#and meena was like ok.. lets calm down and eat some food

[damnamour]

Show Me Love The Series - EP 5 (Watch it here)

[singminibang]

Blind Date

Author: Bitsy83 (tumblr: @bitsy83)

Artist: stevetwisp (tumblr: @stevetwisp)

Summary: Ash has been set up on a blind date that is quickly going wrong. Can the night be salvaged by the unexpected help of a good friend?

There were a lot of things Ash had put up with over the years.  She’d put up with rude subway passengers complaining about her quills.  She had dealt with hecklers at her shows.  And Lance had supplied her with more than enough headaches that she could care to remember.  She even had been promised the chance of winning 100,000 dollars only to find out it was a scam, followed by a near death experience with almost drowning inside of the Moon theater.  

All of that was nothing compared to what she was going through tonight.

Ever since Mr. Moon announced to the audience that she had been dumped by her boyfriend, her Aunt Ruth - a loving, but rather nosy porcupine who lived in the suburbs - made it her sole mission to get her niece back into the dating game by finding her a proper boyfriend.  Ruth was part of a large knitting group that met every week.  During one meeting, she had shared with her fellow knitters that her poor niece was nursing a broken heart and needed to find a knight in shinning armor to help her recover from her recent bout with depression.  Ruth’s friends were more than happy to ask their many nephews, neighbors, and whomever they felt eligible to court the lovely porcupine…despite Ash’s numerous attempts to tell them it wasn’t necessary and she’d rather not get back into the dating game at this point.

Ash knew from the start this date was going to be a disaster.  First off, the mother of Ash’s “date” had already gone ahead and made the reservations for a Tex-Mex restaurant and she hated Tex-Mex.  She loved spicy food, but for some reason anything south of the border (or close to it) always left her feeling nauseated and would haunt her for the remainder of the evening. Second, her date’s name was Stewart and was not the most charming porcupine on the planet. In fact, she swore he was some sort of beaver with really strong hair gel.  He dressed a bit like a stereotypical hipster, complete with black-rimmed glasses, flannel shirt covering a tee that had a T-rex playing guitar, and a stocking cap that fit surprisingly well over his quilled head.  This was due to the fact that he suffered from chronic quill loss and every now and then, a few would quills would pop out and fall to the floor.  But the absolute worse thing about this date is that Stewart hated anything mainstream, confirming Ash’s suspicious of his hipster appearance.  Ash appreciated indie rock and even went to some underground bands while she was dating Lance, but she still liked current bands and singers.  While trying to break the ice with Stewart, she had let it slip that Fur-Out Boy was one of her favorite bands, which sent him on a rant for ten minutes of how they became the biggest sellouts in all music history.

She was ready to bail before they had even ordered their food.  

Ash just gripped her menu, pretending to look at the entrees when really she was trying to figure out what to do to get out of this.  She was hating every second and knew it was only going to get worse the longer she stayed there.  She tried to be friendly with Stewart for her aunt’s sake, but he was making it impossible.  She silently scolded herself for not telling Meena or Rosita she had a date that night and to plan an emergency text or phone call to give her an excuse to leave.  She thought of faking an illness, but she had a feeling that Stewart would see right though that.  Still, looking at the entrees the menu had to offer, she probably didn’t have to do much faking.  

“Ash?  Ash!”

“What?”  She quickly put down the menu to see that Stewart had been addressing her.  

“I asked if you found anything good,” he said, pulling a few stray quill from under his cap and letting them drop on the floor.  

“Oh, um, I was thinking of going light tonight.  You know, just a salad or something.”

Stewart scoffed and rolled his eyes.  “Typical girl.  Always worried about your figure; too afraid to try anything bold or exciting.”

“What’s wrong with salads?”

“I’m just saying you girls are always freaking out if you eat a sugar cube or something and think you’ll explode into some blimp.  Hate to break this to you, but if you thinking eating ‘low fat’ foods is saving you calories, they stuff those things with sugar to make up for the fat loss, so you’ve probably already been suckered.”

Ironically, Ash already knew about the controversy with “low-fat” foods and was well aware of this.  “I don’t actually…” she started to say, but Stewart wasn’t done.  

“Who cares what diet snobs and conglomerate organizations think of your food choices?” he continued, closing his menu.  “Just eat what you want.”

“Ok…I want to eat a salad.”  

Stewart looked at Ash as if she had grown an extra head.  “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Really wish I didn’t,” Ash muttered, putting her face behind the menu again.

Stewart then reached over and lowered the menu.  “Hey, maybe you should let me order for you, huh?  You seem a bit confused on what you want.”  

“I already told you want I wanted,” she said, trying to hide her annoyance.  

“Like I said: confused.  But, hey, you want a salad, go ahead and get a salad.  You probably don’t want to to be too bloated for later anyway.”

Ash looked up, cocking an eyebrow.  “What’s going on later?  You wanted to go see a movie or something?”  Ash almost hoped that’s what he meant.  Seeing a movie would mean they wouldn’t have to talk to each other, unless he liked to nitpick every mistake on the screen.  She could tell this was the type of guy who’d watch a trailer halfway through, then flood the comment section with critiques complete with bad spelling.  

Stewart leaned forward and wiggled his eyebrows.  “I was thinking something more…private.”

Ash leaned back, trying to create as much space between them sitting down.  She really did not like where this was going.  “How private are we talking here?”

“Maybe your place?  I’d suggest mine, but the walls are pretty thin in my parent’s basement and…”

“Ok, stop!”  Ash snapped, throwing up her paws to silence the forward porcupine.  “Dude, are you serious?  We just met!  I barely remember your last name.”

“So?  Why should we let society tell when we can or can’t?  We’re animals, remember?  We gotta do as nature commands.  Besides, I thought you rocker chicks were kinda, ya know, ready and willing?”

Ash felt her face go red.  Not even Lance went this far, this fast on their first date.  She wanted to strangle this weirdo, but there were security cameras around and she was pretty sure there was a cop in the booth next to them.  The last thing she needed was to be tried with murder in the first degree.  Still, what could she do?  If she stormed out, then someone was bound to record it and she’d be on every social media page on the Internet.  Then people would be stretching the truth and Stewart would probably twist the situation around.  And what would her aunt Ruth say?  Obviously, staying there wasn’t an option.  She could try to get out through the fire exit near the bathroom, but what if it was alarmed?  She needed some way to escape before…

“Ash?”

The familiar voice snapped Ash out of her panic attack.  She looked up to see the most beautiful sight she had ever laid eyes on: Johnny.  He was approaching their table, carrying a plastic bag filled with various items she couldn’t identify.  

“Johnny!” she proclaimed, grateful for the distraction.  “What are you doing here?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he said.  “Why aren’t you at the theater?  Mr. Moon wanted us there at six for warm-ups.”

“Uh, excuse me,” Stewart said, clearly upset at being interrupted.  “Ash, who is this guy?”

Before Ash could answer, Johnny was already extending his hand.  “Oh, sorry mate.  Name’s Johnny; I’m a friend of Ash here.  We both work at the Moon Theater.”

Stewart reluctantly shook Johnny’s hand, which practically covered half his arm, then looked back at Ash.  “Oh, I see.  This is a, uh, ‘buddy’ of yours, Ashy?”  Even without the air quotes, Ash knew what Stewart meant and was about to grab the knife in front of her when she felt Johnny’s hand on her shoulder, calming her instantly.  

“So, yeah, Mr. Moon sent out a group text to everyone this morning about tomorrow’s rehearsal being changed to tonight.  Something about last minute plans or whatever.  Anyway, I was just getting some tucker for later and I just happened to see you from the street.  I figured you probably didn’t get the memo.”

Ash just stared at Johnny.  She knew he was lying since Mr. Moon rarely texted anyone.  He was an old-fashioned phone call kind of marsupial.  Besides, he just recently got a flip phone that made texting close to impossible.

Then Johnny sent a subtle hint by darting his eyes to the door, then back to her.  Catching on, she played along.  

“Oh, right!” Ash said, giving her forehead a light smack.  “I totally blanked on that.  I’m sorry, Stewart, but I’m gonna have to bail - I mean, go.  Come on, Johnny!  Let’s hurry before you get a ticket for being double-parked. Bye!”

“Cheers, mate,” said Johnny, following Ash.  

“W-wait a second!” exclaimed Stewart.  “Who’s gonna pay for dinner?”  

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Ash called back.  

Before Stewart could try anything else, Johnny and Ash were already clear out of the restaurant.  Ash wasted no time in searching for Johnny’s truck.  “Where are you parked?” she asked.

“’Round the corner.  This way,” he said, leading her down the street.

Once they found the truck and were both securely inside, they took a minute to breathe, then busted out laughing.  “Oh man, that was close!” said Ash.  

“Yeah,” said Johnny putting the bag on the seat between them.  “So, what was that?  A bad blind date or something?”

“Bad is putting it lightly,” said Ash.  “My aunt set me up with him. She figured I needed help moving on from Lance.  I swear, if you hadn’t come in…hey, why are you here, anyway?”

Johnny blushed slightly and scratched the back of his neck.  “Yeah, well, I was actually just stopping off at the store to get some groceries and I happened to see you from the sidewalk.  From the look on your face, you needed some backup.  Hope I wasn’t intruding.  I mean, I know how independent you are and…”

Ash raised her paws, hushing Johnny.  “No, no!  You were great.  I knew this date was going to bomb from the first second I laid eyes on that loser.  So…yeah, you were awesome.  Thank you.”  Ash reached over and gave Johnny’s arm a gentle squeeze.  She felt his muscles tighten up a bit, possibly due to nerves.  Sensing the awkwardness, she quickly removed her paw.  “Sorry…” she muttered.  

“It’s alright…” he muttered back.  For awhile, they just sat there, trying figure out what to do next.    

“So…” Johnny said, finally breaking the tension.  “You planning anything else tonight?  It’s still pretty early.”

Ash shrugged.  “Go home, I guess.  I think I still got some leftover mac and cheese in the fridge I could heat up.”

“You haven’t eaten yet?”

“Nah.  Apparently, ordering salads is frowned upon from whatever planet that jerk was from.  That, and I can’t stand Tex-Mex so I doubt I would’ve found anything edible.”

“Well…what’re your thoughts on Asian?”

Ash cocked an eyebrow as she looked up at the gorilla.  “I’m rather partial to it.  What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I was heading for this place that has really good Dim-Sum.  If you want, we could get a table and just…you know, hang.  Would…you like to get some Dim-Sum?”

It was obvious Johnny was trying to make a little rhyme joke.  Normally, Ash would roll her eyes at what she would consider a “dad joke,” but she smiled.  This was Johnny; he was too adorable to chastise.  

“I’d love some,” she said, trying to continue the pun.

Johnny immediately brightened. “Great!  Then let’s go get some.”

“Johnny…”

“Right. Last one.  Promise.”  

Johnny was not kidding about the restaurant.  It was called The Lotus Garden and was located next to the boardwalk.  It had a lovely interior with paintings of ancient China and even paper lanterns hanging over the tables.  The waitress - a slender grey cat - seemed to recognize Johnny and when he introduced Ash to her, she couldn’t help but giggle with a broad grin on her face.  Clearly, she didn’t know this was just an impromptu dinner with a friend.  Johnny took the liberty of ordering, since Ash had never been there before.  Normally, whenever she got Chinese, it was always lo mein or some kind of wanton soup.  He had ordered a couple of lettuce wraps with a rice-and-vegetable filling, followed by some soup steamed buns.  They were the most delicious thing Ash had ever tasted.  The moist buns were filled with a steamy savory broth that melted in her mouth.  It was flavorful without being overwhelming.  The lettuce wraps gave her a bit of trouble since she wasn’t sure what to do with them.  Thanks to Johnny’s guidance, using lettuce leaves as a makeshift burrito made the meal strangely enjoyable.    

“Got to hand it to you, Johnny,” said Ash as she was finishing the last bun.  “That really hit the spot.”  

Johnny chuckled, using the napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth.  “Figured you’d like it.”  

“Pouchong?”

Ash looked up to see the waitress had returned and was carrying an iron tea pot with two small cups without handles.  

“Oh yes, please,” said Johnny, clearing a space for the platter.  The waitress nodded and set the tea set in front of them, then collected their dishes.  She gave them a small nod and took the plates back to the kitchen.  

“What exactly is this?” Ash asked.  

“Pouchong,” said Johnny, pouring the steaming liquid into the cups.  “It’s a type of oolong tea.  I normally get a cup after dinner; helps with digestion, you know?  Here.”  Johnny delicately picked up the cup and handed it to Ash.  Taking it with both paws, she sniffed it before taking a small sip.  It had a sweet, flowery taste.  Ash was never one for tea since coffee was her drink of choice, but she found herself enjoying it.    

“This is pretty good,” said Ash, taking another sip.  

“They sell it at the front counter, if you want to take some home,” Johnny suggested.

“Yeah, don’t really own any teapots, but thanks.”  It didn’t take long for Ash to finish her first cup and motioned for Johnny to pour her some more.  “I take it you’re a regular here?”

Johnny shrugged while setting the pot down.  “Yeah.  Dad and I found it after we moved here.  We always just ordered from the takeout menu.  He never liked eating in the restaurant because…well, he didn’t want people spotting him.”  And then Johnny’s face fell and went silent.  

Ash knew why.  It was hard for Johnny to bring up his dad.  When she first found out that Marcus “Big Daddy” Greystone was Johnny’s father, she had a hard time making connection.  Sure they were both gorillas who happened to be from England, but she couldn’t imagine a sweet guy like Johnny being the son of a gang leader.  Proof that fruit can fall far from the tree, she suspected.  It wasn’t long before the rest of the theater family found out, but they still loved Johnny and treated him with the same dignity and respect they always had.

“Are…are you ok?”  she asked, reaching over and squeezing his hand.  “I didn’t mean to…”

“No no, it’s fine.  Really,” said Johnny, patting her hand.  “I mean, it’s not like it’s a big secret.  But, yeah, I started actually having dinners here after my dad went to…well, went away.  Beats going back to an empty garage, doesn’t it?”

Ash nodded, knowing all too well.  Going back to an empty apartment that still had memories of Lance wasn’t easy after the breakup.  Still, the apartment had to be a much cozier home than a big empty garage and she always had the option to get a new roommate.  Johnny couldn’t get another father…

“But it’s not so bad,” said Johnny, suddenly perking up a bit.  “I visit him every other day and we’re really starting to work things out.  He’s agreed to finish his sentence, he’s actually getting along well with the other inmates.  He’s even participating in one of those “ “scared straight” programs for teens to stay on the right track.  Trust me, he’s perfect for that.  When my dad talks, you listen.  No exceptions.”

“Any word of when his parole is?”  

Johnny did a rough calculation in his head before answering.  “I think the last I heard was about eight months from now?  So by September, maybe?”  

Ash nodded, then lifted her cup.  “Then, best luck to your dad and here’s hoping for an early parole.”

Johnny smiled and lightly clinked his tea cup with hers.  “Cheers.”

“Well, I had a wonderful time tonight,” said Ash, finishing her tea.  “Thanks again for…you know, everything.”  

“My pleasure.”

It was a strange moment.  They both sat there, staring into each others eyes, all the while Ash trying to make sense of what was happening.  She knew it wasn’t a date.  At least, not an official one.  Then why did she want it to be?  They were just friends.  Weren’t they?  She was about to say something when the waitress returned with a couple of fortune cookies.  Johnny was expecting the receipt when cat just shook her head.  “On top of house,” she said with her heavy Chinese accent.  

“Oh no, please,” said Johnny pulling out wallet.  “I can pay.”

But the cat shook her head.  “On house.  Photo?”

Johnny glanced over at Ash and chuckled nervously.  “I, uh, think she wants to know if we want our picture taken.  You know, to…”

“Commemorate the moment?” Ash asked with a grin.  She then pulled out her phone.  “Sure, why not?  Kinda want a memento, anyway.”      

After setting the phone to camera mode and handing it to the waitress, Ash brought her chair closer to Johnny and they leaned in to pose.  Ash had to stand on the chair to be the same height as Johnny and placed her arm on his shoulder.  After the picture was taken, Ash took the phone back to see the results.  It looked pretty good: Johnny wore a handsome smile and Ash, much to her surprise, looked pretty happy too.  Normally, she had to force her smile since she hated having her picture taken.  Here, it looked natural.  Probably because it was.  

After the cat left, Johnny decided to break open his fortune cookie.  “Let’s see. Today is the day to show someone you care.”

“Well, I guess that one already came true,” said Ash, breaking open her cookie.  “Don’t let past mistakes keep you from making future discoveries.”  Ash thought about that for a moment.  She had made a lot of mistakes, especially in regards to Lance.  Obviously, the breakup gave her the freedom to write her own song and go solo.  But what if it also meant…

“So, you ready to go?”  Johnny was standing next to her, offering his hand.  

She quickly shook away the thought and took his hand.  “Yeah, sure.”  

Once they got out of the restaurant, Johnny and  Ash headed to the train station which was just around the corner.  He offered to drive her home, but since she had a yearly train pass and lived on the other side of town, she was ok with going by her usual route.  As they walked to the station, Ash looked up at the night sky.  The moon was full and stars twinkled like diamonds, signifying a beautiful evening.

They sat together on the bench, awaiting the next train, which would be by in a few minutes.  “This night certainly turned out better  than I expected,” she said, swinging her feet back and forth.  

“Glad to hear that,” said Johnny.  “You know, if you’re aunt decides to play matchmaker again, you can put me down as an emergency contact.  I don’t mind.”

Ash laughed.  “Nah, I think I’m good with just one blind date; I’ll just have to be straight when I tell that to Ruth.”

“Do you…do you want to start dating again?”  

Ash fiddled with her purse strap.  “Honestly, I don’t think my heart’s made a full recovery yet, you know?  I only did this so my aunt would get off my back.  Right now, I’d rather just focus on my music; maybe even start a band.  I already know a bassist and a drummer wouldn’t be too hard to find.”  

Johnny nodded, kicking a small pebble onto the tracks.  “Well, whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you.  I really do.”

“Appreciate that.  You know, if you want, I could come by the garage some time and keep you company.  I’ll bring my guitar and we could jam out or whatever.”  

Johnny’s face instantly lit up.  Apparently, he liked the idea of having any kind of company on days he wasn’t needed at the theater.  “I’d love that, actually.  It’s got plenty of space, so the acoustics would sound amazing.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.  So, would Wednesday be ok?”

“Sure!  Uh, maybe after one?  I tend to hit the gym in the morning.”

Ash smiled.  “It’s a date.”  

She then stood upon the bench and, once she was eye level with Johnny, put her arms around his neck and hugged him.  His neck was so thick, she could barely make her fingers touch.  She felt him return the hug, making sure to be careful of her quills.  Ash never felt so secure in someone’s arms before.  Lance was always so half-hearted with his hugs, being that he hated public displays of affection.  Even when they were alone, he thought cuddling was stupid.  Then again, Johnny wasn’t Lance, so of course it was better.  Much better.  

She pulled away took to look into his eyes.  They were such a warm, chestnut brown and Johnny was so handsome.  Why hadn’t she noticed it before?  Without stopping to think, she leaned over and kissed his cheek, causing Johnny to let out a small gasp.  His cheeks turned a subtle red before he looked down at his shoes, a small grin spreading on his face.   

 Just then, a loud whistle broke the silence as the train pulled into the station.

Ash once again smiled at Johnny and patted his shoulder.  “Night, Johnny,” she said and hopped off the bench.  

“Y-yeah, night.”  

When she boarded the train, she took one last look at Johnny as he gave her a small wave goodbye.  The image was ruined as the doors closed, blocking him from view.  The train took a sudden lurch and started moving again.  It wasn’t hard finding a place to sit since there were barely any passengers riding the train at that hour.  Once she was comfortable, she thought about what she had gone through tonight.  

There was no doubt that the night started horribly.  She knew it would, even before she met Stewart.  And yet, had it not been for that nightmarish blind date, she’d had never had met up with Johnny.  She would never have discovered how much she loved his company.  

Discovery. She pulled out her phone and called up the photo from the Lotus Garden.  The porcupine and the gorilla in the picture certainly looked happy together. Then she thought about her fortune: Don’t let past mistakes stop you from making future discoveries.  

Ash didn’t want to think too much about the future or look too far in the past.  She was perfectly fine in the present.  As she listened to the hum of the train taking her home, she closed her eyes and sighed happily, inadvertently pressing her phone against her heart.  

[meenasmoon]

Waiting for a Star to Fall-             Ch 1: You Had Me at Hello

Meena woke up the next morning cuddled up to her favorite body pillow as the sun peeked through her curtains and washed over her bed. She stretched languidly and and got out of bed with some effort, shuffling lazily to the bathroom where she began her morning ritual with a warm shower. She had been hired for the afternoon and evening shifts at a nearby diner so she had plenty of time to get ready and eat a good breakfast before she had to go to work. 

Once she had finished her shower she wrapped her long black locks in a towel, put on her comfy terry cloth robe and headed out to the kitchen to start her breakfast. The first thing that she had done when she moved in was fully stock the pantry and fridge. Meena was a master chef and had a true passion for cooking so she was excited to make her first meal in her new home. Usually she would have made something kind of elaborate but she decided to keep it simple since her stomach was already in knots because of nerves. Sure she had plenty of practice serving in a diner from when she was in high school, but her social anxiety always managed to rear its ugly head. 

She scarfed down her omelet and chugged her orange juice, watching the clock the entire time. When she was finished she hurried back to her room and slipped into her old waitressing dress. It was a light blue button up with white trim and a slightly faded white apron that she struggled to tie around her pregnant belly. When she finally got it secured she hurriedly did her hair and then gathered her things for work. With her purse in hand and her keys brandished, she locked down the house and hurried to the bus stop that would take her to work. 

Meena sat on the bus for fifteen minutes, her heaphones plugged into her ears and her hand gently caressing her stomach. She got a few looks from other passengers but she just hunkered down in her seat and counted the minutes until her stop. When the bus finally came to the stop across the street from the diner, she tried to leap up but only ended up wobbling all the way to the curb.

  Meena quickly regained her balance and hurried across the street to the quaint little diner that was already bustling with the lunch shift. Since it was only her first day she was put in charge of the customers at the bar rather than be given a full section. She was slightly overwhelmed when she was handed a pad of paper, a pen, and a pocket menu and told to get started, but she quickly steeled herself and moved to serve her first customer. 

Unfortunately for her, her first customer was a long haul trucker who had stopped in for lunch. He was very particular about his food and didn't seem to care that Meena had no idea what he was talking about concerning his order. She figured it out to the best of her ability and when the food was ready she tentatively served it to the scruffy man. her heart was pounding as he took a bite of the sandwich, and for a moment it looked as though she had gotten it right but the man angrily spat out his food and began ranting at Meena about his order. 

Meena just cowered under his tirade, her breath coming in short little panicked huffs as her arms wrapped around her belly to protect her baby. The man stood up from his seat and the restaurant went silent as his angry rant escalated to insulting her personally rather than just her mistake with his food. His pointing finger might as well have been a dagger into Meena’s heart as he jabbed it accusingly in her direction. She did’t register the sound of the front door opening or the murmuring of other patrons, she was so terrified of this man.

  Tears began to pool in Meena’s eyes and roll down her cheeks in little rivulets as his words faded into muffled noise and his angry red face grew larger and larger. Meena felt her vision starting to fade and her eyelids fluttered. The rational part of her brain demanded that she could not faint from fear on the first day. She couldn’t afford to lose this job. 

And then a strong feminine arm wrapped protectively around her face and the world became sharp and present again. A petite Hispanic woman was supporting her curvy form as she addressed the unruly customer. 

“Charley! Sit the fuck down and eat the sandwich!” She roared and the trucker sat back down, his mouth open like a gaping fish. There was a flash of fear in his eyes when the fiery woman leveled him with an even darker glare. In response he just looked down at his plate and began stuffing the sandwich into his mouth like it was the last sandwich he would ever eat. 

Meena felt herself being led away from the counter but she was still in shock from the whole scenario. In the blink of an eye she was in the walk in cooler and her savior was handing her a juice box from one of the shelves. Shakily she accepted in and began gratefully drinking down the juice. Surprisingly it had a calming effect on her and once more she was able to focus on her surroundings rather than her paralyzing fear. 

“You ok hun?” The woman asked and Meena looked up to finally get a good look at her savior. She was petite but her tanned arms were strong and covered in various tattoos. Her face was round and soft underneath her various piercings and pointed eyebrows. Her dark hair was bunched into various dreads that were bleached in random places, almost giving them a striped look. Meena watched as she fiddled with the dreads, pulling them back into a large ponytail.  

Meena finally realized that a response was expected from her and she nodded her head, still sucking on the juice box. The woman’s face seemed to tighten and the fire returned to her eyes as she laid a hand on Meena’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

  “I’m sorry about what happened with Charley. He’s an ass. Usually I’m the only one who can handle him.” She huffed out an annoyed breath as if the mere thought of the man made her angry, which seemed to be true.

  “What’s your name?” She asked gently, her eyes softening immediately. Meena slowly tore herself away from her comforting juice box and managed to reply loud enough for the woman to hear.

  “M-M-Meena.” She immediately went back to the juice box as the woman pulled over a crate to sit on.

  “My name is Ash.” She held out a hand and Meena looked at it in confusion for a second before she took it. Ash shook their hands with a strong, sure grip and Meena suddenly felt like they were friends. It only took that one moment, that small exchange but suddenly she relaxed with Ash and her fear started to disappear faster than before. 

“How far along are you?” Ash asked, gesturing to Meena’s stomach. Meena lit up at the mention of her pregnancy and her response came out much easier this time.

  “F-four months. With twins.” Her smile was still cautious but happiness twinkled in her blue eyes nonetheless. 

Ash whistled and reached for her wallet in her back pocket, “Damn girl. I can’t even imagine popping out two kids. One was enough for me.” She revealed a picture of a gap-toothed boy with multicolored hair and arms covered in dinosaur temporary tattoos. Meena cooed over the picture and as she set aside the empty juice box and leaned closer to Ash. 

“What’s his name?” She asked eagerly, looking up from the photo for a second. Ashe was grinning and a new light had entered her eyes. It was a light that Meena had seen many a time, and was starting to see in herself. It was the light of a parent talking about their child. 

“His name is Hendrix. He’s about to start kindergarten.” Ash took the picture back, stared at it for a second, and then put it back in her wallet.

  “Wow. You must be so proud.” Meena allowed Ash to help her to her feet and she stretched until her back let out a satisfying pop.

  “I really am.” Ash opened the door and gestured out to the bustling restaurant where people were waiting to be served at the bar, “You okay to go back out there?” 

Meena nodded tentatively and gulped loudly as she stepped back out into the fray, but this time Ash was right behind her. As if on cue, Ash put a comforting hand on her back and whispered, “You got this chica. I got your back.”

  Meena felt a burst of courage soar through her and she stepped forward with new confidence to serve the waiting customers. It took her a little while to get a hang of waitressing again but with Ash coming by the bar area to encourage her and to chat she soon found her groove.

  In between serving tables the two women chatted and learned that they lived on the same culdesac and Ash would also be attending the barbeque. Meena felt better about going as soon as she learned that she would at least know one more person at the barbeque. She also learned that Ash played guitar and was part of her boyfriend’s band: The Lance Experience.

Time flew by and soon they were an hour away from closing. Meena’s feet were pulsing with pain and her back was aching something fierce. She gazed at the older couple sitting in a booth longingly, every part of her body begging her to sit down. Once more she glanced at the clock, but the device only taunted her by going slower. She felt her eyes become heavy and suddenly resting her head on her hand felt like she was laying on a pillow. She was seconds away from slapping herself awake when the door jingled and two people made a beeline for her counter.

  Meena straightened up and assembled a tired smile for her new customers. When they sat down and she finally got a look at them, Meena felt her heart skip a beat and her mouth go dry. Sitting on the stool in front of her was the most attractive man that she had ever seen.

  He had dark tan skin that peeked out from underneath his leather jacket and plain white t-shirt. His dark wavy hair was styled haphazardly on his head, and his smile was practically blinding her with its sincerity. His face was soft but chiseled and his plain white shirt did nothing to hide the muscles that bulged underneath it. Meena was almost struck dumb by his beauty, but her attention was drawn to the equally beautiful little girl that was sitting at his side.

  She couldn’t have been older than 8 years old and had the same complexion as her father. Her long dark hair had been messily braided into pigtails and she was wearing a green and yellow soft ball jersey. Her smile was a million watts of happiness and she was eagerly bouncing in her seat, something that made Meena’s heart flutter happily. 

Meena shook herself, and in a move that the handsome father probably never experienced before, she turned to the little girl and bent down as far as she could so that she was leaning over the counter and addressing her first.

  “What can I get for you little missy?” She asked cheerily and the little girl giggled triumphantly before sticking her tongue out at her father playfully.

  “Ice cream!” She crowed happily and Meena laughed along with her. She cheerily booped the girl on the nose and wrote down her order. 

“One sundae for the little princess.” She started to say but the little girl cut her off with her best attempt at a serious face. 

“I’m not a princess. I’m a ninja.” She declared and Meena raised an eyebrow at her, a grin spreading across her round face. 

“Well then, a heaping sundae for the little ninja.” She giggled and then turned to the father, who up until this point had been watching her talk to his daughter, with a look akin to grateful awe, “And what can I get for you Daddy Ninja?”

The man let out a deep laugh that vibrated Meena’s bones and made her heart melt even more. He pretended to look over the menu but quickly put it down and leaned closer to order.  

“I’ll ‘ave ter take a slice of the pie of the day.” He said with a slight Cockney accent. Meena noticed that his warm brown eyes mirrored his daughter’s in their level of excitement and Meena smiled shyly back at him. 

“Coming right up.” She bustled away towards the back to make the sundae and fetch a slice of pie. Just before she disappeared through the doors she heard the little girl say something to her father. 

“She’s pretty Daddy.” She said and to Meena’s utter shock and pleasant surprise the man replied with an affirmation. 

“I kna sweetie. I kna.”

Meena felt her face heat up and she scurried into the back to get their order. She had just finished the sundae when Ash found her in the back. Meena had a feeling that by the smirk on her new friend’s face she was about to get teased mercilessly. 

“Pretty Boy is into you Hot Mama.” She smirked and Meena’s blush took on a deeper shade of embarrassment. 

“N-no no no. I mean he’s just being nice right? Kids don’t have a filter and it’s late at night.” She babbled excuses as she took out a slice of pice and picked up the sundae. Ash quickly blocked her escape and raised a questioning eyebrow. Meena stared back at her for about a second before her resolve crumbled and she blurted out what she knew Ash wanted to hear.

  “Okay he’s gorgeous and his daughter is adorable. Happy?” Ash just nodded and moved out of the way so that Meena could waddle out to the restaurant. The little girl was now coloring in a coloring book while her father watched patiently. She seemed to be telling him the story from her little coloring book, or at least her version. 

“Dessert delivery!” Meena found herself calling out as she set the desserts in front of them and waited for their reactions. The little girl stopped in the middle of her story and shoved her coloring materials aside so that she could devote her entire self to the sundae masterpiece before her. Similarly, her father’s gaze zeroed in on the pie. Wordlessly they grabbed their respective utensils and dug into the food with fervor. 

Ice cream smeared all over the little girl’s face like magic while her father was more conservative about eating his treat. 

“This is the best pie in town.” He moaned through a bite of his chocolate cream pie and Meena couldn’t help but comment. 

‘Well then you obviously haven’t tried mine.” She joked but the man’s head snapped up and he gave her a charmingly crooked smile that coaxed her own sweet smile to bloom across her face.

  “Ya bake?” he asked, and Meena’s confidence boosted as she began chatting about her love of cooking and baking in any form. By the time he had finished his pie and his daughter had finished her sundae she had promised him a taste of her handiwork. 

"I just realized 'a rude I've been. I ain't introduced myself. I’m Johnny.” He held out his hand and Meena happily took it, savoring the rough feel of his calloused skin against her smooth palms.

“I’m Meena.” She said, her voice soft and tentative, but her smile was eager.

“And I’m Cora!” A little voice piped up, breaking the spell that had woven between Meena and Johnny. Both adults broke out into laughter and Cora just sat there smiling at them, obviously proud of herself.

“Nice to meet both of you.” Meena said as Johnny got up from his seat and helped Cora down from hers, “I hope I see you again soon.” She blushed when Johnny winked and led his daughter out of the diner.

“Of course ya will. Ya owe me sum ‘omemade pie.” He called out as they disappeared out the door and into the might, Meena leaned against the counter and let out a long wistful sigh. She was still staring at the door when Ash came up behind her, her purse slung over her shoulder and a big grin on her face.

“C’mon chica let’s get out of here. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” She handed Meena her purse and linked arms with her. Meena giggled and let Ash lead her out of the darkened diner and to the bus stop. The whole way home they chatted and Meena listened to countless stories about Hendrix and his many adventures. By the time they reached their stop she was fast asleep on Ash’s shoulder.

Ash smiled affectionately down at her and gently stroked her hair to wake her up. Meena slowly woke and stumbled through the culdesac with Ash by her side. When they reached Meena’s home she turned around and pulled Ash into a hug. The petite latina stiffened for a second before relaxing into the embrace and patting Meena’s back.

The last thing Meena said to her before she released her and went to bed was a quiet and heartfelt, “Thank you.”

First

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[everyonesastar]

That prompt with injured Buster was amazing! Would you do an aftermath of it? Like Buster comes back to work early (probably still weal frm blood loss) and Rosita goes into mama mode and tries to make him rest! That would adorable. Like just Rosita and Buster fluff moments. It's not a ship, but I adore those two characters. And one me thing, where was Buster shot? Your awesome!

I’m glad you liked it! This one will be very short…but I still hope you like this!

—

Then a few days later, Buster had walked back to the theatre. He had already sent a message to the gang about having a meeting tomorrow.

He walked in, still a bit tired and weak from blood lose. He was not as enthused as he regularly was but he was ok. He saw some of them were already leaving, “Guys? What’s going on? Why are you leaving?” He asked “W-Well…” Meena paused “You’ll see…” She whispered before walking away.

This left Buster confused and worried, what if the bears had shown up again? He walked into the theatre with more caution only to find Rosita arguing with some of them. “Hey! What’s going on?” “Buster? I know you called a meeting, but I still can’t believe you even did! Why? You need rest!” Rosita said with her hands on her hips.

“R-Rosita! I’m fine!” Buster said with a smile. “I’m not falling for it Buster, you’re all going to go home and I will make sure Eddie will run your errands and i will take care of you.” Rosita said with a more strict tone.

“Rosita I’m going to b-be fine!” Buster said arguing with her, not noticing he was already in her car. “Buster, I don’t care, I’m going to take care of your wound and your health while you’re in bed.” Rosita said while Buster groaned. “Ok, fine, but i’m telling you. I’m alright Rosita and you shouldn’t have to worry about me” “Well Buster, it’s just what a mother naturally does…” Rosita mumbled before pulling into the driveway of Buster’s house. She helped him into the house and pulled him towards his bedroom “Buster, you’re going to stay in bed all day until I know you’re ok, understand?” “Fine…” Buster grumbled.

She watched as he go into his bed “Alright, I’m going to get medicine from my purse and make you something from the kitchen” She paused “Don’t you go anywhere Buster” She said with a slight smile. Buster waited, he wondered what the others were doing, and also couldn’t help but wonder why Rosita was being so over protective? It was a bit more than usual..

“Alright Buster, time to take some medicine” She said while walking in, holding a small spoon and a glass of water. “Oh god, it smells awful!” Buster said while turning away “Come on Buster, you have to take it before I examine and treat your wound, it’s some medicine that will make you feel nothing at all!” Rosita said while walking towards him.

“Here, hold this glass of water and right after you swallow the medicine you can take a drink, ok?” “Ok…” Buster mumbled before swallowing the nasty medicine. Rosita laughed a little, but it was true, the medicine smelled awful and it looked like the taste of it wasn’t fading off. “God, it tastes as bad as it smells!” Buster said while holding his mouth.

“O-Ok, just wait there Buster, I’ll go get something that might help get the taste out.” Rosita said before running to the kitchen and coming back with tea this time. “Y-You sure this will” Buster paused a bit, the taste messing with him “Yes I’m sure it will, now drink it before you throw up the medicine.” Rosita said passing the glass to him and watched as he started to drink it.

A few minutes had passed

“You alright Buster?” Rosita asked before Buster went into a giggling fit, the medicine was a bit like laughy gas, where the person who had took it wouldn’t feel pain but wouldn’t be very aware of their surroundings or what they were doing.

“Y-Yeah! I feel waaay better now! T-Thanks Rosita!” Buster said while laughing a little, for just no reason. Somehow, they both were laughing a bit, Rosita couldn’t help but record or take pictures of the funny event.

“O-Ok Buster, calm down, I need to examine your wound and see if I might need to treat it” “Whateva you say cloud-” Buster said while giggling a little “Now, where’s the wound-” Rosita whispered to herself.

She lifted up his shirt a bit to find where his wound was, then she noticed he was dozing off. The wound was around his stomach. She sighed before taking a look at it more closely, there wasn’t much wrong with it but it was red and puffy a little. She went into the kitchen and pulled some cream from her purse and rubbed it onto the wound lightly, that way he wouldn’t wake up.

She looked back on the pictures and video she had tooken when Buster was on the “silly” medicine and started giggling, he was pretty funny in the video she had tooken. She looked back at him, he was still asleep thankfully, but he looked like he was shivering. She walked over to the bed and wrapped the blanket around him, it would be horrible to let him be cold while trying to get some rest.

She had waited for a few hours, quite bored, so she decided to make soup just so when he wakes up he would have something on his stomach besides medicine and tea. He didn’t have much for soup besides tomato soup, “Guess this will have to do..” She mumbled while opening the can and pouring it into a bowl.

Once it was done, she grabbed a pack of crackers and walked back into his room. Where he was still asleep, she sighed.

She continued to wait and pace around until he had finally woke up “R-Rosita? What happened?” He asked while rubbing his eyes “Well, once you took that medicine, you were a goofball for about 3 minutes before you went into a deep sleep.” She said while showing him the pictures she had tooken of him.

“God, it looks like i was drunk!” He said while laughing “I even took a video!” She said while showing him that as well, they both began to laugh loudly and tried to calm down. “Man, it must’ve been hard to deal with me…sorry you had to go through it as well…” Buster mumbled while stretching,

“Don’t worry about Buster, for now just worry on if this will satisfy your stomach or not.” She said while handing him the tomato soup along with some crackers. He smiled “This reminds me of what my dad used to make me, whenever it got cold and I got sick…” He said while Rosita nodded.

He took a cracker and dipped it into the soup before eating it. “You make it just like he did too…this is great” Buster said while grinning a little, “Well, I’m glad you like it. Anyways if you want I can go grab your phone and bring it here if you want…” “No, I’m good, I’m just going to get some sleep after this..” He said while Rosita nodded, understanding.

He must’ve been really tired in order to want to go back to sleep again. He took many sips of the soup before it was gone, he looked exhausted still. “T-Thank you so much Rosita…If anyone stops by before you leave just tell them to come by later…” “No problem Buster…and I will..” Rosita mumbled before walking towards him.

She gave him a hug “Get some sleep…You’re going to need it..” She whispered before waving goodbye to her tired friend. 

She closed his bedroom door and picked up her things and headed for the front door until it had opened.

“Eddie?”

 "Oh, hey Rosita, how is he?“

 "Oh, he’s asleep right now and pretty exhausted so don’t disturb him, I gave him some medicine, checked his wound, and gave him some food..you can do the rest later when he decides to get up..” Rosita said with a smirk.

Eddie smiled sheepishly before hugging her “Thank you so much, for taking care of him”. Rosita smiled “No problem…”

“Just doing what any mother would do”

[howlingcommandoreigns-archived]

The stiffled laughter which greeted him as he was dragged through the shelter’s doors by a rambunctious pack of baying molossers had become a sound he was accustomed to these days working his shifts here, the dithering of volunteer workers workers who were alarmed when he first came in after a long walk with twigs in his hair and tarmac burns on his elbows dissipating when they realized his hands-on approach to the animals under their care and his penchant for gamboling with them when the opportunity arose. 

“You fuckin’ pricks are makin’ a game out of this, swear to god.”  Roman panted from the floor, finally releasing the eight leashes he had held on to like his life depended on it as he pointed at droopy-eyed St.Bernard with thick ropes of drool slowly pooling on the linoleum below from jowls which were lifted in a good-natured grin.  “You---they had a bad influence on you, big boy. Which one done talked you into it? Bet it was her yeah? See you makin’ eyes at me missy, don’t think I ain’t keepin’ tabs on ya!”  He tipped his chin at a Rottweiler who tilted her head to a side and he could almost see the wry amusement in her gaze as he propped himself up on his elbows and let out a breathless grunt when the St.Bernard decided to sit squarely in his lap and the rest of them swarmed him over with tails wagging eighty miles an hour. 

“Yeah yeah, butter the boss up real good. Classy tactic.”  The sound of a volunteer clearing her throat politely however silenced them all for a moment as he tilted his head over to where a mousey little teenager with a clipboard was nervously eyeing the large breeds with apprehension that generally came with being a---

“Newbie. Talk to me, kid.” 

“Your visitor arrived five minutes ago. She’s in the waiting hall, would you like me to bring her in?”  “Nah, I got this.” Roman assured her as he stood up and handed the dog’s leashes to a more experienced handler who led them back towards the kennels.  Accepting the offer of a towel from another, he ambled over and poked his head through the door which led to the visitor’s hall and upon spotting the familial mane of fiery red, whistled to get her attention.  “Ay Hot Socks! Over here!.”  He beckoned for her to follow him deeper into the establishment, passing a brightly lit room where several puppies were playing with their handlers and a medical bay where the latest rescues were being treated.  “It gets a lil’ hectic around here these days, but I’ve got the meeting room set up in the cat enclave. We’ve got several so prospective owners can meet with our residents away from the chaos of the surroundings.”  Stopping in front of a room with a large glass panel through which they could observe its inhabitants, he gestured for her to take a look for herself at the five felines who were either at rest or amusing themselves with the toys left for them on the floor. 

The sole exception however was a tuxedo Angoran who was sitting on the ledge of the window and staring right back at them curiously, mouth opening in a quizzical meow which couldn’t be heard through the glass.  “Meena. You’ll notice she’s still got her collar on.” Roman tapped his neck for emphasis, his tone of voice taking on the air of someone who was clearly tired of the situation but still hoping for the best. 

“Her owner surrendered her to us several months ago ‘cause they were movin’ an’ didn’t want her with them in their new home. She’s a good cat---affectionate as hell, won’t stop givin’ us kisses, but she’s real vocal. I figure she might be callin’ out to them still hopin’ they left her behind on accident. She gets violent when you try to take off that collar, so y’know. We left it on. It still means somethin’ to her even if she don’t mean nothin’ to ‘em anymore. I tell that to people an’ they deflate a lil’ ‘cause they think that means she won’t love ‘em or she’ll try to run or summat. I think she just needs a new family who’s gonna be there for her, yeah?” 

The Samoan turned his head towards a sprightly, green-eyed ginger Manx who was batting at a mouse stuffed with catnip like he was hitting several homeruns---the others were wise enough to give him a wide berth though they weren’t safe from his explosive reserves of energy as he raced around the room and promptly ran into a Maine Coon who walloped him across the nose.  This made him retreat quickly and he was back to gnawing holes in the toy mouse as Roman shook his head at the creature in amusement.  “That clown is Jack. As in Jumpin’ Jacks, because that’s his mode pretty much until his Duracell batteries die down for the day. He’s a young cat, real energetic if that display ain’t enough to clue you in---nippy an’ we’re kinda workin’ out his thing with playin’ rough, ‘cause he was a feral through an’ through when we picked him up. He’s gotten better since. Ain’t got a fear of dogs which is a plus or a minus dependin’ on how you look at it--he tolerates ‘em pretty well as long as they don’t try assertin’ themselves on him. He’s pretty self-reliant an’ don’t need too much fuss. Give him toys, food an’ water an’ he’s happy keepin’ himself company while you’re gone.” 

Roman directed Becky’s attention to the Maine Coon who had returned to feeding from the cat bowls after Jack’s collusion course. Unlike the rest, this one carried herself with a clear sense of dignity that befitted her silver-speckled fur and she went about to cleaning herself fastidiously after her snack.  “That queen there is Delancey. She’s pretty old, sort of the Queen Elizabeth of the cats here to be honesty, but she’s still got it when it comes to showin’ who’s boss around here, heh. She can be a grumpy old hag which is why she’s gone through the system quite a bit; unfamiliar noise an’ sudden touches set her off which is why I ain’t recommended her for families with young kids, but she’s pretty affectionate once you have her trust. She’s also one of the few cats here who’s pretty chill with dogs as long as they don’t yark in her face an’ leave her food alone. She’s got a couple of meds she needs to take these days, comes with her age y’know?” 

A bright-eyed Tonkinese had noticed Meena’s attentiveness to the figures beyond the glass and jumped up onto the edge to join her in studying the human they were familiar with who always smelled of dog, and this new one with the sunset hair. 

“Tracy, she’s curious about everythin’. New friends, new food, new smells, new toys, everythin’s worth investigatin’ for her which is great since that means her first instinct to a new friend is to check ‘em out first instead of hidin’ out an’ hissin’ up a storm. She’s friendly even if she ain’t as affectionate as the rest---willin’ to give everyone a try. Problem is, she can get too friendly, too curious, an’ that spells trouble if you don’t keep an eye on her an’ she does things like try to eat make-up cake or lipstick which is how she ended up here an’ starts tryin’a commune with dogs who’re less friendly than Cadbury could be. She’s best as an indoor cat, outdoors only an’ only if you’ve got her on a harness, no matter how much outdoors might intrigue her.” 

A striking Ocicat poked his head out of a box before sauntering out with all the confidence of a young prince and stretching out before hem so his markings were on full display before he walked over to the water bowl next to where Delancey was and began politely drinking from it. After several sips, he straightened his back and began grooming the older cat who closed her eyes contently. “Ram Dass is a gentleman, kinda like Cadbury is. He was born here---his mother came to us pregnant an’ was adopted out a while back so he’s young an’ this place is all the home and the family he knows so in his case, I can guarantee that he’ll have no problem with a multi-pet household since that was the way he was raised here. Thing with him is he’s always concerned, which is a thing that happens when you’re raised in an environment where y’know.  Hurt cats an’ dogs are comin’ in every week an’ some of ‘em don’t make it an’ he sort of gets what’s goin’ on---he seems to be aware that livin’ things suffer an’ die an’ he’s always goin’ around checkin’ on his mates makin’ sure they’re OK an’ even the humans who’re tendin’ to him, so if he’s yowlin’ an’ demandin’ to be let into the toilet with you, know that he just doesn’t want you to be hurt or summat an’ he’s gonna check on you just in case.” 

A nondescript bundle of fur nestled in a small hammock came to life as the last cat of the lot raised his head sleepily in their direction and after a split second of deciding on whether they were worth getting up for and investigating, yawned long and wide before settling down for another nap.

“Dorian. As in Dorian Grey. He’s spoiled silly, this one, an’ goddamn if he don’t know that he’s pretty. Got one of those owners who picked him up when he was small an’ cute an’ didn’t want to deal with him when he got older an’ started showin’ normal cat behavior. He’s always cool an’ calm---he don’t approach you, you approach him, there’s always a set number of strokes, six in all before he decides he’s had enough attention, an’ he can’t deal with normal cat food---dunno what he was fed as a kid but he can’t digest store-brand cat food without throwin’ it up so it’s got to be one of the vet-approved brands with little to no filler. He’s lazy as shit an’ is content with sleepin’ on the couch or your lap for most of the day, which is good because ain’t no one got time to be pickin’ fights with dogs, certainly not this homeboy.” Roman placed his hand on the glass, chuckling to himself as Meena and Tracy batted at it from the other side which made it look like they were offering him high-fives.  He straightened his back and turned around to face Becky before waving his hand at the door next to the window.  “Your call when you wanna go in or if you wanna go in first so they get to know you before you bring in Cadbury. You take as long as you want to know ‘em. I’ll be out here if you need me aight?” 

@lassxkickerxlynch

[fruityheffalump]

I feel bad for Faye... she seems really nice and it looks like she's about to get her heart crushed 😮‍💨

Show Me Love The Series - EP 5 (Watch it here)