Prepare for Trouble - and make it Double! (Kenny Liu x OC)
Summary: Bug wants to know how the electricity in town works, and Kenny gets dragged into it. After Jade arrives, he brings up flashbacks.
Pairings: One sided!Kenny Liu x Bug Mendes (OC) (Bug is whipped); platonic!Jade Herrera x Bug Mendes (OC).
Warnings: canon typical swearing, electricity tinkering (for God's sake do not reproduce what I wrote, that's dangerous and VERY harmful!!), Bug is a STEM person, Jade has found a partner in crime.
Kenny hesitated on the porch, the wood creaking under his weight as he pushed the door open. The bright light from the hallway spilled onto his sneakers, and the faint scent of something burning tickled his nose.
“Hello?” he called out, stepping inside cautiously.
From the brightly lit hallway, a familiar voice answered. “Hey, Kenny!”
Kenny turned the corner to find Bug sitting there, holding a kitchen knife in one hand and wearing bright rubber gloves that went up to their elbows. Their stance screamed mischief, and Kenny immediately regretted not locking the tools away.
“What are you doing?” Kenny asked, eyes narrowing.
Bug grinned as they gestured at the outlet with the knife. “Just seeing how this shit works.”
Kenny pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t.”
“It won’t hurt—”
“It’s not about you! It’ll mess up the electricity!” Kenny snapped.
Bug’s grin widened. “Bet you it won’t.”
Before Kenny could stop them, Bug jammed the knife into the outlet. A loud 'crack!' echoed through the hallway as sparks flew, one landing on Bug’s shirt and igniting a tiny flame. The house plunged into darkness.
The knife clattered to the ground, and Bug stumbled back, slapping frantically at their shirt. Kenny cursed under his breath and lunged forward, batting at the fire until it fizzled out.
Bug looked up, glasses askew and foggy from the commotion. “If you wanted to touch me, you could just ask,” they said, with reddened ears.
Kenny’s face was a mix of exasperation and disbelief. “Next time, do it without the gloves.”
Bug’s eyes followed him as he turned and stormed out of the house, muttering to himself. They smirked to themselves. “Cute.”
The lights flickered back on just then, bathing the hallway in their soft glow. Bug threw their arms up in triumph. “I knew it!”
When they saw the blackened end of the knife, they jolted something down on a tiny notepad. "Outlets are 220v."
A Few Months Later
The kitchen was a disaster zone of wires. Jade crouched on the floor, a pair of pliers in hand. “We gotta pick up the wires. Take them off!"
Across the room, Kenny sat slumped at the table, his head in his hands. Tian-Chen stood beside him, patting his shoulder sympathetically.
“I can’t, Ma,” Kenny groaned, his voice muffled by his palms. “There’s two of them now.”
In the background, Bug and their newfound partner-in-crime, a frazzled-looking individual in similarly ridiculous gloves, leaned over a toaster.
A loud 'zap!' followed by a cheer erupted from the corner.
Tian-Chen sighed. “Strong, Kenny. You survive this.”
“Not like this, Ma." Kenny shook his head. "Not like this.”
Bug Mendes © givekennyabreak
Jade, Kenny and Tian-Chen, From © MGM