A/N: Much as I enjoy writing smut(and I really enjoy it *3*), I find it's good to temper the naughtier content with something a bit closer to the fluff side of the spectrum now and then, so here's a fic that takes place some time after 'The Twerpiest Knight'.
Timmy Turner sat at one of the many tables in the food court of the Dimmsdale Mega Mall, his food tray empty, save for a few remaining chicken nuggets from Nasty Burger, and his drink, which was now almost entirely melted ice.
To his immediate right was Tootie, her chair scooted over close enough that it was touching his. Unlike his tray, Tootie's was empty, with the exception of a few crumpled wrappers, though she'd ordered less than he had, and so would occasionally sneak a chicken nugget off his tray, much to the brunet's amusement.
Finally, across from him sat the girl he'd once considered to be the bane of his existence, the redhead who struck fear into the hearts of children everywhere, the evil, pink-eyed babysitter with a silver tongue and a black hole where her heart should've been… Or so he once thought. Sure, her name still inspired fear in most kids, including the brunet's two best friends; Chester and AJ, but to Timmy, Vicky was just his babysitter, and really not all that bad, so long as you were on her good side.
"So… Uh, why am I here again?" The brunet, now a little over a month past the age of twelve, questioned his babysitter, before taking a sip from his watery drink.
"Because Tootie wanted to go shopping, and I needed to pick up a few things." Vicky replied rather simply, the bowl sitting atop her tray that had once contained her salad now picked clean. Much like her younger sister, the redhead would occasionally reach across the table and pilfer one of her charge's remaining chicken nuggets, though she didn't even bother with trying to be sneaky.
"If-! If you two wanted nuggets, why didn't you just order some for yourselves?!" The boy gestured at his two companions' trays, giving each the opportunity to steal the last two nuggets on his.
"Well~… I would say something along the lines of 'Me and Toots would feel guilty about ordering a lot of food, since we're girls'..." Vicky paused to pop the stolen nugget into her mouth, then chewed and swallowed it. "But really, I just think it's fun to watch you freak out over getting your nuggets stolen!"
"Mngh..." Timmy grumbled to himself as he turned to face Tootie, who merely shrugged and shot him a cute, innocent little smile in response, then popped the last of his nuggets into her mouth. "You still haven't told me why I'm here!" He turned to face Vicky again, only to shoot her an exasperated look as she sipped from his drink.
"Oh, that one's easy: because Tootie asked me to pick you up." The eighteen year old shook her charge's drink as she finished it, confirming that the cup was empty. "Why, is hanging out with me and Toots really cutting into your schedule that much? You have some big date planned, or something?"
"Well… No, but… I was gonna feed Cosmo and Wanda, and… Maybe..." He trailed off, unable to think of a believable excuse. His original plan had been to go on some as-of-yet undecided adventure with his fairy godparents, but telling Vicky and Tootie this clearly wasn't an option.
"Oh, feeding your fish. Wow, you must be so disappointed that we showed up to whisk you away from such a task that obviously would've filled out your whole day… How thoughtless we are!" The redhead replied in a tone absolutely dripping with sarcasm, prompting an eye-roll from Timmy, who was by now used to her brand of humor.
"Yeah, yeah… I get it, I didn't have much going on today… Are you expecting me to thank you for pretty much kidnapping me, since I know you didn't say anything to my mom and dad?"
Vicky leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands behind her head in apparent contemplation. "Hm… A 'thank you' would be a good start..."
"Jeez..." The brunet facepalmed, struggling to hide the amused grin playing at his lips.
"Hey, you bought yourself some games, didn't you?" Vicky nodded at a plastic bag containing a few flat, rectangular boxes that sat on the food court table, the bag itself bearing the name of the video game store located in the mall. "And you get to spend time with a couple of pretty girls; most guys would chalk that up as a win, Twerp."
"Y-Yeah, well..." Timmy trailed off, crossing his arms and looking away as he quickly realized he could think of nothing even close to an adequate response. He wasn't about to tell either girl that they weren't pretty, as for one, he couldn't honestly deny what Vicky had said, and two, he knew better than to risk the wrath of either Valentine sister. Instead, he simply blushed a light pink, which slowly darkened as he felt Tootie sidle up a bit closer in her seat, obviously appreciating the fact that he hadn't denied what Vicky said.
"Amazing comeback as always, Twerp." The eighteen year old gathered up the trays and set them aside in front of the empty seat at the table, then took out her wallet and began to sift through the wad of money that barely fit in it. "Now, much as I'm sure the two of you love following me around all day and watching me shop, I'll spare you the boredom, this time." Vicky produced six fifty-dollar bills from her wallet and divided them up into two small stacks before sliding them across the table.
"Arigato~!" Tootie beamed happily, her left hand darting out and snatching up her share of money.
"Wha-?!" Timmy stared wide-eyed at the three fifty-dollar bills in front of him, then looked up at his babysitter in disbelief. "I-… You're just…? A-Are you sure you wanna g-give me that much?!" The boy looked back down at the money before him, his face a bit pale. Never before had so much money been within his grasp, and the thought of Vicky giving him so much on a whim was oddly sobering, in a way.
"This is clearly a big moment for you, so I'll go ahead and let you take it in." Vicky returned her wallet to her pocket, then stood up out of her chair and slid it in against the table. "I'll text one of you when I'm done, make sure to keep your phones on."
"Er… O-Okay..." The brunet hesitantly reached out and took the money offered by his babysitter. "Um… Th-Thank you, Vicky…?"
"Ugh… Don't get all mushy on me, Twerp. I figure with three-hundred between the two of you, you both should be able to entertain yourselves until I'm done shopping." Vicky crossed her arms assertively, though her expression remained neutral and aloof.
"Sounds like you're buying some privacy." Tootie interjected, craning her neck around Timmy to look up at her older sister with a knowing smirk.
"Tootie, I will put you in the trunk." The older of the two Valentine sisters glared at her bespectacled sibling and frowned, a silent demand for the girl to drop the subject.
"Mleh!" The raven-haired girl stuck out her tongue, while at the same time hiding behind her crush.
"Very mature, Toots." Vicky deadpanned, before turning her attention back to Timmy, who had himself turned in his chair to face her. "Just stay out of trouble… Both of you." She again glared at her little sister, the girl's chin now resting on Timmy's shoulder. "So this is what it feels like to actually babysit children..." The redhead mused to herself as she pulled an about-face and headed out of the food court.
"Heehee! She acts just like our mom sometimes…!" Tootie giggled, gently butting the side of her head against Timmy's.
The brunet remained silent, his gaze still trained on the hundred and fifty dollars in his hand. "Does she… Is she usually this… Generous? Is this… She's not sick or anything, right?" He turned in place once again, partially facing Tootie at the table.
"Vicky? No, it's like I said, she's probably just buying some privacy from us… Although, a hundred and fifty is a lot for just a trip to the mall… I'm used to seeing this much on my birthday, or Christmas, but just a random shopping trip? It's a little strange…" The bespectacled girl again took out her share of gifted money, just to be sure of the amount.
"I kinda wish I'd been able to get on Vicky's good side sooner..." The boy hesitated and held his breath for a moment after he spoke, but soon exhaled at the absence of the telltale 'poofing' of his godparents' wands. Evidently they hadn't heard his little slip of the tongue.
"Me too! I get to spend a lot more time with you now!" Tootie leaned over, wrapping both her arms around Timmy in an affectionate hug.
Oddly enough, the urge to squirm out of the girl's hugs had, over time, become less and less of a knee-jerk reaction. It now required a conscious effort on Timmy's behalf to try and escape Tootie's affections, and most of the time, he simply didn't even bother.
That wasn't to say he necessarily reciprocated her feelings, he'd just grown used to them, now that he was spending significantly more time with her and her older sister, and in truth, he didn't really mind the hugs; they were certainly far more than what he got from his crush, Trixie Tang.
"...Okay, you're really starting to stretch the 'minute-long at the maximum' hug rule, Tootie..." Timmy at last spoke up, noticing they were starting to draw attention from kids right around their age, who almost certainly went to the same school as them.
"Pfft, let 'em stare, they're just jealous." The raven-haired girl responded with an almost dreamy-sounding inflection to her tone, but still pulled away, not wanting to risk losing what her crush let her get away with. "So, what should we do on our date, first?"
"Tootie, it's not a date." The brunet spoke firmly. "We're just hanging out at the mall until Vicky's done… Selling hardcore drugs, or something."
"Ehehe! I know! Who said anything about a date?" Tootie laughed, shooting the boy a bewildered, innocent look.
"You did, Tootie." Timmy quirked an eyebrow up at his friend, wondering just what kind of game she was playing with him.
"And would it kill you to give me this, Timmy? Just let a girl dream, if only for a little while?" Tootie looked at him seriously as she finished, her brow furrowed and hands on her hips.
"Well maybe not kill, but..." The brunet took a moment to think it over, absently scratching at his nose with his index finger as he did. "S-So long as we're clear that I'm just p-playing along, and you… Don't take it as anything more than me playing along… Then I guess… It's alright."
"Sweet! So then, what can I get away with?" The bubbly girl leaned in close, her face mere centimeters from Timmy's.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Timmy in turn leaned away from his friend, nearly half his rear-end hanging over the edge of his chair.
"Can I hold your hand? Surprise you with a hug now and then? Maybe… Rest my head on your shoulder when we sit together?" Tootie grew steadily more excited with each question, clearly unconcerned with how much attention she might draw to herself and Timmy.
"...Tootie, you already do all that stuff." The brunet responded flatly, his tone matching his expression.
"But now I have your permission to do it, right?" The girl leaned even closer, most of her body now hanging off her chair and over her crush, who himself couldn't lean back any further without falling out of his chair.
"Ah-Yeah, fine. Just..." Timmy reached out to gently grip his friend's shoulders, then pushed her back into her seat. "Try and keep it in moderation, okay? We're not actually dating, and I still like Trixie, y'know?"
Tootie's expression visibly soured at the mention of her competition for Timmy's heart, her own heart feeling like it sank a bit in her chest. "Ugh… Really, Timmy? Can't you go one day without thinking about Princess Perfect?"
"Can you go one day without thinking about me?" The boy shot back instantly, lips curling up into a knowing grin.
"That's-! That's different!" The bespectacled girl's cheeks blushed a pale shade of pink as she pouted and glanced away evasively. "At least I make an effort… I acknowledge that you exist, for starters!"
"W-Well… That's true, but… Trixie just… She's got a lot of boys at school who're always trying to get her attention, and I'm… Not exactly popular, so..." The brunet trailed off, realizing that, out of all of his friends, Tootie was the only one who really challenged him about his crush on Trixie. It made sense, of course, since Tootie had a more than obvious crush on him herself, but the girl, unlike Chester and AJ, made him doubt his feelings; made him really wonder just what it was that he saw in the popular girl who barely ever gave him the time of day… Heck, Trixie couldn't even remember his name!
"Oh… Look Timmy, I… I'm sorry." Tootie turned to face her crush once more, reestablishing eye contact with him. "I of all people should know that… You can't really control who you like… Like that. I just… I hate playing second fiddle to her, especially since… I mean, I like to think that you and I… We're closer than you and Trixie are, aren't we?" She looked at him sadly, her palms flat in her lap.
"I… I guess-No, I mean-! Y-Yeah, of course we are. You're one of my best friends, and ever since Vicky and I started getting along, you and I have done… Pretty much everything together, there's no denying that!" Timmy smiled at the girl, having noticed some time ago that whenever he was in a good mood, so too, was Tootie. "A-And, er… Maybe you're right; maybe I should try getting Trixie off my mind for a while!" He hopped out of his chair and grabbed the bag containing his games, pushed said chair in, then, in a move that surprised both himself and Tootie, grabbed the raven-haired girl's hand, bidding for her to stand up from her own chair. "S-So c'mon! Today, you're playing first fiddle, Tootie!"
"Wha…? N-No, Timmy, that's not..." Tootie caught herself, a happy little smile playing at her lips as she realized Timmy was doing his best to cheer her up, even as the meaning behind her comment about playing second fiddle to Trixie was evidently lost on him. "Heehee! So where did you wanna take me?"
"I… Have no idea, actually." The boy rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, stopping midway through pulling his friend toward the exit of the food court. "Where-Uh… Where do you think we should go?"
"You're hopeless..." The girl shook her head and shrugged, then moved past Timmy and took the lead. "Let me think… Oh! I know!" Tootie snapped her fingers, and took off into a jog out of the food court, her crush in tow.
Just a few minutes later, Timmy found himself standing in the dressing area of one of the mall's many clothing stores; this particular one seemingly catering exclusively to the opposite sex. The air in the store carried an almost unpleasantly sweet aroma, and everywhere he looked, his eyes were assaulted by a myriad assortment of vivid colors; many of them varying shades of pink that put his baseball cap and t-shirt to shame.
Worse yet, he had a sneaking suspicion that Tootie was the type to try on everything before she bought it, and as her not-boyfriend, he knew she was going to ask him for his opinion on whatever she put on.
"How 'bout this one?" Tootie popped out from behind the dressing curtain just as Timmy plopped himself down on a small, cushioned bench that sat to the side of it.
He looked his friend up and down, her white button-up and black vest swapped out for an orange, ruffled-looking tank-top that had several red hibiscus flowers as its motif. Meanwhile, her gray plaid skirt had been replaced with a pair of white shorts that didn't quite reach the midpoint of her thighs. "Hm… It's alright, but… Oh! Wait here!"
"Wha…? O-Okay…?" The raven-haired girl watched as her crush rose to his feet and stepped out of the changing area's doorway, his footsteps quietly padding against the store's carpeted floor. "I wonder if I should get some new sandals too… Vicky did say she wanted to go to the beach at some point-Huh?" She flinched as a light weight came down on her head, the overhead light in the changing area becoming blotted out by… Something.
"There!" Timmy exclaimed in a satisfied-sounding tone, taking a few steps back to admire his work.
"What's…?" Tootie glanced up, noticing the brim of what appeared to be a hat. Taking it off her head and holding it out in front of her, she realized it was just that: a beach hat, made of a soft, straw-like material, with a green band above the brim, affixed to which was a fake(but still pretty) red hibiscus flower, the same kind that were on her shirt. "A hat?" She placed the straw beach hat back on her head, then turned to face the nearby full-length mirror, turning in place a bit to get a good look at herself.
"You look nice." Timmy peeked his head into view at the side of the mirror, again giving his friend a quick once-over. It was kind of refreshing to see Tootie in something a bit more colorful for a change, since he was so accustomed to seeing her wear her usual school clothes, not that he was one to talk, considering how little variation his own wardrobe had.
"Ehehe… You… You think so?" The violet-eyed girl felt her cheeks heat up, and self-consciously pulled the brim of her new hat down in a lame attempt to hide her blush. "All this color… I'd stick out like a sore thumb at school, don't you think?" She turned to look at Timmy, still lightly tugging on either side of her hat's brim. While it was true that she was over the moon at the fact that he liked her outfit, she couldn't help but feel like a bright neon sign.
"Well… Maybe a little, but I mean… There's nothing wrong with turning a few heads, right?" The brunet remarked uncertainly, realizing he had no idea what he was even talking about. There was no denying the fact that his friend was much, much cuter in her new outfit, so much so that he struggled to believe something as simple as a change of clothes could have such a dramatic effect on how he saw the girl.
At the same time; however, he worried about what this new viewpoint might mean. For the first time ever, he recognized that Tootie was in fact, cute, but there was absolutely no way he could tell her that. The girl was pretty enamored with him as it was, who knew how she'd react to the news that he found her cute?
"No, but… I… It's not like I'm going to school to get complimented on how I look, or to get attention from the way I dress, I… The only person I care about noticing me, is you." The raven-haired girl interlaced her fingers together behind her back, her lips forming a small, nervous smile. "Heehee… Come to think of it, I think this is the first time you've told me I look nice, actually..."
"O-Oh? Er… M-Maybe..." Timmy stammered out, the dressing area; thankfully occupied by only himself and Tootie, suddenly feeling like it had become ten degrees hotter. "But… Um… Was there anything… Else you wanted to try on?"
"You… You really want to see me try on other stuff? We could go somewhere else, if you're bored…?" Tootie briefly glanced back over at the dressing curtain, already having made up her mind on at least one thing: she was definitely buying her current outfit.
"Ah… N-No, I don't mind. Who knows how long Vicky's gonna take, and I already got my shopping done anyway." Timmy sat back down on the cushioned bench behind him, giving his small stack of video games a few light pats.
"Oh, um… Great!" The bespectacled girl's smile grew wider as she barely managed to contain her enthusiasm. "I'll be back out in a sec!" With that, Tootie darted back behind the curtain, the sound of shuffling cloth emanating from behind it before long.
"So, ah… Where do you think Vicky went, anyway?" Timmy wondered aloud in an off-handed tone, his gaze briefly turning up toward the ceiling, at the same time thinking about what to buy with his newly acquired wealth.
"No idea." Tootie responded, her voice somewhat muffled as she pulled a new shirt on over her head. "Must be somewhere she wants to keep private, considering how much money she gave us."
The brunet heard a distinct zipping noise from behind the curtain as the girl finished, though she didn't appear quite yet. "Yeah, I guess so… But where would she go that she'd want to keep private?"
"Maybe it's like you said: she's selling hardcore drugs on the side." Tootie quipped in amusement, smoothing out some wrinkles on her new shirt. "Anyway, how's this look?" She stepped out from behind the curtain, striking a confident pose and settling her hands on her hips.
"...Like you just stepped out of an anime where the main character takes herself way too seriously." The boy replied in a flat, almost snarky tone.
"N-Not the pose, dummy! The outfit!" The raven-haired girl pouted, her cheeks stained an obvious and bright shade of pink as she glared at her crush.
"Oh! My mistake! Hehehe!" Timmy giggled, putting his hands out in front of himself in mock-surrender. Once his amusement had subsided, he again looked the girl up and down. The hat he'd picked out for her absent, she now wore a plain, black tank-top; the waist and shoulders of which consisted of thin strips of fabric that were a pure, simple white. In addition, she also wore a pair of long black socks that reached well over her knees and up her thighs, though not quite to the shorts she wore that completed her look... Though said shorts were also the strangest part of the outfit, as they were fairly plain, black jean shorts… With heavy, frayed rips along the front of the thighs, giving tiny views here and there of their wearer's bare skin.
In all honesty, they looked like they'd once been a pair of black jeans that had been completely shredded, and cut so short that the edges of the pockets were peeking out!
"Er… Tootie? Did you…? Did you do that to them? Or are they sold like that?" The brunet looked up at his friend with a bemused frown.
"Hm? Oh, the shorts? No, they're sold like this! Neat, huh?" Tootie beamed at him excitedly, evidently seeing nothing wrong with buying what were essentially damaged goods.
"N-Neat? I-Uh… I dunno about that..." Timmy rubbed the back of his head, trying his best to keep from insulting his friend's sense of 'style'.
"What's wrong? You don't like the outfit? I mean, it is all black, and I probably can't pull off the 'goth' look..." The girl turned and faced the mirror again, shooting her reflection a thoughtful pout.
"N-No, no! The outfit… It's fine, just..." With Tootie's back now partially to him, he chanced another look at the shorts she wore and sighed in relief when he saw that the back of the shorts lacked the rips found on the front. That said, he couldn't help but feel that the shorts did seem to fit her butt nicely... Really nicely, actually.
"Mm… Maybe you're right."
"Eh…?" Timmy briefly shook his head and looked up at Tootie as he heard her speak. "Ah… About what?"
"The shorts." She answered, then spun around and reached back behind the curtain, only to pull back with a nearly identical pair of black jean shorts in hand, though these ones lacked the characteristic rips of the ones she currently wore. "In fact...These not-ripped ones are cheaper, anyway!" Tootie smiled at her crush, totally oblivious to the slight pink tinge adorning his cheeks.
"Er… Really? Th-Then I'd… Just get those." Timmy nodded at the shorts in Tootie's hands as he finished, then turned back around and made his way over to the bench to sit down again. "Ah… Anything else…?" He leaned forward, cupping his chin in his hand, elbow resting on his knee.
"Uhm..." The raven-haired girl peeked back behind the curtain, bending over in such a way that still left the lower half of her body in a sort of profile view. "Just… Two more outfits! You don't mind, right?"
"How in the heck did she manage to grab so many things in so little time?" The brunet mused to himself, before figuring he simply must not have been paying much attention when Tootie was dragging him through the store. "No, go ahead. We've only been here for a little while."
"Alright, gimme a sec!" Tootie disappeared the rest of the way behind the curtain, then quickly stuck her head back out and grinned. "Don't go anywhere, now!"
"Where would I go, anyway?" Timmy threw his hands up in a dramatic shrug as his friend's head again disappeared from view. "If I leave, and Vicky texts me, she's gonna wonder where I left you. If she texts you, I've got no ride home!"
"Heehee! When you put it like that… I guess you're stuck with me, huh?" The girl giggled, thoroughly enjoying her 'not-date' with her crush.
"Pretty much." He remarked off-handedly, while peeking out of the doorway of the dressing area at the rest of the store. "Still, I guess I don't mind. Hanging out with you is nice."
"Hm?" Tootie paused midway through getting dressed in another outfit, and peeked around the corner of the opening of the dressing booth she was in, shooting her fellow twelve year old a quizzical stare. "Really? It's nice? You think hanging out with me is… Nice?" She spoke in a skeptical, yet hopeful tone, wondering if perhaps Timmy had forgotten just who he was talking to, and had simply misspoke. "This isn't… Boring? Or… Torturous, in some way? You remember it's me, right?"
"W-Well I mean… Yeah, of course I know it's you." Timmy responded, shooting the girl nearly the exact same quizzical look. "But, it's not like I hate being around you, even if you can be… Y'know… Kind of… Affectionate?"
"I was gonna say 'clingy', but… Affectionate, that's a lot nicer than what I expected..." She briefly cast her gaze down at the carpeted floor, frowning thoughtfully. "So… This is nice…?"
"...Didn't I just say that?" The brunet quirked an eyebrow up at his friend. "I'm serious, Tootie. I'm actually having fun, watching you try on different stuff." He felt yet another blush bloom across his cheeks, though he had no idea why. "And… I guess an occasional hug between friends… Isn't that big a deal, right?" A nervous smile crept across his face as he finished, almost as if he expected Tootie to immediately tackle him upon hearing him say this.
And indeed, the bespectacled girl's heart fluttered in her chest as she realized her crush had essentially just granted her permission to hug him. For the briefest of moments, Tootie considered leaping out of the dressing booth and tackling him into a hug, but almost instantly thought better of it, as since she'd been in the process of trying on a new outfit, she currently wasn't wearing much on her lower body besides her underwear. "Oh… You're lucky I'm getting dressed right now, I definitely owe you one later..."
"Ehehe… But now I'll know it's coming, so..." Timmy trailed off, chuckling nervously as he looked away and Tootie disappeared back behind the curtain, before lightly tugging on the collar of his own shirt. "Did it get warmer in here?"
"Alright, outfit number three, are you ready?" Tootie called from behind the curtain, again making sure her outfit was wrinkle-free.
"As I'll ever be?" The boy asked, a slight hint of amusement in his tone.
"Okay-" She stepped out of the dressing booth and turned to face her crush, lifting her arms up from her sides a bit as she did. "-Whatcha think?"
The brunet silently stared at his friend for a few seconds, his mouth screwing up into an odd sort of zigzag as his face turned a light shade of scarlet. "Where-? D-Did you forget to p-put on pants?!" He tried to keep his voice low, but the sheer surprise at seeing his friend in what appeared to be little more than a long, snow-white turtleneck and the knee-socks she'd been wearing that day, caused him to blurt out the question, though by some miracle, it seemed nobody had heard him.
"What? No, see?" Tootie lifted the almost dress-like sweater up, exposing her upper thighs and the black jean shorts that weren't torn along the front, in addition to her lower abdomen and navel. "Seriously, who forgets to put on pants, Timmy?"
"W-Well… I mean, there was that time at your house a few years ago..." Timmy glanced away, lightly scratching at his nose with his index finger.
"I was wearing pajama shorts back then and you know it." The raven-haired girl settled her hands; which barely peeked out from her sweater's long arms, on her hips, her lips curling up into a knowing grin as she remembered the day Timmy was referring to. "Anyway, is this one a hit or a miss?" She lightly tugged at the edge of the long sweater, her bare legs feeling a bit chilly.
Timmy faced her again, giving her outfit a more studious look, now that he knew she was more clothed than she appeared. "Eh… I dunno about this one, actually. Maybe, like… You could probably wear it around the house on a cold day, but… The sweater seems kinda big… On you."
"You saying I'm small?" Tootie narrowed her eyes at the blue-eyed boy, despite knowing her glares were far less effective than her older sister's.
"I'm saying the two of us could probably fit in that sweater and have room left over." He shot back with a cheeky grin that soon faded as the girl shot him a devious smirk of her own.
"Care to test that hypothesis?" Taking a few cues from her older sister, the bespectacled girl crossed her arms and raised her right hip a little, likely the most well-known of mildly flirtatious poses.
"Ah-Heheh… So-Ahem..." A few quiet chuckles escaped the brunet as he looked away and nervously coughed into his hand. "P-Planning on getting that one too?"
"Mm… Yeah, I think I will. Even if it is a little big, I'll probably grow into it." Once again, the girl disappeared back behind the curtain, her whole body subtly shaking with glee. "Or, like you said, I might just wear it as pajamas around the house!"
"Er… Y-Yeah, pajamas..." Timmy nervously parroted his friend's words, wondering if, at their next sleepover, he might wake up the next morning bound in a sweater-like cocoon with Tootie, thanks; in no small part, to his own big mouth.
"Whew! Alright, last one! This… Might take me a minute or two, just a heads-up." Tootie announced from behind the curtain, her voice becoming muffled for a moment as she yanked the sweater up over her head.
"N-No worries, take your time… Wouldn't want you to actually-Ehe, forget to put on pants because you were in a rush, or something..." The boy leaned back on the bench as he finished, clasping his hands together behind his head as he reclined against the wall. "Hey, you wanna head to that comics store down at the other end of the mall when you're done here?" Timmy asked, finding it was easier to talk to Tootie about comics and video games; two of their shared hobbies, rather than the fact that they were on a 'not-date'. Watching her try on different outfits didn't bother him that much, but he was beginning to get a sneaking suspicion that she was going out of her way to fluster him, for whatever reason.
"Ooh! That's right! The newest issue of the crossover between Crimson Chin and Crash Nebula! Yeah, we've gotta head right over there afterward!" Tootie exclaimed in a fangirlish pitch as she pulled on another pair of thigh-high stockings, completing the fourth and final of the outfits she wanted to get her crush's opinion on. "First though… I'm coming out-Heehee! You ready?"
The brunet frowned, both at the girl's question, and at the excited-sounding giggle that escaped her. "Eh… Yes? Why wouldn't I be ready…? And what's so-" He cut himself off as Tootie stepped out from behind the curtain, his draw dropping a little as his mind registered what she was wearing.
Before him stood Tootie, wearing a black, short-sleeve, flared dress, the sleeves and bottom of the dress bearing a white, ruffled bordering. On her front, secured around the back of her neck and by a black cloth belt around her waist was a white apron, ruffled along the edges in much the same way her dress was. The thigh-high stockings she wore matched the dress; being predominantly black, save for the ruffled white border around the band. Her shoes were black and shiny, as well as simple, each secured comfortably with an over-sized, silver buckle, and finally, she wore a black hairband with a frilly white border along the edge, just in front of where her pigtails were tied.
Slowly, Timmy regained the presence of mind to push his jaw back up off the floor, then took the time to really look his friend over, finding her current outfit to be cute… And yet unmistakably familiar. "Uh-" He tried to speak, only to fall silent as the words were lost upon reaching the tip of his tongue.
"Heehee! Speechless, huh?" The raven-haired girl giggled as she stretched her arms down against her, clasping her hands together a little ways below her navel. "What? You think you're the only one who can rock a maid outfit?"
"Y-You… How did you find…? How do you know about-?" The twelve year old stammered and stumbled over his own words, his face turning progressively darker shades of red by with each passing second. "I-Is that the one V-Vicky used to-"
"Pfft-Hehehe! No!" Tootie snickered quietly, before erupting into yet another fit of giggles. "Do you see any high-heels or fishnet stockings-"
"Th-They're not fishnet-!"
"Sure they aren't." The girl remarked in a flat, disbelieving tone, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Wh-How… How did you even find… Something like that?!" Timmy whispered out harshly, hoping to avoid drawing attention to the dressing area they were in. It was an odd feeling, seeing the girl dressed like this. On the one hand, he somehow thought someone seeing Tootie dressed in a maid outfit would cause them to find out about how Vicky used to make him wear a maid outfit to do chores around his(and her!) house, and on the other hand… He didn't like the idea of someone besides himself seeing Tootie dressed like this. Something about her outfit made him feel like it was for his eyes only, and that in itself left him conflicted, since, as much as he wanted to look away, there was some bizarre inclination that made him want to commit the sight of her, at that very moment, to memory.
"It was on clearance, leftovers from Halloween." Tootie replied simply and shrugged. "You like…?" She smirked and raised an eyebrow at her crush. "Or am I not selling the outfit enough? Maybe… You'd prefer..." A full-blown smile crept across her face as she bent over a little and bowed, her gaze never leaving Timmy's. "I called you Master, too?"
"...I don't think I've ever been more uncomfortable in my whole life." The brunet felt an odd wave of heat wash over him, making his clothes feel almost oppressively hot. Worse yet, an odd, fluttery sensation had begun to make itself known in his stomach, and he honestly wasn't sure if he was going to be sick from it or not. "Ugh… I feel like I swallowed a whole flock of butterflies..."
"You mean a kaleidoscope." The bespectacled girl corrected him as she straightened herself up and continued to smile.
"A what now?" Timmy rubbed at his stomach, briefly turning the fluttery feeling into a mild, pleasant warmth.
"A flock of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope." The girl again chimed in helpfully, before at last turning to look at herself in the mirror. "And if seeing me in this makes you feel like that… I'm gonna assume you like the maid look?"
"Like is…" He rolled his eyes, instead focusing his attention on the myriad clothing racks in the rest of the store. "A word." Even now, he wouldn't dare admit how her outfit made him feel… Really, he wasn't even sure if he could describe how it made him feel. The way he felt… It was just too weird to wrap his head around.
"Teehee! Thanks!" Tootie, now suddenly standing in front of her crush, leaned in and bent down to his level, causing her fellow twelve year old to briefly recoil as she drew in, until his head hit the wall behind him, allowing her to plant a quick peck on his cheek.
"H-Hey… I know I said-" Before he could finish, Tootie pulled away and spun around, a happy little skip in her step as she headed back behind the curtain. "Mngh..." Timmy grumbled to himself, then brought his hand up to his cheek, gingerly touching the spot where he'd been kissed.