You’re a Freakshow

Electra doesn’t acknowledge C.B with anything other than that long second of intense eye contact. Mostly because Greaseball immediately rolled up to them to start a fight that Rusty and Dinah both tried to break up. During the commotion C.B took his time to just look at Electra, trying to find any visible flaws to take advantage of. He can’t really find anything. Their makeup is perfect for their face, their hair is wild on purpose, they’re tall and imposing, they speak with elegance despite the scathing insults they throw at Greaseball. Electra is just too perfect to have visible flaws. The only real personality flaw that C.B knows that they have is of course the desperation to win, but almost everyone here has that same flaw, enough that it’s just a common character trait. And their little clique is just as perfect. Perfect supporters, dressed to match with their beloved engine. Even worse, despite the clear height difference between them and Electra, they aren’t actually that short, most of them are taller than the average coach. Unlike C.B who’s actually short, shorter than average. Dinah says that it’s impressive how much he has accomplished despite his height, but she has to be nice because she’s his best friend. What a pain.

Finally the fight is over, Electra pulling away with their entourage. Dinah tries to convince Greaseball to calm down, while subtly waving to C.B to go after Electra. He takes the hint and rushes away before he’s spotted. He catches up to them when they’ve already stopped at their own station, waiting for today’s orders. Clearing his throat, he rolls forwards, almost immediately getting stopped by Killerwatt.
“Stop, you do not have permission to approach, please leave before I have to forcibly remove you.”
Electra looks over, tilting their head to the side and raising an eyebrow. They roll closer and puts a hand on Killerwatts shoulder.
“It’s alright KW, I permit him to approach. I’m interested to see what our little caboose has to say.”
Killerwatt reluctantly moves out of the way, going over to stand next to Purse with crossed arms. A clear threat in case C.B tries anything. C.B swallows roughly, clearing his throat again.
“Ah. Well, I was just wondering if you’d like to eat lunch with me? The coaches have a longer ride today, and I don’t really have anything big going on, so I was just thinking “hey, Electra is nice enough, they might like to spend some quality time with this old caboose!” So what do you say?”
You’re rambling. You fool. Why are you nervous? Electra only looks amused, a weird sort of spark in their eyes that might just be electricity. When they speak their voice is soft and mirthful.
“Well, little Caboose, I do have some time left over before I have to leave for my transport mission… I might as well “spend some quality time” with you.”
C.B feels his face split into a bright smile without his say so. He tries to school his expression before he speaks again, but fails spectacularly.
“Great! That’s great! Give me five minutes, I’ll go and fetch my lunch!”
He rushes off before he gets an answer, leaving Electra behind to look at his retreating back. Once he’s far enough not to hear them, Joule moves to stand by Electras side, asking them a question.
“Is this really a good idea? He’s not to be trusted.”
Electra sighs and looks down at their dynamite truck.
“I know, but he’s just so interesting. Besides, you and Killerwatt wouldn’t allow anything to happen to me, would you?”
Joule shakes her head with a determined look on her face.
“Of course not! You’re the future, and we’re here to protect and take care of you!”
Electra smiles, stroking Joules hair.
“Exactly. Now, why don’t you go and prepare my “lunch” for the day?”
The “lunch” is actually just an electric charge that Electra goes through three times a day, but it’s easier to just call it eating. Joule nods and rolls off to help the others with setting up the charging station. Electra themselves stands and waits for C.B to return.

Almost exactly five minutes later C.B returns with a lunch box and a bottle. He somehow manages to almost skip, despite his wheels, up to Electra. The majestic electric engine smiles kindly at C.B, gesturing at him to follow them. C.B follows without question, not really having a reason to believe that Electra is leading him somewhere dangerous. The slight sway of their hips as they skate forward is almost mesmerizing, but C.B forces himself not to stare, because it’s rude to stare at people’s asses, especially when their friends(? Does Electra consider their components friends?) are watching. So instead he focuses on Electras back, which feels almost as perverse as staring at their ass. The lean muscles move underneath the stretchy fabric of the uniform, broad shoulders leaning from side to side with each stride Electra takes. It’s almost beautiful. Or not almost, it is beautiful. Maybe… Electra is beautiful? It’s not gay to consider your number one enemy beautiful, right? It’s natural, actually! With the amount of time C.B spends thinking about how much he hates them, and stares while trying to figure out any weak points they might have, it’s pretty normal to truly see and understand how beautiful they are! Normal and fine and not gay at all! So C.B looks further up, now at Electras hair. An impressive mohawk, glittering in silver, red, white, black, and blue. It adds almost an entire foot to their height, but even without it, Electra would tower over all the other trains. Seriously! C.B is a respectable five foot six, but Electra has to be at least over six and a half feet. Which is excessive, to be perfectly honest. But also weirdly an attractive quality… strange.

Electra slows down, eventually stopping in front of a bench. On one side of the bench there’s a sleek metallic charging station with Wrench holding onto some sort of cable, ready to hook it up to Electra. On the other side of the bench there’s a small table for C.B to put his lunch box and bottle on. Electra sits down, lifting an arm to hold their hair out of the way when Wrench connects the cable to a port on the back of Electras neck, usually hidden away by their hair. When the cable connects properly, a surge of electricity goes through Electras body, sparks moving effortlessly through their hair, causing a low groan to be nearly ripped from their throat.
“Oh that’s good. Thank you Wrench, good work as always.”
There’s a deep thrum of electricity in Electras voice when they speak. C.B stands frozen, mouth agape, with a strange new tingle at the back of his mind. He was not prepared for hearing a noise like that coming from Electra. But could you ever prepare for something like that? Electra leans forward and rests their head in a hand with their elbow propped on their knee.
“Are you going to stand there and stare, or are you going to join me on this bench? Caboose?”
C.B swallows with a gulp and nods once, sitting down nervously next to Electra on the bench.
He opens his lunchbox, which is full of a strange dark colored sludge, and pulls out a spoon from seemingly nowhere. Electra stares at the goop with a concerned skepticism, but has to accept it when C.B digs in happily. Electra watches him eat for a little while, enjoying the sound of the quiet hum of electricity in their core mixing with the equally quiet whirr of C.B’s cooling system. Eventually C.B feels the need to break the carefully crafted silence.
“So, how do you like it here so far? Is it any better than your previous yard?”
Electra looks at C.B with glowing blue eyes half hidden underneath heavy eyelids and lashes.
“It’s alright, I enjoy the change of scenery, and the people are fine as well I suppose. How about you? Have you had any fun since Race Night?”
C.B stirs his sludge with a pout.
“Not really. The freights don’t trust me with anything important anymore, so I don’t get a chance to have fun!”
Electra chuckles, studying the little caboose with a newfound interest. There’s something about him that’s just so intriguing.
“Oh poor little Caboose, not allowed to play his beloved games… whatever shall you do now?”
C.B grimaces, not wanting to be made fun of by Electra of all people.
“Shut up Electra, it’s just frustrating to not be trusted to even go on the longer transport runs ‘cause they don’t want me to “try anything”. Despite the fact that I rode with them for years before, and never caused anything major!”
Electra laughs, a sort of crackling sound.
“Oh I apologize, I didn’t mean to poke fun at you C.B, only empathize. But I suppose it’s difficult to make the tone sound through when I speak in my current state…”
They’re right about that, everything they say sounds mostly the same, speech muddled by a buzzing undertone. C.B nods slowly, trying to figure out if they’re being patronizing or genuine. It’s really hard.
“… Fine. Sorry for getting so defensive. I’m not great at making friends, the fact that Dinah even likes me is a miracle by the Starlight Express itself.”
Electra laughs again, and C.B feels like their electricity is pulsing through his own body as well. The sound of their laughter is suddenly something he wants to hear again, over and over, and he wants to be the cause of it. C.B wants to make Electra laugh. That’s not something he usually wants to do for anyone, occasionally Dinah when she’s having a bad day, but other than that, no one. It’s so weird.

C.B and Electra sit on that bench, talking about this and that, C.B making the odd joke to try and pull another laugh from the electric engine, but eventually Wrench comes back. She lets them know that Electra has to leave in fifteen minutes for their daily rounds of transporting goods. C.B packs up his lunch box while Wrench unconnects the charging cable from Electra, and right before C.B rolls back towards the meeting place, Electra grabs onto his shoulder.
“C.B, would you like to eat lunch with me again tomorrow?”
Shocked, all C.B can do is nod and whisper “sure, I’ll see you tomorrow”.