#smileforme

They turn around to see which floor they are on, eyes glazing over the posters that are plastered all over the inside of the elevator.

“To make some omelettes you need to break a few eggs, just give it a good swing and put your thumb outside your fist.”

They stumble out of the elevator in a hurry, passing the giggling Carla’s and the shadowy figure in the corner, clinging onto the flowerpot holding their own teeth.

If they did not make it in time they would not be able to put them back.

And then he stands there.

Small, frightened, crying.

The boy from the art gallery looks as pitiful as he looks terrified.

The pot drops down.

All it takes is one well aimed punch and doctor Habit tumbles backwards, over the railing.

Smiling.

“Goodbye Flower hero.”

They do not wake up with a scream or a jolt or anything of the sort. Just their eyes snapping open abruptly.

The wall they are facing does not look like their bedroom wallpaper.

It takes a few seconds to clear up the confusion, as they sit up to look around and register why Trevor is sleeping next to them in his own sleeping bag, arms splayed open and snoring and why Nat is sitting upright on the couch, arms crossed across her chest, unmoving.

Most of the time people would not realize she was half vampire, but the way she slept kind of gave it away.

They slowly get up from their own spot on the floor, careful to no step onto Putunia, as much for their own sake as for hers, her sleep punches were surprisingly hearty for a girl that small.

Everyone’s still asleep.

It had been a fun sleepover, even if Gerry was upset that Tim Tam kept stealing the Monopoly money and Millie almost broke one of the greenhouse windows, it was nice to see all of their friends again before summer vacation started.

Habits place was big enough to accompany an entire gaggle of people, he was filthy rich after all.

Habit…

They tiptoe through their array of sleeping friends towards the door, making sure not to wake anyone up, knowing it would be impossible to get anyone back to sleep.

The thought in their head keeps nagging at them even though they know it’s not warranted.

It was just a nightmare.

They would go through the kitchen door into the back garden and see Habit trimming the hedges, having been awake for hours, because he was a morning person and got up around six on most days.

He was alive and well and it would be fine.

It was just a dream it would be fine.

The air outside is still a bit humid from the rain that fell the night before. It had started to really bucket down around midnight, just when they started to watch back to the future and it did not let up for an hour, but the sun was already coming through again today. It was gonna be a lovely day.

They halt in the doorstep as they see Habit. Humming to himself, trimming the hedges, having already been awake for hours because he was a morning person and got up around six on most days.

Alive and well.

He looks up at the sound of the door opening and smiles brightly at his guest.

“Ohh! Gud morning Flower child yuo little sleepy head! Are your litl-e friends awaike as well or- Ah! Oh…”

He puts his arms around them awkwardly, being careful not to accidentally stab them with his scissors, and the confusion in his voice is evident.

“Oh!! Yue shuld really wear slippers befo-re you come out, the groun is still wet from- … oh.”

Realization dawns on him.

“… You had that dream again.”

He says, quietly, softly, before he loosens his hug to put the scissors down slowly just so he can kneel down and return the embrace fully.

It’s nice that he gets it.

A lot of things happened and they’ve talked about them at length, glad to have gotten to this point, becoming part of each others lives and their weird little family, but sometimes it was nice to not say anything and just knew the other understood.

After a final squeeze they let go, wiping away the tears on Kamals “borrowed” shirt (he had jokingly asked if he was ever gonna get it back, but they both already knew the answer and neither of them seemed to mind) before they look up at Boris, managing just a tiny smile.

“… You said something about breakfast?”

The chuckle that escapes him rocks trough their whole body and makes them smile even wider and as he gets up from his knees and ruffles their hair it has broken into a full on grin.

“ I’ll maike panne-cakes.” He says, before making his way to the house.

“Wuld you please set the taible?”

Putunia would wake up first in a few minutes, woken up by the sound of conversation in the kitchen, waddling into the room with her eyes still full of sleep.

This would set off a chain reaction of the entire house stirring to live, everyone rushing in to get the best piece first, trying to help set the table or just try and steal spoons full of batter.

The pancakes would be delicious and Habit would have his hands full of trying to make as many as possible, clearly being overwhelmed by the demand of a gaggle of kids asking for seconds and thirds.

They would both look at each other at one point and smile, just as Boris sits down with them to dig into his own serving, knowing, understanding.