Author's Note- So this is a total first for me- I have never written a fanfic. I hope I don't (majorly) disappoint. If you have any criticism (any whatsoever), please don't be afraid to send it my way! Thank you!
PS I know the digital/humanities periods here don't coincide effectively, but this is a fanfiction, so...yeah!
ENJOY!
Chapter 1
"Rain! Did you forget to call back Eury? He just sent me another text."
Machika brushes hair out of her face with soaked rubber gloves, wetting her forehead in the process, loose strands of golden hair sticking to her temples. With a heavy load of fishy-smelling garbage in one hand, and an aerosol can in the other, Machika waddles into the living room, her swollen belly leading the way.
"Rain! Did you hear-" Machika stops. The room looked exactly like it was two hours ago- cluttered and messy. Fresh laundry was scattered all over the coffee table, the sofa, and even on the toddler standing unsettlingly close to the TV. CDs and toys littered the TV stand. The rug was still covered by cookie crumbs and white dog hair. The book shelf looked like an earthquake passed by. The sunlight shining in through the windows created a ray of dust and even more dog hair. Rain was staring at the TV with the duster in his hand mid-air by the drapes, he was as hypnotized as the toddler that is now singing the intro to his favorite show.
"OOOOOH. Who lives in a Pineapple under the sea?"
"SPONGE-BOB SQUARE-PANTS!" Rain screams it as loud as his own toddler, if not louder. "Absorbent and yellow and porous as he!?"
Machika sighs and puts the aerosol can on the nightstand by the recliner along with the gloves and stalks over to the TV set. She grabs the jumpy toddler by the shoulders and moves him away from the TV screen. The kid, uninterrupted by the sudden movement, continues to belt out the lyrics in harmony with his dad. Machika sighs again and, to the bewilderment of the audience, turns the TV off with a quick click and waltzes off to the front door.
"Mooom, why'd you do that?" a loud fwump is heard behind her. Machika turns around before opening the door to find her tot standing on the sofa with a wild expression.
"Yeah, Machika! It was getting to the good part too!" Rain joins in.
"What do you mean, why?" Machika puts a hand on her waist and leans on her right leg. She closes her eyes and pinches her nose in frustration. She looks towards the ceiling and calmly continues before being interrupted, "guys I asked you to clean up the living room hours ago! Rain you've been dusting off the same spot since we started. Zol, I asked you to fold the laundry, not wear it as a superhero costume."
"But mom, I AM a superhero!" Zol smacks his hands onto the sofa back and looks over at Rain excitedly, whom is currently scratching the back of his head timidly. "Right, daddy? I have to dress the part."
"Yes! Yeah, Machika. How else are the villains going to know who he is?" Rain, with his arm still raised in the air, nods his head quickly and then makes his way around the sofa towards Machika. He stops right in front of her and leans over to get the garbage bag. "Let me. I'll take this and then I swear we'll start cleaning up," he utters softly. Rain puts down the duster by the door. He then puts a warm hand over Machika's and puts on the cheesiest smile he can think of. He pecks her on the lips and then darts out of the room. Machika rolls her eyes and turns to the grinning tot that is now jumping all over the couch yelling the chorus to Cartoon Heroes. She creeps over to the couch quietly, grabs a black t-shirt hanging off the couch arm and drapes it over her head. Machika puts up her arms in a "scary" claw-like form and pounces on Zol.
"Bow down to the Unfolded Laundry Queen!" she yells while tickling the life out of her squirming mini Rain replica.
"N-no! Bahah-haha!" Zol squeals and scrounges around for escape. Machika lets him go for a second so that he can catch his breath, during which Zol takes the opportunity to hastily grab a shirt off the floor and fold it sloppily. The tot looks up at Machika for a second while breathing out little puffs, lifts the "folded" t-shirt and says "Zow Jewlitt bows to no one!" He then proceeds to throw the cotton shirt smack onto Machika's face. "Oops! Sorry, mommy. I was aiming for...not your face."
Machika slips off the garment from her face, throws her head back, and laughs. "Oh sweety, then where-" she holds her stomach and guffaws for a few seconds before wiping away a tear from her eye, all the while Zol goes to kneel in front of her while giggling, he puts his tiny tot hands on each side of her face and checks for boo-boos. "Then where were you aiming, baby?" she finally finishes. Zol shrugs his shoulders, apologizes, and lets out a giggle once again. Machika snorts one last time before leaning in to grab a hug-full of teeny tot.
The door swings open, revealing Rain and yet another sunlight trail of dust.
"Wow, we really need to clean this living room," Rain mumbles.
"Yeah, no duh, honey!" Machika shakes her head.
WOOF!
"Oh Guppy there you are! Where've you been, buddy?" shouts Rain after a muddy white lab runs through the gap between Rain's long legs and onto the occupied sofa, leaving brown paw prints in his trail.
"Ah Geez! No! Bad Guppy!" Machika cries out. "Down Guppy! Down!"
Zol titters excitedly as the energetic lab paws at his feet and licks at his face as if he hadn't seen him in ten years.
"Momma, he came home!" the tot sings with glee as he pulls the lab into his tiny little arms, collecting scruffs of fur into his small fists. It had only been two days since the yellow lab had gone out to do his "business", but even then the reunion between the boy and the family dog was something to remember.
Machika sighs. She closes her eyes and rubs her face with her hand.
"Yeah, sweety. He came home." She opens her eyes and smiles warmly at the site of the two white haired bundles of joy. She looks at her husband tenderly and then goes to sit down on the recliner. Immediately she feels relief run up and down from the soles of her feet to the top of her spine. She hears the door shut as she continues to look at Zol and Guppy, whom are now playing tug-of-war with a roll of socks.
Machika once again closes her eyes when she feels warm pressure being kneaded into her shoulders.
"I love you for doing this, Rain, but the house still isn't going to clean itself." Machika sighs contently.
Rain kisses the side of Machika's forehead and pats her shoulders before walking up from behind the recliner and towards the front door.
"Okay, Zol finish folding the clothes. We have to help, mom." Rain picks ups the duster from where it was leaning against the door frame and heads for the window curtains.
Zol veers his attention from Guppy and looks at Machika with big adoring eyes. "Momma's tired?"
He slides off the couch and runs up to the front of the recliner. He stretches his arms out and reaches his hands towards Machika's cheeks once again. He gently pulls her closer to his level and rests his forehead against hers.
"Mommy, I'm now giving you some energy." He pulls away, puts on his best game face and with newfound determination says, "Rest. Daddy and I will take it from here!" He turns away from her and shoos Guppy off the couch. He goes around the living room gathering the loose articles of clothing and props himself by the coffee table.
Machika chuckles to herself and settles into the recliner. She thinks about how Rain forgot to call Eury and debates on whether she should get up and call him herself, but before she knows it her eyes are closed and she's drifting off into a well-deserved nap.
"Ah! Eury, stop!"
Machika gets startled awake. She moans in annoyance. Her eyes open slowly as they adjust to her environment. Surprisingly, however, the living room wasn't very bright. The only window in the room produced not a single ray of light. Machika tries to get up only to find sheets tangled up between her legs. She wasn't in the living room- she was in her bedroom. The only light source in the room was a candle sitting on the dresser, and judging by the cinnamon spice aroma dancing its way to her nostrils, it was a scented one at that. She shakes off the bed sheets and steps off to the side of the bed. The floor was cool, but not overbearing. She puts on some pink woolly socks that were on the night stand, coincidentally, and saunters over to the semi-open door. However, before she even manages to put her hand on the doorknob, it swings right open, almost hitting her in the belly.
"Oh shi-, sorry, Machika!" A tall blond with bike gear appears behind the door, a giant goofy smile stretched across his gorgeous face. "What's up, cutie? Were you sleeping?"
"Gah, Eury. What are you doing here?" Machika pushes past him through the door only to come face to chest with her big oaf. "Rain!" She stumbles for a moment, but Rain swiftly grabs her arms and helps her keep her balance by holding her against him as close as he could, considering how she had a large bun in the oven.
Machika puts her palms on Rain's chest and looks up at him with concerned eyes. "Rain, what time is it? How long was I asleep for?"
Rain opens his mouth to respond, but Machika turns around and interrupts before he can say anything. "Eury, is Ayla here?!"
Eury chuckles for a second at Machika's animated concern. "No, no. She stayed at home with the kids."
Machika sighs in relief. "Oh good. But wait what happened to dinner?" Machika swirls around again to face Rain. "Rain, what time is it?"
Rain smiles softly and puts his hands on her shoulders. "Everything's been taken care of. Ayla and the kids will be coming in a bit. Eury came earlier to show off his new bike." Rain looks over at the former player and grimaces.
"Up yours. You know you loved it. I was even thinking about letting you ride it," Eury puts his hands in his black jeans and saunters around the endearing couple towards the living room, "but now I don't think I will." He disappears out of the hallway, not before flipping the birdy at Rain.
"Oh." Rain puts his hand over his chest in mock disbelief and flips off Eury's receding figure.
"Rain, stop. What if-"
"Mom! Mommy you're up!" Pitter patter noises fills up the hallway. Not long after a small warm body wraps itself around Machika's thighs. The toddler looks up at Machika with big blue watery eyes. "Momma, I'm hungry. When is aunty Aya coming?"
Machika glares at Rain discreetly before leaning down to Zol's level and kissing his forehead tenderly.
"Soon, Zol. You wanna eat some cheese and crackers in the meantime?" Rain intervenes.
Zol looks to his dad, nods, and grabs a fistful of Rain's grey sweats. He pulls him towards him and raises his arms above his head. "Up!"
Machika beams while Rain chuckles softly and lifts him up with a grunt. "Oh boy, you're getting big! Soon enough I won't be able to lift you at all."
"Does that mean I'll be as tall as you, daddy?"
"Maybe even taller!" Machika responds with a soft smile.
"Will I be like Godzilla?"
"Bigger!"
To be continued...