New Places, New Names, New Meanings
Viridi hummed under his breath as he kneaded the dough on the counter of the Fusion’s kitchen. His tail twitched behind him and his ears were flattened against his head in concentration. Hands reached from above his shoulders and covered his smaller ones.
“Like this, Kiddo.” Moric advised. “You need to use the heel of your hand and almost roll it across the counter top, okay? Watch me now.” Viridi nodded and poked his tongue out between his teeth. Moric kneaded the dough in example, keeping Viridi’s hands underneath his so Viridi could do it too.
Moric removed his hands from Viridi’s and smiled at the kitten Side. “See? Easier, right?” Viridi smiled shyly up at the Dad fusion and nodded, tail flicking happily. Moric beamed and walked over to the table where they had pizza sauce in a bowl being made. He picked up the bowl in the crook of his arm and started to mix it.
Viridi turned back to the dough and started to knead it again, trying to do it the way Moric had shown him. “Why are we making pizza?” He asked. “Didn’t you say that pizza was a weekend treat?” Moric hummed in agreement.
“I did say that, didn’t I?” Moric raised the spoon he was mixing with to his lips and tasted the sauce. He smiled at the taste and gently tossed the spoon into the sink and then went to grab a clean one. “But, I thought that since we’ve all been working so hard this week and there hasn’t been any accidents or fights that we could slack a bit have a little celebration dinner!”
Viridi chuckled at the Dad’s enthusiasm and worked the dough a little harder. “Are there usually a lot of fights around here? Everything seems pretty calm.” Granted, Viridi had only been living in Moric’s house for five months and he had been very secluded during the majority of that time so it was possible that he just hadn’t been around long enough to see all of the craziness of the Fusion household.
“Not often.” Moric hummed. He picked off a little piece of dough from his hands and smiled at Viridi. “But, when there is they’re pretty bad and we’re all still trying to figure out how to mesh as a family. So, any week without fights is one to celebrate, crust me!” Viridi muffled a little laugh with a flour covered mouth. Moric’s smiled turned into a grin.
“What was that, Kiddo?” Moric asked teasingly. “I couldn’t bake out what you said there.” He bumped his hip against the oven and Viridi rolled his eyes, lips quirking into a smile.
“Bad pun.” He grumbled with no real heat. Moric gasped and held one hand against his heart.
“Honey, you’re breaking my heart!” He said in a teasing tone. “You love my puns! But, maybe I haven’t been making enough.” Viridi narrowed his eyes at the look Moric had on his face.
“Moric, don’t.” He warned but Moric cut him off.
“I might be getting a little crusty!” A snort escaped Viridi and he covered his face laughing. He missed the fond look that crossed Moric’s face.
“That was awful!” Viridi complained. He lowered his hands back down and started to knead the dough again.“Your puns are getting worse and worse, Dad.”
Crash!
Viridi’s ears perked in surprise and he whirled around. Moric had dropped the bowl of sauce which had fallen to the kitchen floor and shattered, sending glass and sauce everywhere.
Moric was wide eyed behind his glasses, staring at Viridi in shock. There was a little smudge of sauce staining the edge of one of the lens of his glasses but Moric didn’t seem to notice. Viridi’s tail twitched nervously and he stepped a little closer, mindful of the glass everywhere.
“You okay?” He asked softly. “What happened?” Moric didn’t answer Viridi. He raised his hands to his mouth and it was only then when Viridi saw that tears were flooding all three of his eyes. Viridi took another step forwards, the bottom of his shoes getting stained with sauce. He thought back to their conversation. What had made Moric so upset.
Then it hit him, like someone punching him upside the head and Viridi froze.
“Your puns are getting worse and worse, Dad.”
Viridi stepped back away from Moric, glass crunching under his shoes, his heart falling into his stomach. Shit. “I, I’m sorry.” He said in a whisper. His ears flattened to his head in distress and his tail fell between his legs. Tears dripped down Moric’s cheek and Viridi could feel the guilt eating away at him.
He, Viridi couldn’t believe he was so stupid! Why would he call Moric dad, who the fuck did Viridi think he was?! He wasn’t a Fusion or someone important to Moric! He was just an Anxious Side to someone in another fucking dimension, he had no reason to think that Moric would ever want someone like him calling him, calling him that.
So stupid, he was so fucking stupid and now he’d have to leave and Viridi didn’t want to go back and be alone-
Arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled into a chest, cutting off Viridi’s runaway thoughts. Viridi went tense and his ears quivered when Moric started to run his fingers through his hair with one hand, the other rubbing little circles into his back. With his face shoved into Moric’s chest, he could feel more than hear the laughter and little cries coming from the Fusion. Why was Moric laughing?
“I,” Viridi tried to think of something to say. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think, I, I won’t say it again if you don’t,” It was hard to speak through the lump that was growing in his throat. “I just, just thought.” Viridi slowly looked up cautiously.
Moric was beaming down at him with big fat tears still rolling down his face. All three of his eyes were sparkling and his lips were stretched into the biggest grin Viridi had ever seen on him.
“Oh, Kiddo.” Moric cooed. “I’m not upset, Baby. I promise I’m not.” He laughed and stepped back (No, he’s leaving, he hates you) before kneeling down in front of Viridi and cupping his face in his large hands. “Viridi, Honey, I’m happy.”
Viridi blinked at the Fusion and his ears perked towards Moric. “You, you are?” His voice came out vulnerable and hopeful and nervous all mixed up together. Moric nodded eagerly.
“Viridi, I, I’m so,” His smile widened and he laughed breathlessly. “Oh, Hun. I can’t even describe how happy I am right now. You calling me Dad, it, it’s the best feeling in the world.” Moric squeezed Viridi’s cheeks between his hands gently. “Don’t be sorry.”
A warm feeling started to grow in Viridi’s stomach and spread all over him. “You don’t mind?” He asked in a whisper. Moric shook his head and pressed a kiss to each of Viridi’s cheeks.
“No, Hun. I don’t mind at all.” His expression turned sober and serious. “Viridi, you can call me whatever you want, okay? Whatever makes you comfortable.” Viridi smiled hesitantly and his tail started to twitch. Little tears pooled in his eyes and dripped down his cheeks. Moric was quick to wipe them away with his thumbs.
“Even Dad?” Viridi asked. “You’d be okay with that?” Moric’s smile returned and he laughed wetly, pressing a firm kiss to Viridi’s forehead.
“Kiddo, I’d be completely okay with that.” - stormcrawler75
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OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS SO CUTE AND HIM HOLDING HIS HANDS AND SHOWING HIM HOW TO WORK THE DOUGH!!! PRECIOUS!!!
WHAT IS LOVE BABY DONT HURT ME DONT HURT ME NO MORE
