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hotshot624 · 8 days

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A Toy Smile (ATLA)

(lee!zuko , ler!sokka and ler!aang)

A/N : AAAHHH!!!! fixating hard y’all. it's impossible for me to be normal about anything ever. this one's got more story than the last one but i hope u enjoy anyway lolll

Summary : a day off at the abandoned vacation home and zuko has a lot to think about. though, it’s kinda hard to think about your place in the world when your friends are being annoying (and u still love them for that)

Word Count : 5106

hope u enjoy!!

Being back at his family’s old beach house was remarkably strange. Zuko kept getting flashes of bittersweet nostalgia, images of his mother building castles out of sand with him, just for Azula to knock them all down. Running through the halls in shrieks of laughter, getting chased by the tickle monster (his mother always had the perfect balance between her calm and nurturing nature, and her more silly and playful side. Feeling okay with play was something that ended almost immediately after she left his life), always before being interrupted by a stark glare from his father.

Zuko’s father was usually absent in these beach house memories, but that’s because even when he was there during their vacations (which honestly wasn’t often, he was usually off tending to the business of being an up-and-coming Firelord), he always stood with a glare that Zuko could still see in his head clear as day. Looking back on it, he was glad that Ozai was usually preoccupied during those old vacations so he at least has a few good memories left of this place.

Zuko pondered on it alone in the house.

The rest of the group were off at the beach, doing their own things. If he had to guess, Toph was probably practicing her sandbending right now. Maybe she’s teaching Aang, or maybe Aang was practicing some moves Zuko taught him earlier in the week. Zuko felt weirdly proud at the idea. He imagined Katara was probably soaking in the ocean, bending and feeling one with the water. And Sokka…Agni knows what Sokka’s up to right now. Maybe he’s fishing.

All he knows is that they’re probably keeping themselves preoccupied right now, taking the day off to do whatever they pleased. The group needed to keep their minds sharp, but not overworked.

Zuko could sort of relate to that, trying to keep occupied. It was at a much lower scale, sure, but when he wasn’t training Aang, he took to wandering the grounds of this place that felt distantly familiar to him.

Zuko still feels a little uncomfortable with the thought of hanging near everyone during an off day like this. He knows they don’t hate him anymore, but guilt and shame have become chronic pains he hasn’t learned to aid yet. He’s happy to help them, but hanging out on a casual level is something he’s still getting used to.

As he walked through the abandoned home, he couldn’t help but gaze at old photos, taking some out of the frame to burn in his hand. For some reason, watching the memory physically char and fall to ashes from his fire felt like a medicinal release in his system. He sat on beds that had been dressed by old maids years ago, untouched for so long and yet the sheets still had a smell that burned into his sinuses like a forgotten memory.

It was so quiet in the house. Every footstep seemed to echo. It was dark, too. Each flame he set gave light to the entire room and the hall with it. It felt right that this place had been abandoned for so long. Justified. It deserved to lay dormant with the rest of any happy memories his childhood had to offer. That part of his life was laid to rest some time ago, but revisiting it lit something in him he hadn’t expected.

When he suggested they settle here for a while, Zuko hadn’t thought too hard on what it would be like to revisit this place. It was obvious this house, these grounds, the beach itself, would bring back memories he used to try hard not to think about. That was only logical.

What Zuko hadn’t anticipated was the way it would make him feel about the new people he’s surrounded himself with. The last time he was on a beach with people he thought were his friend group, it was a disaster. Fights and arguments, insecurities thrown around like weapons of war. That used to be normal to him. That was just what a vacation was.

But everyone here was having a good time. Yes, stress was definitely high and in the air, everyone was still keeping their guard up for what they knew was to come after they left. But that didn’t mean good times came to an end altogether. Zuko saw how they still played and teased each other, telling stories at dinner and laughing when they trained. Stress was high, but spirits might’ve been even higher.

Walking through this empty house, he realized that’s what this place was actually for. It wasn’t just a house you stayed in away from your home. It was a place built for bringing people closer together.

And here he was standing in it, alone in the dark.

Zuko sighed, dragging a hand down his face. He knew he should probably go out there. They trusted him now, what was he waiting on? He’s allowed…fun. That sounds so gross. But it also sounds like something Uncle would be telling him right now. If Zuko was any good at impressions, he’d give himself a famous Iroh Special about the balance of work and life, the importance of close friends in times like these. But Zuko sorta sucks at impressions, so he’ll just have to imagine how good some advice like that would sound and suck it up.

He should probably go join them on the beach now. Ugh.

As Zuko walked out of the dimly lit house, the sun felt really good on his skin, warm and filling for his soul. He took a deep breath, in and out, as he made his way toward the beach. The sounds of splashing water and shrieking laughter filled his ears as he got closer, his bare feet now warming in the sand.

“Zuko’s back,” he heard Toph announce from her self-made throne of sand, a little umbrella over the top for shade and flavor.

Zuko made his way next to Toph, watching the other three play in the ocean. Sokka had Aang in some kind of hold with his arms behind his back, while Katara stood in front, doing something with the water that seemed to have Aang in stitches. Zuko was utterly confused.

“What are they doing?” he puzzled, sitting down criss-crossed next to Toph.

“Why, do you want in?” Toph teased with a grin, making Zuko blush and nearly start defending himself (for what, he wasn’t sure) before she interrupted his clear stammering, “Katara figured out how to tickle with her water. She can be a little ruthless sometimes, and I really like that side of her.”

Zuko just nodded, really not sure what to say right now. He felt so awkward, maybe this was a bad idea after all. He’d be better off alone back in the house, it was probably good for him to think about his past the way he was before. Maybe he should just turn back, Toph will notice but none of the others have even acknowledged he came back yet so it’s not like–

“Hey!” Sokka called out, “My arms are getting tired! One of you come hold him for me!”

“Nohoho! Just lemme gohoho!” Aang cackled, kicking the water but not doing anything to actually stop them.

Zuko sighed, regretting saying anything before the words even left his mouth. “Aang, just bend the water!” he yelled their way, “Did you forget you’re the Avatar?!”

Aang just kept laughing for a moment like he hadn’t heard a thing, and Zuko nearly smiled at the boy’s blatant silliness. But in a blink, Katara was suddenly lifted and thrown about ten feet away by a small but powerful wave, Sokka getting launched not long after in the opposite direction.

Aang shot a thumbs up Zuko’s way, so Zuko gave him a quick nod back. Real smooth.

“Wooo, that’s right Twinkle Toes! Show ‘em who’s boss!” Toph cheered like she was watching a wrestling match, throwing an excited punch to Zuko’s shoulder. He winced and shot a hand up to comfort the ache, but otherwise said nothing about it.

He watched as Aang launched a tickle attack of his own against the siblings, Katara squealing and using her own water to try and counter or block any of the water she could. Sokka threw his head back in loud laughter, having no way to defend himself and pretty much succumbing to his fate, screaming with his head above water.

Zuko felt weird just spectating like this, so he started fidgeting with the sand in front of him. He thought for a moment on building a castle like he had with his mother so many years ago, but that was so far from who he was now that he chose to keep it to himself. That can just stay a happy memory for the time being.

He looked up to Toph, who seemed content on bending miscellaneous sand shapes in her hand while she listened to them play.

“Why aren’t you out there with them?” he couldn’t help but ask. Zuko didn’t feel as weird around Toph as he did the others. He still felt awkward at times, but not weird. She was the first person here to really trust him, vouch for him even. She was strong and resilient and damn was she stubborn. Zuko really liked that about her, and even though she loved to tease, he felt comfortable having a conversation with her. That was just who she was.

“Eh, water’s not really my thing. I can’t see jack when I’m in the water. Well, I kind of can, if my feet are still touching the ground. But it’s sorta foggy that way and it freaks me out. I like knowing where I am, and in there I just feel all over the place,” she cringed, forming a little sand sea lion in her palm. “Why aren’t you in there with them? Is it a firebender thing to hate the water?”

Of course she’d turn the question onto him, why didn’t he think of that? Ugh, this was not something he felt like getting into right now. “Yeah, sure. Something like that.”

“You are such a bad liar,” she chuckled, chucking her sea lion at his head playfully. He grunted at the impact and dusted the sand from his hair while she grabbed another chunk to fidget with. “I don’t even need my feet to figure that out.”

Zuko sighed, bringing his knees to his chest to lay his arms down and make a makeshift headrest. “I don’t know how to just…play, like that. That’s not natural for me, it would just be weird. It’s better if I just stay up here,” he said, suddenly feeling very weirdly insecure and unsure of his words, “If, like, y’know–if that’s okay with you.”

She laughed openly at his hesitance. “Sparky, it would mean the world. I like your company! You’re funny to talk to,” she said, and her choice of words made him squint.

“‘Funny to talk to?’” Zuko questioned.

“Yeah, you’re always so uptight. And awkward. It’s really funny,” she chuckled, making him deflate a little. He knew she probably meant the best by it, but her bluntness will always take a little blow to his already fragile ego.

“Is that really the only reason you talk to me?” Zuko huffed, not even looking for an answer if not to just air out his insecurities a little.

“No, you dingbat. You’re really different from the others, it’s a nice change of pace. You’re stiff, and your heart rate might be faster than anyone I've ever met which can get pretty annoying. But you’re very real, and I like that in a person. If you have something you need to say, then you say it,” she paused. “Well, most of the time.”

Zuko sat in that for a moment. He’s pretty sure she was…complimenting him? Maybe? It’s hard to tell with Toph, it’s rare she ever gets sweet with her words. But he’s pretty sure that whatever she meant by that, it was supposed to be a good thing. So he’ll take it.

“Thanks…I think.”

“I know it’s hard but…they can be fun if you try,” she shrugged, forming a little sand-Zuko in her palm and handing it to him. He took it gently, worried it would crumble in his hand. But it didn’t. It stayed sturdy and solid, like a real doll. Zuko turned it in his hand, getting a good look at his mini-me.

“How do you…”

“Know what you look like?” she finished for him. “The others described you to me a while back. It’s probably not perfect, but–”

“No, no. It’s…” Zuko stared at the thing in his hand. It was small, pretty much the size of his palm. His scar was there, but that’s not what he was looking at. Zuko couldn’t stop looking at the smile on its face. On his face. How natural and meant to be there it looked. “It’s really good. You captured my essence,” he remarked playfully, sliding the doll into his pocket. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, Sparky,” she smiled. “Seriously. Don’t.” Zuko couldn’t help but chuckle at that, looking up to see Sokka dragging himself out of the water towards them.

“Teaching Aang waterbending was a mistake,” Sokka groaned, leaving puddles of water in his wake as he plopped in the sand next to Zuko. Zuko flinched, some water from Sokka’s clothes splashing on him when he sat down with so much force.

“Watch it, you’re getting water all over me,” Zuko complained, wiping droplets from his face with the back of his hand.

“Oh I’m sorry, were you the one that just got nearly tickled to death by the ocean?! No, I didn’t think so!” Sokka exclaimed, every big movement he made just splashing more water on a frowning Zuko. “I could’ve drowned!”

“Well that wasn’t my fault, so keep the water to yourself,” Zuko rolled his eyes at Sokka’s dramatics.

“You’re such a baby, Sokka,” Toph chuckled. “Aang took it like a champ. You don’t hear him complaining about a couple of tickles,” Toph cooed in a mocking baby voice, making Sokka squint in contempt.

Sokka pointed a finger toward Toph over Zuko, “I don’t wanna hear it from you. You don’t get attacked like I do!”

“Yeah, cause I set boundaries,” Toph grinned, tossing a foot over her knee. “You guys don’t tickle me cause you know if you even try it you’ll never have use of your fingers again.”

Zuko’s brow shot up at that, and he nearly smiled, but made no comment.

Sokka had no smart comeback to give, instead bringing his hand back in to cross his arms over his chest, pouting. They sat in silence for a moment before it seemed like a light went off over Sokka’s head, the boy perking up quickly and whipping his head toward–

“Zuko,” Sokka started with a grin. “You should help me get back at Aang.”

Zuko’s brow really shot up at that, “What?!”

“Yeah, he’d never expect it from you!” Sokka said, his smile wide and excited.

Zuko stared incredulously, “Did that water hit you over the head or something? I am not doing that,” he scoffed, refusing to look at Sokka right now. He is so stupid, what makes him think Zuko would ever do something so childish?

“Oh c’mooon, you said you were here to help us, right? Well…this would be helping me,” Sokka smiled a toothy grin, really hoping to win him over.

“Just ask Toph, don’t involve me in this. I’m sure she can do some…earthbendy thing and help way better than I could,” Zuko said, looking toward Toph for help.

Toph shook her head, “Nope. This is all you, Sparky,” Zuko could see her smile beneath the shade. He growled in frustration, peeking over toward Sokka.

“You can do it yourself then. Figure it out,” Zuko said, staring back off into the ocean. Aang and Katara were bending and splashing water at each other, their laughs and happy voices blending with the sounds of the ocean waves pushing and pulling against itself.

Sokka grumbled, falling onto his back in the sand. “Was just trying to see if you wanted to have some fun before we get serious again tomorrow,” he mumbled, picking at the sand with his fingers.

Zuko tried to ignore him, but felt a poke to his shoulder on his left. He looked to Toph and saw her just staring at him with this look, like she was disappointed. Or, maybe not disappointed. More like she was saying with her eyes, “Didn’t we just have a heart-to-heart about this two seconds ago?” He felt the doll in his pocket jab into his thigh.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose like he often did when utterly frustrated. “If I help you, you have to do something for me in return.”

Sokka shot up, his eyes wide like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Yeah! Anything!” he paused, “Or, I mean, almost anything.”

Zuko clicked his tongue, he cannot believe he is doing this. “There’s some spices left over in the kitchen cabinet. They haven’t gone bad, I checked,” he peeked over to Sokka. “For dinner tonight, we are using those spices. No offense, but I’m tired of eating bland stew every night. If you grab those from the house…” he sighed, saying the words like they crawled from the pit of his stomach, “I will help you get back at Aang.”

“Say no more!” Sokka shot up from the sand and strut toward the house with his head held high. He was obviously very proud of himself for convincing Zuko to do something silly for once, and honestly, Zuko couldn’t blame him. He was surprised himself.

Toph dropped her throne back to the ground, the force of it shaking the ground under them as she stuck her toes in the sand. “You really gonna do it, Sparky?”

Zuko dropped his face into his hands. “I think I just dug myself into a hole.”

That made Toph cackle, and Zuko couldn’t help smiling into his palms.

–

The fish stew Katara was cooking smelled amazing. Zuko had forgotten just how much he missed the smell of real, seasoned food until he found those spices in the cabinet earlier today. At least he was getting something good out of this mess he’s got himself into.

In the living room of the beach house, Toph was proudly showing off all the sand dolls she made today. It was mainly weird shapes or animals she was familiar with, but everyone got a kick out of it.

“Oh, oh, can you do me?!” Aang practically bounced on his heels, clutching the Appa doll to his chest.

“Remind me when we go back to the beach, Twinkletoes,” Toph smiled, tossing a solid ball of sand to the ceiling, up, then down. “I made Sparky one, since he didn’t abandon me on the beach like some people.”

Aang deflated in guilt, “I thought you said you didn’t care…”

“I didn’t care, I’m just messing with you,” she grinned, throwing the ball at a quiet Zuko’s head.

“Ow! Hey, watch it–!”

“Show ‘em your doll, Sparks!” Toph said, the ball launching itself back into her palm. Zuko frowned, feeling weirdly embarrassed by it. He just sat there for a second with everyone staring at him, waiting.

“I thought you said not to mention it?”

“Well if Aang’s making commissions, he should probably see what he’s buying,” Toph said, clearly just proud the others were liking her art so much.

A little shy, Zuko reached into his pocket and pulled out the doll, holding it up for everyone to see. Aang immediately rushed over, not taking it from his hand but still looking at it really close.

“Woah, little Sifu Hotman! Toph, this is so cool!” Aang poked at the doll’s face, “Aww, she even made him smile!”

Katara barked a laugh from the kitchen close by, “Really taking some artistic liberties with that one, Toph.”

Everyone snickered at that, and Zuko couldn’t help but frown (unfortunately proving their case). “I can smile,” he said, shoving the doll back in his pocket. “Maybe I just don’t find you guys that funny.”

Sokka gasped, “What, do we not amuse you enough, Your Highness?” He said in a mockingly fancy tone.

Zuko knows he’s just teasing, but Sokka can really be annoying sometimes.

“That’s not it,” Zuko glared. “I don’t know, maybe we just have different senses of humor. But I can smile.”

He saw Aang glance over his shoulder to Sokka, who was lying comfortably on a pile of pillows. There was a weird, silent exchange happening between them that Zuko couldn’t pinpoint, but he was smart enough to know something was up.

Sokka sat up and looked at Zuko, trying a little too hard to look casual. “So…what does make you smile, then?”

Zuko raised a brow. Kind of a loaded question, if you ask him. “I mean, I don’t know. That’s sorta vague.”

“On purpose,” Sokka corrected. “I can think of a ton of things that make me smile off the top of my head. Like, uh…shopping!”

“Cartwheels,” Aang butt in.

“Sea prunes!” Katara called from the kitchen.

“Feeling the enemy crumble to the ground,” Toph said, way too casually.

Zuko felt a little cornered. This was hard for him, okay? Thinking of something like this off the top of his head was difficult when he’s spent the last three years with a resting frowny face. “Um…” he started, really digging into his brain for an answer. “My…Uncle was really good at telling jokes? They got annoying sometimes, but some of them made me laugh. If that counts.”

Aang really smiled at that, moving to sit next to Zuko on the ground. “That definitely counts,” he said, before shooting another look toward Sokka. Hm…

Sokka got up and sat next to Zuko on his other side, throwing an arm over his shoulder way too casually, “I think that’s a wonderful answer. But there’s just one problem…”

Zuko shot him a confused side-eye, almost shrinking away from Sokka’s touch. “Uh, okay?”

“I don’t think we’ve ever made you smile,” said Sokka, giving a small jostle to Zuko’s shoulder.

Toph snorted across the room, getting everyone’s attention. “You can be real smart sometimes, Sparky. I don’t know how you haven’t figured out what they’re up to.”

Zuko shook Sokka’s arm off his shoulder with a furrowed brow, “What are you talking about?”

She grinned, feeling through the floor how both Aang and Sokka were slowly inching closer to Zuko on either side. “I think they’re gonna tickle you.”

Without a second more to think about escaping, Sokka shoved his hands under Zuko’s arms, followed by Aang throwing himself over Zuko’s lap to wrap his waist in a ticklish hug.

Zuko shrieked, the sensation throwing him off guard so hard he nearly toppled over onto the ground. He would have toppled over, if Aang didn’t have such a strong grip on his waist, not to mention those fingers digging into his sides with a terrible, gentle accuracy. He was a cackling, giggling mess immediately.

“Nohoho-! Wahahait! Waitwaitwaitwaitwahahait-!” Zuko cackled, his eyes scrunched up and his smile wider than it had been in some time. He had forgotten just how ticklish he was until those fingers wouldn’t leave him alone, the digging into his armpits and the scribbling at his sides, it was all so…ugh, it was so ticklish.

“Tried to warn you!” Toph smiled, hearing Katara enter the room to watch while the stew finished cooking.

“Woowww, didn’t know you guys had it in you,” Katara remarked as she leaned against the door frame, watching with a grin. She pointed at the scuffle with her spoon, “I really expected you two to wuss out!”

Aang scoffed with a grin, having to use a lot of his strength to hold the very squirmy Zuko in his arms. “He’s not scary anymore, Katara. I mean, just watch this,” he said, before pinching at Zuko’s hips and making the boy squeal.

“Guhuhuys! Ahaha–wahahait! Hold ohohon!” Zuko twisted in his laughter, his arms sealed at his sides to no avail. If Sokka didn’t get his stupid fingers out of his armpits right now he was pretty sure he was gonna keel over and die any second now. From laughter or embarrassment, he wasn’t really sure which.

“Wait, wuss out?” Toph questioned. “Did you guys plan this?”

Sokka snickered, switching to just using one finger under each arm at a time, and somehow that was even worse. “Yeeeeah, I might’ve pulled a fast one at the beach. Sorry buddy!” he said, before, “Well, not too sorry. This is pretty funny.”

Zuko’s face felt so hot he was almost worried it was gonna catch on fire. Quite literally. “I’m gonna kihihill you twohohoo!” he cackled, finally gathering enough strength to push Aang off him, kicking his feet to make sure Aang kept his distance. But Sokka was unrelenting. “Sokka! Cuhut it out!”

“Ohhhh fine,” Sokka pulled his hands out, bringing one up to scruff Zuko’s hair for good measure. “Before you get mad, we only did it cause you looked a little left out on the beach today.”

Zuko wished so badly that Toph would let the floor swallow him up whole right now. “So your solution was to—do that!?”

“Well, yeah,” Aang smiled a little shyly, “It looked like you felt left out when we were playing earlier. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong…sorry if that was too much.”

Katara had slipped back to the kitchen for just a moment during their conversation, coming back now with a tray of bowls. She handed Zuko his bowl first, which he took while still glaring at Sokka and Aang. (Well, mainly Sokka. He could tell Aang felt bad, and Zuko’s not like, actually mad. Just so utterly embarrassed and shy that he doesn’t know how to express himself right now.)

Katara gave him a sympathetic smile. “They really like you. They just don’t know how to…express it with you, sometimes.”

“Don’t put this on me, it was Aang’s idea!” Sokka looked a little embarrassed himself, like he’d been caught saying something he didn’t want Zuko to hear. He took his bowl from Katara but wouldn’t look her in the eye.

Aang took what Katara said with stride. She always had a way of putting exactly how he felt into words. “Yeah, it was my idea. You’re really cool, Sifu Hotman! But, I don’t know…I never wanna make you mad, but I still want you to feel included, yknow?”

With a mouthful of stew, Sokka chimed in, “Wha’ he said.”

Zuko wasn’t sure what to say right now. He still felt warm up his neck, and all the eyes on him right now weren't helping. But…he also felt really appreciated? These people certainly had a weird way of showing their affection, but they were trying. For him.

Ugh. They’re so sweet it’s almost sickening.

“We won’t ever do it again. Just…know we meant well,” Aang gave a sad little smile before taking a bite of his stew. Well now Zuko had to say something.

“No, it’s okay,” he stared into his bowl. “Affection, and I guess play, are…sorta new to me. I don’t hate it. I don’t…mind,” Zuko cringed at his own phrasing. Telling them that he actually sorta kinda had a little bit of fun just now felt impossible. He sighed, “What I’m saying is, I won’t get mad if you ever do it again. I know you’re not being mean. And it doesn’t bother me. So. Y’know…yeah.”

Sokka squinted toward Zuko over his spoon. “So, you didn’t hate it…” he shot a grin, “...which, in Zuko Speak, means you had fun right?”

Zuko sincerely wanted to singe the brows right off Sokka's face. Because, unfortunately, he was right. Zuko bit the inside of his cheek, “If I say yes will you drop it?”

“Actually, if you say yes you’re just giving me permission to turn that frown upside-down whenever I want,” Sokka wiggled his eyebrows, making Aang laugh beside him.

Zuko could only roll his eyes and take another spoonful in response, which they all knew in Zuko Speak was a definite yes.

“Ahem,” Toph turned the attention back toward her from across the room. “Now that that’s over, can we please go back to talking about how awesome my new sandbending tricks are? I’ll be generous and take free commissions for the next five minutes, but after that you suckers are gonna have to start paying up.”

Aang shot his hand up immediately, “I call a tiny hat for Momo!”

“Ok, but how about a tiny sword for Momo?” said Sokka.

Katara giggled, “We could give him little sand boots.”

Toph hummed with a nod, drawing up plans in her head before pointing toward Zuko. “Sparky? Any suggestions?”

Zuko looked around the room, everyone’s eyes on him once again. It wasn’t a bad feeling, though. They liked hearing what he had to say, even if it was just for a silly game. Zuko was allowed in on the conversation; actually, more than allowed. Encouraged.

“Um…he could use some sand shades. Really bright outside, y’know.”

There was a small beat of silence, and for a second Zuko almost regretted joining in, before everyone burst into giggles.

“Momo’s gotta be beach ready!” Aang laughed, poking the lemur in the belly. “Toph, he needs sandals. He needs them!”

Zuko couldn’t help but smile along as they kept throwing insane suggestions Toph’s way, his cheeks almost hurting by the end of it. Every once in a while, he’d catch himself glancing around the room, taking in how different it looks full of good company. It was somehow brighter, obviously louder, and the air didn’t feel as tight. Even when they circled back to Zuko’s newfound ticklishness later in the conversation, he felt comfortable to tease back about how weak they all were against the spices he had Katara throw in their stew.

Sokka’s threat of future tickles his way kept creeping its way to the forefront of his mind every once and a while. And he wasn’t…not excited about it. It’s not the tickling he’s looking forward to, exactly. Although, every time he pictures that future attack, he feels the ghost of fingers digging into him again and feels a weird smile pulling at his lips. Zuko puts it back to normal immediately when he catches himself, but it was there, and he knows that. But no, no it’s definitely not the tickling. It’s not just the tickling.

Zuko’s glad they’re not scared of him. They aren’t scared to touch him the way they do the others. It’s different for him, and he knows he’ll have to get used to all this newfound affection. But that’s something he’s willing (happy) to do.

When the night was finished and he found himself in that old familiar smelling bed, Zuko pulled the doll out of his pocket. He traced its details with his thumb under the light of fire he lit in his other palm. Sand took another shape with his friend’s help, and made him smile.

At that moment he decided, that’s what he’ll do with this house. It doesn’t have to feel so dark and alone. Zuko can reshape it.

pls consider reblogging if u enjoyed!! love yall, smooches

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hotshot624 · 9 days

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hotshot624 · 10 days

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I’m sorry I took so long to do this!!!

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tagged by! @cosmicharm & @vmbral tyty!!

last song i listened to: The Ghost of You by My Chemical Romance

favorite color: Obsidian! 🖤 (aka black) & Dark Purple 🌌💜

currently watching: not many things...waiting on more Good Omens or Sandman...BUT!! ive been currently reading The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin! :)

sweet/savoury/spicy?: while i love all three, my sweet tooth does command my preferences <3

relationship status: happily single! :) (and thank goodness!)

last thing you googled: "revlon black hair dye"...i need more, my hair is fading ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡

current obsession: i just recently started replaying Portal & getting back into Neopets (ik weird combo, but i love them both!) u can really tell what my current fixation is by what im currently reblogging alot of (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

tagging! @yloiseconeillants, @whatsthisascianbullshit, @cantspelldragoonwithoutgoon, @weirdspriggan, @catgirlneomatrix, @gerard-ways-left-sock

#hotshot types #my post #tag game #ask meme #about me #Spotify

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hotshot624 · 13 days

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yeahh I accidentally deleted the request soo.. 😃

saiki with a people pleaser! reader

a/n: hi pookie wookie cookie bear erm sorry to that anon that I deleted their request but that dosent mean that I won’t do it 😘 always will do my pookies requests and these hcs are kinda rough too so

summary: the title..?

warnings: idk.. maybe the insults?

listen, if your a people pleaser type of person. saiki is gonna HATE you. he thinks your fake just like teruhashi and he cannot explain in words how much he hates you. that is if you’re like teruhashi, if your actually a sweet person he won’t hate you as much, he’ll just be confused.

if you guys SOMEHOWWW be friends, saiki will try to encourage you to not listen to what people say. after all, he dosent at all 😹

Short Scenario

“why do you do what people want you to do?”“oh, well. I don’t think I really do that. but I do want people to like me!”

you chuckled nervously, trying to lighten up the mood. it was getting really awkward when you and saiki were alone.

“oh, y/n..”

so yeah after he had sympathy for you for like 30 minutes without showing it, he just knew he had to help you or else he won’t feel well when your not showing others your true personality.

people are begging you to get short hair/ get a haircut because they think you’ll look good with it? forget them, go bald or grow your hair out. people look at you weird when you laugh really loud? forget them, saiki’s gonna tell you a million of dad jokes now. 🤪

he may seem a bit pushy sometimes to change your mind on something when you just want to make people happy, but it’s just that he’s a bit frustrated that this is how people act and how they affect others 😒

Scenario

“what are you doing?” saiki suddenly asked into my mind, he randomly teleported in the corner of my room I was used to it. “oh, there’s a new trend going on. I wanna try putting led lights in my room or else people are gonna think I have a plain room.” you explained to him with a wide smile. “you don’t have to do it, though?” saiki raised an eyebrow. “I know but,” you paused. saiki waited for your response.

“okay fine.”

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hotshot624 · 16 days

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I've seen "I don't know how to play with toys anymore" a few times lately and just wanted to point out-

Playing with toys looks different for everyone, even actual children!

Playing with toys can look like: 🧸🪁🚂

Taking pictures of your toys and writing captions for them

Brushing or grooming soft toys or toys with rooted hair

Ordering or sorting your toys by colour/species etc

Making up stories, poems or comics about your toys

Dressing or accessorising your toys

Imagining your toys talking to you or each other, forming opinions of their own, etc

Drawing your toys

Taking your toys for a walk outside, even in a backpack or pocket if you don't want to carry them openly

Making lists of the toys you have and where you got them etc

Feel free to add your own ideas

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hotshot624 · 16 days

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No Bad Deed Goes Unpunished

Word Count: 3K

Summary: Never accept Randy’s stupid bets, the consequences are not worth the money. (unless you’re part of the community this fic is aimed at ;])

A/N: RAAHHH ITS DONE AT LAST 💪💪 it’s like midnight for me rn and i start school again today but I got a burst of writing motivation and didn’t wanna waste it 🫡 I know I say this almost every time I release a fic, but I am so sorry this took so long for me to finish 😭😭 I’ve been super caught up with personal stuff, and slumped motivation over all :’( But yeah now it’s done and I hope you guys like it <33

WARNINGS: Canon typical language, tickles, Billy and Stu being teasy jerks

“No way!”

“C’mon, it’ll be funny!”

“I’m not doing it!”

Randy could not be serious. During a small hangout round your house with your friends Randy Meeks, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, Stu and Billy had ended up falling asleep while watching a horror movie.

You weren’t exactly surprised, you guys could only watch Jamie Lee Curtis screaming in fear so many times before getting bored of it.

But then Randy had dared you to draw on their faces while they slept. Was he out of his mind or something??

“Do you want them to kill me?!” You whispered, being careful not to wake the two while crossing your arms.

“What if I pay you?” Randy whispered back with a grin.

“Pfft, there is nothing you could give me to get me to mess with those two.”

“Twelve bucks?”

…

“Fine.”

—————————

God, you were gonna regret this. Randy had even had the audacity to abandon you because he ‘left his wallet at home’. But you made him empty his pockets enough to be able to believe him. And he had his parents’s car, so he should be back before long.

With a deep breath, you very carefully and quietly snuck towards your snoozing friends, a ballpoint pen clutched in your hand (there was no chance you were using a Sharpie, you knew you’d be six feet under before you knew it).

Once close enough, you hesitated.

You were positive they’d kill you for this.

You decided to draw on Stu first. You did not wanna have to deal with Billy being the only one with pen on his face if you unintentionally woke the two up before you could finish drawing.

Going with a classic, you very carefully drew a moustache on Stu’s upper lip. Once finished with that, you leant away, checking if the two were waking up.

“…Fuck.” You whispered to yourself. You were getting incredibly paranoid, so you decided to just hurry up and get it over with.

—————————

The longer the duo didn’t react, the more confident you seemed to get. Along with the moustache, Stu had a bunch of smiley faces and… inappropriate body parts usually seen on a male drawn on his face. Same went for Billy, except instead of a moustache, you simply wrote ‘dipshit’ on his forehead.

Now, unsure what to do, you scarpered out of the room, giving the door a firm bang with your hand to wake the two up. You then headed about halfway up your stairs, crouching down on the steps; from there, you could peak through the banisters and see what was going on in the living room.

Your two friends seemed to stir awake, stretching and yawning. Stu was the first to speak.

“Hey, where the hell is-“

Then, upon the sight of Billy’s face, he burst into laughter.

“What..?” Billy grumbled tiredly, sitting up on the couch. Once his vision adjusted, he gave Stu a look of confusion.

“The fuck happened to your face?”

“Huh?”

The two got up from the couch, looking in the nearest mirror. While Stu was quite amused at the handiwork that had been done, Billy was pissed.

“Who the hell has done this?! Randy? Y/N! Get the fuck out here now!” The brunette yelled, stomping and scanning through the living room. You couldn’t help but snicker at the sight. Sure, Billy could be terrifying, but right now this was just downright hilarious.

But, you were too distracted by Billy’s tantrum to notice Stu had noticed you.

“Ah, there they are!”

Billy turned sharply, and before it, two pairs of vengeful eyes were on you.

“Oh, fuck-!”

You attempted to scramble up the stairs, but out of all the times your socks had to pull that stupid ‘slipping on the rug of the stairs’ crap, it had to be now. Why did shoes have to be banned inside your damn house??

“You get over here right now, you little shit!” With a swift skid, you didn’t move a single step up the stairs. And before you knew it, a hand had grabbed your ankle, preventing you from getting away.

“Gotcha!” Stu chuckled, giving you a playful but menacing smile. You swore you felt your heart drop.

“Ah, what do we have here?” Billy purred, an eerie grin on his face as he stared you down, hands on his hips. Upon noticing the pen in your pocket, his eyebrows raised and his lips pressed into a thin line. “This shit your doing, huh?” The brunette questioned, gesturing to the scribbles on his and Stu’s faces.

“And where’s your little accomplice, hm?” Stu asked, his tone equally mischievous but intimidating.

“He- He’s not here!” You babbled, already willing to spill nothing but the truth. “He bet me twelve bucks I wouldn’t do it, but the dumbass left his wallet at home, and-!”

You were cut off by the two’s brief laughter. They did believe you, though. Randy taking off like that was definitely something he’d do.

“And you really took the offer?” Billy asked.

“Really thought you were smarter than that. Guess not.” Before you knew it, Stu had grabbed your other ankle and started dragging you down the stairs. Slow enough so that you wouldn’t thump painfully atop each step, but quick enough to put a little scare in you.

“Hey! Stu, what the hell?! I know how to walk!”

“Yeah, but you’re not just gonna willingly follow us to your punishment. Now, are ya?”

You held your tongue, Stu wasn’t wrong. But once the word ‘punishment’ registered in your brain, you started panicking.

“Wait, what?! Come on, it’s just a few scribbles, they’ll wash off!” You rambled on again as you kept getting dragged into the living room.

“I’m guessing you’ve never heard the saying ‘No bad deed goes unpunished’?” Billy asked, that sneer on his face almost making your blood run cold.

“I…” You couldn’t stop a small and nervous giggle cutting yourself off. “I’m pretty sure the saying’s ‘good deed’, not ‘bad deed’-!”

“Oh? Still being a smart ass, huh?” The brunette growled playfully.

Shit. You had to just stop talking.

“I think it’s about time this little douchebag was taught a lesson!” Stu declared, lifting your legs onto the couch while Billy lifted the upper half of your body. The two were surprisingly strong, so all your squirming and kicking was to no avail.

“Guhuys I’m sorry!”

“Oh, it’s way too late for that now.” Billy crooned, pinning your arms under his legs, the back of your head placed upon his lap. It was here you realised what the two were up to, and your heart skipped who knows how many beats as your face flushed red.

“Woah, wait, hold on-! What are you doing-?”

“What’s it look like we’re doing? We’re getting you back!” The taller of the two devils sang, wrapping an arm around your calves.

“That’s right. You think drawing on us is funny? We’ll give you something to really laugh about.”

The duo shared an evil look before wasting no time. Stu began squeezing at that delicate area above your knees with his free hand, while Billy used both to dig into your exposed armpits.

The sudden attack practically made you shriek before you burst into hysterics. With Billy’s weight on your arms and Stu’s arm wrapped around your legs, any attempts to squirm yourself free were rendered completely useless.

“Ohoh shiHIHIT! GUHUYS NAHAHAT THIS-!”

Now you were positive you were screwed. Billy and Stu were ruthless ticklers in your friend group individually, but when the two teamed up? May as well be digging an early grave if that was the case.

“Aww, already giggling your ass off? Looks like someone didn’t last a single second!” Stu giggled, moving his hand to spider under your knees, making you squeak.

“Oh?” Billy hummed, briefly pausing his tickling to give you an amused smirk at the noise you made. “Looks like you found a good spot there, Stu.”

“Noho, he dihiHID’NT-!” You let out another small squeak as Stu went right back to tickling at the sweet spot.

“D’awww, is someone tickwish in their wittle knee pits?” Stu teased, knowing talking to you like he would a baby really got you flushed.

“Nahaho! F-Fuhuhuck you!” You giggled, blurting out insults in an attempt to look tough.

It really wasn’t working.

“Wow, such a big attitude for such a little jackass.” Billy growled playfully, his fingers going right back to clawing mercilessly under your arms, making you shriek again.

“WAIT WAHAHAHAHAIT-! SHIHIHIT IHI DIDN’T MEHEHEAN IT!” You squealed, laughing up a storm.

“You sure you aren’t just saying that so we don’t tickle you? You don’t like the tkltkltkl tickles?“ Stu snickered, now squeezing up and down your thighs.

“C’mon, of course they do. Why else would they have gone through with that stupid bet? Surely they must’ve expected this as a possible outcome.” Billy purred, sneering down at you. While a bit of a creepy sight to behold, it was also flustering. But it was also hard to take him seriously with all those doodles still on his face.

This was so not fair! They could not just… out you like that! I mean, no one was there to hear it, but still!

“GUHUHUYS!”

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” Stu giggled, speaking as if he and Billy weren’t actively reducing you to a screeching mess of laughter.

God, they were cruel! They always were. You were positive recalling a time the pair tickled Randy to tears once, and you were convinced you were headed for the same fate.

“PLEHEHEASE!”

“Oh, the wittle Y/N is alweady begging? Poor baby.” Stu cooed with a stupid pout.

“Begging for what, though? For us to stop? For us to keep going? For us to never stop? The line’s a little blurry.” Billy hummed, still smiling menacingly.

Stu snickered again, his hands moving up to your hips to drill into the sensitive area.

Great, now wheezes were already starting to interject with your cackling. As if your flushed face and squeaking wasn’t enough to amuse your attackers.

However, you hadn’t realised that all your squirming had caused that pen you used to slip out your pocket, catching the duo’s eyes.

“Ooh, what do we got here?” The taller teen announced, picking up the pen and jokingly inspecting it.

“Is that what you used to do this shit to us?” Billy asked, feigning ignorance.

“Ihihi…” You tittered, taking the opportunity to catch your breath after that attack. “Noho?”

“‘No’, my ass.” Billy chuckled, he and Stu sharing a mischievous glance.

“Maybe it’s time you got a taste of your own medicine, huh?” Stu questioned, moving the pan back and forth between his pointer and middle finger.

You relaxed slightly at the thought of being drawn on instead of being tickled… but when you saw Stu slowly lifting the hem of your shirt to expose your stomach, you panicked.

“Stu?! Wha- Wait, don’t you fucking dare! I’ll get Tatum on your ass, I swear-!”

Unfortunately, no amount of threatening babbles could stop that asshole from bringing that pen down to your belly, gliding the tip around your exposed skin in silly shapes and squiggles.

That somehow felt worse than simply having fingers digging in and scribbling at your sensitive flesh, and it wasn’t long before you went right back to laughing your ass off.

“NAHAHO, STU!! NAHAT THERE, DO MY FAHAHAHACE!” You squealed, but it all fell upon deaf ears.

“Nah, this is so much better! Look at how red and blushy it makes ya!” Stu teased, grinning at you like a madman as he kept running that pen around your stomach.

“YOU DIHIHICKS!” You spat, doing your best to thrash and tug at your arms, but a brief squeeze to the side of your ribs made you shriek and cease your useless movements.

“Watch it.” Billy threatened, before his eyes seemed to light up. “Hey, Stu. Take my place for a sec.”

Stu happily obliged, switching positions just quickly enough so you had no time escape. Not that you’d have been able to anyway, this whole ordeal had you exhausted.

“Can’t have this squirmy little canvas all to yourself now, can you?”

“I guess not…” The taller teen sighed dramatically before he sat just above your head, pinning both your wrists with one hand while Billy straddled your waist, pen in hand.

“Guhuhys, come on! I sahaid I was sohorry!” You whined, briefly gulping back air between your residual giggles.

“But you know what you haven’t said yet? ‘Stop’.” Stu chirped, looming over you with you that goofy but sinister smirk still on his face.

“Becahause I’ve been laughing too muhuch!” You protested.

“Excuses, excuses.” Stu tutted, shaking his head playfully.

“Anyway, this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.” The brunette declared, slowly lowering that pen.

“Okahay Billy, wahahait! Hold on, wait, wAHAHAIT-!”

—————————

I’m in my room. You better have my goddamn money.

Randy let out a nervous sigh as he flipped his phone shut at that message you’d sent as he pulled up to your house. Not only were you gonna be pissed off he took so long, what were Billy and Stu gonna do when they found out he was the one bet you to draw on them?

The horror geek sighed again as he opened your door carefully, peeking his head through.

Huh. No sign of Billy or Stu.

He shut the door behind him, heading up the stairs to your room.

Once he opened your door, he called out.

“Y/N? You in here?”

“I’m in my bathroom!” You replied.

Randy quickly headed to your en suite, opening the door to see you, rubbing your face with water.

“Hey. So, what did-“

When you looked up, it was hard for Randy to keep in his laughter. Similar to what you’d drawn, you also had little dicks doodled all over your face, along with smiley faces and just random scribbles.

“Don’t you dare laugh.” You gave Randy a threatening point, which only made more giggles slip out.

While slightly faded due to your washing, Randy could make out the word ‘Ticklish’ written on your forehead, along with the words ‘little’ and ‘shit’ written on each cheek.

“Holy shit, they got you?”

“Of course they did, what else? Now, where’s my money?” You held out your hand in an expecting manner. It was hard for the younger teen to tell if that red on your face was because of the warm water you’d been splashing on your face, or if it was the blood actively rushing to your face.

“Alright, Dandy Dan.” Randy chuckled, reaching into his pocket. “Sorry I took so long, my mom ended up lecturing me on how I shouldn’t leave my wallet at home, and-“

Randy cut himself off by noticing how when you lifted the bottom of your shirt up to wipe your damp face, you had an arm around your stomach, as if hiding it.

“Is there something on your stomach?”

“What-?”

You glanced down before instantly pushing your shirt back down.

“…No.”

“Yes, there is.”

“No, there isn’t!”

“Show me!”

“There’s nothing there!”

“Show, or you ain’t getting your money.” The horror nerd smirked.

“Randy, don’t be an ass-!” You attempted to snatch the money, but Randy kept it at bay with a chuckle.

With an annoyed sigh, you grabbed the hem of your shirt.

“You are so dead for this.”

You then lifted your shirt, to reveal all those silly shapes and squiggles Stu had drawn, followed by scrawls and scribbles, which must’ve been Billy’s doing.

“No way!” Randy laughed, handing you the twelve bucks, which you happily grabbed and stuffed in your pocket. “What’re you doing in your en suite anyway?”

“Stu and Billy kept hogging the kitchen sink trying to wash their faces, so I had no choice but to come up here.”

“Huh, that’s weird. I didn’t see them coming in here.”

“Hm. Wouldn’t be surprised if they just bailed.” You shrugged. “Anyway, could you just grab a new shirt from my closet for me? I can’t wear this, it’s soaked.” You gestured to your current shirt, which was, in fact, soaked.

“Sure. Anything for making you accept that bet.” Randy joked, heading to your closet.

You chuckled, going back to trying to get that pen off your face and stomach.

Until you suddenly heard a scream followed by a *THUD* on your bedroom floor.

You opened your en suite door, chuckling again at the sight of Randy on the floor, being pinned by none other than Billy and Stu, who had jumped out of your closet.

“Nice one, guhuys!”

“What the hell?! Were you two hiding in there?” Randy was already blushing; he knew exactly what was coming.

“Sure were. Just like you were hiding from the consequences of you suggesting that little bet of yours.” Stu grinned.

The horror buff gave you a glanced that was confused and betrayed, but you couldn’t help but giggle.

“Okay, I may or may not have let it slip that it was you who came up with the bet, so… they agreed to cut their tickle drawings short if I helped them get you back.”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard her. If you thought you were getting out of this with no payback, you’re dead fucking wrong.” Billy crooned evilly.

“I’ll be with you guys in a sec, I gotta finish getting this shit off me.” You shot the duo a playful glare before waving to Randy. “Have fun!”

“Y/N, wait! Don’t even think about leaving me with-!”

Randy’s protests were cut short by you shutting the bathroom door again, chuckling again as squeals of laughter rung out from the other side.

As you went back to trying to get the pen off your skin, you couldn’t help but think about what Billy had said.

Yeah, you did kind of guess you’d end up getting wrecked with tickles for drawing on them.

But was it worth it for the twelve bucks?

Totally.

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hotshot624 · 17 days

Text

YESSSS

I haven’t regressed for a while because you know, life sometimes gets in the way. But I finally got a moment after class to have the rest of the evening off and just regress. At first I was worried I wouldn’t be able to regress after a stressful day at college. Then I literally was two second into a Blue’s Clues episode with Steve and suddenly I’m a baby😂 Steve just had the magic touch��💞

I felt inspired to write a cute fic with him and a little reader. I’m actually thinking of making a mini series of fics with a little reader in a kids show. What do you think? Would you guys like something like that? Let me know😄

So please enjoy another “side quest fic” I didn’t plan on writing😂💞

Looking for Blue’s Clues🐾

Caregiver!Steve Burns & GN Little!Reader

Tags - scavenger hunt, Steve is the most gentle and patient CG ever, hand holding, hugs

I held my head up high as I walked through the woods, stuffie in hand, backpack on my shoulders, wandering around on my own little adventure. I needed this, just some time away from the busy and hectic working world. I just needed some time outdoors to regress in peace.

And that’s what I did. All my supplies shoved into my backpack, my favorite stuffie in hand, I am ready to go! I started on a trail, following the winding trail through the thick woods. I’ve been on this trail before, it’s calm, quiet and peaceful. Perfect for a regression day.

As I kept walking I noticed something with my usual trail. The trail split into two pathways. One, the usual path, went right and down towards a river. But now there’s a left path, a path that’s never existed before. Maybe the parks department decided to make a new path for everyone?

There was something deep down inside of me that filled with excitement for the new adventure. I looked to my stuffie in hand, “What do you think (stuffie name)?”

Though they didn’t outright say it, I knew my stuffie wanted me to go forward towards the adventure.

“You’re so right! New trail it is!”

The path wasn’t very different than the other trail, though it did go deeper into the woods. But there was a clearing up ahead, I could see there was a colorful neighborhood with a yellow house.

A blue dog ran infront of me, stopping me in my tracks. She began talking to me before she skipped away. I smiled to myself, a blue dog?! That’s a first!

Suddenly out of the corner of my eyes I spotted something. On one of the tall trees next to me is a blue paw print. I walked over and looked at the print and smiled. Why would there be a blue paw print here? Did that dog leave it behind?

“A clue!”

I quickly turned around to be greeted by a man in a stripped green shirt. He smiled, happy to see me as if he knew me his whole life.

“You found a clue!”

“A clue?” I pointed to the blue print.

“A blue’s clue! Great job! You’re very smart.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the praise. “Thank you, but I wasn’t even trying.”

“You weren’t trying to find blue’s clue and you found it anyway? You’re better at this than me! Wow!” Again, the stranger glowed with praise.

“I’m Steve, it’s so nice to meet you.” He put his hand out to shake.

“I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you too.” I gladly shook his hand.

“Now that we have our first clue, we gotta put it in our handy dandy notebook!” Steve pulled out his notebook from his back pocket, popping the crayon out from the top and flipping to the first page.

He stood along side me so I could see what he was drawing. “So our first clue is a tree. We’ll start with two big lines for the trunk of the tree, then we’ll draw smaller lines on the top for the branches, then we’ll make this curly lines for the leafs at the top of the tree. There, a tree.” He looked up from his drawing to smile back at me.

“Our first clue is a tree. So what could Blue want to do tonight after dinner with…a tree?” He asked me.

I began thinking of all the possibilities a tree could mean. What does his dog want to do tonight? “Maybe she wants to play fetch with one of the branches of the tree?”

Steve hummed in agreement, “Good idea, maybe she does watch to play fetch. But we have to find the other clues to be sure.”

I nod my head in agreement but I can’t help but ask. “How many clues are there?”

“There are three clues. Once we find all three clues we sit in our thinking chair and think, think, think. Because when we use our minds, we take a step out of time and we can do anything that we want to do.” His smile is utterly contagious because I smile just as big as him.

“I’m really going to need your help to find the other two clues. Will you help me find them?”

“Yeah!” I practically jump saying.

“Really? Thank you! You’re the best! Now, this second clue must be around here somewhere…Lets go this way.” He hold his hand out to me as a silent offer.

I appreciate him not being pushy or just grabbing my hand. It was an invitation if I wanted it, so I took his hand in mine. Together we walked to the yellow house I saw earlier.

Steve opened the door and lead the way into his house. It’s beautiful with its peach tone wallpaper and big red chair in the living room.

“That’s the thinking chair,” Steve pointed out, “Once we’ve got all three clues we’ll sit there and think.”

Then it was off to the kitchen to further find a clue. Inside on the counter top is a family different spices.

“Y/N,” he squeezed my hand, “I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper and their children Cinnamon and Paprika.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes as the Salt and Pepper shaker waved and talked to me.

“Bonjour Y/N! Welcome to our home!” Mr. Salt waved.

“So wonderful to have you here.” Mrs. Pepper added.

“So nice to meet you both.” I smiled back.

But then my eyes caught it, across the kitchen on another counter top sat a bag of marshmallows. And on the bag? A big blue paw print!

��Steve! A clue! A clue!!” I squeezed his hand back and was jumping out and down.

“The flu? You don’t look sick to me. Here let me check.” He held his hand to my forehead. “No, you don’t have a temperature.”

I couldn’t help but giggle to Steve. “No! A clue! Over there!” I pointed to the paw print.

Steve gasped and quickly the two of us ran over to the bag of marshmallows. “So our second clue is…marshmallows. You know what we gotta do. We gotta put this clue in our handy dandy…”

“Notebook!”

“That’s right! Our notebook! Now, a marshmallow. We’ll make two round lines on the side and an oval on the top. At the bottom we’ll make half a circle to connect the sides. There! A marshmallow! But what could Blue want to do tonight after dinner with…a tree and a marshmallow?”

The two of us stopped and started to think about the clues. There were pretty different from one another. It would be hard to tell what they meant together.

“Maybe she wants to play fetch then eat some marshmallows?” I suggested.

Steve gasped and nodded his head, “Maybe! But I think we should find our last clue before we decide.” I nodded in agreement.

Mail time, mail time mmmmaaaaaiiilllll ttttiiimmmmeeee

“Oh! The mail is here!” Steve grabbed my hand and together we ran into the living room. Blue and him started dancing around happy for the mails arrival. After a minute I started to join in the fun.

“Here’s the mail, it never fails. It makes me want to wag my tail. When it comes I want to wail, MMMMMAAAAAIIIIILLLLL!!!”

Steve plopped down into his thinking chair and held his hand out for me to sit as well. “You’re more than welcome to sit on my lap or on the arm of the chair. Whichever is more comfortable for you Y/N.”

After a moment of consideration, I chose to sit on the arm of the chair next to Steve. The mailbox stretched into the room and over to our chair. “Mails here! Mails here!”

“Mailbox! I’d like you to meet my friend Y/N. Y/N, this is Mailbox.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled to the purple mailbox.

“It’s nice to meet you too! Infact this letter is for you.”

“It’s for me?”

“Yup! Here you go!” Mailbox opens his lid and Steve grabbed the letter for me.

“We just got a letter, we just got a letter, we just got a letter, wonder who it’s from.” He went to open the letter but paused and looked to me. “Y/N this is your mail. Would you rather open it or would you like me to?”

“Could you open and read it?” I asked a bit shy. But Steve brought me back to feeling comfortable with his warm smile and nod.

“Of course I can. Now let’s see, oh! It appears that this letter is from a (stuffie name here).”

I gasped and looked down at my stuffie. “It’s from (stuffie name here)?!”

“Uh-huh. That what it says. The letter goes,

Dear Y/N,

Thank you for always taking such great care of me. Thank you for always coming to me whenever you need extra love and comfort. Always know I will forever be with you even when you have to go to school or work. There’s always a piece of me inside of you just as there a piece of you inside of me.

Love you always,

(Stuffie name).”

Tears started to fall down from my eyes as I looked at my stuffie in hand. They looked back up at me with a smile and a wink.

“What a beautiful letter! Your stuffie is very grateful for you Y/N, just as I’m sure you are for them. Oh, I don’t think we were introduced. It’s nice to meet you (stuffie name).” Steve leaned over and shook the stuffie’s (hand, paw, fin, ect.)

“They said it’s nice to meet you too.” I add back to Steve, wiping the happy tears from my eyes.

“Are you okay?”

I hum in agreement. “My stuffie was just so nice.”

“They seem great! You’re perfectly matched because you’re great and they’re great too.” Steve smiled. “Now, would you like to take a moment here or would you like to go find the last clue?”

“The last clue!!”

“Alright!” He stood up and offered his hand again. I jumped off the chair and took his hand in mine again. “Off we go looking for clues…but ummm…where do you think we should go?”

I looked outside and saw the sunsetting. It might be nice to get some fresh air again. “Maybe outside?” I offered.

“Great idea! Follow me.” Steve led the way as we ventured back outside.

Outside we started to walk around the town. Steve showed me the eye doctor where Blue’s friend Magenta got her new glasses, then there was the present shop where his brother Joe works and another house down the block where his cousin Josh lives. The town seemed so nice and peaceful.

Since we didn’t see anymore of Blue’s clues we ventured back to Steve’s house and into the back yard. There it seemed all of his friends were handing out around a picnic blanket, tree and a fire pit. WAIT A MINUTE! THE FIRE PIT!

“Steve!! A clue!! Another clue!!” I pointed out again.

“Really?! Where?”

“There by the fire pit! The final clue!”

Steve gasped and looked at the fire pit. There, at the base of it was the clue.

“A clue!! Our final clue! And it’s on the fire pit. You know where we need to put this, in our handy dandy…”

“NOTEBOOK!”

Steve grabbed his notebook from his back pocket and began drawing. “So our last clue is…a fire pit. We’ll start by making a cylinder for the fire pit. Then spark points for the fire inside of it. There, a fire pit!”

He closed the notebook then looked at me just as excited. “We have all three clues! We have to sit in our-.”

“Think chair!!”

“Yes! Come on!”

The two of us raced back inside the house and over to the thinking chair. Steve sat in his usual spot and I opted for the arm of the chair again. Blue ran over and joined us, to see if we got it right.

“So now that we’re in our thinking chair, let’s think. So what could Blue want to do tonight after dinner? What’s our first clue?”

“A tree.”

“That’s right! A branch! Good job remembering. So our first clue is a branch. But what was our second?”

“Marshmallows!”

“You’re right it’s marshmallows! You have an amazing memory.” He smiled.

“Finally our last clue is a fire pit. So what could Blue want to do tonight after dinner, with a tree, marshmallows and a fire pit?”

The two of sat in the chair together and think, think, think. They did seem random at first but they meant to go together. Then suddenly it hit me!

“Steve! I’ve got it! I’ve got it!!”

“What is it Y/N?”

“Blue wants to use the wood from the tree to make a fire so that she can roast marshmallows!”

Steve’s face lights up to the idea. He looks to Blue who start jumping around the room happily. “You did it Y/N! You figure out Blue’s Clues!”

Steve jumps up and put his arms open to me. I immediately run into them, getting a big hug from him. “You are so smart! I am so proud of you!”

Tears build up in my eyes hearing the admission. He’s treated me so sweet for hardly knowing me. I haven’t felt this safe and happy in such a long time.

“Come on, let’s go outside and get ourselves a marshmallow.” Steve says as we break apart.

The two of us join the rest of the neighborhood outside to roast some marshmallows. There I meet Joe and Josh as well as the rest of the family including Magenta, Sidetable, and more.

I sat next to Steve as the evening turned to night. We looked up at the stars above as we ate our marshmallows.

“You know, you could stay if you wanted?” Steve said after a moment. I looked at him shocked at first. “It’s just that, you did such a good job finding all the clues. And Blue and I loved having you here. Plus, I could look after you and show you the rest of the town and-.”

He stopped himself. “Sorry, what I’m trying to say is. If you like to stay you’re more than welcome to. I’d love to have you here. And before you say anything, I don’t mind your regression. I’d love to help take care of you and maybe even possible be your Caregiver. So what do you think?”

I immediately began to tear up again. “I’d love to stay and I’d love to have you as my Caregiver.”

Steve’s nervousness turned immediately to happiness as he put his arms out again. I didn’t waste any time as I joined him in a hug.

“I’m so happy to hear that Y/N. I think you’re going to be the best person for this town. I couldn’t be more happy to have you here Y/N.” Steve added as we broke apart.

“I couldn’t be more happy to be here.” I smiled back.

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