Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lazytown had always been a very quant little village. Nothing much ever went on there, especially when Glanni was its villain. Yes, Glanni made sure that the town lived up to its namesake. No children running about. No music playing too loudly. No nonsense. It was perfect.

Much too perfect.

The townspeople learned what his demands were and made sure to steer clear of him whenever possible. Which meant they stayed inside and lazy. Unfortunately, because of the townspeople insistence on staying inside and avoiding him, Glanni realized he was becoming complacent.

Which, sure, from the outside seems fine; fae were renown for being very lazy creatures. But without anyone to terrorize, Glanni’s magic was weakening. And without his magic, what was he? So, in an effort to not waste away, Glanni made the very difficult decision to move to Mayhem Town. There were plenty of people to scam and cheat in that giant city; Glanni would be able to flex his magical muscles there.

But he couldn’t just leave Lazytown to its own devices. What if, after a while, the people realized he was gone, and it was safe to be active again? What a nightmare! All his hard work flushed down the drain. No, he wouldn’t allow that. Someone needed to watch over his town and Glanni knew just the fae for the job.

Within the month, Glanni had settled into his high-rise apartment in Mayhem Town and his not-so-little brother had moved his gaudy orange chair into his old lair. His brother, Robbie, would be perfect for the role of villain in his old stomping grounds. He didn’t have to do much; just keep watch of the town and keep the people in line with little tricks here and there. Little Robbie was much lazier than he was, so it was (theoretically) the perfect solution.

Now, Glanni wouldn’t say he would miss Lazytown. No that was much too sentimental for his taste. But he would miss the quiet of the town. And how the kids had their own little vices that Glanni would feed into every once in a while. But miss Lazytown? No. Definitely not.

Months in Mayhem Town passed in a blur. He had completely forgotten about Lazytown. How could he not? Mayhem Town was the perfect place for a mischievous fae like himself. Everyday Glanni found a new person to harass or thought of the perfect scheme that would have gone wasted in such a small village like Lazytown.

Unfortunately, bad things must come to an end, and the end of his trial run in Mayhem Town came crashing down with the appearance of an annoying yellow elf. Now, the jumping buffoon would come and spoil his fun and chase him into hiding. This was one of those times.

This afternoon, for his one-year anniversary of moving to Mayhem Town, Glanni was itching to pull off something big and what could be bigger than poisoning the water supply of an entire city? Apparently, for the flipping hero that was a step too far.

Glanni was being hounded by the idiot elf through the back alleys of Mayhem Town. Usually this was where Glanni could lose the hero, but it seemed like that wouldn’t be the case today.

Well, he certainly wasn’t going to lead him to back to his place. He had grown much too fond of the view from his living room, so moving base was not an option. Looks like he’s going to have to leave town for a bit and lay low.

Glanni cut into an adjacent alley to try and shake the elf. He needed a second to think. Where would he go? Busy City? No. He hated the people there; they were much too… well, busy. He could try to visit family? Yes, that could work. But he wasn’t speaking to his mother right now. He could remember why he stopped answering her calls, but it was probably some slight against him that he would not stand for! So, not her. Looks like little brother it is. Well, he hadn’t visited his Robbie in a while, and it would be nice to be back in Lazytown.

With that settled in his head, Glanni raced over to his car that sat sandwiched in-between a fire escape and a dumpster and left the yellow elf eating his dust, literally and figuratively. A look into his rearview mirror showed a very displeased looking sports elf who had both hands firmly planted on his hips. Glanni couldn’t help but cackle. Good-bye Íþróttaálfurinn and hello open roads!

Oh, something is not right. That is Glanni’s first and only thought as he entered the town.

After driving all night and into the next morning, Glanni had finally arrived in Lazytown. But this could not be the Lazytown he left Robbie. No, something was definitely different. Glanni couldn’t place it yet though. Maybe a walk through his old home would help solve his off kilter feeling.

Glanni quickly parked his car near the outskirts of town, unwilling to draw attention to himself so early in the morning. And it was still early (at least for Glanni), about 12:30, so hopefully, the sleepy town would still be partially dead to the world.

As Glanni stepped out of his car, he noticed how clean the road looked. No stray bits of candy wrappers. No crushed-up soda cans. It was odd. And now that the roar of car’s engine had been silenced, he could hear something faint in the distance. Was that laughing? The laughing of children? And some upbeat pop song? What happened here? Where was Robbie? Did he leave Lazytown, and it devolved back into a noisy, activity-ridden hell?

He had to get to the bottom of this. Now.

A walk through the town to get to the noise made Glanni feel even worse. A treehouse and a clubhouse occupied once empty lots. The sportsfield was freshly mowed with not a weed in sight. The basketball hoops had new nets, and it looked like everything had a fresh coat of paint on it. This was not good. Or it was good, and it needed to be bad, for Glanni’s own peace of mind.

Finally, he made it towards the racket and was immensely thankful for the absurd amount of half walls that made up the town. Glanni ducked behind one of said half walls and peeked over. Sure, he could have used magic to conceal himself but where is the fun in that?

He focused on the sight before him. The children of Lazytown were dressed up as pirates. The trickster had a hook on her hand while the greedy one had his piggy bank perched on his shoulder like a parrot. Glanni could have sighed in relief at seeing that stupid pig. At least somethings never change. The techie was still wearing his headset but was slightly hindered from using it by an eyepatch going across his right eye. The candy-obsessed one held a red and white lollypop in his hand and swung it around wildly, as though he were brandishing a sword.

Wait. Weren’t there only four kids in Lazytown? A girl dressed in all pink was there too. She was also dressed as a pirate with her bright pink hair being pulled back by a bandana. Surely, one girl didn’t cause all this nuisance. No. There had to be something more.

The children continued their game of pirates while Glanni stewed behind the wall. He’s going to have to have a serious talk with Robbie about leaving children to their own devices. These kids shouldn’t be playing outdoors! They should be inside napping or playing video games or anything else. The talk would have to wait until after he got these kids inside.

His scheming thoughts sputtered out as he heard a low rumbling headed his way. Evidently, the brats noticed the noise too and turned to try and find the source. Glanni picked his head up and looked over the wall to find a real pirate ship headed towards the kids. That’s new. Glanni was fairly sure last time he was in Lazytown, there was not a pirate ship on wheels rolling up and down the streets.

Glanni looked on with suspicion; this had to be more trouble, but he had to admit, whoever was behind the ship, did an amazing job designing it. It was definitely built with care and consideration in mind.

It rolled to a stop in front of the pink girl and a bearded, adult pirate looked over the side of the ship and down at the group of kids. “Ah! My crew! I was starting to wonder if you had deserted ole Rottenbeard.”

Rottenbeard? Not the craziest name Glanni ever heard but….

The pink girl smiled up at ‘Rottenbeard,’ “Of course not, Captain! Are we setting sail again?” The other children crowded around the hull of the ship.

“Oh! Are we looking for treasure?” cried the sugar-addicted boy.

“Aye! We set sail to find Lazytown’s hidden treasure!”

“Is it gold?” the yellow boy asked in a sing-song voice.

The pirate captain shook his head. “No, my boy. This treasure is something even more valuable than gold.” That made the kid’s jaw drop.

“Well, what is it, old man?” pig-tailed girl asked.

The man grinned wickedly, “Climb aboard and we’ll find out together.”

Eye-patch boy looked skeptical, “According to my data, there is nothing more valuable than gold.”

This made the man’s sharp grin waver slightly, and he slipped out of his pirate accent as he stage whispered to the boy, “Somethings are worth more than just their monetary value, kid. Just get on the boat.” Apparently, that was all the convincing he needed, and he clambered onto the ship with the rest of the brats.

“Now, Pickle, you can navigate,” the man handed the tech child a map. “Stinky, I need you in the crow’s nest and Pinkie, I need you at the wheel.”

Glanni stopped paying attention and was solely focused on when the pirate had dropped character. That voice. He knew that voice.

He focused on Rottenbeard as he instructed the kids on what to do, and it clicked. That’s Robbie. That’s Robbie dressed up as a pirate. And he’s playing pretend with the brats of Lazytown. Is that right? No, surely Robbie had some ulterior motive. Something to make them lazy and quiet.

To Robbie’s credit, the kids weren’t moving around as much as the ship carried them through the town, but they were still singing sea shanties loud enough to give Glanni a small headache.

Glanni followed stealthily along using some magic to make it easier for him. Maybe he was a bit rusty and was relying too heavily on his magic. A thought for a later time, he supposed.

The ship stopped behind the town hall and the kids began climbing and scouring the ground looking for something. The candy boy gave a triumphant cry after some searching and beaconed his friends over to him. Of course.

A simple white “X” was marked on to the freshly soften dirt. “Well, what are you scoundrels doing just standing around? It’s time to start digging!” Robbie exclaimed as he passed out color coded shovels to each of the children.

Glanni still couldn’t see Robbie’s full scheme… until now. The kids immediately created a hierarchy in which Tricky and Sticky did absolutely no digging while the other three grumbled and complained about having to do all the hard labour. Okay, it’s slightly villainous. Having the kids argue and bicker could lead to a rift in the friendship; thus, the brats stay home and don’t play together. It was a long con. Glanni could respect that. He was never one for those; the need for instant gratification too great in him.

When the chest was finally retrieved from the dirt, Rottenbeard made a show of finding the key for the lock and presenting it to the children. They “oooh”-ed and “ahhh”-ed at the obnoxiously giant key for the annoyingly large lock on the treasure chest. The kids (and Glanni) waited with bated breath as Robbie unlocked the chest and stepped away from the treasure to let his audience get a look at the treasure.

Candy.

An absolute mountain of candy waited in the chest. The kids whooped and cheered at their treasure. A self-satisfied look settled on Robbie’s face, “I told you it was more valuable than gold.”

Looks like Robbie hasn’t totally lost his touch. Infighting and an unholy amount of sugar. Not bad. Well, Glanni was not totally pleased with Robbie’s tactics, but Robbie is a very lazy fae. Whatever works for him.

He left his little brother in the company of the brats and started to walk back to the center of town. Maybe he could help out a little bit. Bit of garbage here. A small hazard there.

He was about to dump out a trashcan on to the ground when a ball of blue motion grazed his periphery. His eyes snapped over to it.

Oh, Lazytown had a pest problem it seemed. And this was not an easy pest to get rid of. Glanni would know; he had the same pest in Mayhem Town. Sports elf.

It all started to come together for Glanni. Robbie was a lazy man through and through; it was why Glanni gave him Lazytown. All he had to do was make sure people stayed lazy. But if there was, say, a sports elf cleaning up the town, encouraging people to eat healthy, and the kids to go outside and play, well, Robbie wouldn’t be able to keep up.

If only Robbie would have told him; he wouldn’t have to have dealt with this all by himself. But that was in the past, and his older brother was here now. He wouldn’t have to worry about that blue jumping bean anymore.

Glanni watched as the elf preformed a series of flips and cartwheels across the street. Yes, Glanni would take care of this for Robbie as a gift. A “Sorry-I-have-to-crash-at-your-place-please-don’t-kick-me-out” gift.

Chapter Text

Lazytown never was quiet for very long. Not since the elf had sailed here almost a year ago at least. The townspeople were always doing something that made his crystal go off. But that is what he signed up for when he decided to become the official Numbered Hero of the tiny town.

Sportacus couldn’t regret that decision either. He loved his little Lazytown. Of course, that didn’t mean that it wasn’t difficult at first. It was never an easy choice to settle down in a town. Sports elves are, by nature, always meant to be in motion. Staying in one place just wouldn’t compute, as Sportacus’s friend would say. Everything about a sports elf was built to keep active. Even his home. The airship he lived in was made with the nomadic ways of his people in mind. Not rooted in the Earth and ready to be swept away to the next person that need his help. But that was the past.

When he got a pink letter from a sad little girl in Lazytown, his entire world shifted. If it were a challenge for Sportacus to stay in one place before, now it would be impossible to get him to leave. And the townspeople found just how impossible that task was, one person in particular.

The blue elf had never faced a self-proclaimed villain before. Of course, he knew that they existed; the other Numbered Heroes had their tales of victory that they shared with him as he was going through his hero training. But in all of their stories, they never mentioned a villain quite like his.

His villain, Robbie Rotten, had been more mellow than the villains of other heroes. He wanted Sportacus out of town, absolutely. However, the villain’s schemes to get him to leave never involved trying to hurt him or the kids. Robbie had been known for knocking him out flat with a sugar apple, but he didn’t hurt him in his weakened state like a regular villain would.

It used to be a subject of intrigue for Sportacus. What was wrong with his villain? He went so far as to contact his pabbi, a former hero, who had his own villain to brawl with once. His pabbi simply said, “það eru margar undur í höfuðkúpu, litla bláa. Or maybe he is not so villainous after all.”

Sportacus took his words to heart and started noticing when Robbie would make appearances and what he did when he showed up. Robbie’s schemes always centered around one main goal. Get him to leave town. Forever. Obviously, Robbie wanted a pre-Sportacus Lazytown. So, it only made sense to try a find out what Lazytown was like before Sportacus showed up.

When he showed up to the library on a bright, sunny day, it gave the little librarian behind the desk pause. Of course, he would usually be outside playing with his kids but that would have to wait. Once he explained what he was doing there, he was led to a side room filled to the brim with newspapers dating back at least 100 years. He was careful not to touch those; he wouldn’t earn any favors with the elderly librarian if he touched one of the yellowed pages and it disintegrated into dust. Besides, the elf was more interested in Lazytown’s more recent history.

What he found was shocking.

Robbie was not Lazytown’s original villain; he had just taken over for him. This first villain was the real deal though. Terrorizing the children into staying indoors. Selling adults rotten canned food. It made Sportacus shiver at the thought. Once Robbie entered Lazytown, the people could carry on as normally. Not exceptionally healthy or active but not terrified of the thought of stepping outdoors. It was the entrance of Sportacus and his slightly above average lifestyle that started the uptick in schemes.

So that was it. Robbie wanted him gone not because he wanted to scam and cheat in peace but just for some quiet. And now the puzzle of Robbie Rotten fell into place.

Sportacus started putting extra effort in for Robbie’s sake. When the children were outside playing, the hero made them play closer to the center of town, far away from Robbie’s billboard. When the kids’ games became to rowdy, he encouraged them to play quieter. He never out right said anything to the kids, but they picked up on his change in demeanor towards Robbie. If Robbie did come out of his lair to yell at them, they would apologize and Sportacus would redirect their games and energy. If Robbie came out of his lair to nap on a park bench, the children had an understanding that maybe they should play a video game at Pixel’s house instead of their usual sports games.

Robbie, of course, noticed the shift too. And one day, he confronted Sportacus about it after he tried to hide all of the left-out sports equipment. “Sportadense, I just tried to take all of your precious sports things. Aren’t you a little upset?”

Sportacus smiled softly and shook his head, “No, Robbie. I’m not upset. I understand why you do things like this.” That made the man sputter.

“What are you talking about? I do this to run you out of town! How would that not upset you?”

 Sportacus looked around at all the stray rackets and bats. “Robbie, simply stealing sports equipment wouldn’t make me leave town, and I think, deep down, you knew that.” He looked back up, meeting Robbie’s eyes, “I don’t think you want me to leave, not really. I think you just need a quiet place to rest.”

Sportacus let his words hang in the air for a moment before continuing on. “Do you remember when the children were building their clubhouse? They were making a lot of noise, and you came up to investigate. You got stuck in a tree while you were trying to saw off a branch that was meant to destroy the kids’ work. I caught you in my arms when you fell.”

Robbie grumbled, “Yes, of course, I remember! I also remember you dropping me on butt right after!” The elf had some sense to look bashful and wrung his hands.

“Right. Sorry about that…. But you got scared by Trixie snapping a branch, and you jumped back into my arms. I remember what you said that day. You said how tired you were. How you just wanted to rest and then you passed out from exhaustion.”

“A moment of weakness,” Robbie interjected.

“Either way, dropping that branch onto the kids’ clubhouse wouldn’t have driven me out of town. Just like this sports equipment heist. I can’t be upset with you for wanting to finally get some sleep. I won’t be upset about that,” Sportacus insisted his point making sure to find Robbie’s gray eyes with his own blue ones.

Robbie’s hardened eyes searched Sportacus’ face for signs of a lie. When he couldn’t find one, his shoulders slumped in on him. “Thank you, Sportacus.”

“Of course, Robbie. You’re my friend. Friends try to understand each others' problems. They also look for solutions together. So, if you need a quiet place to sleep, my airship is always open to you.”

His words made Robbie break out into a small grin, “You would let Lazytown’s number one villain into your Fortress of Solitude?”

Sportacus smiled back at him, “I would, if he was a friend in need.”

After making sure all the sports equipment was accounted for, the two men went their separate ways, both of them smiling like fools. Sportacus couldn’t be happier; he made a new friend today and was able to help someone in need of saving.

Months past just like that. Robbie needing a rest and telling Sportacus. Sportacus offering his assistance in any way he could. The kids quieting down with some gentle encouragement from the sports elf. And finally, Robbie being able to get in a few hours of rest all while not having to trick the kids into being lazy.

One chilly night changed that fragile peace.

The children were all tucked into bed and Sportacus was about to be too when he received a piece of mail. A deep purple paper with words “Can’t sleep. Could use some help. RR” written on it.

When Sportacus landed on solid ground, he found a tired looking Robbie standing by his billboard. Wordlessly, he turned and went towards his hatch door. Noticing a lack of movement, he just gestured weakly for Sportacus to follow him down. This was new territory for the elf. He had never voluntarily entered Robbie’s lair.

He quickly followed Robbie down the chute. Maybe a bit too quickly, as Robbie hadn’t moved out of the way quite yet. This resulted in Robbie landing flat on his back with Sportacus having broken his fall with Robbie’s own gangly body.

Embarrassed by his own lack of grace (and something else), Sportacus quickly removed himself from Robbie and offered a hand to the red-faced man. “Sorry,” he said, unnaturally meek.

Robbie took his hand and once righted, dusted himself off. “It’s fine. Just be more careful.”

“So,” Sportacus looked around, truly taking in how big the lair was, “how can I help?”

“I’ve read up on elves. Don’t you have some magical abilities?” Robbie asked as he made his way over to his beloved chair.

“Umm… yes? I have magic that connects me to my crystal and some simple healing spells just in case I’m not fast enough to save someone,” Sportacus said wondered how this could possibly be related to Robbie having another bout of insomnia. He got his answer once Robbie got himself comfortable in his chair.

“Well, use some on me, Sportaslow! I’m tired and would like to sleep but my mind won’t let me, so magic me to sleep!”

Sportacus blinked at him owlishly, “I can’t.”

Irritated, Robbie cried, “Why not?”

“It’s not something I know how to do. Elves have limited magic. There are just certain things I can’t do.”

“Say that again, my camera wasn’t rolling.” Blue eyes nearly disappeared into his head, as he rolled his eyes.

“You would have better luck with fae magic; their people have always been more magically inclined than most others.”

Robbie grumbled something he couldn’t quite make out, then said to Sportacus, “Then what use are you to me!” He tried not to take offense to his scathing remark.

“I may not be able to help magically, but I can still help.”

Robbie looked up at Sportacus quizzically. Funny, it was usually the other way around; with Robbie being cryptic and Sportacus looking up at him confused. “We can try warm milk or a massage?” The offer hung in the air for a moment. The two men looked at the other, both unsure.

“I would like that,” Robbie said after a moment, “A massage, that is.”

Sportacus nodded and went over to him, “Lay on your stomach.” The taller man reclined his chair and turned over, a little reluctantly.

This didn’t go unnoticed. “Relax, Robbie. It’s just me.” Robbie didn’t reply but his words did seem to have an effect as he slumped into the chair.

“It’s no magic, but as a sports elf, I do know my way around the body.” This made Robbie shout a laugh that echoed across his lair and back.

The shorter man startled. What had he said? He wasn’t joking; he was trained in sports medicine not just for himself but others as well.

Noticing how Sportacus jumped, Robbie quickly apologized, “Sorry, Sporty but maybe rethink your wording on that.” Huh? Oh. It dawned on him what he accidentally implied.

A bright red Sportacus stuttered, “Oh, that’s not what I meant! I just—”

“I know what you meant,” Robbie threw him a soft, reassuring smile. “Now about that massage?”

Sportacus sighed and went back to the task at hand. Helping Robbie sleep.

He softly touched his shoulders, and it made the other tense back up slightly.

“Oh. Your hands are warm,” Robbie said conversationally.

“Elves tend to run a warmer body temperature than humans.”

“Hmm.”

The lair was quiet for awhile. After a few minutes, Robbie’s breathing evened out and he said quietly, “You’re really good at this. Thank you.”

“Of course,” Sportacus responded, equally as quiet. He stopped his work on the man’s—now—relaxed shoulders, but his hands lingered for a moment before he pulled away completely.

Robbie moved lightning fast to grab one of Sportacus’ hands before he moved too far. “Stay? Just until I fall asleep?”

Surprised, Sportacus just nodded. He could do some meditation in the corner while he waited on Robbie’s body to succumb to his dreams. But Robbie still hadn’t let go of his hand. Instead, he was pulled to Robbie’s chair.

The taller had turned back over and lightly tugged on his arm. It was an invitation; one that he could decline, if he so chose to. Robbie’s grip on his hand wasn’t strong, just enough to guide Sportacus.

Sportacus let Robbie pull him down into the chair next to Robbie. It was a tight squeeze that ended up with Sportacus half on top of Robbie, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Robbie gave a little shiver as he settled. “Are you cold?” Sportacus asked.

“Not anymore. You’re very warm.”

Not a direct complement, but it seemed like that didn’t matter to Sportacus as he smiled at Robbie.

With the two being so close, Sportacus could tell exactly when Robbie fell asleep. Watching the man’s chest rise and fall again, gave Sportacus a rhythm to base his own breathing on and within the next minute, he was asleep too.

When the two woke in the morning, it wasn’t awkward. It was like it was always meant to be. Sportacus left with a promise to come around later, and the rest was history. The hero and villain of Lazytown were together at last. This didn’t stop Robbie’s little schemes to make the kids lazy, but it was more to spend time with Sportacus now than anything else.

This new relationship, of course, bled into every aspect of the tiny town.

The kids were excited to see Robbie and their hero together. Whatever made Sportacus happy, made them happy. So, they made sure to include Robbie in everything they did and played along with Robbie whenever he showed up in one of his famous disguises.

That’s how it was today too. The kids were playing pirates and Robbie had to capitalize on this opportunity.

When he spied the kids through his periscope this morning, he turned to his hero and told him he was going to go up there as Rottenbeard and play pirates with them. Or trick them into eating a pile of junk and not that silly sportscandy, as Robbie put it as he quickly dressed himself.

Well, Sportacus wasn’t going to argue; it would be good for Robbie to get topside after working all weekend on his latest invention.

Rottenbeard left the lair after giving Sportacus a quick peck on his cheek. He wrinkled his face at the rough texture of the beard but held his tongue.

Without Robbie or the kids to take care of, Sportacus was at a loss for what to do.

His crystal chimed at him right on queue. It led the elf through a series of jumps, cartwheels, and dazzling displays of acrobatic to be just in time to catch the mayor from his fall off the tree on Ms. Busybody’s property.

“Oh, my! Thank you Sportacus! That could have been a very nasty landing.”

“You’re welcome, Mayor! But please try to be more careful, or at the very least, have someone hold the ladder for you. I’m always a letter away, if you need a hand,” the blue man said, gesturing to the mailbox only a few feet away.

The mayor looked bashful, “Quite so! Thank you again!” With this, Sportacus flipped away.

Since the kids were busy and it was such a lovely day, he could do a bit of practice in the summer breeze. He began his usual warmups, throwing in a few extra flips and twists for good measure.

Suddenly, a rather tall man that he had never seen in Lazytown before came into his field of vision, as though he appeared out of thin air. The man was the embodiment of “tall, dark, and handsome” with his black leather outfit. Sportacus was sure it was a motorcyclist outfit, but there was no motorcycle in sight. His eyes were coated in a shimmery eyeshadow and his dark hair was gelled back.

The man approached him his eyes trailing over Sportacus. It made him squirm uncomfortably.

Motorcycle man gave a lecherous smile before introducing himself, “Hello. You must be the resident superhero. My name is Glanni. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Sportacus tried to give a bright smile in return, “I wouldn’t say ‘superhero’! Just slightly above average! I’m Sportacus. I haven’t seen you in Lazytown before, Mr. Glanni.”

“Oh, yes. That would be because I’m visiting from Mayhem Town.”

The blue man’s eyes sparkled in recognition at the name, “My older brother works there! He’s the hero in Mayhem Town! Maybe you’ve seen him?”

Glanni’s eye twitched but his smile stayed pressed onto his sharp features. “Yes. I know him,” Glanni answered curtly.

Odd. Íþróttaálfurinn didn’t usually make such a bad impression on people. This must be one of the townsfolk that Íþró tried to make eat fish oil. Sportacus could understand the distain if that were the case.

Before he could apologize on his brother’s behalf, Glanni began speaking again. “Anyway, I just had to come over and introduce myself, even if I’ll only be staying for a little while. I wouldn’t want to keep you. I bet you keep all the kids eating healthy and playing outside,” Glanni rambled, “And I bet you like to promote your active lifestyle to anyone who will listen to you.”

 Sportacus laughed, “So, you do know my brother.”

“One could say too well,” Glanni had a pinched expression on his face before it smoothed out in the blink of an eye. “If you are anything like your brother, I know you’ll enjoy one of these,” the tall man said as he pulled a shiny, red apple out from behind him and handed it over to Sportacus.

“For me? Thank you! This is exactly what I needed!” Sportacus exclaimed taking a big bite.

Something artificially sweet hit his tongue. It registered a little too late that this Glanni may be the same one his brother writes him about as his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the ground.

Chapter Text

Robbie was happier than ever. Would he willingly admit that out loud? Absolutely not. He would rather eat one of his boyfriend’s disgusting sportscandy. But the fact still remained true.

Ever since that one colder than average day in October, Robbie’s life has been on the up and up. His days were finally in a regular pattern. Wake up next to his muscle clad elf, have a small breakfast with him, watch him scurry up the ladder, go right back to sleep for the next few hours, wake up after a satisfying nap for lunch with Sportacus and his small gaggle of children (or in Robbie’s case, his second, bigger breakfast), followed up by peace and quiet inventing and scheming in his lair. His evenings were always up in the air. He had to keep up the Rotten name some how! Sportacus always tried to get him to keep a regular sleep schedule, but sometimes his insomnia made it impossible.

Last night, he was actually able to sleep at a reasonable time. He crawled into his bed only two hours after his boyfriend. When the elf woke him up this morning, he felt well rested for once; maybe he could hold out on his nap until after lunch.

“Good morning, Robbie.” That rumbling accented voice could bring out a smile at any time of the day. Even at the ass crack of dawn.

He opened his eyes and cracked a smile, “Morning, Sportasweet.”

The nickname caused Sportacus to go slightly red in the cheeks, “Breakfast?”

“Please,” he said as he started to roll off the bed.

Sportacus hopped out of the bed and started his morning stretches, “Eggs? Oatmeal?”

Robbie huffed out a laugh, “Hilarious. I was thinking french toast. Some pancakes on the side. Pilled high with syrup and powdered sugar of course. And maybe a bowl of sugary cereal? If I’m still a little hungry.” He tried to look as serious as possible but that failed as soon as he saw the look of absolute horror on the shorter man’s face. “Teasing, Sportagullible. Eggs sound fine.”

Boyfriend appeased, he headed into the main part of his lair with Sportacus trailing behind. Robbie went for the eggs and bacon in his fridge while Sportacus continued his morning routine.

Robbie knew how to cook; he just hated cooking. It took too long and took too much effort for such little reward, in his own lazy opinion. But now that he had someone to cook for, it didn’t seem so bad. Robbie laid out two plates of eggs: one with bacon and toast coated in a sweet jam and the other with plain toast and a sliced-up apple.

Sportacus flipped over to the breakfast bar and gave Robbie a quick peck on the cheek, “Thank you, Robbie! It looks delicious.” Now, it was Robbie’s turn to flush. He never took compliments well, but it seemed that compliments from his elf made his heart soar.

After a hearty breakfast and a small chiding for not brushing his teeth, Robbie was a little lost as to what to do next. Maybe he should try for a nap now. He didn’t have to wait long for inspiration to hit though.

His quiet morning at home was interrupted by the sound of children laughing and yelling. He nearly scowled but remembered what kind of company he was in. This didn’t go unnoticed by the way-too-observant elf. He smiled at Robbie, “I can go and corral them away? I’m sure I could convince them to stay away from your billboard for the rest of the morning, if you wanted to sleep.”

Robbie shook his head, “No, no, no. I wasn’t planning on sleeping anyway.” Robbie moved over to his periscope to spy on the little gremlins. It took a moment for him to find them but when he did, he was pleasantly surprised to see a lack of sports equipment. “Looks like you aren’t needed. No hole in ones or touchdowns happening up there. But what are they doing?”

He sensed Sportacus’ movement more than saw it as he saddled up next to Robbie, “Hmmm. Maybe I should head up. They can’t just sit around all morning!”

“No, they certainly aren’t being lazy. Oh. I’ve seen that balloon sword before; they’re playing pirates. If only they could play a little quieter!” Sportacus snickered beside him.

That made Robbie swivel his head towards his boyfriend and he looked down at him, “Something funny, Sportachuckle? Because I have just thought of the perfect scheme to make those kids lazy forever!” This made Sportacus laugh a little harder but this time he tried to conceal it. Robbie guessed he could appreciate the effort.

Robbie turned and gave a theatrical sweep, gesturing to his disguise tubes. “I’ll go up there in the perfect disguise! I’ll take those kids on a wild goose chase, trying to find the hidden Lazytown treasure. Then, I’ll tire them out by making them dig all over the town! And when they finally find it, it will be full of sugary candy!” Robbie gave a villainous chuckle for effect.

Sportacus gave a playful gasp in response, “No sports candy?”

“Not even a grape!” Robbie looked over his tubes and found his Rottenbeard disguise. In perfect condition, he might add. It was one of his favorites. He spun quickly and was decked port to starboard in his beloved disguise. He glanced over at Sportacus and tried not to preen when he saw his impressed face.

“Arrr, you could join me? You could be me first matey,” Rottenbeard offered.

“No, thank you, Captain. If I were your first mate, how could I stop you from spoiling the children’s appetite?”

“A hero, aye? A landlubber like you doesn’t stand a chance!” Rottenbeard exclaimed, getting closer to the hero.

Sportacus was never one to back down from a challenge; he gave a boyish grin, “I think you’ll be surprised by how much seamen I’ve got in me.”

They blinked at each other for a moment before Robbie began howling with laughter. A tomato-red Sportacus tried to explain himself over the noise, “I-I just meant that I’ve worked on ships before! I mean I used to live on an island! And fishing was one of my family’s pastimes! Stop laughing!”

After a moment, Robbie was able to control himself a bit better. This didn’t stop him from one last jab, “Of course, Sportasail. Whatever you say!”

The subsequent grumbles from the hero were quickly quelled by the peck he put on the still red cheek. “Now, I best be setting sail! I’ve got a crew to collect and treasure to find!”

With that he left Sportacus in his lair and scrambled up the ladder to get topside. He squinted in the sunlight for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight. He made his way over to the town center making sure to keep out of the children’s sight.

He made quick work of conjuring up a treasure chest full of candy (and a few apples, for whenever Sportacus joined his game) and burying it under the soft soil. Satisfied with his job well done, Robbie placed an “X” over the buried treasure and went to go collect his pirate ship.

Robbie always kept a few of his inventions and other things topside. Whether for his own convenience or something else, Robbie wouldn’t say but he would admit that it came in handy. Like now. Instead of having to expend his magic on getting his ship out of his lair (or worse remake the whole thing), he was able to just visit one of the abandoned storage facilities and steer his ship right out of the lot.

Taking the dust cover of the ship, he was able to admire his work once more. It wasn’t quite sea-worthy, but Robbie didn’t do well on open water anyway.

He climbed aboard his vessel and gave it a bit of magical juice. Robbie was pleased to see that it responded immediately to his magic and began moving slowly out of the storage unit. Soon enough, he was in front of the loud group of kids.

They seemed to recognize his old Rottenbeard disguise but that didn’t stop them from hoisting themselves up onto his ship. He gave out instructions to the children, and they immediately went to work trying to make sense of his crudely drawn map of Lazytown. As he watched them crowd over his map, he took a second to take the scene in.

If someone had told THE Robbie Rotten, Villain Number One, a few years ago that he would start willingly spend time with loud, sporty, annoying children, he would have laughed in the face of whoever was dumb enough to even suggest that. But here he was, spending the late morning hours with five children who he couldn’t imagine a world without. Trixie with her pranks would always have a chunk of his heart. The tech boy, Pixel, was able to talk with him all day about their inventions and devices. Stingy, the little magpie, could be a slight pain, but get him distracted by something shiny and he was great company. The youngest, Ziggy, was a child after his own heart. Who could resist sharing a pile of candy with such a sugar enthusiast? And the newest kid, Stephanie. When he read her diary entry about him, calling him a “big softy,” something melted in him. These children were an integral part of his life now. He couldn’t imagine a day without hearing their laughter through the tunnels and tubes that made up his home.

Zoning back into the conversation, it seemed the group had sorted out his map. He magicked the ship forward and towards the "X" he had planted. The kids started their singing, and Robbie began humming along to the shanty. He made sure to take the long way around town to ensure that he didn’t scrape the sides of his ship, but also so the kids could finish their song and dance.

“Way anchor!” he exclaimed as he slowed the ship to a stop. One of the children threw the anchor over the side of the boat as the rest hopped out. Ziggy stood on the ship, looking over the side anxiously.

Robbie hopped off and made his way over to him, “Jump me boy! Rottenbeard will be here to catch you!” He smiled under the thick beard and hoped it was reassuring to the little boy. Ziggy scooted closer to the edge and held his arms out. Robbie obliged and picked the boy off the deck and set him gently on the ground.

“Thank you, Captain,” Ziggy said as he smiled up at Robbie.

“Of course, laddie. Now, we have some treasure to dig up!" Rottenbeard exclaimed as he conjured up some shovels for the group to take. The children eagerly took a shovel and started to search for the elusive “X.”

A few minutes pass with Robbie encouraging them with silly pirate puns, when Pixel gives a shout, “Guys! Check this out! I think I found the spot!” The crew rushed over to where Pixel is standing.

Before Robbie could say anything Trixie turned to the rest of the kids, “Well, what are you lazy dogs standing around for? Start digging!”

“Aren’t you gonna help?” asked Pinkie. Trixie said nothing back just raised her right hand which was covered by a plastic hook. Stephanie raised her eyebrows, “Right. Well guys, let’s get digging.”

As the three kids started digging (Stingy also took it upon himself to sit the digging out), Robbie looked out over the town. The town isn’t huge. It’s pretty small in respect to other towns out there. That’s why Robbie was looking over the town; he should have seen Sportacus by now. Rushing to save the mayor perhaps or just running and flipping around. But nothing. He had invited Sportacus to try and stop him. Maybe he was holed up in the lair or his airship, embarrassed about his social snafu earlier this morning.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the struggles of the brats trying to lift the large treasure chest out of the small hole they created. Robbie came over and put a little magic in his muscles to help him pull (would be nice if a certain sports elf boyfriend were here). The kids backed up as he lifted the chest out and set it a few feet from the new two feet deep hazard.

Once he straightened back out, he fished out the hilariously big key for the equally huge lock fixed on the treasure chest. He played it up for them, giving the kids a theatrical turn of the key. The lock popped open, and he opened the chest up and quickly stepped out of the way.

The kids began whooping and hollering at seeing the massive stash of candy; the sound made Robbie smile under the faux beard. Surely the commotion would bring over the blue elf and he would be able to enjoy the treasure ---even though he didn’t do anything to earn it! Robbie looked around again for him.

Nothing. Strange.

“No Ziggy, that piece is mine!” Right. He helped divide up the candy before Stingy staked claim to all of their bounty.

It was past noon now and with no Sportacus to advocate for a lunch break, Robbie guessed he would have to play the role of “annoyingly healthy hero” too. “Ye best be heading inside for a meal. Can’t have my crew stumbling about with no food in their bellies,” Robbie said his “rotten” persona clashing with the idea of sending the kids off for a healthy meal.

“Yarrr, the captain’s right! We can go to my uncle’s house for lunch; he made lemonade earlier!” Stephanie helpfully added. The kids started running off in the direction of the mayor’s house and the pink girl turned back towards Robbie. “Thank you for playing with us, Robbie. It was really fun! Will you play with us after lunch?”

To be completely honest, the man was spent. He told the little girl just that, “I don’t think so; too much moving around for one day, I think. But I can leave the ship out. If you’d like?”

Stephanie’s eyes sparkled, “Yes, please! Thank you again, Robbie! I promise we won’t scratch it. Scouts honor!” The little girl gave him a salute.

Robbie smiled and swapped back into his pirate accent, “I knew I could trust ye, Pinkie! You’re a good lass. Now, I think your friends be waiting for ye.” With a wave, Stephanie followed in her friends' footsteps.

Robbie gave a big sigh and turned to the rest of the not pillaged treasure. It seemed that some of the brats took some of the apples and he was only left with two. Sneaking in their sportscandy; he'll have to tell Sportacus about that, he’ll be delighted.

He gathered the leftovers and magicked the hole in the ground filled with soil again. He knows how accident prone this town is. Noting the condition of his ship (he was going to hold Pinkie to her word), he turned a headed towards a trash can, one of his many secret entrances.

As he fell down, he wondered if maybe he had been a little harsh earlier with his boyfriend’s social faux pas. He didn’t mean to make him embarrassed. He started feeling his old friend insecurity. Did he do something wrong? Did he read the situation wrong? It was a simple double entendre; could that have caused Sportacus to feel so embarrassed that he hid from Robbie all day? Did Robbie make the situation worse by laughing? He should apologize to him. Yes. As soon as he is out of this silly costume, he’ll find his boyfriend and apologize. With flowers and sportscandy and everything.

He landed in his lair, and he began taking off the accessories of the disguise and threw them uncaringly. His hat landed on the floor to his left, his eyepatch was thrown over his shoulder and on to a workbench, his fake beard was thrown onto a pink suitcase, and-- he doesn’t own a pink suitcase and neither does Sportacus. But he does know one fae brother that owns a few. It seemed like just the thought of him summoned him, and Glanni came out of the steaming bathroom, Robbie’s robe draped around his body.

Robbie’s eye twitched. Of course it’s him.

Glanni gave a devilishly handsome smile as he met Robbie’s eyes. “Oh, Robbie! It’s so good to see you! I’ve missed you, dear. You look well! Pirate chic, very in right now,” Glanni snapped his fingers, and he was dressed head to toe in black. Thankfully, Robbie didn’t recognize any pieces from his wardrobe, and he could only hope that his robe (with HIS initial’s on it) had made its way back into his closet and not into one of Glanni’s multiple bags.

“What are you doing here?” Robbie nearly growled at the other fae. Glanni didn’t seem to mind as he took out a handheld mirror from who-knows-where to check to see if his hair was neatly tousled.

“Well, I’m hurt. Can’t I check up on my little brother?”

Robbie let out a snort, “I know you too well. What do you want? Last, I heard you were living it up in Mayhem Town. Why come back to Lazytown?”

Glanni’s face morphed into something more natural, and he opened his arms, “Alright, you caught me. I do need your help. Let me stay with you for a bit. I’ve got a lot of heat on me back home and need a place to lay low. I won’t get in your way. I just need a place to crash for like a week.”

A week? He sounded sincere and he had the space. There was only one problem: Robbie is not really a villain, and he is dating the resident slightly-above-average hero. Glanni would definitely find out very quickly how very not lazy Lazytown was. All Glanni’s hard work is gone. There probably wasn’t even a can of Rottenfood in his pantry, let alone being sold to residents.

“No, I’m sorry. I have missed you, but you just can’t stay,” Robbie said after a moment. He expected some pouting, whining, or maybe a threat, but instead Glanni lit up a bit.

“I thought you might say that. So, I brought you something that might change your mind!”

“Unlikely, but I’ll bite. I’m actually surprised you thought to bring me something, bargaining tool or not.”

“Well, yes! I couldn’t show up empty-handed!”

Glanni snapped his fingers once more and next to him, a sizable box appeared. Well, it could be a box. There was a drape over the mystery cube, so it could really be anything. For Robbie’s own sanity, please let it just be something nice and not something that Glanni thought was an appropriate gift. He had gotten one to many strange gifts from his older brother.

“What is it? Nothing explosive? I happen to like this lair.”

“No, silly! That’s so last season. I have a feeling you’re going to really like this.” With that Glanni removed the cloth from the box with a small flourish.

Oh, not a box—hey, that’s his cell! “Sorry, I didn’t know how to package him, so I borrowed the little cell you had. Hope you don’t mind!”

Glanni kept talking but Robbie stopped listening. Blood was rushing in his ears. “Package him”? He peered closer at the figure in the cell.

Oh, that was his boyfriend inside the cell, curled into himself on the cold floor of his lair. His crystal flashing bright red. Robbie’s throat went dry, but he managed to croak out, “Open it.”

If Robbie wasn’t tunnel visioned on the unconscious elf, he would have seen the smirk Glanni gave him. “Of course! Your present after all. What are you going to do with him? Can I give suggestions?” With another flourish, the door to the small cell swung open.

Robbie felt like his flashy pirate shoes were filled with lead as he made his way over to Sportacus. He dropped down to his knees to crawl inside with the other man. He turned Sportacus on his back and laid his head on his lap.

“Hmm…. Uh, not my first thought when I have the town hero unconscious in my super secret hideout, but, again, your present,” Glanni grumbled out.

Robbie was solely focused on Sportacus. The elf looked strange, just laying there; Robbie couldn’t even imagine that he was just asleep. The man was paler, and perspiration dotted his perfect face. And that crystal was a blinding red flash that had etched itself into his brain.

He finally turned to look at his brother. “What did you do to him?” he asked emptily.

“Oh, that. Simple,” he said as he reached his hand into the cell. Robbie realized what he was doing too late, as Glanni stole Sportacus’ hat off his head revealing a head of blonde hair and two delicately pointed ears. “Elves like him have a big weakness to sugar! I just gave him a fake apple. Classic really. He was so naïve! The elf back in Mayhem Town would have never fallen for that,” Glanni continued to boast as he looked over the two.

“Didn’t you know he was an elf? Elves are very susceptible to ‘sugar meltdowns,’ I believe is what they call it.” Robbie could smack that smug older brother look off his face, but he finally knew what was wrong.

Robbie patted his jacket pockets and produced the two apples from the pirate game.

“Why do you have that?”

“Shut up, Glanni!” Robbie snarled.

He took the less bruised apple and held it just above Sportacus’ mouth. The elf’s mustache twitched, and he slowly opened his mouth. Robbie let the apple fall into Sportacus mouth, and the man took a large bite out of it. Instantly, Sportacus’ eyes shot open. Robbie moved out of the way just in time, as the rest of Sportacus’ upper body shot up like an arrow.

He found Robbie’s eyes, “Robbie? What happened?”

He didn’t grace Sportacus with a response just breathed out a giant sigh of relief at the sight of his conscious boyfriend. Robbie reached out a hand towards Sportacus’ face, “Feeling okay, Sportasleep? You scared me.”

Sportacus gave a nod as he leaned his face into Robbie’s hand, “I’ll be fine. Nothing I can’t bounce back from.” He moved back from Robbie’s touch to take another large bite of his apple.

It was then that Glanni had to make himself known again, “So obviously, I’m missing something.”

Robbie whipped his head over to glare at him; he hadn’t been this angry in a long time. Robbie crawled out of the cell (he silently vowed to destroy the cursed thing) and stood up to his full height which was a few inches taller than Glanni, and he intended to use them.

“You!” he shouted as he loomed over his brother, “You come into my town, poison my boyfriend, enter my home unannounced and unwelcome. You drag my love’s unconscious body into a cell, and to top it all off, you try and steal my favorite robe—don’t deny it! I know it’s in one of your suitcases. You do all this, and you expect me to help you? Mayhem Town must have screwed with your head!” Robbie knew he couldn’t intimidate Glanni, but he wouldn’t just be stepped all over either.

“Well Robbie, I didn’t know the sweet little elf was yours, in my defense,” he said not in the least remorseful. He tried peering over Robbie’s shoulder to look at the sports elf.

Sportacus had been quiet so far, which surprised Robbie slightly. Perhaps he was still recovering from his sugar meltdown. Sportacus was stood slightly behind him, first apple polished off and second apple being whittled down as well.

“Good job, by the way,” Glanni continued. “I don’t think you could have done better than Adonis over there.” Sportacus choked on the chunk of apple in his mouth and shuffled uncomfortably.

Robbie saw red. “I’ll kill you, Glanni!” he growled out starting to lunge for the other fae. Finally, the hero saw fit to step in.

“Robbie, please stop,” he said as he physically positioned himself between the two quarreling men, one hand placatingly placed on Robbie’s chest. “It was just a misunderstanding! I’m sure Glanni wouldn’t do it again now that he knows.” Robbie looked down at Sportacus and felt his anger shrink a little under his piercing blue eyes.

Robbie was still beyond angry but composed himself momentarily to address his boyfriend, “Sportasweet, that may be true for the rest of normal, civil society, but not him. You don’t know him like I do. He would most definitely do this again.”

Sportacus opened his mouth to argue back but was able to save his breath as Glanni spoke up again, “Guilty as charged!” At that, Sportacus shrunk away from Glanni with wide eyes and back behind Robbie.

Heat flared up in Robbie’s body as his brother was fully back in his vision. “Get out. And I better not see you near Lazytown again,” Robbie threatened.

Glanni raised his hands in surrender, “I’m gone!” Thankfully, when he snapped out of the lair all things Glanni went with him. Though Robbie is quite sure that burning piles and piles of Glanni’s clothes and toiletries would have been very cathartic.

Now that Glanni was gone, the silence in Robbie’s lair was shocking. Robbie could hear his heartbeat thundering rapidly in his chest as he turned to face his elf. The sight of him standing and fully conscious eased Robbie’s mind and he gave a soft exhale, forcing himself to relax.

He stepped into Sportacus’ bubble and pulled the shorter man into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry. I knew something was wrong when I didn’t see you in town. I should have come looking for you,” Robbie began apologizing, words coming out of his mouth faster than he could think.

Sportacus pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes. Deep blue met stormy gray. “Robbie, none of this is your fault. You didn’t send Glanni after me, you didn’t give me a sugar apple. In fact, you saved me, Robbie. I should be thanking you,” Sportacus countered.

Robbie scoffed, “Thank me? My brother tried to wrap you with a bow! To use you as a bartering chip!”

Sportacus grabbed one of Robbie’s hands that was still holding onto Sportacus’ waist. He brought the hand to his face and let it rest on his cheek, “And you didn’t let him. You protected me. You stood up for our relationship.” Sportacus paused and thought for a moment, “That’s never happened to me before. Thank you.”

A moment passed and then another. A surge of emotion made Robbie’s chest tighten and his eyes water. “You—you’re welcome,” he croaked out.

He pulled Sportacus back into his arms and settled his head into the crook of his neck. “When I saw you laying there—the world stopped spinning for me. I was so scared. Glanni is such a wild card…. When he said he gave you a sugar meltdown, I was almost relieved,” Robbie said, voice coming out muffled as he spoke into Sportacus’ neck.

Sportacus’ hand came up to play with the hair at the nape of Robbie’s neck. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” Robbie pulled back and grabbed Sportacus by his biceps. “You are okay, aren’t you? Not feeling any lasting side effects?”

The blue elf’s mustache quirked up with his hint of a smile. “I’m fine. Really. But that was enough excitement for one day. I could use some rest, I think.” Worries now abated once again, Robbie felt a smile tugging at his lips, too.

“Well then you are in the right place, Sportalove,” Robbie stopped short at the nickname he unintentionally used.

The smile Sportacus was giving him was blinding, “I like that one.”

Robbie swallowed hard, “Then—then I’ll just have to use it more often.”

The look Sportacus gave him was so full of love, it nearly made his heart stop. Unable to take much more of the soft, radiating adoration from the other man, Robbie turned back to what he was good at: teasing the jumping blue buffoon.

“So, the mighty hero needed saving today by the town villain. What’s next? Pig’s fly?” Sportacus laughed against Robbie’s shoulder as he led the two of them to the orange chair, still perfectly situated in the middle of the lair.

“Poke fun all you want,” Sportacus said lightly, dragging the two of them into the fuzzy fabric. The two wrapped each other in their arms, legs tangling together automatically. Robbie placed his head on top of Sportacus’ own blonde locks. It made his chin tickle, but Robbie couldn’t have cared less in that moment, happy to be as close to his boyfriend as possible.

Sportacus spoke again, something in his voice that Robbie couldn’t quite place, “But I think I could get used to being saved by you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Robbie mumbled into his hair.

Sportacus breath was warm on his neck as he hummed in agreement, “Especially, if you get all hot and protective like that when you do.”

Glanni hadn’t planned on coming back to Mayhem Town so soon. He was sure the heat of his previous scheme hadn’t died down yet, but he had no choice.

He had never known his little brother to be scary or intimidating before. Robbie was always the meeker, lazier of the two. But Robbie was out right terrifying when he visited just over a week ago. Obviously, he had touched a nerve with his very thoughtful gift.

In his defense, how could he have known his string bean of a little brother would pull a muscle-headed elf? Whatever.

He would not be going to Lazytown for a long while. Robbie may be lazy, but he never forgets and forgives even less than he forgets.

Glanni was now back at one of his favorite dive bars. He was staying away from the popular clubs he regularly frequented, but it’s Saturday night. He can’t just stay home!

The dive bar was small and quiet. A pool table stood in the middle of the bar and a small stage meant for local musicians occupied a corner of the building. It wasn’t his usual scene, but it was one of his favorites because the yellow nuisance of a sports elf had never found him here.

Glanni sat at the bar nursing his cheap drink and his wounded pride. He wasn’t drunk yet, but he planned on getting there by the end of the night.

Someone slid up in the seat beside him, but Glanni didn’t look up from his drink. He wasn’t interested in company tonight. Glanni’s disinterest did seem to deter the stranger though.

“Just a water. Thank you,” the stranger spoke to the bartender. “And you can close his tab. He’s done tonight.” He knew that voice.

He looked up and met the elf’s eyes. The usually clear blue eyes were dark and stormy as he fixed a glare at Glanni, “So, you gave my baby brother a sugar apple….”

“Fuck.”