Chapter Text
Boxten and Poppy, they were always a delight to have over. Boxten could be a bit shy, but he had his moments. He was a real sweetheart though. Poppy, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of her boxy brother. She was loud, outgoing, and though she had the best intentions, she could come off as a bit rude sometimes. Still, they were both a blast to have tea parties with.
Bubble tea wasn’t exactly what Teagan was used to. They would usually just heat up a kettle and drink whatever flavor tea fit the occasion. Bubble tea was Poppy’s favorite though, so she’d specially prepared some for their tea party.
Poppy was very pleased with how much effort Teagan had put in, complimenting their tea making skills. Boxten would drink basically anything, but he could taste that the tea was high quality. He felt a little guilty that he didn’t have anything to offer in return, but Teagan reassured him many times that his company was enough for her.
“So Poppy, how has life been treating you recently?” Teagan asked after the three had settled in.
“OMG, so much has happened since our last tea party! So, recently, me and Tisha and Scraps and Brightney were having a sleepover, right? And we were doing each others’ nails, like gals do, y’know?” Teagan nodded politely as she listened. “Anyways, Scraps was doing my nails, being as careful as possible with her claws and all, and she ended up knocking it over! And like- It’s not her fault, I can’t imagine how hard it is to do things with long claws like that! But Brightney was soooo mad.” Boxten had a look on his face as if he’d heard the story a million times already, but Teagan continued listening intently. Poppy liked to keep up with everyone around Gardenview, and it had been a while since their last get together, so she had quite a few stories to share.
“OMG wait, did I tell you about the other day, when-” she suddenly cut herself off. “Wait… Did I like- Do that thing again where I talk a whole bunch?”
“No, it’s only been like an hour,” Boxten sarcastically replied, she’d had a habit of talking a lot since the day she woke up so he was used to it by now, though he still found it a bit annoying.
“Sorry,” Poppy apologized with a bashful smile on her face. “I got a little carried away again.”
Teagan gave her a patient smile, “It’s alright dear, I understand you’re excited to share all your new stories with me. I’m always happy to listen.” Teagan took a sip of tea before continuing, “Boxten, how have you been lately?”
“Oh, um- I’m alright,” he replied simply, but Teagan knew there was more to it than that.
“Oh? Has anything interesting happened recently?” Boxten shook his head no. They’d have to ask him later then.
The three continued drinking their tea, and Poppy made sure to slow down her talking to give the others room to speak as well. Soon they all finished drinking and started wrapping up their conversation. Poppy gave Teagan a big hug before she left, “We have got to do this again soon, okay?” Teagan nodded in agreement.
Boxten was going to leave with Poppy, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Boxten, before you go. Are you sure you’re alright? I know you said everything was fine, but you seem stressed. What’s on your mind?”
Boxten didn’t really know how to respond. “Well- It’s, I mean- It’s not- It’s nothing important,” he stuttered out a response, but Teagan wasn’t buying it for a second.
“Come sit down,” they offered, warming her kettle. “Boxten, dear, what’s your favorite flavor of tea?”
Boxten nervously sat back down. Not like he had places to be anyways, why not have another cup of tea? “I don’t really know, I’ve only ever tried bubble tea before,” he admitted, a bit embarrassed at his lack of knowledge, but they understood.
“I’ll just make you something basic then,” Boxten wasn’t sure how tea could be more or less basic, it was a pretty simple concept, but he didn’t really feel like asking either. He watched quietly as she prepared their cups of tea. Somehow she knew exactly what to do, exactly how much honey to add, exactly how long to leave the tea bags in for, it was impressive. Even more impressive when they handed him the best tasting drink he’d ever had after spending only about five minutes making it. He found he much more enjoyed the light herbal flavor of hot tea rather than the sweet iced tea Poppy enjoyed so much. “Now, what’s been on your mind?”
“Well- It’s just a lot. A lot of little things piling up and stressing me out, y’know? It-It’s really not important,” he avoided eye contact, something Teagan noticed he did often. She tried to keep their gaze a bit to the side so she didn’t make him uncomfortable.
“But if it’s bothering you then it is important. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong if you don’t want to, we can chat about something else while we finish our tea,” she offered.
He stared at his tea for a moment, lost in thought before replying, “I-I wonder if- Well…” he struggled to put his thoughts into words. “I wonder if I’m a nuisance,” he said, voice soft and unsure. Teagan was the first person he’d told, and he wasn’t sure what they’d have to say.
“What on Earth gave you that idea?” She asked calmly. They sounded genuinely concerned, and her comforting tone gave Boxten the courage to keep talking.
“Well, I-I feel like I’m always bothering somebody. Whether it’s Poppy, or I- recently I’ve been going to Glisten for help a lot. And even the people I don’t talk to very often don’t seem to like me too much,” his words had a certain tone, as if there was more he wasn’t sharing yet.
They gave him a patient smile, “Boxten, I can assure you, you’re not a nuisance. It’s normal to need help from time to time, that’s what friends are for. I’m sure your friends rely on you for help as well, no?” Her voice was smooth and comforting, very level in contrast to Boxten’s constant stuttering and his anxious tone.
“I don-don’t know, you’re probably right, j-just, I can’t seem to shake the feeling that nobody likes me. I-I mean, Poppy says I’m alright, but are we really friends, or does she just put up with me because I’m her brother?” He gradually started to speak faster, occasionally jumbling his words. “An-And Glisten, we aren’t even that close but I-I’d say we’re friends. Or- Maybe not friends, but we talk, but I don’t know-” He paused, trying to remember what he was saying before he spoke again. “I think I just get on his nerves. And then there’s the whole- Whole… Whole thing with Astro. And- And he says he’s been giving me good dreams but I…” He trailed off, remembering that awful nightmare again. It was always the same, each time. It was horrible. He’d been avoiding sleep because he couldn’t stand to go through it all again.
Teagan had patiently listened, thinking about everything he’d confessed before offering advice of her own. “I understand how you feel dear, but I’m sure this is all just one big misunderstanding. Perhaps Astro’s powers aren’t working as intended. Even if he hated you, I don’t think he’d give you nightmares on purpose,” they reasoned, taking a sip of tea in between sentences. “As for the other two, Poppy really does care about you, even if she’s not always the best at showing it. You’re her big brother, the person she looks up to more than anybody. And I know Glisten. Trust me, he doesn’t hate you. In fact, he told me that you two were friends.”
His eyes widened, “Did he really say that?” Teagan nodded their head. Boxten took a couple sips of tea, lost in thought. The sweet flavor and Teagan’s comforting words helped him slowly calm down. “Thank you, Teagan,” he said, giving her a small smile which she happily returned.
“Of course, dear! You can talk to me anytime, okay?” Boxten had been a bit worried at first that he and Teagan wouldn’t get along. He’d barely talked to them, and he didn’t really know anything about tea or tea parties. But now he was glad that he’d gone anyway. He made a new friend that day.