literature

Love Bugs

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Margo smiled as she leafed through the mail and held up a slightly bent looking envelope addressed to her. Her friend Allison pressed in to read over her shoulder.
“Gears? He’s that guy that followed us around all day from the fair last month?” she flickered her ear. “Now he’s writing to you?”
“He’s charming, don’t sound so appalled.” Margo smirked and thumbed open the envelope as she sat back on her porch steps to read. The paper was a little torn, and a thin watermark suggested it was something he’d salvaged from work and written on the job. She was smiling because of the date was written just yesterday.

‘Dear Margo,
It’s Gears, from the fair. Or Gilligan if you insist on using that I suppose. I just wanted to know I had a wonderful time with you, and I was starting to miss you. I do wish you lived here so I could see you all the time. Every Sunday is just too short.’


--
“Wait…” Allison interrupted, having been reading over Margo’s shoulder. “You saw him again?”
“I saw him the last two Sundays, it’s his day off and he rides out here to see me. Its sweet.” Margo smiled, thinking of the last time Gears had visited. He was so eager to see her, still oil stained but looking like he had tried to flatten his unruly fur in the ride over. Of course, she has just reached up and mussed it playfully.
“This is the first he’s written me though. Now at least I’ll have his address to write him back. It’ll be easier to keep in touch.”
“Does your father know you’re keeping in touch with this roguish looking, Tucson factory worker?” Allison pursed her lips.
“Of course not, but in a way I suppose it’s a little fun that he doesn’t.” Margo giggled, but when her friend didn’t laugh back she sighed. “I plan on introducing them later. I just want to see where this goes.”
“Where what goes?” her friend’s brows raised.
“Well, me and Gilligan.”
“Who’s Gilligan?”
“Gears is Gilligan.”
“What?”
“Oh hush Allison! I really want to read and you’re being awfully distracting!”
“Fine then! Read it.”
“I plan to.” Margo snapped the letter straight and browsed on:

‘I was writing to say, I managed to snag a few days off in a row starting tonight, I’m proud to say that I’ve paid my rent and obligations so I can afford the time off, and I was wondering if you might let me spend a few days in your town with you? I wouldn’t trouble your family, I can buy myself a room at an inn. I just think about you a lot, and I wanted to see you again. The sooner the better. I put some money in the envelope so you could wire me your answer, if yes I will hop on the 5 o’clock coach and meet you at 6pm by the roots of that big oak where we had lunch last Sunday. I understand if you’re busy.’

Below he had signed its as ‘Gears’ but then crossed it out and wrote more carefully ‘Yours truly, Gilligan.’

Margo smiled and shook some coins out of the envelope into her palm.
“What’s he sending you money for?” Allison frowned. “This smells fishy. What’s going on?” she hadn’t been able to read the last part, as Margo had turned the paper to read in private.
“Oh come on, he’s giving me the money to respond in a telegraph!” Margo jumped up and hurried down the steps.
“Where are you off to now?” Allison stood up.
“To send him back an answer of course!” Margo smiled over her shoulder.
“An answer to what? You’re acting so giddy!” Allison picked her way down the steps, raising the hem of her dress.
“He asked to come here tonight, and I’m saying yes of course!” she turned and headed into the town to find the post office.

“Message for a Gilligan Whimb! Is there a Gilligan?” a bearded dragon looked around the factory, crammed with whirring metal wheels and mechanical pieces pumping up and down, workers milled in all directions. “Gilligan Whimb!” the lizard called again.
“Shh!” Gears shouldered through the crowd and took the envelope from the lizard. “Not so loud.”
“What’s wrong Gilligaaaan?” Splotch crooned in passing. Gears punched his shoulder. “Yowch! Feisty today, aren’t we, Giiiillig-OUCH!” Splotch hurried off to avoid getting hit again.
Gears signed off on the lizards book and ripped open his letter. His face split into a grin and read the six word response over and over three times:
‘Yes! I’ll be waiting for you.’
Gears let out a whoop and gave a little jump of excitement, stashing the letter in his vest and turning back to his station, one of the biggest branches of the machines under the roof. His friends were on the pumping shift, using leg power to pump the wheels and turning the belts. The gears locked and whirred, gaining speed to pull and spin cotton into thread. Gears had been fixing one of the belts when he had been called.
“You look happy.” Alex smirked.
“I AM happy!” Gears lashed his tail, tugging his work gloves back on. “Going to meet Margo tonight!” his friends exchanged smirks and Gears snorted. “I’m going to treat her to dinner. Real dinner. And I’m going to look the part of a real gentlemen.” He stuck his thumbs in his suspender straps.
“You could bathe for a month and still be battleship gray.” Dubbs grinned. “Do you even own a set of clothes not stained or torn?”
“I said I was working on it. Anyhow, could one of you possibly finish my shift so I could get ready? I only have an hour left but I really want it to be special.”
“You’re such a dunce.” Splotch rolled his eyes. “Fine, but you better make this gal your girlfriend or something. We won’t cover you to chase doe-tail whenever you want.”
Gears snorted. “Margo is not doe-tail, she’s a fine lady.”
“Ha! Fine lady! Yet she fancies you! What does she see in you anyway?” Alex crowed.
“No idea!” Gears shook his head. “But I must be doing something right!” he called over the whirring of the machines around him. He pricked his ears. “Hey, how long has that pump been whining like that?” he pointed around them.
“What pump? I don’t hear anything!” Alex called back.
“No. no its shouldn’t be making that noise.” Gears headed over.
“Gears just go home! We’ve got your shift, go get ready for Margo.”
“In a minute.” Gears climbed up the metal stairs onto the platform overlooking the machine. He had been around since this piece was first assembled. It was making a bad sort of sound. He was trying to pin exactly what was wrong.
“The bolts on the arms that works the pistons isn’t tight enough!” he called. “Its coming loose! Hand me a wrench.” He reached down to his friends below.
“Just leave it.” His friend repeated. “We’ll get it!”
“No you won’t, and it’ll come loose, and pop out and get jammed in those gear wheels and then I’ll get yelled at for it and have to fixe the whole thing when I come back instead of tightening a few loose bolts now.” Gears stuck the wrench in his pocket and reached down to the coil of black chains and looped the hooked end around his middle in case he fell.
“Fine, just be fast, you’ll miss your coach if you spend too much time prettying yourself up after this.” Dubbs pointed out.
Gears tipped his hat and stood up on the railing, stepping out onto the solid parts of the machine. He worked his way towards the pistons and ducked around it. Tightening the bolts didn’t take long, and sure enough, the whining stopped and the arm worked smoothly again. He tucked his tool away again and started his careful climb back. He reached up for the railing that connected to the metal grated platform and starting to haul himself up when the a rusty moan sounded and the whole structure bent down suddenly as a support bar, eaten through by rust, finally snapped. Gears clung to the frame as the scaffold plunged down to wards the whirling parts.
“Gears!” he friends shouted and Gears flinched as the rail stopped an arms length from the nearest spindle wrapping arms.
“Shut it down!” Gears shouted over the melee. He could hear the rusty groan of the scaffold as he climbed up onto the nearly sideways structure. “Shut it down!” to pointed to the emergency lever on the wall. A loud rattle filled his ears and the chain coil he was tied to started to tumble down the sloped grate towards him. Gears turned to avoid getting hit but panicked as the chain fell into the machine, catching onto the cog wheels, pulling them into the workings.
“Shut its down!” Gears shouted again over the deafening sound of metal grating and chains rattling. The chain tightened around him nearly yanking him off the platform. Gears grabbed the rail as the chain pulled tight He held on with on arm, trying frantically to slide the chain off from around his middle. The platform moaned and shook as he held on for life. The gears below ravenously gobbled at the chains and Gears couldn’t hold on anymore. He was ripped from the platform and fell into the wheels and cogs. Choking on the chains, they weren’t at full speed but they ripped at his clothes, pain was everywhere and Gears cried out, terrified he was being torn apart into mulch. Something ripped at the side of his head, searing heat and stinging ripped through his right ear. There were loud pops and metallic clangs. Bursts of sparks then Gears rolled violently and hit the ground. It was dark and he was in so much pain he couldn’t move. Just rolled on his back clutching his head. Why was his head soaking wet! It was hot and sticky! He was deafened by the high pitched ringing in his ear. So much noise; the chains, the machines, someone was screaming so loudly that Gears barely registered it was himself. Things whirred slower and his vision grew black.
His eyes flickered open and he squinted in the light. He groaned and tried to push the hands away and he felt like he was being jostled, he was in an open coach, racing through the streets. He saw buildings flying past above his head and saw the ashen pace of Splotch, shirtless, looking down at him. Gears blinked again, half of his face was covered, his head hurt, his ear was killing him. He saw Splotch’s mouth moving frantically and he frowned. Everything seemed muffled. Splotch’s hands were holding his shirt around his head, pressing tight against his painful ear.
“What?” he grunted. “What happened? Leggo of my head..”
Splotched looked frightened and called down in a louder voice. “You had an accident! We’re taking you to the hospital!” he called. Gears felt his head swimming and he blacked out again.

Margo rubbed her shoulders and looked up at the sky, growing darker by the minute and the first speckled of stars were getting brighter.  She squinted down in her hands at her pocket watch, 8:34. She let out a sigh. “Where are you?” she murmured. She heard footsteps and jumped to her feet. “Gilligan?”
Allison appeared in the dark. “Margo? You’re still here?” she saw Margo’s shoulders slump in disappointment. “Margo… he’s not coming.”
Margo swallowed the lump in her throat. “He said he would though…” she leaned against the tree.
“Over two hours ago. Your parents will be getting worried. I’ll walk with you. Lets go.”
“Maybe just a little while longer.” Margo held herself against the chill.
“Margo, no. He’s not coming.” Allison sighed, feeling bad for her friend. “He stood you up.”
“No.” Margo shook her head. “Gilligan wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Then where is he?” Allison looked around. “You can find out where he is tomorrow. Lets go home.” Allison turned and waited for her. After several long moments, Margo shut her eyes tight before turning and following her friend home.

Gears winced and swatted in his sleep, making contact with a nurse’s hand. She yelpd in surprise and he woke with a start.
“Sorry…” he exclaimed and looked around, narrowing his eyes. “What… where am I?”
“The hospital, dear.” The shrew nurse patted his hand. “You had a nasty accident in one of those wretched factories. They got you here just in time. Ear wounds lose so much blood…” she sighed.
“I can’t… could you talk a little louder?” Gears squinted. She sounded so mumbly. He reached up to scratch his stinging yet itchy ear and his fingers grazed bandages. “What’s on my head?”
“Your ear, dear.”
“I can’t understand you.” Gears said nervously. “Say it louder.”
“You lost your ear.” The nurse raised her voice just a tad.
“SPEAK UP!” Gears snapped, making her jump backwards nervously.  Gears winced and fingered his bandaged head. “I’m sorry! Ugh, I can’t hear well, what wrong with my ear??”
The nurse moved closer to his left side and spoke with a clear, but shaking voice.
“Y-you lost your ear, it was ripped off in the accident. The doctor thinks you may have gone partially Deaf.”
Gears stiffened. “Let my see.” He sat up in the bed, dressed in clean hospital wear, he saw other bandages on himself but they didn’t bother him. She brought his a mirror and Gears flinched, half his head was swathed in bandages. A little lump was in the spot of his right ear underneath.
“The doctor will take the bandages off in a few days. You should rest, you need to focus on getting better.” The nurse advised.
Gears looked outside the window behind him. “What time is it?” he asked.
“Almost 10 o’clock.” The nurse checked her watch.
“In the MORNING?” Gears gasped and stood up. “I’m sorry, I need to go.” He started to look around for his clothes and hat.
“You can’t go until the doctor allows it!”
“Speak up I can’t understand you!” Gears growled, more flustered by the second.
“You can’t go!” she shook her head. “I’ll get the doctor, go back to bed!”
Gears sat on the bed sourly and glared at the floor. “I’m so sorry Margo…” he mumbled after the nurse was gone.

Margo stared at her eggs on her plate and pushed them around with her fork. “Has any mail come in for my yet?”
“The mail doesn’t come for another hour or two at least, what are you in such a hurry for?” Her mother asked as she poured her father some fresh coffee.
“Nothing.” Margo looked down, trying to hide her disappointment and the dark circles under her eyes from staying up late in the vain hope that Gears would show up outside her house, saying he had had coach troubles along the way. But it didn’t happen and she had fallen asleep sitting on her window bench, head lolled against the glass.
“May I be excused?” She sighed.
“You haven’t hardly eaten anything.”
“I did, I’m just not hungry.” Margo assured her, clearing her place as she left the table.
Allison found Margo sitting in the shade of the oak tree and groaned, hurrying over. “What are you doing back here?”
“Maybe I got the date wrote on the paper, maybe he meant today instead.” Margo shrugged.
“Well, you have two hours to kill, lets go for a walk around the town, there’s a new shop boy at the generals store, and he has a brother. I think we could talk them into lunch with two lovely ladies such as ourselves?”
“Allison, I don’t want to flirt with someone else, I want to wait for Gears.”
“Oh come on! I don’t want to go all by myself.”
“Fine. But I’m coming back by six again to wait for Gears.” Margo left the roots once more.
The evening passed with another disappointment for Margo and the next morning she went to the post office to check the mail herself but when she got there her spirits sank at the closed sign on the door. Its was Sunday. She turned and headed back home. She didn’t want to think about the thought that Gears hadn’t meant to come at all. Maybe he hadn’t gotten her telegraph? Maybe he thought that meant no and had stayed back. She winced at the thought of Gilligan, sitting alone in his home with nothing to do, wondering what he might have done wrong. She brightened with an idea and lifted her dress to run up her porch steps and up to her room. She looked through her drawers and pulled out Gears’ letter and flipped it over to the address. She smiled then rushed to her closet.
“I don’t like the idea of you going there alone.” He father frowned as Margo smoothed her best dress in the sitting room mirror.
“I’ll be fine, I’m going with Allison and her cousin, Johnny.” Margo smiled. “We’ll be fine.”
“Well, fine, but you girls stay close to Johnny.” Her father handed her some travel fair. “And be careful. Send us a wire if you need anything.
“I think we’ll be ok.” Margo headed out the door.
“I think you’re mad!” Allison scolded at the coach station. “Going to Tucson alone.”
“I know, but cover for me. Don’t let my parents see you. Or anyone who talks to my parents.”
“So you want me to hide all day while you run amok in the city after some ruffian by yourself.”
“I knew you’d understand.” Margo teased. “Pleeeeease Allison?”
“Oh fine.” Allison groaned.  “Just get a move on and be careful!” she waggled a finger.
“Yes Mother Allison!” Margo called out the window as the coach took off.
“Don’t Mother Allison me! You snip!” she called back.

“I’ll let you go home now, but you’ll need to take it easy for a few days. Stay away from work until your ear is healed, you’ll damage your hearing further.”
“Will it ever come back?” Gears twisted his head to hear him better.
“No, I’m sorry.” The docter checked his bandages. “I know these itch, but do try to keep them on.”
“Yeah, sure.” Gears mumbled, not having caught what he had said, and getting tired of everyone speaking low around him, like he was dying. He couldn’t hear their mumbly tones and it was frustrating.
“Come back if you need us.” The doctor patted his shoulder, leading him out the door.
Gears set his cap on his head and headed down the street. All he could think about was Margo. Had she waited for him? Had she given up on him? He felt terrible. He wanted to get ahold of her somehow and apologize. He paused and he walked past a floral cart being pushed by some sales lizards. No, he would go to her himself and apologize.
Margo looked up at the factory in front of her and down at her envelope again. This was the place. So Gears had sent this letter from work, not his home. She pushed through the door to the dingy office where a fat Horned Lizard was behind a desk, eating his lunch. “Hello?” she said, stepping up to the desk. The lizard grunted in surprise and stood up, wiping his hand on his large stomach.
“You need somfin’?” he sniffed.
“I’m looking for uh, Gilligan Whimb? Er, Gears Whimb?”
“Gears ain’t here, try the hospital,” the lizard sat back down.
“Hospital!?” Margo gasped. “Is he alright?”
“Bad accident ‘few days back. Nearly got his head ripped off.” Margo let out a squeak of terror and the lizard cleared his throat. “Sorry, not used to dames, gotta dull the bloodtalk down I s’pose.”
“Where’s the hospital? I have to see if he’s ok!” Margo stepped towards the door frantically. After getting directions she rushed off down the street.

Gears stepped off the coach and looked around the station before shutting the door and cradling the bouquet in his arm. Margo’s town wasn’t too big, but it was still easy to get turned around in. He knew how to get where he was going though, as he headed down the street towards the bend in the river where the softer grasses grew in the shade of big gnarly oaks. He found the oak he and Margo had had lunch under and sat down on the roots with a sigh.
“You’re Gears?” a female mouse came up to him, making him turn quickly. Allison was standing there, looking surprised and a little suspicious. “What are you doing here? What’s wrong with your head?”
“Accident… I’m looking for Margo, you’re… not Mary… Ally… Al, Allison?”
Allison relaxed, looking flattered that he remembered her at all. “Well, she’s not here, she… she went to Tucson to look for you!”
“She what?? But, when?”
“Hours ago!” Allison gestured. “When did you get here?”
“Just now, please, when will she be back?”
“At five.”
“I still have over two hours.” Gears groaned and rested back against the tree.
“You know.” Allison folded her arms. “She waited for you, she waited all night for you here. I fetched her and brought her home but she still waited for you.”
“She did?” Gears felt his heart take a funny thump. “She’s…. she’s so wonderful…” he sighed. “I don’t deserve her.”
“Probably not.” Allison shrugged. “But you did come back and he brought… roses?”
Gears looked down. “Yeah…”
“But, their colors? They’re purplish. They must have cost a lot…”
“They were uh, never mind. Its stupid.”
“What?” Allison stepped forward interestedly.
“Well, they’re the same color as the dress she was wearing, you know, the first day I saw her. I saw them and thought of her. I never meant to abandon her out here…”
Allison couldn’t contain the ‘awwe’ she let out and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Ok fine, I guess you aren’t the worst thing Margo chose. But just stay here.”
“Stay here?”
“Yes.” Allison turned and walked away.
Gears shrugged and sat down on the root, pressing a hand to his bandaged head and cradling the roses close.

Margo couldn’t stand how worried she felt as she reluctantly made her way home on the coach. She had scoured anyplace Gears could be. The doctor said he’d left that morning, but he wasn’t at work, and when she found his home address he wasn’t there either, then she re-checked the other places twice in a loop before having to head back to the station. Gears had been seriously hurt. That’s why he hadn’t shown up. And now he was missing and she felt scared for him. The sun was going down by the time she arrived at the station in town and saw Allison waiting for her on the porch.
“Came to see if I would return?” Margo mumbled. “Gillgan wasn’t there! I looked everywhere. I couldn’t find him and… and he’s hurt Allison! There was a horrible accident and I just can’t find him, I’m worried sick!”
Allison looked strangely smug and Margo frowned. “Its not funny!” she snapped. “He could have died!”
“I’m not smiling.” Allison crossed over to her. “But after you left I thought I saw something by one of those oak trees.”
“Something? Something like what?”
“I don’t know. It looked like a note. Could have been trash.” Allison shrugged. “I have to go though, dinner’s waiting on me.” She turned to leave. “Sorry about your visit!”
Margo fumed slightly. Allison! Ugh! She turned and stalked down the street towards the trees. Worry gnawed at her insides for Gears. Was he alright? Was he going to send he a note? She had slipped one under his door, hopefully he would wire her soon. She made it to the tree and froze, coming to a halt.
There was Gears, sound asleep, sitting up against the tree with an armload of roses. She felt her insides melting with relief and excitement.  “Gilligan!” she cried out.
Gears jumped and looked around, she saw his head looked heavily bandaged and he finally spotted her. “Margo!” he scrambled to his feet and snatched up his roses, running towards her as she lifted the front of her gown and raced towards him. When they met he gathered her in his arms, lifting her and spinning her around. “I’m so sorry!” he panted, hugging her close as he set her down. “I just, I fell and I couldn’t—“ he was cut off as Margo squeezed her face with her hands gently, shushing him before pulling him close for a kiss. Gears closed his eyes and smiled against her mouth, giving into her, completely forgetting about anything he was going to say. In a state of total bliss.
She pulled back gently and blinked up at him. “I was so scared when I found out… I went to see you…”
“You… you went looking for me?”
“I did.” Margo grinned. “I wanted to see you. And now I can!”
Gears gave a strained smile and looked down. “I… I’m sorry I…. I didn’t catch that. My ear…” he mumbled.
Margo looked at his bandages then stretched up and rested her chin on his left shoulder, speaking into his good ear. “I said I wanted to see you.” She smiled against his cheek.
Gears grinned and snuggled his cheek closer to hers. “I love you…” he felt a small stir of panic after he said it. Had he said it too soon? He did love her, truly. But what would she say? He swallowed nervously.
Margo beamed and cupped his cheek, turning his face so she could murmur into his good ear. “I love you too.”
MUSHBALLS OF LAVS!
That's what they are ;)
Gears and Margo <3
Gilligo :heart:
Margo belongs to :iconmoshypants:
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moSHypants's avatar
fajsldfkjaslkfd FFF GILLIGO I LOVE DEM :love: