#at leasr for right now dunno if its gonna stick tbh

[bitchapalooza]

Twenty-thousands eggs

Summary:

Laventon is on his way home with the children in tow, unexpectedly running into his newest coworker, Cyllene.

Read on ao3 or below

————

"OOOOOF! These grocery bags are soooo heavy!" Laventon groaned as he scaled the stairs. "Just how much did I buy!"

Rei and Akari giggled in each arm. Each step he took was long and exaggerated, jostling the children as he moved which only made them laugh more. "Oof! Oof! Huff! Huff! Soooo heavyyyyyy!"

"You bought twenty-thousands eggs! Twenty-thousands eeeeggs!" Rei giggled, throwing his arms out for emphasis.

"Oh gosh darn, I shouldnt have taken that coupon deal! Buy one get ninteen hundred ninty nine-thousand!? What do I need twenty-thousand eggs for anyway!?"

Muffled behind her hands as an attempt to control her laughs, Akari exclaimed, "To—to bake a biiiiiiiiig cake! Ha ha— a chocolate cake! With strawberries and— and— and gummy bears!" Rei howled with more laughter in response.

"My, that sounds like a delicious cake. I might have to try it sometime."

"Ah! M-ms. Cyllene!" His voice rose in pitch at the surprise of seeing her here. "Assuming from the boxes all over the foyer and in your hand, youre moving in, yes?"

Cyllene nodded. "My things finally arrived today. Now the hard part is unpacking."

Laventon began setting the kids down, Rei dramatically protesting. "Nooooooo! All your eeeeeeeggs! Theyre gonna be broken if you put them dooooooown!"

"Rei, settle down!" Laventon chuckled. Cyllene couldnt help the faint smile forming. The two days shes worked at the labs, shes heard all about the children already. But seeing their antics for herself was something else.

"SPLAAAAT! THERE THEY GOOO!" Rei cried as he was sat on the ground, collapsing on the hard floor as if he were dead. He coaxed Akari into playing along, his twin barely hesitating. "LOOK AT THOSE DEAD TORCHICS! ALL TWENTY-THOUSANDS OF THEM!"

"Children, please, indoor voices!" He tried to be stern. He really did. But these two always seemed to ruin his efforts with whatever silly game they were getting carried away with. He couldnt help but laugh.

Cyllene set the box she was holding down, label reading Books in Hoennian. She reached into her pocket and fished two lollipops out, looking to Laventon for permission. He nodded his approval. Cyllene bent down on one knee, holding the blue and green candies out in front of the children. Their eyes lit up immediately, smiles showing their barely contained excitement. Akari took the blue lollipop, Rei the green. They thanked her politely as Laventon had taught. As they unwrapped their treats Cyllene stood to full height, reflexively wrapping her arms behind her back. "Well that'll keep them busy for twenty minutes." Laventon chuckled. "Why did you have candy in your pockets anyhow?"

"I went to the bank earlier."

"Grabbed a handful from the bowl?"

"Guilty."

Laventon laughed again. He looked around the hallway, noticing the handful of boxes in varying sizes. Cyllene seemed to be the only person here to carry her no doubt heavy luggage inside. Pocketing his hands to wipe the growing nervous sweat off his palms, he asked, "Would you, er, like some assistance bringing your belongings inside, Ms. Cyllene?"

"Hm? Oh. No thank you. I've got it. The smaller boxes at least. My Abra can take care of the larger ones for me." Exactly on cue, a yellow fox-feline like pokemon appeared in a flash, floating beside her. Cyllene looked to the creature, fondness flashing in her eyes. Laventon felt the excitment of seeing a pokemon hes never seen in person before flutter in his chest. Wait was that excitment? Why did his cheeks suddenly feel so warm then? Laventon shook the minor worry away.

"Ah! So your partner is an Abra!"

"Yes. He's been my partner since I was ten. We've been through a lot together." Cyllene scratched behind the yellow pokemon's ear, the spoiled thing melting under her touch. He let out a low purring "baaaa..." to show his satisfaction.

"So... You were a trainer then?"

"If you could call it that, yes. I only lasted two weeks. It wasnt my thing. Yuzu here was the only pokemon I could ever catch myself."

"Really? Ive read Abra are not only rare, but extremly hard to catch! Especially the Hoenn species."

"An Aron was bullying him. I saved him and he's been by my side since."

"I see. That was very generous of yo— Oi! Dont swap lollies! Thats— Ew! So unsanitary!" The twins had swapped their candies out, Rei now with blue and Akari with green. They smiled and giggled around the sweet treats, not all caring about their father's chastising words.

Yuzu levitated the box Cyllene had sat down before back to her hands, then began to lift one of the bigger, heavier boxes in through the door. She thanked her partner. "I should finish up here if I hope to be on time tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Huh? Oh! Uh, goodnight, Ms. Cyllene."

Cyllene smirked. "Just Cyllene is fine. We arent working right now. No need to be so formal."

He hoped she hadnt noticed the bright crimson spreading across his face. "Yes! Right! Then you can call me Ed. Yes, Ed, that is. That is my name."

"Well I-I should get these two upstairs then. Uh, thats where we live. Upstairs. Above you, haha!"

Cyllene nodded, still wearing the smirk on her face. She turned to enter her own apartment. Laventon reached down and took Akari's hand, which was sticky from the candy. He cringed on the inside. The girl insticntively linking her arm with her brother's as her other hand was preoccupied. "Come on now. Ive got school work to do. And dinner to prepare." He said as he began to lead the two eight year olds up the stairs.