Let me preface by saying that this is absolutely my return in light of the AI slop that decided to reignite my interest in curating actual content.
This challenge is technically just something I'm doing on my own, but I'm also listing out the prompts for any of you that want to write, draw, outline a thing for these prompts as well. I'm using these prompts for both UglyDolls and Hazbin Hotel (once I make the Tumblr account for that fandom) so if you want my HH account, I can send it. I think there's a couple of you also in that fandom, but I'm not sure.
Also, the title for the May challenge was supposed to be, like, a play on words for "Write me, please" but I used all my brain cells coming up with the prompt list so I wasn't about to try and be creative with the challenge name. Feel free to change it and input a new challenge title or something. Anything.
I tried finding an already made May challenge and none of them were really IT, so I said "screw it" and made my life harder by making my own. Below is a list of dialogue prompts that stood out to me from random Pinterest posts and the AUs that are listed are from daydreaming prompts and unpublished stories that I've made before in UD and HH, so, no, I'm not creating completely new ideas. I'm essentially rewriting plots I've already written and actually posting them instead of gatekeeping them.
Write May, Please!
May 1st : "Why would I help someone like you?"
May 2nd : "Just trust me."
May 3rd : "Is now a bad time to tell you I'm claustrophobic?"
May 4th : "Can I bother you for a second?" - "You always bother me, but go ahead."
May 5th : "For once, I'm not the bad guy here."
May 6th : "Stay away from me."
May 7th : " Sorry doesn't fix everything."
May 8th : Time Travel AU
May 9th : Infection AU
May 10th : Body Swap AU
May 11th : What If? (choose a moment/scene/anything and make an alternate "what if this happened instead")
May 12th : Random Child (I play with this one a lot XD but basically a random child shows up. No one knows how or why, but who's taking care of it now and how does it go?)
May 13th : Found Family Moment
May 14th : Mind Control
May 15th : Letters (like, the kind you write, not like actual alphabet letters XD)
May 16th : Myth AU (this can be dragons, fantasy royal stuff, anything your heart desires)
May 17th : Mental Bond (your characters, doesn't matter how many, can now hear every thought from each other)
May 18th : First Meet (recreate the first meeting between two characters, or more characters, cause you can do what you want XD)
May 19th : Gone Blind (character went blind. Feel free to not explain it and just jump straight into how they suffer and deal with it)
May 20th : Fake Dating
May 21st : Assassin AU (yes, I...have actually written an UglyDolls story with this prompt and just never posted it. Spy X Family based, so be prepared)
May 22nd : Memory Loss (also feel free to not explain how or why)
May 23rd : Movie Plot AU (basically, shove two fandoms together. I usually use either A Quiet Place of How to Train Your Dragon, if those examples help your understanding of it)
May 24th : Stuck In An Elevator (again, no explanation needed. Elevators suck)
May 25th : Found Asleep (your character is found sleeping, perhaps maybe for the first time ever, and- oh my word, why are they actually cute like that? vibes)
May 26th : Human AU
May 27th : Trapped Together (again...feel free to not explain)
May 28th : Forced to Tell the Truth (whether they're playing Truth or Dare, under a curse, trapped in a room that requires them to answer questions truthfully in order for everyone to escape...yes, I'm doing that last one. Already have)
May 29th : Babysitting AU (another random kid, but whatever character you chose for the random kid prompt? Change it to a different character, but the one you did choose is the one that actually ends up being good with kids. Think fun uncle or fun aunt vibes. Everyone is thrown for a loop)
May 30th : Tricked You Into A Date (whether they were tricked by friends or one of them secretly wanted a date, make it happen. This was solely so I could write it for HH, so I will actually have to come up with an UD story on this)
May 31st : Wearing Something Different (one of the characters wears something outside their usual. Everyone chokes)
Obviously, this isn't, like, extremely organized because my intention isn't to rally together a whole new contest or anything. This is purely for me to get back into writing and to practice fixating on two fandoms at once without giving more favour to one over the other. If you want to join this? Go for it. No pressure. And you don't have to tag me or anything if you decide to use these prompts or participate in the challenge.
Have fun! Whether you read my monstrosities or write your own! And yes, I'm still answering asks, but I'm just trying to jump back into the fandom for the moment and relearn the characters.
So, I randomly reread a few of @0perfectimperfections0 fics on a whim and had this idea come to mind from being reminded of when we created these other characters in this story. She has a post about them that I'll link when I find it. I wasn't planning to write this tonight but I'm salty about the apparently AI series UglyDolls is making and yeah. I wrote this.
The universe for this one is probably a culmination of things @0perfectimperfections0 and I have wrote together, honestly. I don't know what all has been posted so just - go with the flow XD. It's heavily redeemed Lou who has a chip and a lot of lore with a prototype rule book and a horrible creator-
Anyway, hope you enjoy my random resurgence to drop this and probably disappear again.
_____
Lou wasn't exactly sure how it happened.
He'd always liked to have his life in order. Scheduled. Expected. Maybe it was part of his programming. Or even if it was, maybe it was more that he needed the stability to hang onto. He needed a focus at all times. If he didn't, then he would fall into that pit of despair he'd spent silently hiding within. For years, his life had schedule. Order. His emotions fluctuated as they developed due to Ox's teaching - curiosity, sadness, anger, defiance, hatred, jealousy, loneliness - until he accepted that he was stuck forever and suppressed them. Emotions made things hurt. It was why he wasn't supposed to develop complex emotions in the first place.
Then Moxy and her friends arrived. He brought Ox back into his life to get rid of them. He handled the situation with his hatred as fuel and his inclination toward complete order was in control.
But it hadn't worked out the way he'd wanted. He hadn't succeeded. He'd failed in something other than trying to get through the portal. He hadn't done that since his training ended, the rule book burned into his brain and perfection in his stuffing.
Things changed from there. He tried to find order in cleaning. In keeping to himself. But even that didn't last. Somehow, those emotions he suppressed returned, and slowly, he became someone he hadn't thought he could be. Not with his creator breathing down his neck. Not with his orders. Not with his programming.
He became a doll with his own thoughts, feelings, wants, and goals. It had taken many trials to get there, but he didn't regret any of it. He had friends.
And then, he had siblings.
Two former prototypes. Henry Everett recreated them with data he thought lost. A month ago, Lou had been called to his office for what he'd thought would be just a chat, only to meet two dolls he'd only heard stories about: William and Grace.
William was the first. Brown haired, blue eyed, and a laid back attitude until someone tested his temper too far. He'd lasted months before he died of overload on his imperfect chip.
Grace was second. Red haired, blue eyed, calm and logical with a tendency to be organized tht was only matched by Lou. She was overwhelmed by her emotions after years of the grueling work of running the Institute. Beaten down by loneliness, she did what she thought she had to in order to end the pain.
Lou was supposed to have been the perfect combination of those two. But he hadn't been created by Henry. He hadn't had the same guiding hand those two did. No, he had the firm, abusive hand of Greyson Everett.
(Sometimes he wondered what he would have been like if Henry had been at the helm of his creation, but those thoughts were for another day.)
Lou, being twelve years old now, was technically the oldest of the three, and yet, from the moment he was wrapped in a bear hug by two sets of arms, his brain reeling, something had shifted. He'd felt it then, but hadn't understood until later - he was the little brother of the two.
That was very evident now.
Apparently, a schedule was a prototype thing. Once everything had settled down after their recreation, a few decisions were made. One of those decisions was that the three prototypes wanted to live in the same house. They had all existed in separate time frames, never overlapping, and they wanted to learn who each other were as siblings.
So, Lou's house was expanded, and here they were, living in a three bedroom home, three different personalities. He'd been nervous about it at first. Maybe they all had been. But after the first night, when board games and movies broke the ice and they were laughing together like they should have been able to, things became easy, and a routine manifested without Lou's concious knowledge.
It wasn't an official thing. It just happened and no one wanted to change it. It wasn't strict either, just following a general path. They all typically woke up early - another thing about a prototype - but there were days one of them didn't. Today was Lou's day to sleep a little longer than he normally would. Not by much, but enough that his brain was still trying to get into gear at just after eight in the morning.
"Look who's awake!" William called as Lou entered the kitchen, still rubbing his eyes. "Man, I thought you'd never get up."
Lou rolled his eyes, settling into his normal spot at the table as the smell of his older brother's cooking registered, waking him up more. "Whatever."
"Oh, grumpy. Must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed."
"Quit teasing him, Will." Grace chided from her seat, putting her book face down to save her page. "He rarely sleeps enough as it is. At least he doesn't snore like you."
"I do not snore."
"Keep lying to yourself." She smirked, then shifted her attention to Lou. "What do you have planned for today?"
"Just two classes and helping Ox with the paperwork. The quarterly reports came in yesterday." He replied. "What's the book for book club today?" Grace ran both a book club and art classes.
"We read Shadow and Bone this last week. It was really good. I think you'd like it."
"Hm, I'll give it a go when I have some time."
"You don't have any tonight?" She asked, lips twitching up in a smile that said she knew more than he did. He hated when she got that look.
"Mandy asked me to help her-"
"Aw, you have a date!"
"I do not!"
"You should get her some flowers beforehand. And don't wear your suit. Wear one of your sweaters. It's going to be cold later. And make sure you-"
Will cut in then, putting down plates of pancakes in front of them. "Calm down, sis. Breathe. Lou will be alright. This isn't his first date with Mandy."
Again, Lou argued. "It is not a date."
"Sure, dude." He said as he poured three glasses of orange juice for them. "Just don't act like a dork."
Once more, Lou rolled his eyes so hard he could have seen his stuffing, but decided to let the matter drop. It did no good to argue with his siblings about this kind of thing. It was best to just change the subject. "What are you going to do today?"
Will settled in the seat across from him with his own plate, immediately pouring a helping of syrup onto his pancakes. "Uh, I'm going to help a few dolls run the Gauntlet for practice, then go watch the hotdog eating contest at Wage's restaurant. After that I don't know. Probably go see what UglyDog and Moxy will be up to."
Grace took the syrup from him before he could overload his plate too much. "Don't get into too much trouble. Remember what happened last time?"
"There wasn't supposed to be glitter! I've said that a million times."
"Doesn't change that it took weeks to get rid of it all. I swear I'm still finding pieces in my hair. What made you guys have that idea anyway?"
"I am the fun boss. I supervise by joining in."
"That sounds like a recipe for disaster every time you say it."
"It doesn't always end like that!"
"The glitter, William-"
Lou found himself smiling as the two bickered back and forth. Two years ago, he wouldn't have been able to imagine this. The idea of friends would have been baffling in itself, much less having older siblings. Heck, he wouldn't have ever thought he'd be eating breakfast in his pajamas considering he'd slept in suits back then.
Yet it was reality. The three of them, sitting at the table, all in pajamas and teasing and arguing and joking like the family they were always meant to be.
Lou had made a lot of bad choices in his life. He'd lived in a way he hated for a long time because he felt there was no other way out. He suppressed his emotions because he thought they made him weak. That Lou didn't exist anymore. Those choices had eventually led him to where he was now. He just took the long way around, the straight way blocked by Everett's hand.
No matter how he got here, all that mattered was that he was here. Breathing. Living. Happy. So genuinely happy.
I really love your writing Natalie! Just read "Pool Day". It was amazing. I really enjoyed your writing along with the images I put in my head along the story. Just wanted to say that your an awesome writer! <3
AWWWWWWW you make my heart melt 😭😭❤️❤️ thank you so much!!!!!!
OH MY GOSH I just read through your stories and they are amazing! Plese keep up the good work you are such a wondrful witer!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ That means a whole heck of a lot. If you haven't already, go see @0perfectimperfections0 stories. She's awesome! Again, thank you so much, this means so much to hear
This is for my friend @0perfectimperfections0 who needs bribery sometimes - something I am frequently guilty of.
Anyway she's going to kill me for this.
This coincides with most our regular oneshot stories, but can be read on its own. Just be aware of Henry Everett being the CEO of the company that made the toys, a caring figure to Lou, and that Lou has a chip. That's the rundown.
Here we go!
Lost - Part 1
Nothing was supposed to go wrong.
They were just monitoring the portal for abnormalities. It'd been several months since Lou's dethroning, and quite a few since the beginning of his redemption. Now, he was a co-mayor with Ox, part of their little family, and dating the one and only Mandy. On a beautifully sunny day in Imperfection, Amy and Zack wanted to run a few checks on the portal after it started acting weird. Flashing different colors, making strange shapes - it was weird. No dolls were having trouble going in and out, but they weren't going to let it develop into a problem. Temporarily closing the blue entranceway off to other dolls, they gathered around it. Amy and Zack, their resident best coders and engineers, had several pieces of technology and screens hooked to it.
"Everything looks normal." Zack said, pushing his rectangle classes up to better squint at the projections on screen. Amy, purple haired and always chewing gum, stood beside him, tapping her fingers against metal.
"Lou, could you touch it? Let's see if it gives off any unusual readings." She instructed.
The blonde did so, resting his hand against the blue swirls and sending out little patterns wherever his body touched. He was dressed in his normal suit, hair swept back in a regular style and a slight smile on his face as he talked to Nolan and Babo. As much as he'd grown, the portal and his status as a prototype were still sore spots. They made him feel weak, though he insisted he was fine. In fact, he was sometimes fascinated with the swirls he could create on the surface of the portal. It still hurt to know there was something on the other side he could never have, but the bitterness over it was gone. He was happy.
"It's not doing anything different..." Zack muttered, running a hand through his black hair. "Maybe nothing is wrong?"
"It was flashing different colors earlier." Ox interjected, crossing his arms. His eyes were focused on his brother - and the hand at the portal. "Something is off."
Amy blew a bubble on her gum before answering. "The readings are all regular-"
Sirens blared off the machine, frantic beeps and flashing lights drawing their attention immediately. The portal glitched from where Lou's hand was, rippling in an array of colors. Lou whipped around and tried to pull his hand away-
The portal sucked it through.
"What?" He gasped, yanking on his hand, but the ripples only swallowed his arm deeper. Nolan, Mandy, and Babo rushed to grab him, hooking their arms around his torso to pull him back. If anything, it only hastened the portals progress.
"Lou!" Ox yelled, rushing forward to help only to be knocked back by an invisible force. Lights blinked across his vision, momentarily blinding him. His friends landed beside him, their fur and hair on end with static and eyes wide with fear. Ox's eye found Lou again.
His head was turned, facing them, his arm completely swallowed by the portal. His mouth was slightly open, fear painting his features, but that wasn't the worst thing. Lou was glitching.
His sapphire eyes were completely lit blue - from pupil to the whites of his eyes. The chip in the left side of his neck pulsed and glowed with blue energy, spreading in lines across his visible skin. The lights flickered. Once. Twice. His eyes went grey for a second and his entire body deflated before tensing again. His eyes came back regular for the briefest second. Their gazes met.
"Lou!"
"O-Ox!" The blonde's voice was distorted, his hand reaching out for him before his eyes went blue again and another shock wave rocked them. The sky of Imperfection had gone dark with swirling clouds. The wind picked up, wrapping around them in sharp gusts. Dolls on the ground pointed and looked, yells erupting from everywhere at once.
In the next second, the portal swallowed Lou whole, yanking him forward into rippling waves of purple, blue, red, and yellow. The last of his reaching hand disappeared, the shadows of his fingers lingering an extra moment, and then he was gone.
The wind stopped. The sky lit up. The portal turned normal.
Nothing was normal.
Everyone and everything felt frozen, Ox's eye locked in on where he last saw his brother. His scared, shocked brother who always wanted to go through the portal but not.... not like that. That wasn't normal. That was something else. Something unknown and terrifying. It effected his chip, the very thing that kept Lou alive, and that look he gave Ox before he was pulled through... It would be seared into his memory for the rest of his life.
Mandy was crying. Strong Mandy was crying. Nolan was barely holding it together as he put an arm around her. Everyone else was frozen, as distraught and lost as Ox was.
They had to find him. They couldn't just go through the portal - it would drop them off to their kids.
They needed a different way out. They needed Henry.
'Hang on, Lou.' Ox pulled himself together with that thought, steeling his heart and pushing his panic and fear to the side to deal with later. 'We'll find you.'
Whatever it took, he would find his brother. He was not about to lose him again.
He pulled his eyes open slowly, blinking the fuzz and darkness from his vision. A shadowed figure stood over him, slowly coming into focus. In the dim light, he could make out a red braid, olive skin, and purple eyes.
"Hey, look who's not actually dead."
He blinked again. The figure - a girl doll - stood over him. She withdrew her hand from his face, placing it against her hip with an eyebrow raised. "You with us, blondie?" She asked.
"Uh...." He said eloquently, struggling for words. The ringing in his ears was fading, but his head was pounding. His entire body felt achy and wrong.
"I would take that as a 'somewhat.'" Said another voice. Male this time. Another head came into his vision. A doll with brown curls, freckles, and heterochromia eyes that felt extraordinarily familiar to his dulled out brain. What was he doing again?
"Shut up, Devin." The girl rolled her eyes, then turned back to him with a slightly kinder look. "Do you want to sit up, suit boy?"
He nodded once, not wanting to disagree with anything this girl said. Slowly, two sets of arms helped him sit up against a wall and he realized he was laying on a cot, a thin blanket covering his legs. He surveyed the room, taking in the two other dolls and the small space. Another bed was in the other corner, diagonal to him, and shelves of different trinkets and books lined cardboard walls. "I..." His voice was weak and it hurt to talk. A glass of water appeared, courtesy of Devin, and he drank it eagerly. It wasn't until he finished the glass did the boy take it away. "Who are you? Where am I?" His heart thundered a little, fists curling under the blanket.
"Slow down, question box." The girl said. "You're not in danger. Devin here couldn't hurt a fly and you haven't given me a reason to be upset with you - yet. I'm Angelina. It's a very ironic name for me, if you didn't notice." She crossed her arms. "You're in Desert Village. We found you outside, passed out on the ground."
"Oh..." He looked down at his legs, unfurling his fingers. How did he end up here again? He certainly remembered the darkness. "I'm sorry."
"Pshh. You ain't got anything to be sorry for." Angelina gave him the slightest smile. "We don't normally do anything to end up here. We just do." She shrugged, but there was a darkness in her eyes. He didn't comment on it. "Now that you know us, how about your name, stranger?"
"I'm..." He trailed off, the word on the edge of his tongue, ready to spill out like he'd said it a million times, except.... he didn't know what it was. "I... don't know." He thought harder, searching for the main piece of his identity only to come up with nothing. All he was awarded with was a sharp pain in his neck, a flash of light, and then darkness.
Hey y'all! So, I had this idea running around in my head for a long time. Well, the basis of it. I started talking with @0perfectimperfections0 and it became a whole lot more, though I've been keeping most details a secret....
This is the longest story I've ever wrote for this fandom and it's only part 1 of 2. It's just above 15,000 words, but please don't be scared by the number. It was neccessary. This is a human AU, not really connected to my other story 'Multiplication and An Idea,' but it's not needed to understand this. Just be aware he's friends with the other main characters of the movie after some emotional times (that aren't depicted in the other story). Other characters are from @0perfectimperfections0 story 'Backstitch.' Hope you enjoy!
Discovery - Part 1
'This is not how I wanted to spend my Friday night,' Lou thought, muffling his coughs with his sleeve as he pushed a box with his foot. More dust flew up and he blinked, letting out a little sneeze. The sixteen year old shook his head, dropping down to his knees and opening the box full of books. He was here because he'd been three minutes late home from "study group" with Nolan - it was really watching a movie on the couch after a hard day at school, Nolan's mother, Rachel, covering for him with his own strict mother. The clock in the living room had been slightly off. When he realized, he'd rushed home, struggling against the freshly falling snow and wind, but it hadn't been enough. His mother, Lillian Greyson, had been waiting at the door when he came in, a list of chores already in her hand. He wasn't to go to bed until he was done.
It was nearing midnight now, the single light bulb in the attic providing enough light for him to move around. After doing the dishes, vacuuming every room in the three story house, mopping the bathrooms, dusting the living room shelves, and folding a few loads of laundry, he was hungry and tired. He hadn't been allowed dinner. His mother went to bed hours ago. He would sneak down to the kitchen and get food if it weren't for the security cameras posted in most rooms of the house. Darian, the butler and one of three non blood parental figures, wasn't even there to sneak him food, off on a well deserved vacation with his wife and daughters.
Lou sighed, moving book after book to the nearby empty shelf. He was to unpack all the frogotten boxes in the attic and move the stuff to shelves or, if it was big enough, settle it neatly along the wall. He'd been there for thirty minutes and honestly, he was making good progress, but his empty stomach was twisting and his eyes were growing heavy. The previous night, he'd stayed awake studying for the two tests he had the next day (pre-calculus math and college biology), so he was already tired. He didn't let Nolan know though. The rare time he got to spend with one of his best friends should be spent awake.
After unloading another few boxes, he took a break by sitting against the wall, eyes shut as he breathed in dust-filled air. He reached up his chest and expanded the collar of his suit, struggling against the stiff fabric in the heat of the attic. It was freezing cold outside, a forming snow storm in mid November above New York, and he yearned to step out for a moment. But no. He had to finish this.
Lou rallied his strength and went to stand only for his leg to collapse underneath him. Yeah, he needed sleep. Rubbing at his eyes, he went to get up again. His toe met something hard. Perplexed, he looked down. A piece of board was sticking up an inch, dislodged by his foot. 'Huh.' A part of him worried he'd get in trouble for breaking the floor, but the other part of him urged Lou to move the board further. Maybe it was an act of rebellion or maybe, for a second, he wanted to feel like he was in a movie, searching for clues in the grooves of a broken house. There was nothing to find, but it was fun to follow his imagination. That was why he liked acting so much.
The board came up more. Barely three inches. He slipped his hand inside, feeling around. Nothing. Of course there was nothing. It was just his imagination-
His fingers met paper.
With his heart running a million miles an hour, he grabbed onto the object and gently tugged on it, lifting the board as far as he could. The paper came lose and he pulled his hand out, revealing a very thick envelope. He let the board drop, tilting the newfound object in the light. It was open with no postal stamp or address. Just a plain envelope on the outside, but inside... With hesitant fingers, he reached in, subconsciously listening for his mother to come up the stairs. Several smaller envelopes came out, all open and marked with an address for Chesapeake, Maryland. The papers were all yellowed, some frayer than others. Why would they have letters from Maryland? Why would they be hidden under a board?
Anxious and a little excited, he found the oldest looking letter and pulled out the page inside. Old notebook paper. He unfolded it, immediately noticing the date on the top.
March 16th, 2006. Over sixteen years ago. Roughly seven months before he was born. Very old.
His eyes scanned the contents. Certain words caught his eyes and sent his heart stopping. He backed up to the first word, reading more carefully.
'My dear Lily,
I hope my letter will find you in a good health, despite our circumstances. I don't understand what you've done or why you did it. I loved you so much, still do, but you won't answer my calls. You left me in the dead of night. My heart is broken. All I can hope for is a response. Please, my darling, come back and let's fix this. Whatever I've done, I can fix it. I've tolerated and gone through everything to keep you with me, fought for you, but you left me. Please, respond. At least let me know you are alright.....'
The letter went on with pleads and rambles to his mother. To Lou's mother. A man so desperately in love that Lou couldn't understand it. What did this guy see in his mother? She must not've been a vile woman her whole life to have a guy falling over her. To top it all off, it was signed with 'I sign this with all of my love.' No name.
Wait.
Sixteen years ago. Seven months before his birth. He would've... Lou would've been... His mother was pregnant with him by that point. Could this be... his father? The writings of a man long dead?
Lou had asked about his father a few times during his childhood. When he was younger than ten, she would brush him off and tell him to go somewhere else. When he did ask after Father's Day at ten years old, she told him that his father was a mean, selfish man who died not long after Lou was born. When he was twelve, she told him that his father wanted nothing to do with him, meaning she and Lou had her maiden last name. When he was fourteen, he got caught trying to find out his father's name on the internet and got yelled at for that. Grounded for two weeks. He never asked again, afraid of upsetting his mother further.
He'd always wanted to know a little more about his father. Even if he left them, he wanted to know why. Now the answers were in his hands and the man who once wrote those words didn't sound like a man who hated his mom.
Attic forgotten, he looked to the next letter in the stack. Slightly less weathered. Maybe they were in order. He did a quick count - eight letters. He unfolded for the next date. Only a month later.
'Dearest Lily,
I won't come looking for you if you don't want to be found. I won't come to you if you don't want me to. Your last letter was enough for me to know you were alive, but there's no explanation. Why did you leave? It may sound cliché, but my heart hurts to find you. To at least know why you left me. Things weren't good, but that didn't mean we couldn't work it out. Let me know what to do and I'll do it. I'd do anything to have you back.'
Again, there was no name. Just 'I sign this with all of my love.' He sounded love sick. How could he hate his mother? Her story was unraveling in front of him and a million questions moved through his brain. He carefully put the letter aside and grabbed the next one.
Just over a year later. Lou was about six months old. Not yet had the letters given an inkling of knowledge about his existence. The thought made a pit settle in Lou's stomach.
He read the next five letters quickly, sitting on his knees on the floor. It was mostly questions and proclamations of love over the next two years. Sometimes, there were mentions of sent money. He talked of his love for her mostly, but there were little details that Lou read three times, clinging to every little bit of information he could get about his father. He loved the beaches and lived right near Chesapeake Bay. He liked history and ran a doll business. He celebrated his thirty eighth birthday when Lou was two, making him fifty-two now. They were occasional comments and descriptions, like he didn't want to stray too far from talking about Lillian. The letters were only a paragraph or two, pouring out love. He mentioned once in a letter that he wasn't the best with talking about feelings. Lou could relate.
Lou was three on the second to last letter. He knew the end was coming. Knew his father died not long later, heartsick and desperate. He drew in a breath and with shaking hands, reached for the last letter. It was whiter than the others. Quite a bit lighter. He folded open the top and took out the paper, unfolding it. He took another breath before reading the date.
October 9th, 2017.
The air was knocked out of his lungs. He read it again, afraid it was a trick. Five years ago. Five years ago wasn't just after Lou was born. Five years ago he was eleven, learning piano. Holding his breath, his eyes moved down to the salutation.
'Hello Lillian.
I haven't mailed to you in a long time. I don't know if you have noticed or will even recieve this letter, but I want you to know something.
It wasn't until twelve years ago when I met my now wife Shannon that I realized how toxic our relationship was. I did everything in my power to please you and it still wasn't enough. You always wanted more. You were never satisfied with just having my love. I don't know what exactly made you run out that night, and I do hope you live alright now and have found your own true love, but I can't help but think it was destined to happen. If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have spent near four years in grief for our relationship. I thought you were the one I let slip away. I was mistaken. Now I am in a healthy, loving relationship and understand that we would've never worked properly.
I really hope you find fortune in your life as I have found fortune in mine because along with a wife, I gained a step son and two more daughters. I hope you have found your life's calling as you always hoped you would. As I always hoped for you. I hope you found love in the best of ways. I hope your life is fulfilled. This will be my last letter. I just felt I had to send my last regards to you and close the chapter of our time properly, even if it's only for myself.
Signed,
Henry Louis Everett.'
Henry Louis Everett. Louis. They shared the same name. Could he be named after him? Could this man be his father? His father, who, as of five years ago, was alive?
Lou's heart thundered as he held the letter to his chest, carefully hugging it. He could have a step mom. Three siblings. He might have family other than his mother and friends. On shaky legs, he got to his feet, folding the letters into his suit pocket and pressing the board back in place. A quick glance at the clock proved it was nearing 12:30 in the morning. He still had a few more boxes to go and if he was caught leaving without being finished, he would be metaphorically killed and literally grounded. With more speed and accuracy than his tired body should've been able to manage, he unloaded every box, mind swirling with so many thoughts that the task was forgotten. His father was alive.
After one in the morning, he turned off the light and crept his way down the steps to his room, already devising a plan in his head. There was no way he could wait for the perfect moment. It was the weekend, no school to miss, and he had to meet this man, one way or another. Even if he was grounded for a year, he had to do this. The teen pulled out his phone that was, by some miracle, not confiscated like he thought it would be when he was caught. He couldn't take it with him, not with the tracker on it, but he could anonymously look up a bus schedule that could get him to Chesapeake.
There was a bus at six thirty in the morning not far from where he was. The alarms that went off if he went outside during the night cut off at six because he had to get to the early morning study group at school. They did the same on weekends because who in the world left a six for no reason.
Lou had a reason.
He dug into the back of his closet. Concealed behind some boxes of old textbooks was a hoodie he once managed to sneak in. It was dark blue and well worn, a gift from his butler friend, and would serve well in his risky adventure. He grabbed his school bag, chucked out the contents, and put the folded hoodie in it. He followed it with a roll of money he had been able to save over the years. Six hundred dollars should be able to get him there and back with food. He threw in an extra pair of shoes, a set of gloves, and a scarf, then stuffed the whole thing under his bed. With the cameras, getting snacks was a no go. They'd let his mother know he was sneaking, possibly waking her up with their notifs. He couldn't risk it. He would also have to go out through his window because the camera above his room wasn't working, meaning he could get out without triggering alarms as long as he was careful.
He also couldn't risk taking his phone. With the tracker on it, he'd be found quickly. He had to leave it.
"That's a problem for the morning." He muttered, setting a near silent alarm for 5:55 in the morning. He'd get roughly four hours of sleep. It would have to do. He crawled into bed, tucking himself under the blankets and staring out the window, thoughts a jumbled mess as he slipped toward a restless sleep. Was he really doing this? The ultimate act of rebellion?
The real question was how he couldn't do it. How could he ignore that his real father may be out there? If he slipped up and his mother found out his plan or that he found the letters, he'd be locked up in the house more than before. He couldn't have that. He couldn't do it. He needed to find his father. See if he might actually want him. Somehow.
Lou fell asleep and dreamed in fragments, jumping from friends to his mother to what his father could look like.
_________________
The alarm went off far too soon, but Lou pulled himself out of bed, quickly silencing it. He listened a minute. No footsteps seeing what he was up to this early in the morning. Good. His mother didn't typically get up until ten or eleven, sometimes noon, giving him time to get well on his way. He slipped the hoodie on over his rumpled suit, tugged on his shoes, and slung what was left of the bag over his shoulder. Now or never.
He texted his friends in the group chat: Don't worry about me.
It was vague, but it would have to do. They would worry anyway. He turned it off completely and hid it under the bed mattress, then climbed on top of said mattress to the window over his bed. With silent movements, he turned the latches and slid it up, letting a sharp gust of cold air blow in. New York City in the winter time. Cold. He shivered, pulled the hood over his head, and slipped out the window. The camera outside his room had been broken for three days with no one coming by to fix it. They were going to fix it today.
Tough luck. He was already gone.
He landed on his feet in the snow and shut the window. The storm was still brewing, falling snow quick to cover any tracks he made. Lou carefully went through the camera blindside so not to trigger any motion detection notifications, eventually slipping down the street and out of sight. He yanked on the gloves soon after and put the scarf around his neck, keeping in as much heat as possible as he marched his way down to the bus station. He reached it with a few minutes to spare and studied the map a moment. It would be a good four hours before he reached Chesapeake, maybe more with the snow.
He bought a long distance ticket for forty bucks. The half awake clerk didn't question a teenager going such a long way, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Lou got on the bus only a few moments after it pulled up, showing the ticket to the driver and sitting in the third row. Three other people got on and the bus took off down the road in the opposite direction of his house.
No turning back now.
'Am I really doing this?' He asked himself as he settled in for the long ride, backpack in his lap and looking out the window. A sliver of fear slipped down his spine, sending his heart racing. He'd never been anywhere besides school, his house, his friends' houses, and the rare restaurant. He'd never been by himself except on the walk home sometimes. He'd never been anywhere outside the city limits and yet here he was, going all the way to the bay of Maryland. Was he wrong to do this? Was he in over his head?
Then he thought about all the things his mom did to him. She made him feel the need to always be perfect and that no matter what he did, there would always be another step to go. That he would never reach perfection in her eyes. He could make all the good grades, do the best performance, and it still wouldn't be enough for her. She barely wanted him to have friends, just 'study partners.' When she found out he went to a movie with Ox after a study session, she threatened to get his father fired because he worked for her uncle. Lou wasn't sure she could do that, but he wasn't about to let it happen on the slightest possibility. She wanted him to stop being friends with Ox, but Lou knew he wouldn't take that as an answer and it would be torture for them both. So he said some mean things to Ox, pushed him away until he found another group of friends, and Lou was left alone. It was only because Nolan found him crying in a bush near the school that anything was fixed. If that hadn't happened, as embarrassing as it was, he would still have no friends and be locked in that cage. He likely would've never found the letters.
His mother's wrath went beyond just his friends and his perfection. Lou couldn't go anywhere without her approval and some kind of supervision. He couldn't have any food remotely bad for him and punishments often included skipped meals. He couldn't go outside to walk around because 'he'd get sick.' Lou had a weaker immune system, but he thought it was from not being exposed to the elements. His hair and clothes always had to be perfect. He could only wear uncomfortable suits or the school uniform during the day.
And another huge issue? He couldn't ask Mandy out on a date. He couldn't go anywhere so he couldn't take her anywhere fun that she deserved. Heck, he didn't know what was fun around there, but she would know. She could direct, he could pay, they could have fun - except for the fact that his mother was in the equation. She didn't know Mandy as anything except a fellow studying student, but if she knew her lower income family and the fact that her single father worked for the sewage plant, they would never see each other again except at school.
He wouldn't put it passed his mother to pay teachers to watch them and keep them separated.
All of the thoughts against his mother made his blood boil. Everything he couldn't do that everyone else could. The standards he was getting exhausted of even though he was conditioned to follow them. His back straightened up every time she walked into the room. He couldn't relax in her presence. He didn't remember the last time she hugged him in a way that wasn't for appearance in front of ther friends. Had she ever? The thought only strengthened his resolve. His butler acted more like a parent or uncle than his own blood mother. He could only hope his blood father was different.
If he was his blood father. It was the logical conclusion, but he worried he was pushing his deep want into it. Would if his mom had another guy? Would if another, unknown man was the real guy and Lou was about to jump into the life of a stranger?
'I have to get answers.' He thought, closing his eyes briefly. 'I'll never be satisfied if I don't.'
So he stayed on the bus as it continued on to Maryland, shivering in the cold that entered through not completely sealed windows and the door whenever it opened to let someone on or off. He tried to sleep. Failed. He never could sleep well in anything moving, but his building anxiety was making his already jacked up sleep schedule worse. He woke up every few minutes to a little bump, someone talking, or his own thoughts. He switched buses halfway to Maryland as routes ended, barely getting there in time with his sleep haze and the slick snow covering the ground. The storm was growing heavier as the hours ticked by - a freak storm. Just his luck.
Lou checked his watch again as the second bus came within an hour of Chesapeake Bay. Almost ten. His mother might not've noticed his disappearance. When she does, she'll call his friends' parents. They'll likely already know of his disappearance due to his cryptic text and the wall of them he hasn't answered. Of course, they could've already called and woke his mother out of desperation.
Genuinely, he felt guilty. Very guilty for leaving his friends and the people who felt like parents to him, but he couldn't think of anther way around it without the risk of his mother finding out. It was then or maybe never.
A small part of him - the same childish part that hoped the man he was heading to really was his father - was guilty for leaving his mother on the small chance she really worried about him.
'Call it payback for the pain she's caused me.' The vengeful part of him hissed. 'Let her feel a portion of how bad I've felt over the years.'
He slept on and off for another thirty minutes, ignoring how his stomach whined for food. He hadn't eaten since school lunch the day before. Couple that with lack of sleep and he was feeling pretty crummy, but adrenaline and determination kept him moving forward. If there was anything Lou was good at, it was working under the worst conditions.
Finally, it came to his stop. The closest one to the address on the letters. He got off, took a deep breath, and as the bus drove off, he took a step forward-
- and promptly slipped on a frozen piece of sidewalk, landing on his back.
"Not the greatest start." Lou grumbled, getting back to his feet and side stepping the puddle. His torso and right ankle twinged in pain with movement, but nothing major. He'd live to see tomorrow anyhow. As he brushed himself off, his eyes surveyed the area. Eleven o'clock in the morning, the area should be buzzing with movement, but the unique weather conditions meant there was no one to see his barassing fall or ask directions to. "I guess the first step is find someone." He muttered, very aware he looked like a crazy person talking to himself, but it helped to calm the panic of being in a brand new area where nothing was the same.
He moved slowly down the desolate sidewalk, hands tucked in his pockets and scarf tight around his neck. The letters were secure in the inner pockets of his tux, hidden under his hoodie layer as well. He couldn't afford to lose them.
After several 'sorry, we're closed' signs, he ran across an open coffee shop with an older barista who was happy to give him directions and a small coffee. Despite his gnawing hunger, he couldn't stomach anything else. He thanked her, tipped the jar with a ten dollar bill, and made his way east, reading street signs and taking turns until he ran across a place called Sunshine Neighborhood. A place that was so close to the water he could hear it sloshing against the beach, wave after wave beating sand. Despite the winter wind, he could smell sea salt through his stuffed nose.
Every step was carefully constructed to avoid ice. The snow had slowed down a little, flakes drifting over him. One landed on his nose, making him shiver harder and wrap his arms around himself. He'd never been exposed to the elements so long. It felt as good as it did bad. He watched children play in front yards, building snowmen or having snowball fights with some parents watching from the porch. When Lou passed, they watched him like a hawk, as if he was a criminal sulking the streets. He'd never felt so... wrong. Like he was a bad kid.
'I did leave my house.'
But it wasn't a home.
The address said it was house number 27. The further he got into the neighborhood, the more the houses were separated by a bit. They weren't mansions, but they weren't simple townhouses either. Two to three stories depending on the house, nice porches, and he'd seen one or two with a frozen water fountain in the front. They weren't opposing, cold buildings, but warm, cozy looking places with winter decorations outside. Some were decked out to the nines with Christmas decor, the picture of a happy and joyful place.
A snowball nailed him in the back of the head, sending his already wandering-minded self into a snow bank face-first. He coughed, slowly pulling himself to rise.
A hand appeared in front of his face. "I'm so sorry!" He looked up into the face of young woman with a sheepish child standing at her side. "Please forgive my daughter. She thought you were her brother with that hoodie on." After a moment of hesitation, Lou took the offered hand, allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet.
"It's alright." He attempted a smile and succeeded, finding it easier with kinder eyes on him. It wasn't a show stopping one he could give on stage or an overconfident dazzle, but a smile that felt right on his face. The woman smiled back. He nodded to the girl. "Nice throw."
"Thank you." She muttered, a little grin spreading across her face.
"Your welcome." He glanced down the street. "Ma'am, you wouldn't happen to know where house 27 is, would you? The Everett house?"
She blinked, then smiled. "I do. You're not far. Go about another ten houses and you'll hit it. You can't miss the Christmas tree and little snowmen outside. Their daughters have been playing in the snow all morning."
"Thank you." He started to move away, but the conversation wasn't over.
"I'm actually not surprised you know them. You look like a younger version of Henry, before he went grey." She chuckled, unaware of how Lou stopped, tensed, and held onto every word. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were his son. Are you related, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Uhm..." He looked back over his shoulders, glancing between her and the girl. "...possibly." Dumb answer. His dumb brain was short circuiting. Her face changed a little as she processed his words, eyebrows drawing together, and she opened her mouth up to say something else. As rude as it was, he cut her off. "Thank you again, ma'am. Have fun outside." He scurried off down the street at a faster pace, frigid air feeling spicy in his lungs as he thought of her words.
If I didn't know better, I'd day you were his son.
Unknowingly, the woman, whatever her name was, had risen and calmed his anxiety in a weird balance. If he looked so much like Henry, then there was a higher chance he was his son. But if he was Henry's son, would he want a walk in teenager with a bad past, terrible real social skills, and a mother who broke the man's heart? Most people wouldn't take him, would they? Would Henry?
'Don't get ahead of yourself, Louis. You don't know if you're related. Think logically.' He told himself, but it was hard to think logically when your heart was pounding and you were coming up on your possible father's house. Indeed, there was a giant Christmas tree out front, barren and mighty, standing at least ten feet. There were several two to three foot snowmen in the yard with lopsided carrot noses and twigs for arms, imprints of little footprints the only signs children had been there.
Lou reached the edge of the cobblestone pathway, his feet an inch from the first step. He had to use Ox's counting method to calm his breathing, nodding to himself. "Now or never." He whispered to the air. The teen started up the stairs - halfway up, he dropped his backpack and pulling off the hoodie. It was colder without it, but it would be easier to access the letters faster and maybe one of his mother's lessons would work: Presentation is key. He was told he looked good in a suit, even a wrinkled one.
With his hoodie, scarf, and gloves neatly folded and placed in his backpack and hands straightening the suit as best he could, he pulled one bag strap over his shoulder and prepared himself. Less clothes meant he was shivering harder, the winter wind invading his clothes and skin. His hair was far from perfect, and he ran his fingers through it, flipping half to the side in some semblance of style. The wind knocked it back down. Whatever. He couldn't do anything about it.
One foot in front of the other, he counted his way up the steps and then to the door. The Everett household was three stories, rustic looking with modern touches. The windows were big and detailed, lights hung from the rafters, and the porch held empty flower pots and a wide swing. He could hear the ocean sloshing louder. They weren't far at all from it, possibly just beyond the enclosed property fence of the entire neighborhood.
At the door, he straightened his back and shoulders, hand shaking as he raised it up to the middle of a fun, ornament covered wreath. The looser bits and pieces suggested it was handmade, unlike everything that his mother would have when hiring someone to decorate their house for Christmas, and it brought a brief smile to his face.
His hand hesitated halfway through knocking. Was he really going to ask for this door to be opened? To just walk into their lives and bring up questions they hadn't thought of? He'd be throwing their lives off track for a little bit or for the rest of their lives. (Maybe he was overreacting, but this wasn't exactly normal.) Dragging in one more deep breath and holding it, Lou knocked three times and stepped back.
One second. Two. Three. Four. Five.
A part of him wanted to leave and pretend he was never there. Get away before he could cause chaos. He stopped himself, standing as tall as he possibly could. No turning back. No turning back. No turning-
The door opened to a woman with long red hair, fair skin, and a warm smile. "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Hello, yes-" Calm down, Lou. Focus. It's like a presentation. Be formal. "-are you Shannon Everett?"
"Yes, I am. And you are?" Her smile didn't drop as her eyes took in his suit. It must've looked a little strange - a teenage boy standing outside in the snow with only a slightly wrinkled suit on and a backpack.
His heart caught in his throat a brief second. He swallowed it down. "I'm Louis. Louis Greyson. I need to speak to your husband, if that's possible?" He turned up the boyish charm as much as he possibly could when freezing. His hands automatically clasped themsleves in front of him. "It's really important. I wouldn't be bothering you if it wasn't. I'll be out of your hair as soon as the matter is... resolved."
She gave him one more up and down look, but it wasn't one of disgust. More curiosity and maybe a little skepticism. Who could blame her? Lou certainly couldn't.
A shiver swept through him that he couldn't suppress and her expression changed in a moment, shifting into that of a worried woman. A worried mother like Nolan's mom when her children got into scrapes, mental or physical. "Oh where are my manners." She stepped aside, ushering him in with a hand wave. He followed obediently, happy to enter a warm house with a fire blazing in the living room fireplace. "Dear, you must be freezing in that." He thought about telling her of the hoodie and scarf, but decided against it, figuring that would be strange. However, he wouldn't have gotten a word in anyway. She took him gently by the shoulder and steered him to the sofa, kicking the door shut behind her. "Sit right here while I get you some cocoa." She rushed into the kitchen, leaving Lou alone to bask in the newfound heat for only a moment before she came back with a steaming cup of aforementioned hot cocoa. "Drink up, but careful. It's hot." When he nodded, tense against the edge of the cushion and overwhelmed by the sudden attention, she smiled and headed up the stairs. "Henry, honey! Someone is here to see you!"
Soon, Lou was left alone again, carefully sipping from the mug. It was wonderful. Not just the taste, but the warmth flooding through his veins. He hadn't realized how cold he was.
Quiet footprints brought his attention to a hallway on the other side of the room, hiking his heart rate back up a moment. Their kids. Of course it wasn't just the two adults in the house. In the moment, he'd forgotten about them. A pair of emerald eyes, the same as her mother's, peeked out around the corner at him, single braided blonde hair barely in sight. They met eyes and she hid behind the wall again. Lou waited with bated breath and mild amusement, looking into his cocoa as he listened to the girl slowly walk toward him. Soon, she was on the other end of the couch. He turned his attention to her, offering a gentle smile as he put the cup down. She couldn't have been more than eight, wearing a blue dress that went to her knees and carrying what looked to be some sort of fairy wand. "Who are you?" She asked, eyes wide and curious.
"I'm Lou, and who are you?"
"Momma told me never talk to strangers."
"Smart woman."
She studied him a moment. "But you are in our house so..." Her nose scrunched up adorably, clearly thinking. "... I'm Claire. It's short for Clarrisa."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Claire."
"You too." She tilted her head. "How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen."
"You're almost as old as my brother. His name is Michael. He's almost eighteen." She took a step closer. Lou forced himself to look relaxed for her sake, their conversation temporarily taking his mind off the reason he was here. Temporarily. "I'm seven."
"That's big." That's what adults said.
"Not really."
"Depends on who you are."
"Maybe." She said, then asked, "do you like to color?"
"Do you?" He countered.
"Yes."
"Then so do I."
She perked up visibly, a smile lighting up her face. "Good. Wait here." She rushed back around the corner. Lou waited for the girl, glancing around in case there was another surprise visitor. He could hear wife and husband walking around upstairs, voices muffled by the distance. His attention was brought back down to ground level when Claire came back holding a large pack of crayons and some paper. She put a sheet in front of him on the glass tabletop by his drink and the other beside it. "That's your paper." She pointed, placing the crayons in the middle. "Let's draw."
She immediately grabbed a yellow crayon out of the box and started to carefully move it across the paper. Lou's fingers hesitated over the box. "Is there... anything specific you want me to draw?"
"No, use your imagination."
He thought a moment. An idea flashed across his mind. "What's your favorite color?"
"Blue." She replied instantly. "Any shade."
"Blue is my favorite, too. And green. And purple." He said as he grabbed two blue crayons from the box, placing the lighter one on the table beside his paper. He started to draw, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. She was sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth in concentration, making his heart melt.
"You have more than one favorite color?"
"The more the merrier sometimes." He put the crayon to paper, moving it in curves. Soon, he had the outline of a blue butterfly and was carefully coloring it in with light blue, creating shapes in the wings with dark blue and grey. So wrapped up in coloring with Claire, he didn't know there were two more people in the room. That is, he didn't know until a throat was cleared. His heart lurched as his head snapped up to see Shannon and... Henry. The man had nearly all silver hair with some bits of blonde remaining, a little bit of a mustache, and sharper jaw. His blue eyes were the same as Lou's and though his body was rigid with tension, those eyes were kind. He was wearing regular jeans and a green sweater, surprising the teen, but what exactly did he expect him to be wearing? A suit? In his own home? That's not what typical people did.
"Clarrisa, could you give our guest and I a moment?" He asked, sending his daughter a smile.
"Okay, Daddy." She stood up from where she'd gotten on her knees, hands clasped in front of her dress. "Can I leave my stuff here? So Lou and I can finish drawing after you talk?"
Louis placed his crayons in the box, standing to attention as Henry's eyes landed on him. Was he breathing? He had to be breathing. He better be breathing. He can't pass out in their living room floor. That would be a new level of embarrassing. Henry looked at him another moment, then to his daughter. "If he's here afterward and willing, you can finish coloring with him."
"Okay! Bye Lou!" She skipped off around the hallway corner again. Lou could barely utter a "bye" as he was left alone with the two adults.
"Alright, son." The man said, moving further into the room. Lou's heart could've stopped. 'It's just a term adults sometimes use for those younger.' He reminded himself, locking his knees so they wouldn't crumble. "What is it you need to talk to me about? Especially to be dressed in a suit with this weather. Frankly, you don't look old enough to be out of high school." He cracked a little smile. Lou tried to return it. Shannon slipped away to the kitchen, saying over her shoulder that she was going to start on lunch.
"Well, s-sir," He began, pausing a moment to try and control the nervous stutter. Not the time for nerves. It was like presenting in front of a crowd. Only the crowd might be your long lost father. "I came to speak to you about something very peculiar." Lou dragged in a breath and grabbed the letters in his pocket, pulling them out slowly. "More specifically, these. I found them."
Henry took the yellowed papers in his hands with his eyebrows furrowed, then the color drained from his face as he read them. "Oh." He muttered, slowly dropping to sit on the couch as he flipped through them. Lou stood awkwardly, trying not to wring his hands in his jacket and watching the man's reaction. Those were definitely his letters. "Oh."
"I'm so sorry for appearing like this, but... I needed to come here."
"I see." He said, looking up at Lou. "I understand."
All the blood rushed from Lou's head as he took in the words that were spoken with deep resignation. What exactly did he understand? Did he think Lou was his? Was he going to brush him off-
"I always did worry these went to the wrong house or got lost. I suppose she wouldn't stay in the same place for long. Once, the first time, I did revieve a letter, but it must've been a one time thing or someone messing with me." He sighed, placing the letters down beside the colored sheets on the table. "Well, thank you for brining them to me." The words were hollow, but the smile he attempted said more. Lou had to work to get his heart under control and thoughts together enough for a response.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but... you have the story a little wrong." Lou replied. The man tilted his head to the side, confusion blatantly evident. "The letters didn't go to the wrong house. Lillian Greyson is my mother. I'm her son, Louis Greyson." Henry's eyes were widening by the second, jaw working as if he was trying to say something. Lou kept going, words pouring out of his mouth. "I'm sixteen. The first letter dates back seven months before I was born on September 7th. I..." His hands dropped limply to his side as his head fell forward. This felt so stupid now that he was standing here with a dumbfounded man in front of him. "I'm sorry. This was ridiculous of me. I-I'll get out of your hair."
He went to grab his bag only to be stopped by Henry. The man's hands rested gently on his shoulders. Surprised, Lou slowly looked up. Henry was a good six or seven inches taller against Lou's five foot nine inch self. One hand moved and took Lou's chin with his index and thumb fingers, moving his face around a little. Lou let him, unsure of what was going on and frozen on the inside. Apparently, he found what he was looking for because he let go, taking him by both shoulders again. "You're my..."
"I don't want to push you into anything, sir. I may not be right. She could've been with someone else. I don't- My father was said to be dead. That could be true-" He reached up a hand to his hair to pull at it, unable to control the nervous habit. Everett moved it away and took him more firmly by the shoulders.
"We share the same nose, hair, and eyes. I've seen those eyes in all my children. There's no mistaking my grandmother's eyes. I don't need a paternity test or some court document." He smiled, a glistening sheen over his eyes. "You are my 𝑠𝑜𝑛, Louis." He was drawn forward into a bear hug that smelled of peppermint and ink. It felt completely safe, like the hugs of his friends, their parents, and Darian. The tension inside Lou released. He allowed himself to press against the man, his possible father, and a missing piece of his heart was finally filled. Emotions drowned out every concerned thought of what would happen next, where they would go from here, and he let himself get completely engulfed by the warmth of the hug by a man he thought would always remain a dead mystery.
Lou buried his face in his chest, fighting back the tears. As illogical as he knew it could be for someone to conclude another was their child without proper testing, another part of him warred that good parents have instincts. And based on Claire's behavior, he was a good parent. There was so much certainty in Henry's voice that Lou was completely compelled to believe him, hoping beyond hope that he was right and this wouldn't be taken away from him in the next week because a paternity test said otherwise. He couldn't take it.
After a long few minutes that made the whole ride there worth it, Henry took him by the shoulders again to look Lou over. The smile never left. "I knew there was something familiar about you. Now I see it so clearly." A tear slipped out the edge of his eye, dropping to the ground. "Oh, Louis, I'm so sorry."
"For what?" Lou asked, blinking rapidly to keep his own tears from falling. One matra he couldn't get rid of rang in his head - crying was a weakness. "And please, call me Lou."
"Lou," he started again, leaning down to be more eye level, "I very much believe you are my son and a test would prove that true. I've been out of your life for sixteen years. I could've been there." His voice sounded so pained it hurt Lou's heart.
"Don't blame yourself." He shook his head. "Blame my mother. I don't know why she did what she did. She told me my father died and wanted nothing to do with me while he was alive. That clearly was a man of her imagination, if what you're saying is true." He paused, spealing quieter. "I want it to be true."
"We'll... we'll rush a test, if that's what you wish, but I can tell my grandmother's eyes a mile away. They have a darker blue at the edge and a lighter center. A perfect shade mix. Even Claire, with her green, have the same shade variation."
"Anyone could have these eyes. This could be an entire coincidence." He folded his arms, glancing away with his mouth pursed in a thin line. He wanted to believe this so bad, but he was thinking... and thinking was clearly the enemy of emotional moments. They'd shared a hug. A hug Lou wanted to believe was the first of father and son, but he couldn't just let go of all logical thinking. He was made up of logic. "But... the dates line up. My mother may be... not the best, but I don't believe she would be a cheater. We... share a lot of appearance traits. You say I have the eyes of relatives and yourself." He ticked the list off in his mind. It sounded so right. Could he risk it? Could he believe it? His heart wanted to. His mind resisted.
Henry sighed. "Come and sit with me." He guided him to the couch, sitting them down beside each other. "I best tell you the entire story of your mother."
They talked for fifteen minutes. Henry told him of how he met Lillian almost eighteen years before at a party. They hit it off and developed a relationship. It was good at first, but quickly moved down hill, with his mother getting more distant and starting fights. She convinced Henry that he wasn't showing enough effort and love, causing him to shower her with more and more gifts. Nearing their one year anniversary, she took off in the middle of the night. The letter date was only a few days after it happened, and she barely ever left the house. There was never any sign of cheating, only distance and anger. When the story was done, Henry put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get a test to prove it to you. I don't need it. I know you're mine. I can feel it." He tapped his heart.
Lou fiddled with the cuffs of his suit, pulling in a breath. "Okay." He said. "Okay. I'll... I think I believe you. I would like a test though. To be sure."
He smiled. "Certaintly." He leaned back in the chair. "Now, Lou, I do remember that I sent those letters to New York City. How are you all the way in Maryland?" He raised an eyebrow. "And in a suit in this weather?"
Lou rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and decided to answer the second question first. "I have a hoodie in my bag. Scarf and gloves, too. I was just taught presentation is everything. I felt very compelled to be presentable for this type of conversation. My hair is usually a little better." He did a half-hearted gesture toward his shaggier curls. "As for the first part, I knew I likely only had one chance. If I waited for another day, my mother might have figured out I took the letters and read them. I might've slipped up and got myself grounded for the next few months. Maybe a year. Literally. The camera was down, no school, I had the shot. I took it." He stopped, ice running through his veins. "I ditched my phone in my bedroom so she couldn't track me. My friends are probably worried sick. Granted, my last text was pretty cryptic... oh I'm never going to get that phone back..." He ran a hand down the side of his face, leaning his head back against the cushions. His eyes closed on their own accord, giving himself a moment to think and feel how tired his body was.
"You can borrow my phone to call your friends. I'll get you another phone." There was a shifting noise and Henry was walking away. He came back a moment later, putting the phone in Lou's open hand. The blonde opened his eyes, fingers curling around the sleek little rectangle. The man's face had gone a tad paler with Lou's words, and now his eyes were narrowed in concern. "How much did you sleep last night?"
"Enough." The answer rolled off his lips easily. "Thank you."
"Hmm." The concern didn't leave. Lou ignored it. "You're welcome. I'm going to speak to Shannon about what's happened, alright?" Lou nodded, already dialing the memorized number to Nolan's mother. She'd be the most calm of them all and likely with some, if not all, his friends and on a madhouse search party for him. He watched Henry move to the kitchen as he put the phone to his ear. It didn't get through a full ring before it was answered.
"Hello?" Gosh, she sounded tired. Guilt reared its ugly head, and he cleared his throat.
"Hey Miss Rachel. It's L-"
"LOU!" He had to hold the phone away from his ear as she yelled into the phone, wincing. He put the phone back after a second, hearing a cacophony of voices fill the background. He recognized Nolan, Mandy, and Ox among a few others. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm perfectly fine." He smiled a little at their care, their voices warming that ice in his body. "I..." He had to phrase this right. "I swear I thought it through as best I could, erm... I'm in Maryland."
"LOUIS LILLIUS GREYSON!" He winced again for two reasons. One) he hated his middle name. A direct callback to his mother's name. Two) She only said his full name if he was in trouble. Boy, was he in trouble, but it was the good kind of trouble. Really. "What the heck are you doing in Maryland!?" The voices in the background picked up in volume at the question.
"I..." He might as well say it outright. "I'm meeting who is possibly my biological father."
There was silence from Rachel on the other end for a brief few seconds. He worried he broke her until she was moving, telling the others to be quieter and she'd explain in a minute. He heard a door shut, blocking out other voices completely. "Alright, Lou, tell me absolutely everything. Every little detail that you want to share."
When Rachel told you to do something, you did it. Not just because she was the sweetest woman alive and Nolan's mother, but because she was the type of person you didn't question. A wise woman one didn't go against unless they wanted The Eyebrow Raise. He told her everything. From the punishment of cleaning the attic (he skirted around the missed food detail), to the letters to taking buses all the way to Chesapeake, Maryland in a northern snowstorm that was fluctuating in severity. He told her how the dates lined up, what Henry said, and that they'd get a test to prove it. "That's every detail I can think of."
"Answer me one more question, Lou." She said after some silence. "Do you feel safe right now?"
He glanced toward the kitchen at where he could barely see Shannon's red hair, then at the hallway where Claire disappeared. His heart wasn't racing. The home was warm. He was out of the storm outside even if he was sometimes in a mental one. "Yes, I'm safe. I know I'm safe."
"Then I don't have to break every law to get to Maryland." She said, a little chuckle filtering over the phone line. "Could I talk to him? Your..."
"Possible father?" He deadpanned, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Yes. If I could. Then you can talk to your friends. They're all really worried, Lou. Your text didn't exactly give any peace of mind."
He sighed, slumping into the couch for a second. "I know, but my mother has probably already gone through my phone. I couldn't say anything about it without telling her. She's probably already figured out the truth about 'study sessions' since I didn't have time to delete the texts. What's she doing, by the way?"
"Raising a lot of heck, that's for sure. She's gone against me and everyone. She didn't call the police though. She's convinced you're hiding in one of our houses or nearby and will come 'crawling back.'" He could hear the air quotes. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to be out of state, but we didn't know what you were doing either. I know that you usually know what you're doing, Lou. You're not reckless. I hope you know what you're doing now."
"I do. I promise. I wasn't sure at first, but I am now. I need this. I really, really do."
"I believe you."
He smiled despite her not being able to see it. "I'll hand the phone over." He stood and moved toward the kitchen, catching Heny's attention with a small wave of his hand. "His name is Henry Everett." He said, then moved the phone from his ear, speaking to the man. "My friend's mom wants to talk to you. Her name is Rachel." He passed the phone over and tried not to listen to the half of the short conversation he could hear, meeting eyes with Shannon in the kitchen. She looked a little pale, but she still smiled with bright eyes when he looked. It didn't look fake, unlike the smile his mom would give to literally anyone besides a select few. He wasn't on that list. He offered her a small smile and nod back before the phone was handed back to him.
Lou spent the next fifteen minutes back on the couch, assuring all his friends (with him on speakerphone) that he was fine, not dead, and knew what he was doing with going to Maryland. He explained the whole situation and that he was about to call his mother. Lay it all on the line. Burn a bridge or build one. Of course, he had their support - after being told to never ever disappear like that on them again. ("I will personally come find you and put some sense into you." Ox, his longest friend, had said above everyone else, getting echos of loud agreement from Mandy and Nolan. Nolan's little sister, Moxy, was quick to follow up that she would drag him by the ear and not ever want to sit on his shoulders again. Mandy threw in her own threat. Lou wasn't sure who he was scared of more.)
"We'll be a call away if you need us, buddy." Ox said. Lou knew the green haired teen was smiling that soft, supportive smile he always had when a friend was in need.
"Yep!" Nolan added.
His heart felt warm and tingly, chasing away some of the anxiety that plagued him. The phone call with his mother was getting closer by the second. It wasn't going to be pleasant. That he already knew. But how bad could it be with him so far away? "Thanks, guys. I'll call you in a while."
"Sure thing." Mandy said. She sounded closer to the phone. "Be careful, Lou. Stay safe, okay?"
"I will. I promise." That little fluttery feeling swirled his stomach at her voice. "Bye everyone."
"Bye Lou!"
He didn't want to hang up after having his friends so far for so long, but he forced his thumb to slide across the screen, ending the call. The blonde dragged in a breath, returning to the number pad. Call his mother. Most people would say that was easy. With his mother, nothing was ever easy. He elected to wait until Henry and Shannon were back. Not because he was stalling. No. It was the best choice. They needed to be there in case his mother said something. At least, Henry did. He wasn't sure how Shannon felt about him yet. He was another kid. A kid she had nothing to do with and was birthed from an old love of her husband. She had no reason to want him here. She welcomed him into her home beforehand as a stranger. Now he might be her husband's son.
'Focus on one thing at a time, Lou.' He told himself as the two adults came in from the kitchen, hands linked together. That had to be a good sign. 'Mother first.'
They dropped hands when they reached the couches so Shannon could sit across from him and Henry could sit in the seat beside Lou. Why did they separate? For his sake? Great, another thing to feel bad about. His foot tapped against the ground as he waited for what they had to say, entirely not expecting what came out of his possible father's mouth.
"That Rachel woman has been very good to you." Henry said with a breathy chuckle.
"What do you mean? She has, very much, yes, but why?" He hadn't expected those words to be the first out of the man's mouth.
"She threatened that I better 'take care of her baby' or she would come up here and put me in the ground herself. I already planned to, but I definitely don't want to die before I get to know you. She was nicer afterward, but the threat was clear. Mama bear at her finest." He winked at his wife, earning a wider smile than the nervous one she had. Was Lou making her nervous? Her hands were clasped in her lap, her back straighter than most would hold themselves, but she still smiled at Lou when her eyes landed on him. Was it real or fake? He was beginning to doubt his earlier assessment. Would if she didn't like him and was a really good actress about it? His mom could pretend to like people she complained about.
Lou wouldn't put it against Shannon to not like him. He was intruding on their lives in a catastrophic way.
"Yeah." He attempted a smile. That was easier to do when thinking about Rachel's care. "She's always been amazing, ever since I've known her. She lets me stay at her house a lot when I can and covers for me with Mother."
Henry turned, leaning his side against the back of the couch so he was facing Lou. "Speaking of your mother, when do you want to call her? You don't have to if you don't want to."
"It's not a matter of wanting to, sir. It's about needing to. Even if I didn't call her, there'd be no way I could show up like nothing happened. It would be best to tell the truth so I may actually see you again if you're proven my father."
"Lou, trust me." His face become more serious, smile disappearing as his eyes leveled with Lou's. "When a court proves you mine, there will be nothing on Earth that can stop me from seeing you."
Lou wanted to be warmed by the statement, and he was. He very much was, but... the thought of wrecking a family because he showed up kept moving through his head. He couldn't do that to them. "That means a lot to me, sir."
"Please Lou, call me Henry. Or Mr. Everett, if that's what you're more comfortable with."
"Alright... Henry." He recieved a smile at the name. He hadn't actually said it to him before, only in his mind. "I best get this over with." Lou started typing in the number with fingers that wanted to shake. "Should I... put it on speaker? I don't want anyone else to hear besides you two. If you would stay, that is." He glanced between them. "You don't have to."
It was Shannon who responded. "That's all up to you, sweetie. If you'd like us to stay, we'll stay. Unless you don't want me to, which is entirely understandable, all things considered."
Lou took a moment to process her words. Everything was up to him. He wasn't being forced to do anything or having choices made for him. They were his decisions. "I don't mind you staying, ma'am." She was a nice woman. When she spoke to him, she didn't use the voice his mother did - like she was talking to someone far younger and were insuperior to her. She talked like Rachel did. Sweet and caring in a way that wasn't superficial.
"The same goes for me as with my husband." She smiled. "You can call me whatever you're comfortable with, whether that be Mrs. Everett or Shannon."
"And as for any other prying ears," Henry drawled, glancing back over the couch at the concealed hallway. "Micheal is at his friend's house to finish a school project. He stayed over last night because the storm got unexpectedly bad and shouldn't be back for another few hours. Annie, she's the youngest, is taking a nap upstairs. And Claire should be in the playroom, unless a certain little girl is listening in...."
There was a sharp intake of air and a giggle followed by pattering footsteps heading away. Henry shook his head, half exasperated and half amused. "Now, we are alone."
The intrusion of a little girl didn't do much for Lou's nerves, but it broke some of the tension. He managed a smile. "I'll put it on speaker. I don't know what she'll say or do."
"We'll be right here." Henry assured, placing a brief hand on Lou's shoulder. Through the suit, he could feel the warmth of it. A warmth that wasn't just physical but also mental. Calming. He found the strength to press the call button.
Every waiting dial tone sent his heart into a flurry of anxiety and stress. What if she didn't answer? What if she did? He always had some semblance of plan when talking to his mother. In this situation, he had no plan, but at least he was hundreds of miles away where she could only use words.
The fourth tone came. Was she really not going to answer-
The call clicked in. "Who is this?" She demanded more than asked. Her voice sent a little shock of fear through his spine, but the two adults beside him made that fear a little more bearable. He gathered his will to speak as his mother pressed on. "Well? I don't have all day."
"Mother, it's Louis. I'm-"
"LOUIS LILLIAN GREYSON!" The sudden yelling made him almost flinch. Expected as it was, it was still unwelcome. "Where in the world did you run away to? You better get back here right this second. You're already grounded for the next six months. Not here by fifteen minutes and it'll be a year." He could feel her anger through the phone. If he closed his eyes, he was sure he'd be able to see it - her pinched face, mouth turned down, and clenched jaw.
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
"And why exactly can't you, Louis?" Her voice turned dangerously calm. "You know the punishments when you disobey. Where. Are. You. I'll come get you myself if I have to." She huffed. "Those study group kids have been a terrible influence. You won't be seeing them again."
As always, anger curled in his stomach with her insult to his friends. Out his peripheral, he saw Henry's hand clenching on his knee, mouth set in a deep frown at the phone. His assuring hand remained on Lou's shoulder, pushing strength into him. Shannon's kind and concerned eyes offered solace from across the table. Lou drew in a breath. Now was the time.
"I'm in Maryland. Chesapeake, Maryland."
She didn't say anything for a long minute. "Why are you in Maryland?" Her voice had never sounded so unsteady. Most would assume it was because of how far he was away from home. Lou thought that she might already know the answer.
Another breath. "I found the letters underneath the board in the attic." He paused. No outrage. No words. Only silence. Dangerous silence. "I came in search of who might be my father who you said was dead. Mother," new vigor entered his words, controlled by honest confusion, curiosity, and desperation, "is he my father? Henry Everett?"
"Yes."
Lou sucked in a breath, barely feeling it as Henry moved his hand from his shoulder to drape his arm over his shoulders, holding the teen steady in his seat. The blonde's hand tried to tremble on the phone, so he settled it on the coffee table. He'd been told by Henry himself he thought he was Lou's father, but hearing it, a direct confirmation with no speculation? It was a bit like a punch to the gut. His mother knew. His mother lied. He couldn't had his father all along. "Why did you lie to me?" The words didn't tremble as the question tumbled from his mouth, demanding more answers.
He heard her pull in a breath of the speaker. "Louis, you have two choices. You either start home right this instant or I come up there and get you myself. The first option is better. You'll be grounded either way."
"What-" He shook his head, knowing she couldn't see it. "No, I'm not going back there. Not right now. I'm not." His heart was pounding rapidly, fingers clenching on the fabric of his pants. He was aware this was the first act of direct defiance again his mother, but he couldn't go. Not yet. He just found his biological father. She couldn't give him a day? "Mother, please-"
The steel was back in her voice. "Louis, are you disobeying me?"
Instantly, he wanted to shrink back. Fold his hands together and retreat so he wouldn't have to face her wrath. But the presence of his father stopped him. He wasn't alone. It wasn't child against parent. He could feel Henry's distaste, his anger for the woman on the phone, coming from his body. Possibly the only reason he wasn't not intervening was that his mother didn't know he was there, and Lou wanted to be the one to speak to her.
"Yes, I am." The fire in his chest put iron in his words. He wasn't leaving yet. She could wait-
"If you will not come back and would rather stay with that scoundrel of a man, then you are no longer my son."
His heart might've stopped, all of the fire gone and leaving him hollow. His body was frozen like the ice outside. He forgot how to breathe. 'You are no longer my son.' His mother could be mean and vile, but to... to disown him? He never thought... She had to love him a little, right? He always thought she did, somewhere in her heart, harbor love for him and didn't know how to show it. That everything she did, she thought she was doing in his best interest. It was a thought he could follow and take some small comforts in when he was lying on his bed, thinking in the middle of the night.
'You are no longer my son.'
She didn't want him to do anything but obey her. She didn't want him to know his father. She didn't love him.
He could feel his heart breaking.
His thoughts were in such a whirlwind that he almost didn't hear his mother as she continued to speak. Was he breathing? He couldn't feel it. Everything was numb with shock.
"You are not my son but a stupid, irresponsible boy who doesn't deserve what I've given him. You have no respect for me, after all I've done for you, and-"
"That is enough!" Henry broke in, grabbing the phone. His voice was full of anger that Lou could only flinch away from. Knowing it wasn't directed at him didn't help. Not when everything was... so much. "You will not speak to my son that way."
"Let me parent how I parent and keep your nose out of it, Henry-"
"That is not what a parent says to their child, no matter if they've done wrong or not. I've only known him for an hour and I already know he is one amazing kid, no thanks to you." The hand squeezed his shoulder again. "Lou-"
Shannon was next to speak up, standing from the couch. "Henry, he's overwhelmed." Her voice was calm, but the concern was clear. She came to his side, hand curling around his bicep gently as she knelt beside him. "Lou, honey, breathe. You've got to breathe. Henry will take care of ℎ𝑒𝑟." The anger in the sweet woman's voice wasn't missed, but she was quick to calm herself as Lou squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force air into his lungs. His mother was talking again, making him flinch, but she was cut off by Henry.
"I'll see you in court later." The reciever audibly clicked and then Henry was at his side again, and on his shoulder as Lou put his head in his hands, desperately forcing his lungs to work through the panic attack. He couldn't think enough to count. He couldn't-
"Lou," Shannon said gently. He was fairly certain it was her hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of his suit. He barely knew her yet she was already comforting him more than his mother - Lillian - ever tried, "I know it's hard, but you can breathe, sweetie. We'll get this all figured out, I promise." She took one of his hands from where it was trying to dig into his scalp and held it in hers. "I want you to breathe for five seconds, hold for three, and out for five. Can you do that?"
He managed to nod, not wanting to open his eyes yet. It was the same trick as Ox. He knew that. So why couldn't he do it by himself? Henry had his other hand in the next second, hand on his shoulder as the two adults, his father and step-mother, counted out the breaths for him. It took a few strained minutes of trying not to think and breathe, but he got his lungs under control. Sheepishly, he dropped his head down further, releasing his tight hold on the woman's hand. His hands were shaking. "Sorry." He breathed.
"Lou, you have nothing to be sorry for." Shannon said. Her hand slowly reached out and brushed his bangs away from his eyes, her head craning forward to peer at him. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I ran away from-"
Henry cut him off, taking one of his hands and squeezing it. "I don't think it's running away. I think it's 𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔. You had questions she wouldn't have answered, Louis." Somehow, his full name didn't sound so bad coming from him. "You would've been punished for those questions and you may have never gotten here. We might've never met. I might have never known you. I am so glad you came, even if it was dangerous. From here on out, it's my job, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 job," his head tilted toward his wife, who reached out and held Lou's other hand, "to protect you. Rachel protects you, your friends protect you, and we want to be on that list. Will you let us do that?"
There was another lump in his throat. His eyes burned with tears he refused to let out. After a second, he nodded. "Yeah." His voice was small, but the affirmation made Henry smile like Lou just gifted him the world. All at once, he was pulled into a hug by Henry. His father. There was no doubt anymore, not after the confirmation, and it meant the hug was worth more than the first one. Closer. The doubt couldn't cover his brain and sodden the moment because there was no doubt. Nothing. He pressed his face into the woolen sweater, fingers wrapping around the fabric tightly. His hands were still trembling. Another set of arms wrapped around him and Lou was squished between the two.
The tears slipped out, soaking into the sweater. The shaking followed and a sob managed to squeeze passed his walls. They held him through his crying, the hands petting through his hair alternating. He felt so safe, so... right that it didn't feel wrong to cry. He didn't feel embarrassed. Henry's hand moved up and down his back and by the way the man was shaking a little himself, Lou guessed he was crying, too.
When he had some semblance of control over himself, Lou pulled back a little, meeting the eyes of Henry. Tears traced down both their cheeks. His father let out a little laugh. "I'm so happy to have you here, Lou. I always thought I was chasing Lillian those years, but... I think I was chasing you. That piece I knew was missing wasn't her. It was you."
Lou sniffed, wiping at his eyes with his suit sleeve. His mothe... she would've scolded him for getting it dirty, but he did not care. Not anymore. He shouldn't. "I've always wanted to know my father. She said he was dead and wanted nothing to do with me."
"I can promise you neither of those things are true." His lips tilted up in a smile. His hands rested on Lou's shoulders again, an action that was becoming more and more familiar. Shannon remained behind him, one hand on his back. "Now, I'm going to call my lawyer team up to get a case started. You need to wear something different than this suit. I'm sure it's not comfortable."
"I only ever really wear suits unless Nolan or Ox lend me clothes..." Lou muttered. His heart was doing a weird flip at the thought of Henry taking Lillian to court, but he also didn't object to it.
"And who's choice is that?" He raised an eyebrow. Lou stayed silent. They both knew the answer. "I'm sure Michael has something old you can use until we get you some clothes for yourself."
"He sure does." Shannon stood gracefully from the couch, a soft smile on her face. "Come on, Lou." She took his hand, gently pulling him to stand.
"You don't have to get me clothes." Lou rushed to say as he was guided to the stairs, looking over his shoulder at Henry.
"I'm your father. I should've been buying you clothes for years." The words did not assure Lou. Henry's eyes softened. "It's fine, Lou. I promise."
Knowing nothing would deter the man, Lou sighed and followed Shannon up the stairs. The first room on the left was apparently his new... step-brother's room as that's where they went first. His step-mother made him sit on the bed while she dug through the closet, allowing Lou to look around at the new space. It was a mix of football and engineering themes posters, a jersey hanging on the wall above a green themed bed. The walls were a lighter grey shade, and, as with the rest of the house, dark wood covered the floor. Two bing bag chairs and gaming set (an X-Box? PS5? He didn't know the difference) were on the floor in the corner and another TV was across from the bed, sitting on a dresser. Other smaller objects filled the room, like pictures (to far for him to see clearly) and textbooks on a desk. Said desk was also covered in what looked to be machines - or pieces of them. Different tools hung on the wall above the desk along with some blueprints Lou didn't understand a tenth of. Another wall held a little cabinet full of trophies and metals.
"Here we go!" Shannon pulled some clothing items from the back of the closet, drawing Lou's attention to her. She came over with a folded pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. "They'll probably be a little big, but they'll work for the moment. Michael is too big for them."
"Thank you." He took the clothes gingerly and decided to ask one of the questions on his mind. "Does Michael play football?"
"Oh, yes. He's a quarterback for the Academy nearby. A good one, too. The team is in the playoffs, but they've had to postpone due to this freak weather. They'll play the last three games in December, if the weather permits." She smiled proudly.
"Oh, that's really cool. Is... is he into inventing, too?" Maybe he was asking too many questions, but with the knowledge that this was a part of his family, he wanted to know everything.
"Engineering, yes. I'm not sure if he's invented anything, but he's won competitions." The pride she had in her son was clear and it made Lou's heart squeeze. Maybe she could talk about him like that one day, even though he was only her step son. His mother never talked about him unless it was to brag to her colleagues. Even then, it was just a competition among rich parents on how successful their kids were - her accomplishments through him, not his own. "C'mon, let's get you to your room."
"My room?" Confusion colored his voice. She only smiled, guiding him out of Michael's room and down the hallway. She opened the last door on the left to a room, about the same size as Michael's, and themed in brilliant shades of blue. He entered, doing a little spin to take it all in - a bed, desk, mostly empty bookshelves, closet, lamp, dresser, television. He'd never had a TV before. "This is... mine?" He was almost hesitant to ask again, afraid it would all get taken away from him if he said anything.
"Yes. It's all yours and more." She put her gentle hand on his shoulder. "It was a guest room, but Henry and I talked about it while we were in the kitchen. This will be your room. We'll get it all fixed up how you like it, even if you're not here all the time. We'll have to talk to Rachel about school and all - get that figured out, but you'll always have a place with us."
He dragged in a breath, blinking back tears because he could not cry again today. This was the most he'd cried in a long time. "This has got to be strange for you."
"Hm?"
He gestured to himself, then around them. "Me. Everything. I'm... I'm a kid you didn't sign up to have." He hugged the clothes closer to himself, glancing away from her.
"Lou," her index and middle finger slid under his chin, gently probing him to look at her. He did. "I may not have 'signed up' to have you, and I definitely didn't expect this to happen today or any day, but I am very willing to take you. I'm not planning to be the evil step mother like in story books." She chuckled, pulling a little smile out of him. "You're Henry's son and, as long as you want to be, that makes you my son, too. It'll take a little bit of getting used to, yes, but I'm not going to let you go on thinking I don't want you."
For a minute, he couldn't find words, breath stalled in his throat. She wanted him. She was fine with him. "That means a lot. Thank you, Shannon." His eyes were watering again, making the world and her smile blur.
"I'll let you get dressed in here. Lunch will be ready in half an hour, and you can meet Annie, Claire, and Michael officially then, okay? Well, I guess you already met Claire, but it'll be under more official terms."
"I understand." He replied, nodding while trying to subtly blink away the tears. A flutter of combined excitement and nervousness ran through his heart, making it jump and his mind race. He was finally meeting his siblings. 'Will they like me?' He asked himself as Shannon left him to change. Lou locked the door behind her, slowly moving to switch from his hated yet normal suit to the casual clothes. The air around him touching his skin made him shiver. Was it really that cold? Quickly, he finished pulling on the clothes, feeling a bit strange in the slightly too big materials and bare arms. He grabbed his backpack where he placed it on the foot of the bed and retrieved the hoodie, sliding it over his torso to keep the warmth in. Better.
A knock at the door startled him. Tugging on his shoes, he did a half-hop toward the door. "Just a moment." He said, finally managing to get his stubborn left shoe on. The dress shoes looked a little out of place on the outfit, but there was little he could do about it. He opened the door, first seeing nothing until he looked down.
Claire stood in the doorway, holding a notebook and pencil set. She tilted her head at him, green eyes studying him. "I heard you, Daddy, and Mommy talking earlier." She said, causing Lou to involuntarily tense. "Are you my brother?"
"Erm..." He definitely didn't expect this. In all the commotion, he forgot Claire was listening in at one point. She must've came back. Deciding on the straight truth causing less problems later, he replied, "Yes, I am. Your half brother, actually."
She watched him another minute, unaware of how the blonde waited anxiously for her reaction. Finally, she smiled. "So, we're siblings? I'm your sister?"
Encouraged by the smile, he gave her one of his own. "Yes, we are." He knelt down again, as he had earlier, and held out his hand. "I'm your brother, Lou. Short for Louis."
She giggled, holding her materials in one arm in order to take his hand. "I'm your sister, Claire. Short for Clarrisa." She mimicked, giving his hand as firm a shake as she could. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, too." He chuckled, some of the tension inside his muscles easing. He had a sister. Two of them. "What do you have there?" He nodded toward the supplies, thinking he already knew the answer.
Claire let go of his hand to walk further into the room, beelining for the desk. "Daddy said that if you wanted to, we could keep coloring after you talked. You're still here, so we can color?" She turned her big eyes on him and he couldn't say no to that puppy-dog face. Was this his life now?
"I don't see why not." He smiled a little, getting an excited laugh from the girl. The blonde came to the desk with her only for her to change her mind about where to draw, putting the paper and colored pencils on the floor. He followed her to sit on the ground and they resumed their coloring time from earlier. It wasn't long before he finished the butterfly.
"Finished." He stated, holding up the paper. She let out a little gasp, eyes lighting up.
"It's a butterfly! It's beautiful."
"It's for you." He handed her the drawing, letting her tilt it around in her hands. "You told me your favorite color was blue."
"It is! Thank you!" She put it to the side. "Hold on. I'm almost finished." She turned away from him to where she'd hidden her paper on her other side, grabbing the blue colored pencil he'd just finished using. A moment later, she raised her secret piece, the blank back facing him. "Close your eyes." He followed her orders, unable to contain a smile at her open giggles. The paper was placed carefully in his outstretched hands. "Open them!"
He opened his eyes to see what looked to be a portrait of a boy with blonde hair, black tux, blue eyes.... him? Was this a picture of him? "....what.." He struggled for words, not wanting to wrongly assume. He looked over the paper at her. "Who..."
"It's you, silly." She walked on her knees to come sit beside him, easily pressing her should against his arm. His sister. "See, your suit and blue eyes. Your hair is hard to get right because it's so wavy, but I tried my best. Do you like it?"
"Like it?" He asked, almost to himself. His eyes were watering again as he gave the girl a bright smile. "I love it! Thank you so much. You're so talented. It's amazing." She did seem to have a gift for art. The lines were harder, easier to discern, and the features were more prominent than anything he'd ever drawn facial wise - if he did draw. He couldn't remember the last time he drew, other than the butterfly.
"Thank you." She laughed. "Maybe it can be the first gift for your new room?"
"It definitely can be." He stood, discreetly wiping at his eyes as he went to the desk once more. There was a bulletin board above it and he took four pushpins from a little bowl on the side. "Can I do this?" He gestured to the board. She nodded, bouncing on her toes with his butterfly art in her hands. He put the priceless art in the exact middle of the board, pinning it at the very corners so not to encroach on any of the careful coloring. "Perfect."
"You're right in the middle."
"Yes, but that wasn't all I was talking about. The art is perfect and it's a wonderful gift."
"You're welcome. I love my butterfly. Her name is Belle."
"That's a great name." His heart was metling on the inside. She gave him another smile and then her arms were around his waist, hugging him. Surprised, he froze. "Uh..."
"It's nice to have another brother." She looked up at him, chin against his stomach.
Getting over his shock, he knelt down, giving her a proper return hug. She repositioned her arms around his neck. "It's nice to have siblings, including you."
"Do you have any other siblings?"
"No. I thought I was an only child until today." He chuckled nervously. "But I'm very happy to have you and I can't wait to meet Annie and Michael."
Another knock on the door brought Lou and Claire's attention to it. It opened and Shannon poked her head around the edge, smiling at the two. "Lunch is ready. Michael is back and everyone else is downstairs."
Claire grabbed onto his hand, pulling him forward. "Let's go, Lou!"
He smiled to hide his anxiety, carefully slipping by Shannon to follow the little girl. Time for introductions.
I got the Nolan part from @0perfectimperfections0 and we came up with this story idea randomly the other day. Decided to put it into words in the shortest story I've ever posted on here. Enjoy!
Pool Day
"C'mon, Lou! Get in the water!" Moxy called from where she was sitting on a pool noodle. They were having a pool day today, Lou without a class to teach and the sun beating down on them from above. Everyone was splashing around in the water, throwing floats and beach balls around. Only Lou stood on the edge, watching them all with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. He was wearing blue swim trunks, a white t-shirt, and sunglasses perched on his nose. It was the closest to casual they'd seen him during the day.
"I'd rather watch you all try to teach Nolan how to swim." He said, moving the corner of his glasses down to peer at them. "It's amusing."
Indeed, Mandy was with Nolan in the shallow end, teaching him how to doggie paddle his way along the side. The brunette didn't know how to swim and was nervous to learn, nervously wringing his hands all morning but bravely getting into the water anyway.
"Louuuuu....." Moxy whined, paddling toward him a little. "Pleeeaaaassseeeee. It's really nice!" She splashed some water toward him, getting it on his feet. He was not impressed.
"I'd rather watch." He didn't mind the water, really. He just didn't like what his hair looked like - and felt like - when wet. The perfect style would be gone in a blink.
In their conversation, no one noticed Ox climb out of the water to stand to the side of Lou, a little behind him. As Lou and Moxy kept bickering, UglyDog and Lucky Bat soon joining in, the green doll rolled his eyes and, with one hand, pushed Lou into the pool. He hit the water, going under and coming up one second later. He sputtered, pushing wet hair out of his eyes and glaring up at his friend. The sunglasses were held in his left hand.
"No fair." Lou pouted. Ox stuck his tongue out, and, without warning, jumped into the water with canon ball, splashing everyone in the vicinity - including Lou. The blonde shook his head, wiping water from his eyes.
"All is fair in love and war, buddy. That includes the pool." Ox shrugged, turning to the laughing smaller dolls.
'All is fair, huh?' Lou thought. He carefully placed his sunglasses on the pool's edge, then used the side to push himself down under the water. With careful precision, he pushed off the side, keeping close to the ground until he was under Ox.
Up above him, Mandy noticed Lou's disappearance, watching him under water as Nolan swam a little deeper into the water, finding his rythme in paddling. Her mouth quirked up into a smile, causing the brunette to stop and look at her. "What are you smiling about?"
She nodded toward the water and his eyes soon found Lou, almost crouching on the pool floor under Ox. A chuckle left Nolan. She raised her finger to her lips to shush him, watching as Lou finally pushed off the ground...
Lou came out of the water under Ox, pulling the smaller doll's legs over his shoulders. He didn't weight overly much and Lou's leg strength kept them afloat in the area between deep a shallow waters, his toes occasional grazing the ground.
"Ah, Lou!" Ox yelped, scrambling to grab onto Lou's hands. The blonde laughed, bordering on maniac and happy.
"All is fair, correct?" He asked cheekily, already knowing the answer.
The other doll shook his head and rolled his eyes. Craning his neck, Lou could see the edges of an exasperated smile on his face. "Yer right." He patted the wet mop of blonde hair. Strands fell in Lou's eyes and he frustratedly blew them away. "You need a hair tie. Babo, do you got one?"
"I do not need a hair tie."
"Yer not gonna be able to see with that hair like it is."
"And who's the doll who pushed me in the pool?"
"The ghost."
"Liar."
Babo swam over after going to his bag at the edge of the pool, offering up the hair tie. Lou tried to swim away, pulling Ox with him, but the doll still managed to grab it. "Hold still, Louis."
"Never." Lou proceeded to move around, diving under water and wiggling as much as possible, determined to somehow get away without letting go of Ox. His hopes were short lived, however, as Ox managed to get his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. "I don't like you."
"You love me."
"Debatable." Lou rolled his eyes, but there was no heat to it. He was about to put Ox back down into the water when Moxy yelled what was somehow the strangest thing he'd heard from her - and he'd heard a lot of things come out of that mouth.
"Chicken fight!"
There were no chickens and how would they get them to fight? Was this another term he didn't know? A glance around proved that he wasn't the only one perplexed. Even UglyDog looked at Moxy like she'd grown a second head.
The pink doll climbed off her pool noodle. "It's a game Maizy plays with her friends in the pool. It involves four people, two pairs, one on top of the other like Lou and Ox are." She gestured wildly to them, accidentally throwing little droplets of water at their faces. "First one to push the other off wins." She paused, glancing around at them all. "And there can be more than two pairs."
"I'm down!" Lucky Bat said. "Babo, little help?"
As the bigger grey dog picked up the bat, UglyDog paddled to the edge. "I'm referee! No foul play without a good reason!"
"How about no foul play?" Mandy suggested dryly, moving to the side to watch with Nolan.
"All depends!"
Ox huffed a laugh. "Lou, do you wanna do this?"
A smirk formed on the blonde's face. "As long as you want to win."
"Oh, definitely."
It ended up with Lou and Ox against two other sets of dolls. Lucky Bat on Babo's shoulders and Moxy on Wage's. They used noodles as swords and laughed until only one group was left standing.
Ox and Lou.
The smaller doll pumped his fist in the air. "Yes, brothers win- whoa!" Lou tossed him off his back, letting him land in the water with a splash.
"Yes." He laughed as Ox came up and splashed him. "We win."
"Lou, let me play with your hair!" Moxy swam toward him.
"Nope." He moved away, swimming backwards to keep her in his sights. "Not happening."
Because it's @0perfectimperfections0 turn to get incentive to do work, I created this actually-technically short story. UglyDolls related, of course. Good job finishing your assignments!
This story could technically go along with my other stories. It depends on how you want to look at it. Mandy × Lou is a mention.
What are we going to do with you, Baby Blue?
"Lou, could you get the- oh." A small smile spread across Wage's face as the orange doll caught sight of her temporary employee. He was slumped over the counter in the kitchen, head pillowed on his arms where he slept. Counting money was forgotten, the bills and coins pushed to the side so he had room. She shook her head and made her way over to him, putting a gentle hand on his back. The cook sighed, watching Lou peacefully sleep on. The guy needed a break. They'd been waiting on him to crash out for two days now, but nothing seemed to slow down the doll on a mission to earn his place in the eyes of the other dolls. He was already back to teaching and doing the paperwork for Ox, but he still hadn't won his place with some... less accepting dolls. It'd been almost a year of reform for him, but nothing felt like enough.
'He's going to run himself ragged,' she thought, hand moving slowly up and down his slouched back. Lou's eyebrows furrowed momentarily before he settled down again, subconsciously leaning toward the touch. His mental state and understanding of emotions got better day by day, but working habits were harder to break. Harder when some dolls only demanded more. One doll couldn't do the work of ten. That didn't stop Lou from trying.
Yes, she'd been one of the ones to initially be very skeptical of Lou, but who could blame her? Or anyone else who was? At the time, Lou had been dethroned from maniacal ruler and was not to be trusted. But since then, she saw him. The real Lou under everything. He was still snarky and quick witted in most areas, an almost permanent strut to his walk and perfect posture that could intimidate, but he was so much more than that. Everything he knew about dolls was drilled into him from creation. Everything he did was instructed of him from day one. He couldn't fight back. When he tried, he was almost broken. Confidence was a defense. Curiosity was hidden. Emotions were left void and incomprehensible until Ox came along. All of those things were coming up and being processed, giving them the Lou they should've had all along.
Lou shifted a little under her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. His face scrunched up in confusion, fingers starting to ball into fists. She shushed him, rubbing his back again. "You're alright, Lou. You can sleep." She said gently, mindful of her tone when he was like this. He stilled after a moment, going back to the peaceful sleep of before. She sighed, shaking her head once more, and said fondly:
"What are we going to do with you, Baby Blue?"
___________________________________________
Moxy sat on the counter beside Lou's head, running her fingers through the threads of his hair. It was incredibly soft - the softest hair she'd ever felt. No joke. She theorized it was because of him being a prototype, sewn by hand, but she hadn't found the right time to voice the thought. Lou was insecure about being a prototype as it was. Even if his hair was a nice thing, it was sometimes uncertain how he would react to his base status.
They didn't need to take steps backward in convincing him he was a real doll by noting a difference, no matter how good. It would hurt him if it wasn't the right time.
Wage had left her in charge of Lou when she walked in a few minutes ago to come talk to her friends. The other doll stepped outside the closed diner to call Babo for reinforcement in getting Lou back home without waking him. Nearly all the dolls could carry him - he was tall, but like many PrettyDolls, he was lightweight. Lighter than most, honestly - but they weren't about to risk waking him in an awkward carry, likely causing him to get frazzled and leave.
"You're adorable when you're sleeping." She whispered to the konked out doll, gently bopping him on the nose with her free hand. His face scrunched up in annoyance at her finger and he buried himself down further into his arms, bangs now a flatter mess from her brushing. She giggled quietly, resuming running her fingers through blonde locks. "Little Baby Blue."
The nickname was a new one. No one was exactly sure who came up with it and they rarely used it when Lou was concious due to how pouty he got, but when he was like this, it was hard to resist the new nickname. Baby Blue stemmed from one thing - his eyes. Sapphire eyes brighter than any other doll she'd seen before. The rest of the name latched onto his whole demeanor when he was learning something or interested - curious, trusting, endearing, and innocent. None of his years stayed on his face when he was asleep or relaxed. It made it easier to refer to him as 'Baby Blue' when he was asleep despite his eyes being closed.
The side door to the kitchen opened and Wage came back in, Babo in tow. The moment the taller doll saw Lou, he smiled. It was the only thing you could do when the doll was actually sleeping. Any sleep he got was less than he needed, but every minute of rest counted. "He's finally out, huh?"
"Yup." Moxy said, popping the 'p' with care. It was hard for her not to be loud, but for a sleeping friend? She could do it.
Babo came over to the table, putting one arm around Lou's back and the other under his knees. He easily hoisted the doll up to his chest, shifting so Lou could lay comfortably. The doll barely stirred, cuddling up against the grey doll.
Moxy really wished she had a camera.
"I'll get him home." He said, then paused. "I might actually take him to Ox's house so he doesn't wake up alone. Mandy won't be back until tomorrow. There's a sleepover at her kid's house."
"Good idea." Wage agreed, opening the door for the two. "Have a good night, Babo."
"Night, Wage. Night, Moxy."
"Goodnight!" Moxy called, lowering her voice at the last second. Definitely couldn't wake Lou so close to getting him to bed. Babo smiled again, nodded a final goodbye, and disappeared into the street, Lou held close to him. A thought crossed her mind:
What are we going to do with you, Baby Blue?
___________________________________________
Everyone knew Lou was getting tired. It was hard to tell unless you knew him as well as they did. He didn't have a clear understanding of his emotions sometimes, but he could sure as heck hide them along with his tiredness. When Lou started to hit his limit, he would throw himself into work, remain restless in an attempt to stay awake, and get snappier over time. Of course, he'd apologize for his tone later, but it was a clear show that he was offset about something, especially if it was coupled with him falling into a daze sometimes. This time around, it was exhaustion. Lessons on body limits hadn't gotten through his thick skull yet.
Looking at him now, pressed against his chest, Babo couldn't help but notice how small Lou looked. Sure, Babo was bigger than most dolls were, but it wasn't only size that made the blonde look smaller. His face was lax in sleep, his ear pressed over Babo's heart, and he was curled up in his arms like a...
Like a baby.
He snorted out a laugh to himself. If Lou ever heard that he looked like a baby, or a sleeping child, he would get so frustrated and usually wind up with his head in his hands. He almost stomped his foot once, only stopping when he seemed to realize how childish it was. Not many dolls noticed the action or how Lou's face flushed further as he glared at the offending limb, but Babo did. It was fun to just watch those arguments sometimes, pick up on little details the others wouldn't notice, and replay them to himself later. The near foot stomp was one of them. It showed how perfectly controlled Lou could have certain emotions yet still have lapses of losing control. He was learning.
A little shiver swept through the limp form in his arms, urging Babo to pick up his pace. It was a slightly chillier night as they headed into October. Babo and most other dolls similar to him would barely notice due to their structure, but the PrettyDolls had some issues with getting cold or hot. Lou was a more sensitive case with the chip in his neck. As much as it was water proof, it was a little more sensitive to temperature, as much as Lou tried to deny it. His suit was not the thickest material out there (somehow stiff and silky), so Babo needed to get him to Ox and under blankets soon or risk their sickness-prone friend getting a cold or migraine from that dreaded chip.
It made Lou who he was and gave him the ability to function. Why did it have to cause so many issues? Why did it hurt him? While mechanics were not Babo's forte, he understood that he himself (along with any other doll) had no chip. Lou was hardwired to need it. A constraint. A mark of someone else once having been in control.
Babo shook his head as the doll stirred a little, almost as if he had sensed his thoughts and wanted to come closer. The grey doll complied, shifting him into more of a hug that was still considered a carry. It was a little awkward, but he needed the comfort and Lou needed the heat of his body.
No bad thoughts tonight. Tonight was about sleep.
A few minutes later, he arrived at Ox's doorstep and knocked quietly. Not long later, the door came open to a bleary eyed Ox rubbing at his eyes. When he saw Lou, he blinked awake.
"Delivery." Babo stated, earning a small chuckle from the green doll.
"He finally lost the battle with sleep, aye?"
"Out like a light. I figured I'd bring him here, so he wasn't alone when he woke up." They'd spent plenty of nights alternating who had Lou in their house because they didn't want the doll to wake up alone or he was having a bad week. That had stopped only because Mandy more often than not ended up sleeping beside Lou at night.
"Good call." Ox raised his arms. "I can take him."
"You sure?" It wasn't like Ox couldn't carry him, but Babo had no problem taking him the rest of the way.
"Yeah. I've got a bit of experience carryin' my brother around when he's went in ova' his head." He assured, arms remaining up. Seeing no room for argument and not really wanting to argue, he slid Lou into the safe arms of his older brother. (It didn't matter the fact that Lou was at least eight years older than him manufacturing wise. Ox was his older brother. Lou could disagree all he wanted.) The blonde easily slipped into place, Ox shifting him with practiced ease so Lou's forehead was against the side of his brother's head, one arm draped over the back of Ox's neck for unneeded support. "See? Perfect."
"I do see." Babo laughed quietly. "I'll leave you to it then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Babo. Thank ya for bringin him."
"It's no problem. Wage called me while Moxy watched him."
Ox chuckled again. "I'll be sure to thank em, too. See ya tomorrow."
"See you."
The door shut as Babo walked away, back toward his house. He laughed a little to himself, not caring what he looked like from an outside view. The mental image of Lou asleep was ingrained in his mind. He whispered to himself as he moved up the porch steps to his house:
"What are we going to do with you, Baby Blue?"
___________________________________________
With minimal difficulty, Ox managed to get Lou into a pair of pajamas that he owned specifically for his brother and tucked into bed. Once Lou was secured under warm blankets, Ox left only the light of a night light on and climbed up to sit beside him, running a hand over where his brother's chip resided. Still a little cool from the outside air, but nothing a bit longer in the warmth couldn't fix.
Lou stirred, shifting a little. Sapphire eyes blinked open halfway, gazing around confusedly. Ox had to stiffle a little laugh at the innocence of it, continuing to smile down at the blonde.
"Ox?" His voice was sleep slurred, his eyes wavering in their focus with the dim light.
"Yeah, it's me." He ran a hand over his hair. "Go back to sleep. Everything is fine. I promise. You'll understand in the morning. Night is the time for dolls to be asleep." Maybe hebwas talking like a parent would a child, but who cared? Nobody.
"So you should be, too." Lou muttered, but his eyes drifted close. A little laugh refused to be held back, bubbling quietly out of Ox's mouth as he settled against the pillows. Lou instantly shifted over to him, head pressed into his chest as Ox continued to trail a hand through his hair.
"I guess you're right, Baby Blue. I'll go to sleep if you do."
If the other doll heard him, he didn't respond, only pressing himself further into Ox's chest. Ox could only smile and shake his head, feeling like many others had done the exact same head movement in the last hour. Lou could do things to turn the heart inside out without knowing it. He smiled, hand continuing to act as an idle comb while he looked down at his best friend and brother.
After the events of the movie, the robots try to regain order in Imperfection.
Took me a while, but I finally finished this one! It'll be a bit for the other asks because I have a HUGE oneshot I'm working on. I definitely want to do them soon though. I hope you like this! Even if it turns out to not be what you were really going for
Also, I love seeing asks. Your ask is actually the first one I've ever gotten and I've been so excited to write for it. I'm always open to prompt suggestions!
Robot Overload
"What are the robots doing up there?"
It was the question of one brunette haired doll - Janice, he recalled automatically - that had Lou looking up from where he was hidden from others, mopping an alleyway near town square. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, pushing back his bangs in the process. His stupid hair was nowhere close to what it used to be: shorter pieces tried to hang over his left eye when he looked down and the longer pieces fell down his head in slightly curly waves, stopping at the base of his neck. It was annoying, but there was nothing he could do about it with his limited resources.
It had been three weeks since he was essentially 'dethroned from power,' as some dolls liked to put it. Three weeks since he was put through several intense wash cycles on the highest setting, causing his suit to shrink and hair to be frazzled for a while (not to mention the reoccurring nightmares of infinite drowning.) He was immediately moved from his mansion to a small shack on the edge of town. It was roomey enough, but far, far from what he was used to. He raged about it in his head, ignoring that part of him, deep down, that was thankful for it. No more too big rooms. No more empty halls. It was still lonely, just not suffocatingly empty.
Not long after, a mop and bucket were pushed into his hands, and he was told to get to work. He wanted to scream at them all, scream at himself for letting this happen, but something - maybe that small part of him that was thankful to be moved away from the mansion - kept him from doing that. Instead, he took the items and got to work. Dolls laughed and mocked. Ox wouldn't meet his eyes half the time. Lou threw himself into scrubbing, sweeping, pulling weeds - anything.
He was outcasted. A freak to the place he'd been forced to call home for ten years, watching dolls come and go. He'd been toppled from power, lost the admiration, and tossed into the shadows to be gawked at and made fun of.
But there was no more pressure to be perfect. Perfection wasn't needed. And you know what? That was fine by him. Let them make the mistakes. Let them figure out that his lessons had hepled. Let them figure it all out because no one listened when he tried to speak up. Not even Ox.
So he scrubbed, keeping his head down, invisible, all the way up until that question reached his ears.
Lou squinted at the forms of the robots flying over the town, then at the ones moving quickly through the streets, eyes glowing red and- oh no. The blonde dropped the mop and broke into a run down the street, dodging dolls, the glares thrown his way, and the curious questions from some slightly nicer, newer dolls who didn't know his full story. He ignored them all, only focusing on his feet hitting concrete and finding Ox. He was fast, but the robots were everywhere and could fly.
He had to make it in time to warn him.
The robots did an automatic check once a month. A check on dolls, sales, the portal - everything, including Lou himself. It had completely slipped his mind - how, he didn't know. He'd never forgotten a check before. His legs moved faster, arms swinging at his sides as he zig zagged through dolls of all kinds who were frozen in confusion on the streets. 'They must've started the check, didn't recognize me, and then saw the UglyDolls.' He thought, rushing up the stairs to the new, public capital building of the democracy. He threw open the doors to the grotesquely decorated place that always made him want to gag, letting his legs carry him as fast as possible down the middle hallway. The inside wasn't as disorganized and randomly colored as the outside, but Lou didn't exactly have much time to pay attention to those details.
He slowed his run a little to scan the signs on doors, his heart pounding faster with every little plaque that didn't have Ox's name there. Or mayor. Or whatever he was called. Dang it, he better not have to go back and sprint the set of stairs to the second floor. He would be wasting precious time
Finally - finally - he hit the last door. It was in the center with a plaque that read 'Mayor.' He skidded to a stop, toes hitting the wood, and threw open the door, knocking forgotten. "Ox! I know you hate me, but-" He paused, heart going to his throat at the scene before him. The table and chairs were overturned, papers everywhere, and the window was shattered. No Ox. The robots got to him.
He ran to the window, ignoring the glass on the floor - they had to have busted in from the outside - and looked out. He could just barely see several colorful figures being herded by metallic grey ones around the corner of some buildings. Ox, Moxy, Mandy, Nolan, Babo - all of them. The robots must have recognized them as the perpetrators of this whole mess. That or the others came to Ox's rescue only to get taken themsleves.
With no time to spare, he undid the latch and pushed open the window, sending some shards of glass outside. He hauled himself up and over, thankful for how grand in size the window was, and hit the ground sprinting in the direction of the robots. The direction of the furnace.
Other robots were keeping dolls - Pretty and Ugly - from moving far, hands or paws up in the air and backs pressed to the multicolored building walls. Lou saw their wide eyes following him in his peripheral, but he only had eyes for one direction. When robots tried to grab him, he ducked and dodged nimbly, too fast for them to catch. He'd be proud of himself if his heart wasn't going a million miles a minute. If his appearance wasn't so shaken up, they'd recognize him on the dot without a scan of his chip - a scan they wouldn't do to a doll running from them.
He made his way around the corner and crouched behind an alley trash can, watching the few robots chasing him pass. Lou dragged in breath after breath as quietly as possible, observing as they slowly headed back the way they came, likely communicating to each other that they would find him later. When he was sure the last robot passed, he edged his way to the opening, peering both ways around the corner. To the right, a couple of blocks away, were the captured forms of Ox and his merry gang. He could vaguely hear Ox talking, trying to reason with hunks of metal that only followed coding.
Lou needed them to scan him, recognize him, and follow his orders to get everything back on track. Subconsciously, he reached up and touched his neck over where his chip was. The thing that separated him from every other doll. The thing that made him a prototype. He sighed, shook his head, and made his way quickly and silently down the street, ducking by buildings, taking empty alleyways, and, when those disappeared, taking cover behind washed up cardboard stacks and big rocks. He crouched by another small stack of cardboard, taking a moment to watch and catch his breath. They were only a few yards away, his... the dolls pressed back to back where the robots circled them, red eyes glowing. Lou was so close he could throw a rock and hit a robot in the back of the head.
Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to do that. But he did need a weapon.
"Listen, robots, please. There has been a misunderstandin. We can talk an' fix it." Ox was trying to sound firm and reasonable, as always, but an edge of pleading was seeping into his voice. A foreign, forgotten feeling slipped into Lou, squeezing his heart. Ox wasn't supposed to sound like that. Those dolls behind him weren't supposed to be pressed together, trying to stand tall as they clung to the hands of each other, no way out with the hulking figures around them. "I'm Ox, the new mayor, and-"
"Protocal section A1," the robot in front of him said in a blocky voice, "dictates that the only ruler we follow besides the creator is the Model 12 Prototype: Louis Everett." Lou grimaced. He was the only (technical) doll with a given last name before recieving a child. He had his creator's last name. He hadn't seen that strict man in years, and he didn't hope to see him again after everything he was put through with him. (Learn everything, know everything, do everything-) "Our sensors and cameras failed to find him among the dolls. We were met with foreign entities instead. Video footage proves you, green mistake and others, started all of this, and need to go into the furnace with the other miscreant figures."
"Where is Lou?" The blonde heard Nolan quietly ask the group, receiving head shakes and nervous shoulder shrugs. "He didn't leave. He was at the square earlier."
Nolan noticed him? Something about that made his heart widen and squeeze at the same time.
"He probably left because he knew all this would happen." Ugly Dog grumbled, the quaver in his voice overshadowing the anger. Lou found he couldn't blame him. Once again, his blue eyes looked over the area for some kind of weapon-
There was a short, broken ended pipe on the other wide of the pile. He grabbed it silently, weighing it in his hands. Not too heavy, roghly six doll feet long, and the sharp end would be useful. He got up onto his knees, one hand tight around the pipe, and got ready to run again.
'Why am I doing this?' The inner question made him pause, the next part of the conversation disappearing admist his buzzing thoughts. 'They threw me to the side. They took my place. My mansion. Ox left me. Everyone has left me. I'm all alone. Why do I care? Why, after everything, do I still care about anyone?'
The answers came in the form of memory flashes. Being created under the strict and watchful hand of Greyson Everett. Trained under the harshest conditions. Running the Institute, unable to leave for the world he taught other dolls to go to, knowing he would never see them again. Knowing he could never build a connection with them. Then Ox came along, taught him how to feel and understand emotions on some level, and though he left, who could blame him? He couldn't blame Ox for wanting to go to the Big World. He couldn't blame Ox for leaving after what Lou showed him, could he? The loneliness ate Lou, turned him more bitter with every passing day, and then dolls like Ox came along and turned everything upside down. He lost everything, but maybe, he needed that to happen.
A yelp of alarm slammed him back into reality.
The claws of a robot had reached out, grabbing Ox by his ears and arm, dragging him forward, foot by foot. The others tried to reach out to help only to be constrained by the four other robots there, their arms stretching to wrap around them all in a rough hold. Despite Ox's frantic struggling, he couldn't slow the robot down. In fact, it was moving faster.
"You will be the first to die." It said tonelessly. The furnace was still a good several blocks away, but it didn't make the threat any less horrible. Lou's heart pounded in his ears, his lungs seizing up at the thought of Ox 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, and he froze in place. Every thought urged him to move, to do something, but he couldn't.
The robot's claws tightened when Ox continued to struggle.
His brother screamed. Not in surprise, but in pain.
Red washed Lou's vision. Every thought was erased. Every bit of fear was gone. It was all replaced by the sound of his brother screaming and the need to stop that pain.
Lou crossed the distance in four seconds, sliding under the arm of the robot that tried to grab him. He jumped into the air in front of the robot holding Ox, then slammed the pointed end of the pipe into the eye of it. The robot crackled and popped for a moment, then fell to the ground in a heap. Lou used the falling momentum to his advantage, flipping over the pipe with his hands still wrapped around the metal. The force yanked it free of the eye and Lou was standing again, spinning to face everyone, robots and dolls alike. The formers' faces didn't change, but the dolls? They were painted with shock.
"Lou?" Ox questioned quietly, pulling the blonde's attention to him. The robot was dead, circuits and wires pulled out through the break Lou caused, but the claws were still wrapped around his appendages tightly. Lou wanted to help him, but the robots were letting go of the dolls, their red eyes zeroed in on the prototype.
"Yeah, I'm here. Big shocker." It was all he could come up with. His feet moved him paces to the right and back, away from Ox. The robots followed. "Just... all of you, stay out of the way." When one robot surged forward, he raised the pipe like a bat and swung, hitting the weak spot in its neck. The force of the hit reverberated through his entire body, but it sent the metal head flying off and the rest of it crumpling to the ground. Two down. Three left.
The remainder moved in quickly, navigating to surround Lou as much as they could. He spun, trying to keep his eyes on all of them at once. It was no use. One was always out of his field of vision. His heart slammed against his chest, adrenaline making his hands shake where they were clasped tightly around his makeshift weapon. He couldn't see all of them. What if-
"Behind you!" Mandy yelled.
Lou turned in barely enough time to slam the pipe through the stomach of his attacker. It was not a clean hit, but when he pulled it back, there was a good sized hole. It sparked. The robot fell. Three down. Two left.
"Thanks." He called to Mandy over his shoulder, ignoring how his breath was stalling in his chest. His legs ached. His body shook. Too many nights of little sleep from nightmares was taking its revenge at the worst possible time. He spun the pipe between his hands, taking a step back as the two robots moved slowly forward, clearly surveying him. The stand off gave him a moment to think. He couldn't destroy both of them. He needed one to scan him and send out a signal to every other robot to call off the attack on the Institute before anyone got burned.
"Listen to me." He said, pouring every inch of formal command into his voice. One robot stalled. The other kept moving. "I am Louis Everett. Prototype Model 12. Created by Greyson Everett." He had to pause for breath, taking another step back away from the advancing robot. "I am not missing. I have a... temporary look and the scanners didn't catch me. I am still in charge." The lie slipped off his lips like honey and salt. "Nothing is wrong."
"Explain the unknown entities." The stopped robot stated.
"You weren't updated properly." This lie was easier. "These new dolls are called UglyDolls. They are a new product for the company and have been selling off the charts with kids." That was not a lie. He'd heard Ox talking about it with Mandy once, while he was hidden in the shadows. "They are not to be disposed of. I repeat: do not dispose of them."
The moving robot lunged forward. Lou raised his pipe up, catching the claws with it, but the force of the robot sent his back to the ground. He was pinned, the pipe between them the only barrier. He heard the urgent yells of his name as he pushed back against the robot, desperate to free himself. The bar came further his way, pressing down on his chest until he could hardly breathe.
Think. Think. Think. Think, Louis!
He heard the patters of several feet moving his way. No. They couldn't put themsleves in danger for him. He wouldn't allow it. "No!" He managed to yell. "Don't come closer!" The last word ended in a hiss of pain as the pipe further crushed his chest. "I... I can do this." The sentence was barely a whisper, more to himself than anyone else. In a last attempt, he managed to bend his legs and press them to the torso of the robot. With a burst of desperate strength and adrenaline, he pushed up. The robot was forced back and couple of inches along with the bar.
Lou took his chance.
He rolled out from under the bar and let it slam down against the concrete. The sharp end cut into his shoulder, resulting in him biting back a yell of pain. He couldn't worry them. They would come jumping into the fray without knowing how to defend themsleves, making everything more complicated. He rolled away from the robot and up onto his shaking legs. The robot tossed the pipe to the side as it faced him, the red glow in its eyes blinking in and out. It was closest he'd ever seen a robot come to expressing anger, or an emotion of any kind.
The blonde spared a quick glance around. No more pipes besides the one on the other side of the robot. Nothing-
Nolan grabbed the pipe as Lou was forced to duck a grab to the neck. His mismatched eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty as they met Lou's, his hands clasped tightly around the only possible weapon in the vicinity. After half a second, he raised it. "Lou, catch!" He reared it back over his shoulder.
"This way!" Lou dove to the side to get out of the way of another strike and to get clear of the robot. Nolan stumbled forward and threw. It soared through the air.
Too high. When it went over him, it would be out of reach by a few feet.
Mind racing for a solution, Lou did the only thing he could do. He ran toward the robot, earning many yells of alarm, and jumped. It was only by sheer luck that he dodged the arms coming for him, kicking against the chest of the robot with one foot, sending himself into the air. His fingers wrapped around the pipe as the robot grabbed his foot, slamming Lou down against the ground like a rag doll. The impact knocked the breath out of him and he saw stars in his vision, but he didn't let go of the pipe.
The robot released his foot to try and pin him down again. Lou was ready for it. He turned the pipe at the last second, slamming it upward and through the chest of the robot. He didn't need to see to know it came out the other end. Quickly, he scrambled out from under it right before it fell in the very spot he was laying.
Breath heaving in his chest, he pulled himself to stand, dimly aware of everyone else not far behind him, including Ox. Their eyes were burning holes in the back of his head as he faced off the last robot. "Scan me." He told the frozen machine. "Scan me and listen to my orders or I'll have you toasted." He somehow managed to keep his voice strong and commanding even as he felt like falling over on the spot. The adrenaline was fading and he had to lock his legs at the knees to keep from hitting the ground then and there. He only hoped the others couldn't see his struggle.
The lights in the robot's eyes turned blue. Lou faced forward, palms out at his sides and feet spread to shoulder width. It casted a blue light over him, scanning him from head to toe before zeroing in on his neck. His chip. It made him feel vulnerable, but he didn't dare move.
"Authorization complete. Hello, Louis."
He heaved a sigh of relief, pushing back a smart remark. "Hello."
"What commands would you like me to carry out at the moment?"
Lou took a second to gather himself, crossing his arms over his chest and pulling his feet together. He ignored the sting in his shoulder when he moved. It didn't feel like a deep cut, but it definitely hurt. "Communicate to all robots that the Model 12 Prototype is fine, here, and," he spared Ox a momentary glance over his shoulder, "in charge. Everything is under control. You were not programmed correctly, and so didn't recognize my... other look and the new dolls on the market. Have them release everyone. They are not intruders. New code will be given to you all in the next few days." His voice was strong and calm, but his body felt anything but that. He was beginning to waver inwardly, the last of the adrenaline disappearing into hand shakes and tiredness.
"Understood, sir." The blue lights blinked in and out. "Done."
Some of the tension coiled in his chest loosened. He could've collapsed right then from relief. "Good. That's good." He cleared his throat. "Now, go help clean up the mess you all made and apologize to those dolls for the miscommunication."
"Yes, sir." The robot headed back toward town, leaving Lou with the other dolls. He spun to face them, pushing a hand through the hair that hung over his right eye. It was annoying how much it fell, though he was more concerned with how much he was shaking and the darkening of his vision at the edges.
"Lou, are you okay?" Of course it was Ox to ask, running up to him with his one eye wide with concern. Lou had to glance away a second, caught off guard by the sheer amount of emotion radiating from him. "Oh my gosh. Your shoulder-"
"It's fine." He cut in, shaking his head. "I'll fix it myself. It's not bad. Are you all fine?" The question slipped out before he could properly think about it, exposing more worry than he thought he had in him.
"We're okay, thanks to you." Mandy said, stepping forward. Her hands hovered in front of her, fingers reaching for him unsurely. Subconsciously, Lou moved back an inch, disguising it as shifting the weight on his feet. She stopped in her tracks, eyes displaying something he didn't quite understand.
"Those were some moves you pulled, Lou." Lucky Bat said. Ugly Dog appeared to agree, letting out a low whistle despite his earlier words. "We knew you were athletic but wow-"
"Do you know why that happened?" Ox asked, pulling them back to the topic at hand. The robots still sparked around them, dead and gone. They weren't anything to worry about. The factory would retrieve and fix them at some point. By then, their code would be upgraded.
The blonde ran a hand down his face, letting out a small sigh. "Yes, I actually do. The robots do a maintenance check once a month. I completely forgot about it. If I hadn't, I would've warned you. With me... like this," He made an absentminded gesture at his loose hair and outfit, "they didn't recognize me without an actual scan. Their code wasn't updated for the new dolls, so the robots took action by recognizing them as threats and trying to bring back order without me." It was after he spoke that he realized he didn't call them 'Uglies.'
Nolan was the one to ask the next question, wringing his hands in front of him as he stared off in the direction of recycling. "Is it fixed now?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it should all be fixed. They'll have a temporary code on the surface. Micheal might be able to fix it up in their hard drives, or any other doll with an engineering or coding role, like Amy or Zack." The names came to his mind instantly when searching dolls for tasks. 'One of the few good things about being a prototype,' he supposed, pressing his forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose. They needed to get back to town. Ox and the others would have to calm several dolls down, he was sure of it, and Lou needed to fix his shoulder and fade to the background again.
Moxy took the words out of his mind. "Let's head back to town. Everyone's probably really shaken up. We need to get things taken care of, including your shoulder, Louis."
"I said I'm fine." He touched the rip gingerly. No stuffing had come out yet. It was peeking at the tear's edge. "It's not a big deal."
"I say it is." She sing-songed. Lou didn't understand how, after such a terrible ordeal, she was skipping her way back toward the multicolored buildings, getting them all to follow. Lou's feet moved on their own accord, falling in line with Ox, who didn't leave his side to go to the front. "And you're not allowed to leave until you're fixed up."
His eyes narrowed. He expected the familiar heat of annoyance to build in him, burn him up on the inside, but nothing came. The warmth he did feel was foreign and slow, gathering in his chest. "Moxy, seriously," the bite in his words was lost no matter how hard he tried to find it, "I'm-"
"If you say you're fine one more time, I'll..."
"It's alright, Moxy." Ox assured her midway through the threat. "I'll handle him." Lou huffed, crossing his arms, but couldn't find the energy to interject. In fact, he was losing energy for everything. Putting one foot in front of the other felt almost impossible and-
All at once, his visioned tunneled out, going grey and black. His legs crumbled beneath him. The world felt like it was spinning out from under him, sending him and his suddenly pounding head pitching toward the ground. He would've face planted if not for the fluffy arms hooking around his torso, holding him up.
"Lou!"
His eyes were closed. That's why it was so dark. He felt his head hang forward, all control over his body lost and his mind fighting to stay above the waves trying to pull him under. He vaguely felt himself being turned and shifted, the back of his head resting gently against the ground with the rest of his body splayed out. Something - a hand - hit his cheek lightly. "Hey, hey, Lou, buddy, what's wrong?" Ox's voice was strained and shaky. He could sense everyone crowding around him, casting shadows beyond his closed eyelids. His friend shook his shoulder. "Lou, open your eyes. Don't do this to me right n-now." The word cracked. Lou's heart cracked with it. He wanted to open his eyes. Forget coldness and indifference - he wanted to take the pain out of Ox's voice. They hurt each other. It didn't need to keep happening.
Another hand cradled his chin, then moved to his cheek. "He's completely out." Mandy said quietly, her voice almost washed out by the white noise growing in his ears. Conciousness was taunting him at this point.
"That fight took a lot out of him." Babo said - his first time speaking since this whole fiasco began. "I can't blame him though."
A heartbeat of silence passed. "No," Ox stated. "No, that's not all this is. Something else is wrong. I can feel it. Get him to my house. Babo, help me." Hands and arms lifted him gently. The waves crashed down again. He knew no more.
___________________________
It was warm.
Lou's conciousness slowly emerged through the blackness, gaining feeling in his body and coherency in mind. It was warm. Comfortably warm. Nothing like the shack with too thin walls. It felt good to be warm again. There was a light weight across his entire body and a softness at his back - bed and blankets. An incredibly soft bed and blankets that were so warm. He could feel every breath going in and out of his lungs. The world was there, but distant, clouded, and he couldn't find it in him to care-
Someone was holding his hand.
It was a soft hand. Paw-like in a way only certain dolls could be and entirely familiar. Ox. This was Ox's hand, wasn't it? Why was Ox holding his hand? After everything with the recycling, the Gauntlet, the portal, the dethroning, the menial duties - why was he here at all? Wasn't he supposed to be hanging out with those other dolls? Being where Lou couldn't?
An image flashed into his mind. A metal claw holding the arm of his brother while he yelled in pain, fear beginning to move into eyes that were always so brave and warm like this bed-
Ox. The robots. The town.
Everything snapped into place at once.
Lou yanked his heavy eyelids open, ignoring the grainy feel to them, and started to sit up. His bad shoulder sent a pain through his arm with the sudden movement and his back ached from the earlier impact, but he needed to 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒. Why? He wasn't sure. 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑦. The grip on his hand tightened as he tried to let go. "Woah, Lou, slow down." Another paw grabbed his good shoulder, the closest to Ox, and pulled him back down to the pillows. The blonde struggled, but his strength was gone. How long had he been out for? What happened? "I'm right here, brother. You're fine. Everything is fine."
Words tumbled out of Lou's mouth without his consent. "The robots-" He tried to fight Ox's grip, but the green doll held firm, standing at Lou's bedside. Where in the world were they? The shack definitely wasn't decorated like this-
"The robots are fine, too. They're cleaning up, so lay back down before I make ya. Those stitches and bruises have got ta' be smartin." The light threat to Ox's words wasn't missed, though it wasn't like when he was told he had cleaning duty. Lou laid down either way - mainly because his heart was calming down, he was too tired to stay up, and his shoulder was hurting the longer he put weight on it.
"Where am I?" He asked, forcing his voice to remain level. His hands fisted on the blankets as his eyes swept around the room, looking anywhere but at his old friend. The sun shone dimly through drawn windows, leaving the room dark and comfortable.
"My house. We brought you here after you passed out. You scared me half to death, buddy." Ox ran a hand down his face, letting go of Lou's shoulder.
"Sorry." Lou muttered, glancing at him briefly. Why in the world was he using all those old nicknames? Calling him brother? He thought that relationship was dead and gone. Lost in dust years ago. "Don't know why that happened."
"I think I do." Ox leaned back in a chair Lou only now noticed, parked mere inches from the bed. "You're exhausted."
Annoyance flared in his chest, masking the part of him that knew Ox was right. "Am not. I am perfectly fine."
"I have never believed you when you've said those words. I'm not believing you now." The green doll crossed his arms. Lou drew his hands together, interlocking his fingers to try and replace the lost feeling of Ox's hand. "You said you forgot about the bot check."
"I honestly did, Ox." Did he think he was lying? After defending them? He looked away, ignoring the unnatural sting behind his eyes. "I-"
"I know. I believe you. We all do." Ox put a paw on his good shoulder, shaking him a little until Lou looked at him again. "But you and I both know you never forget anything. Your brain has one astounding memory, and you'd never forget something like that without a reason. Lou, you're plain exhausted, and not just from running across town and fighting robots. Have you not been sleeping?"
"Ox, it doesn't matter." He pulled himself to slow sit up, ignoring the light hands that tried to push him back down, pushing force into his voice with energy he didn't have. "Just let me go. I'm fine."
"It does too matter." He stood on the chair to make them almost eye level. "Louis, answer me honestly." The blonde bristled a little at his full name, gazing intently at his legs. "Are you sleeping?"
Maybe it was the fact that no one else was around. Maybe it was because he and Ox had a friendship, a brotherhood, so many years ago. Maybe, on some level, they were still brothers with a lot of trauma. Maybe Lou just wanted to let out the emotions he'd been bottling uo and unable to understand. No matter the reason, the true answer tumbled out of his mouth. "No." His voice was quiet, but in the near empty room, it bounced back to his ears.
"Why?" The doll was equally quiet, bending down until Lou was forced to meet his eye. "I know we haven't been on the best terms at all, but put all that away for a minute. You can talk to me. It's only me and you here. Like old times." He offered a small, shaky smile. "What's keeping you awake?"
"I..." He hesitated. Him and Ox, but it was nowhere near the same. Lou wasn't helping Ox as the one in power. Ox was in power. Lou was the outcast. And yet he felt safe for the first time in a long, long time. He hadn't felt safe since not long before Ox left. Since before Lou found out he wanted to leave. "A lot of things, Ox. I'm not exactly on the best terms with anybody. I can't talk to anyone. You won't even look me in the eyes sometimes. And that stupid, stupid washer-" His breath hitched momentarily. "I can't stop the nightmares. I can't deal with it. It's easier to not sleep than be afraid." He put his face in his hands, trying to push back the tears as he laid his heart out for the first time in.... he didn't know when.
Soft arms wrapped around him, enveloping him in a hug. He stiffened. The last time he had a hug, it was from Ox. Slowly, he pulled his hands from his face, breath frozen in his lungs. The tears he'd been trying to push back moved down his cheeks, plopping down onto Ox's shoulder where Lou's chin was placed. "I didn't know this was happening to you, Lou. I'm sorry. I... I didn't think you'd want anything to do with me after everything. They turned the washer on high, didn't they?"
"It's not supposed to go on high." Lou muttered. "I never put it on high."
"I know, I know. They didn't know. That shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."
Hesitantly, Lou raised his arms to wrap them around the green doll, closing his eyes and letting out a stuttering breath. Keeping it together was futile. Were he and Ox friends again? Or was this a fluke of a doll pitying him? For the moment, Lou didn't care. He turned his head to put his face to Ox's shoulder, breathing shallowly as he tried to get himself back under control. With his racing thoughts, that was hard to do. Suddenly, there was so much he wanted to say and the chance to say it was right here, right now. He raised his head again so he could speak clearly. "I'm sorry for what I did. All I did. I shouldn't have left you. I shouldn't have fought you. I got bitter and so, so angry at you. At everything. It might've been better if I told you I was a prototype from the start, but... I could only see you leaving me. I couldn't handle it and... and... I'm sorry." He hid his face again.
Ox's paw moved up and down his back soothingly. "I know I can't say anything for the town but.... I forgive you, Lou. We're going to have a lot of work to do, yeah, but I forgive you. Nothing's going to snap right back into place though."
"I didn't expect it to, after everything."
"I'm sorry for trying to leave you like that. I should've picked up that there was something else going on the first couple of times you tried to sway me away from it, and at least talked to you about it. I already knew you said you'd never leave the place, wanted to teach dolls. I should've thought about how I'd be leaving you permanently. I didn't think about how the portal was a one way thing back then. I only focused on getting a kid, not the friend I wasn't going to see again."
"No, that wasn't your fault. That was on me, too. There's no way you could've known."
"We can agree to disagree then because you're not changing my mind." He squeezed the hug a little tighter. Lou ignored the twinge of pain that went through his body, focusing on how the first hug he'd recieved in eternity was still happening. "And Lou, I've been meaning to tell you something. It's about what you said at the Gauntlet."
His heart plummeted to his stomach. "What?"
"You're not just a prototype. You may not be able to leave, but you are a doll. You're no less a doll than I am or anyone else for that matter."
A lump formed in Lou's throat and he had to push it down, more tears flooding his eyes. He hadn't cried like this in a long time. The nightmares were different. He might wake up crying involuntarily or unable to force back a few stray tears as he tried to calm down after waking, wrestling with his lungs in order to stop hyperventilating. "I'll try to believe that." He managed to say.
"I'll keep telling you until you do." They pulled back from each other. Ox gripped Lou's shoulder again. "Are we okay now?"
"Yeah, we're good, I think. Maybe a work in progress at the moment." The blonde offered the tiniest smile that Ox returned.
"I'd say we are."
Lou pulled in a deep breath, using his sleeve to wipe away the tears on his cheeks quickly. It was only then he noticed that he wasn't wearing his suit, but a set of pajamas he definitely didn't recognize. He rarely worpajamas and when he did, it was his white undershirt and a loose pair of black slacks. He didn't have real pajamas. These were green striped - a button up shirt and fluffy pants. "Huh?"
"Oh, yeah." Ox plopped down on the edge of the bed by Lou's side, dropping his hand to pat the taller doll's knee. "They're an extra set of Nolan's pajamas. You only have suits in your house. Care to tell me about that?" Ox raised an eyebrow.
"Nope." He moved the collar to look at where his shoulder was currently ripped. Correction, had been ripped. Ox said something about sitches earlier. The cloth of his shoulder was pulled together by near invisible stitches. Eventually, by the same magic that made them alive, it would all merge together and only leave a scar of white - or whatever color thread was used to tie it together. "Who did the stitching?" Last he remembered, Ox wasn't the best at stitching anything.
"Nolan. He stayed here for a while. Everybody did."
That surprised him. "Everybody?"
Ox nodded, a soft smile on his face. "Lou, after what you did right there - nobody can hate you completely. If they were there, anyway. Actually, a lot of dolls who saw you run earlier came by to ask if you were okay. The others were here for a while to make sure you were okay, but they had to go help the other dolls and the robots. Nolan left only twenty minutes ago."
"How long was I..."
"Six hours. Again, scared me half to death."
"I'll try not to do it again."
"Ya better."
They shared a small laugh. Lou dropped his collar and tested the stretch of his arm. It hurt, but that pain would go away after a day or two. Another thought hit him and he steeled his nerves, feeling confident enough to talk in this comfortable space. "Hey, Ox..."
"Yeah?"
"I... know I deserve my punishment. Heck, I deserved more than what I got, and while I don't hate cleaning at all, just doing that is going to eventually drive me nuts. Possibly literally." He raised his good arm to rub at his temple.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, my programming demands I run this place. I was made for it. Every stitch is meant for it and yet I'm not doing it. Eventually, my programming is going to go nuts. It's already starting to happen. I sometimes can't focus at all. I know I'm not supposed to, Ox, and a lot of dolls won't like it, but if you don't want me to go absolutely crazy, I have to do 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 for this place that's not just cleaning. Paperwork, at least. Please." He was practically begging his former- no, current friend to give him a good job.
Ox tapped his chin, letting out a low hum of thought. "I think your actions today have gotten you off of menial duties." He smiled slightly, making Lou's heart thump with hope. "There may be some dolls adverse to it, but if you're with me, I think they'll be fine. You can work with me in the background. We'll call it a new job where you can do all the paperwork you can handle."
A smile of relief and happiness spread across his lips involuntarily. He let out a sigh and gave a small nod of agreement. "Yeah, I will take that deal."
"Plus, it would be a really big help to me, honestly."
Lou raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."
Ox rubbed the back of his neck. "I kind of don't really know how to do the paperwork. We've been trying, but it's really complicated. I've been on the edge of asking you. I just didn't think you'd be open to it."
"Granted, I might not have if all this hadn't happened, but..." He sighed, folding his hands once more. "I really need it, and I really... really want to be friends with you again."
"We can be. We are. Time will help us." He smiled. "For now though, you need to sleep."
"What are you talking about? I've slept enough. Can't we do the paperwork plan now? And don't you have dolls to check on? Seriously, you're the mayor. They probably want to see you."
"Six hours isn't enough, Lou. Lay back down." He pushed against Lou's chest with his hand, not relenting until the doll gave in and laid back on the pillows. Honestly, he was tired, but the notion of actually doing something sounded better than sleeping. "And the others can take care of em. I'm takin care of my brother. You're my priority."
That warmth of earlier swelled in his chest again. Not fire, not ashes, not hot coal, but warm heat that filled him up from toes to hair and made his heart do little squeezes. "Whatever you say."
"I do say." Ox chuckled, pulling the blankets back up to Lou's neck. "First thing tomorrow, we'll eat breakfast together and get to the office. My kid is on vacation without me, so we'll get the whole week to make up for lost time, got it?"
He bit back a yawn. "Got it."
"Good. Now go to sleep before I make ya."
Lou rolled his eyes then closed them, letting himself relax. The tension he hadn't known was in his chest has lessened, allowing him breathe a little deeper mentally. The tension between him and Ox wasn't completely gone, but this was a start. A good start. The relationship between him and everyone else... it would depend on the doll, and he wouldn't blame him if they never forgave him, but he hoped, really hoped, they would. Three words came to his mind to describe this new phase of his life as he dropped off into nightmare-less oblivion:
A new start.
_______________________________
The next day, the other dolls would walk into Ox's office in search of their mayor and Lou to find the two sitting side by side at a brand new desk. It was really Lou's desk that he insisted they get from his old mansion as it was big enough for the two of them to work comfortably without bumping elbows over and over again. Each had different stacks of paper - Ox was sorting whatever Lou handed to him and the blonde doll was actually filling out the paperwork from the information on the computer. To every other doll, it would look like a jumble of jibberish words but to him? It was what he'd been used to for ten years.
They would walk through the door to find the two dolls - brothers - arguing good naturedly about the files, one half eaten breakfast plate from Wage's diner to the side.
"How in the world did you manage to get this disorganized? Did your office have a tornado in it?" Lou was asking, shaking his head as he spun a pen in his hand. His suit was back, covering the stitching in his shoulder, and he sat a little bit hunched to try and take the strain off his bruises. Less than perfect posture, but in the new institute, who cared? "Seriously, why are the April files with the October files?"
Ox rolled his eyes, tossing a wad of trash paper at the blonde head. It bounced off, landing in the trash can and earning him a little, unheated glare from a blonde who was trying to fight off a smile despite his frustration. "I have no clue."
"That's really helpful."
"I try to be."
"You're insufferable."
"I try to be that, too." Ox grabbed a piece of toast off Lou's plate. "You need to finish your breakfast."
"Ox, I am not a child-" He was cut off as the French toast was put in his mouth and he was forced to chew lest it drop to the ground. After swallowing, he said, "No fair." Ox only laughed, going back to sorting files as Lou's effortless cursive flew across the blank pages. There was only one way to describe the scene before them.
Except this time, I did a big twist with an AU idea I've had in my mind for months. This story follows where the Lou in the movie wasn't the real Lou, but a replacement and, well, you'll see how it goes.
Replacement and Rescue
It had been two years since Lou woke up locked in the basement of his own home. Two years since of him being in this ten by ten foot cell with three sleek grey walls and one glass wall. Two years since he was replaced for being 'corrupted' because he learned emotions from Ox and was willing to send a so-called 'ugly' doll to the Big World. Two years of learning dolls' names every night, seeing the memories of his replacement, and trying not to cry from helpless loneliness. He couldn't save his dolls. He couldn't protect them from the harsh words of the doll who pretended to be him. He couldn't protect Ox.
Everything changed a few days ago. Dolls that could only be from wherever Ox came from had shown up. They were going to go through the Gauntlet - an exercise for compassion and skill during his leadership and an object of pressure and fear for his replacement. If they made it through, it would reveal the secret. Lou might get out of there. For the first time in a year, he allowed himself a little bit of hope as he meditated, peering through the eyes of his replacement. The creator couldn't completely sever their connection with one Lou alive. Why he was alive in the first place, he didn't know. Didn't really want to know the answer.
It had been hard to stay up straight and meditate for hours. He usually kept it short, just a glimpse because even though it was torture for himself, he had to know. He hated not knowing even if everything he found out, everything he saw during lessons, crushed him. He was sleep deprived for hours, shaking where he sat and heart thundering in his chest, but he had to know what would happen. Ox was back. His replacement dragged him here and as much as Lou hated him being tossed around by someone he thought was Lou, there was a part of him that was happy. Hopeful. Ox was near. He would figure it out. He had to. The replacement had his memories, but not his attitude.
Ox would figure it out.
Lou watched as his replacement ran the Gauntlet, doing everything he could to trip the other dolls and failing. His heart went a mile a minute, a foreign, forgotten smile of triumph appearing on his face every time the other blonde was thwarted. He watched Moxy, Mandy, Nolan, Ox - everyone. He watched everyone cross. Watched his replacement fail. Grinned when the metaphorical ax fell and his replacement revealed he was a prototype.
Exhaustion took over in a wave as his replacement fought Lou's brother. His palms hit the ground, head hanging forward and bangs covering his face. His hair had long since fallen out of a perfectly good style, hanging in wavy locks on his forehead and reaching just above his shoulders. The last thing he heard was his replacement's cackle and remark of, "I'm not the Lou you knew."
He woke up hours later on the ground with a crick in his neck and his replacement banging on the glass. He rolled his head to look, lacking the strength to stand or even raise up.
The second Lou looked so much worse for wear than ever - suit shrunken, hair a mess, and a scowl permanent on his face. They must've sent him through the wash. Lou allowed himself a small smile. 'Was the water nice?' He wanted to ask, but all that came out of his mouth was air. He hadn't spoken in months. He wasn't sure if his voice worked anymore.
"I'm leaving to talk to the creator and get my position back since your stupid doll friend took it from me." He growled, folding his hands behind his back. Lou's smile grew. "Don't worry, they know nothing about you. They won't find you. They aren't looking for you." His mouth pulled into a smile as Lou's heart dropped. "I can sense your hope as well as you can see through my eyes. You shouldn't have developed emotions. If you hadn't, you'd be in my place without a stupid mistake to take care of."
'I'm glad I developed them!' He wanted to scream. 'I don't want to be like you. I'd rather be here than hurt any doll, especially my brother.' Since his throat refused to cooperate, he glared with newfound defiance. It'd been so long since he'd stood up against his replacement, acknowledged him with more than a short look, and it felt powerful. It felt right, for just a moment.
His replacement snorted. "Adorable." He spun on his heel. "I'll be back in a week or two. Try not to die before then. Sir wants you alive for some reason, despite all your mistakes." Lou waited until the door down the hall closed before letting his eyes shut, breathing deeply as he slowly pushed himself to sit up against the wall. The little cot of a bed was only three feet away, but he didn't have the willpower to get on it. Instead, he drew his knees to his chest and settled his forehead on top of them, unbidden tears falling down his cheeks. Relief. Hope. Desperation. It all boiled over into uncontrolled crying. He hadn't cried in months.
It felt good.
__________________
Lou waited five days.
He forced himself to take a long cold (it was always cold) shower in the little cubicle in the corner every day. Most of it was letting the water fall down on his face and over his threads, grounding him to reality with every shiver. A robot brought him a meal once a day. They seemed to get smaller and smaller with every month that passed, only enough to keep himself alive. He wore plain, stiff clothing, usually black or white, and he hadn't felt comfortable since his capture.
Who was he kidding? The only time he felt comfortable in his life was when he was singing his songs, teaching, or with Ox. It had been a long time since any of that happened. Could he even sing anymore? What would he sing about?
On the evening of the fifth day, Lou sat once again with his back against the wall. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep. Every sound made him jerk, hope skyrocketing that someone was here to save him only to crumble when no one showed. He couldn't take much more of this. His hair was wet from his most recent shower, damp clothes clinging to his skin because he hadn't had the energy to dry himself as much. Shivers wracked his lanky frame making him curl up tighter.
Lou eventually put his head down against his knees again, wrapping his arms around himself in the closest thing he could get to a hug. He missed Ox's hugs. He missed Ox. His only friend. The only person who ever hugged him. Sometimes, he could feel the phantoms of his arms ghosting around Lou's torso, a barely there touch that was really only air. Absentmindedly, he wondered what other's hugs would feel like.
His imagination was torture.
Lou sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to picture for the millionth time what it would be like to be rescued. He couldn't get himself out of this. He'd tried so many times. Attempts only ended in punishment. His body was too weak to try now, even with his captor away. His mind was only sharp through single player card games and mental problems he solved. How he kept his sanity, he wasn't sure. Always remembering Ox? Always keeping a small drop of hope despite everything?
There was no hope now, he realized. Tears pushed at his eyelids and his head pounded in time with his heart. Ox was within a mile from him and he hadn't found him. Hadn't figured it out. He wouldn't be found. Lou #2 would come back and take over again. Everything would be the same except... Ox and the others would undoubtedly be kicked out or worse, never able to return. Lou would be truly alone. He shook, pulling his legs closer as tears broke through, soaked into the cloth of his black pants.
He didn't want to be alone anymore. It was cold. Sad. Scary. All the bad emotions Ox gave him names for. He wanted it to stop.
He wanted his brother, but he was just out of reach. So close, yet painfully far.
_______________
Lou wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he knew when he woke up to the call of his name.
"Lou!"
He shook his head a little, pressing his eyes shut again. It was only in his mind. His stupid imagination. He kept his head downward, pulling his body as close together as he could go to try and block out that imaginary voice in his head. A voice he hadn't heard in years. The last time he truly heard Ox, they were wishing each other goodnight the day before the Gauntlet. Lou had replayed that moment thousands of times, wishing that he'd said so much more.
"Lou! Please, Lou, look at me."
'No, I won't.' He said to the voice in his mind, fighting back the urge to really look around. It would only be another disappointment. 'You're not really here. I'm not about to get tricked by my own mind. Not again.' His fingers pinched the fabric of his pants as he screamed at himself to snap out of it. He was losing his mind. He really was going crazy.
"I'm coming, buddy. We're coming. Just hold on and I'll be right there with you. I'm here."
Buddy. Only Ox ever called him buddy. He went to raise his head only to forcefully stop himself. No, he was not going to respond. Voices without bodies don't get responses. Their promises aren't real. Their words can't bring the comfort he longed for.
There was a whoosh of air and then the pattering of several footsteps, one set much faster than the others. He really was losing his sanity after two years. He was breaking-
Soft arms wrapped around his torso from the side, one looping around his back and the other across the front of his legs. He jolted with what little strength he had left in him, but was otherwise frozen, his mind coming to a stuttering halt as he curled further into a ball. No. No. No. This wasn't real. It was too much. Why? Why did his mind do this to him? Hadn't he suffered enough?
"Lou." His name was spoken softly. Ox. That was definitely Ox's voice. It was always Ox in his nightmares and dreams, screaming at him or comforting him. This was no different. He wouldn't fall for the trick.
The arms tightening around him almost broke his resolve. He turned his head away a little, unwilling to look at the illusion or think about how real the hug felt. "Talk to me, Lou. I'm here. I'm sorry. Can you hear me?" One of the arms moved. Lou almost let out a whimper at the loss of contact, as fake as it was, and opened his eyes to stare at the blank tile. A hand took his chin gently, pulling it until he was face to face with Ox.
Ox who's hand was warm. Ox who was looking at him with his one eye brimming with tears and mouth turned up in a shaky attempt at a smile. Blurred figures stood at the edge of Lou's vision, silent and staring, but he only had eyes for the illusion. "Say something, Lou. Please." His voice cracked, fingers tightening minutely on the blonde. The touch, the pressure, gave Lou a realization that had his lungs hitching and tears pooling in his eyes again.
This was real.
With a burst of sudden strength, he gripped onto Ox's arm with his hands, checking- He was solid. Completely solid. A strangled sound left his throat as he met eyes with his friend, more tears running down his face. He choked on them, breaths coming faster as he was enveloped in a strong hug, face pressed into the green fur of Ox's chest. Lou hung onto his warm with all his might, begging for this not to be a dream. 'Please, don't let this be a trick. Please.' He wasn't sure who he was begging to. Himself? God? Ox? Trembles ran through his frame, suppressed sobs and flagging strength overtaking him.
"I'm right here. I promise." Ox whispered, voice breaking again. He always knew what Lou was thinking. "Oh gosh, Lou, I'm so sorry. If I knew - if I'd known - I would've been here in a heartbeat."
He hadn't used his voice in so long that he wasn't sure how to speak. He opened his mouth, pushed his throat, and- "Ox." The name was barely a whisper, hardly loud enough for he himself to hear, but Ox's arms tightened anyway. He tried again, managing something slightly louder. "Ox. Ox."
"I'm here. It's- You're gonna be just fine. We'll get you out of here. He'll never hurt you ever again. Just rest a minute. I promise I've got you." One hand moved from his back to run through his wet hair. Lou's eyes closed involuntarily, breathing evening out at the action. "Moxy, Ugly Dog, keep an eye out for that... monster of a doll. Mandy, your house is closest. We need to get him somewhere comfortable and out of here. You're going to lead the way. Nolan, I need you to come here. Everyone else, find anything that might actually belong to Lou and then act as bodyguards outside. We don't need other dolls seeing. It would be too overwhelming."
The calm command in his friend's voice soothed his heart further. The role of leader fit him well. Lou peeked an eye open as several pairs of feet moved, vision clearing now that the tears bad slowed. He recognized all the dolls, seen them from his replacement's memories, and knew the Pretty Dolls' names since they were created. He also remembered all the others. As Nolan came closer, an anxious look in his mismatched eyes, he let his eye fall shut and relaxed against his brother. If he trusted them, then Lou could trust them, too.
"What do you need me to do?" The brunette's voice was small. Lou recalled the Ugly sign on him and the U.G.L.Y. song that made him cry. Did that shatter his confidence on the first day? His heart wrenched with the thought. He'd have to make it up to him. Somehow.
"I can't... I'm not tall enough to carry him comfortably. I need you to, until we get to Mandy's house. Please."
"I... I'll do it. As long as he's fine with it."
Lou felt the eyes on him and ignored how his heart picked up the pace again. He wanted Ox and only Ox, but he also wanted out of here. It had almost been a week since the other Lou left. He could be back at any moment. He wasn't about to get locked in a cage again when freedom and safety were right in front of him. So, he forced himself to open his eyes halfway, look between Ox and Nolan, and nod.
"You'll be just fine. I won't be far." Ox assured as he was gingerly shifted away. His brother didn't let go until he was safely tucked against the chest and shoulder of the other doll, one arm looping around his back and the other under his knees. After a '1, 2, 3' count, he was lifted from the cold floor. He tried not to 'cuddle' up against Nolan - they weren't exactly friends and the Lou the brunette knew was far from the original - but it was hard when you hadn't had the contact of another individual in two years. Carefully, he pressed his forehead to Nolan's neck and folded his hands over his stomach. Nolan stiffened, saying nothing, and Lou deemed it safe enough to close his eyes again.
He wasn't sure when he drifted off. Slivers of consciousness came and went as he was carried down the vast hallways of what was once his mansion (he wouldn't admit to himself that he flinched when he peeked and saw all the statues and artwork). He opened his eyes a little when warmer air hit him, almost crying when he saw sunlight and buildings. Outside. He was outside. The wind whipped by, running through his hair like an old friend, and he smiled. Lou wanted to see all of it, but his exhausted body begged for reprieve. He gave in, letting unconsciousness take him in bits and pieces for a little while. Vaguely, he was aware of the forms moving around him, creating a barrier, and Ox's hand on his arm.
He awoke again when he was put down, laid across something so soft he could've cried a third time. A bed. A soft bed that was a stark contrast to the cot he had nightmares in. A large hand rested on his head as the comforter was pulled over him. "Rest bud, you're safe." He whispered as another, heavier blanket was flattened over Lou. A weighted blanket. Lou snuggled down into it, a small puff of content air escaping his mouth. Everything was soft and warm. He could lay there and not get up again for all he cared about right now.
There was a small shifting of feet as he laid on his side. He listened as Ox told some dolls to leave, grab supplies, and inform the town that he'd be unavailable for a while. (Knowing Ox would be there made the last of the unknown tension ease from his muscles, leaving him feeling floaty and happier than he'd been in forever.) He called back two dolls: Mandy and Nolan. He instructed them to help keep watch on Lou.
Before everything, Lou would've protested being babied. He was independent, perfect, and everything in between. Now though? He wanted dolls close to him, even nice dolls that he didn't know because they weren't mean and cold.
As the conversation went on, Lou found himself no longer able to feign sleep, slipping into real oblivion easily. No nightmares interrupted him.
_________________
Despite everything, something urgent came up that Ox had to deal with. It had been several hours since Lou went to sleep and the sun was going down, the bustle of the town at a slow down before dolls poured through the portal, their children asleep and ready to get rest themselves, hang with friends, or grab a bite to eat. Mandy had returned barely half an hour before, walking in the door right before Ox left, leaving her and Nolan to watch over the sleeping blonde who looked so much like the tyrant who was toppled a week ago.
"He looks a little different." Nolan muttered after a long stretch of silence, unaware of her racing thoughts. He was looking at Lou, almost studying him, and watching the ride and fall of the doll's chest. Lou had barely moved since he was placed in bed. The only movement he did make was from when he was switched into more comfortable blue pajamas, now laying on his back instead of his side. His hair was laid out, fanning over the pillow in golden waves. Sometimes, he'd almost smile, lips twitching up, only for his face to fall lax again.
But there were things underneath the blankets and a peaceful face. Lou was thin, thinner than a doll should be. He'd been locked inside of what could only be described as a cage, unmoving against the wall when they found him. He'd broken down in tears when he finally responded to Ox, eyes so lost and vulnerable it made her heart hurt. She hated to think she'd been so skeptical of Ox's suspicions that there was something else going on. It was only after they found the secret door by pure dumb luck (as in Lucky Bat and Ugly Dog horseplaying until they ran into the fake column-lever) that they found the real, vulnerable Lou. If they hadn't gone in there, hadn't found him.... who knows what would've happened.
He'd been there a long time. That was clear to see. Why hadn't anyone noticed? She wasn't here for his personality flip, wasn't here to see one Lou turn to another, but did he not have friends who would see it?
She thought back to the words and technical warning Ox gave before he left. "We can't fix the past. I was the only one who coulda seen it and I didn't..." He'd ran his hand over his head. "We can only help him now. He's going to be a complete flip from the Lou you know. He... He was only just learning emotions when I knew him. There's no telling what that time did to him. Be careful with him."
Then he'd left, leaving the three dolls alone. It'd been an hour.
"He does," she replied after another minute. They were sitting in armchairs by the bed, watching either the window or Lou. "But...before he probably looked exactly like... him." Her voice lowered to a near growl on the last word. She didn't understand how someone could take the identity of another, destroy who they were in the public eye while torturing the original.
Nolan fiddled with his hands. "What do you think he's like?"
"I... I don't know. We'll find out soon."
A few heartbeats later, Lou shifted.
'Sooner than expected,' Mandy thought, tensing a little while trying to appear relaxed. She thought she mostly succeeded. Nolan did not. He gripped the fabric of his pants, shoulder going a little rigged as Lou slowly pulled his eyes open, brief confusion and fear flashing across his features until realization settled in. He blinked at the ceiling, then his eyes landed on them, curious and hesitant. None of them said a word for a full thirty seconds.
It was Lou who broke the silence, voice an unused rasp. "Hi." He gave a little wave with his fingers.
Nolan jumped into action. "Hi- uhm, oh, you must be dehydrated. Hold on. I'll get some water." He sprinted from the room so fast that he ran into the hallway wall. Both Mandy and Lou winced. "I'm okay! Just a minute!" His fast footsteps disappeared down the stairs.
The two remaining occupants met eyes, Lou looking between her and the door with a little worry. She waved it off, trying not to show how caught off guard she was to see that face show such emotion. "He'll be alright. He does that sometimes. Do you want to sit up?" He opened his mouth and she stopped him. "No talking. Just move your head, okay?" He nodded twice, getting his elbows up under him. Mandy hastened forward to help him, putting her hand against his back as he slowly sat up. She helped him lean back against the headboard, blankets still firmly wrapped around his shoulders. He looked a little like a sick child, except with emptier eyes.
"Thank you," he mouthed, offering a tiny smile.
Instinctively, she smiled back. "You're welcome."
Footsteps came down the hall again. Nolan practically sprinted into the room with a half full pitcher of ice water and an empty glass. Mandy raised an eyebrow. "You didn't spill half of that, did you?"
"No, but I knew I would if it was filled to the top." Nolan replied sheepishly. He poured up a glass and held it out to Lou. The blonde pulled his arms out from under the blankets, taking the glass in slightly shaking hands. Mandy stepped forward to offer assistance, but he managed to drink it by himself. He went through another refill in slightly weird silence before putting the glass on the bedside table with the pitcher.
Lou ran a hand down his throat and cleared it. "Thank you, Nolan." His voice was still weak, but less gravelly. A bare whisper that could almost not be heard over the ceiling fan. Nolan grinned, some of the tension broken, and said "anytime." The word made a smile form on Lou's lips.
It was strange. If the Lou from last week had smiled, it was the smile of a shark, teeth or not. The hesitant smile on this wavy haired Lou in pajamas was entirely different. A doll pushed toward the edge finally saved.
"Where's Ox?" He asked, folding his hands in his lap. Blue eyes scanned the room in one swoop, anxiety visibly growing the longer Ox wasn't around. The image of him clinging to his brother as hard as he could flashed across Mandy's mind, pulling on her heartstrings once again.
"He had to step out for a little bit." He'll be back soon." She assured him. "Something about several dolls fighting."
"Oh. Alright."
Silence descended for a minute. Not exactly uncomfortable, but they didn't know each other. Lou didn't know them. They didn't know this Lou. He needed to be comfortable, especially while recovering.
Wait...
"How did you know Nolan's name?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed in front of him. Her tone was carefully constructed to be curious, not accusing.
He fiddled with a stray thread on the blanket. "I was awake earlier, but it wouldn't have mattered if I was or not. I know the name of every doll that is made for me to teach." He said, then winced. "Well, before, anyway. Now I know the names and have to watch while my replacement teaches you all. He's right and wrong." Like that, he was off on a tangent, eyes narrowed on the bed as his voice gave in an out. There was a small fire brewing in his irises, drawing Mandy in. "The washer is only for demonstration. Not to be used on dolls. The Gauntlet isn't supposed to just test strength, as you all finally figured out. The-'' He broke off in a coughing fit. Nolan poured another glass and passed it to him.
"Slow down, Lou." Mandy said. The name felt foreign on her lips. "There will be plenty of time to dissect that later. The other... guy is gone. All you need to do is rest up."
He finished the glass, voice dejected as he spoke again. "He'll be back soon. Possibly with an army of robots or something. He wants his... throne back and me gone. He hasn't been able to since the creator wants me alive for some reason, but now? He'll kill me no matter what." He let out a frustrated huff. "If I had the strength, I could tell you exactly where he is?"
"What do you mean?" Nolan voiced the question on Mandy's mind.
"He is... hardwired to me. I am the original prototype to run this place. Since there can't be two from the base programming, he is based off of me. Connected to me." He touched his chest, right above his heart. "We both have chips. Mine is the original. His follows mine. I can see through his eyes and he can feel my emotions since that's the one difference between us. The creator made sure he wouldn't develop emotions like I did. He has many purposes to drive him, but not emotions. He won't listen to a word I say. He's less doll, more... robot."
"We'll fix this." The promise pulled itself from Mandy's lips. He looked at her through hanging bangs. "You won't be hurt again. We'll get rid of him. You'll have your rightful place again."
He smiled, looking somewhere between shy and surprised, but grateful all the same. "Thank you."
"It's the right thing to do." Carefully, she took his hand in hers. The muscles tightened a brief moment, hesitation flickering across his face, and then his fingers curled around hers in a gentle squeeze. "Wage is coming with some food for you. It should be here soon. Ox said you liked pasta with pepper."
A small light lit up his eyes. "I do."
"Then you're in for a treat."
___________________
Not long later, several sets of feet came bounding up the stairs, murmurred voices and 'shush' admonishments following. Mandy shook her head fondly. She loved her friends, but a lot of them couldn't be quiet for anything. Nolan shared the same sentiments in a small chuckle. Lou just looked vaguely amused, settled back against the pillows. He was exhausted, but refused to sleep any longer.
The door came open and Moxy's head peeked in. She grinned when she saw Mandy and Nolan. Her grin grew wider when her eyes landed on Lou. "He's awake!" She told the others, running forward to the bed as everyone else filed in, Wage holding a styrofoam box of pasta and Lucky Bat with a bowl of ice cream held in his wings. "How are you feeling, Louey?" Moxy asked.
"Uhm..." He was clearly a little overwhelmed by the exuberant pink doll. "... better, I suppose."
"Your voice is shot." UglyDog said blatantly, receiving a light smack to the back of the head by Babo. "What? It's what the ice cream is for! I was setting the scene, man!"
"Ice... cream?" He sounded so confused it hurt.
"Yeah dude! Vanilla!" The dog doll jumped onto the end of the bed as Lucky Bat walked up with Wage. They settled the food in front of Lou with friendly smiles. He smiled back, but Mandy saw the glistening sheen of tears in his eyes. She squeezed his hand again and their eyes met.
'Are you okay?' She silently asked as the others moved around the bed, laughing and joking lightly with each other.
"I'm fine," he murmured. "Just...happy."
She smiled. "Eat your food. You need strength back, and the ice cream will help your throat." She reached out and opened the containers for him, putting the fork in his hand afterward. After a moment of hesitation, he started eating, watching the others and her with slightly wary eyes. It would take time to build a friendship with Lou. He'd been burned a lot mentally, but they'd help him.
A few minutes later, Nolan's voice broke through the chatter. "Does anyone want to play cards?" He held up a stack of Uno cards.
A chorus of "yes" went around until eyes landed on Lou, halfway done with his pasta. He looked between all of them, then asked, "How do you play?"
Instructions were given. Cards dealt. Lou's half eaten plate was put to the side because he couldn't stand any more and he nibbled on a scoop of chilled ice cream in a cup, the rest having been put away in the freezer while cards were given. They played round after round as the sun went down, laughing and sending good natured jibes at each other. Lou stayed mostly silent, smiling as he organized his cards. When he won, he laughed.
It was like a million cheerful bells going off. Beautiful and contagious in every right. Maybe it was a little weak and breathy. Who cared? Nobody. Everyone enjoyed the fact that he was laughing.
Ox came in at about ten o'clock, frazzled and worried, but when he stopped and saw them all playing Uno, Moxy about to win and Lou grinning as he laid down a draw four on her, Mandy watched him smile. It was sad and happy at the same time. She allowed him to slip into the spot between her and Lou, smiling to herself as his arm slipped around his brother's back in a side hug that Lou leaned into.
It was the calm before the storm, she knew. The replacement would be back eventually. Lou was struggling in both mind and body. The storm would come with a bang and they'd get thrown around a while, but they'd be okay eventually. As long as they stayed together.
For now though, Mandy pushed the thoughts of the hard future away and enjoyed the moment. They were together now, getting to know Lou, and that was what mattered.
I have created another Mandy × Lou fanfiction in like 24 hours.
Blue what have you done to me XD.
Anyway, here's another UglyDolls fanfiction. It takes place about 7 months after the beginning of Lou's redemption and could definitely be in the same timeline as most my other stories. If you haven't read my other ones, then just know they spend a lot of time together so this makes a lot of sense.
On with the story!
Dance
"I don't know how to dance."
Those were the words that momentarily stumped Lou one night when he and Mandy were hanging out at his house. They were in the living room, settled on the couch together with her feet casually thrown up in his lap and a half full popcorn bowl between them. The Greatest Showman was on the TV - a movie about a man who wanted to be great, risked everything to be great, and almost lost it all when he was great - and another dancing scene was on. As Phillip and Anne flew across the stage in a dazzling show of stunts and choreographed dancing, Mandy said those words, eyes transfixed on the screen. He turned to her, blue eyes wide.
"You don't?" He wasn't judging, just surprised and curious. It never occurred to him that Mandy might not be able to dance. In fact, why should he be surprised? Only dolls with dancing roles automatically knew how to dance. He himself had to learn from scratch.
She shook her head slowly, not looking at him. "I don't, but I always wanted to. It's amazing how moving one's feet and body can create something so... beautiful. Especially when you dance." Her gaze finally landed on him, a small smile on her face.
He contemplated a moment, glancing to the side as he tried to fight the heat rising to his cheeks. "You know, I didn't always know how to dance."
"You didn't?" There was clear surprise in her voice.
"No." He pulled his eyes back to her. "Learning to was one of my tasks as a prototype-" Her face started to fall into a sad one, as it always did when he referred to himself that way or talked about his earlier life, so he quickly continued, "-but it was one I actually enjoyed. I spent weeks learning everything I could, from the moon walk to the tango. If you want to learn, I'm sure I could teach you."
"You would?" Her eyes shined with uncertain wonder.
"Of course I would." He straightened. Did she not believe he would do anything for her? She was one of his best friends - and maybe something more if he could get up the guts to say it, explain it, understand it himself what he was feeling when he was around her. He wanted more of these nights with Mandy. He wanted every night he could have with her.
The blonde grabbed the remote, pausing the movie, and poked at her feet to get them off him. She obliged, allowing him to stand and hold out his hand for her. She let out a little giggle that made his heart warm and smile grow, threading her fingers with his. "What a gentleman."
"Always try to be." He said, grabbing his phone as she rolled her eyes, standing. They were both pajama clad, her planning to stay for the third sleepover this week, and Lou couldn't help but watch her out the corner of his eyes as he searched for a song. (It was difficult to type with one hand, but he wasn't about to let her go for a second.) Her hair was down from its usual bun, falling in wavy tendrils a few inches beyond her shoulders. It was a look she only had at night, when the hair bow felt too tight to lay comfortably, and he had become accustomed to it.
'She's beautiful, and she doesn't even know it.' He thought, watching her nervously brush a strand of hair behind her ear. The perfect song then popped into his head. A moment later, his phone was hooked to the speaker and quietly playing "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. It was older, sure, and maybe not the best dancing song, but the words rang true.
You're insecure, don't know what for
You're turning heads when you walk through the do-o-or
Don't need make-up to cover up
Being the way that you are is enou-ou-ough
Everyone else in the room can see it
Everyone else, but you, ooh
Lou put his phone down, turning so he could place his hand right above her hip. She put hers on his shoulder, and he pretended not to feel the warmth that spread from every area she was touching him. He slowly led her through a few basic steps, increasing the pace after she seemed to have gotten it down. Halfway through, she stepped on his bare toe and he couldn't help but wince. "I'm so sorry." She stopped, eyes downcast with guilt. "I'm terrible at this."
"And that's okay." He assured quickly, wiping the pain from his face. "What is it that you and the others tell me? That you're going to be terrible at something until you practice? The same goes for you too, you know."
"Since when do you listen?" She asked teasily, that smile returning to her face with the familiar banter. It made his heart skip with the thought that he was the one to put it there.
"I listen." He protested as they started the steps again. She was a fast learner, quickly picking up where to put her feet depending on where his were going.
"Riiighhhtttt." She rolled her eyes again. He pouted, but the expression was quickly wiped away as she urged him to pick up the pace. He showed her new moves as the song played. She picked them up easily, smile growing into a full blown grin that he couldn't help but replicate.
If only you saw what I can see
You'll understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm lookin' at you, and I can't believe
You don't know, oh-oh
You don't know you're beautiful, oh-oh
That's what makes you beautiful
As she grew more comfortable with the regular steps, he built up his courage to ask, "How about I spin you? I promise I won't let you fall."
Her soft smile was answer enough. "I know you won't."
In one easy movement, he drew her to him, almost nose to nose. He took a brief second to get his breathing going from where it had hooked in his chest, then spun her outward. She laughed, leaning back with her hand in his, and he took a moment to admire her. Mandy. Intelligent. Kind. Forgiving. Loving. Beautiful. How had he ever hated her glasses? How had the old Lou, the old him, missed this amazing doll in front of him? He spun her back inward, one arm hooking around her waist as her other hand stayed entwined with hers. She was panting a little from laughter, eyes brighter than the stars outside.
"How about a grand finale?" He asked.
"I expect nothing less with you." She joked. "Go for it."
He let go of her hand to place his against her back, turning to the side to dip her. Her arms hooked around his neck for balance as she let out a little breathy laugh. He joined in, heart pounding loudly in his chest. The last notes played out as they fell quiet, staring at each other in a frozen dance pose. Her eyes pulled him in, so amazingly beautiful pools of hazel that he could drown himself in, and their faces were only a few inches away. Her arms rested around his neck, entirely comfortable with him holding her.
'Kiss her!' Everything in him screamed. And he wanted to. He did. He really, really did. But he didn't want to mess this up. If she didn't want him in that romantic way, he'd be destroying their relationship. It would never be the same again. So he pulled back, straightening both of them to stand. Her weight still pressed against his arms, supported by him.
"Can we dance again?" She asked quietly - hopefully. He could never deny her anything, especially when she was looking at him like that.
"Always." He promised.
The dip was the catalyst to a brand new dance. They didn't follow the standard steps, dancing with each other to nothing but the beat of their hearts. The floor didn't feel like it was there. They were dancing on clouds, spinning and turning and stepping to their own beat without once getting on each other's toes. He pulled her into more dips and spins than he could count, spurred on by her laughter and smiles that were directed at him. His heart sung, flying a million miles with every amazing second that passed.
Lou didn't want the dance to end, but eventually, it had to. As their bodies grew tired and breaths deeper, he eventually pulled her to him and stumbled, doing a controlled fall to the floor. He held Mandy to his chest, protecting her from the impact with the wood, and for a moment, he was stunned into silence.
"Are you okay?" Mandy asked immediately, one hand cupping his face. His skin tingled. She was lying across his chest, their legs almost tangled together, and expression pinched with worry. After a bizarre second, he laughed. She looked at him as if he'd grown two heads and Lou knew she was a second away from calling a doctor doll.
"I'm fine, Mandy." He said, hands resting over the center of her back. Her hand hadn't left his face. "It's - I've never fallen while dancing before, but I can't say I'm complaining." His face heated up. Why did he say that? It had to be because his back was throbbing a little. Or he hit his head on the floor. Yes, that's why his brain to mouth filter wasn't working. It's why he was looking at her with what had to be a goofball grin, silently laughing at himself and the situation while simultaneously enjoying it. Mandy was here, with him, and it was as perfect as always, fall and all. "You know, I picked that song for a reason."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, red climbing her neck. "Really?" She didn't seen to want to move. Neither did he.
"Yeah," he nodded, pressing his face into her palm, "because it's true. You're beautiful." His lips curled into a softer smile.
Maybe he was staring a little too long. Maybe his hands were staying on her back, keeping them in this spot instead of getting up off the unforgiving ground. Maybe Mandy wasn't moving at all, looking down at him with a slightly open mouthed smile and her hair framing her face like a halo, the tips of some strands brushing his face and neck. Maybe his face was pink with happiness and those pesky butterflies were moving from his stomach to his chest, his entire body screaming at him again that he should 'kiss her! Kiss her now!' but the knowledge of all he could lose, all he would be risking, was on his mind and he couldn't live without Mandy and-
Lips landed on his.
Mandy was kissing him.
Mandy was kissing him. Right now. On the floor.
His brain was short circuiting. He'd never kissed anyone, but Mandy made it feel so right. And she was right here. Kissing him. Now. It had to be a dream. No, no it wasn't. She was real. His heart was flying. Every part of him was warm in a way he'd never felt. He didn't want it to end.
Before he could even respond by kissing her back, do the thing he'd been longing to do all night and maybe for a while longer than that, she pulled back. The smile was gone, replaced with worry and maybe a twinge of fear. He wanted to eradicate that expression. "I- Lou, I-" Her hand dropped from his face. He grabbed it, linking their fingers together.
"What's wrong?" The question spilled off his lips as his hand squeezed hers.
"You..." she swallowed, hope replacing fear and worry, "you aren't upset?"
"N-no, no, of course not, I..." He trailed off, trying to find the words that escaped him when he needed them most. "I wasn't expecting it, that's all. That was... good." He mentally kicked himself. He needed a better word than that to describe the moment, but nothing seemed to cut it. He did one of the things only Mandy could really make him do - stutter over words in order to try and find the right ones. "I mean, uh, astounding, really-"
She stopped his rambling with another kiss. This time, he was able to respond, closing his eyes as one hand moving to the back of her neck. It was longer than the last and no less amazing. Impossibly, it got better.
His eyes flicked open only when they separated. She didn't move far, their noses almost touching. The anxiety in her eyes was replaced with that familiar, exasperated fondness. "Did you expect that one?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. I can't remember anymore." He grinned. She snorted out a laugh. "Not that I'm complaining at all about anything, but what made you decide to... do that. I've been wanting to for weeks, but I never got up the courage." He chuckled a tad nervously.
"The first one was because you can't look at me like that, like this, and expect me not to kiss you. It wasn't fair." She pouted. He laughed lightly, twirling a tendril of hair between his fingers. "The second was to get you to shut up." Her free hand moved through his hair, brushing it back from his forehead. It was surely a mess by now, but he didn't care. This was Mandy.
"What could I do for a third?" He asked genuinely.
"Hmm... another dance lesson?"
"I think I can make that arrangement." Lou got up slowly, keeping one arm looped around her. His back ached a little, but nothing was going to stop him. He rolled his shoulders and held out a hand for her free one. "May I have this dance?"
She giggled, lacing her hands with his. "You may."
The next time, when he dipped her, nothing stopped him from kissing her.
___________________________
An hour later, they were on the couch again, only this time, Mandy was connected to him from feet to shoulder. She was pressed flush up against his left side, his arm around her shoulders and her feet crossed over his on the ottoman. Her head rested on his shoulder, some of her hair flared out over his chest. He didn't mind how it tickled his nose at times. The television was off, the popcorn gone, and the blanket from off the back of the couch was tucked over their bodies. Her left hand was rested on his head, in his hair, and Lou was entirely content. There were still some butterflies remaining in his stomach, but they were mostly calm from the knowledge that they were together where he didn't have to resist kissing her.
Mandy was his girlfriend. His girlfriend Mandy. He liked - no, loved the sound of that.
"So," she spoke after a long stretch of comfortable silence, shifting so she could face him. He hummed in response, tilting his head to look at her. "How are we going to tell the others? You know they've been waiting on this."
"Really?" His eyebrows furrowed, thinking back on the recent weeks. Nothing stood out to him. "I didn't notice."
"Seriously?" She laughed, shifting a little further away from him but not out from under his arm. He nodded, still confused. She shook her head, smiling with clear exasperation. "Nolan insists we sit together. Moxy pairs us up in games. Ox makes up the craziest excuses to step away if we three are in a conversation. Lucky Bat-"
"Okay, okay, I'm oblivious. I get it." He chuckled.
"One of the things I love about you." She settled against his shoulder as he rolled his eyes, not afraid of the flush surely climbing up his neck. He wasn't oblivious to much until it came to emotions or some social cues. Things flew over his head in that area. "But really, when are we going to tell them?"
He thought a moment, grinning when an idea struck his mind. "Let's let them figure it out."
"You're going to drive Nolan up the wall."
"That's the fun of it."
Mandy lightly swatted him on the chest, laughing. "Alright, but when they find out, you're taking the fall."
"I can live with that." He leaned over and put a kiss on her temple, watching as it frazzled her for only a moment. They were both getting used to this, but wanted it all the same. Wanted more of it. She gave him a peck on the cheek before settling her head on his chest, snuggling up against him as his arm came to wrap around her, chin resting lightly on the top of her head. He reached out and turned off the lamp light, letting a comfortable darkness wash over them.
Slowly, Lou fell asleep, wishing to Heaven above that this wasn't a dream. That he wouldn't wake up in the morning alone in his bed with his thoughts laughing st him for thinking he could have something as good as this. He drifted off with her in his arms and her soft breaths music to his ears.
He woke up with her in his arms and smiled at the rising sun through his window.
Hey y'all! My friend got me hooked on Mandy × Lou through her own story, Backstitch on Wattpad, so I decided to write a oneshot of my own, including an element or two from hers-
Happy reading!
Night Night
"Lou... Lou...."
A gentle hand shook Lou's shoulder, pulling him from slumber. He blinked sluggishly up at a smiling, pajamas-clad Mandy, rubbing at his left eye as he gained his barings. He'd been lying on his desk, head pillowed by his arms with several papers around him. Since he was working with Ox now to run the town, the paperwork the green doll hadn't known about fell onto him. It had really piled up over the last few months since his... dethroning, and Lou had spent the last week practically living in the office to try and catch it up. The lamp was the only source of light and a quick look toward the window proved it was pitch black outside. He hadn't survived his third all-nighter.
He was made to stay awake for long periods of time if needed, but even prototypes had their limits.
Her hand moved from his shoulder to sit against the middle of his shoulder blades, palm gently kneading into the tense muscles there. He subconsciously leaned into the touch, letting her ease out the coils with gentle fingers. "Hi..." He muttered, suppressing a yawn.
"Hey sleepyhead," she said, slightly teasing as she moved to stand behind him, both her hands going into his shoulders in a gentle massage. He let his head loll forward, allowing her to support his drooping weight. "Sleeping at a desk is no good for your stress, you know."
"Best way to get the work done." Lou countered, eyelids drifting to be half lidded. It was hard to focus on the organized piles of done and to be done paperwork when Mandy was working magic on his back. They'd spent a lot of time together in the last few months, building a friendship that was as strong as the one he had with the other dolls in their group yet so different. He wasn't sure where he and Mandy stood anymore. Friends, yes, certainly, but... it felt different. It wasn't like the brotherly feelings he had with Ox and Nolan, or the sisterly ones he got from Moxy, or the bonds he'd built with everyone else. It felt entirely different and his extensive dictionary mind couldn't put a word to it. She was family, but in what way?
His eyes fell closed, head falling to land on the desk with a quiet sigh. He didn't have the brain power to confront his lacking knowledge in emotions right now. He was getting better, but was far from good at interpreting and speaking about emotions, especially when it came to himself. All Lou wanted to do was stay right here, with Mandy, head cushioned by the paperwork while she pressed into his back. It was far from the first time she'd been in his office this week, often there for hours during the day in order to help him file and organize along with offering someone to talk to when he got frustrated or beyond bored. The others came too, of course, but not as much as she did.
Her hands moved from his back to his head, running through strands of tusseled blonde hair and pressing against his scalp. "You're stressing yourself thin, Louis." She lightly scolded. He mumbled something even he didn't understand. "What?" The hands moved again, taking him by the shoulders to force him to raise up a little.
"This has to be done, Mandy." His eyes roamed the paperwork again as he tried and failed to focus on it. The words blurred and jumped, a million pieces of business talk that he wasn't meant to understand yet learned anyway. "I can't put Imperfection in danger."
"You're not. You're helping." She assured. "Look at the dates. You're only a week behind. That's better than five months." Lou has to admit that she was right. He'd inwardly died inside with frustration and hopelessness when he heard how behind they were. He'd assumed someone was doing the paperwork, if not Ox, only to find out that nothing had been done. "You can take a break. Get out of here for a bit. Go to bed."
"But what if..." He couldn't bite back the yawn. She giggled, sending a bubble of warmth and joy through his chest at just hearing the sound. What was this feeling? Warmth. Warmth unlike the fire of anger. Warmth like love. He loved his family. He loved Mandy. But what made his feelings for her different than anyone else? What made heat rise to his face when she complimented him? It didn't used to be this way. He never.... blushed.
"I think you're too tired to think. Come on." She took him by the hands and hauled him up, out of his swivel chair. He stumbled a little at the sudden shift, Mandy catching him by the shoulders once more. Their faces were just inches apart for the briefest of moments, their eyes locked, and a mini fire works show went off in Lou's brain. They stayed like that for two heartbeats before she moved back a step, a little bit of red forming on her neck as she steadied him. "Think you can walk or am I going to have to carry you?"
Lou tentatively tested the weight on his feet with a step. "Yeah, I can." She smiled and took him by the hand, leading him out the door of his office, away from the mountains of paperwork. The halls were dimly lit, but he didn't need them to see. All he had to do was keep his eyes on Mandy. They left his repurposed mansion, walking down the empty streets of town. The pace was slow, his long, purposeful strides and swagger lost to the exhaustion that pulled at his eyelids, making it hard to blink lest he fall asleep mid step.
Eventually, he couldn't hold his head up anymore and because he was just behind Mandy, his sleep addled brain decided to place his forehead down on her left shoulder as they walked. He felt her stiffen momentarily only to relax a moment later, a soft laugh spilling from her lips. "You really are tired aren't you?" With the hand that wasn't currently entwined with his, she brushed her hand through his locks. He mumbled in response, earning another fond laugh. The steady, slow rocking motions that came from walking lured him into a half asleep daze, his feet moving on auto pilot. Soon, they entered his house near the end of town, a much cozier place than the mansion ever was.
"Alright Louey," she said quietly, fingers rubbing soothing circles in his scalp. He hummed. "You need to to change for bed. You're not starting that sleeping in a suit thing again, no matter how tired you are."
The blonde grumbled, not wanting to move. Only when she lifted him up with a palm to his forehead did he straighten, giving her a little pout. She rolled her eyes, a playful smile on her face and maybe a hint of a blush on her cheeks. Giving him a little push toward the stairs, she assured, "I'll be up in a minute."
"Okay." He moved up the stairs as she went into the kitchen. Lou rubbed at his eyes, yawning for a third time, and made his way into his room where he quickly changed into a striped green pajama set. He then flopped down face first on the bed, running his hands through his blonde hair. Other hands quickly replaced his. Mandy. The thought of her here, with him, made his heart tingly.
The smell of something delicious reached his nose and he turned slowly so not to dislodge her hands. She was smiling down at him, sitting against the headboard with a plate of cookies in her lap. "I figured you haven't ate in the last few hours, but you don't have anything that doesn't take thirty minutes to cook. Figured these warmed up cookies would suffice for now."
His stomach did feel empty, now that he was thinking about it. "Mandy, you're an angel." He pulled himself to sit up beside her, shoulder to shoulder. She passed him a cookie and got her own, clinking them together with a small "cheers." They ate in silence for a minute, constant to just be with each other, before he decided to break it with a question. "It's about midnight, isn't it?"
"12:27, to be precise, as you always are."
She knew him well. "What made you come to the office?" If she hadn't woke him up, he would have likely slept there until morning and woken with a terrible crick in his neck.
"You hadn't answered my texts in a while. When I tried calling and you didn't pick up, I went and checked. I knew when the door was unlocked that you were still in there. I was deciding between a lecture and convincing you to leave when I saw you were in dreamland." She chuckled. "You're cute when you're asleep."
His brows furrowed. "I am not cute."
"You say that, but I still don't believe it."
He huffed. "I disagree."
"Then we agree to disagree?" She held out her hand. He took a moment, faking deep thought. His lip quirked up in a smile.
"Deal." His hand went into hers and they shook. "But I'm still right."
She rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course you are," she said, hand still gripping his. Lou didn't mind. He didn't want to let go. Their joined hands settled on the blankets between them, easily intertwining as they fit together. Perfect. The cookies were gone, empty plate on his bedside table, and the low light of his little lamp covered the room in a warm glow. His head eventually drifted down onto her shoulder, eyelids fluttering closed as they became too heavy to hold. He was half asleep when she moved, taking her hand out of his to shift his legs and torso so he was laying on the bed.
Her hand brushed through his hair once and he labored to pull his eyes open halfway. "Goodnight, Lou." The moment her hand left him, he felt cold. She went to leave, turning off the light and getting one step toward the door when he managed to grab her hand. She stopped, looking back at him with clear surprise.
"Stay." He said, focusing his drowsy eyes on her. He wanted her here. Wanted her to stay. Those feelings were in his chest again, warm and fluttery. He was content around her. Happy beyond anything. He didn't understand it, but he knew what he wanted. The only question was if it was what she wanted. "Please. If you want."
She hesitated a moment. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." His answer was instant. The smile that formed on her face was one of those soft ones. One she only offered when it was between him and her. A special kind of smile. He didn't understand much, but he did understand one thing: Mandy was a light in his life. A bright light. She could keep the nightmares at bay and make him laugh on dreary days.
She came back to sit on the bed, holding his hand while the other ran across his forehead and hair. He settled back down on the pillows, laying on his side. Lou watched her as he slowly fell asleep again, breaths coming even and deep, not fearing the darkness behind his eyelids as long as she was there.
__________________________
Mandy watched as Lou drifted off into the sleep he so desperately needed and entirely deserved, keeping up the constant, steady movement of her hands until she was sure he was asleep. Only then did she grab for the wool red blanket folded at the end of the bed, tucking it over both of them as she laid down, head propped up on her arm. She tucked a wayward strand of his hair behind his ear, watching his chest rise and fall steadily.
She didn't know exactly where she and Lou were - dancing somewhere between the line of friends and something more, but what she did know was that no matter where they landed with each other, it would be fine as long as they stayed together. Girlfriend and boyfriend or best friends - she'd be okay as long as they didn't lose each other, even if she did want to be Lou's girlfriend and to say he was her boyfriend. She adored everything about him down to every little detail, including the little quirks he had. She hoped he thought the same.
After a moment of contemplation, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his forehead in a feather light kiss. When she pulled back, she saw the corners of his lips tilt up in a sleepy, unconscious smile. Mandy giggling quietly behind her hand, lowering herself fully down onto the bed.
'I'll stay here for only a minute.' She told herself, eyes growing increasingly heavy. She adjusted the blankets better, then tentatively rested her hand on his shoulder. 'Make sure the nightmares stay away. I won't let them hurt him.'
Her eyes drifted closed on their own violation, warmth surrounding her from inside and out. She knew Lou was right there, right beside her, and this little piece of the night was theirs and only theirs.
And maybe they each woke up at one point to realize they had started hugging in the night, bodies subconsciously moving closer until Mandy's head was tucked under his chin, but neither moved, not willing to disturb the other as butterflies built in their stomachs. Maybe Lou got up first to try and cook breakfast, only to nearly burn everything. He would have if Mandy hadn't gotten up and took over, ushering him to set the table because "he couldn't burn that." Maybe they walked a little closer together back to his office later, hands grazing each other more often than not.
Maybe they never moved passed this phase in their relationship. Mandy found she didn't mind that, as long as she still had Lou.
Hey y'all! I'm back again with another UglyDolls, Lou centric story. It's a long one (over 14,000 words that I didn't know I was capable of-) but I really wanted to write this as a gift for my friend (0PerfectImperfections0) here. It is a very far cry from what was originally planned, but I do like it. Lots of angst. Lots of comfort. Lots of Lou. It connects with my other stories, but they're not needed to understand this.
Happy reading!
Thunderstruck
Boom!
Thunder rolled over Imperfection, dark clouds blotting out the sky. It wasn't often that it rained, but it always did at least once every two or three months in order to give new dolls the storm experience. Lou could teach about it all in textbooks, but a doll might not be able to completely comfort their child if they hadn't experienced it themsleves. The blonde stood up under a tree as the first rain drop fell, plopping on his nose. He blinked at it, then sighed. Another storm to get through. He hated these storms - the factory never held back on showing them every level of storm intensity. The lights would likely be out by midnight.
It was just passed eight now. Most dolls had returned from their child if they weren't staying for the night. He'd already seen Moxy, Babo, and Mandy walking around, waving joyfully at him whenever they passed. Lou smiled like he meant it, but he'd been feeling the storm thrumming through his stuffing since last night, leaving him sleepless and on edge, unable to sit down until dawn. He wasn't scared of storms themsleves, no, but due to being so connected to this doll world as a prototype, he could feel it in his core. In his programming. It made his chest feel like a coiled spring, breaths coming a little too labored at times, and a lack of focus on his end. He could barely get through his classes today, often leaving them to their own devices with a worksheet as he tried to drown out the headache building behind his eyes. The only time he really forced himself to be present was when he ran emergency drills: what to do if something happens to go wrong at your house, if you get caught in the storm outside, etc. He wasn't about to let them get hurt because he couldn't focus.
With every roar of thunder, he felt a shiver move up his spine, his headache beginning to take on a new ferocity. This always happened. It was a terrible feeling. He'd already sent out the message to all dolls, telling them to hunker down in their homes, and soon, he would be returning to his. The cottage was much better than his mansion, but it would still be empty. Distractions from the storm only worked for a limited time. Once it reached full ferocity, he'd have a migraine to the nines and another sleepless night. He'd have to cancel classes tomorrow for clean up and to get his mind to relax.
"Lou!"
He almost didn't hear the male voice calling his name. He blinked, realizing that he'd tucked his hands into his pockets. The drizzle had picked up, little droplets soaking into his black tux and hair. A second later, Nolan practically slammed into him from the side, nearly taking him down. He stabilized himself as the doll wrapped his arms around him in a hug, face pressed into his shoulder. Lou hesitated only a second before hugging one of his best friends back, entirely confused. Mandy was walking toward them, her hands wringing together and a small smile on her face.
Lou's brain was slow to catch up. Nolan and Mandy likely hadn't experienced a storm. If Mandy had on the outside world, it was likely nothing compared to what they knew would come from a factory induced storm. It'd been four months since Nolan came, and three since they became friends. The storm was a little late, likely due to the chaos the UglyDolls caused, but Lou definitely didn't mind. "Oh," he said, forcing himself into complete focus, "you both are neverous about the storm?"
Nolan nodded into his shoulder, pulling away a little but still not letting go of Lou's jacket. Mandy shuffled forward, nodding a little herself. "We were worried about you, too," she added. "You weren't answering your phone."
Confused, he kept one arm around the brunette as he pulled out his phone, seeing missed texts and calls from everyone. Oops. "Sorry, I didn't realize my phone was on silent." The thunder rolled again, making him tense involuntarily. "You both should get back home. I've survived enough of these to know how bad it can get. Better have flashlights and candles." He tried for a reassuring smile.
"That's the thing," Mandy said. "We're having a sleepover at my house for the storm. All our friends are there. We just need you."
For a moment, he was floored with shock. Sure, they'd been friends for a while. They'd stayed at his house for a night or two when he got sick or exhausted, but it was never for fun. The only time he really remembers spending the night with someone was right before they all became friends - when he became ill from exhaustion and collapsed, spending three nights at Moxy's house to recuperate. That doesn't technically count as a 'sleepover' - a word he only knew of from a short section in one of the textbooks. It took him a moment to realize they were both looking at him expectantly, possibly with some... hopefulness. Seeing those wide eyes on him, he felt any walls crumble. No matter how bad of an idea it was, he couldn't deny them. "Alright, I'll go."
Nolan and Mandy grinned. A second later, both were on either side of him, taking him by the arms to lead him down the hill and back into town. He silently urged them to pick up the pace as the storm picked up, not liking the twinge behind his eyes. Why did he agree to this sleepover again? 'Because they wanted you to come,' he reminded himself. 'Not sure why, but they do. The least you can do is try to make them happy, somehow. You can ignore your pain for a little while.' Maybe Mandy would have some painkillers in her bathroom.
"Lou? Earth to Lou?"
He snapped back into focus at the sound of Nolan's voice, realizing they were standing on the porch of Mandy's house. She was undoing the lock with her key, and Nolan was standing at his side. A crack of thunder erupted from the sky and the brunette flinched. Electricity buzzed under Lou's skin, increasing the ache in his skull, but he managed a smile. He rested a light hand on Nolan's shoulder. "It's alright, Nolan. Just a storm. Harmless as long as you know what to do."
He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good thing we've got the expert here." They shared a small chuckle.
Soon enough, he was sitting on the couch, Moxy sitting by him on the arm of it and Ox on his other side. Everyone else was sprawled out on the other couches or floor, where blankets and pillows were spread. There was a movie beginning to play on screen - Toy Story, they'd decided, just for the ironicness of it. Lou let the back of his head lean against the cushion, forcing his eyes open even as the storm increased his headache. He could feel the chip in his neck growing a little hot. Not painfully so, but enough to keep him from going into a doze. He was somewhat thankful for that.
Everyone was either watching the movie, talking, or laughing amongst themsleves. Weirdly, it didn't aggravate the ache. In fact, it made it a little better. Lighter. In the past, by this point, he'd have been holed up in his mansion bed, the covers over his head as he tried to sleep a little. Instead of the pain and panic, he only felt a little stuffed in the head, maybe a little floaty at times, his focus drifting in and out.
"I've got pajamas!" Mandy announced, shaking him out of his comforting oblivion. The higher volume in voice rattled his brain a bit like the thunder, and he had to blink away the fuzziness in his vision with a wince. The girl doll dropped a pile of clothes on an open spot of the couch. "Robes, silk, anything." She grinned, beginning to hand out clothes. Robes and altered pajamas that she and Nolan likely made were passed to the UglyDolls first, then a plaid pajama set was tossed to Nolan. He caught it easily.
Lou was not as lucky. The silk blue pajama set nailed him in the face. Not hard, but he still blinked with surprise, staring at them as they landed in his lap. "Thanks, Mandy," he managed, earning a grin in return. She went back to sorting clothes.
Ox bumped his shoulder lightly, gaining his attention. "Hey, you alright, brother?" He whispered, concern pulling his lips down.
Lou nodded before he consciously knew what he was doing. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going to go change." He got up and headed to the bathroom, ignoring the slight waver in his balance and hoping no one noticed.
________________
Ox did notice the near mis-step, and watched the blonde go down the hall. Once he disappeared into the bathroom, he summed up the thoughts he was having out loud. "There's something wrong with Lou." All the chatter stopped, heads turning to him with instant concern, worry, and confusion. Huge steps from when he first brought up that something was wrong with Lou, four months ago.
"I noticed, too," Nolan said quietly. He was wrapped up in a blanket, pajamas in his hands as he waited for Lou to come back. "He's... out of it. His face keeps tightening, too. Something's wrong."
"Think he's nervous about the storm?" Babo asked.
Mandy shook her head. "I don't think so. He's been here for years. Seen every storm. There might be something else wrong, but he's not saying anything."
"What do we do?" Moxy inquired from her spot on the arm of the couch, small purple robe wrapped around her body.
Ox sighed. "There's nothing we can do. We can't force him to open up. He'll only close up more. We watch him as best we can, maybe distract him from whatever's going on in that head of his, and keep him comfortable. He'll tell us if he wants to - he'll run if he doesn't feel safe."
Nods went around the room, and they turned back to the movie, trying to act as normal as possible for when Lou returned. He did, a few minutes later, allowing Nolan to change as well. Ox kept a subtle eye on the blonde, noting how Lou didn't seem focused on the TV, keeping his hands clasped in his lap and sapphire eyes almost distant from the world around him. A round of thunder shook the room and the dolls shuffled unconsciously closer together. The Uglies had experienced some storms before, but away from the main area, they weren't this bad. Mandy and Nolan were the most out of sorts, and the others kept a hand or arm on them at all times for assurance. Ox felt Lou tense when the thunder came, hands twitching.
He wasn't scared, but he was definitely uncomfortable. The distant eyes weren't assuring either. He bumped his arm against him again, feeling his worry increase when Lou's eyes were slow to turn to him. "What?" The blonde muttered, a hand coming up to rub at the corner of his left eye. Was he tired? In pain? He thought he heard some of his students remark that he wasn't as lively today. Maybe he hadn't slept well last night, or maybe a headache? Before he could ask, Moxy stood. "Let's play a game!" He watched Lou flinch a little at the louder volume, but the blonde leader straightened easily.
"What kind?" He asked, eyes shining with a bit of curiosity and amusement instead of covered with that distant cloud. Moxy grinned at him.
________
One game turned into five. Toy Story turned into Incredibles. Lou got so wrapped up in board games, card games, and charades that he could almost forget about the building pain in his head. He wasn't zoning out, but he was distracted from the constant ache to the point where it almost felt... not there. During game lulls, he found himself thinking about the past. About how he was all alone back then. Maybe this was part of what he needed. Maybe being lonely had made the pain worse.
Then the lights went out with the largest thunder boom. His vision whited out for a brief second, his knees going weak despite being sitting, and he had to blink away the haze as everyone else turned to look up at the now dark lights. The light of a flashlight made him squint. Ox was holding it, having produced the little light from... somewhere. "Looks like the TV is over."
"Is this normal?" Nolan asked weakly. Lou leaned forward, peering past Ox to look at the brunette.
"Yes, it is." He tried not to be too blunt, but every heart beat was reverberating in his ears. "The factory wants you to know every condition with a kid, and power outage is always a possibility." It felt like he was reciting off the textbook with a little more care than typed words. He hated that. It felt like his old self, but it was all he could muster. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he reached around Ox to pat Nolan's blanketed shoulder again, meeting mismatched eyes easily. "We're just fine. I promise."
Nolan gave him a real smile and the fissue of pressure in Lou's brain loosened a little with the knowledge he'd comforted his friend. He moved his hand after a moment, watching Moxy take the flash light from Ox and hold it up under her face. "Do you know what the dark means?" She asked excitedly.
"No lights?" Ugly Dog joked from where he laid on the other end of the couch. They laughed. Lou couldn't help the small snort that escaped him.
Moxy rolled her eyes playfully. "It means stories! Usually it's ghost stories, but I would rather tell happy or real stories. I'll go first!"
Over the next hour, the flashlight was passed around. The dolls told stories, some challenging others to figure out if they were fake or real. Even Wage joined in, telling of how her kitchen almost caught on fire. Lou watched with amusement, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, head held in his hands. The darkness wasn't so bad with the light and the laughter of friends. The storm rolled on outside and he found himself comforting Mandy and Nolan with the others, offering small touches and smiles. Sometimes, a large thunder boom or lightning strike would shake even Ox, and he would be the one assuring them things were fine. It gave him purpose and fulfillment.
His eyes were almost half lidded when the flashlight was passed his way. He took it on autopilot, blinking himself fully awake. Moxy jumped up to sit on the arm of the chair again. "Tell us a story, Lou!" She leaned against his right shoulder as he straightened again, looking at him with huge eyes.
"What kind of story?" He fished for suggestions, brain unwilling to come up with anything on its own. As much as he was relaxed, the pain was still ever present, clouding his thinking. He resisted the urge to rub at his temples, knowing that would give himself away automatically. They couldn't have any fun if they were worried about him. They'd spent too much time worried about him.
"Hmmm..." Mandy tapped her chin. "... a memory?"
The memory that came to mind immediately was his first storm. Taking a moment to look at all their faces, hopeful for him to share something of his past, he leaned forward slightly, letting the light illuminate his face better. He'd have to spare some details so they wouldn't find his current predicament, but his first storm was a somewhat interesting tale. "Alright." They leaned forward, getting closer to him with wide eyes. "I'm going to tell you about the first storm I ever experienced."
He wove them the story easily, the memory breaking through the fog because he could associate it so easily with this pain. He hadn't known the storm was coming, just that he felt 'weird' the day before. (They didn't know he could sense the storm, only that he saw the 'signs' hours before, allowing them to go through the storm drills. For story purposes, he described it as a gut feeling.) He told them how the storm came while him and the newest batch of dolls were still outside. They'd never seen rain before, so it was terrifying on all levels, but he'd led them to safety back to his mansion. He told of how they all crowded around in the basement, scared beyond witts, until he remembered what exactly what was happening. Back then, he'd had an easier time talking to dolls, and had calmed down through a game. He recounted how the fear eased out with laughter. Even as the lights went out, smiles continued. "And that's how we survived our first storm," he concluded, waving a hand with exaggerated gusto. Not exactly the most harrowing of tale, but he hoped they could empathize with the fear and surviving. "Just like we will. It's alright to be scared, as long as we don't let it control us."
"Exactly!" Lucky Bat declared, jumping on the couch. "This storm can't bring us down, as long as we're together." It was cheesy, but Lou found himself smiling anyway. Five months ago, he wouldn't have been able to say he had anyone to weather a storm with. Now he had multiple dolls to stay with. They were together. Despite the usual pain, this was the best storm experience he'd had. Even his first one wasn't really the light he played it out to be. As much as he'd enjoyed the laughter, it had shaken his skull. He'd stood off to the corner, watching, feeling like his head was an anvil and every hit of thunder shaking him to the core. He hadn't known how connected he was to that world until right then. It really proved how much the factory had control over him. He could let go of his fear of storms, but the pain was a reminder than he couldn't shake the control.
Nolan yawned, triggering some other scattered yawns and following giggles. Even Moxy was leaning more heavily against his side. Ox chuckled breathily. "I think it's safe to say it's time to sleep." A chorus of murmured agreement went around, causing a little trill of fear to go through Lou. He quickly calmed it. Just because they weren't talking and playing didn't mean he was alone.
He helped Mandy and Ox grab rolled up sleeping bags from the storage closet, busying himself with directing everyone to the best sleeping spots where they could be comfortable but still close. He helped with handing out pillows and extra blankets. Ox insisted they keep the flashlight on, pointed toward the opposite wall like a little night light. No one argued with him. The rain pounded against the windows and roof, and he knew by the growing pain in his head that this wasn't the worst point. The wind hadn't even gotten bad yet, only a small whistle against the outside walls.
Finally, at nearing one in the morning, they were all settled down in the sleeping bags. No one felt comfortable taking the couches and having the others sleep on the floor, so they were huddled in a group, some talking quietly and others already snoring. Lou gingerly settled his head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling as he listened to them, trying to block out the rain.
Ox scooted closer beside him. Nolan was already sleeping on his other side, his fear thankfully less. Mandy was quietly chatting with Wage and Moxy. Lucky Bat and Babo were having a similar, quiet conversation. Ugly Dog was likely asleep as well, though Lou couldn't see him from his vantage point on the edge of the group. "Are you sure you're okay?" Ox whispered, so quiet he doubted the others heard. For that, Lou was thankful.
"I'm sure, you worry wart," he muttered. Even in the dark, he could see Ox raising an eyebrow. It hurt, but he rolled his eyes. "Just a little tired."
The green doll sighed. "Alright. Get some sleep. Goodnight."
"Night."
Lou let his eyes fall shut, forcing his body to go slowly limp in hope of convincing Ox he was asleep. It worked. More snores slowly filled the room until he was almost one hundred percent sure he was the only one awake - some dolls didn't snore, one of them being Lou himself. Snoring was considered imperfect, afterall. He allowed his eyes to open, shifting his head to face the comforting light, knowing his friends were at his back. His head pounded, the pain increasing every few minutes. Definitely a migraine. Ow. The comfort and friends helped, but now the pain was almost too much. He grimaced when a loud thunder boom raised the pain to a momentary crescendo, pressing his lips together to hold back the small whimper. He focused on the fact that the thunder hadn't woken anyone, holding onto that little bit of mental warmth, and tried not to cry.
He failed. He didn't make a sound, but a tear slipped down the side of his face, hitting the wood floor. Wrapping his arms around himself, he screwed his eyes shut and pulled in a stuttering breath, willing the pain to just stop. It never did, but it never stopped him from praying. He pressed a hand against the side of his neck where the chip was, feeling the burning beneath. It wasn't unbearable - like a fever in one area, but it was a sign of his tie here. A sign of the storm. It was only half over, maybe not even that. He was waiting on the downhill slope, for the pain to ebb away and leave him dizzy and numb feeling.
Another tear slipped out, drifting down his nose.
___________________
Lou wasn't sure when he managed to doze off, but he knew when he was awakened because Mandy was there, gently shaking his shoulder. Her voice was white noise to the slight ringing in his ears, and he blinked a few times, both from the sudden stabbing pain behind his eyes and the blurry vision. It cleared by letting out tears. The ringing faded. "Lou, Lou, do you hear me?" She whispered. The doll was knelt down beside him, hand gripping his shoulder tighter.
"Hm... yeah, yeah I hear ya.." he murmured, squinting up at her. "What is it?" His groggy mind struggling to pull words together or understand the situation. He could still hear snoring. The storm was still raging, but nothing was wrong, was there?
She paused, looking almost hesitant to continue. A crack of lightning went off, lighting up the windows beyond the blinds. Before he could think about it, he pressed a finger to his temple with a wince. It did nothing to relieve the pain. "You... you were crying a little in your sleep. Is this storm... hurting you?"
Realization slammed down on him all at once and he quickly wiped his eyes, opening his mouth to deny the observation, only to close it again. What exactly could he say? It's exactly what it looked like. "Maybe a little." She raised an eyebrow, mouth pressing into a thin line. The expression screamed 'I don't believe you. Cough up the truth or no more cookies for you.' He sighed, pulling himself slowly to sit up. He didn't fail to notice Mandy helping him. "Alright, more than a little."
She sighed. His eyes fell downcast, guilt welling in the pit of his stomach. "I'll be back in a sec with some pain killers." She got up and disappeared into the kitchen. When she was out of sight, he pressed his hand to his forehead, closing his eyes. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He shouldn't have stayed here. Now Mandy was worrying over him. At least if he were home, he could've hid this. He'd suffered through it a hundred times. What was one more?
He heard her foot steps coming back and straightened, trying to fix his hair in some semblance of normal and wipe any remains of tears away. She gave him a small, sympathetic smile, offering him two small white tablets and a glass of water. He attempted a smile back, then quickly swallowed down the medicine, not wanting to wait another second for a little relief. "Thank you."
"Of course." Her eyebrows furrowed together as she took the glass back. "Why didn't you just ask for some in the first place?"
"I... I don't know. I guess I just... didn't want you to worry."
"I'm worried because you didn't tell anyone. I'm your friend, so I'm going to worry either way. Just... here." She put the glass on the little coffee table that'd been pushed to the side for them all. Then she did the unexpected. Mandy sat down beside him and pulled him into a hug, arms wrapping tight around him. He hesitated a second, then half melted into the embrace, the pain still keeping him a little tense. She ran a hand up his back and gently through his hair. The extra touch somehow took away a little of the deep, skull breaking ache. It was like magic. "Does this prove I'm your friend?"
"I know you're my friend."
"Then let me help you. Let us help you." She shifted so his head was pressed up against her shoulder. "Go to sleep. I'm right here." Her hand ran up and down his arm before moving to his hair, fingers gently massaging his temple. He found himself relaxing involuntarily, eyes growing heavy. The pain was still a heavy sledgehammer, but not hitting quite as hard. He was willing to bet it was more Mandy than the pain killers activating in his system. It hadn't been long enough yet.
He could only mumble something even he didn't understand, letting his eyes shut. He didn't try to fight back the pain. He let Mandy have full access to it, her fingers soothing anything she touched. It was only a brief second of reprieve in a certain area, but it was better than it was. He slipped into sleep more easily, letting the oblivion take him away from the pain for a little while.
________________
Mandy sighed, watching as Lou relaxed a little. His breathing came deeper and she would've believed he was peacefully sleeping if not for the tense muscles in his back and shoulders. She settled in to stay for a bit, hoping her being there might keep him asleep for a little while. She'd woken up to go get something to drink only to see some tears drifting down Lou's face when she happened to glance toward him. It'd been easy to wake him up, it always was when he didn't consciously try to stay asleep, but it'd taken so long for him to focus... She brushed her fingers lightly across his forehead. No fever. Just what looked to be a very intense headache.
She found herself thinking back on everything and honestly getting angry. Not at Lou, but at the factory. He'd already been subjected to torture in perfection. He'd been told to eliminate any dolls with physical wrongs, constantly paranoid as he bent the rules for years. He'd snapped due to so many abandonment issues and being fed up with everything, like being a trapped prototype guiding others to happiness that he couldn't have. Yes, he had things to make up for. A lot of things, some more serious than others, and he'd worked hard to redeem himself in the eyes of everyone, returning to be more like a Lou that Ox once knew. He'd succeeded in their eyes, yet he was still suffering. The storm was hurting him. She wasn't sure how, but it was. She wanted to yell at the clouds. At the factory. Tell them to stop hurting him when he's already been kicked enough.
"Is he asleep?" Ox's voice almost made her jump. She looked over to see the green bunny awake, eyes trained on his brother.
She sighed again. "Yeah, he is."
"I knew there was something wrong with him." He shook his head, obviously frustrated with himself and a little at the blonde doll. He sat up, reaching out and brushing some hair away from Lou's eyes. "Headache?"
"A severe one." Thunder rolled again. Lou flinched a little in his sleep, eyebrows furrowing and face tensing in pain. His breath stuttered in its calm rhythm. "The storm is hurting him. Every time it thunders or lightnings, it hurts him more." Frustrated tears were stinging the corners of her eyes. She fought them back. "There's no telling how much pain he's been in this whole time. It's likely why he was so zoned out."
"We'll let him sleep as long as he can. I doubt he slept last night, judging by how his students were talking. Maybe he can get through the worst of it unconcious."
Mandy could only nod. "What time is it?"
He looked at his new watch, a recent gift from Lou. "2:27. The others won't be awake for a while."
"You can go back to sleep. I'll watch him."
"You know he won't like you doing that." Ox stood. "How about you both move to the couch? You can both sleep there." It was best idea they had besides moving her sleeping bag over. Even then, the one pillow between Lou's aching head and the ground didn't feel like enough. They worked together to carefully shift Lou to lay up against Ox while Mandy got up. The blonde didn't wake, only shifting a little. Mandy was soon able to pick him up bridal style, moving him to the couch. They ended up letting out the recliner part, Mandy laying on that seat with Lou's head in her lap, propped up by another pillow. Ox draped a blanket over both of them, tucking the cloth securely around his exhausted brother.
"There we go. Snug as a bug." He whispered. Mandy cracked a smile, hands already in Lou's locks to gently massage his scalp and temples. The blonde leaned into the touch with a small, content sigh, some more tension leaving him. The medicine had to be working by this point. "Get me up if anything happens?"
"Of course."
Ox went back to his sleeping bag, though it took him a while to go back to sleep, eyes looking at what he could see of Lou when they finally closed. Mandy turned to watch her newfound friend, studying his face. The pain lines were there, if less pronounced. How long would the pain go on? Until the storm ended? Longer? She didn't know the answer. She settled her head back against the chair, hands idly combing through Lou's hair as she drifted into a light doze, ready to wake up if he needed her.
About an hour later, he did.
A loud crack of thunder followed by lightning made it feel like the house was shaking. She jerked awake, other dolls following suit. A pit in her stomach said this was the worst point, and she was proven right when a few tears escaped from under Lou's closed eyelids, a small, almost undetected whimper coming from him. She gently shushed him, vaguely aware of Ox coming to his other side and wiping the tears away.
"What happened?" Ugly Dog asked groggily. Nolan pulled his blankets over his head, peeking out from under them after a moment. Mandy couldn't blame him. That was loud. It had woken everyone, all the dolls sitting up and blinking rapidly.
"Just thunder," Ox assured quietly, placing his hand on top of Lou's head gingerly. Moxy's eyes widened when she saw where Mandy and Lou were.
"What's wrong with Lou?" She asked in a frantic whisper, garnering everyone else's attention.
Ox and Mandy shared a look. As much as Lou would hate everyone knowing, there was no getting out of it. Mandy let out a small sigh, gently pressing her finger to his left temple. "The storm hurts him. That's what has been wrong the whole time. I don't know why it does, but he's has a lot of pain in his head."
"What can we do about it?" Wage asked worriedly. She'd been one of the ones to initially doubt Lou, but since he started to help her out in the diner and show his truly soft side, she came to care for him as much as they did. Lucky Bat, the main one with medical knowledge due to his kid having medical textbooks, moved forward, peering into Lou's tense face.
"Not much," he supplied. "You've given him medicine?" Mandy nodded. "Then if the storm is what's hurting him, we'll just have to wait it out with him." He moved to the side so Nolan could take his place, the brunette kneeling by the blonde. Thunder rolled. The formerly scared doll didn't flinch, watching Lou's mouth tighten minutely.
"Why didn't he just tell us?" He asked, resting a hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"He didn't want to worry us," Mandy said. "That's what he told me earlier. I told him we worry either way because we're his friends."
"Darn right." Ox agreed. Nolan's hand moved from Lou's shoulder to his neck, expression growing perplexed and alarmed. "Nolan?"
"His chip is burning."
Worried and a little confused, Mandy pressed her fingers near where his hand was. Indeed, heat was radiating from the area where Lou's most vulnerable part was. The piece none of them had. The sign of a prototype. He'd confided in them about it one night, telling them how it was the thing that kept him from going through the portal. When asked why he couldn't remove it, he'd said that it also contained his memories, his thoughts, his programming - even his emotions had developed within that chip. There was no way to remove it and still have Lou be... Lou. The robots had to remove it twice a year for scheduled maintenance, and he could never remember anything about that time besides being extremely cold. Removal wasn't an option.
"Lou's tie to the storm must be that thing," Babo said, ruffling through his pockets. He procured a rag. "Would ice help?"
"Good idea, Babo," Wage said, taking the offered item. "I'll have to open the freezer to get ice, but it'll be worth it." She ran off, coming back a minute later with a bag of ice wrapped in the cloth. Nolan took it and gingerly pressed it against the skin that covered Lou's chip. His face scrunched up, but some of the pain receded.
"What do we do now?" Nolan asked, watching worriedly.
Ox's face was grim. "We wait."
____________________
Most dolls had gone back to their sleeping bags, but they didn't sleep, quietly whispering among themsleves. Nolan sat at the end of the couch, holding Lou's feet in his lap, and Mandy stayed as a headrest for Lou. As much as her legs were likely getting restless and numb from being still, she didn't move, obviously worried she'd wake him. Ox sat on the armrest, watching his brother as Mandy kept the ice pack against his neck. It'd been three hours since everyone found out what was going on. Lou drifted somewhere between asleep and awake. When his eyes were open, they were vacant and hazy, his mouth unable to put together any sentences. Exhaustion was clear, but the storm kept him from sleeping peacefully.
'At least he's resting,' Nolan thought, turning from his friend to the nearest window. 'And the storm is dying.' Outside was mostly dark, clouds rumbling overhead, followed by the occasional lightning strike, but a bit of light was beginning to seep through. The rain wasn't as persistent, and the winds weren't so loud. Lou's pained winces were growing less and less.
"Mandy?" The voice was so quiet that Nolan almost didn't hear it. His head snapped over to look at Lou, who was blinking his eyes open slowly. Some pain and confusion clouded blue irises, and it made his heart hurt to see. "What's..."
"It's okay, Lou. You've been sleeping. How do you feel?" She asked quietly. Nolan could feel some tension rising in the air, the others silent now as they waited for Lou's response. The blonde's eyes moved from Mandy, to Ox, to Nolan, and he sighed.
"A little less like there's a wrecking ball in my brain." He closed his eyes fro a brief second. "Storm's almost over. Maybe two or three hours left. Lights should come on in a little bit." His left hand moved to press against his forehead and would've dislodged the ice pack if Mandy hadn't grabbed it. He blinked at it confusedly.
"How can you gauge that?" Ox asked curiously, pulling Lou's attention to him.
"I can feel it."
"How?"
"It's kind of hard to explain, but it's like it's in every thread I have. In my brain. I've been sensing it coming since the night before. It starts as a small prickling at the edge of my brain and in the..." he gestured to his chip, face pulling into a grimace. "It doesn't get painful until a little bit before it starts. It'll ware off in a while and I'll be fine."
"I don't think 'fine' will be the right word." Ox said. "I doubt you'll snap back to good the minute the rain stops. You haven't really slept."
"I've slept more than I normally would."
His eyes narrowed, face pinched with concern. "What do you mean?"
Lou pulled himself to sit up, Mandy grabbed the ice pack before it could fall, and Nolan shifted so Lou could sit between them. The navy pajama clad doll pushed away the blanket like it was an offending object, letting it fall onto his legs. "I mean," he put his index finger to his temple with a small wince right before thunder clapped. Nolan barely resisted the urge to hug him, shifting so his elbow was touching his arm. Lou offered a weaker smile. "I don't usually sleep any during these storms. It's too hard to. If I do, it's more similar to being knocked out by the pain. This time... I think I actually slept a little. So, better than usual."
"That still doesn't mean you're good to go. A little sleep isn't enough. I thought we established that?" Ox reminded pointedly. Lou glanced down, shoulders tensing a little as he visibly straightened himself. "Look, you've already cancelled classes and everything. It's clean up day. You already did enough yesterday to prepare everyone, so you need to rest."
Lou's eyes narrowed back at Ox - challenging him. "I've done this plenty of times before. I can handle it."
"Even if you can handle it, you shouldn't have to. Lou," he jumped off the couch, coming to stand in front of him. When Lou tried to look away, Ox forced him to look back, "you're tired. You've been in pain for several hours, and I doubt it'll go away without some kind of aftershock." The slight wince Lou made said that he was right. "You will stay here. You will rest. Then we're all going to come back here and figure out a plan for next time this happens."
"You can't fix it." The sentence was mumbled, so full of hopelessness that Nolan couldn't resist throwing his arms around Lou, hugging him tightly.
"Then we'll do something to soften the blow." Ox smiled softly, then hugged Lou around the front. Mandy followed on his other side. Soon, all the dolls were crowded around, hugging Lou from all sides and angles. Nolan felt him relax, the last of the tension in his body draining away. The rain was slowly pattering outside, a break in the clouds allowing the sunrise to start to break through the horizon.
Lou let out a sigh. "Alright, if you insist."
______________
'I feel miserable.'
Lou let his forehead rest against the tub, arms loosely wrapped around his torso. He was sitting on the floor of the bathroom by the toilet, breathing deeply as he tried to calm the rolling in his stomach. He didn't have anything to expel, so it was mostly dry retching, but it hurt. His head no longer hurt though it felt like he had cotton for brains. If he tried to stand, he was knocked back down with dizziness and the weakness in his limbs. It wasn't anything he was unfamiliar with, but he was used to doing this in the solitary of his mansion or behind a bush when no one was looking.
He blinked slowly, trying to chase the swirling colors from his vision. This storm had been a bad one, maybe worse than the others, but it was somehow better, too. Maybe because his friends were in the house, getting ready to head out to clean up. He'd disappeared in the bathroom fifteen minutes ago, hoping to get passed the nausea on his own. It never lasted overly long, but the weakness would be persistent for a few hours. His chest still felt tight, and he was exhausted. Ox was right. He wasn't going to snap back instantly. He never did.
'Be a lot easier if I could,' he thought with a deep breath, pushing against the tension in his chest. His stomach was calming, but he didn't feel ready to stand. He couldn't stand. He drew his knees to his chest, letting his head roll onto them. A knock on the door would've made him jump if he had the energy.
The storm sucked everything out of him. Sometimes, he was convinced that it took strength from him personally.
"Lou? You okay in there?" Nolan asked.
"Yes," he answered. It came out muffled. He tried again, raising his head. "Yes, just a minute." His voice sounded weak even to him.
"You've got sixty seconds. You have been in there a while." The worry in his voice warmed his heart a little.
"Don't rush me," he muttered, letting his head drop down. He doubted Nolan heard him. "Deep breaths," he told himself. "I've got to stand. No use worrying them more." He braced his left arm against the tub and went to rise. He made it halfway up before his legs collapsed underneath him, his knees hitting unforgiving tile. He winced, forehead coming to rest against the tub again. "Just a few more seconds. Come on."
He must've drifted a little longer than he thought because the doorknob jiggled, then twisted. Why didn't he lock it again? "Lou!" Nolan was at his side in an instant, hand on his back. "What's wrong? What do you need?" He was fretting, his other hand moving uselessly in the air. Lou would've laughed if his head didn't suddenly feel so off balance.
"Jus... just need a sec, Nolan. I'm okay."
"This does not look okay." The hand moved across his shoulders. "I'm going to go get Babo. This floor isn't doing anything for you." The hand disappeared, followed by Nolan's fast footsteps down the hall as he called for Babo. A small smile pulled on Lou's lips and he let his eyes fall shut, focusing on the air moving in and out of his lungs as the haze settled more firmly over his brain. It wasn't typically this bad. It might've had something to do with the off scheduleness of it all.
He didn't realize he fell asleep until he was being gently picked up by strong, fluffy arms, one looped under his legs and the other supporting his back. His head fell easily against Babo's chest and shoulder, his half concious mind trusting the bigger doll not to drop him. He kept his eyes shut as they moved, fighting back the small amount of vertigo that threatened to churn his stomach. Soon, he was laid across the couch again, a fluffy blanket pulled up to his shoulders.
A hand pressed against the area of his chip. He didn't flinch. "It's cooled down now," Mandy said quietly. "But just in case..." The ice pack was slid back into place. It was admittedly soothing after so much heat had burned up the area, but not as soothing as the thought behind the action. It loosened some of the tension in his chest as his heart warmed. He let himself float in his mind as he let the words of the others wash over him. They were organizing clean up crews after receiving reports of cloth being blown around, some trees and structures tipping with the wind, but no one was hurt. They'd followed his instructions.
Light hit his eyes and he squinted. Electricity was back. Said lights were cut off very quickly, letting him blink his eyes open further. He turned his head slowly, watching the others move about, reorganizing Mandy's livingroom back to how it was before the sleepover. Sleepover. An unconscious smile appeared on his face. It had been nice, hadn't it? They should do more of these sleepovers. That was a fun word. How often did people actually sleep on sleepovers? Kids sometimes pulled all nighters. He wondered if he could organize one. Something fun to make up for all of this. He yawned into his hand, fighting to keep his eyes open as he soaked up every bit of comfort. It was nice to be able to breathe after a storm instead of forcing himself to act normal.
"You jus' rest up here, brother." Ox appeared, patting his shoulder. "Recuperate. We'll be back in a few hours, with lunch."
"It's on me!" Wage called, getting a round of smiles and laughs.
Ox snorted out a laugh. Then his face turned vaguely serious. "You do anything foolish, I'm coming for ya. I can and will put you on bedrest if I have to, and I know you hate that."
Lou rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I got the message," he muttered. Everything was slowly getting a little clearer, but sleep was grabbing at his conciousness. The blanket, the softness of the couch, the warmth - he was safe to fall, right here, right now. "I, uh," he didn't know what was compelling him to say this, speaking so quietly only Ox and maybe near dolls could hear. "I didn't tell the full story with the first storm. Close, but not... complete."
"You don't hafta say if you don't want to," his brother said quietly, a sudden concern crossing his face.
"I want to." He thought for a second, unable to look him in the eye for a second. Finally, he forced his eyes to meet Ox's. "Everything about the other dolls was true but... I stayed off to the side. It was... the first time I really felt pain. I didn't know what was happening, but I wanted them happy even though I thought I might be dying. The factory never told me that storms would hurt my head so much, or why. I just figured it was because I am a deep part of this world."
"You don't deserve this pain, Lou," Ox whispered, eyes glossy and angry. Lou knew that anger wasn't directed at him. "If I could fix it right now, I would. We're going to try and fix it. I promise. We'll do everything we can to make it better." He took his shoulder and squeezed it. "Thank you for telling me all this. Telling us. Don't worry about anything. We'll take care of it." He fixed the blankets around Lou's neck. With the knowledge he'd told the story right, told someone one of his most terrifying memories, Lou let his eyes shut. The tightness in his chest was slowly easing and his head didn't feel so fuzzed out.
He fell asleep a minute later.
_______________________
Lou woke up an unknown amount of hours later, blinking dazedly. He felt comfortably warm under the blanket, none of those unpleasant chills racing up his spine like before the storm. The only chill was the ice pack, and it had mostly melted down into cold water. He rubbed at his eyes with his fists, forcing himself to wake up a little more. The sun was higher overhead - about noon. He'd slept peacefully for six hours. No dreams. No nightmares. Pure sleep. His head was still a bit cotton feeling, but it wasn't too the point where it was hard to focus.
Slowly, he pulled himself to sit up. The room didn't spin. He waited a moment before pushing the blanket off. As much as his body wanted to lay there for another hour or so, he also didn't like staying still right this moment. Ox's threat came back to his mind as he put his feet against the floor. 'I'm just going to change into my suit again,' he reasoned with himself. 'No use to stay in pajamas all day.' He pushed weight on his feet tentatively, then hauled himself all the way up. He stumbled a brief second, but stayed on his feet. "Success," he muttered to himself, glancing around as if he'd get caught. The others might not approve, but they weren't here to stop him, were they?
He moved carefully back to the bathroom where his clothes were neatly folded on a shelf, right where he left them. His strength wasn't completely back, leading to him placing a hand against the wall for balance as he changed. The weakness would be persistent for another few hours, though it definitely wasn't as bad as earlier. He could walk anyhow.
Lou smoothed back his hair as best he could and went to place his used pajamas in the hamper, only to see how much laundry had piled up. "Huh." He tossed the clothes in, grabbed the basket by the handles, and headed to the laundry room. He had to stop a few times on the short trek, cursing himself a little each time, but he did eventually make it to the washer. He chucked the clothes in, poured the exact right amount of detergent and softener, and started the load. "Ironic." He said aloud. As much as the factory told him to use the wash as punishment, the hypocrisy was not lost to him.
Before he knew it, he was picking up chores around Mandy's house. Dishes, clothes folding, sweeping, dusting - he did everything his eyes landed on. It was partly his inbuilt urge to make things perfect by cleaning, but the main thing was that this was Mandy's house. She hosted a sleepover and cared about him. The least he could do was clean up afterward. An hour later, he had most things done and shakily sat down on the couch, only then realizing how weak his legs were feeling. Ignoring that, he raised up his fingers in opposite 'L's, checking the symmetry of the pictures on the walls.
The door opened. "We're back!" Moxy announced loudly, running into the house with one of her giant, contagious smiles.
"Moxy!" Ox gently scolded.
"What? He's awake. You can't wake an awake person."
Lou decided to chime in, dropping his hands. "She's right."
"Ha! Louis agrees with me!"
Lou rolled his eyes, fighting back a smile. He didn't correct his full name. "Only because you're correct."
"Exactly. Proving my point." She jumped up onto the couch, sitting up against his side. "We got you pasta with pepper flakes. Your favorite!"
"Absolutely my favorite." His heart twinged. He'd went with them to eat numerous times and his main order was definitely pasta, with a medium amount of pepper flakes. Not too much, not too little. It was touching that they noticed, no matter his often he ordered. It meant they were listening to him on something that wasn't doll regulation related. Of course he knew they listened, but every reminder made him tingle with warmth.
"And something a little different that might help you," Lucky Bat said, walking up to him with a plastic cup balanced on his head. Lou took it when urged, eyeing the dark liquid suspiciously.
"Dude," Lucky Bat jumped on the couch, settling on the arm, "it's not poison."
He narrowed his eyes playfully. "That's exactly what someone who was trying to poison me would say." Despite that, he took a sip. It was minty and somewhat sweet. Tea with something else in it. Something like... "Peppermint tea?" He guessed.
"Yup!" Moxy replied. "Lucky said it might help your head. We can try it sooner next time, see if it might take off some pain."
He got that heart feeling again. "Thank you." He took another sip, getting used to the cooling sensation that settled over his mouth as the others settled the bags of food on the table, taking out styrofoam cartons and handing out drinks, happy chatter filling the room. He asked about the clean up and was met with stories of shenanigans and success. He was proud of the dolls, his students, who jumped in to help immediately. Apparently clean up was a cinch. He felt guilty for not being there, but he also knew they wouldn't have let him, nor would he have been much help in his state.
Mandy was looking at him strangely. He met her eyes with a raised eyebrow. She crossed her arms. He crossed his, crossing his legs too for good measure after placing down the drink. The others paused, looking between them.
Ox was the one to break the silent stare off. "What's going on between you two?"
"He cleaned." Mandy stated, sending eyes his way. "Even the dust is gone."
"You weren't supposed to do anything, Lou." Ox scolded.
"I wasn't supposed to do anything foolish," he defended himself. "I don't think straightening up a little is foolish. Also, that picture is crooked." He pointed, going to get up only to be gently pushed back down by Nolan, the brunette appearing at his side out of thin air.
"You didn't need to do that," Mandy said, dropping her arms with a sigh.
"I know."
"Then why did you?"
"I wanted to."
She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm not going to get anywhere with this, am I?"
"Nope."
Mandy rolled her eyes, grabbed the box labeled 'Lou-Lou,' and pushed it into his hands. Before she stepped back, she ruffled his hair. He let out a little 'hey!' as he playfully batted her hands back, attempting to fix his hair to its original state. She chuckled and grabbed her food, going to sit on the other couch as Nolan sat on his other side, squishing Lou between him and Moxy, who was cheerfully drinking a milkshake.
A movie came on the TV, but most weren't paying attention. Lou definitely wasn't. He was twirling pasta around his fork and drinking the new tea they were so considerate to get, listening to pleasant, friendly banter and conversation. Jokes were made, some food almost spilled, and Lou was smiling to himself as he listened to it all. He was warm. Physically and mentally. Nothing hurt. The haze had receded, allowing him to fully feel and understand the care they were all showing him. They really did care. He knew they did, but every day reaffirmed it. He wasn't alone anymore.
That was the best feeling in the world.
__________
It was during a dinner three months later that he felt it again. The prick in his brain. The shiver in his spine. A buzzing feeling beneath his skin that wouldn't allow him to stop fidgeting with his hands under the table. He knew the feeling would get worse in a few hours, but in the beginning, it was manageable. He didn't want to ruin dinner - the first time they'd all been able to be together in a week. He forced a smile when looked at, talked when spoken to, and tried to keep breathing through the tightening of his chest.
Nolan lightly elbowed him in the torso. He looked up from where he was poking at his pasta, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"You've gone quiet, Lou." He commented. He was smiling, but there was a worried tint to it. "Everything okay?"
"I'm fine, Nolan. You worry too much."
"Well, you're not one to be silent during a debate."
He tuned back into the conversation going on around them, vaguely aware it had become white noise to his ears. Moxy's kid had pineapple on pizza, and they were debating if that was right or wrong. Lou knew it didn't matter to them what someone ate, but it was fun to have an opinionated debate. Moxy was declaring it the best thing ever while Ox was against it. They were making their cases, pulling others to their sides. It was mostly laughter. "Just... want to watch."
"You were kind of watching your food."
He rolled his eyes, ignoring the numb feeling developing at the forefront of his mind. It would soon delve into sparks that left him unable to close his eyes. "Specifics. I was listening." He took a sip of his drink.
"Are you drinking the peppermint tea?"
"Yes," he admitted slowly. "Why?"
"Does your head hurt?" The question was spoken quietly, wide eyes staring worriedly at him. No one else noticed, laughing at something Babo said.
He huffed. "No." It wasn't a lie. Technically. It wasn't painful yet. "I just like it."
"Okay." He dropped the subject. Lou was thankful for that.
"Hey Louis!" Moxy called. He raised an eyebrow. "Pineapple on pizza: yes or no?"
He shrugged. "Never had it, so I can't judge."
Next thing he knew, Ugly Dog and Lucky Bat were flagging down one of Wage's employees, ordering a slice of pineapple pizza for him. While he knew he'd be throwing it up tomorrow, he smiled through it, reminding himself that the sun was still shining outside. He soaked up every bit of the comfortable familiarity of the situation so he could hold onto it later.
If Nolan noticed him ordering a peppermint tea to take home, he didn't say anything.
_________________________
Lou couldn't stay still.
It was one in the morning and he could feel the storm forming. It was distant, a pulse behind his eyes and electricity running across his skin, leaving him unable to stop and close his eyes. Sleep was futile, but he tried anyway. He didn't stay down for five minutes, tiring of tossing and turning.
Now he was moving from room to room in his house, taking the stairs two at a time whenever he happened to hit them. Moving a lot gave him a brief reprieve from the static in his brain, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't focus. He'd start a task and stop halfway through because something else caught his eye. All the half done tasks - laundary, book reorganizing, dishes - were driving him nuts, but he just couldn't stick to them. He'd drank all the tea. He was out of peppermint candy. He couldn't think, constantly on edge and unable to relax for one moment. It was frustrating. It was horrible.
"I've gone through this a million times." He told himself, pacing back and forth across his bedroom. When he took a glance at the mirror, he saw his hair was becoming a mess from running his hands through it. His suit was a little rumpled from running around. The visual made him feel worse. "I can do it again. It'll be over soon." Maybe they'd have another sleepover? But it wouldn't be like last time. They'd be worrying over him now that they knew how the storm affected him. They knew about his pain. They wouldn't be able to have fun.
Lou did another lap around the room, stopping at his bed to fix the already perfect blankets. His hands trembled, unnatural energy with no way to get out. Lou moved to his bookshelf where he had several stacks of books on the floor, disorganized and ready to be moved to the partly empty shelves. He knelt down and put a few away, only getting halfway through before he couldn't stand barely moving. Letting out a frustrated huff, he left and practically sprinted down the steps to the kitchen. He walked around the island counter a few times, flexing his hands. He hated this. How many times had he thought that at this point? Too many to count.
His thoughts were coming too fast. He pressed his index and thumb fingers against the bridge of his nose, dragging in a deep breath as he speed walked. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. It didn't do any good for him to get upset. He just needed to go through the motions until morning, when the fidgeting would settle into exhaustion and more haze. At least he could think at the moment. That would be harder to do later. So much harder. "It's just temporary." He had to assure himself.
In the next second, he ran into the fridge. Rubbing his forehead, he glared at the offending appliance. His face softened when he saw a photo of his friends, held there by a smiley face magnet. They were all grinning at him. His eyes roamed over the metal, his body stilling for the first time in hours as he looked over various photos. Selfies covered his fridge, everyone smiling at him. A small smile chased away some of his frustration, allowing him to take one deep breath. The electric energy buzzed inside, demanding to be let out, but for a moment, it fell to the background.
He could text them. They wouldn't be awake, but he could let them know there was a storm coming. It might appease some of his anxiety because they would know. Maybe. He started walking again, feeling the nervous energy build once more, and grabbed his phone from where it charged on the couch. He found the group chat quickly and typed (making several typos that he had to go back and fix): Storm coming in tomorrow evening. Drills in the morning.
It was curt. He was typically professional (with snark when the time called), even in the chat, but it was a bit much. What else could he say? He dropped the phone back on the couch, not expecting anything of it. All of them were asleep, like they should be. Like he should be. Like he wanted to be. Running his hand through his hair again, he paced the living room, switching his hands from being folded behind his back to in front of his stomach multiple times. As with every time this happened, he wished he knew why. Wished there was a way to block it all out. Disconnect from the storm. Literally. He touched his chip area. It was cold. He was cold. The heat was turned up, but he was cold.
He headed up the stairs again. Spun when he hit the top and ran back down, almost tripping on the last step. What time was it again? Had to be getting near two in the morning.
Up the stairs again. Down the stairs. Up. Down. Try to shake off the edge. The anxiety. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Focus on walking. Up. Down-
Halfway down, there was a knock at the door. He stumbled out of sheer surprise, missing the next step and tumbling down the last four stairs. He managed to catch himself in a crouch at the end only due to his athleticism, but impact with the stairs would leave him with a few bruises tomorrow.
"Lou!" That was Nolan. The doorknob jiggled. Lou was infinitely glad he locked it. "Are you alright in there? What happened?"
The blonde took a moment and straightened himself up, smoothing out his suit as best he could and attempting to organize his hair into some semblance of style. He shook himself, ordering his body to stop with the shaking. He could act normal until Nolan left. Why was he here anyway? Did his text wake him? A pit of guilt settled in his stomach as he opened the door. "Stop yelling. You're going to wake the whole neighborhood." He forced an eyeroll, immediately regretting it when he saw Nolan's worried face, the brunette looking him up and down. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Nolan slipped inside the house. Lou let him, shutting the door and shoving his hands in his pockets to hide their movements. "I just wanted to check on you."
"Well, I'm fine and you should be asleep." He would've crossed his arms if they weren't in his pockets. Nolan was wearing grey sweatpants and a green t-shirt, obviously having been ready to sleep but was decidedly not.
"So should you." Nolan was free to cross his arms, but didn't. His mismatched eyes were full of worry. "You're not even in pajamas."
"I like my suits."
"I thought you loved your pajamas?"
Lou hesitated. "I do. I just didn't want to wear any right now."
Nolan glanced around, eyes narrowing on the half dome dishes in the kitchen. "Why is every light in your house on? And are you doing dishes?"
He gave an exaggerated sigh. Staying still was a pain, so he allowed himself to move to stand across the room, hopefully blocking out Nolan's view of the sink. He tried not to think of all the other half done chores. "Look, Nolan, I'm perfectly alright. Go back home and get to sleep. Big day tomorrow with the storm and all." He waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the slight tremor in his fingers.
"Louis." He almost flinched. Nolan never used his full name. This was bad. "Being very frank here-"
"I thought you were Nolan," he tried to joke. He was met with a raised eyebrow. The worry never left his best friend's face.
"-you do not look alright. Is it because of the storm? The way you said you could sense it?" Lou glanced away. His foot tapped at the ground, and not just because of the excess energy running through his stuffing. "That's what this all is, isn't it? You told me your head didn't hurt." The sadness in his voice made Lou snap back to him.
"And it didn't."
"Does it now?"
"No." Nolan watched him, silently encouraging him to elaborate. Lou heaved a sigh and placed his hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Look, I'm not in pain." His forming bruises begged to differ. "I'm just a little...on edge." That was vastly understating it. His hand shook against Nolan's shoulder and he yanked it back, offering a smile. Nolan surveyed him again.
"You're practically shaking."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am- ugh." He ran his hand through his hair again, walking away to the kitchen. Nolan followed him. "I'll go to sleep in a little bit." It was easier to lie when not looking at him.
"I really doubt that. You can't stop moving."
"Can too."
"Prove it then."
"You sound like Mandy."
"Still not seeing you proving a point."
Lou pressed his hands against the counter, forcing himself to be still. He looked Nolan dead in the eyes. "There. I'm still." The energy built up like a shaken soda bottle in his chest, tingles running through his brain and threads. Nolan stared at him. One second. Two. Three. Four. Fi- His fingers tapped against the cobblestone. "Ugh. Fine. I can't stop moving at the moment. It'll ware off in a little bit."
"And turn into head pain."
"Not until the thunder starts."
"That's not very comforting, Lou."
"Whatever." He was running out of mental energy for this. "Just..." he ran his hand down his face with another sigh. "There's nothing you can do." A shiver went up his spine, and he rubbed his hands together to try and create some heat as well as let out some energy. He started to pace beside the island counter, unable to stand the lack of motion any longer.
"But I want to help you." Nolan's eyes were so wide it hurt.
"If you want to do me a favor, then leave." The brunette flinched slightly. Lou winced and softened his voice, forcing himself to pause. "I don't mean it like that. I feel bad keeping you from sleep. It would make me feel better if you did get some rest. Really. I'll be okay."
Nolan spoke so quietly Lou almost didn't hear it. "But you're not okay right now."
Lou didn't answer. Instead, he turned on his heel and headed up the stairs, unable to handle this right now.
He didn't want to admit how much his heart hurt when he heard the door shut.
___________________
Lou was organizing the walk-in closet when he heard footsteps on the stairs. More than one set. He sighed, reaching out to hang up a black suit. He didn't really need to move it to another spot among other black suits, but moving clothes around allowed him to walk back and forth across the closet and still feel like he was doing something. No matter how pointless it was.
"Lou?" That was Ox.
Lou peered around the edge of the door, foot tapping anxiously. Ox and Nolan had just walked into his room, slightly open mouthed. The blonde couldn't blame them. The blankets from his bed were crumpled on the floor from where he'd wanted to redo them, only to jump to the closet when his focus switched. It wasn't entertaining enough. Engaging enough. It didn't require enough movement. The closet was barely cutting it, and he was about to move to something else. The rest of his room was also in shambles. More books off the shelves than on. Framed photos and trinkets were thrown this way and that, some on the bed and others sitting on the floor. His usually impeccable room looked like a tornado had gone through it.
He was the tornado. A storm inside a doll.
Deciding he couldn't hide anymore, he sighed. "Right here." He stepped out, aware he probably looked like absolute crap. The instant concern on Ox's face proved that. "What do you need and why are you both here?" His eyes narrowed, hands folding behind his back. "I thought I sent you home, Nolan."
"I went for reinforcements, a lot of whom were already awake, by the way," Nolan replied.
"My text?"
"No," he shook his head immediately. "I... kind of thought you weren't saying the whole truth at dinner and told some of our friends. They were awake when I called."
"Wait, some of? They?" He slipped by them, dodging the hands that tried to stop him. He got through the doorway, turned sharp, and hit the stairs two at a time once more. His legs were beginning to ache from moving so much. He might be athletic, but his energy didn't match his physical capabilities at the moment.
"Lou!" Mandy's voice startled him so much that he missed the next step and fell down the stairs. Again. Only this time, he didn't land on his feet. The air was knocked out of him as he landed hard on his back. "Lou! Oh gosh. I didn't mean to startle you." The girl doll was there in a second, grabbing his hand. "My goodness- why are your hands so cold?" Instinctively, he yanked his hand back and hauled himself off the ground.
"It's fine. Just didn't know you were there."
"How is it fine? You just fell down the stairs." She took him by the shoulders, looking him over. "Are you hurt?"
He took her hands off of him, already moving to spin around, seeing all the dolls doing various things around his house. Lucky Bat and Ugly Dog were on barstools, doing his dishes. Well, attempting. They were getting quite a few suds everywhere, but he didn't find himself able to mind. He'd already destroyed his room. Like he did every time this built up energy came. Wage was at the stove, a pot of something boiling on it. A styrofoam box sat to the side, away from the suds. Babo was fixing photos he'd taken down in an attempt to rearrange, replacing them on the wall hooks. Moxie was nowhere to be seen. That should unnerve him a little, but he was too confused to care. Everyone was wearing pajamas.
"Lou?" Mandy waved her hand in front of his face, pulling his attention back. Her face screamed worry. Nolan and Ox were coming downstairs, similar expressions on their face. The former was carrying what looked like a set of his pajamas. "You didn't answer me. Are you okay? That looked rough." A quick glance proved the others were visibly trying not to look at him, eyes as concerned as Mandy's. They were probably trying not to place mor attention on him.
"No, no, I'm fine." He assured, trying to keep his voice light even as he moved to the kitchen. The three followed. "Not the first time I've fallen down the stairs tonight." As soon as the words came out, he grimaced. Probably shouldn't have said that, but his mouth had a mind of its own. Too many thoughts to figure out what he should and shouldn't say.
"You've already fallen down once?!" Ox's voice was barely below a yell.
"I landed on my feet."
"But you fell down the stairs."
"I landed on my feet," he repeated. Stressed it. Why were they all here? "What's going on? Why are you all here and not, I don't know, asleep in your homes?"
"Because believe it or not, we care about you," Mandy stepped forward, taking him by the hand again. She squeezed his fingers without trying to stop his walking. In fact, she walked with him. "Nolan told us you weren't able to stay still because of the storm. We hoped we could help."
"I've already told Nolan - there isn't a way to help. This happens every time and I've tried everything." He walked around the island, then to the living room, fully aware of the eyes on him. It wasn't like when he was on stage. Mandy stayed right by his side, keeping up with his long strides.
"We can be here for you."
"I don't want any of you worrying. You all need to rest."
"And so do you." She reached out and took his chin, pulling his face to look at her. "I've told you before, Lou. We are going to worry because we are your friends. We don't want you to bottle this up and try to handle it yourself. Even if we can't do much, we'll do what we can. These messes," she gestured around to where the dolls were cleaning, "have to be annoying you, aren't they?" Hesitantly, he nodded. "We can clean them up. We can wait this out with you. Please, let us help."
He looked around. Everyone's eyes were on him. Silently pleading with him. It only took a few seconds for him to completely cave. He let out a long drawn out sigh. "Fine." She smiled and pulled him in for a hug. Just like when looking at the pictures, he found a second where he could pause, putting his arms around her. It only lasted a moment, but it calmed some of the anxiety keeping his chest tight and thoughts racing. Smiles went around the room as the dolls went back to what they were doing, Nolan and Ox standing at the edge of the kitchen with soft smiles.
He had to let go after a minute, going back to his pacing that the storm demanded he do. Mandy followed, hand in his and offering warmth that the heater couldn't. "Really, why are your hands cold?" She asked.
"I don't know. I really don't. Just like with the storm, I don't know how it affects me. It's... how it works."
"What does it feel like?" Nolan asked suddenly. Lou raised an eyebrow, turning his head while walking to keep him in his vision. "Having to walk around and all. What's keeping you going?"
His shoulders fell a little. Mandy squeezed his hand. "It's like...." He forced in a breath. "It's like there are a million sparks going through me. Too much energy without a real outlet. I can't focus on anything for too long because there are so many thoughts going through my head. It's kind of ironic because later, I won't be able to focus or move much at all, and there will be hardly any coherent thoughts going through." He winced. "Or maybe it's just how it's supposed to go."
"None of this is how it's 'supposed to go.'" Mandy insisted, eyes hard. "You don't deserve this."
"We don't choose the cards we get dealt."
There was a brief moment of silence at his statement. Ox broke it. "How long does it usually last?"
He thought for a moment, pivoting on his heel. Mandy switched hands. "Until about four or five o'clock, somewhere in there." He answered the next question before it could be asked. "No, I don't sleep."
"Why?"
"Too much stress. And I don't want to accidentally sleep through class." He replied. Ox's mouth turned down in obvious distaste, but he nodded. Nolan came up and pushed his pajamas toward him, forcing Lou to catch them in one arm. He blinked confusedly.
"At least change into these. You'll be more comfortable."
Knowing there was no getting out of it, he nodded. Mandy and Nolan passed his hand between them and soon he was being led upstairs to the bathroom to change.
________________________
When he stepped out of the bathroom and into his room, he was surprised at what he saw. Nolan, Ox, and Mandy had picked up his floor and remade the bed. The clothes he hadn't quite finished folding were done and put away. "You guys know you don't have to do this, right?" He more stated than asked. Mandy looked her arm with his.
"We know, but we want to." She said, smiling slightly as she threw back words he said months ago. He managed a small chuckle, already moving forward and pulling her along. She matched him easily, even as he took the steps two at a time. Ox and Nolan followed right behind. "So you've basically been running around the last few hours?"
"Yes."
"And it doesn't make you tired?"
He wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. "It's... complicated. I can be tired and full of energy at the same time. The energy isn't exactly mine." She nodded, worry once again covering her face. He hated that expression. Hated that they were all worrying about him even though it was touching his heart like it always did. "I'll be tired later."
"And you'll sleep."
He didn't say yes or no.
When they got downstairs, Wage pushed a warm glass of brown liquid into his open hand. "Drink up, Lou. If it helps or not, I know you like it." A little surprised, he took a drink. Peppermint tea. He smiled as the cooling sensation crossed his mouth once again. It was ironic in the fun way. His mouth was cool and the warmth of the drink was seeping into his cold hand.
"Thank you, Wage."
"Anytime. I've also got some pancakes ready for you in the morning." She patted his shoulder as she passed him.
He took a look around, still in constant motion. Everything was fixed back relatively close to how it was. He didn't mind the small changes - they were signs of care. Signs his friends cared even as they stayed awake for him. "Thanks everyone. It looks great."
Several 'no problem's and 'anytime's met him. He smiled. Despite the electricity running through him, he felt... calm. Truly calm for the first time in hours. Moxy then ran in from somewhere else in the house, holding something in her hands. "I have something for you, Lou!" She announced, almost slamming into his legs. He managed to pause his walk to peer at her curiously. "Here!" He knelt down to take a multicolored cube. At his confusion, she elaborated. "It's a rubix cube. The goal is to get one color per side. It might help your focus and give you something to fidget with."
He sat down the glass of tea on the table and Mandy loosened her hold on his arm so he could take the cube, flipping one piece experimentally. Then another. "It's cool, isn't it?" Moxy beamed. Then she did something unexpected - something he should really expect out of her. She lightly stepped onto his foot, putting her arms around his leg. "Carrying a weight around can help deplete that energy. Could we try?"
He couldn't say no to her face, but it wasn't like he wanted to. "Alright, we can try."
"Me too!" Ugly Dog barreled into his other leg, doing the same thing as Moxy. Neither weighed that much. "As long as you're fine with it, that is."
"I think I'm good with it. Hang on." He took a careful step with his left leg, causing Moxy to giggle. Then his right. Ugly Dog laughed. He soon settled into a slightly slower walking pace, Mandy on his arm and the two smaller dolls on his leg. He messed with the cube, silently trusting Mandy to pull him around anything. She did, leading them to walk around in a circle. He didn't feel compelled to switch tasks or sprint up the stairs. He was... content. Focus captured by a cube he was trying to solve and energy controlled by walking with two doll weights on his legs, listening to their laughter and feeling Mandy's arm interlocked with his.
It was nice. Really nice.
They kept it up for an hour. Four am ticked by. He barely noticed. Everyone was laughing and talking, a movie on the TV. Moana. It was almost like the all nighter sleepover he hoped for - just with him unable to sit down and some occasional concerned glances thrown his way. Next time, he hoped it would be without the brewing storm in his mind. Maybe next week...
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the energy drain. It was all at once, similar to falling into cold water and then being yanked back out. Near every bit of strength got sucked out of him, sending his head into a momentary spin. He was lucky Mandy was there or else he would've fallen face first against the ground, his legs giving out beneath him. She caught him the second he started to tilt, Ugly Dog and Moxy jumping off of him in alarm and worry. "Lou, are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said after a second, managing to get his legs back up under him only to be scooped up by Babo. He was placed down on an empty spot on the couch and he allowed himself to relax into the cushions, head tilted back a little. "I'm fine. It's just..." It was becoming harder to string words together. The fuzziness was already beginning to drift into his brain. A barely there barrier that would soon grow into a wall between his thoughts and focus.
"The energy is gone." Ox finished for him. He nodded gratefully. His legs had a full on ache in them, but his head was no longer buzzing. His body was his again. A very tired body. The next 'phase' of the storm would start soon, but right now he was content to breathe. After once again assuring them he was okay, they went back to the movie, talking quietly. Mandy settled in on his left side while Ox pressed against his right, trapping him in a good cocoon of warmth. His eyelids were growing heavy.
He'd managed to hold onto the rubix cube during the commotion. Only one piece left to turn. Gingerly, he flipped it, letting it slowly slide into place. A little smile pulled at his lips. Every side had been mismatched, yet here it was, whole and complete. A bit like him and his friends - a mismatched group of individuals who somehow manages to fit together perfectly. It took work to figure each other out, but it was all worth it in the end.
Lou let his chin drop down on his chest, unable to hold it up anymore. The anxiety and stress that typically plagued him wasn't there to twist his stomach or make his heart race. He felt... safe. Secure. Warm. Relaxed. It wouldn't be a terrible thing to sleep, would it? They'd wake him up before class started, right? It was Wednesday, so class wasn't until nine. Maybe some sleep would help the fuzziness in the long run...
Finally, his eyes fell shut and he sunk into the comfort of friends, head drifting to land on Mandy's shoulder as he slept.
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"Guys, look." Ox whispered.
Moxy turned. The first thing she noticed was Ox's smile. The second thing she noticed made her replicate that smile. Lou was asleep against Mandy, face lax and peaceful. She had one arm around him, securing him against her side, and a smile on her own face. Something in Moxy loosened at seeing him finally still after having to be constant motion for who knew how many hours.
"He said he didn't sleep because of the stress." Nolan said quietly. "It looks like we did help."
"Proved Lou wrong," Ugly Dog sing-songed quietly.
Babo grabbed the blanket off the back of the other couch and draped it over the blonde, tucking Mandy and Ox in as well. He settled back down in his spot, the same smile on Ox's face being copied by him. Everyone shared the same endeared smile. Moxy took one more look at Lou to ensure he really was sleeping, then turned back to the movie. He'd looked - not an exaggeration - terrible when she first saw him, but now he was content. For the moment, all was calm. The storm would roll in tomorrow, but that was tomorrow's problem. They'd endure whatever storm came their way.
As long as they were together, they'd be fine.
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another blog for another under appreciated movie 🥲
