so uhh… i know i don’t really have a great history with writing fanfics in the past, but unlike the other times, this time i just wrote what i felt like writing and what i felt like i was capable of writing. it is trash, yes, but… hopefully it’s entertaining trash.



this is a fic about, um… i- i can’t even really describe it. it’s got red and AJ in it though, so if you like those characters, uhh, bad news for you haha ok enjoy.

(this is still one of my first fics though, and i am foreign as well, so sorry in advance for any possible grammar oopsies)



The doorbell rang.

“Gator, could you get that,” AJ lazily shouted, not even lifting his head from his book.

The bluish crocodilian clumsily stamped his way to the front door and peered into the peephole. Nearly instantly he darted back. He turned around, trying not to make too much sound, and cautiously called: “AJ! You oughtta see this.”

“What, who is it?” AJ asked.

“No, just… come over here. But be discreet about it.”

AJ put down his book and snuck into the hall.

“Look,” the feraligatr whispered, and moved further away from the door, giving AJ more space.

AJ took a quick glance through the hole, then stepped back with an annoyed look on his face.

Red.

“Oh, not him again,” he sighed. “Gator, you should have just shooed him away.”

“No, take a closer look,” Gator insisted. “Why is he… like that?”

AJ sighed again, this time louder, but looked again anyway.

Indeed, this time he looked different. Instead of his usual, worn clothes, he was neatly dressed. He had a clean white shirt and a gray tie, and in his hands he held… flowers?

His head was turned to his side, and it appeared that he was arguing with someone. In fact, as AJ pressed his head against the door, he could overhear the conversation.

“See, I… I told you it wasn’t going to work. He’s probably thinking of releasing that… lizard on me as we speak.”

“Red. Come on. Just ring the doorbell again. He probably didn’t hear you.”

“I’ve been here many times, Abe, I know that by now he can tell I’m here. Look, this is a lost cause, we should just go back home.”

“I’m not the reason we’re here. This is for you and you alone. Well, all of us, technically, but mostly you.”

“…But what if we’re talking and that - what’s his name - Joe kid comes in and-”

“You already know Joey’s at his relatives’ for the next few weeks.”

“…”

“Just ring the doorbell again.”

“I-I’ll just figure out something else at home-”

“Red, please, you yourself said this was the only option. Now, ring the doorbell.”

“Fine, I’ll knock.”

“That’s not what I-”

A loud thump pierced through AJ’s head. The shockwave of pain caused him to fall on the floor. Four more thumps followed before silence spread across the hallway again. “Son of a…” AJ hissed to himself, climbing back on his feet and wrenching the door open.

“What?” he snapped.

Red seemed a bit startled by the swift response to his ‘knock’ for a second, but soon pulled himself together. He hurriedly cleared his throat, and spoke.

“Oh, hello.”

A brief moment of silence followed.

“Why are you here.” AJ’s sentence was less of a question and more of a lament, but Red took it as the first nonetheless.

“Well, you see, I’m… I’m here to…”

He suddenly stopped and drew the small bouquet of flowers in front of his face.

“I’ve got flowers. For you.”

Awkwardly, he offered AJ the delicate blue-white-petaled flowers.

“They’re ridgeblues,” Red said.

“…Right,” AJ muttered, taking the flowers from Red, not breaking eye contact for a second.

“They only grow on Mt. Silver,” Red hastily continued, “and, well… that place… you know, it’s the place where…”

“You first tried to kill me?” AJ added monotonously.

“Well, yes, that too, but mostly…”

He didn’t bother finishing his already doomed sentence, and instead began a new one.

“I… need to talk to you about something,” he stuttered.

“You’ve talked to me plenty already,” AJ whispered and began to close the door, but Red quickly stepped closer.

“It’s important.”

“If it’s so important, why don’t you just tell me,” AJ growled from the chink of the door.

“I-I can’t just tell you like that, I-”

“Well, then that settles it. Goodbye, Red.”

“Wait-”

AJ slammed the door shut and threw the flowers on the floor. He leaned back against the door and let himself slide down, in addition emitting a long, annoyed groan.

“See, I told you it wasn’t going to work,” he could still hear from behind. The indignant expression was followed by footsteps, gradually fading until nothing remained.

Silence fell upon the hall. It continued until Gator opened his maw.

“Lizard?” he muttered.

AJ was about to respond, but a sudden familiar voice interrupted his attempt.

“Oh, wow,” Burrito meowed, lying down. “Was that a sacrificial dagger in his pants or was he just happy to see you?”

“What?” AJ exclaimed, knitting his brows. “What are you even talking about?”

“You didn’t notice?” Burrito said with feigned, mockingly exaggerated shock, flashing a cocky smile right after.

AJ warily glanced around. “Is this some kind of joke I’m not getting?” he quietly asked.

“Well, it is funny, but no,” Burrito replied. “I’m not joking here.”

AJ silently stared into Burrito’s big, violet eyes with a confused expression.

“I saw the whole thing, hun,” Burrito continued. “Nice clothes? Visibly nervous? Flowers that can only be found in the place you first met? You don’t need to be a love guru like me to understand what’s happening here.”

“…Hold on a second,” AJ said. “Are you actually implying-”

Burrito nodded.

“Burrito, that’s… absurd. There’s no way that would happen.”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe me?” Burrito laughed.

“Did someone put something in your kibble?” AJ said, now in an audibly disgruntled voice. “In case you didn’t notice, that was Red. You know, the guy who absolutely loathes me and has tried to tear out my innards countless times in the past? He’s obviously just scheming something again. Those flowers are probably highly poisonous or dangerous or… something.” He gestured to the dainty plants scattered across the floor. The modest pale blossoms nearly radiated innocence, which made AJ turn his head away with a quiet humph. “Looks can be deceiving. You know what I mean.”

“Fine, then,” Burrito said, briefly scowling, then resuming his arrogant smile. “You don’t have to believe me. I’m only a psychic-type who specializes in love and everything about it, what do I know.”

Burrito got up, turned around and strutted away with his tail upright, lazily swinging side to side. After the feline had left the room, Gator sighed.

“Pay him no mind, AJ. He’s clearly just messing with you,” he said, crouching and placing his hand on AJ’s shoulder. “You’d better just go back to your book and forget all this. I’ll go get rid of those flowers for you.”

“…Thanks, Gator,” AJ said, seeming deep in thought, got up and began heading for the living room.

Gator waited until he was out of sight, then moved to carefully pick up the flowers one by one. Having gathered them all, he exited through the door.

“Oh, hi, Gator,” sounded an abrupt gentle greeting from the front yard.

Startled, Gator looked up, and found Katie standing on the cobblestone. She was smiling gently. Gator greeted her back. Suddenly, Katie’s eyes widened. She had noticed the flowers.

“Gator, are those-” she gasped and hastily fluttered closer. As she more closely examined the blossoms, she continued. “Are those ridgeblues?”

“Uh… yes, I believe so,” Gator hesitantly responded.

“Wow…” she sighed, sniffing the petals. “They smell even better than I remember.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, back when we were climbing Mt. Silver - back then - I happened to find these kinds of flowers while looking for a way up,” she explained. “They were in a really hard-to-find place, too. I could barely reach it myself. The path to that place was extremely treacherous.”

“Is that so…” Gator mumbled to himself.

“Yeah, whoever picked these risked their life to get them. Especially at this time of year.”

Gator gazed at the flowers with an expressionless face.

“So, who are they from? And to whom?” Katie eagerly asked.

“See, that’s the strange part,” Gator said. “Red gave these to AJ, just a while ago.”

“Him? Really?” Her smiled shifted into a look of confusion and worry.

Gator confirmed with a nod. “In fact, I was just going to throw these away. Who knows what he could be up to with these flowers.” He tried to move forward, but Katie blocked his path.

“Oh, no no no, you don’t need to do that,” she insisted. “These flowers are harmless, I’ve read all about them. But they are very rare. It would be a shame to just… throw them away like that.”

“…You want them instead, don’t you,” Gator muttered.

Katie nodded excitedly and without shame.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said, giving the flowers to the delighted dragoness.

“Thanks, Gatey! I’ll take good care of them,” she squealed with glee, and took off.

“You’re, uh, welcome,” Gator weakly shouted after her. “Also, don’t call me ‘Gatey’,” he tried to add, but she was long gone.

He let out a subtle, indifferent ‘hm’, and went back inside.