#bubbavember

New Accessory:

Craftycorn trotted into the living room, her hooves tapping lightly as she hummed to herself. Already she was thinking about a new project. She was in the middle of undoing her apron when she spotted Bubba lounging on the couch, casually flipping through an old magazine. But something about him made her pause. Her eyes narrowed in on something gleaming under the light.

"Bubba... is that... an earring?!" she asked, she almost sounded happily aghast.

Bubba’s elephant ears flopped as he perked up, his trunk swayed nervously.

"Uh... yeah. You noticed, huh?" he said with a sheepish grin.

Craftycorn crept closer, peering at the small, shiny hoop dangling from his right ear. "Well, obviously I noticed. It’s hard to miss something hanging off an ear that big!" she teased, giving his ear a playful flick. "But Bubba, since when are you into piercings?"

Bubba fidgeted, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, you know, I just… thought I’d try something new. Been wanting to for a while."

Crafty raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Uh-huh, sure. It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Simon Smokes has a whole collection of earrings, would it?" she said, tilting her head slyly. "You trying to outdo my ex?"

Bubba’s ears turned pink as he waved his trunk frantically. "What? No! I-I mean, maybe a little? I thought you might think it was cool or something… like, you know, Simon did it, and-"

Craftycorn interrupted him with a soft giggle. "Bubba, you’re adorable. But I don’t care about stuff like that." She leaned in to nuzzle his cheek. "I like you just the way you are, big ears and all."

Bubba blinked, his whole face relaxing as a wave of relief washed over him. "Oh, phew. I was kinda worried about that."

Crafty pulled back with a curious look. "Though, I have to ask... why’d you do it then, if not for me or because of Simon?"

Bubba grinned shyly. "Well, truth is, I’ve always thought my ears were large even for a guy my size—so I figured, why not decorate them a little? I kinda like the look."

Craftycorn blinked in surprise, then broke into a bright smile. "You know what? I love that! You should totally rock the earring, Bubba. It suits you."

Bubba beamed, it was a big genuine smile. His trunk gave her a playful boop on the nose. "Yeah? I’m glad you think so."

Crafty giggled, flicking his ear gently again. "Now if you get a second one, we might need to start calling you Bubba Bling-a-phant!"

Bubba let out a deep laugh that Crafty could feel vibrate in her chest as she draped herself against his shoulders.

"Don’t tempt me, Crafty. I’ve already been eyeing a matching set."

"Oooh, is one of them for me?" Crafty leaned in closer, her eyes shining at the idea. "Bubba, please?"

"Of course!" Bubba laughed. "Help me pick a good color."

Craftycorn hesitated for a moment, then glanced at his trunk, her gaze glinted with something mischievous. "Hey… Bubba… have you ever considered getting a nose ring?"

Bubba froze, then slowly turned to look at her, an amused grin spreading across his face. "Crafty… just how long have you been thinking about me getting a nose ring? Or-wait-" He flexed his trunk dramatically. "Are we talking multiple nose rings here? I mean, I’ve got a lot of nose to work with!"

Craftycorn’s face turned bright red, and she stumbled over her words. "Wha-no! I mean, just… one nose ring. Just one! That’s it!"

Bubba chuckled, his ears did a happy flap as he flipped a page in the magazine to a spread of nose ring designs. "Well, well. Let’s see what we’ve got here, then. Pick one out for me, Crafty."

Crafty groaned, doubling over in embarrassment, covering her face with a hoof. "You’re impossible, Bubba."

Bubba’s laugh filled the room as he held the magazine up for her to inspect, his trunk playfully nudging her shoulder. "Impossible? Or impossibly stylish?"

The only answer he got was a muffled laugh as Crafty buried her face in her hooves.

Fic is a sequel to this: