Lost, Lost, Lost

Thomathy “Tootles” Benson // 20 // Probationary Firefighter // Non-Magical

    The explanation Tootles gave started out sensibly enough—a parkour bet with Nibs, sure. Tootles lost, believable. The next bit was somewhat harder to parse out it all came in a rush, and Tink just sat there blinking at her boyfriend for an extra-long second until her brain had done the work of processing that jumble of words into a coherent sentence. Her eyes widened slowly as everything about this entire conversation finally clicked into place, and she covered her hands over her mouth to prevent any sound from escaping. He had asked her not to laugh. Wisely, she hadn’t promised any such thing, but Tessa still wanted to make an effort, for him.

     “That must have been difficult for you to admit,” she replied courteously, sliding her hands down from her mouth but keeping them cupped over her chest as if in concern for her own heart-rate. She pressed her lips together, still trying to stifle an outburst, but couldn’t hide the fact that her gaze flickered down to where his butt met the sofa cushion. “Can I see it?”

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Similar to when he’d confessed his feels for Tink to Nibs, quick enough to where it took him a minute to process the words he’d said, Tootles noticed Tink’s confused expression for a moment as she processed his confession. As soon as her eyes widened, her hands covering her mouth, a blush creeped onto Tootles’ cheeks. Yep, she knows. There was no going back now. 

He chuckled awkwardly, nodding his head in agreement. It truly had been difficult to admit, just as it had been difficult to go through with the deal of the lost bet. The tattoo had surprisingly not hurt, but it was still a little embarrassing to pull his pants down for a stranger to permanently write Rave Daddy on his bare butt.

With their brows raising high at the way Tootles spoke about Tink, Peri once again giggled. It was absolutely adorable on how gone for their twin sister he was! Anyone who denied how much he liked her most likely hasn’t taken notice of the kind of expression he makes when Tootles saying’s literally anything about Tink. “That is true. She is the absolute cutest!” Peri agreed with a spark gleaming in their eyes.

“Well, one with my roommate!” They began, laughing at how impressed he now looked at how long they’ve been living here. To be honest, Peri was surprised too that it’s been over a year now and they were just discovering these things. “But I’ve also been going to the library a lot too, so maybe that’s why you haven’t seen me around me? But I can imagine you must’ve mistaken me for her. A lot of people did, especially this one guy by the name of Peter? For some reason he’s always thinking I’m her, even when I tried telling him I wasn’t.” Think shook their head. At the question of whether they liked it here at Walt more, Peri smiled. “I would say I do, yeah. I mean, I won’t lie and say I don’t miss my mother because I do every single day. But I’ve made so many friends since moving here, which is a lot more than I did back home. And of course, getting the chance to meet Tink too? I would’ve never known about her if I stayed back home.”

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Admittedly, Tootles didn’t know if it would be weird at first, to hang around someone who looked exactly like his girlfriend but wasn’t them. He was quick to notice their differences, though, and he was already growing used to there being two of them. Now, he even had someone he could talk to about how cute Tink is all the time! In a way, he and Tink probably both gained new best friends out of Peri.

He nodded his head, listening to them talk about what they’ve been doing in Walt Grove so far. As soon as Peter’s name was mentioned, a laugh escaped his lips. “Peter’s one of our best friends! That sounds just like him to do that,” he continued to laugh, shaking his head and taking a deep breath to calm his laughter. He nodded his head as Peri continued to talk about the town and if they were liking it there, another smile forming. “I’m glad you like it here, we’re excited to have you around. Have you met all of Tink’s friends yet? I know she has a lot,” he continued with a chuckle, “so I wouldn’t be surprised if you still haven’t.”

Wendy opened up the warm container with a smile, fumbling for a plastic fork in the paper takeout bag. “Thank you,” she grinned, leaning her head into Tootles’ shoulder. “Good. You can’t be saving lives if you’re tired. I haven’t been getting much sleep myself, between editing this, grading papers, and article writing,” Wendy said with a yawn. “How is Tink? You two doing well together?”

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Tootles smiled as Wendy thanked him, more than happy to make sure she was taken care of at times, just like she would for all the boys. He knew it was the least he could do. “Sounds like you and I both need some rest,” he chuckled, taking a bite of the food in front of him. Tootles always struggled to sleep, though, so this was something he was used to. “She’s good! We’ve been doing great. She’s trying to convince me to get a cat right now, so if it ends up happening, I probably won’t be staying over here as much.”

     She fell back into his arms, giggling, and gave in to at least a few more minutes of peace before getting up for the day. His insistence on staying in bed, cuddled up and warm, could only work as long as his cuteness outweighed her hunger. Tink was a complete sucker for a good snuggle, though. With Tootles’ arms wrapped around her, she practically melted.

     “Okay, but if my stomach starts growling, you’ll be the one to answer for it,” she warned—an empty threat, because she was likelier to fall back asleep at this rate than anything else. It was just so comfortable here, bundled up in blankets and boyfriends…She yawned and mumbled, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m hangry.”

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As Tink giggled, he playfully gave her a bunch of kisses on her neck and cheeks, his arms still firmly wrapped around her body. It seemed as each day passed in their relationship, Tootles became more and more comfortable in her presence, less shy and reserved, and more open to being silly, affectionate and loving. He’d never been this close to anyone before — even showing her his bare-ass fairly recently to show her his new tattoo. Dating had never been something he’d attempted in the past, and he was glad that Tink was the one he’d finally managed to fully open up to.

     His admittance that he still had the shirt relaxed Tink already; she was pretty sure she had just been overreacting as she tended to do, but Tootles agreeing that the rave was significant for them as a pair made her feel less crazy for being sentimental over a silly shirt. A physical object didn’t mean as much as the memories, after all. But even after he confirmed that he’d kept it, there seemed to be more to the story, which confused her.

     What could he be needing to tell her that somehow related to the shirt…and also made him reluctant to say that he knew where it was at first? For some reason, the only thing that came to mind was that he had cut the tank into a crop-top and now didn’t want her to see. “What is it?” she asked, expression quizzical. “I can promise it’s not that big of a deal. You can tell me anything.”

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Tootles immediately noticed Tink relax, which was a good sign. He still had to tell her about the tattoo, though, which had him biting on the inside of his cheek nervously. Not because he thought she’d hate it, or make fun of him, but ... It was just kinda silly, and he almost felt ridiculous explaining it to her.

They let out a soft giggle. Although it never cared much about being secretive with their magic, they were aware of the rules in relation to talking about them in public. Even then, as much as Peri already liked Tootles and didn’t seem him as a bad guy for their twin sister, they also didn’t know him too well for them to be comfortable enough to intrust them with their secret. So instead, they grinned at him. “You think? At least she still looks cute while all bundled up, something I can’t really do unless I want to overheat.” Peri commented to him. They then smiled a little wider before adding. “A little over a year now! And I do! Everyone I’ve met has been nice so far and I’m really enjoying all the towns events that we’ve had so far. It’s very different from where I grew up.”·

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Tootles’ smile only grew as soon as Peri mentioned how cute Tink looked bundled up — it was something he 100% could not deny. “That’s true. She always looks cute though, she doesn’t even have to be trying,” Tootles replied wholeheartedly. Even before they were together, before she had any idea he had feelings for her, he would always appreciate the things about her that just made her so beautiful and amazing. 

He hadn’t expected to Peri to be living here for that long, assuming it had maybe only been a few months at the most. “Wow, over a year? Where’ve you been hiding this whole time?” He asked with a chuckle. “Now I’m wondering if I’d seen you before and just assumed you were Tink.” Especially before he’d shared his feelings with Tink, he was always super shy about approaching her up until fairly recently. “That’s good. The town events can be a little crazy sometimes, but they’re fun, too,” Tootles admitted. “Do you like it better here than your hometown?”

Tj was quick to wave a hand. “Anyone can really be great at anything if you just give it a shot. You knows, you could be a natural. If you completely suck well.. out field is a good place in kids baseball.” He laughed with a small nod. “Names Tj. I think I’ve seen you around Neverland amusement park? So if you can handle those rides, you can handle a little baseball my friend.” 

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“That’s a pretty good mindset,” Tootles agreed with a smile and a nod, laughing along with him. “TJ? i’m Tootles,” he introduced himself, holding his hand out to shake his. “Yeah, I love Neverland! My best friend works there so all our friends go there all the time.” His smile remained, appreciating TJ’s friendliness. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot. Where do you need me?”

The taller male was familiar and it took a few moments for him to put it together. He had seen the other running around Nerverland amusement park a few times. That and well, he was closest to the ball that had been sent flying through the sky. “Hey! Can you..” He let out with a small laugh pointing to the ball. “Sorry about that. I mean at least it didn’t hit you? that sorta happens every once in awhile. If you’re not too busy we could use another player?” || @lostboytootles​

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Tootles may not have recognized the guy from first glance, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t help him out. Seeing the ball heading toward him, Tootles did the perfect catch to avoid it from hitting himself. “It’s all good,” Tootles smiled, tossing it back to the other. “Me? I mean, sure,” he replied, willing to give it a try. He continued with a chuckle, “Can’t promise I’ll be any good, though.”

When she’d first given Tootles the keys to her apartment, Wendy was frequently startled by the sound of her own door opening, despite living there alone. Now, she’d grown used to him barging in whenever he needed it, and it was honestly quite nice to see his face after a long day of writing alone, especially now that he was spending more time with Tessa. “Oh, don’t be sorry,” she assured him, snapping her laptop shut as she looked up. “I need a break. I’ve been stuck on this page for an hour now,” Wendy admitted with a sigh, resting her elbows on her counter as Tootles emptied his backpack. “Food would be lovely, but if you’re hungry, don’t worry about me. I can make something instead. Did you come from work, or Tessa’s?” she teased, raising a brow.

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Tootles smiled, watching Wendy close her laptop. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had been on her computer all day, so part of him was glad he stopped by her apartment. “No, it’s fine, I got plenty for both of us,” he insisted, giving her one of the containers of food. He knew him and the boys often ate all of Wendy’s food from her fridge and pantry, so it only felt fair to return the favor every once and awhile. “Uh, work. I was there all day today,” Tootles replied, sitting beside Wendy with the other container of food. “I’ll probably see Tink tomorrow or something, after I catch up on sleep.”

Peri hadn’t expected to hang out with their twin’s boyfriend so soon after meeting him for the first time back at the ball. But they sure wasn’t complaining in taking this chance to get to know him some more. During the ball, the two had only spoken for a brief while before Tootles went looking for Tink again while Peri went to see how Webby was doing, but they had made a comment about how it would be nice to hear from him soon before they parted ways. They didn’t think it would be this soon though, yet as they took a seat across from him, Peri grinned and laughed. “I can’t blame her, it has been pretty cold outside lately.” Peri replied, amusement evident within their eyes as they cupped their hands around their cup of hot chocolate. “—The cold doesn’t affect me as much as it does most people which is why I’m able to go out dressed like this and be completely fine.” 

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Tootles smile remained, nodding his head at Peri’s reply. He wasn’t sure what exactly they meant by that, but he wasn’t going to question it. It was interesting, though, to already be noticing how different the twins were, despite how much they looked similar. “I bet Tink is jealous of that,” Tootles replied with a chuckle. “Well, these will warm us up, which is nice,” he commented, taking a sip of the hot chocolate in his hands. “So .. how long have you been in Walt Grove? Do you like it here?”

They had tried to put themselves out there during the ball. They talked to some new people, got on the dancefloor a few times, it was a good time overall. That didn’t mean she wasn’t happy when things went back to normal daily life though and no one was worrying about an upcoming event like that. “Well hi there, nice to see you out of our formal attire. I don’t know about you but I am a lot more comfortable.” She laughed before sighing deeply and letting it settle. “I’m just reading, trying to get some work done. What about you? Where’s Tink? I haven’t seen her in like forever.”

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Tootles chuckled as Jane mentioned his formal attire from the ball, personally glad that he was out of his suit and back in his normal clothing. He did have fun, of course, but he already knew from his fancy Gusteau’s date with Tink that dressing up fancy and acting proper was not his vibe at all. “Me too,” he agreed with a smile. “You and your cousin, always reading and writing,” Tootles pointed out with a smile and a shake of his head as he sat beside them. “Tink’s always running around doing something,” he answered with a shrug, very aware that Tink was the more social one between the two. “But I’m pretty sure she has class this morning.” He motioned to the coffee in his hand, “I was just getting some coffee to wake myself up, a morning ritual of mine.”

Slightly loved drinking. It was a lot of fun and he loved having a reason to let loose and just have fun with people. But working at a pub sucked sometimes, because he couldn’t be the one drinking and letting loose. Still, he snuck a shot here and there when it was slow, and when his buddy appeared at the seat in front of him he ordered them both shots just because. “What’s up man?” he said with a grin. “It’s been killer tonight. I’m bored. But I still have another hour…at least hypothetically.”

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Tootles watched as Slightly immediately got them each a shot, despite that he hadn’t asked for one. He wouldn’t refuse it, of course, but knowing himself he would only stick to one or two drinks for the night. “Nothing much, just didn’t wanna be stuck at home by myself,” Tootles admitted with a simple shrug. “Yeah, I can see that,” he chuckled as he looked around at the mostly empty bar. “So that’s why you got us these. Is getting me drunk your free form of entertainment?” He asked, his smirk showing he was obviously kidding. “Aw, an hours not bad. What do you want to do after?”

     This was the first time in her life that Tink was spending the night after a party at someone’s place where she didn’t have a change of clothes waiting for her—at any of her girlfriends’ houses, she could easily borrow some cozy, well-fitting pajamas and even an outfit to wear home, to be returned later. Fortunately—considering she hadn’t planned on sleeping over and didn’t have anything to wear besides her ball gown—Tootles being almost a foot taller than her and much broader-shouldered meant that she could basically use one of his t-shirts as a nightie.

     They’d had such an amazing night, both at the party and afterwards, that she’d slept soundly the whole night through; judging from the lack of fighting over blankets or how much space either was taking up on the bed, Tootles had too. She woke up still cuddled in his arms and met his warm smile with one of her own. This little moment was so disgustingly soft and sweet, she lived for it. “Morning,” she mumbled back, closing her eyes and snuggling into him again before sitting up abruptly. “Breakfast!”

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It was a sweet, peaceful moment, watching Tink first wake up with a smile as she snuggled closer to him. It was undoubtedly the best way to wake up first thing in the morning, beating every other lonely morning he’d had in his apartment since he moved in there. Tootles was perfectly content with laying there all day, never letting the moment end. However, it only seemed to last a second as Tink abruptly sat up, announcing that it was time for breakfast.