[TPP, multiple parts]

Welcome to the first part of Agape, also known as “Red Has Issues: The Fic”.

We here at Canisaries Studios hope you enjoy this experience. Or that you at least don’t sue us for writing something like this.





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Tick, tock. Three o’clock. They should be arriving soon, Red thought.





Six minutes later. Why weren’t they arriving yet? Were they okay? Was He okay?





Noises from the outside. Were they coming? No, it was just the neighbor walking her growlithe. Bitch. She shouldn’t have got his hopes up like that. Red hoped she would slip on the ice and trip. Unfortunately, she didn’t.





Well, alright. It was probably an irrational response. But could you blame him? It was His first day in school for a long time. Turned out that rejuvenation meant de-aging not only physically, but mentally, too. As a result, He was ordered to go back to middle school. Damn compulsory education. They wouldn’t even let Him be homeschooled. Granted, Red knew he wouldn’t have been a good teacher, but still. Forcing Him to travel miles back and forth all out in the open like that? In the cold of winter, no less? It could have been acceptable if Red was allowed to take Him there and back, but school grounds are surprisingly easy to get banned from. Even though it was one night and no one pressed charges and no children had even been present at the time.





Luckily, it was only a few weeks. And omanytes did age faster than humans, of course. By just a month or two, He’d already be a full-fledged adult. And He’d spend His days at home again.





Red glanced at the clock again. Nine past three. Where were they?





Just then, he heard some noises again. He snuck to the window and peeked out the curtain. He recognized Fonz’s purple silhouette immediately and saw the ball of scarves gripped in his claws. He quickly moved to stand in front of the door, unmoving, waiting, heart beating faster and faster. Any moment now.





“Hello, we’re h-”

“Hello!” Red promptly blurted.

Fonz gave him a startled look.

“A-Anyway,” Fonz continued, closed the door and began to carefully unwrap the fabric. He probably kept talking after that, but all Red could focus on was the colorful bundle between the nidoking’s hands. Little by little, it revealed more. Some blue there, some beige there. Until, finally, the scarves were all off and only He remained.





“Ugh,” Helix groaned, crawling further out of His shell, stretching His tentacles. “It’s so uncomfortable in there.”

“Well, that’s just the way it has to be,” Fonz sighed. “You’ll catch a cold otherwise. Or worse.”

Fonz had a point, but it never made Red happy to hear his lord was displeased with something.

Helix yawned quietly and turned His gaze to Red. “Do we have any food?”

“Y-Yes!” Red said, jerking back upright. He’d lost himself in those big eyes he felt like he hadn’t seen in ages. “It’s right there.” He gestured to the kitchen table full of different kinds of berries.

“Sweet.” Helix tried to jump out of Fonz’s hold, but Fonz noticed it just in time and merely grasped Him tighter.

“Ugh, you guys. I’m not a baby. I can handle myself,” He muttered.

Red didn’t want to disagree, but he had to. Red and Fonz exchanged a look. Fonz then carried the begrudging omanyte to the kitchen and placed Him next to one of the berry baskets.

Helix seemed to forget His irritation and dug right in. Red knew to leave Him alone, and proceeded to the living room - which, though, still had a visual to the kitchen. Helix had never liked Red watching Him eat. Red had wondered if it had something to do with general personal preference, but everyone had always told him it was because he was quote-unquote “creepy”.

But surely they had to have been exaggerating. He wasn’t that creepy. Was he?





Red looked back into the kitchen. Seemed like Helix was done. Red rushed to Him right away.

“Are you satisfied, my lord?” Red asked.

“Uhh, yeah, I guess.”

“Good, I’m glad you are,” Red quickly responded.

They were both quiet for a while. Red stood still and kept staring at Helix, who stared back with a somewhat uncomfortable look on his face.

It was awkward, wasn’t it. Maybe Red should ask something.

“How was school?”

“It was okay. I didn’t learn anything, though.”

“That’s fine.” It probably wasn’t, but it didn’t really matter to Red. He just liked hearing His voice.

“Why is it so cold in here?” Helix asked.

True, it was cold… Red tended to use the heating rather sparingly. He didn’t like the idea of being too dependent on technology.

But if it inconvenienced his lord in some way, it had to be changed.

“I’ll go fix it,” Red said and withdrew from the room, bowing just an inch or two. He hadn’t asked his lord’s stand on the whole bowing thing yet, so he had to compromise. He headed for the basement. Having descended the stairs, he stopped.

Not today. Not for a long time. He had other things to worry about. He was fine for now. He briskly took the door to the left and adjusted the heat as intended. He didn’t look back once on his way upstairs.





“I’m back,” Red announced upon arriving in the kitchen. But Helix wasn’t on the table. Where-?

“He’s here,” Fonz responded from the living room to Red’s unvoiced question.

Thank goodness.

Red proceeded to the room. Helix was lying on the couch, looking rather tired.

“I’m back,” Red said, quieter.

“Yes. We heard you the first time,” Fonz whispered.

Red sat down on the other end of the couch, keeping his distance from Helix. A professional distance.

“I turned up the heat,” he said.

“Okay,” said Helix. “But it’s still cold. Hold me.”

Oh- oh! That’s… forward…

Red slid over to Helix and put both of his hands on His shell. Slowly, he lifted Him up and curled his arms around Him. His shell did feel kind of cool.

Helix didn’t wait around. The second He felt He was held securely enough, He wrapped His arms around Red’s forearms.

Red flinched. It was cold. Really cold. Wet cold. But it was all the better. He’d just be giving up even more of himself.

“Ah… You’re so warm,” Helix sighed. Clearly, He was pleased. “I wish I was a warmblood,” He added.

“You’d be perfect either way,” Red chuckled. It wasn’t awkward anymore. It was like the old times.

“Oh, stop…” Helix laughed. He sounded drowsy.

“If you want to rest, you’re free to do so,” Red said. “I won’t object.”

“Kaayyy…” Helix responded, and just like that, dozed off.

Helix had always been skilled at falling asleep. A trait Red wished he could share. But nights were often restless for him. He should think less.





So there They lay. On the couch. Together. It had been a while. Only days? It felt longer. But now He was there. Not succeeding in it wasn’t an issue anymore. Or. Well. It should never have been an issue. Why had it ever been an issue? He was all he needed. It was a win-win situation, remember?





Red opened his eyes and looked at Helix again. His shell looked so beautiful. Would it be bad if he…?

Helix was fast asleep. He wouldn’t notice.

Fonz had left minutes ago. He wouldn’t see it.

No one else was there.

Red moved his face closer. He was less than an inch away. Now was the time.

His lips were already touching Him. The texture was as wonderful as always. A perfect ratio of smooth and coarse. Red’s could feel his face turn warmer. He should already do it.





“I’m home!”

Red jolted away. Damn it! How could he forget about Abe? He always arrived at this hour…

Helix let out a weak grunt. He’d awakened. He loosened His grip of Red’s arms.

“H-Have you slept well?” Red quickly asked.

“Ehhhh…” Helix moaned.

“You can keep sleeping if you wish to do so,” Red said.

“Nah, I should do… my homework…” Helix mumbled, squirming His tentacles free and attempting to drag Himself off Red’s chest. Red sat upright and took a stronger hold of his lord.

“I’ll take you there,” Red said.

“Fine, whatever.”

Red stood up and brought Helix back to the kitchen table, giving a resentful look to Abe on the way there, who only answered with a quiet, confused “What?”.

“Here are your books,” Fonz said, lowering a bunch of schoolbooks joined by some writing equipment onto the table.

“Thanksssssss.”





Red stood beside Helix, watching Him open His notebook, nab a pencil onto one of His arms and begin scribbling. After a while, Helix turned to stare at him. They held a gaze for a few seconds. Oh. He wanted Red to leave. Got it.

Red withdrew swiftly, performing another semi-bow while doing so.





Red decided to go upstairs to his room. It was rather bleak there, as always. He never used the room for much else beside sleep. He lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He’d check back in half an hour.





“So.. what was that about earlier?” Abe asked from the door.

“Nothing, really,” Red responded monotonously, still looking upwards.

“Didn’t sound like nothing…”

“Go away, Abe.”

Red heard as Abe took some steps away, but then stopped.

“You know…” he began.

Red didn’t react.

“…Never mind.”





He’d understand someday.

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