Last chapter, which should've been posted sooner

But I totally forgot XD

Enjoy!

Oh, the past couple of nights had been simply glorious! Brain was in a good mood because he seemed to fix all the boo-boos with the video thingy he'd been working on, and that put Pinky in a good mood too! Especially because they'd been doing a whole lot more of the love things. He never knew something could feel so good! And he was getting very good at figuring out what Brain liked best.

But he couldn't think on that now, it might make the needy-tingly feelings come back and Brain was busy with the plan. He'd said to wait until later, so wait he would! Humming happily to himself, Pinky dragged his special boa over to the secret treehouse he'd built. Well, it wasn't in a tree. And come to think of it, it wasn't really a house either. Just a paper cup and a couple of pencils. With a shrug, Pinky draped the boa over the top of the cup and looked around. Maybe he could find more cups and that would make it more tree-like.

Brain was at the computer, scowling at the list as he'd been scowling at it for the past hour. Everytime he hit refresh, they were at the same exact spot. Number two. So very close to where they needed to be. He had the video ready, so there would be no problem with changing the launch date. Bumping it up just a bit, giving a specific time so the optimal number of people would be there to see his message.

But they needed to be first. The comments he'd been able to find and piece together had largely all amounted to the same thing - the pictures had gotten more and more revealing as a countdown sort of thing. But they still weren't all convinced. Dratted teenagers, so used to being able to access their filth immediately. Brain huffed, setting up the program to run again.

Still in second and that just wouldn't do. They needed another picture, But how was he possibly going to get something more revealing? He'd already been tempted several times over to remove the last set of photographs, despising the idea that those reprobates were "fapping" to his lover. It was a very small comfort that they still thought Pinky was female and that they would never know what it was like to have those hands on them, exploring, touching, so much touching...

Brain blinked, realizing he'd closed his eyes, and shook himself out of it. Pinky's generous bedroom tendencies aside, there was still the problem of being second. He needed to convince Pinky somehow that he needed to be even more revealing in order to push them to the top. But he'd already promised him that he wouldn't have to take more pictures and after Pinky's little show for him the day before, he knew that his lover didn't own anything shorter than what had last been seen.

The only thing they could really do at that point was drape the boa around his body, covering the typical female areas, and have him stretch out in their bed. But that... Yes. That was perfect. His own body heated merely from the thought; he was sure the degenerates would appreciate the video. He could launch the site the following night and the world would be theirs!

He just needed to convince Pinky that one last photograph wouldn't hurt and since he wouldn't be nude, it wasn't anything to be ashamed of. It shouldn't be too difficult, all things considered. He got to his feet, leaving the computer behind to begin setting up his camera equipment. He would convince Pinky after everything was all set up so he wouldn't be able to change his mind. What little mind he had, at any rate.

Five paper cups, a shoelace, and four dominoes later, Pinky's secret treehouse was perfect. "Naaaaarf." He puffed out his chest in approval. He and the boa shimmied inside, going under one of the cups so that he could sit atop a stack of the rest and see all around. Just like in a tree! He could even see the computer! He could wave to Brain! ...If Brain had been over there to wave at. "Poit?" Pinky tilted his head, slowly scanning the lab for his boyfriend. "Brain? Maybe he's playing hide and seek." He looked to boa for support, but it didn't seem very willing to offer any.

Brain had debated on using their own bed or one of the doll ones they usually used for various sets, ultimately deciding to drag one of the doll ones up from the basement. It was bad enough that people were about to see more of Pinky; he didn't want them to see more of their personal settings. The background was a bedroom drawn on cardboard. Finished with the set, he brushed off his hands and wandered towards their cage to locate his wayward associate.

Pinky had rolled up a small piece of paper to use as a telescope and searched all around from his perch. Oh, there he was! Over by their cage! "Found you, Brain!" Pinky called out, waving over at him. "Do I win?"

Brain looked towards the voice, frowning at the mess of paper cups he'd created. He didn't bother answering the question. "Come over here, Pinky."

"'Kay!" Oh, maybe he was done working now and they'd get to snuggle up in bed! Pinky climbed down excitedly, tripping over his boa in his rush. Wrapping it around his neck and arms, he hopped along the counter until he reached Brain. "Are you finished now, Brain?"

"Not quite, Pinky..." At least he already had the boa. "I'm going to need your help for one small thing first."

Ooh, he did love when he got to help! "Sure, Brain! What is it?" he asked, tail wagging expectantly.

He tapped his fingers together, frown deepening. "I may have made a small miscalculation, though I strongly blame youthful impatience, and the plan requires... one last picture."

"Oh..." Ears wilted for a moment, his tail falling flat. Perhaps it didn't have to be a bad picture, though something in his gut told him otherwise. "Not one of... those pictures, right Brain?" Pinky looked at him hopefully.

"Of course, Pinky. It's part of the plan." The frown twisted into a scowl. He was making it sound like they were much worse than they actually wore. "You'll still be wearing enough to cover yourself up, and it's only one."

Pinky took a step back, shaking his head. "But, Brain... you said no more pictures. You did, you said that!"

"Yes, I realize that. But you also only took four the last time. We're in second place, Pinky!" Brain folded his arms. "Don't you see what that means? We're one photograph away from taking over the world!"

"But, Brain, I don't want to!" Pinky twisted the boa in his hands, his gaze pleading. "I didn't want anyone to see those last ones either!" Second place was awfully close... but still. He couldn't really believe that Brain didn't mind strangers looking at him like that, for when he thought about if it was was reversed, and the smaller mouse in the pictures instead, it made his fur bristle and an angry sort of fire burn inside him. They were boyfriends now for real, only they were supposed to see each other in that way.

Getting mad wasn't going to help, but it was very difficult to avoid that when he was already irritated that they'd have to take the picture anyway. He didn't want to do it, hated the idea of people using Pinky in such a way. But there was no choice. The world hung in the balance! His eye twitched and he took a deep breath. "Pinky... please. One picture. And once the world is ours, they'll never even remember having seen it. I'll take them all away."

Lower lip quivering, Pinky tried to shake his head again. But Brain had said please... Swallowing his tears, he turned his half-hearted shake in a slow, resigned nod. "Should I put on the pink dress, Brain?" he asked quietly.

He averted his gaze, clamping down on the guilt. "Actually, Pinky, just put on the wig and do your make-up for now. I'll explain once you're through with that."

But the make-up and hair might get messed up if he put on the dress after, something he would've questioned if he didn't feel so bad inside. "Right, Brain." Pinky let the boa slide to the floor as he went over to the mirror. He put on the wig he'd grown to actually dislike, but then was at a loss for the make-up. He usually matched it to whatever he was wearing. After some thought, Pinky just used colors that blended well with his eyes. "Is this okay, Brain?"

He hated it when Pinky made him feel ashamed of himself. Brain had picked up the boa while Pinky had gotten himself ready, so looked down at the feathered mass with a frown. "It's perfect, Pinky. Now come along. This won't take long."

Following Brain, the lanky mouse looked around for whatever outfit he'd be wearing. But Brain was only holding the boa. "What will be in this picture, Brain?"

"You're going to be in the picture, Pinky. You're going to be sitting on the bed I brought up from the basement." The Brain steeled himself against the churning in his stomach, twisting the shame into annoyance that Pinky was trying to get in the way of him ruling the world. He gestured at the piece of furniture when they were in sight of it. "Now sit there so I can arrange you properly."

Oh, no. Beds were for sleeping or for love things. And sometimes jumping. But they were definitely not for pictures. "I'm not wearing any clothes yet, Brain. Won't they know I'm not a girl?" Except he was in the wig and had the make-up, what was going on? "Brain, I don't like this."

"Just do what I tell you, Pinky. You'll be covered up." Pink eyes rolled, a hand gesturing to the bed once again. "The less you argue, the faster we'll be through with this."

Pinky glanced from the bed to Brain and the bed again, then slowly crawled onto it. Sitting cross-legged in the middle, he tilted his head and waited for further instructions. When he felt the boa fall across his shoulders his brow furrowed. Brain nudged his shoulder to one side, getting Pinky to recline on his side. The boa was wrapped around his chest twice, masking the obvious fact that he was not female, then looped under him to drape over his hips and hide the other non-female part of him. With length to spare, the end of the boa trailed down his legs, stopping just above his knees.

Pinky wanted to cry, his special thing was being used for something that made him feel icky and hurt inside. As Brain stepped away, he tried curl up some to feel less... whatever it was he was feeling. He felt more exposed than he did when he wasn't wearing anything.

"Don't move around, Pinky. I don't want that to fall out of place." Disgust was eating away at his annoyance, so Brain turned away sharply. It was only a picture. What was one photograph - where nothing even showed - when the world hung in the balance? It was nearly his and with Pinky's short attention span, this one photograph would be entirely forgotten by morning. Surely.

He went closer to the camera, picking up his miniature viewfinder in order to press the shutter. But when he looked up at Pinky, his breath caught and his heart began to thud. He was... so beautiful like that. Brain didn't want anyone else to see. That gorgeous, loving creature was all his and he didn't want to share with anyone for any length of time. "I need you to open your eyes a little, Pinky."

Taking a shaky breath to keep from full-out crying, Pinky opened his eyes and stared at the lens. He could still feel the ashamed tears in his eyes, but at least they weren't falling down his cheeks. Tempted to look at Brain, for comfort and to see the look on his face that made him feel so special, he kept his gaze on the camera. It was just one picture. But the queasiness he felt churning in his stomach couldn't bring himself to trust that. He wasn't even supposed to be taking this one.

Pretending to be a model again, no more relying on instincts, he posed for the picture so he could get away from this bed and this boa.

Having to force himself to do it, Brain hit the button harder than necessary so the picture would take and immediately turned the viewfinder off and set it aside. One picture. Now he just needed to upload it, push the launch date up and set a time. And the world was theirs. It would take mere minutes. "That's all, Pinky. Thank you." His couldn't look over at him, keeping his attention on the camera as he opened the side to retrieve the memory card. Just a few more minutes and he wouldn't have to think about this any longer.

In his haste to get off the bed, Pinky rolled to the floor all tangled in the boa. He shook it from himself as quickly as possible and left it a mess at his feet, then tossed the wig off too. It needed to go far away. So did he. Finally letting himself cry, Pinky ran off for the security of the cage. He never wanted to see that picture, even if Brain did like it.

The sound of him crying nearly pushed Brain over the edge himself. "I don't want to," he whispered though Pinky was too far already to hear him. He lifted a hand to his mouth, pressed the back of his fist against it and squeezed his eyes shut while he tried to get himself under control. There was a sharp pain in his gut when he started to carry the memory card to the computer and saw the boa in a heap on the countertop.

That wasn't quite right. Pinky adored that ridiculous thing, had been carting it about everywhere. He looked at the card in his hand, squeezed it eyes shut again, and had to take several steadying breaths. He had to focus on the plan, not on an upset that would only last Pinky an hour or so. But he still couldn't tolerate the boa just lying there; it made him feel so, so much worse. He picked it up and took it with him to the computer. Within seconds of sitting down, he had it wrapped around himself, surrounding himself with Pinky's scent. Pinky was always the one to make him feel better, but with Pinky so upset and in their cage, this served as the next best thing.

He pulled up the picture to put it in the folder with the rest, but couldn't just yet. He stared wearily at the screen for several minutes before just closing it. His eyes had been so bright, but only Brain would've been able to tell that it came from tears. He had to put it on the website and he would, of course he would, but there were other things he could do first.

He spent an hour busying himself with nothing. Coding for various other projects, setting up the website's coding to take the picture when he was ready for to place it, checking various forums for more on Pinky, more to remind himself that their plan was working, and refreshing the list over and over again only to see that taunting number two position.

But it was an hour without Pinky. No giggles from afar, no coming up to see what he was doing, no coming after his special boa, nothing. So Brain pulled up the picture again to input the code into the website and just couldn't do it. His fingers trembled over the two keys he needed to hit and he simply couldn't.

So he spent another hour busying himself away from the machine. He dismantled the photography station, pushing the doll bed off the counter so that it would fall into the trash can. The boa got snagged and pulled him down into the can as well, so a few minutes were spent disoriented and climbing out and then checking the boa over to make sure it hadn't been messed up at all. He pushed the stupid background down next, then the mechanical hands and then the viewfinder. He stopped short of throwing out the camera, shoving it into a drawer instead. The lights followed because they served other purposes and were too expensive to replace, but they were out of his sight and that's what mattered at the moment.

But when he returned to the computer, the picture was staring at him and Pinky's bright eyes made him shiver. Two hours. Two hours without Pinky. The last time he'd been upset half this long, but this wasn't last time. He sank down and pulled the tiny keyboard into his lap, buried his nose into the feathers to take in his best friend's scent, his lover's scent. "I'm sorry, Pinky," he whispered. "I'm sorry, but it's for the world. I'll make it up to you." But how?

Brain stared at the screen and minimized the photo, swallowing hard. How? his mind repeated. He knew how he'd made Pinky feel, making him do that. He knew how he felt. He was disgusted with himself, mortified by what he was doing. Pinky had only taken any of them because he'd asked, because he'd needed them. And now he'd made him cry because of them. What did that make him?

A degenerate, a reprobate, the riffraff Pinky had petitioned to be kept out of their area. He was worse than those teenagers. They looked at what they were given, yes, but they weren't forcing anyone to take the things. Most of them weren't even paying, just looking at the things they were freely given.

He was worse than them. He'd made Pinky cry. Someone so precious and sweet and still so very innocent... Brain had hurt him so needlessly. Needlessly! There would be other plans. He didn't need this plan!

With a sob, Brain deleted the coding entirely. The website was gone with just a few quick clicks. His buried his face better in the boa, sniffling and fighting back the tears as he started in on the difficult part of dismantling the plan: getting the pictures back. They'd been circulated throughout the world, so thoroughly that it would've been mind-boggling had his mind been any smaller.

It took another hour to find them, even with the trackable codings at his disposal. People had saved the pictures to their computer memories, which took hacking and thorough searches. Finally, he was able to set up a program that would comb through the nooks and crannies of cyberspace that he may have missed and let it run. He shoved the keyboard away and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping the boa tighter around himself and rocking while the tears that had been silently falling burst into full-blown, shamed sobs.

Pinky had been lying on the bed when he heard it. For a long while he'd been under the blankets, trying to talk himself out of feeling so betrayed and to be happy because Brain was getting the world. It was what Brain always wanted. And Pinky had been a big help, so he should be happy that he played such an important role. But he still felt so hurt that Brain lied about no more pictures. Well, he hadn't really lied, he hadn't known, but he wanted him to take another picture anyway! Though he did ask nicely...

After the first hour he poked his head out from under the blankets and waited. He listened to Brain moving around, but kept his back to the cage door in case he came in. Pinky was still confused after all, he wasn't ready to talk to Brain yet. But when the moving stopped, his heart sped up as he hoped his cagemate would come find him, only to have it sink when he heard the clicking of the keyboard at the computer.

Somewhere within that third hour, Pinky drifted off in a half-nap. All the thinking and crying made him quite tired. But that's when he heard it. Rubbing his eyes and ear twitching madly, he sat up and listened hard. Just to make sure he hadn't dreamt it. Pinky's heart jumped into his throat and he stumbled out of bed with an 'oof'. Brain was crying! Really really sad crying! He hurried over to the computer, pausing only when he could see the smaller mouse all wrapped up in his boa. That wouldn't do at all.

Pinky sat down right behind Brain and pulled him into his arms, cradling him against his chest. "What's wrong, Brain? Don't be sad." His voice worried as he rocked him. The Brain hardly ever cried, and when he did it was never like this.

Mind so fuddled with the unfamiliar feeling of shame - through all their plans, he'd never set out to intentionally harm anyone and when it had come close, he'd always pulled himself back - Brain wasn't sure if he should accept the comfort or struggle away. So he stayed where he was and tried to hide his face in his hands, shrinking back. He felt disgusting, his usual over-abundance of pride buried.

Nuzzling him gently, Pinky tightened his hold just enough to keep him close. "It's okay, Brain. It's okay," he murmured in his ear, "Naaaaaaarf." He tucked Brain's head under his chin and rubbed his back, humming softly as he waited for him to calm down or tell him what was wrong. Whatever had made Brain cry was going to get a time out, that's for sure!

Slowly, comforted despite himself, the sobs faded into sniffles and then quiet, shaky breaths as the hot tears dried. He knuckled away stragglers, quivering. "P-pinky, I..." He took a deep breath, another tear escaping when it hitched. "It's gone," he whispered, voice thick. "It's all gone, I p-promise."

Pinky lowered his head and kissed the tear on his cheek. "What's gone, Brain? And don't worry, I'll help you find it if it's making you so sad."

"No. I couldn't do it. I got rid of it." The sobs wanted to start back up again, so he turned his head away to try and hide in the boa. "I took down the plan. I stopped the plan. I couldn't do it. I'm s-sorry, Pinky. I'm s-sorry I made you do it." He crumbled again, the sobs considerably weaker this time around.

Tugging the boa away, because Brain didn't need it when he had him, Pinky wrapped his legs and tail around him to make up for it. "Shhh, Brain, it's okay. There's always tomorrow night. We can take over the world tomorrow night." He pressed light kisses to every part of Brain's face he could reach. "Don't cry, please don't cry." His heart was hurting in a much different way than earlier, upset that he couldn't cheer his bestest best boyfriend up.

The sobs faded again, replaced by tired whimpers. He clutched at Pinky's fur now that the boa was gone, holding as tightly as he could as if to keep his partner from leaving him. "I'm sorry, Pinky. I didn't want to. I'm sorry. I made you cry and you ran away and I'm sorry. I hurt you. I never should've done it. I didn't want to hurt you." He spoke quickly, rambled apology broken only by gasping little breaths.

Oh, so that's what it was. The apology whisked away any of the lingering upset from the last photo, but it also brought a different kind of feeling that made him feel responsible for Brain's tears. He shushed him and his gaspy breaths with a slow, careful kiss. When he pulled back, Pinky licked the tip of his red, sniffly nose. "I know that, Brain. It was the plan thingy." With an understanding smile, he nuzzled his cheek. "I didn't cry for that long anyway. Poit. And I'm not sad anymore! Well, now I'm sad that you're sad but that's a different sad entirely. I know you didn't mean to make me feel bad."

"But I still did, Pinky." Brain let his eyes close and scooted closer to Pinky. He was still quivering, breaths uneven, but the tears seemed to be behind him now. "You didn't want to take them and I made you." He wrapped his arms around Pinky's neck. "I promise I won't let that happen again."

"Okay." Pinky nodded, rubbing his nose against Brain's. "I believe you, Brain." Because he said he'd take down the photos and he had. Even if it meant the plan was ruined. "And you know, without those photos we wouldn't have gotten to do all our lovely love things for a really really long time!" Because even for such a smarty, Brain could be terribly slow sometimes. "And I'm glad you're my boyfriend." He couldn't help the giggles the word inspired in him, oh he did like calling him that. "So you don't have to be sad anymore, Brain."

Brain was quiet for a moment, taking all this in, before sighing and relaxing entirely against the taller mouse. "Don't be logical, Pinky. It's disconcerting from you," he murmured and gave him a gentle nuzzle.

"Right, Brain!" Despite being relieved to feel him finally relaxed, Pinky still stroked up and down his back. "Want to go play in my special treehouse then? It's made out of cups!"

So that's what the mess of cups had been. "No, Pinky. I'd rather a bed." Crying was exhausting.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Brain. You must be sleepy from such a big cry." He changed gears so quickly, in a way only Pinky could honestly, cradling Brain as he stood up. "I was too, I took a nap." Carrying him to their cage, he placed him on his side of the bed, the one that hadn't been disturbed into rumpled sheets. After getting him settled, Pinky made to fix up his own messy side.

"Pinky..." Brain reached for him, cheeks burning. "Lie down with me?" he asked quietly.

Breaking into a huge grin, Pinky nodded, leaving the blankets all rumpled. He cuddled up next to Brain with a happy hum. "Narf."

Satisfied that Pinky wasn't upset with him any longer, and consoling himself with the notion that he'd taken the pictures down before that last one could be seen, Brain gave him a nuzzle and closed his eyes. "Mm... Pinky?"

"Yes, Brain?" he asked softly, watching as Brain's eyes slipped shut and draped an arm across his waist.

Brain turned to face him, but didn't open his eyes. He snuggled closer, reaching out to tangle his fingers in the fur of Pinky's back, resting his cheek over Pinky's heart. "When you dress-up, I prefer you as a brunette. The phrase 'blonde bombshell' is extremely overrated."

Pinky giggled, muffling it in the fur atop Brain's head. "Bombshell." What a funny word. "I'll wear the brown wig just for you then, Brain." Just like the poses and the looks, they were special. Just like Brain was special. So it made perfect sense that he was the only one to see them. "I love you."

Brain nudged Pinky onto his back so he could climb onto him and curl up to listen to his heartbeat and snuggled down. "Yes. I... And I you," he mumbled, already half-asleep with that steady beat in his ears.

Leaving one hand on the small of Brain's back, Pinky dragged the blanket up and over them with the other so they were both adequately covered, then curved both arms around him. "Poit." Merely a whisper as he watched him fall asleep, following suit with his own blue eyes closing.