Chapter 9: Pranks
Cody's Pov
I woke up with a devilish grin. I looked on my calendar beside my bed and quietly laughed as I saw the date. April first. I was honestly quite thankful that Azure had no idea what this date meant as I began plotting a very funny day, I was also lucky it fell on a saturday this year, so I could spend all day without school. "Hey sleeping beauty, Ima get up and go make breakfast." I said, slipping out from underneath Azure, giving her a kiss on the head.
"Mhm." She said sleepily. "I want french toast." She muttered.
"Alright." I smiled, letting her get back to sleep. I walked around the house, thinking of things to sabotage. I thought about her usual routine and she usually goes to the shower first. I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a pack of lemonade kool aid and snuck my way into the bathroom because Rose was always awake at this time. I carefully unscrewed the top of the showerhead and poured in the koolaid and then replaced it, screwing it in so that none would fall out prematurely. I figured yellow, because shiny lucario are yellow and the fact that the tiles on our bathroom walls were yellow so she wouldn't notice.
I went into the kitchen and saw Rose drinking a glass of water. "I hope you aren't planning anything that will get you hurt." She smiled.
"Nahh, Azure won't hurt me. I am too valuable." I laughed, confidence overwhelming.
"Good. To even the odds I told her everything...yesterday." Rose smiled smugly. "Now." she said, putting down her glass of water.
"What do YOU have planned?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh, its not ME you have to worry about." She laughed. "It is your wonderful wife. I am just here to see the fireworks."
"Mhm. Well.. I forgot something in my room, please take out the stuff for french toast." I said, slipping back to my room. I opened the door to reveal Azure sitting up on our bed, her back facing me. I saw her jump and heard a popping sound and water splashing to the ground.
"Umm…. Hi Cody." She said, turning around nervously. "I thought you were.. making breakfast."
"I was." I said, grinning. "What was the water?" I asked, walking over to her. I was kind of curious when I saw her kick something under the bed and smiled.
"Nothing, I had some water and you scared me, so I dropped my cup." she said with an uneasy laugh.
"Yea, believable story-" I cut off when I heard Aaron shout out in surprise.
"Mama!" He yelled, running into our room.
"Shh, shh." She said, trying to get him to be quiet. I decided to stick around to see if I could tell if it was a prank of Azure's.
"Mama, mama. Theres a-" He said, interrupted by his mother.
"I know dear. It's ok." She then lowered her voice only so Aaron could hear her and I grinned, knowing it was a prank meant for me.
"Ohh…" He said. "Ok. Can Aunt Rose pour me some juice?"
"Of course sweetie."
"Great, now you have traumatized my son." I laughed.
"Oh, he will be fine. I am sure he only saw a bug or something. You should be making breakfast." She said, pushing me out of our room. "Don't worry about the water, it will dry up. I am going take a shower, breakfast better be done by then." She said as I grinned again.
"Yes dear." I said, pinching her butt as she walked off, rewarding myself with an "Eep." and a laugh.
"You are so cruel." She smiled and closed the bathroom door. I walked into the kitchen, seeing both of my children sitting at the table.
"Morning daddy." Emerald said with a smile. She had been getting a whole lot better with her speaking.
"Morning baby girl." I said, kissing her head. "You too bud." I said, giving Aaron one too. "How would you two like french toast for breakfast?"
"Yes please." Emerald said.
"Yay! Can I have a lot of syrup?" Aaron asked.
"No, you may not. Your mother would kill me." I laughed. "If I had a choice, I would say yes and we both can, but things-" I was cut off by a loud yell in the bathroom. "Yes!" I said triumphantly as I heard the bathroom door slam open. I expected to see a yellow and black lucario walk out, but I had forgotten the elementary teachings and about mixing colors. Out came a very angry and very green lucario. I struggled my hardest to try and keep my laughter on the inside but it was a downhill battle and I laughed, hard.
"You did this?!" Azure almost shouted. "I am GREEN!" She said, pointing at herself.
"I was.. I was going for yellow." I laughed, tears coming to my eyes.
"Remind me again why I love you?" She asked folding her arms.
"Because he is our daddy?" Emerald said from the table.
"Of course he is sweetheart." She said, walking over to her and petting her cheek. She wasn't being so innocent, because when she pet Emerald, Azure kicked back at me and managed to hit me in the shin.
"Thank you Emmy." I said, going to the fridge with a slight limp. I nearly had a heart attack because when I opened the fridge I saw a jar with what looked like a head in it. "Oh shi- I mean shoot." I said, picking up the jar after the initial shock had faded.
"The last person who pranked me." She said, whispering in my ear. "I suggest you plan out the rest of the day… very carefully or you will end up regretting every second I am green."
"Oh I will think this all out VERY carefully." I said, giving her a kiss.
"Good." She said, kissing me back. "Now I have to go take a REAL shower. Maybe a bath." She turned around to face Emerald again. "Emmy, I have a very important job for you today."
"Yes mommy?" She said, ears perking up as she said this.
"You are to follow daddy around ALL day and tell me if he does anything out of the ordinary."
"Yes mommy." She smiled.
"Two can play at that game." I smirked. "Aaron, you have to do the same thing, only with mama, ok?"
"Yes sir." Was his enthusiastic reply. He got up, tail wagging and began following Azure to the bathroom.
"Not to the bath silly." I said, calling him back. "Come on, who wants to help me make breakfast?" I said, glancing at the video recorder I had hidden in a slightly open cabinet.
Azure's Pov.
I sighed in pleasure as I dipped my paws into the warm water. I let out a small moan as I slipped my whole body into the hot water. "Oh, thats nice." I said as my body started getting accustom to the heat.
I began scrubbed vigorously at my fur. "Why won't you come off?" I said to myself. I had to admit it was a pretty good prank, I wouldn't have came up with it. I imagined cody all sorts of different colors and smiled. Instead of just tiring myself and making knots in my fur, I tried soaking some of the color out, to a slight amount of success. I ran a brush through my fur and I walked out as a slightly blue green color instead of the bright green I was before. Luckily it wasn't splotchy either.
"Good morning mama." Aaron said from his room, running up to me. "Dad said I have to follow you all day."
"Good morning sweetie." I said, leaning over and kissing his head. "I heard dad say that, but he won't get anywhere. I planted all of my pranks yesterday."
"Why are you and dad pranking each other?" He said curiously.
"Because the humans have a holiday where all they do is pull pranks and make jokes on each other. I also do it because its funny and because I love your father." I smiled.
"So… You laugh at him because you love him?" He said, confused.
"No silly." I said, picking him up and walking towards the kitchen. "I love your father, so I play with him. It's just like the way you love your sister, so you play with her."
"Oh…" He said laughing. "I get it now."
"How's breakfast coming along?" I said, setting down Aaron and walking up to Cody as we entered the kitchen.
"Pretty good." He said, giving me a peck on the lips. He began giggling at the fact I was still slightly green, but I paid it no mind.
"Dad, mama said she planted all her pranks yesterday." Aaron said, pulling at his pants leg.
"Ok, thanks sport." He smiled. "You don't have to follow your mother anymore. But you do have to sit at the table, breakfast is ready."
"Yes sir." He said, obediently.
"What have you done with my baby girl?" I said, noticing Emerald was nowhere to be seen.
"I.. Well.. You see." He stumbled on purpose.
"Oh, you are helpless." I laughed. I went to Aaron's room, which we had split in half so him and Emerald could share. I got curious, because she wasn't there. I went to our room and was shocked to see her in my dress that Mary had made for me.
"Hi mommy, I'm a pretty princess." She smiled.
"Of course you are baby." I said with a warm smile. "Now take the dress off, Daddy has breakfast ready and you wouldn't want to get the dress dirty."
"Yes mommy." She said, slipping through the hole for my head. "Can I wear it later?" She asked with her big green eyes.
"Yes you may. Now come on before your brother and father hog all of the syrup." I laughed.
We went to the kitchen and I saw everyone at the table but us. "Good morning Azure, Emmy. Might I ask why you are green?" Mom said with a smile.
"Good morning mom." I said, giving her a hug. "As for the green? That's compliments of the mister." I said, glancing at Cody, who was patting the seat next to him. I always sat to his left and Aaron to his left. "Aaron, can you and I switch places this morning?"
"Yes ma'am." He said, sliding his plate of food over past Cody. As he was about to get into his seat he picked something up. "What's this?" He asked, showing Cody a pick balloon looking object. I didn't know what it was either because I had never seen anything like it.
"A whoopie cushion Cody? Really?" Rose laughed. "Those are the oldest thing in the book."
"Whats a whoopie cushion?" Aaron asked, still confused.
"Squeeze it." Cody smiled and Aaron did, releasing a farting noise, causing my son to enter a fit of laughing.
"That is cool." He exclaimed, squeezing it some more. I even smiled a little at the display.
"Ok son, that is enough." I said, holding my paw out for the whoopie cushion.
"Aww." He said with a frown.
"It's ok, you can have it back after breakfast." I said, his face lighting up. I tested it a little and smiled as it made it's funny noise. I put it in front of Cody's face and squeezed, giggling.
"Oh, that is just attractive." He laughed. "Do I need to take it from YOU?"
"Fine." I said, pouting and I sat down to eat. The breakfast was delicious, but I was on guard, remembering last time he made a breakfast this good. I cautiously took a sip of my drink and found it wasn't salted to my relief.
"Don't worry, I won't pull that move twice." Cody laughed, noting my wariness.
"Like I trust you." I smiled.
Breakfast went well without any pranks going off. I picked everyone's dishes up and began to wash them when Aaron walked up to me. "Mama, can I have the thing back please?" He asked kindly/ I gave a little laugh at the whoopie cushion on the counter and gave it to him.
"You have to play with it in your room though."
"Yes ma'am." He said, running into his room, squeezing it with a laugh.
"I've created a monster huh?" Cody said walking into the kitchen, watching Aaron run by.
"Yes, you have." I said, looking as my paws tinted the dish water yellow. "Hey, here's your yellow." I laughed.
"Mmh." He left the kitchen and I finished the dishes in peace.
I went to the living room and saw mom already sitting on the couch, watching tv. "Too much of that will rot your brain." I laughed.
"Well, I am old, I have to let it catch up." She laughed. "So I guess you two are having a war?" She said, pointing at the spots that were still green.
"Mhm. He has been calm for now." I said, looking around to make sure he wasn't near. "I had everything set up last night."
"Mmh. You two sure are taking April Fools a little serious are you?" She giggled, flipping channels to random pokemon battles.
I noticed this and her face. She looked almost as if she missed fighting. "Mom? Do you miss being able to do that?" I said, motioning my head towards the tv.
"Slightly." She sighed. I eyed her. "Ok, you got me. I do. I just wish these old bones weren't so old."
"I am sure Titan wouldn't mind. He seems rather bored around the house too. You aren't THAT old."
"You always were so kind." She smiled. "But I am. Fighting gets me too sore these days. I have just a few more and I would prefer to spend them defending my girl and my grandkids."
"Ahh." I felt something poke me in the ear and I looked up to see Cody with a big smile on his face. "What did you do?" I said, flicking my ear to make sure he didn't do anything.
"Nothing yet." He said, smile not faltering.
"You are making me uncomfortable." I said with a grin.
"Thats the point."
"Hey wait.." I said, noticing Emerald was nowhere to be found. "What did you do with my girl this time?" I said, craning my neck to get a better look, still turning up short.
"Oh, she is in her room I think. I just wanted to show you this." He said, pulling out a camera. He opened the screen on the side to reveal him in the kitchen making french toast.
"You didn't…" I said, watching the screen. I heard a door slam on the screen and I repeated myself. I saw myself walk into the kitchen, green as ever and start yelling. "You DID! You are so mean." I said with a laugh, trying to grab the camera.
"Nope. It's mine." He laughed.
"I am about to show you what's yours." I said, grabbing his shirt.
"Love you." He smiled and gave me a kiss before slipping out of his shirt.
"Wonderful…" I said. "I have to get him back." I thought about my trap I had set for him outside the front window, looking out at Haven. I hurried To Emerald and Aaron's room. "Emmy." I said sweetly as I opened the door.
"Yes mommy?" She asked. She was in the middle of coloring flowers in the coloring book we had gotten for her.
"Can you show daddy how pretty it is out in Haven today?" I asked, knowing Cody would agree to it, he would do anything for his little girl.
"Yea." She got up from her coloring and went to go find Cody and I went outside underneath the planter we had beneath it with the small bag of flour I had stashed there last night. I heard the window open and Cody's voice.
"Yes, it is very pretty." He said. I jumped up and threw some flour at him and laughed as he jumped and nearly fell on his butt.
"Thank you sweetie, you can go color again." I said to Emerald.
"That was cruel." He said, wiping flour off of his face with a laugh.
"So was videotaping me." I laughed.
"Well we have to have memories." He said, leaning out the window again.
"I know. Are we even?" I asked with a smile as I put my face close to his.
"Yea, I guess." He said, leaning closer and kissing me. "I am going to the store, need anything?"
I thought for a minute, but couldn't come up with anything. "Nope."
"Ok, I will be back later." He said, jumping out the window and hugging me.
"You could have at least used the door." I laughed. "You are being a bad influence."
"Alwell." He laughed and began heading to the store. I walked inside and sat down to watch tv with Mom.
"How'd it go?" She asked with a laugh.
"I got him with flour." I said, holding the bag up.
"Well that works too." She smiled, changing the channel to cooking. They were making cakes and I smiled, thinking of how nice it would be to have a big chocolate cake. We watched the show until lunch time and I went into the kitchen to start making sandwiches for Aaron and Emerald. I put each sandwich on a napkin and called them.
"Aaron, Emerald. Lunch!" They came running and they both sat down at the table as I made a sandwich for myself. "What are you kids doing?" I said, trying to spark a conversation.
"Oh, we were talking to Aunt Rose." Aaron said with a smile as he bit into his sandwich.
"About what?" I said. I noticed Aaron got a look of unease.
"Umm…" He said, trying to avoid the question.
"What were you talking about young man." I said sternly.
"Aunt Rose said it's a secret." He finally said.
"Ahh… A secret huh? Well I will just have to talk to her after lunch and find out what this secret is." And I did just that. I picked up Aaron and Emerald's napkin and walked to the back. I came up on Rose's door and knocked.
"Who is it?" I heard her call from the door.
"It's Azure."
I heard frantic whispering from inside and after a few seconds I heard her call again. "Come in."
"What was all that about?" I asked, opening the door. "And what's with having my kids keep secrets from their mother?"
"Ohh." She laughed. "It's nothing." She said. "We are planning a surprise for you and Cody later and we don't want them to ruin it."
"It doesn't have to deal with today does it?" I asked suspiciously.
"Oh, no. I already told Cody I am just going to watch the sparks fly between you two." She giggled. "So far it has been pretty entertaining." I began looking around to try and figure out what the surprise might be. Titan was sitting on the bed and I saw a blank book with some turned over pictures near it. They were sitting on the side table by Titan and I smiled.
They might be making a scrapbook! I thought to myself. How sweet of them. "Yea, well I think we are done. We each got each other pretty good today and so we are going to calm down."
"Aww. That's no fun." She pouted.
"Yea, neither is being green." I laughed as I looked at my fur, which was slowly turning back to its normal blue color.
"Yea, I can understand." She smiled. "Anyway, like I said, the surprise is one you will like and they are just keeping it a secret for me. You will figure it out tonight."
"Ok." I smiled, looking forward to flipping through the scrapbook they are making.
Cody's Pov
I was on my way home. I was a little delayed because I took a long detour for an apology I was about to make tonight. I looked down at the box of assorted donuts I had under my arm and smiled deviously. I had bought a bakers dozen box to share with everyone and had two of almost every kind, but all I really needed was the powdered ones. "Oh, she will definitely love me after this." I said sarcastically as I walked through the door. "I'm home!" I shouted and was assaulted by a lucario and two riolu.
"You said you were going to the store mister." Azure said, hugging me. "You were gone for hours. For just donuts? At Four?" She questioned.
"I am a grown man!" I joked. "I can do what I want. Anyway I got us all apology donuts."
I went into the kitchen and started handing them all out. "Chocolate for Aaron. Jelly for little miss Emmy. Glazed for Mom. These are mine. Powdered for my beautiful." I said, grinning as Azure took the compliment. "Rose and Titan can get theirs later." I said as I took a bite out of mine. I watched Azure intently as she took a bite out of hers and her face twisted into one of disgust.
"What IS this?" She said, smacking her lips a little as she almost spat out her donut. "Is this… BAKING POWDER?!" She exclaimed, causing laughter to burst from me and Eris.
"Now we are even. Here, I am not all mean." I said, handing her one of my own donuts.
"No, how do I know you didn't sabotage that one?" She asked.
"Would you prefer me to take a bite first?" I said with a smile.
"No." She took the donut.
"Now we are even." I said as I finished mine. "Truce?" I said, holding out my hand.
"I guess." She sighed and shook my hand.
"Good." I pulled her closer and wrapped my arm around her waist. "Because I have an apology later."
"Ooh. I can't wait." She said seductively as she walked into the living room, swaying her hips for me.
"Thank you daddy." I heard from my kids as they happily munched on their pastries.
"Your welcome." I said warmly as I walked into the living room. I sat on the couch next to Azure and pulled her close. "I know, I know. I am mean and all of that." I grinned.
"Yea." She agreed.
"But I love you." I said, kissing her cheek.
"Mmh. That makes it a little better." She said, leaning her head on my chest as she turned it to pokemon battles. We watched Tv until the last few minutes of daylight and I shook her shoulder a little.
"Hey, it's apology time." I said, pulling her to the door by her hand. I heard Rose in the background.
"Ok everyone. It's time." I put it out of my mind and continued pulling Azure outside.
"So what is this apology?" She asked sweetly.
"Sit with me." I said, sitting down in the flowers a few yards from our house. She complied and sat down next to me. "I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes."
"Yea." She giggled.
"But as much crap I give you, know I would go to hell and back to see your pretty smile." I said, giving her a kiss and pulling out the necklace I had bought that had made me so late.
"Oh my god." She gasped. "It's beautiful." She said, picking up the heart shaped clasp. She pressed the button and it opened to reveal a picture of Emerald and Aaron sitting together. "Wow." She said. She put the necklace back into it's case and set it to the side. "I love you." She said, giving me a passionate kiss, pushing me down into the grass and rubbing my chest.
I didn't know if I was imagining it, but I heard an "Eww" that sounded like Aaron.
"Heh, we have been hanging around the kids so much, I even heard Aaron say 'Eww.' It makes me think we need to get out more." Azure smiled, causing me to get curious because she had heard it as well.
"No.. I heard it too." I said, sitting up.
"Well well." Rose said, stepping out from behind the house with her hands behind her back. "How sweet a scene we have here. Two lovers sitting under the sunset whilst an ambush waits for thee to spring such a catastrophe." Rose said in a regal manner. "I told you I had a surprise for you Azure. NOW!" She shouted and everyone came out from behind the house and threw water balloons at us, completely drenching us. "April Fools." She said with a wicked grin as she threw her own and walked into the house.
"Well atleast I am not green anymore." Azure said with a laugh as we went inside to dry off.
This is a formal apology for the last April Fools fillier i had.. This chapter is set slightly in the future, because in the chapter i am writing, it is still december so when the story catches up i will move it to a later chapter XD This was a chapter i had a lot of fun writing and i hope one that will have you laugh more than once as you read. I will be back monday with a new chapter for The Desperation of One and hopefully another Family Life, until then, bye :D