There were many things Socks regretted doing or saying over the past week, but the one he regretted the most was definitely sending Meme away.
Why did it seem impossible to not fight with him?
But it was Meme's own fault. He obviously liked Tbh more than he liked Socks. And it hurt, even though he'd never admit it out loud.
"Socks!" A familiar voice shrieked.
Socks whipped around, expecting someone was getting murdered by his friend's tone, but he was almost knocked over by Blaza hugging him tightly.
He grunted, hugging Blaza back gingerly. "Careful!" He said, fighting back a laugh. "Still kind of injured."
"Sorry," Blaza said, taking a step back. "But you're okay!"
"Yep." Thanks to Meme. Nope, it still didn't feel great to think about him.
"I saw what happened on cameras, and I went out to find you as soon as I saw he was going to hurt you, but you were gone when I got there! I looked everywhere, and when I found you here you were unconscious."
"It was Meme." Socks said. "He brought me back here and... and saved my life."
Blaza laughed. "Of course he did." Scanning the room briefly, he continued. "Where is he?"
Socks looked away. "Specimen labs."
"Why?"
"We, um, sort of had a fight."
Blaza groaned. "Is that all you ever do?" He elbowed Socks, careful to avoid his injury. "You need to make it up to him. He can't be alone, it's too dangerous."
Socks shrugged. "He isn't alone. He's with Tbh."
Blaza gave him a questioning look. "Can you trust Tbh?"
"Meme seems to think so."
Blaza still didn't look convinced. "You should probably still check on him."
"Fine." Socks said reluctantly. "But I'm not going with you. You're just going to tease me the whole time."
"Nice to see you too!" Blaza called as Socks left in the direction of specimen room.
He's wrong. Meme is safe.
He's probably happy, too. With Tbh.
Socks clenched his jaw. I don't care. It doesn't matter.
An ominous feeling settled over Socks. Rain was pouring down outside. It can rain here? He supposed so, since it could snow.
And the lava seemed unusually restless, bubbling over the sides of the pits.
Socks shook off his concern and stepped into specimen lab, and ice flooded his senses.
Meme was on the floor, blood staining his face though Socks couldn't see the wound. His green eyes were wide with shock, and the person holding the knife was Tbh.
And he wasn't planning on holding back anytime soon. Meme, shaking, tried to back away still on the floor.
Socks didn't remember making the decision to move. His legs carried him across the lab and he barreled into Tbh, knocking him to the floor. Even if he had stopped to think, he would have chosen to save Meme a thousand times over.
It was his life or Meme's, but he didn't care.
"Socks!" Meme yelled, struggling to get up. Socks didn't look away from Tbh, but he felt a pang of relief. He's okay, at least for now.
The feeling was quickly replaced by fury. Socks reached for Tbh's knife, which had fallen when Socks tackled him, and lifted above his chest, ready to stab it down.
But he stopped. He didn't know why, but he stopped his hands.
"Why do you hesitate?" The impostor's chilling voice spoke through Tbh. Socks didn't reply. He lowered the knife. I can't do it.
Not when Tbh still has a chance, trapped inside of it.
The impostor laughed. "You have made a fatal mistake." Tbh's mouth opened hideously wide and a long, pointed tongue emerged. A mess of purple substance leaked out, forming into a puddle then solidifying.
Tbh fell to the ground. The impostor, now in its true form, laughed even more. Its tongue lashed out and wrapped around Socks's leg, pulling him closer. He winced in pain at the tongue's sharp edge, feeling Meme grasp his hand and try to pull him back.
"Now I will wipe out your pathetic crew." It hissed. "But I think I'll leave you alive to see it." It said with a laugh.
"Then you'll know they're all dead, and it's all your fault."
It half slithered, half crawled away. Socks fell to the ground, grimacing at the pain in his leg. When he looked at it, the skin was torn and bloody, but he would be able to walk. Hopefully.
But that didn't matter. What mattered was that Meme was okay. Socks felt Meme pull him in and hug him tightly.
"You're okay." Meme whispered, and Socks pushed him away gently. "Are you?"
Meme brushed his fingers against a slice on the side of his face. "Yeah. It's not bad." He turned back to Socks, all his former anger and confusion replaced by sadness. "I'm sorry. I should have known not to trust Tbh. But..." he trailed off. "Thanks for saving me."
"I had to." Socks said.
Meme, seeming to remember Tbh, rushed to his side. He quickly checked his pulse, and the look of dismay on his face said more than any words could.
"He's dead, isn't he?" Meme asked, more of a statement than a question. But Socks nodded sadly anyway.
"I wonder if we ever really knew him, before the impostor spoke through him." Meme said dejectedly.
The impostor. Socks was struck by a realization. What is it going to do?
"We should warn the crew." Socks said suddenly. "I-I don't want anyone else to die."
Meme nodded, seeming to understand. "Alright."
Socks began to half walk, half run back to medbay, struggling slightly due to his injured ankle. Freezing air attacked his face as they emerged from the building. "Blaza should still be-"
He was cut off when he stepped on a rock buried beneath the snow. Socks let out a soft yelp as the injured foot gave out underneath him. The ground rushed closer and closer, and he braced himself for the rough landing.
Suddenly strong arms caught him, mere inches away from the ground. Socks adjusted himself quickly to look up at Meme, both pairs of eyes wide.
"We're even." Meme said with a small smirk, helping Socks to his feet only for him to wince again.
"I think... we should take a break for a moment." Socks said. Meme nodded, guiding him to a patch of earth with barely any snow.
Socks's ankle throbbed. He sat for a second, breathing through the pain. Stupid. Stupid ankle. Stupid impostor.
Meme was looking at him, concern in his green orbs. "Are you alright?"
Socks didn't want to answer. "Are you?"
Meme shrugged. The gash in the side of his face was still trickling blood. "I'm fine. Nothing we can't fix when we get back to Medbay." He cast a rueful glance down at Socks's foot. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Meme looked at the snow. "For not listening to you. For trusting Tbh. You had to save my life-thanks again, by the way-and if you... if you died it would have been my fault."
Socks shook his head. "It wouldn't be your fault. It's the impostor's."
Meme looked up, meeting Socks's gaze. "But it was my fault. You don't have to try to make me feel better."
"No it wasn't! Stop that, it was my choice to save you!" And I don't regret it. Not at all, he added silently.
But Meme's eyes were filling with tears. "You don't have to save me every time. I don't want to put you at risk."
"You saved me too!" Socks protested.
"Barely."
"Twice! Why did you save me? It was my fault I almost got myself killed! You're the one who shouldn't be taking risks, especially for me!" Socks hesitated, guilt flooding his senses. "I let half the crew die. Why would I be worth saving?"
"Because I'm in love with you!" Meme blurted. His eyes widened moments after, realizing what he just said.
Socks's heart was beating out of his chest. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"I'm sorry." Meme said, looking away while blushing furiously. "I-I can't help it, don't make it weird-"
Socks grabbed his wrist, forcing Meme to make eye contact. "Don't be sorry." He said softly. "I-I think I'm in love with you too."
Meme's eyes stretched even wider, shock written all over his face. Socks felt himself turning red as well, but neither of them seemed to care. A giddy smile broke out on Meme's face, soon to be echoed with one of Socks's own.
His heart was pounding, shock and joy still tingling in his veins. Socks found himself leaning forward, closer to Meme.
A loud alarm broke the moment. The shocked and flustered aura Socks and Meme shared turned to fear.
That alarm only meant one thing.
Seismic Stabilizers sabotaged. Report to Stabilizers immediately to reset.
-0-
1452 words