking to reply. Why had he just…zoned out like that…? Well, he’d found himself doing it since he came back because of…that stupid Ruin. He knew that his…previous versions wouldn’t do that. As expected, nothing but another piece of evidence that he couldn’t even catch up to himself in his past lives.

“…oh…Uhm, yeah, I’m…I’m fine…just…a lot going on right now…” Eclipse slowly brought up a hand to try and cover his eyes, trying to block out the overwhelming lights.

Tiger kept his hand on his shoulder, but to Eclipse’s slight surprise…it wasn’t all that uncomfortable. Tiger slowly tilted his head a bit, his smile returning.

“Well, if stuff out here’s gettin’ a little too much…ya wanna come over to my area…? In Roxy Raceway? It’s…a lot less bright than all this…”

Eclipse thought quietly to himself, before looking into Tiger’s eyes, trying not to show his blushing. He put on a tough expression, breaking eye contact to look away.

“…Fine, I guess. I don’t have much better to do.”

Tiger’s smile got a little wider as he carefully helped Eclipse up to his feet, the hand previously on his shoulder now having moved down to hold his hand. Eclipse looked down at his hand for a minute, his grip slightly tightening on Tiger’s hand.

“Well, why don’t we head off? You’re right, it’s…pretty bright in here…”

Eclipse looked back up to Tiger, blushing a little bit. Again, why did he feel like that? Why did this…stupid cat make him feel so…weird…? Eclipse had…never actually felt like this for someone. It was…unfamiliar.

“Yeah…yeah, I guess so…”

Tiger gave a reassuring smile, before setting off, still hand in hand with Eclipse, who had now started staring at the ground, doing his best not to stumble or anything. His balance was still a little off, with the encounter with Dark Sun, and hitting the ground that hard.

It only really took a minute or two to reach Roxy Raceway, as the two animatronics had already been in the Main Atrium. Tiger led Eclipse to a garage door, letting go of his hand for a moment to open it. Eclipse leaned against the wall, trying not to let his rays retract too much so as to not look vulnerable in any way he could control.

As Tiger lifted the door open, the two of them walked in together. Eclipse looked around the room a bit. It was pretty big, with a mirror on the far wall, but other than that, it just looked like a repurposed garage. Jeez, Fazbear did this guy dirty. Imagine accepting for a celebrity to work and pretty much live in your establishment and not even set aside space for them. How distasteful of the company. It was less…horrifically bright than the Atrium though, he’d give it that.

Tiger slowly approached from behind, a small smile on his face as Eclipse looked around to him.

“So…whaddya think…? It’s…not the fanciest, but it’s less…overwhelmin’ than the other stuff out there…”

Eclipse let out a sigh, before slowly walking to the wall, and slowly sitting down as he leaned against it, trying to shake off the aches and lightheadedness from his encounter with Dark Sun. His rays retracted a bit again, despite his want to not appear vulnerable as he slowly drew up his knees, wrapping his arms around them.

“Well, it’s…it’s pretty nice…”

Tiger let out a slightly awkward chuckle, before walking over to the far wall, just kind of wandering around the room, as Eclipse observed him.

“Thanks. If ya need anythin’, don’t be scared to ask, ‘kay…?” Tiger turned to Eclipse, a grin back on his face.
Eclipse nodded to him, before looking down at the ground as he tried to process all that happened. He’d been caught by Dark Sun, and tortured, before getting something forced into his code, before coming back, not an inch of his body ache-free, feeling like his eyes were burning from the lights and like he was on the verge of fainting when he was still standing up.

All of the feelings and reactions of the day felt like it hit him at once as he curled up more into himself, his ‘breathing’, or his voice box imitating breathing, began sounding slightly shaky. He moved his hands from his knees to cover his face, just trying to shut out the world for a while.

As Eclipse remained in that state, curled up like some sort of…coward, he became aware of Tiger kneeling down next to him again. Wow, how the mighty fall. He, Eclipse; the one who damn near took over the world in a past life, now hardly able to stay calm through being stressed out by bad events and a sucky environment. He stayed as still as he could, trying to keep his cool, as he vaguely heard Tiger start speaking.

“Hey, Eclipse…are y’alright…?”

Eclipse slowly moved his hands way from his face to look at Tiger. He opened his mouth to reply, but…found he couldn’t. As much as he tried, he felt like he couldn’t put any of his thoughts into words. This only really added to the stress, as he closed his mouth again, trying to make sense of his thoughts again. Tiger stayed next to him, now looking a bit confused and concerned.

“Eclipse…? Are ya able to answer me…?”

As much as Eclipse tried to get a word out, he felt like his words would jumble themselves into nonsense before even leaving his mind. Tiger seemed to catch onto his reactions as he appeared to think for a moment.

“…’kay, looks like talkin’s a no-go right now…”

Eclipse was a bit confused on why this was suddenly happening, as he looked away from Tiger, staring at the checkered floor. Although, he slowly looked back as he noticed Tiger raise his hand up slightly. He was blushing a little bit, which Eclipse just noticed.

“Okay…so, it’s obvious that you’re not havin’ the best luck with talkin’ right now, so…if you’re okay with me touchin’ ya, you can just grab my hand, ok?”

Eclipse stared at his hand for a moment, hesitating, before slowly reaching out to him, his own hand shaking a little bit. He slowly grabbed onto Tiger’s hand, trying to calm himself down.

A few seconds later, Tiger slowly pulled Eclipse closer to him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. To Eclipse…this was surprisingly comforting. It didn’t feel…overbearing, or hostile, or uncomfortable…it just felt…safer. Is this…what physical touching felt like to everyone else? He didn’t really know how to react at all. It…really wasn’t often that he’d get something like that. Usually, he’d be left to his own devices, just wandering around, with little to no purpose.

Eclipse slowly let out a sigh, as he stopped shaking as much, and he felt a bit more stable. He, as embarrassing as it was, slowly leaned his head against Tiger’s shoulder, his rays retracting accordingly to not hurt him. It didn’t take too long for the sudden rush of anxiety to fade, and for a slight amount of tiredness to eventually replace it. When was the last he’d ‘slept’, again? He couldn’t fully remember. He let out a breath that he didn’t know he’d been holding, slowly closing his eyes to get some rest beside Tiger. He didn’t know why, but…he found Tiger easier to trust….Surely it couldn’t end…too badly if he put a bit of trust in him.

Eclipse gave a small smile as he got comfortable leaning on Tiger. Oh, how the mighty fall…but, how that downfall could bring about something so lovely.

Chapter Text

A while later, Eclipse slowly opened his eyes once again, still leaning onto Tiger's shoulder. He lifted up his head, stretching out a bit as his rays fully protracted once again. The ache was mostly gone, yet still vaguely present. He looked back over to Tiger, who was looking down at his phone with a slightly troubled expression. Eclipse tilted his head a bit, looking over Tiger's shoulder to try and see what was wrong. It looked like a...News Station...?

“Tiger, what's...that?”

Tiger quickly looked over at Eclipse, a small, awkward grin appearing on his face for a moment. Eclipse must've startled him a little with talking so suddenly.

“O-Oh, uhm...hey, Eclipse...didn't-...know ya were awake already...! It's...it's nothin' important, really...It's just...”

Tiger let out a quiet sigh, looking back to his phone as he turned up the volume a bit. Eclipse saw a human, talking about...Tiger...dating Glamrock Freddy? Really? Glamrock Freddy? Eclipse could hardly even believe that. He never did see Freddy as the type to like guys. He thought a little about the situation, but was pulled out of his thoughts as he noticed Tiger's ears turning downwards slightly. It looked...cute, in a way. Eclipse quickly snapped himself out of that mindset. There was no time to think he was cute, he was quite obviously upset at the situation. There had to be more to this, Eclipse could simply feel it.

“It's just...some annoyin' News Station that keeps on spreadin' rumours...it's...kinda uncomfortable, especially for Freddy, seein' as he's...well, straight, but what can ya do, right? People are gonna be weird...”

Eclipse raised an eyebrow a bit. From how Tiger was reacting, this was more than just some annoying fake News. Maybe it would be weird to ask more questions, but Eclipse was now definitely interested.

“Well...what kind of rumors are they spreading...? Is it just the...Glamrock Freddy and you thing...?”

Tiger gave a sound between a quiet scoff and a chuckle as he looked back up at Eclipse, putting on a small grin again. It was quite easy to see it was faked, even Eclipse himself could notice that.

“Well...it's...really not as bad as it is for Roxanne. They...call 'er a...a floozy, a 'serial dater', a 'serial dumper', and a buncha other stuff. Not really the nicest guy, y'know?”

Eclipse's eyes widened a bit. They called her...a floozy? A fucking floozy? What the fuck was his problem with who Roxanne had sex with!? She was a grown-ass woman! That was just plain fucking stupid. Eclipse knew he said some pretty fucked shit, but that was mostly for jokes, or to get a reaction. He didn't actually decide to unironically call anyone a whore just for having multiple partners in their life. Eclipse felt bad for this guy's wife, if he'd ever managed to touch a woman in his miserable existence, let alone bring one into his bed. Eclipse took a moment to calm himself, before looking back to Tiger's phone, reading the name of the Station. The...Adult Potato...? What kind of a name was that? Eclipse could've come up with a better name in the middle of a fever dream.

“Ew. Misogyny. Seems like a gross guy.”

Tiger let out another sigh, switching apps on his phone to Spotify, which was already open onto a podcast series. The...Adult Potato Podcast...? Again, that's an abhorrent name. But, why would that stupid 'News Station' need an entire fucking podcast?

“Yeah, well...I dunno if ya have the full picture without lookin' at the podcast he made recently...pardon my language, but it's some real messed up shit.”

Tiger shifted a bit, putting the phone between Eclipse and himself, allowing both to watch together. Tiger pressed play, as Eclipse slightly retracted his rays again, so as to not cause any discomfort for Tiger. He didn't know what it was, but...seeing Tiger so upset made him feel upset as well. It made him feel like something just...wasn't right. It made him feel wrong. He didn't understand why he felt that way about him, but he...begrudgingly accepted it. It...couldn't be more than just...having a real friend, for once. Eclipse pulled out of his thoughts as the video finally loaded, the podcast starting with the human he'd seen on the previous News Station, sitting in a room in a group with other men; around three others. They were talking, laughing together.

(Just another TW, this is where the slur stuff and homophobia and misogyny starts, so please scroll past the next little bit if these words/this content (although censored) cause(s) distress. I have kept the use of those words to a minimum, while still trying to get across the type of person I portray “Poe Tater” as. Thank you. Also, the speaking in the podcast will be in these ([ ]) brackets to attempt to avoid confusion. Enjoy the rest of your reading, and I sincerely apologise if I come off as insensitive or offensive, as that could not be further from my intentions. I am autistic, and struggle to understand when I say something insensitive. If I accidentally offend someone, please do your best to inform me calmly and respectfully. Thank you for reading this. <3)

[“What's up, everybody? It's your host, Poe Tater, back with another episode of the Adult Potato Podcast; your favourite News Anchor, giving opinions COMPLETELY blunt and uncensored! Today, we are going to be discussing on the topic of Modern Feminism!”]

Eclipse let out a scoff, subconsciously putting an arm around Tiger. This felt like it was going to be a long time. Not even an interesting long time. Just a really fucking long time.

“God, I can feel my brain rotting already.”

Tiger looked over at him, a small smile on his face.

“Shhh. Ya gotta be quiet, else you'll miss what they're sayin'. It's important to know how gross these guys are.”

Eclipse smiled back a bit, before looking back at Tiger's phone.

[“Well John, what do YOU think on the topic of the Modern Feminist movement?”]

[“Well honestly, my opinion is...Like, what more do they want? They're the ones who'll get believed if they say some poor guy assaulted them; they're the ones who'll almost always get custody of kids in a divorce; they're allowed whatever jobs they want! What more could they ask for? I think they're just trying to get more rights than men, if I'm being blunt.”]

[“What a good take, John. I've gotta commend you for sharing your opinion in this world of such radical weirdos!”]

[“Yeah, well, I don't really care what all those libs think. I'm just telling the truth, that women have their places, and men have their places. It's just natural order, isn't it?”]

[“Yeah, obviously. Reminds me of that Roxanne Wolf lady.”]

Suddenly, another voice on the podcast butted into the conversation.

[“Oh yeah, that floozy. Who does she even think she is, not staying with one dude for once? Or, girl, seeing as she's decided to act out some lesbian bullshit now.”]

[“Yeah. How much do any of you wanna bet she's just faking it because no men are getting with her?”]

[“Oh, definitely. She's just going after women now, 'cause no good man would want a floozy.”]

[“Not to mention that Tiger Rock guy, huh? Heard they're both, like, best friends.”]

[“A d### and a f##. What a friendship!!”]

[“I know, right?”]

Eclipse was absolutely disgusted, as any sane person should be at such...disgusting language. It must've shown in his expression, as Tiger looked back at him with a sympathetic expression.

“Told ya they were nasty...But, there's still more to this stuff on their platform...”

“Really? Even more of this bullshit? How fucked are these guys?”

“Not to...judge 'em too much, but...pretty fucked. Roxanne and I've been...dealin' with this for...a while now.”

Eclipse let out a quiet scoff, still keeping his arm around Tiger.

“You're too nice, Tiger. You judge them all you want.”

Tiger gave a small smile, wrapping an arm around Eclipse as well. Eclipse let out a quiet laugh, trying to contain how flustered he was at how close together they were. He had no idea how long he’d been there, with him, but he almost didn’t care all that much. Was this…what being genuine friends with someone was? It…wasn’t as bad as Eclipse expected. Although, he should get to telling Moon how to bring Solar back. That kinda took priority. He let out a quiet sigh, slowly letting go of Tiger.

“Anyway…Uhm…what time is it, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Tiger slowly let go of Eclipse as well, checking the time on his phone.

“Uhh…it’s around 5PM.”

Eclipse’s eyes widened slightly. Jeez, he’d been here for a while. He should probably get back to Moon. But, maybe he should find out how to get a little interview at a certain News Station. Whatever. That could be done later. Eclipse slowly stood up, ignoring the clicks of his joints as he looked down at Tiger with a small grin.

“Huh. Well, I guess I’ve gotta go. I’ve got some stuff to get done before the day ends. It was…fun, hanging out with you, though.”

Tiger slowly stood up as well, leaning against the wall.

“Yeah, it was. Don’t be afraid to come down here for anythin’ ya need, arright?”

Eclipse let out a quiet chuckle, making his way towards the garage door leading out of Tiger’s room. Still, really not a good enough room for him.

“Oh, I won’t be. See you around, Tiger.”

Eclipse walked out of Tiger’s room, a small smile on his face. It…felt nice to have a friend. But…did all friends feel like that together? Eclipse…wasn’t fully sure. Maybe…no, it couldn’t be. It’s probably just the feeling of actually making friends for once. Either way, maybe, when he’s talked to Moon about the whole Solar thing, he could go see Earth. Something had…piqued his interest. It’s clear that Tiger would be a hard person to leave, when he did have to go. But maybe, he could make the most of it while it lasted.

Chapter Text

Soon enough, Eclipse was standing in front of Earth and Monty’s house again. He let out a breath, although he didn’t have lungs, and stepped towards the door. It seemed like Monty had gone out for a while, so Earth was alone. He slowly knocked on the door. He knew that the last time he spoke to Earth, he’d revealed his plans to leave the dimension to her. Surprisingly, she seemed…somewhat sad at that news.

He watched Earth come to the door, straightening up a bit. He could hardly believe what he was going to ask her, but…he just had to know. Earth was the one who knew…feelings, and all that jazz. She gave people in the Pizzaplex therapy all the time, how could she not at least know how basic emotions worked? But, Earth was…his friend. Or, at least, the closest thing he had to a friend. However, how he felt with Tiger was…so vastly different than his friendship with Earth. Eclipse was probably just being dramatic, but he supposed he should at least get every possibility. He didn’t even know how…a lot of types of relationships worked. Even in his almost five years of existence, he still had no idea how people built relationships, or kept friends, or were just good family members. He didn’t have much idea on how feelings worked or were expressed.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Earth reached the door and opened it. She stood there in the doorway, seeming quite surprised to see him.

“Oh. Hi, Eclipse. I wasn’t expecting you to come visit. Much less for you to knock for once, instead of…staring at me through the window.”

Eclipse gave an awkward chuckle at that little jab at him, as he stepped up to the doorstep, looking up at Earth. He was definitely not very used to having to look up at Earth. He basically had to look down at everyone; fuck, he had to damn near look straight down to look at Lunar, the little fucking midget. It wasn’t his fault though, it was just funny to Eclipse.

“Well, yeah. You’ve got a point, I guess. Can I come in?”

Earth stayed silent for a second, before shrugging her shoulders as she stood back.

“I don’t mind. I know that you would probably just find another way in if I said no, though.”

Eclipse shrugged as well, stepping into the house as he looked up at Earth again.

“Yeah, I suppose I would. But, it’s at least polite to give the illusion of choice, right?”

Earth let out a small “Hm” sound, as she walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

“Well, I guess that’s just a you-thing. Anyways, why’d you show up here so suddenly? Not to be rude, or anything, just curious.”

Eclipse hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a reason to be there. That was one thing he didn’t think of first. Then again, Earth was kinda used to Eclipse showing up without much reason, so maybe he could go that route again, even if it was getting repetitive.

“…Just…wanted to ask a question or two. Nothing too difficult to answer…I think.”

Earth smiled at him a bit, as he followed her into the living room. One thing he’d never understand was how Earth was so consistently kind to him, despite every time he lashed out, and every time he tried to insult her. She just…stayed calm and collected the whole way through. He just couldn’t push her away, she kept coming back. Maybe…that was part of what he wanted the whole time.

“Well, ask away! I’ll try my best to answer!”

Eclipse took a breath, slowly leaning against the doorframe. How would he even ask this without giving something away!? Was there anything to give away? Was he just being overdramatic? Are friendships just…different based on gender? This is why he had to ask, as much as he didn’t want to. If he could’ve figured it out himself, he wouldn’t be caught dead asking for help with all this stupid bullshit.

“Uhm…this might be a little weird, but…how’d you and Monty, like…end up together…?”

Earth raised an eyebrow, staying silent for a moment. Eclipse knew that was a weird question, yet still was trying to not appear embarrassed at it.

“Oh. Well, Monty was the first one to…’make a move’, and we went on dates for a while, and we ended up deciding to be more serious with our relationship.”

Eclipse gave a quiet sigh, still attempting to not look embarrassed at his questions, although he knew he was royally fucking that up, from Earth’s expression towards him.

“I-…I don’t mean…that stuff, I mean-…how did you guys know you were…Uhm, y’know…into each other…?”

Earth widened her eyes a little bit, before letting out a quiet laugh as she looked over at Eclipse. Eclipse knew that there was something that she figured out; nothing got past that bitch. However, he still tried to save face by turning away to try and conceal his blushing, even if it wouldn’t be visible, as he literally had no blood; but he really didn’t want to meet her eyes knowing that she probably knew why he had started asking things like that.

“Oh! Well, like I said, we both decided to go on dates together, and…well, I’m not entirely sure how they knew, but how I knew, was that…well, we bonded, and I felt like…like I wanted to spend more time with them, and that just…grew into attraction, I guess. I…don’t really know how to explain it. It’s not like…I was fonder of them like…Sun, or Moon, but I was just fond of them in a different way. Love comes in different forms for different people, y’know?”

Eclipse stayed silent for a moment, thinking to himself. He thought about his first real encounter with Tiger, how…nice he seemed; how his eyes were piercing, yet his gaze remained not uncomfortable as with other people. Eclipse often had to put in some effort to not simply stare at the floor all the time, even if it did help him focus sometimes. However, he didn’t feel as much effort to look at Tiger. He was simply…different, to others. Tiger, as a person, felt different to Eclipse. He was…such a genuine person; like, he said what was on his mind, yet managed to almost constantly keep such a positive attitude towards…everything. Eclipse was suddenly torn from his thoughts as he heard Earth speak again, a slight teasing tone in her voice.

“But, why do you want to know? From what I remember, you’d never be interested in hearing my stories on how I ended up dating Monty. What’s up?”

Eclipse looked over to Earth again, noticing the slight smirk on her face. This…was humiliating. He knew that she knew what he was thinking, yet he just…he just had to save face somehow, right? He stopped leaning on the doorframe of the living room, standing up straight as he tried to seem calm while thinking of an excuse.

“Uhm-…uhh, nothing. Just morbid curiosity. Sorry to…get into your business.”

Earth chuckled quietly, before standing up and approaching him. God, she towered over him. If he was twelve foot, what in God’s name did that make her!? Like, fourteen or fifteen feet? Why the fuck did she need to be so tall!?

“Are you sure? You almost never start stammering when I ask for context of your questions. I can’t help but feel a little suspicious…!”

Eclipse quickly crossed his arms, the metal of his casing making a quiet clank when colliding with his chest, along with the bells on his wrists ringing as well. He turned his head away, his rays retracting a little bit subconsciously as he tried not to give anything away, although he was almost sure that he was giving…very many things away.

“Uhh- no. I don’t even know where you got that idea from.”

Earth stayed silent for a moment, before laughing again, looking down at Eclipse with a kind smile on her face.

“Oh, okay then…! I won’t pry if it’s that embarrassing! I guess I might see you again at some point, whenever you decide to visit.”

Before Eclipse could even react, she gently patted his head, ruffling his rays a bit, before just turning on her heel and walking back into the living room. Eclipse…didn’t even know how to react to that. Why did…why the fuck did she do that…!? He’d do himself one better, why was that…nice…? Why did it feel good for her to do that? He couldn’t have been going soft like this. He was Eclipse; he’d almost ruled the world, twice! He’d almost killed anyone who had the gall to do him wrong! And now, he was letting some…girl just pet him, like some kind of child!? He didn’t know whether to be offended, confused or just to enjoy it. However, he pushed it down, and made his way back to the front door, stepping out onto the doorstep.

“Uhm- yeah. Bye.”

He shut the door behind him, walking into the street. It was evening, and the sun was setting. Eclipse looked up at the orange sky, taking a breath as he calmed himself down. He had to think. He…couldn’t possibly be in love with Tiger. There was just…no fucking way. What kind of shitty fanfic situation was this, where his mind would go against all the suffering and fucked up “lessons” that turned him off of social connection for some…stupid cat…!? But…what could he even do!? Why now? Why him, of all people? Was it…just because he was kind to him…? But, no, that couldn’t be it, because Earth had technically been that first, and he didn’t feel anything like that for Earth. But, did that only increase the chance that it could be…love? Eclipse let out a scoff, as he began his walk back to the Pizzaplex.

“God, please don’t let me have fallen for…a stupid cat I just met…”

Chapter Text

Once again, Eclipse wandered the Atrium of the Pizzaplex after a few weeks. Or, had it been months...? Time seemed to warp slightly, whether it was because of what Dark Sun did to him, or because of his constant wandering with no real purpose other than to work on his plans. At least the stupid effect of whatever Dark Sun put into his code had stopped, or at least lessened significantly. His energy wasn't completely back, but he could get around a lot easier. Things were finally starting to come along, even though Moon decided to come along and break his laptop and two of his fingers, and for what? For being friendly with Earth? The fingers that Moon broke still hurt, a lot, even though he'd been able to repair himself at least a small bit. If he just kept his hand in a fist, and didn't knock it off of anything, it wouldn't be too noticeable, even if the joints were sightly bent out of shape and were a little more difficult to maneuver. What even was Moon's deal, setting back work that Eclipse was doing without being told to by him, using information that he got captured and practically tortured for? All because he just didn't want to wait and decided to tear apart his own fucking family. And, then he just...disappeared. At least, Solar was going to be back soon. However, he had to find someone to swap his dimensional code with so that he wouldn’t die upon Solar’s return. Preferably someone who was dying, or already dead. A dying person shouldn’t be too hard to find, right?

It definitely could've been worse, however. Moon did have a hold of his neck, and could've broken it if he so desired. Apparently, he and other Daycare Attendant models, maybe bar Earth and Lunar, were not designed with durability in mind. Then again, Sun and Moon's creator did put a Kill Code in Moon, who was meant to be a children's animatronic. No, not even a children's animatronic; a TODDLERS' animatronic. Somehow, that made it worse. Eclipse didn't like kids, that much was exceedingly obvious, but he didn't outwardly want to hurt them. He just found them annoying, apart from scaring them for fun. Especially Gregory. He was very entertaining to mess with. Even if he had to calm the kids down afterwards during that October thing way back in 2022, it was worth it.

Eclipse suddenly stopped, looking to the sign he had passed. Of course, Roxy Raceway. He let out a quiet scoff, as his mind was drawn back to Tiger Rock, the unfortunate object of his unwilling affection. Just WHY did it have to be him, and not someone, ANYONE else? Instead of some...stupid cat that was nice to him a few times. But, why would that be the reason for...this? Earth was nice to him too, but he wasn't reacting like this to her, even though she's been nice to him for longer, on account of her knowing him for longer. Why did nothing make sense about this? It felt like what Earth had described in their last meeting, but he just didn't want to say it, even to himself. Tiger could never feel the same way, especially after finding out who he really was, and what he'd done in the past. No one could. Maybe that was one thing that Moon was right about.

Eclipse let out a sigh, before entering the location. He figured he'd just look stupid if he didn't, and just stood there or walked away. It could...at least be nice to speak with Tiger again.

He walked through the Raceway, trying not to let himself stumble as he looked around at the orange-ish rock decorations. what even was this place meant to be modeled after? A desert? Why the fuck would a wolf be associated with a desert!? He knew that wolves could survive in the desert, but they're more typically associated with forests, where there's more prey, right? Why would a race track even be in the desert!? Fazbear Entertainment was definitely...interesting in their decisions for their locations. Even then, the other locations were fine, like Monty Golf looking like a swamp, because that's where you find alligators, or FazerBlast being space-themed, because it's literal laser-tag.

Eclipse let out a sigh, before looking forward, and quickly ducking behind the side of the Glamrock Salon. He carefully looked out to ensure that he was seeing correctly. There, in front of him, and who he almost walked right into, was Roxanne fucking Wolf. Talking to Tiger. Thankfully, her back was turned to him, so she hadn't seen him hide. He let out a breath, listening in on the conversation. Roxanne seemed...stressed. Stressed, and pissed off.

"...And that bastard got away with the whole thing...! I'm half convinced that he paid off that stupid judge or something, because they both sounded like idiots for the whole trial!"

Eclipse took a breath, slowly flattening himself against the side of the smaller building as he peeked out again. What the fuck was all this about a trial? He quickly ducked back out of sight as he heard Tiger's voice pipe up. He knew that he probably shouldn't listen in, but he didn't have much better to do.

"Jeez...that really sucks. I'm with ya on the theory that the judge was paid off, but...he didn't hurt ya, did he...?"

"No, he just...scared me, knocked me out and tried to force me onto his stupid podcast. I'm at least glad that he didn't kill me or anything. I am still pissed that he got away with it. He deserved some comeuppance."

"Yeah, I-I totally agree. I’m just glad that he didn’t do anythin' worse…"

Eclipse stayed flattened against the side of the Glamrock Salon, waiting for Roxanne to leave. He didn't know what she would do if she knew he was alive, let alone getting close to one of her friends. He was at least smart enough to know that Roxanne is not the woman to fuck with too much. He silently let out a breath as he heard Roxanne sigh.

"…I guess. Thanks, Tiger. Listen, I’ve got a few meet-and-greets soon, so I better go, but I'll see you later...!”

"Oh- yup. See ya later, Roxy!"

Eclipse had almost peeked out again, but immediately jumped back as he noticed Roxanne leaving and passing the Salon. He flattened himself against the wall even more, not even daring to breathe in case she saw him. He hadn’t even spoken to her since before he died for the second time. Come to think of it, that was 10 months ago. Time sure did go by without his notice. But, he could suppose that not existing for around four months could do that. Luckily, Roxanne went past him without noticing his presence, and left the Raceway. Eclipse let out a sigh, before peeking around the corner at Tiger. He seemed to be…just standing there. Eclipse felt the now almost familiar warmth come to his face as he simply watched.

However, Eclipse was caught off-guard by Tiger suddenly looking over at him. He quickly ducked back behind the wall, hoping to whatever god that could have been out there that Tiger hadn’t basically just caught him staring like a creep. But, it wasn’t long until Eclipse heard Tiger’s footsteps getting closer.

"Uhm…Hey, Eclipse?"

Eclipse jumped a small bit as Tiger came around the corner, trying his hardest to not seem absolutely humiliated.

"Oh. Hey, Tiger. Sorry, I just didn't want to...interrupt your conversation with Roxanne. Sorry for-...LOOKING like I was staring."

"Oh, that's not a problem, Eclipse, I wanted to know why you were hidin'...? Ya coulda just...stood there, 'til we were done, I guess."

Eclipse stayed silent for a moment, pondering his options as he looked down from Tiger. He could tell him his reasons, and risk having to lose the only other friend he’d made in literally his whole life, or not tell, and risk Tiger being hurt by it. If Tiger knew, how could he ever see him the same? But, if he never told, would Tiger simply find out another way? Would it hurt less being told as a confession and explanation, or as an exposé of sorts? Eclipse slowly let out a sigh, before looking back at Tiger as he mentally prepared for the possibility of losing a friend.

"Well…I don’t…typically…get along with many people here. Like, at all."

Tiger tilted his head a bit, obviously silently questioning his answer.

"But…why is that…? I mean, sure, you’re a little…rough ‘round the edges, but…you’re really not that bad."

Eclipse paused again, trying to somehow describe the things he’d done in his life in a way that wouldn’t make Tiger completely despise him. But, even if that failed…Tiger would have the right. Everyone had the right. But, the thought of Tiger’s hatred to be aimed towards him, hurt him more than the hatred of others.

"I…a long time ago…I…wasn’t a good person. At all. And, I…hurt many people here. And, I can’t really bring myself to face them, even though I’m…not really proud of what I did."

"…Oh. Well…I’d be lyin' if I said I hadn’t been there before."

Eclipse stopped for a moment, just staring at Tiger incredulously. Tiger, having gone through something similar to him? Tiger, having the capacity to even be similar to his previous self? It was…almost impossible to believe.

"…you…really…? I didn’t think that you’d know how it felt."

Tiger let out an almost awkward chuckle, leaning against the wall of the Salon.

"Yeah…I did some pretty fucked things when I’d just been made. I woulda given anythin’ to go back, and stop it from happenin’ somehow…"

"Hm…I guess I’m the same…but, I…"

Eclipse paused once again, before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Tiger looked down at him for a moment, before following suit. He didn’t know exactly how to word the next thing he wanted to say.

"I’ve, uhh…kinda been thinking of…leaving."

Eclipse looked over at Tiger, who looked…quite a bit more surprised than he’d expected. He seemed…crestfallen, almost. Eclipse hadn’t expected that fact to be upsetting.

"But…why…? If ya don’t mind my askin’, of course."

Eclipse sighed softly, looking away from Tiger.

"I guess…we just can barely make it two weeks without a fuck ton of problems coming up. I’m just-…I’m tired."

Tiger stayed silent, looking away from Eclipse. Eclipse looked away as well, unsure if he should say more. If he tried to explain, how would he even do it? He was bringing someone back from what was essentially deletion by somehow changing what he’d been made of, or which dimension he was registered as being from, which could kill Eclipse himself because he and Solar were practically the same person, just from different dimensions. That meant that if Solar came back while Eclipse was still alive, then the ‘natural order’ of things would think that he was Solar, or Solar was him. Once again, he was snapped out of his thoughts by Tiger’s voice.

"Well…if stuff where you are is gettin’ overwhelmin’…you could always…uhm…maybe, spend more time around the Raceway…? I mean, it’s just that there’s not too much drama 'round here, and…we could use an extra hand, seein’ as Roxy’s usually at her house…"

Eclipse slowly looked over again, to see Tiger looking away from him. He looked…flustered. Embarrassed, almost. Eclipse felt small rush of warmth in his face. He was surprised that Tiger would make such an offer, but there was still that one obstacle.

"U-Uhh…I guess I could…it’d…actually be kinda nice, but…there’s…one more problem."

Chapter Text

“Wait, wait wait- you did wha-?”

Eclipse let out a sigh, still sitting beside the Glamrock Salon next to Tiger, trying to think about how to say what he’d done more simply. What he did to bring back Solar was definitely complicated.

“Yeah. I…copied my dimensional code into Solar’s to bring him back, so if he comes back while I’m still here, I might be mistaken for him, or he’ll be mistaken for me in the laws of…the universe, I guess; in short, if we both exist while having the same dimensional code, I’ll die.”

Tiger remained silent for a moment, seemingly thinking. It was definitely difficult to explain how he’d done it, but he tended to do quite extensive research on certain topics, whether he needs the information or not. It was always good to be informed. You could never fully know what the future would hold. Even trying to see the future would only show you possible outcomes, all of which could be prevented or achieved by being specific enough in your actions. Eclipse didn’t have more time to finish those thoughts, as Tiger finally came to a conclusion.

“Okay…so…if ya find someone to switch your dimensional code with yours, you’ll live, but they’ll die in your place…?”

“Kinda. They’ll just…stop existing. At least, if they’re on the verge of dying, they won’t have to suffer having their life cut off.”

“Huh. That’s…actually kinda considerate, considerin’ how ya describe yourself.”

Eclipse stopped for a moment, processing the statement as his rays retracted a slight amount for just a moment. He blushed a bit as he looked away from Tiger.

“Yeah- well, I’m an asshole, I’m not TOTALLY heartless.”

Tiger let out a quiet laugh, before gently putting an arm around Eclipse’s shoulders. Eclipse did his best not to react, despite blushing even more. Thank god he didn’t have blood, or he’d look like an absolute idiot.

“Well…I think I like ya better that way.”

Eclipse looked back at Tiger, growing even more flustered at his compliment. How would he even respond to that? How COULD he respond to that!? That was…certainly a new statement directed at him.

“…You…wha-?”

Tiger also paused, appearing embarrassed at his own words. He broke eye contact, his bright eyes staring at the ground of the Raceway instead of at Eclipse.

“Oh- well- I didn’t even know I said that out loud, but…yeah. It’s true. I think it’s cool how you’re always quick to stick up for yourself, and you’re really quick at thinkin’ of what to say…. I just…think it’s admirable, sorta.”

Eclipse paused, before giving a small smile. He stayed silent for a bit, thinking of what he could say in response. It was certainly a new view on his attitude.

“Well...Thanks. I never really thought of it that way. I like...how you always seem to find it in you to be as respectful as you can manage. That part...isn't exactly MY forte, so to speak...”

“Hm. Well, I guess we just complement each other well, huh?”

Eclipse let out a quiet laugh, trying his best not to appear flustered. For Tiger to just...say that about the two of them, was both incredible and humiliating. It wasn't humiliating because it was Tiger, more so because of his own reaction to it. He'd never have thought he'd be so easily charmed by a stupidly kind-hearted cat. However, Eclipse put his thoughts on pause as Tiger spoke up again, his tone faltering a small bit.

“Hey...Eclipse?”

“Mhm?”

Tiger remained silent for a moment, as if thinking about something.

“About the whole...‘dimensional code’ thing...d’ya have any place in mind to swap your code with…?”

“…Yeah, I do. It’s a little weird. It was made like three months ago, so there might be someone to switch my code with.”

“Do ya know anythin’ else about it?”

“…Not really.”

Tiger remained silent for another moment, as Eclipse looked back at him. Just what could be so hard to say for him to hesitate this many times?

“W-Well, I was thinkin’…maybe I could…come with you. Just to…make sure it’s safe.”

Eclipse simply stared at Tiger, completely caught off-guard at the request. That…definitely was not what he was expecting. To be fair, he didn’t know WHAT he was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t that. Why would he even want to come along? Did he have no self-preservation? Had he no idea of how dangerous different dimensions could be?

“…You…wanna come with me? Even if you have NO idea what could be there? Really?”

Tiger stared back at him, before breaking eye contact for a moment to look at the floor. He obviously looked embarrassed. Even Eclipse could guess that much.

“Well…yeah. I just don’t think I’m all that comfortable with just lettin’ ya go alone, and maybe gettin’ stuck somewhere, or it ends up bein’ dangerous. Safety in numbers, and all that, y’know?”

“…Hm. Didn’t think you’d care that much.”

“Wha- Why wouldn’t I care!? You’re my friend, Eclipse. That means I’m not just gonna let ya go out and get yourself in trouble.”

He looked back at Eclipse, as Eclipse paused for a moment. It was definitely unexpected to him, that someone would give enough of a fuck to make a risk like that. Although, he was technically making the same risk, but to have a chance to not cease to exist when Solar was inevitably finished.

“…You really think that?”

“Uh, yeah, obviously. D’ya really think that I wouldn’t be at least worried?”

“Hm. I guess. Look, if you’re really THAT desperate to stop me from getting myself killed, I suppose you can come. But, you have to PROMISE to me, that you’ll be as careful as you POSSIBLY can be while we’re there. I’d feel like shit if you ended up dead because you came with me to a dimension we don’t know much about.”

Tiger paused as well, before his formerly concerned and embarrassed expression slowly shifted to a small grin, seeming almost teasing.

“Aww, you’re worryin’ about me too…! Ain’t that adorable, huh?”

Eclipse froze, feeling himself blush profusely. Thank whatever god was out there that it wasn’t visible, or his reaction would be shown to the whole world at that moment.

“Huh?- Uhm- no, you fucking dumbass…I just don’t wanna have that…weighing on my conscience.”

He inwardly cringed at himself, knowing just how fake his lie sounded from his tone. He looked away, trying to calm himself down as he heard Tiger let out a quiet laugh.

“Sure, buddy. Thanks for lettin’ me tag along, anyway.”

Eclipse kept stubbornly looking away, as he softly punched Tiger in the shoulder. He didn’t aim to hurt him, just to somehow convey his emotions in any way he knew how.

“Whatever…god, you’re such a fucking dork…”

Tiger snickered again, before delivering a playful punch back.

“Woah there, Starboy, careful…! Don’t wantcha to get yourself hurt…!”

Eclipse let out a scoff, turning back to Tiger as he blushed more. God, just how easy was it for him to make him so flustered? Why did it have to be so easy? How in God’s name had this never happened before, even though he’d actually been starting to make some friends? Why was it Tiger he’d fallen for?

“Wha- you-…shut up…!”

Tiger let out a quiet sigh of acceptance, still not losing his smirk.

“Alright, alright- I’ll stop teasin’. How about we start gettin’ to…wherever we’re goin’, if we’re on a time limit.”

“Huh- Oh. Yeah, shit, we should. Jeez, can’t believe I almost forgot.”

He stood up, as Tiger followed suit. He walked away from the wall, opening up the panel in his casing on his right arm for the small computer built into him. Of course, he had to put down a portal to his lab, seeing as, well, there was definitely not gonna be any hope of walking there.

“Okay, so, you’ve probably never done this before, but I need you to trust me, ‘kay?”

Tiger stepped away from the wall as well, standing next to Eclipse. He looked over his shoulder, trying to see what he was doing.

“I mean, I already do trust ya, but whaddya mean by-”

Tiger was cut off as Eclipse put the portal down. It was definitely a sight to behold for Tiger, that much was obvious. Even Eclipse himself was a bit surprised when he’d first learned about how it worked a long time ago, even if the actual excitement of it had faded. He turned back to Tiger, smirking a bit.

“…So. Uhm…care to join me?”

Tiger took a moment to respond, before letting out a breath.

“Well, I suppose. Might take a while for me to get used to it, though. How do ya even, uhh…get through it?”

“Heh. You’ll get used to it. Just follow my lead.”

Eclipse held out a hand to Tiger, waiting for him to take it. It was funny to watch his confusion at the whole situation, though. After a short pause, Tiger also reached out to take Eclipse’s hand.

“Great. Now, again, just trust me on this. Safety in numbers, and all that, right?”

Tiger let out a quick scoff at Eclipse echoing his words, yet nodded anyway.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, ya drama queen.”

Eclipse snickered quietly, choosing not to reply to that one. It looked like one person he knew in this place had a backbone, besides Earth. Although, Earth took way too much bullshit from everyone, even if she’d been doing better. He started walking backwards, leading Tiger with him into the portal. Hopefully, he could just find someone in the new dimension, swap their dimensional code with his, and try to live something close to a normal life. Shouldn’t be too difficult, right?