Warm Hands
Chapter 4~ Belly aches and lingerie
Warnings: brief panic attack, pain described
Pairing: TF141 x hybrid reader
A/n: this is like the preview before its edited, I genuinely passed out twice while writing this so please give me some grace if its bad. I will come back tomorrow to fix it.
@/dollywons div cred
The next morning was hard. You woke up with teary eyes and a painful tummy ache. Worst of all, there was no Johnny next to you. His side of the bed was cold and his scent only clung onto the linens of the bed.
Your tail hid between your thighs as you pulled the blanket up over your head and curled up in a ball. You cried and whined quietly under the covers, you tried to think of what could have made your tummy hurt. The food was good, rich, but good. Maybe it was the liquor, you never had liquor before so perhaps this was just a bad reaction. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t even hear the door open.
You hadn't noticed anything until a weight settled down on the bed right beside you, and a hand pulled the blankets away from your face.
“Aw, Bonnie what’s wrong. Cannae have ya cryin’ here all alone.” Johnny hummed, looking down at you with a puzzled expression. He thumbed your tears away before stroking your messy hair out of your face. “Tummy ache.” You whimper, shying away from his touch. He pulled his hand away and just looked at you for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. He didn’t have a lot of time to comfort you, he had the morning shift at the 141 and Kyle would kill him if he was late again.
“Sit up for me.” He said, putting his hand on your lower back. His brows knitted tight as you whimpered, “Easy now, Bonnie,” he murmured, voice dipping low like he was trying to soothe a frightened animal. “I know it hurts, just lean on me, alright?”
You sat up slowly, the blanket slipping off your shoulders as you clutched your middle.“I don’t feel good,” you whispered, breath shaky.
“I know, bonnie. I know.” Johnny cupped your cheek for a second, just to ground you, before slipping his arm around your waist and guiding your legs over the edge of the bed. “I’ve gotcha. Bathroom’s just a few steps.” Once he got you in there he sat you on the counter just like last night and brushed your teeth for you once again before checking your temperature. “No fever.” He then wiped your face with a damp washcloth and fixed your hair up a bit so he could take you down stairs.
“Gonna get ya down to john so he can fix ya up.” He guided you out of the room and down the hallway where John was. The taller man was standing by the stove, cooking something that made the room smell amazing, onlying turning around when Johnny said his name.
“Morning pups, sleep well?” He asked, not yet realizing how bad you were feeling. “Slept good, but she woke up feelin buggie. I gotta go, take care of ‘er fa me, yeah?” His voice trailed off as he pulled out a chair at the dining table for you. “Oh sweetheart, is that right?” John asked, turning the stove off and turning towards the sink to wash his hands before going over to Johnny and patting him on the back.
“I’ll be back ‘round five or six,” Johnny promised, giving John a kiss. “Text me if she throws up or gets worse, alright?”
John gave a brief hug and smile before nodding “Go. I’ve got her.” John then turned back towards you and pulled out the seat directly in front of you for himself. “What's wrong, lovie?”
“Tummy ache.” You felt like you had already said this fifty times already. “Alright pup, I’ll get you some ginger tea and maybe a bit of plain toast, see if it settles.” He stated as he rose back up from the chair, you stayed quiet, sitting stiffly in your seat with your arms curled protectively around your stomach. “Ya’know, I think you’re having aches because of stress.” John started, “Bein taken from your home, taken into a whole new family and life. Hell, I'd be stressed too.”
He set the kettle on the stove and began rummaging through the pantry for tea, his voice calm and steady, “Sometimes our bodies don’t know how to say ‘I’m overwhelmed,’ so they just start shoutin’ in the only language they’ve got. Headaches, tummy aches, tired bones. It’s all just your body askin’ for a bit of kindness.”
You sniffled, looking down at your lap. You hadn’t really thought of it that way. “I don’t want to be trouble,” you mumbled, almost inaudibly.
John glanced over his shoulder, then turned fully to face you, a gentle frown carved into his face. “You’re not,” he said simply, and it was not up for debate. “You’re just someone who needs lookin’ after right now. That’s no trouble for us, love.”
He came back over with the tea, still too hot to sip, and set it down in front of you before crouching a bit, bringing himself to your eye level. Your lip wobbled. You blinked quickly, trying to keep the tears at bay, but one slipped down your cheek anyway. You weren’t sure if you were crying because of the ache in your stomach or because of the odd combination of emotions you were feeling.
You reached for the tea, holding the mug with both hands though you didn’t dare sip yet. It was enough just to feel its warmth, to hold onto something.
“Drink up, we have an exciting day today, I want you feelin’ better for it.” Your ears perked up at that. John noticed your ears twitch and smiled softly, “That got your attention, huh?” You nodded, blowing on the hot tea to cool it down a bit. “What are we gonna do?” You asked.
John gave you a soft chuckle before speaking, “We’re takin’ a trip to the village,” he said, leaning back on his heels before standing again. “Nothin’ fancy, just the little market in town. I thought we’d get you some bits of your own. Things you like. Maybe a dress or two. Some sweets.”
Your tail gave a faint flick, uncertain but intrigued. “I get to pick?”
“Course you do.” He grabbed a small plate and started slicing up some toast for you, speaking casually over his shoulder. “You’ve been wearin’ what we gave ya, eatin’ what’s on your plate, sleepin’ where we told you to. I think it’s time you start buildin’ a bit of your own space in all this.”
You looked down into your mug, unsure what to say. The idea of going out still made your tummy flutter, but not in a bad way anymore. Just… nerves.
“You don’t have to talk to anyone,” he added, sliding the toast in front of you. “I’ll do all the yappin’. You just tell me if you want somethin’, yeah?”
“…Okay.”
“Atta girl.” He ruffled your hair, gentle with it so it wouldn’t tug at any knots. “Eat, drink, and then we’ll head out once that tea’s settled your belly.”
You took a bite of the toast; it was warm, soft, and a little buttery despite John saying that it would be plain.
John was right, his tea and toast did cure your ailments to your surprise.
John noticed the change too. He only gave a small, satisfied nod as he moved around the kitchen, tidying up and whistling quietly an old tune you didn’t recognize but somehow found calming.
“Feelin’ better?” he asked eventually, glancing over. You nodded,“Yeah.”
“Good. Then let’s not waste the day, eh?”
After that he helped you get ready and took you to a city that was maybe 30 minutes away. It wasn’t like the cities where you used to live, this was more comforting. Maybe it’s because the atmosphere was completely different, but you liked it.
John had taken you into at least 10 different stores, and by the time you two were done, you had the largest haul you have ever seen. He also told you to stay in the car while he went into one of the stores himself. It was a smaller shop, you couldn’t really see inside either. But he came out with three bags and when you asked about it, he said it was a surprise which made you pout.
When you guys got home Simon was up and wide awake, leaning against the kitchen doorway with a cup of coffee in hand. His ears flicked forward when John walked in with arms full of bags, there was a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Well then,” he rumbled, “looks like someone had a productive morning.”
You peeked around John’s side, arms full of new things like clothes, soft little knickknacks, a blanket John insisted you pick out because “everybody needs a good blanket.” Your tail curled a little tighter as you caught Simon’s gaze. “Yes we did, isn’t that right pup?” John groans while putting the bags on the ground near the living room. You nodded and watched as John went back out to get the rest of the bags, but before he could walk out of the door he turned to simon and spoke, “help her pick out a room, si.” He then continued to the car.
Simon huffed and then waved for you to follow him. He showed you around the Manor, telling you that his and John’s rooms were upstairs and Johnny and Kyle’s rooms were down here. There were three guest rooms left that you could choose from, two being upstairs and the last being next to Johnny’s.
It wasn’t hard for you to pick, the bedrooms upstairs were large and had good views, but something about the downstairs bedroom just felt more… real to you. It was cozier and easier to adapt to. It was a good medium size, it had a huge window that faced the woods, the closet was a good size too, it also had a jack and jill bathroom that was connected to Johnny’s room. Surprisingly, you hadn’t noticed that last night. The room was just so comforting just stepping into it, you couldn’t imagine what it would be like once you put your things in here.
“Think this one’s yours, huh?” Simon asked from behind you, arms crossed loosely over his chest. You noticed that he often stood like that, must be comfy.
You gave a slow nod. “Yeah… I think so.”
“Alright.” He gave the faintest grin. “Let’s get your stuff in.” He hummed. It didn’t take him long to get your original stuff out of John’s bedroom and bring it in there, he also helped John move the stuff that the two of you had just bought into the room with ease. They both offered to help you set things up, but you declined. You wanted to do this yourself.
All you had from Harlow was that stuffed animal, a few pairs of clothes, and some self care tools that she taught you how to use. So with that, you put the clothes you just bought and the clothes you hand on the hangers in the closet and folded the rest up into the white dresser that was pressed against the left wall. You laid the blanket you got on top of the pretty white comforter. The blanket was a gentle creamish yellow and was one of the softest things you have ever felt. And the little nick nacks and random things he got you went right onto the desk that sat in the corner of the room and on top of the dresser.
All that took two hours and you hadn’t even realized that thirty minutes had passed. You weren’t even going to take a break until you heard John calling your name from somewhere in the Manor. You followed his voice and it lead you to the kitchen once again, where you saw both Simon and John standing around, now dressed in all black.
“Lovie, we have to go to work for the night. You’re gonna come with us just so you don’t have to be alone, and then Johnny and Kyle will take you back home and make you dinner. Okay?” He asked, making sure that you were okay with what was happening, but really you don't have a choice. “Okay, lovie?” You nodded and he looked at you with a lazy smile before ruffling your hair.
“And when you come back, you can look at the surprise I got you. Left it on my bed.”
And just like that, Simon handed you a coat without a word. You slipped it on and followed the two of them out to the car. You climbed into the back seat, clutching the sleeves of your coat as John started the car and Simon took the passenger seat. The ride was quiet, peaceful even, with some low music playing on the radio.
You weren’t sure what to expect when they said “work.” You still didn’t know exactly what they did, you remember John saying Something about it, but you weren't really listening. But John had said you were only tagging along, and that Johnny and Kyle would come get you later. So you trusted him.
About 25 minutes later, when the car finally slowed to a stop you were about to finally see where you were. It was a small building that was lit up with neon and atmospheric lighting. The sign on the front said 141, you werent sure what that meant.
John reached back and gently tapped your knee. “Nothin’ scary, pup. Promise.”
Still, you clung a little closer to John as the three of you got out of the car and walked inside. The inside had music playing, men and women were sitting in different areas drinking, some were playing eight ball, others were watching a game on the telly. You knew now that it was a classic bar, maybe a little more nuanced and an old school one, then again you wouldn’t know the difference anyways. You old owner never took you to a bar before, you only saw them on tv.
“This is where you’ll stay,” Simon said while guiding you to a booth in the corner of the Bar.. “Kyle and Johnny will be here in a few minutes to get you, alright?”
You nodded, sitting down quietly. You weren’t scared, exactly… but it was all so unfamiliar.
He crouched beside you for a moment, tugging your hood gently into place. “Be good.” He said, his tall swishing as he stood back up.
And then they were gone, both going behind some doors that lead probably into a back room or kitchen. You sat quietly for a few minutes, just breathing, looking around, trying not to fidget. But before you knew it the door opened again, and in came Johnny and Kyle. Johnny with his usual grin and Kyle already waving before they even reached you.
“Told ya we’d come get you,” Johnny said. “Ready to head back home, pup?”
You nodded, rising to your feet again.
“Let’s get goin’ then. I’m thinkin’ pasta for dinner.”
You could hear Johnny and Kyle chatting and laughing but you couldn’t join in. You could barely speak this whole time. You were sure if it was because of nerves or what. It was like when you first met them and you were all in the living room. You couldn’t speak then either.
It took the same amount of time as it took to get there to get home, and when you did you scurried quickly away to your new room, heading to the bathroom to splash some cold water on your face. You weren't sure why, but your heart was racing, and you couldn’t hear the fact that you were panting and whining. You weren't aware of your surroundings either. You didn’t not the arms wrapping around your waist from behind or the palms gripping your hands until it was too late.
“Sh sh sh, it’s okay bonnie. I know yer overwhelmed. You’re okay…” Johnny hushed, you wanted to panic and thrust yourself from his arms but when he held you like that, it felt right. Deep down you didn’t want it to stop. You let home hold and comfort you, lead you back to your room where he sat you on the bed and coaxed you into relaxation. He was so good at making things better.
“Gonna go help Kyle with dinner, be good yeah? Deep breaths. We’ll be in the kitchen.” He reassured before leaving. His words worked. You had calmed down and your mind was clearer. But now you were thinking about John and that stuff he mentioned to be on his bed. You anyway do your notes before standing and leaving your room, tiptoeing over to the staircase, past Johnny and Kyle‘s room. You took the staircase up to the second floor, and snuck around to John’s room.
When you went in you could clearly see where three bags sat neatly on John’s bed, soft baby blue with black ribbon handles, each stamped with a delicate logo that read Sweet Things. The name alone made your ears flick with curiosity.
You wasted no time opening them with excitement.
Clothes. You were surprised, really.
But not like the ones you’d picked out earlier.
These were different, soft and silky, light against your fingertips. Lace trims, sheer fabrics, delicate little straps, and more holes than you were used to seeing in a shirt or pair of… shorts? Your brows knit together as you carefully pulled out a piece. It looked more like art than something meant to be worn.
There were sets in soft pastels, midnight blacks, and creamy whites. Ribbons and clasps and tiny embroidered flowers. Your cheeks flushed warm as you held one of them up, unsure what to even call it. You’d never worn anything like this before. You weren’t even sure if you were supposed to.
It took you almost ten minutes to figure out how to put one of them on. You will admit that it was absolutely gorgeous, and it made the little puffs of black fur on you stand out. The top was a deep velvet red color as were the bottoms. But the top, you just couldn’t stop looking at it, the spaghetti straps, the slit that went right down the middle from the cups, the bow between the cups. How sheer it was everywhere else. You fell absolutely in love with it. You took the rest of the bags and darted back down to your room, a happy tail wagging behind you. You set the bags on your bed before trailing off to the kitchen where Kyle and Johnny would be and peaked your head in. It took a minute for the two to notice you as they were busy with cooking and preparing dinner but Kyle eventually caught sight.
“Hey sweet-” He paused before even finishing, his eyes damn near analyzing you from top to bottom.
Kyle blinked, the wooden spoon in his hand coming to a slow halt as he stared. “Sweetheart…” he said, but softer this time, like he wasn’t sure if he should be saying anything at all. Johnny turned at the change in Kyle’s voice, looking over his shoulder toward the kitchen door and promptly choked on whatever he was about to say.
You shifted a little where you stood, still halfway hidden behind the doorframe, your ears folding back nervously. Your tail gave another soft wag, You hadn’t expected that kind of reaction.
“I- um.” Johnny coughed into his hand, clearly trying to regroup. “You look…” He trailed off, his face flushing from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. “That’s, uh, new?”
Kyle cleared his throat, finally setting the spoon down. “Where’d you find that, pup?” He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
“John got it for me… you don’t like it?”
Kyle’s eyes widened slightly, and his expression immediately softened. “No, no- that’s not it,” he said quickly, stepping around the counter just a bit, hands lifted. “You look… you look real pretty, sweetheart. Just caught us off guard, is all.”
Johnny gave a sheepish nod beside him, still rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, John has a way of, uh… droppin’ surprises like that.”
You looked between them, still a bit nervous. “I just wanted to show you. I thought it was nice…”
Kyle smiled at that, something fond flickering in his expression. “It is nice. Real nice. Just maybe a bit-” he glanced at Johnny for help. “It’s not everyday wear, bonnie… but I don’t mind.” He said cheekily, making Kyle glare at him.
“Don’t mind him, just come eat dinner.”
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