Chapter Text
“Don’t worry, Bullseye!” Jessie Calls out, running towards the horse with her lasso. She hurries through the western setting as fast as she can
“Raaaah!! Don’t come any closer, CowGirl,” an angry Rex calls out, bandits mask covering his eyes.
Rex swings his tail in front of a startled Bullseye, attempting to prevent the determined cowgirl from reaching her horse. Jessie smirks, raising her swinging wrist and lasso above her head as she narrows in on a less confident looking Rex.
“Uhhh, I mean it,” he barks out in vain, her boldness intimidating him as he braces, prepared to defend himself from the lasso, but it was all a distraction.
Jessie jumps up as high as she can before kicking Rex in the chin as he was watching the lasso, spinning over to land on Bullseye’s saddle.
“Yeeehaww!!” She yells, gently tapping Bullseye at his sides as Bullseye neighs in triumph—
“Bonnie!!!” A familiar, warm voice calls out, “come downstairs, sweetie.”
Bonnie stops playing, listening intently to see if her mother says anything else before eventually placing her toys down. As her stomach rumbles, she can only assume lunch is ready. Gently getting up, she smiles down at her toys and looks around her room
“Bye Bye toys!” Bonnie merrily says before bounding out of the room.
After footsteps fade into silence, Jessie, Bullseye, and Rex slowly unfreeze and sit up. Rex and Jessie look at each other before laughing out loud, Jessie walking over to Rex.
“Wheew, that was an interesting story Bonnie came up with, definitely one of the more action-packed things she’s done!” Jessie smiles as Rex agrees.
“Yeah, I’m just glad she didn’t have a long fight scene” He replies.
Jessie laughs before she turns around, looking at her friends approaching from the toy closet. First, Woody comes out along with Slinky Dog and Buzz, then the rest of the toys follow along.
“That sure sounded interesting” Woody comments, giving Jessie a smile.
Jessie smiles back at him, her eyes soft and warm— almost.. too warm? One could even say a hint of concern was evident behind her smile—
“Boy, I was really scared!” Rex exclaims, interrupting Woodys train of thought.
The toys laugh, beginning to talk amongst themselves and explore Bonnie’s room. Woody kept a steady smile on his face as he looked around at the other toys, though his eyes kept getting stuck between the gaps of the others, seemingly wanting to linger there.. almost as if his eyes kept locking onto nothingness
“Woody? Woody!!”
Woody’s head swings to the right as he finally recognizes his name being called by his sister
“Darn, sorry Jess” he replies sheepishly, realizing not only was Jessie looking at him, but Buzz and Slinky Dog as well
“Got something on your mind, Cowboy?” Buzz questions, and a concerned Slinky Dog nods in agreement
“Yeah, ever since we got to Bonnie’s house, you’ve seemed.. distracted” he says, cautiously
“Directing a bunch of toys isn’t exactly easy work, y’know?” Woody replies defensively, turning away
“C’mon Woody, ya can’t just run away from us. The other toys are bound to notice eventually, too.” Jessie comments, stepping forward to put a hand on Woody’s shoulder
Woody shifts his head to touch his cheek to Jessie’s hand, gently showing appreciation, “I know.. but I… just need time to adjust without Andy, that’s all”
The three look between each other before giving Woody a shared expression of concern, clearly not satisfied with his answer
“Look, I’m okay, that’s all that matters, right? I can handle myself,” he pauses, “I promise”
Jessie frowns, Slinky sighs, but Buzz? Buzz can’t help but stare, trying to analyze the smallest, tiniest amount of expression and emotion behind Woody’s eyes. He knows Woody has been through a lot recently; they all have, but what specifically was bringing him down so low?
Woody walks over to the toy closet’s doors, leaning against the half opened door
Jessie and Slinky Dog begin to walk away as Woody walked away, but Buzz just stood there, having never seen his best friend this low before
“Buzz… what are you doing, bud?” Woody comments softly, looking towards the ground in an attempt to avoid eye contact
“Woody…” Buzz hesitates, unsure of what to say, “I know you can handle yourself— I’ve seen it first hand, trust me— but this? This isn’t normal” he takes a few steps forward as he says this, taking a chance being direct with Woody.
“Or, at least, it isn’t healthy. Bottling this up won’t do any good for anyone, especially you.”
His eyes watch the back of Woody’s head carefully, watching his shoulders tense softly as he shifts his weight; his foot tapping anxiously as he shifted his vision completely down; his arms hugging himself—
“You’re right.” Woody sighs, arms dropping to his side “I can’t deny it, or avoid it, especially around you—“ he stops, sighing again, clearly upset
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be harsh, I just—”
Suddenly, a pair of plastic arms wrapped around Woody as he felt himself being hugged by the space ranger. The arms quickly let go, and Woody hears Buzz let an awkward laugh out— a quick, soft attempt to break the ice as Buzz tries to think of what to do next
“Woody, I don’t necessarily know what to do to help right now.. I don’t even know if that hug helped, but you aren’t alone. The other toys might not ‘get it’ so to speak, but they care about you” Buzz says with a loving sternness, stepping back from Woody, watching him as he stood by the door
“… talking to me might help?”
A moment goes by, and Buzz starts to worry, until Woody finally sighs
“maybe, maybe you’re right” Woody finally admits, still not excited about the whole ordeal
Buzz laughs through his nose as he smiles at Woody, a small feeling of relief washing through him “there we go, that’s my Cowboy!” Buzz teases softly
Woody feels his ‘heart’ rush as the familiar nickname sparked a memory in his brain, he sighs, unable to make himself turn around to face Buzz, embarrassed at being this vulnerable
“Well, is there somewhere you’d feel more comfortable talking?” Buzz questions, his eyes glance down at Woody, noticing his body language still seemed tense
“Right, yeah,” Woody looks around the toy closet, making sure no one was inside, “follow me”
Buzz follows Woody closely as they sneak through Bonnie’s closet, heading towards a small, dark suitcase. Woody opens the zipper before slipping inside, Buzz following after. Inside, Woody sits down, leaning against the fabric walls. Buzz sits across from him, watching him carefully with concern
“Neat spot, come here often?” Buzz jokes, trying to encourage Woody to talk
“Yeah, after all the toys go to sleep, Bonnie.. and you, I come here. Just to think” Woody finally admits
there’s a slight sense of shame that lingers in Woody’s throat— almost a tight, burning feeling— as his ‘heart’ ached. Buzz sighs, looking at his best friend in front of him, sat in the dark, head down; it wasn’t looking good.
“Woody, what’s happening?” Buzz asks, trying not to seem desperate, wanting to maintain boundaries with him
“Bo..” Woody finally whispers, shaking his head “I just, I feel alone, y’know?” he chokes out, pushing through the urge of resisting help.
He smiles awkwardly, unsure of how much to say, “ever since she left, we’ve been so busy, but now that we’re with Bonnie, I’ve had so much time to think”
Buzz nods to himself, thinking back to when Bo left; but even further than that, the romance the two had together
“I cannot imagine the pain of losing someone like Bo, Woody…” Buzz leans over and puts a hand on Woody’s shoulder “I know I can’t be there like Bo was, but trust me, you are not alone”
The sudden contact with Buzz’s hand sparked a slight adrenaline through Woody’s heart, he finally looks up at Buzz, his expression full of relief and gratitude, yet still, his guard was not completely down in regards to being this vulnerable. At first, he hesitated, but then Woody gently tilted his face against Buzz’s hand, an attempt at showing Buzz he appreciates the effort
Buzz feels a similar yet more intense wave of adrenaline, though he was initiating this comfort, he wasn’t exactly a therapist in any sense, and is afraid of messing up. For a moment, Buzz and Woody just sat there, Woody looking away, yet his head didn’t move, nor did Buzz’s hand. Buzz couldn’t help but look at Woody’s face, still trying to read his friends current emotion, but he also noticed the way Woody’s cheek rested against his hand.. suddenly, Buzz felt his hand move to rotate and cup Woody’s face
Woody’s eyes shoot towards Buzz, shock evident, yet he doesn’t move away. Buzz’s ‘heart’ suddenly starts to race, his eyes widening at himself
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why-“
Woody made Buzz stop mid sentence as he grabbed Buzz’s hand, cupping it softly.
“Ah, it’s actually— kind of nice” Woody admits, his thumb rubbing Buzz’s articulated hand almost instinctively, lost in the familiarity of this feeling
Buzz was lost too, not in the familiarity, but the intensity. Is this.. okay? He really didn’t want to make Woody uncomfortable, but at the same time, he also couldn’t help but notice how fast his ‘heart’ was beating and how hot he felt. Buzz scoots closer to Woody before his thumb hesitantly starts stroking Woody’s cheek, mimicking Woody’s affection. Woody could tell that Buzz was slightly unsure of this, which made him snap out of his lost state. He looks up at Buzz until Buzz made eye contact, wanting to be clear with him
“Are you okay? I know this suitcase can get kind of hot—“ Woody comments, trying to break the tension
“No, you.” Buzz replies
“What?”
“I mean, are you okay?” Buzz shakes his head, embarrassed “I’m okay.. I think, but are you? Am I breaking any boundaries? If you want to be alone, just tell me” Buzz keeps talking, wanting to ensure Woody’s contentment
“Buzz, we’re best friends, it’s not like you’re hurting me or anything” clearly Woody was less affected than Buzz by the situation, possibly still lost in thought thinking of Bo
Buzz nods, trying to shake away the anxious thoughts. “Right. Friends, close ones at that, I shouldn’t worry so much” he tells himself aloud
Buzz crawls over and sits next to Woody, leaning on his shoulder “it’s gonna be okay, sheriff” he hums, “Bo is probably out having fun, as she always did, and that’s what she wants for you, too” Buzz puts a hand on Woodys leg, patting him assuringly
“You’re right, Buzz. I’m sorry I’ve been hiding this. I just didn’t want the other Toys to worry about me, especially you and Jessie” Woody confesses, his hand resting atop of Buzz’s
Buzz sighs, watching their hands together, he can’t ignore the burning feeling in his ‘heart’ forever, but he doesn’t exactly know how to address it. He felt something similar towards Jessie, he remembers that, but only vaguely, considering half of it he wasn’t in his right mind. But, he knows it drew him in to her, and right now, every time the two touch, his body felt sparks of excitement
“You don’t have to apologize, Woody, it’s not easy being open about things like this” Buzz tries to assure him
“I guess you’re right..” Woody pauses for a second, his head gently moves to lean against Buzz’s
“Thank you. For listening, I mean” Woody comments, sighing softly
Buzz couldn’t help but swallow his feelings as his ‘heart’ races, his face hot and confused with himself
“Oh, of course, we are friends after all” Buzz replies
Woody smiles to himself, almost completely forgetting about the other toys outside. However, he also couldn’t help but notice how Buzz was behaving, he seemed almost anxious. Woody gets up slightly to look at Buzz, eyes expressing slight concern
“Are you okay?” He questioned his friend
“Me? Yeah, I just, I’m really glad you feel comfortable enough around me to talk about Bo. I know it’s hard to talk to the other’s sometimes, we’ve all been through hardships but you were the one to lead us out of it” Buzz suddenly confesses his admiration for his friend
Woody smiles, almost laughing, slightly surprised yet touched at how highly Buzz thinks of him “Well don’t give me all the credit” Woody looks at Buzz, noticing his slightly emerging smile
Buzz nods, acknowledging his own leadership as well. He couldn’t help but let out a small laugh
“What?” Woody asks, smiling
“It’s just, your face, I feel like I’m looking at you too much”
“Well.. don’t feel bad about it, Buzz, it gives me time to look at yours” Woody comments teasingly and surprisingly frank
Buzz could feel himself look away, smiling. He didn’t know what to say, but his ‘heart’ felt like it was going to fly out of his chest
“Woody…what are you..” Buzz attempts to form a question that isn’t blatantly asking if he’s being playful, or… something?
But before he could ask, looking back at Woody, the face he was making, how he was listening intently, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being pulled in, in some way he couldn’t understand. Woody’s eyes rested on Buzz’s gaze, his face unknowingly moving closer to Buzz
As their faces get closer, Woody’s body rushed with a sudden wave of excitement, getting this close to his friend, his eyes dart down to Buzz’s lips before returning to his eyes. Woody tries not to question this familiar feeling, attempting to ignore his ‘heart’ racing
Buzz felt his body rushing with adrenaline, he couldn’t break eye contact with his friend, his eyes admiring Woodys soft, gentle gaze.
Woody’s heart fluttered at the way Buzz finally relaxed his eyes, moving in closer. Their faces were only a few inches apart before Buzz couldn’t take it anymore
Buzz looks to the side, breathing heavily from pent up tension
“Buzz..” Woody whispers, looking worriedly at his friend in front of him
“I…I can’t, I’m sorry-“ Buzz stammered, sitting up straight—
Suddenly, a loud voice could be heard from outside the suitcase
“Buzz! Woody! Where are you guys?”
Shit