There was once a hedgehog. He was a very sad hedgehog, for he had no one to love. His family was very sad about him, because, dispite how many nice girl hedgepiggies they introduced to him, he just was not interested in girls and being poked in the nose by prickles.
The hedgehog's name was Vincent. He was a bit sad about the name, but his mother loved it. She named all her children that, it made it hard on all the girls, but there was little they could do, save get used to it.
Vincent liked to go out on walks on the beach when it was raining. His family did not like the rain, so stayed inside the entire time. He felt very cramped and poked at when the family was in the house, so he left when it was wet out when ever possible.
Once when Vincent was walking along the damp sand, there was a squid. He was a very odd squid. He had spots, but only along his arms and one under his chin. Vincent walked closer to the other boy, and waved to him. The squid boy took such a fright that he dove off the rock he was sitting on into the ocean.
Vincent was heart broken. He had liked the squid sitting on the rock, and wouldn't have waved if he had known that would happen.
~~~
Tristan hid under the waves waiting for the hedgehog to leave. He was embarassed that someone so pretty had seen him. He flushed at the thought that he had been on the rock when someone had walked by. He had thought that since it was raining, he would have been left alone.
He had been moping about the fact that he was getting teased by the other squids about his spots. He couldn't help that he had so few. He wished he could change it, but knew that the only way that would happen is if someone he was in love with would sew them on. And his lack of spots will make sure he will never get any more, because only someone who loved him in return could do the sewing.
~~~
The next day was a bright and sunny day. Tristan whimpered when his head broke the surface.He never did very well in the sun, and burned so easily. He was about to go back under, but saw that the handsome hedgehog was sitting on the rock he had been on yesterday. He debated with himself for a short while until deciding what he was going to do.
~~~
Vincent suprised his parents by rushing out with his papers and water colors at first light. (He normaly slept until noon and threw pillows or clocks at anyone that tried to wake him before that.) He wanted to see if he could remember more about the seafaring beauty on the rock he saw him on.
He was very upset several hours later. He had been sitting here, filling up page after page with what he could remember of the squid, but couldn't get the look correct, and someone had the
audacity to get in his light. He was just about to scream and throw one of the bad drawings at the interloper, when he saw who it was.
~~~
Tristan blushed brightly when he saw what the hedgehog had been drawing. There seemed to be pages of, well, him! He couldn't believe it. The pictures made him look nice, not like the practicly spotless thing he was.
When the Hedgehog looked at him with hate in his eyes, he had almost ran off with no looking back, but the other boy's jaw dropped and had grabbed his hand.
Tristan tried to tug his hand back, but Vincent would have none of that. He kept hold of the hand, and would not let go. After the short battle, Tristan realized that he wasn't going to get away he said, "I-I-I." He coughed loudly, "Would you let go of me? I won't go anywhere, promise"
Vincent narrowed his eyes at that, but let go slowly, certain that the pretty boy would take off the moment he wasn't being touched.
When his hand was freed, he sat down, careful to avoid sitting on the pictures, and practically folded in on himself. Poor Tristan was not doing well out in the sun.
~~~
Vincent sighed in relief that the squid hadn't taken off, then he brushed the back of his hand across the other boy's forehead. "Are you all right? My name is Vincent. What's your's?" He knew he couldn't keep calling him Squid or pretty boy, even if it was just mentaly.
Tristan leans into the touch, and replies, "I'm Tristan, and no, I'm not 'all right,' I don't do very well in the sun. I'd be fine if it was raining, or at least slightly cloudy, but it isn't, and you don't want me to go." He didn't add that he didn't want to leave himself, even if it meant that he hurt himself, just so he could be touched by Vincent again.
Vincent bit his lower lip. He didn't want Tristan to leave, but he didn't want him to get hurt. "If I let you leave, would you come back to me when it isn't so sunny? I'll wait here everyday until you come back."
Tristan blinked at the declaration the other boy made. "I don't need to go back to the sea just yet. All I need to do is get out of the sun...." He glances at the sun, "But it's getting late. My Father will be getting worried about me."
Vincent whimpers mentaly, then says, "Go, then. I'll wait for you tommorow. I'll have an umbrella to shade you from the sun."
Tristan stands up, running a hand over the other's face. "You're covered in fur! I've always wondered what it felt like to touch a lander. You're very fuzzy. Like... a
frogfish." He giggles slightly, then dives off the rock before Vincent can reply.
~~~
Vincent slowly gathers up all the pictures and his paints off the rock, then heads to his home. His mother looks at the pictures he's holding, his dazed look and clicks her tongue, but says nothing about it to his father or siblings.
The next day, he gets out the only umbrella he can find. The one with kitty ears and a face on it. He wishes deprately that he could find a plain black or any other solid color, rather than that. He sighs, then tucks the umbrella into the bag already full of various things to eat and art supplies.
His sister is just waking up when he starts to head out, and he's forced to wait for her to get ready because she wants to go with him to the beach, and she had seen her umbrella sticking out from his bag. The only way he could make her not come was to leave the umbrella, and he could not do that.
By the time he gets to the beach, the sun had been out for about three hours, and Tristan was laying in the shade of the rock, napping. He had a hard time when he went home. His mother hadn't come back from her job yet, and he got drafted into cleaning the house by his trecherous siblings who took off with a filty house, knowing their mother would happily maim anyone there if it was dirty. He hadn't finished cleaning when his mother got back, who, thankfully, listened when he said he hadn't gotten it dirty.
They ended up taking a very long time to clean it all up, and by the end of it, Tristan was falling into the bed, and hadn't eaten dinner. He was also worried about not seeing Vincent, and took off without eating breakfast.
Tristen awakes when a high piched little girl voice loudly says, "That's a SQUID, Vinny! Why do you wanna talk to him? I thought we were gonna have a picnic together, because you took my umbrella with you."
"No, Vin-vin, I'm having the picnic with Tristan, and you are following me because I wasn't smart enough to hide the umbrella and take off before you woke up." Vincent smiles at his little sister, and shoves her slightly to one side. He holds out his hand to Tristan, smiling warmly.
Tristan rubs the sleep from his eyes, then the sand from the rest of him while Vincent and his sister are talking, listening half heartedly. He smiles back at Vincent and takes his hand, squeezing it slightly after he gets up.
Vincent sets out the blanket on the rock, handing the bag full of food to Tristan. "I thought you might be hungry. I don't know what you like, so I got a bit of everything."
Tristen smiled and sat neatly on the blanket. "Did you bring the umbrella, like you promised?" He curls up slightly, wringing his tentacules nervously. "I like seeing you, but I've been out of the water slightly longer than I should."
Vincent digs out the umbrella, then shoos his sister way to play on the beach. "I'm sorry about it being so..." He hesitates before saying, "cute." He gives a strained and lopsided smile. "It's my little sister's." He points to the giggling girl hedgehog that was wading in the shallows. "She's the only one that had an umbrella, and insisted on coming with me to 'make sure I don't break it.'" He makes quotation marks in the air with his fingers when he said it.
Tristan happily takes the umbrella, and sets it so he's no longer so exposed to the sun.
They sit on the blanket covered rock for awhile, talking. Vincent makes sure to glance at his sister every so often to make sure she doesn't go too far from the shallows, yelling when he sees she's strayed.
After they finish, Vincent inches a bit closer to Tristan, and leans his head on his shoulder. Tristan starts a bit at this, but after he realizes that Vincent is being very careful not to hurt him, he wraps and arm around his waist. Careful not to get the points of the prickles.
Vincent curled into embrace. If he could purr, he would have been. He felt incredibly happy about the fact that he got the pretty squid he wanted. He snuggles with Tristan, and was very close to kissing him, when Tristen loosened his grip.
Tristan had been sitting out of the water for several hours now, and felt distinctly uncomfortable. He unwinds from Vincent, noting that the hedgehog sighed sadly when it happened, and said, "I'm very... dry. I need to get into the water. That doesn't mean I need to leave!" He quickly added the last statement seeing that Vincent got wide eyed and panicy at the thought of him taking off.
Vincent bites his bottom lip, then nods, saying, "Promise to come back, Tristan?"
Tristan laughs, then runs his suckered hand over the other boy's face, "I told you I wasn't leaving. Don't you believe me?"
A blush spreads under the Hedgehog's fur, "I meant... I mean, I-I-I!" He blushes harder, "It is very hard to think when you touch me like that...." He takes the hand from his face, then squeezes it softly. "I just don't want you to take off without saying goodbye."
Tristan gives him an odd look, "I won't, promise." He claims his hand back, and dives off the rock into the water.
Vincent's sister had gotten bored a bit ago, and had watched the spectacle that had been happening on the rock with interest. She clambers up the rock after Tristan dives off, and whispers, "Vinny... who was that? And why were you cuddling with him?"
Vincent froze, "How long were you watching me, Vin-vin?" He asks in a sickly sweet voice.
"I just got bored of playing in the water, Vinny!" She pouts cutely, and sits next to him. "I want to go HOME. There's nothing to do, and you didn't save any food for me."
Vincent pats his sister on her head, then pulls out a sandwich. "Didn't save any, eh? Then what's this? But you can only have it, if you promise not to tell anyone about me cuddling Tristan."
She cocks her head to the side, and nods. "Done, but we're leaving when I finish."
"Then eat slow, I need to do something." Vincent pulls some things out of the bag.
~~
Tristan stretched in the water, letting it soak in to his limbs. Every so often jumping out of the water, and slipping back in the water with a large splash coming out, but not a ripple going in. He was unconsiously showing off to Vincent.
After about half an hour of swiming around, he heads back to the shore. When he gets there, the beach is empty. Except for a book on the rock. Tristan picks up the book, and flips through it. He shakes his head in confusion, for the book was full of blank pages except for the first two pages. He read what was on the first page, then smiled, murmmering, "So that's his name. I had forgotten," and fliped to the second, and he blushed.
Tristan went to the closest place he could to get a waterproof bag to put it in, and then went home.
The first page had a note that read,
"Tristan,
Sorry I had to leave, my sister refused to let me stay to say goodbye. You didn't break your promise to me, I did.
I'd like you to keep this. I'm not sure if you draw, but I'd like you to have it. I drew a picture for you, it's on the next page.
Vincent"
On the second page is a drawing of Tristan jumping out of the water, a smile on his face.
~~
The next day, Vincent managed to wake up earlier, and sneak out of the house without his family seeing him. He had his bag packed with everything he needed, then got to the beach slightly before sunrise.
He got on the rock and started to draw.
Tristan wasn't having much fun. When he had gotten back to his home, his family had already taken off to the movie he wanted to go to, not realizing he had wanted them to wait for him. Therefore, he came to the beach at first light, sulking slightly. When he saw Vincent he waved, but the hedgehog was absorbed in his drawings. This did not help the squid's mood.
After clambering on top of the rock, he props his head on the other boy's shoulder.
Vincent jumps when he feels the weight on his shoulder, and accidently impales Tristan's fin with his prickles. Tristan yells loudly, clapping his hand on the bleeding apendage.
Vincent drops his art supplies, and hides his mouth with his hands, saying, "Oh god! I'm so sorry, Tristan! I didn't mean to!"
Tristan clutches the fin, stemming the blood whilst saying, "My fault, it's fine, it's fine."
Vincent replies, "No, it isn't, Tristan! I can fix it!" He digs out a cloth, and starts blotting the blood on Tristan's fin. "See? A bit better. Let me find a bandaid."
Tristan sits there fidgiting when Vincent cleans the wound. He also starts to pull away when he sees the bandaid, but Vincent grabs him and holds him down, saying, "Don't move so much! I want to make you better!" Which Tristan can only whimper in response.
After Vincent finishes the bandage, he kisses Trstan's wound. "There. All better, yes?"
Tristan mutters under his breath something about clingy headgehogs, that Vincent tactfuly decides to ignore.
Vincent smiles brightly, then says, "Soooooo... How did you like the presant I gave you yesterday?" He scootchs closer to Tristan until his nose touches the other boy's.
Tristan blinks at the nearness of the hedgehog, but doesn't move away. "I liked it, Vincent. I'm not an artist, though. I don't know what I will do with it, but I shall keep it because you want me to."
Vincent smiles and says, "I'm glad you will. I'm hoping you'll let me do something else, too. And don't... hit me or something when I do this."
Tristan pulls back slightly with a confused looking smile on his face. "What do you mean?"
"I... I think you're very pretty, Tristan."
"Wait, what?"
Vincent sighs in fustration, "I said you're pretty."
Tristan shakes his head, "No, I heard that. I meant, what do you mean by it."
The hedgehog opens his mouth, no sound coming out, then shuts it closed with an audible snap. He sits back, so he's no longer so very close to Tristan, and says slowly, "I meant exactly what I said. You are pretty. Is that really so hard to understand? I was going to kiss you, then you had to ruin it by being clueless." He turns away from Tristan, and crosses his arms.
Tristan opens his mouth in suprise. "Oh... You were flirting with me. I thought all you land people were close all the time! I had no clue why you kept touching me, so I touched in return."
Vincent sits there, so upset he can't talk.
Tristan wrings his hands in nervousness. "I... I would not say no to a kiss, Vincent. I quite like you, really I do. No one called me pretty before, and I didn't know how to react to it!"
Vincent holds himself stiff. "Go away, Tri-Tristan. I do not think I w-want to ki-ki-kiss you n-now." He sniffles loudly, trying not to cry.
Tristan scrambles in front of the hedgehog, "Vincent, please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" He digs through Vincent's bag, taking out a handkerchief. He carefuly wipes Vincent's eyes, whispering repetively, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Vincent shoves the other boy away roughly, then curls into the prickly ball his kind is so known for. "I-I-I said, g-go away, Tristan. I d-do not w-w-want to d-d-deal w-with you."
"Vincent...."
"Go away!"
Tristan backs away from Vincent slowly. "I... I'll come back tommorow, Vincent. I'll wait for you, if you want me." He tries to touch the hedgehog, but ends up bleeding for his trouble, then he slowly slinks backward into the ocean, looking for any movement from Vincent.
Vincent stays curled up on the rock for another half hour, until he gets stiff. After uncurling, he wipes his eyes, and gathers everything into his bag, not noticing that Tristan had absconded with five of his better pencils and two of his, thankfully water proof, pens. After he put everything in his bag he walks slowly to his house, when he gets there he ignores his family's questions and just hides in his bed.
When Tristan fully submergess in the water, he dives down to his home, clutching the stolen art implements in his suckers tightly. He calls out to his family when he gets inside, but no one is home again, and he leaves the lights off, for he doesn't plan on being there long. Continuing to hold the pens and pencils, he gets out the waterproof bag holding the book, and straps it on to himself. After looking to see if his family is anywhere to be found, he leaves a note on the table telling them he won't be home for awhile, and not to wait for him. He shakes his head wondering why he bothers, it isn't like they'll care, and swims to the surface.
When Tristan surfaces, Vincent has been gone for awhile, and there isn't a trace that's he's been there except for a few drops of Tristan's blood on the rock they sat on. Sighing loudly, Tristan hoists the bag on the rock, and drops in the pens and pencils.
"Well... I guess I better get ready for the long haul, then. He isn't going to forgive me easily."
He puts the bag on his back, and walks towards the store he got the bag from in the first place to get supplies.
~~~
Several days later, Tristan is sitting on the rock. He's been there since he went to go get supplies, and is firmly camping out until Vincent decides to come and talk to him. He would go talk to himself, but he couldn't figure out where he lived. None of the other land people would tell him where he was, and refused to carry any messages if they saw him. Tristan thought they were just being stuck up, but knew better than to accuse them of this.
He spent the days hiding under the umbrella he bought, and working on his music in the book Vincent gave him. He was having trouble singing out of water, because it didn't work the way he was used to. He made a lute out of a seashell, some drift wood he sanded down, and twisted seaweed. Then practiced on that.
Vincent was sulking in his room for almost the entire time Tristan has been haunting the beach. The only times he came out was for meals, bathroom breaks, and general hygiene. His family was very worried about him, and his mother tried to entice him to stay in the dinning room longer by baking pies and other sweets. It didn't really work very well, but the rest of his family liked the treats.
Vincent was perfectly happy hiding in his room, except that he couldn't find his favorite pen to ink his art and too many of his pencils were missing. He could live with two of his pencils gone or his less favorite pen gone (Which it was, he didn't know where that dissappeared, either), but he was getting twitchy after so many days cooped up. Eventually he lost his resolve to hide in his room until he melted, and ransacked the house for his art supplies until his father kicked him out.
Gathering his bag up, he mutters, and walks to the beach not thinking about where he's going. He isn't thinking about avoiding Tristan, but muttering under his breath, "It isn't fair that I'm not allowed to tear apart the house, because my pens could be in the wall. No reason they aren't. I must have put them in the bag, and they had fallen out."
While muttering, he walks into the beach, unseeingly.
Tristan, however, saw.
When Tristan saw, he almost dropped his lute on his foot. He'd been waiting for Vincent, but certainly hadn't expected him to show up so soon! He hadn't even finished the song he was working on, and hadn't trained his voice well enough for it to work in the air. He still has the bruise from when the horribly mean seagulls had thrown that apple core at his head. But that didn't matter, because Vincent had showed up! All of his asking people had made him come out of whatever hole he had been hiding in, and come to see him! Tristan carefuly puts the lute on the book of music he's been working on, and hops off the rock.
Vincent was starting to walk past the rock growling, only to be stopped by his arms full of happy, squirmy, kissy squid.
Tristan was incredibly happy that Vincent had shown up, and was in no way inclined to let him go. So when the hedgehog snarled at him, he just kissed him again, murmmering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over, not once letting go.
Vincent was decidely confused. Right now he was focused on the fact that he was missing his pens and pencils, not on the fact that he had yelled at Tristan a few days ago, telling him to leave him alone. So he had no idea why the squid was in his arms kissing and apologizing to him. "... You're forgiven?"
Tristan makes a high pitched whistling sound, and kisses Vincent again. "I'm writing you a song! I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted to kiss me! But you forgive me! It's all better now!" He kisses him again.
"Wait? What?" Vincent wraps what Tristan is saying around his brain. "Is this what this is about? You aren't forgiven yet." He pulls away, "but you can be if you have any clue where my pens and pencils disappered to. I can't find them, and they're my favorites."
When Vincent pulls away, Tristan clings tighter. "No forgiveness?" Tristan clings so tight, he leaves sucker marks under all the fur.
"Forgiveness," Vincents chokes out,and Tristan loosens his grip. "But I'd really like to know where my art things are, Tristan."
Tristan smiles brightly, and kisses Vincent. "I have them!"
Vincent's eye twitches. "... You... have them? That's why I couldn't find them?"
Tristan snuggles Vincent, "Yes!" Another kiss, "I'm using them because they make me think of you, and I wanted a way to make sure you came back to me." He kisses Vincent again, and carresses his face.
Vincent was about to drop Tristan, but realized that wasn't the smartest move right now. Not because he wasn't still angry, but because the only thing stopping Tristan from forcibly removing his fur through sucktion was that he was holding him. He says through clentched teeth, "And where would my pens and pencils be?"
Tristan kisses Vincent again, happy that he was being held, oblivious to how upset the hedgehog is, because he's just so happy that he returned to him. "They're on the rock, by my lute and the book you gave me."
Vincent blinked at the mention of the musical instrament. "What? Lute? Wait... you said you're writing me a song, didn't you?"
Tristan smiles, and lets go of Vincent,"Oh, yes! I am. I was hoping to finish it before you came back, but it is taking far longer than I thought it would. I had thought it would only take a day or so, but this land singing is far harder to do than what I'm used to." He sighs, then leads the hedgehog to the top of the rock.
Tristan sits down heavily in front of the book, lute, pens, and pencils. "The sea gulls make fun of my voice when I sing, Vincent. I don't think that's very fair, they're not much better." His voice cracks slightly.
Vincent's heart almost breaks when he hears this stated so matter of factly, and he kisses the squid softly, his arms around his shoulders. "I'm sure you sing beautifly, my lovely."
Tristan smiles sadly, "I know this is stupid, but they make me feel horrible. Like how when I was growing up, and others made fun of how my spots are all odd. I know I'm not pretty, but you said I am, then took off. I wanted to, I don't know, prove that I really am." He sighs and rubs his hands over his arms.
Vincents drags the sad squid into his lap, and cuddles him. "You are pretty, Tristan." He kisses him again, "I'm just a jerk."
Tristan curls into Vincent's lap. "Could we go someplace more private, Vincent? The seagulls are laughing again."
Vincent looked up in the sky, and sure enough, the seagulls were staring and making loud taunting noises. He threw a rock at them, but they just pinwheeled away, the stone falling harmlessly in the ocean. "How does your house sound?"
"I... I don't think I have a home right now.... I kinda took off, and my parents had most likely thrown out what little I left in the room. Or have it where I can easily pick it up when I return. They've been trying to get me out of the house for awhile, now...." He stares at his lap, forelornly.
Vincent plays with Tristan's fin absent mindedly, chewing on his bottom lip. Tristan murmurs, and practically melts at the administrations. His tentacules curling at the contact. Finally, Vincent makes up his mind. "Do you plan on being with me for a very long time, Tristan?"
"Hmm?" He shakes his head to clear it, "What? Yes! I didn't leave my house for no reason, Vincent!" He glares at him softly, daring him to make a comment against it.
"Then you can come live with me, but my parents won't be very... happy about it."
"N-not happy, Vincent?" Tristan whimpers. "I don't want them angry. I could try to see if my parents will let me back if you think they won't like the idea. Mine won't be happy, but they won't be angry at me...." He stares out to the ocean.
Vincent runs a finger along one of Tristans's fins, causing the squid to shiver. "They'll be more upset you're a boy, than that you're a squid. They've been wanting grand children, and my older brother won't provide them for her. He's moved out a year or so ago, and has no plans on settling down. They won't be suprised you aren't a hedgehog, though. That's one thing that I don't have to break to them, at least." He kisses Tristan. "I've always been odd...."
Tristan kisses back. "Would they be upset if we only live with them long enough to build ourselves a house? One right here? By the ocean?"
Vincent smiles, "Well, since this place is pretty much claimed by you now, I don't see why they'd be upset."
Tristan blinks, confused, "Claimed? Don't we have to buy it, or something?"
Vincent giggles, "Is that how you get land in the ocean, Tristan? You've been on this land for the last few days, and no one else wants to live here. It's been open for several years. Didn't you notice that?"
"I noticed that no one lived here..."
"Well, this place is very open because very few people like living next to the ocean, far too wet for most people's tastes." He kisses Tristan's nose, "And since it's open, anyone can claim it. No money involved. If someone had already claimed it, then money would be involved."
Tristan blinks, "I don't get that, but I'll take your word on it. How do we make sure no one else takes it before we start to build?"
Vincent smirks, "Like so," He yells up to the seagulls, "Oi! You! The ones harrassing my boyfriend! Tell everyone to stay off our land. He'll catch you a fish for your trouble!"
Tristan blinks rapidly, "THAT is how it works?"
"Well, what did you expect? We need to head to the mayor later, to make it official, and all, but that will work for now."
Tristan give him a dirty look, then starts to pack everything but the lute into the two bags. "I'm a bit upset I have to catch them a fish."
"Well it was that, or paying them with money I haven't got."
"... I have money."
"And you'll want to save THAT for building the house. Let's head to my house, and you can meet my parents. I hope we see father first."
They head to Vincent's, him carrying the bags, and Tristan clutching his lute, leaning on him, plucking at the strings, and making nervous noises.
Tristan, whimpers and says, "Could you hand me one of your pens?"
Vincent glances at him, digs it out, and hands it over. "Any reason why?"
Tristan glances at the ground, "I-it makes me feel better." He replies in a small voice.
Vincent stops, and kisses Tristan. "It'll be fine. I love you. We'll be fine. If mom knows that, we will be fine. Vin-vin already knows that I adore you. She'll back me up"
They start walking again."Vin-vin... Your younger sister with the adorable kitty umbrella?"
"Yes, her. She seemed to like you."
"Why do you call her Vin-vin?"
"My mother called all of us Vincent... She liked the name."
Tristan blinked. "Oh... it makes remembering your family's names easier." He smiles. "What are your father's and mother's names?"
"Well... My mother is Naima, and my father is James, but don't call them that until you've been properly introduced! Call them Mrs. and Mr. Hedgehog. Be formal! We want to make a good impression."
Tristan swallowed. "I will, Vincent." He stares at the ground.
Vincent lifts the Squid's head up by his chin, "Look them in the eye. I don't want them to think you're scared of them."
Tristan licks his lips, "I am, though." He plucks the strings on his lute.
"We don't want them to know it, because I want them to know I'm going to be with you. They won't stop me, if you leave a good impression."
Tristan coughs dryly, "Would it leave a bad impression if I tell them I need to sleep in the tub? Because if I can't, I'll need to go back to the ocean. I'm drying out."
"If it is a bad impression on anyone, it's a bad one on them, Tristan. You can't help it. And the only one that would protest it, would be my mother, and at this point, I'd sleep in there with you, so she won't." He kisses Tristan softly, "We're here."
~~~
Vincent pushes the door in to the
house, and calls out to his family. Glancing around, he sees that the living room is oddly empty. Tugging Tristan in to the room, he pops his head in to the dining room.
His family was sitting around the table, eating. He clears his throat to get their attention.
"Mom, dad, this is Tristan. You should remember him, Vin-vin. He used your kitty umbrella at the beach." He tugs the reluctant squid into veiw.
Tristan smiles nervously, and plucks at his homemade lute. "H-hi..." He coughs dryly.
Vincent's mother glances back and forth between the squid and her son. Tristan was trying desprately to hide behind Vincent while remaining in front of him, where hedgehog had carefully placed the nervous cephalopod. Naima bites her lower lip at how the strange boy in her house was acting.
She realized that by now her second son was looking for someone to settle down with, and she hoped desprately that this wasn't who he wanted. His brother has already taken off, and had no real want to find a mate. She wanted her children to have big families, and her two oldest just weren't doing this. The grandchildren would be a bonus she would be happy to have.
Vincent's father glanced at his wife, decided that he'll wait until she speaks before he does anything, and carefully goes back to eating.
Veen, Vincent's younger sister, looked at Vin-vin, who gave her an innocent look. She actually paid attention to the fact that the youngest of the family had met the oddly cute squid before he'd been formaly introduced. She pokes her in the side, then looks to how her mother is reacting to the news. She wasn't suprised that Vince had turned up with a boy, but was a bit put off that he wasn't a hedgehog.
Vincent puts his arms around the shivering Tristan. "M-mother? Would you like to say something?" He bites his lip, and holds his boyfriend tighter to hide his own tremors.
"Are you t-together, then, Vince?" She stumbles over the word.
Vincent glances at his family. His father was studiously avoidly looking at anything that wasn't the plate. Veen was smirking at him with a self satisfied look in her eyes, Vincent guessed, correctly, that he had just confirmed a secret theory she had about him. While, Vin-vin was waving at Tristan under the table, and, her being five, was very obvious about it while thinking she's sneaky.
"We are, mom. We even have a place we're going to build a house. We just need to go fill out the forms." He rushes out the words before his mother could protest to anything.
Tristan says, under his breath but still audible to Vincent and Veen, "I have to catch some fish for those mean seagulls because of that... They threw things at me, I'll have you know."
Naima glances back and forth between the boys, and licks her lips. "Well... You're m-missing dinner, Vince. Sit down, the b-both of you." She dabs at her eyes with her napkin, briefly.
Vincent lets out a sigh of relief, and he and Tristan sit down.
The dinner pases with as little incident as could be hoped for, and they all help clean up.
After they do the dishes, Naima excuses herself to go to bed, and James follows her. Before he does, he claps Tristan on his shoulder, and gives him a slight smile, getting a bright one in return.
When he dissapears into the stairwell, Vincent smiles, then frowns suddenly, "I forgot to ask them if they mind you staying with us until we build the house, Tristan." He cuddles the squid, then escorts him to the couch. "I'm gonna go ask. Talk to Veen and Vin-Vin till I come back, love." He kisses Tristan's cheek, and heads to his parent's room.
~~~
Tristan blushes, then turns back to Veen, who was smirking with a very knowing look on her face. "Y-yes?" He plucks at his lute.
Veen leans forward, her elbows on her knees, saying, "Sooo... You're screwing my annoying brother, eh?"
Tristan gave Veen a VERY shocked look., while Vin-vin climbed into his lap. "What? NO. Why would you ask something like that?" He wraps his arms around the youngest hedgehog, and unconsiously squeezes slightly.
While that goes on, Vincent heads own to his parents room. He's about to knock on the door when he hears his mother sobbing. He decides that he doesn't want to upset her further, and heads back upstairs.
When he enters the living room, he sees Veen doubled up laughing, and Tristan sputtering while holding on to Vin-Vin.
Vincent walks up, and wraps his arms around Tristan. "What did Veen say to upset you so?"
Tristan sputters, "She! She! SHE!" He waves a hand at her incoherently.
"She upset you. I should have realized she'd do somthing like that." Vincent sighs. "How about we get something warm to drink, and go to bed?"
Tristan glares at him, but Vincent pays him no mind, picking up Vin-vin. "How would you like a glass of hot cocoa, Vin-Vin?"
"Marshmallows?" She giggles, and tugs Vincent's hair.
"Who am I to say no?"
They go into the kitchen. Veen trails in, giggling when she looks at Tristan, who glares at her ineffectively. Vincent makes the hot cocoa, pouring a glass for everyone.
When they finish, Veen takes Vin-vin off to bed, giving Vincent a kiss on the cheek goodnight.
Vincent leans on the counter, "Now will you tell me what Veen said to upset you? I assure you that she won't agravate you further now that she's out of ear shot."
"She!" He flails his arms slightly, "She said I was having sex with you!" He flicks the tips of his tentacles. "How utterly uncouth."
Vincent sighed, "I really should have expected this." He walks over to the squid, and wraps his arms around him. "She did the same thing to my brother's first girlfriend, and she refused to come over ever again." He kisses up the other boy's neck, "I'm sorry about it, I really am."
Tristan leans into the touch, then pulls away. "Vincent, no. I need to go to sleep."
Vincent pouts, then sighs. "Let's get to bed. I'll fill up my tub."
~~~
They walk down the steps to Vincent's room. Vincent carries Tristan's bag, and Lute, while Tristan carefully makes sure that the stairs are solid. After opening the door, Vincent glances back at the squid, then says softly, "Tristan. the stairs are safe. You saw me walk on them with no trouble, and they won't collapse."
"I've never
been on stairs before, Vincent!" Tristan whispers back. "You can't expect me to trust these... these... planks of wood! There are
holes inbetween them! I could fall though."
Vincent puts down the bag and lute, then leans in the doorframe. "You'll be fine, you're far too large to fit through them."
Tristan clutches the rail, "I still don't trust them...." He slowly climbs down the starwell, and clutches the hedgehog when he reaches him. "I don't think I want these things when we build our house. They scare me."
Vincent strokes the other boy's mantle, lightly fingering his fins. "We can have a single story house, love. And a stream or something connecting to the ocean for you." He kisses the top of Tristan's head. "Until them you'll have to live with the stairs."
Tristan curls around Vincent. "We could make a nice art studio for you, too."
"We can, but we first need to go claim the place, and draw up blueprints."
Vincent leads Tristan to the bathroom. Tristan sits on the toilet seat, and Vincent starts to fill the tub. "You said you were going to sing to me, do you still plan on it?"
Tristan stares at the floor, "I do, it's just... I don't like how I sound out of the water. I feel funny
talking."
"I like your voice." Vincent gives the sitting boy a quick kiss. "And would love to hear you sing."
"You think you would, but you'd be wrong." He curls up his tentacles on top of the cover. "It isn't very pretty. Let me practice more, and then I will."
"You promise?"
"I do."
They sit in companionable silence until the bath fills, then Vincent pulls the squid to the tub. "I love you, you know."
Tristan gets into the water with naught a ripple. "I know, I love you, too." He pulls the other boy to him, and kisses him. "Good night."
Vincent walks out of the room, turning out the light. "Good night, Tristan."
~~~
The next morning, Vincent is woken up by a soaking wet body that had just clambered into his bed. He mutters under his breath, and pulls a pillow over his head, muttering, "Go away, Vin-vin. I'm sleeping."
Tristan lounges next to the grumpy Vincent. "I wonder if I should be insulted, Vincent. You thinking, I'm your baby sister. We have to go claim our land." He tugs gently at the pillow.
Vincent growls, and curls into a very spiky ball.
"That isn't very fair, you know. I can't do that, and I'm all wet."
There's a louder growl from the ball.
"Fiiiine. I'll look for the towels on my own, just don't blame me for the mess I make of everything." Tristan wanders back to the bathroom, opening all the shelf doors. When he finaly finds them, he dries off, and heads upstairs, inching up slowly.
Tristan makes it into the hallway, and smells something absolutely delishious. Wandering into the kitchen to find out what exactly the smell is, he sees Naima cooking. He pauses in the doorway, unsure what to do. Coming to a decision, he clears his throat, "Hello, Mrs. Hedgehog." he says softly.
Naima turns around at the quiet voice, and nearly drops the spatula in her hand. "Oh! It's... you. I thought you'd have gone home."
"I thought Vincent told you... I need to stay here until we build the house. I-if you don't want me to... I could leave. I don't want to be any trouble." He curls on to the doorway, trying to shrink.
Naima looks at the cowering boy, and her heart melts. She puts down the spatula. Then walks over to Tristan, leading him to the table in the kitchen. "Here. Sit down. Now, I don't normaly allow this, but I'm going to give you something to eat. How do you like bacon, dear?" She turns back to the stove, filling up a plate.
Tristan tucks his feet under the chair, "I don't know what bacon is... but if it's what is producing the mouth watering smell, I'll be happy to try it." He smiles at her shyly.
~~~
Vincent wakes up to damp sheets and the smell of pancakes. Sitting up, he glares muzzly at the bed. After five minutes he wake up enough to get out from under the sheets, and take a shower.
When he gets out, he dries off, then walks slowly to the dining room.
Sniffing the air, he drops into a chair, and gets a plate full of food. After taking a big bite, he looks around the table.
Tristan looks up from poking at his food, not really certain about how everything tastes, far too used to just eating raw fish everyday. He smiles shyly at his fiancee.
Vin-Vin sings loudly about how bacon and pancakes are the best breakfast ever.
Veen looks back and forth between Tristan and Vincent with an expectant look on her face.
James carefuly smiles at his son, then goes back to reading the newspaper.
Naima pats Tristan on his back, and piles more bacon on his plate.
Vincent smiles at his mother. "We're going to go to town today to get the permits for our house, dad. Do you think I'm missing anything?"
James looks up, "I don't think you are. You'll both need to be there, and will have to have everything set up in a month or so."
Tristan looks up in alarm, "We need the house finished in a month!?! I don't think we could build it that fast!"
Niama drops more bacon on Tristan's plate, saying, "No, he means that you need to have blueprints and materials by the end of the month. We'll be helping you out with the finacial end of things."
Vincent drops his fork. "Mother! You don't have to!"
His father looks at him over the top of the paper, "Vincent, we're helping because we want to. Besides, I know how hard it is just starting out. Let your parents worry, and help. It isn't like we didn't do the same for your brother."
Vincent was about to protest again when Tristan put his hand over the other's. "We're going to need all the help we can get, Vincent. Our savings will only get us so far."
Vincent squeezes the hand, then nods. "Okay... Thank you, mother, father."
They finish up breakfast, and head to town hall.
500
200
100
