#zero smut

CHAPTER ONE: How To Make A Good First Impression(no flour no egg to milk)

The lounge of the Cleaners HQ was bustling as usual. Rudo munched on a plate of sweets and candy, not too long after he begrudgingly handed Dear a lollipop. Enjin, Bro, and Seimu were playing cards, Enjin snickering behind his deck of cards as he watched the other two bicker. Riyo was chatting away with Zanka, who was nodding along while idly tapping his Lovely Assistaff.

Rudo had been with the Cleaners long enough to know most of the people there. Well, sort of. More like the people that were around when he was. Considering Enjin said there had been about a hundred people working around the headquarters; combatants, sentiels, supporters, there were definitely a lot more people he hadn't been fully introduced to quite yet.

Then a scent drifted into the air.

Not burning like the air in No Man's Land.

Not metallic like fresh blood.

Something sweet.

Rudo's head turned at the entrance of a new scent, along with a everyone else, the smell traced back to a figure standing at the doorway with a tray of baked goods.

Enjin, loud as usual, perked up and waved with a welcoming grin. "Y/N! Nice for you to come out of that kitchen for once."

The room filled with light laughter, even you seemed to hold back a little chuckle, a few voices closer to you asking for a bite of the sweets you held.

Rudo looked between the sweets-filled tray and your face, observing you like he'd never seen someone like you before. Zanka noticed his stare first, leaning over a little to Rudo to whisper, "See something, Rudo?"

Rudo snapped out of it to look over at Zanka, sputtering a little before straightening up. "Uh, yeah. Who's that with all those treats?" he asked, lifting a hand and subtly pointing towards you as you handed out your baked goods to the people in the room that asked.

Zanka raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between you and Rudo. "That's Y/N. I'm surprised you haven't met 'em yet, especially since you've got such a sweet tooth."

Riyo laughed and added onto the conversation, "Oh, yeah! The baker! They're pretty cool, if you ask me. Me personally, I don't think I'm surprised you two haven't spoken yet, Y/N's always cooped up in there whipping up something new."

Rudo nodded at each piece and bit of information about you, Enjin eventually catching on and adding his own input. "Hey, I bet if you ask they'll give you one of those nice pastries."

"They're already handing out some, aren't they?" says Bro, carefully picking a card and placing it onto the table. "It's not like they're gonna turn down Rudo, they give it to everyone."

Rudo's eyes flickered over to you with reluctance, not sure if he should actually ask for one. How should he ask anyway? What if he messes up? What if you hate him for being from the Sphere? What if--

"Want one?"

The sound of your voice snaps Rudo out of his thoughts. Since when did you spawn infront of him? "I- Er-" Rudo stumbled over his words. Why were you making him feel so flustered all of a sudden? "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, take one," you shrugged, holding out the plate to him. "I made too many, so I'm trying to hand out as much as I can right now."

Rudo looked between your neutral face and the full plate of cinnamon buns. He hesitantly reached out and grabbed one of the buns off the plate. "Thanks." he muttered bashfully.

"Anytime," you nodded, watching him take a bite. "I don't think we've met before, have we?"

Rudo shook his head. "No, we haven't," he could practically sense Enjin's grin from across the room. "I'm Rudo."

"Y/N. It's nice to meet you, Rudo." you smiled. Rudo felt his chest grow warm. Weird.

"Careful, Rudo, you might get a cavity from all that sugar!" Enjin called out from across the room with a shit-eating grin. Rudo resisted the urge to throw the cinnamon bun at his face.

He watched as you turned and walked away to hand out the rest of the tray. Riyo, ever-so-nosy, whispered in Rudo's ear. "Sooo...? What do you think?"

Rudo almost dropped his cinnamon bun at the sound of her voice, his cheeks burning as he took a hasty bite out of the bun to distract himself. "They're... fine, I guess." he said through a mouthful.

But if Rudo had to answer honestly?

You were more than fine. You were so calm around the rest of the Cleaners, so carefree. How can someone be so chill while working with trash? Rudo watched you leave the room with an empty tray, observing how you said your goodbyes, how you laughed along with everyone, how you waved at him- Wait, you what?

Rudo could see, right before you could dissapear into the hallway, you waved at him. He waved back.

The next day was a blur. Rudo was on a mission for the majority of the day, it was a pretty massive trash beast, but it all worked out in the end. Enjin decided to be kind and take Team Akuta out to a restaurant to eat, offering to pay for the bill.

They all ordered off of the menu and waited patiently. Rudo was still thinking about what a mystery you were. Riyo seemed to catch onto Rudo's distant eyes, leaning over with a teasing grin.

"Something on your mind, Rudo?" she asked, resting her chin in her palm.

Rudo's eyes snapped to Riyo before looking back down at the table. "Uh, actually, yeah. Do you know anything else about..." Rudo trailed off, seemingly forgetting something.

"Y/N?" Zanka pitched in, looking curious by the two's conversation.

"Yeah, that person!" Rudo nodded.

"Hmmm..." Riyo rubbed her chin in thought. "Now that I think of it, I don't know much. We've had a few conversations when I had a request for desserts, but that's about it."

Zanka nodded in agreement with Riyo. "They don't really come out often, it's pretty rare to talk to them. Or SEE anyone talking to them, for that matter. The only times people talk to them is if they want some desserts."

"I've seen Bro and Dear around 'em a times, maybe you could ask them about your mystery baker." Enjin suggested, his advice surprisingly not laced with sarcasm.

But Bro and Dear visiting you didn't seem like much of a surprise. Rudo swears he's seen Dear down a whole bag of candy in ten minutes. It was a party size bag, too! Who knows how many sweets that kid asks for in just a week.

The conversation eventually drifted away from you after the food came, a comfortable silence falling over the group as they ate their meals. Rudo's mind mostly wasn't filled with his thoughts about you now, he was more focused on how much meat they put on his plate. Not like he was complaining, though.

Team Akuta all went back to headquarters after Enjin paid for the bill, everyone splitting up to go do their own thing. Rudo decided he wanted more information about you, walking around the building looking for Bro.

"Bro?" Rudo called out as he walked the halls, walking straight into someone when he turned to look infront of himself. "Ow- Watch it!" he snapped on instinct, freezing up when he realized who was infront of him.

It was you! You were holding a messenger bag, looking like you were busy with something he didn't know. "Sorry, Rider, I'm kinda busy running errands right now, sorry for running into you!" you apologized.

"It's okay, but that's not my name." Rudo pointed out.

"Really? Uh... Is it... Riley?"

"No."

"Rouge?"

"Nuh uh."

"Rudie?"

"Getting warmer."

"Jake!!"

"That doesn't even start with R!"

"Reigen Arataka!"

"Who the hell is that? That was so off!" Rudo was baffled by how many times you got his name wrong.

"Haha, just kidding, I know your name, Rudo!" you laughed, the confident smirk shifting into an awkward smile. "... That's your name, right? I was trying to be more joking and friendly, y'know? Bro thinks I should make more friends."

"Oh, yeah, you got it right." Rudo nodded. So you did know his name.

Your nervousness shifted into relief, dusting yourself off and walking away. "See you later, Rudo!"

"See you later." Rudo echoed as he watched you walk away. He shook his head after a few seconds of standing like a statue in the middle of the hallway. Right, he had to ask Bro about you.

Rudo walked and walked till he reached the lounge, realizing Bro and Enjin were sitting at a little table playing with cards. Enjin looked over and pointed at Rudo, Bro glancing over his shoulder.

"Hey, Rudo! Told Bro you needed him, but I kinda forgot to tell you I was meeting up with him." Enjin casually mentioned. All that walking when he could've just followed Enjin. Great.

Rudo walked over and sat in the free seat next to them, looking at Bro with questioning eyes. "Can you tell me stuff about Y/N? I wanna know more about them."

"Oh! Okay, let's see... They bake quite often, since they don't talk to the others much. The most they'll do when conversing with others is take requests usually." Bro described, putting his cards down to really think about what else to say.

"I stop by the kitchen every now and then for snacks, but mostly to make sure that Baker's doing alright. I think they should speak more instead of staying in the kitchen. I think sometimes they don't even head back to their room sometimes, at least from what I've seen." Bro added, a worried expression on his face.

Rudo listened intently like it was a plan to take down the Raiders. So that's why he hadn't seen or heard about you sooner.

"You should try and be friends with them, Rudo! Before they befriend their mixing bowl or something." Enjin suggested with a suppressed laugh, earning a disappointed look from Bro. Dear seemed to agree from beside Bro, an amused smile hidden by his pacifier.

"But... What if they think I'm weird? Or they hate me because of where I'm from?" Rudo sounded hesitant. Bro and Enjin caught onto his nervousness quickly.

"Everyone here is weird, if you really think about it." Bro said with a smile.

"He's right, Rudo," Enjin agreed, ruffling Rudo's hair playfully. "We work to fight monsters made of trash, I think being weird is the least Y/N could care about."

Maybe they were right. But it's not like they know what you're thinking, you could be talking shit about him right know for all he knows. All the what-if's possible swarmed his mind like flies.

Bro seemed feel bad for Rudo, patting his back soothingly. "Go for it, Rudo. You won't know until you try."

... Maybe tomorrow.

ZERO/000 NSFW HEADCANONS:

- Zero is a switch, a chaotic switch to be exact. She can become a dom or a sub depending on what you want on a whim, and she isn’t picky at about what position you want her in. Top or bottom is fine with her, even sideways!

- I headcanon that she is able to alter her appearance to be anything you want. You never ask her to be a specific person, however you can ask her to morph into creatures like tentacle monsters, werewolves, etc. if you are into that. She can do it.

- Her glitchiness is very fun during sex, but also kinda annoying for Zero. If she tries to cum in you (if she has a dick) sometimes when she orgasms, she gets so caught up in the pleasure that she glitches out of you and her cum sprays all over your back/stomach. Getting pregnant from Zero is hard 😭

- Same thing for when you are trying to fuck her. If you’re folding her in half on your strap or fingering her, Zero will cum so hard she glitches you out of her.

- You both have fucked middair once. Well, it was more so like levitating a few inches off the ground while Zero held you from behind, but it counts. She can screw you while flying and simply adores the sight of your legs dangling and your cum dripping onto a small puddle on the floor.

- Zero is an exhibitionist. She will find any excuse to fuck you in public, shoving you into a storage closet or playing handsy with you in the movie theaters. She loves the risk of potentially getting caught.

- Zero likes to make you wear buttplugs that have a tail attached. Considering her feline-like traits, she seems to have a kink for dressing you up in animal ears and tails. (The mouse is her favorite to put on you)

- Zero is a scratcher. She bites, sure. But in order to mark you as hers she likes to claw up any inch of skin she can find, whether it’s your back, shoulders, thighs…

- Despite being very possessive over you, she is open to the idea of a threesome, but only with women she likes. F! Chief, Moore and L.L. are the only ones she’ll allow in the bedroom with you, and maybe Rise if she’s feeling extra generous.

It was Valentine's day, and guess what? A brand new amusement park opened up a week before! Games, food, rides, a dream come true heard through the boring building of the Cleaners HQ. Enjin had suggested that everyone would go for a small break from tough fights, to which about everyone agreed.

"I don't know, I'm not a fan of crowded places. Plus people are such slow walkers." Rudo mentioned in a disinterested tone, looking off to the side. He hadn't been to an amusement park before, all he knew was that they were for the rich side of the Sphere, and he hated it. He hated how they got to have everything good, how the rich flaunted it in everyone's face.

"You sure, Rudo? They've got candy and food, I was sure you'd love it." Zanka mentioned. Rudo couldn't tell if that was supposed to be sarcastic or not.

"You should go, Rudo!" Riyo added, an excited smile on her face. "Valentine's Day is meant to be spent with the people you love! Platonic or not!"

Enjin ruffled Rudo's hair with a playful smirk. "Yeah, Rudo. Don't you wanna hang out with Y/N, too? Everyone's coming, this could be a way to shoot your shot." Enjin teased, Rudo shoved him away.

"No way! I can't,that would ruin our friendship!" Rudo protested, a worried frown on his face.

"But you don't want to be friends, you wanna their boyfriend. It's so obvious." Riyo added, an eyebrow raised.

"Is it really that obvious...?" Rudo asked, the worry eating away at his brain.

"Nah, not enough to where they've noticed too." Zanka added.

"There's a big ferris wheel, if ya wanna go for it then." Enjin suggested casually. Rudo snapped his head towards him, his face going red. "What? All you gotta do is get alone with them, ask them out, and boom! Dating."

"SHUT UP, ENJIN, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Rudo snapped, shooting up from his seat and marching to the door. "But I will ask them! So they won't be alone at this boring building, it'd be rude to not invite them!"

Team Akuta watched Rudo leave the room, everyone turning to each other with whispers.

"It's so obvious it pains me to see them be so stupid." Riyo giggled.

"They could hang out the whole day. It's good development." Zanka shrugged, not too focused on Rudo's crush situation.

"Don't worry, team, I've got a plan." Enjin grinned, gesturing Riyo and Zanka huddle closer. "When we run out of games to do and we're all tired, I'll say we should all go to the ferris wheel! I'll get in a little cart with you two, and the lovebirds get their own. Foolproof plan, I know."

"Aren't you horrible with dating?" Riyo asked.

"Don't worry about that. I know it'll work, I feel it in my scalp." Enjin nodded.

"People usually say that they feel it in their gut, but okay." Zanka muttered.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

It was early in the evening. You had originally said you weren't going so you could work on your gift basket, but you caved in when Rudo asked if you were doing anything today. The stress of what to put in that dumb gift was eating you alive, you needed a way to relax, anyway. So you hid the basket again and went to your room and brainstormed an outfit to wear.

You remember that weatherman that has hair that looked like a hammer said it'd be relatively cool with a small breeze, and it was definitely going to be a bit warm from all the crowds, but you can't wear something that makes parents nearby look at you with disgust.

You ended up deciding on something you'd usually wear when you're out and about, along with one or two heart accessories just to match with the whole Valentine's Day vibe. You also kept some stuff in your pockets just in case you needed something. It was basically just your wallet, chapstick, and gum, though.

So now you sit in the crammed car next to Rudo, Too Lily blasting on the radio. Since Enjin had suggested EVERYONE should go, it was a little crowded, but you didn't mind much since they just combined the supporters and Team Akuta into one car. Bro said he could drive Team Child and Team Eager with eachother to save space, August said he and Eisha drive there on his motorcycle.

You all stepped out of your vehicles and looked from the outside of the amusement park. You could see the bright lights and hear the sound of laughter echoing throughout the place, a sweet scent flowing from the inside. You paid for your own wristband while everyone paid for themselves, walking through the colourful archway with awe at the sight of everything around you. Friends, families, so many people all in one place enjoying themselves!

The adults had all discussed they'd split up by teams, just incase there was a surprise attack from the Raiders or something.

"Woooooaaaahhh!! Look at that! And that! And that bald guy!!!" you watched Guita exclaim, Bro clamping a hand down on her mouth before the bald guy she pointed out turned around.

Bro scolded Guita in a hushed voice. Enjin watched but turned to the rest of Team Akuta. "Alright, guys, don't stray too far. And tell me and the other adults here if you want to go somewhere." Enjin warned. "Even if you do get lost, you can always use the communication chokers. All clear?"

You looked around at everything around you with stars in your eyes. It felt like you died and went to heaven! "Oh man, this is so cool! There isn't many amusement parks around here, or anywhere for that matter!! They're all usually old and made WAYYYY long ago!" you beamed, scanning through the different attractions.

Rudo looked over with surprised eyes. "Really?"

"Mhm! What, you live in a circus tent up on the Sphere or something?"

"No?" Rudo shook his head, looking around with a neutral expression. "The cool parks and stuff was always on the better side of the Sphere, I only really heard of 'em and seen flyers."

"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH, RUDO! Let's do that one!!" you exclaimed, dragging Rudo along with you to a balloon dart stand. "Enjin, we're gonna be over here, 'kay?" Enjin gave you a thumbs-up and nodded. Riyo and Zanka seemed to exchange a knowing look with each other before you turned. Huh. Probably nothing.

"What're the prizes?" Rudo asked, looking up at the giant toys and plushies hung at the top and sides of the stand. He was about to ask you if you had any prizes you had in mind, but you suddenly pointed to a small toy at the middle of the table in the back.

"LOOK AT THAT THING!" you beamed, pointing at it like it was your long lost child. "IT LOOKS LIKE IF AN ALIEN, OCTOPUS, AND SLUG HAD A BABY AND BARFED IT UP IN GREEN, I LOVE IT SO MUCH, I NEED IT!!!" if you spoke any faster Rudo would've thought you had a secret rapping career that you didn't tell him about.

An employee noticed you screeching about that toy and walking over, gesturing to the balloons behind her. "If you hit five balloons, you get to take him home with you."

"I can do that!" You hit missed three in a row. You looked over to Rudo for help. "Oof, I wish someone would help meeee..." you dramatically put a hand over your heart and leaned towards Rudo.

"I can try, I guess." Rudo mumbled, a faint shade of pink taking over his face when you leaned against him. He managed to pop three balloons. If only you could do another, just one more point...

"Couples get a free throw, since it's Valentine's Day." the employee mentioned. You looked over at Rudo, who seemed to freeze up when the employee mentioned couples.

"We're... Uh... I mean, free is free, y'know...?" you laughed awkwardly, taking the dart and hitting one last balloon. You took the plushie and realized it came with a little keyring, clipping it onto one of the belt loops of your pants.

“Win anything cool?” Riyo asked, being one of the first in the group to notice you both come back.

"Uh-huh!" you nodded, showing off your keychain. You didn't even know what it was, to be honest. "And we got a free throw! It was awesome!" you almost brought up how it was because you and Rudo were seen as a couple, but you kept that to yourself.

You wandered with the group through the theme park in awe. So many things to do, you had no clue where to start. You suddenly felt someone tap your shoulder.

"Hey, five bucks you can't make that guy go into the water." Enjin grinned, pointing to a stall with a big sign that said 'DUNKING STATION'. It was basically just throwing tennis balls at a target to drop someone into an ice-cold pool.

"Easy-peasy! You're gonna lose five dollars, old man! Actually, make it ten! So I can split it with Rudo, double the prize!" you announced boldly, walking over to the stall with Rudo and asking for three balls to throw.

You missed the first, which definitely peeved you. Not to mention the guy that sat up on that dumb stool was tossing insults at you. You knew that was his job to sit there and piss people off, but it felt REALLY annoying.

You let Rudo have the next throw, which he barely missed! By probably an inch! Damn it, that could've been your ten dollars! Now you were down to the last tennis ball, and you really wanted to get that money.

"Wow, your little boyfriend can throw WAY better than you can, pipsqueak!" the employee mocked from his stool. You gripped the ball tighter. You could feel your face heat up, you couldn't tell if it was from the thought of you and Rudo being together or that minimum wage worker's teasing words.

You threw the tennis ball as hard as you could at the target, the ball slamming onto the red circle with a thud, the employee falling into the water below him. You proudly strut back to the group and held out your hand.

"I'd like my money now, please." you grinned from ear to ear as Enjin begrudgedly handed you two five-dollar bills. You handed the second to Rudo.

Zanka looked over at a food stand that had fries and drinks and all sorts of snacks. "Man, I'm starvin', can we stop for a sec?"

"Sure, I'll pay again." Enjin agreed and the group went to the stand. Enjin bought a burger, Zanka asked for a small tray of fries, Riyo wanted a HUUUUGE turkey leg(which you thought about getting), and Rudo bought doughnuts. You decided on a mozzarella sticks, they were pretty good.

"Woah, look at that." Rudo pointed out through a mouthful, his eyes on a tall rollercoaster.

"Aw, cool, rollercoaster!" you shoved the last mozzarella stick in your mouth and pointed at the rollercoaster. "Enjin! We should all go on that when we're done eating!"

Enjin raised an eyebrow, halfway finished with his hamburger. "Huh? Won't we throw up or something?"

"Hah! As if I'd let that happen, that'd be a waste of food."

( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) 

You definitely jinxed it. You already started feeling lightheaded when the cart rose higher and higher. It felt like you where about to choke on your own lungs, gripping the bars that held you into your seat tightly.

"I'M SO FUCKING SCARED!" you could see the drop coming, and you were practically a puddle of your own sweat. You looked over beside you at Rudo, and he looked just as terrified as you. You moved your hand into his, squeezing each others hands tightly.

"I LIED ABOUT THAT TIME I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR LEFTOVERS! I ATE IT!" Rudo suddenly confessed, gripping your hand tighter.

"I DID, TOO!! I ATE YOUR BROWNIES, SORRY, Y/N!!!" Riyo added from behind you. Zanka didn't say anything, but you're sure he felt at least a bit nervous.

"Ooh, drama." Enjin said, squinting as if he'd get a better look at your cart. He said he'd watch everyone's bags and prizes while the rest of the team went on the rollercoaster.

You couldn't bring yourself to be mad at them. A stifled laugh left your lips. Before you could come up with something to confess, the cart dropped and the ride went on. As soon as you got off, you threw up onto the ground. The group stepped away to give you space.

You wiped your mouth and sat down on a bench. "Now my stomach hurts... That was a waste of money getting all of that food..." you complained, looking down at your feet. You look up at the sky with an exasperated sigh. The sun was setting, yet the day didn't feel like it was spent. You didn't feel satisfied, plus vomiting soured your mood.

"Where to now, people?" Riyo piped up, looking around at the different attractions.

"Somewhere calm, I'm tired from all this walkin' and noise." Zanka sighed, fixing his bangs.

"We meet up in the parking lot and wait until everyone else comes back." Rudo suggested, though, the idea didn't seem to appeal to anyone.

Enjin rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression, an idea crossing his mind for once. "Got it! The ferris wheel!" Enjin recommended with a proud smile. "Everyone sits with whoever they want, great view, quiet chats, perfect for everyone!"

"Sounds good to me!" you beamed, a happy smile on your face.

Enjin, Riyo, and Zanka said they'd all take their own little cart(I completely forgot what they're called) while you and Rudo got your own together. Something about their knowing looks as you two stepped in made you wonder if this was planned all along.

The ferris wheel spun slowly, going higher and higher into the air. The view was gorgeous, the sky now a dark pool of black. There weren't many stars, since there were a lot of lights around you, but you didn't mind much. You and Rudo sat next to each other in a comfortable silence, both of you admiring the scenery. Though, Rudo seemed to be looking at you. That's weird.

"Do I have something on my face?" you giggled, unconsciously dusting off your face with your hands.

"No, no!" Rudo shook his head, his eyes darting around everywhere but your face. "Your face is fine. No, uh, your face is great! You look really pretty!" Rudo sputtered, sweat beading on his forehead.

You froze for a moment. Pretty. Your stomach felt like you were about to throw up again. "Thanks! Uhm... You look really cool..." you responded bashfully, looking back out the window.

Another silence fell between you both, the comfort replaced with something you couldn't put your finger on. Now it felt suffocating to be sitting so close. Were your palms always this clammy? Was your hair messy? Did you put on deodorant?

"Hey, Y/N?" Rudo suddenly spoke up, a nervous grimace spread across his face.

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

It felt like the bustling amusement park that surrounded the ferris wheel suddenly went quiet, just the space between you and Rudo being what mattered.

"I..." Rudo started, the words seemed to stick to his throat. Spit it out, Rudo! he thought. What would Regto say if he saw Rudo acting so shy? "Y/N, I think... I think I-"

He was suddenly cut off by the sound of shooting fireworks, his head snapping to the explosions of color filling the sky like a canvas. It was the second time Rudo had seen fireworks ever since Canvas Town, and yet he still felt so intrigued by such beauty.

Rudo's eyes looked back at you. The way you beamed at the sight, the way you leaned more towards the window to get a better look at the sky, the way the bright colors illuminated your face.

"You were saying, Rudo?" you looked back at him, leaning back in your seat.

"Uh... Nothing, I'll tell you some other time." Rudo muttered. No way he'd ruin this moment for a dumb crush. He can't just spoil it all by saying something stupid like 'I like you.'

Maybe another day.

You raised an eyebrow but shrugged, slowly scooting closer to him. "The Moon's gorgeous tonight, don'tcha think?" you relaxed against him, shoulders touching as you looked up at the now empty sky, the fireworks ending with a final pop.

You could feel Rudo flinch before slowly relax into your touch, his head pressed against the top of yours. "It is."

A small smile spread across your face. Something about his calm tone made your pulse speed up. Maybe it was the proximity, but it felt nice to be so close.

"I wish I could stay like this forever." you murmured quietly, more to yourself than Rudo. You hadn't meant to say it aloud, but of course, Rudo heard.

"You do?" he sounded surprised.

It didn't click to you how that sounded until Rudo responded, your face heating up. No point in lying now, since he already heard you.

"Yeah! I dunno, it's just really relaxing being up here with you, maybe it's just my exhaustion kicking in or something." you said quickly, ignoring the voice screaming in your head to tell him how you feel.

"... Me too." Rudo mumbled under his breath. You barely heard it, but you just smiled and inched your hand towards his.

You really wish you could stay like this now. Your hand wrapped around his, giving him a small squeeze. "I also think you're really cool. I'm glad you talk to me."

"I think you're cool, too." Rudo added, squeezing your hand back. "I don't know how you didn't hate me when we first met. It felt like everyone had some kind of... resentment towards me when I met everyone."

He wasn't wrong. You didn't have any reason to hate him besides him being a Sphereite, and you still didn't care much about that. Maybe it was because you didn't think you'd end up being this close with him.

"I like giving chances." you answered. "Well, I'm trying to. I didn't trust people much before you came along, so it felt nice to have someone listen and watch me bake. I didn't know if you were gonna leave, so I tested you a few times. You haven't left yet, so I'm gonna assume we're doing okay."

The ride eventually came to an end, your cart reaching the ground while you both stepped out.

"Ready to head back? I think everyone else is done, too." Enjin asked, glancing between you and Rudo's interlocked hands with a knowing look.

"Yup!"

"Yeah."

When you said goodbye and headed to your room, you took a long, warm shower. You held hands again! You thought you were about to vomit from joy when he didn't pull away, PLUS he thinks you're cool?! It felt like you died and went to heaven!

You slipped into some comfortable pajamas and laid down in bed, staring at the ceiling. Did that count as a date? Was it fun? Were you pulling him around too much? You brushed those thoughts away and drifted off to sleep, letting your exhaustion take over.

You tried baking to get your mind off of things, deciding on cherry pie, but the thoughts still lingered. It practically swarmed your vision, too, making you drop an egg while you thought about what you should do about the situation. You cleaned it off the ground. Maybe you could do the dishes again? After you finish making the pie, you reminded yourself.

You put the crust into a pan and filled the inside with cherries, covering the top with the second layer of crust. You cut little hearts and swirls into the top for looks. With a satisfied sigh, you put the pie into the oven and set a timer for about forty-five minutes. It was going to be a while, and just standing around staring at the oven would be a waste of precious time.

Oh, right, the dishes.

You look at the sink, and of course, there's suddenly a mountain of plates and cups stacked in the sink with a bright yellow sticky note on the counter.

"FORGOT TO TAKE THESE BACK SRRY BYE - THE BEST DESIGNER" was written on the note. You didn't have to look at the signature to know it was August. This was a weekly occurrence basically.

You scrubbed and scrubbed until the plates were glistening with cleanliness. You put them all into the dishwasher and dish drying rack, grabbing the knife you used for cutting the crust and started cleaning that, too.

Though, your serentity was short-lived, Rudo infested your brain once more. You thought about how straightforward he was about how he wasn't pretending to be friends with you. How you could tell he cared even though he never seemed to show it in his face. The way he'd fidget with his gloves when he got nervous...

Oof, you should probably ask him about the "date" situation...

You were so distracted your hand slipped! You look down at your bloody hand, running it under cold water with a pained hiss and walking to the medical hall. You looked around for Eisha so she could help you, since you've gotten cuts and burns like this before in the kitchen.

You eventually found her after peeking through a few rooms, sitting down on one of the medical beds while she patched you up. Eisha felt like one of the few people you were somewhat friends with. You were a bit clumsy, so it wasn't uncommon for you to come to her with a new injury.

"What happened this time, Y/N?" Eisha asked, a small trance of worry carrying her already small voice as she started getting her vital instrument ready to heal you.

"I had a lot on my mind, hand slipped and my knife cut me, nothing too crazy." you shrugged, watching her work. "Hey, can you just wrap it? It's just a little cut, I think you could use that power to help with something bigger, y'know? Plus, that gives me a reason to not do anything for a bit."

Eisha seemed a bit hesitant but did as you requested, disinfecting and wrapping your cut hand with bandages. "Okayyy... But make sure you change these bandages every night, okay? I don't want it to get infected. It'll probably take a week or two until it heals." she warned, "Also, what's got you so worked up that you cut your hand?"

"Uhhh... So uh... I... UHM..."

"C'mon, you're using 'uh' too much, tell me!"

"I... I like Rudo!" you admitted, bashfully sinking into your hoodie. Eisha looked stunned.

"Really? I mean, I heard about you two talking, but I never knew it was like that." even if it was surprising, Eisha was being supportive. It felt nice to have a friend as good as her.

"Promise you won't tell him."

"On my life."

You scanned Eisha's face for a moment. You did that with everyone, but you didn't look her over for too long since you trusted her more.

You got up and headed to the door, looking over your shoulder with a signature smile. "Thank you, Eisha! I'll try not to get hurt again! And tell your brother to stop waiting till his room can't take any more dishes!!"

Eisha smiled in response, waving goodbye as you left. "I'll let him know!" she let out a small sigh at the thought of August keeping plates again. "Stay safe, Y/N!"

✧*。٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*。

Rudo hardly slept at night thinking about the implications from the day before. Did you really have feelings for him? Was it even considered a date? Did YOU see it like a date?? He kept pacing around the his room, stopping infront of his mirror. Your smile came to his mind. Maybe he could smile like you, then he could finally ask you about it. He spent about ten minutes moving his face around.

He finally left his room, turning the corner and reaching your kitchen. He started feeling nervous. What if you were just pretending? What if you just thought he was a weird Sphereite like everyone else? Rudo took a deep breath before creaking the door open and peeking in.

Surprisingly nothing.

Weird. You were always doing something in the kitchen, he expected you to at least be doodling in that big binder that held all of your recipes. He stepped out with a sigh. Where the hell were you?

"Looking for someone, lover-boy?" a teasing voice piped up. Riyo.

"Lover-what??" Rudo echoed. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "Whatever, Riyo, have you seen Y/N? They're not in the kitchen." he asked, worry carried in his voice.

Riyo humming in thought before snapping her fingers in recognition. "I think they're still in their room."

"Where is it?" he asked. Why would you be in your room? You always met up with him in the kitchen.

"Down the hall, on the right. Why? Miss your little baker?"

Rudo's face flushed, walking down the hall like Riyo said. "Kinda. Shut up. It's complicated, you don't know anything about it."

Riyo smiled at the look on his face, calling out to him down the hall. "Enjin told me about it! Rooting for you, Rudo, you two would go great!" she snickered. She really did have hopes for the two, though.

"Wha- SHUT UP!" Rudo yelled, running down the hall just to get away. Jeez, it's like everyone wants to know about his personal life all of a sudden! And OF COURSE that loudmouth Enjin told Riyo, he probably told everyone, too, INCLUDING you!

He stopped infront of your bedroom door, hesitantly raising a hand and knocking.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

For a moment, there was only silence. Worry filled his mind, though, it quickly left when he heard shuffling, then you opened the door.

You looked like you'd just woken up; dried-up drool on your cheek, puffy eyes, and possibly one of the worst bedheads he'd ever seen.

He wasn't too focused on that, though.

He could see the bandage on your hand, his own hand shooting out and grabbing your wrist to inspect the wrapping around your palm.

"What happened??" Rudo questioned, staring at your hand like it personally hurt him.

"Hm...?" your mumbled groggily, looking between him and you hand before answering with a yawn. "Oh, my hand slipped and I cut my hand on a knife while I was doin' dishes. No biggie."

"No biggie? Y/N, it could've been infected, especially if it's with a DIRTY knife!" he objected, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing the back of your palm.

"Rudo, I'm fine. I checked up with Eisha, she patched me up and said I'll be okay. I just won't be able to bake for a bit, 'kay?" you reasurred with a smile. That sorta made him feel better. "Plus, it was technically clean, I scrubbed it till it shined!"

But no sweets? For how long?? How deep was the cut on your hand???

Rudo bit back all the questions running in his mind, letting out a deep sigh as he let go of your wrist and took a step back.

"So, how long will it take for your hand to heal?" he asked.

"A week or two."

"Aw man."

You two stood infront of each other in silence for a few seconds, you speaking up after a while. "Uhm... So like... about yesterday..."

"Oh, right! I meant to ask you about that, too!" Rudo nodded.

"Yeah! Y-Yeah, uh, what did you think? I thought our hangout was pretty cool, since I don't usually go out with people!" you asked, a nervous grin crossing your face as you spoke. "... Going out as in hanging out! Like, uh, we're cool like that! Y'know??"

Hangout. Rudo let go of a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He definitely would've been just as nervous as you if he had to bring up the topic instead of you. So what does Rudo do in response?

Rudo puts on his "best smile" and says, "Yeah! I'm glad we cleared that up."

You seemed to look at him like he had just grown fifty heads at once.

"... Are you constipated or something??"

"WHAT?! NO???"

You were trying to stop yourself from laughing at how his smile looked, covering your mouth to muffle your giggles.

"You look like you're about to steal Christmas!!" you cackled, holding onto the doorframe to stabilize yourself.

"What is that supposed to mean??" His ego was definitely bruised. He was literally practicing minutes before this, too!

After you calmed down you wiped a tear from your eye. "Hehe- Waitwaitwait, this is how your smile looks right now." you then proceeded to copy his smile, and in Rudo's opinion, it looked horrifying.

"Damn it! I looked like that?"

"It's okay! I mean, your face looks okay without a smile, anyway." you shook your head, patting his back.

Seeing that he still looked a little down, you offered awkwardly, "I'll... let you draw on my bandages in you want?" you suggested sheepishly. Rudo looked up and nodded.

You two sat next to each other on your bed, a bag of markers in Rudo's lap as he doodled on the back of your palm.

"What's that?" you asked. You couldn't really draw anything on your bandages since you got cut on your dominant hand.

"A dog." Rudo replied.

"It's cute." you added.

Rudo didn't say anything, but you could see a light pink dust over his cheeks. You continued watched him draw, silently noting how gently he held your hand.