"Shut. Up." Feng said with wide horrified eyes as Cerebella told her of her...misadventures she had had that day. The greenette sighed softly.
"Yeah, I know, pretty messed up what happened back there... If that guy hadn't stepped in, I probably would have been used in ways I don't even wanna think about..."
"I can't believe they actually held a knife to his throat... That's just awful!" Feng exclaimed, looking visibly distressed at her roommate's story. Harry was taking a nap in Feng's arms, and the juggler held him closer protectively, cooing to the tiny boy in her arms and kissing his head. "Don't worry baby, me an' Cerebella got ya." She whispered. "And no one's gonna hurt you."
Cerebella smirked. "Damn right." She agreed, ruffling the boy's hair. She sighed softly. "Maybe it would be for the best to just take Beatrix up on her offer to train him."
"Yeah... It would be better for him to have some way of protecting himself if something like that happens again... I just hope she's gentle with him..."
"I'll make sure she is." Cerebella assured. "If Harry comes back to me with tears in his eyes, she'll be leaving with black and purple marks around hers." Harry yawned and squirmed slightly, Feng grinned and readjusted him in her arms, Harry quickly nuzzling down, seemingly happy with his new position.
"Why'd you have to find him..." Feng whined quietly. "I love him so much!"
"Heh, I love the little thing too." Cerebella grinned, gently patting Harry's head.
Feng smiled at the little boy in her arms. "He's so tiny..." She cooed. "He's just like a brand new baby..." Harry began sucking his thumb, and Feng's heart melted.
"Heh... And I thought I was a gooey mess around the little guy." Cerebella teased, nudging Feng lightly with her elbow, eliciting an annoyed pout.
Feng sighed softly as she looked down at Harry, and she couldn't help but wish she had a little Harry to call her own. Well...not literally of course, but...just a cute little boy of her own. "...Bella? D'you think I'd be a good mom?"
"I think you'd be a great mom." Cerebella said without a moment's hesitation, honestly a little surprised her friend even had to ask. "You're great with kids."
"Yeah, and so are you. Don't forget that." Feng smiled back, leaving Cerebella with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah? And what does that have to do with..." She trailed off, her eyes widening as realization seemed to dawn on her. "Oh."
"Heh, I think you get my point." Feng smiled.
Cerebella looked down at the boy in her friend's arms and smiled softly. "Well... I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I was against the idea..."
"Right? So when am I gonna start hearing him call you 'mommy' instead of Miss Bella?" Cerebella shrugged her shoulders and smirked lightly.
"Well, I think I'm just gonna leave that choice up to him... I'll let him decide when he wants to call me that... Don't wanna spring anything on him suddenly, y'know?"
"Heh, I hear ya." Feng smiled, delicately handing Harry back to Cerebella So not to wake him. "I think you should put him to bed though, he's had a big day."
"Fair point, any plans for dinner?" Cerebella asked.
"None yet." Feng shook her head. "But I'll give ya some notice. But seriously, get the poor thing to bed."
Cerebella nodded and rose to her feet, stretching her back slightly and sighing in relief at the satisfying pop sound. "Oof...Been sitting too long..." She mumbled before making her way upstairs, leaving Feng to think about dinner. Cerebella entered her room and laid Harry down in her bed, tucking him under the blankets, such as had become the norm. He nuzzled into the blankets and cooed lightly. Cerebella smiled, then handed him one of the plush toys she had bought for him. A small teddy bear wearing a clown outfit. Cerebella smiled, but sighed none the less, she had hoped that by bringing Harry here, she'd be able to keep him safe. She decided she'd just have to take extra good care of him! She leaned down and planted a kiss on his temple, smiling tenderly at him for a few seconds before letting out a yawn. "Ugh... It HAS been a busy day so far, hasn't it?" She looked at the clock. "Eh...What the heck? I got time for a quick nap." She climbed under the blankets with the boy, and wrapped him up in a gentle embrace. She felt his tiny form nuzzle in closer to her and smiled softly, gently resting her chin atop his head and closing her eyes. Harry mumbled something in his sleep, and though she didn't know what it was, she was sure it was probably very cute.
When the two awoke a few hours later, Cerebella felt something poking her face. She groaned a few times and her eyes lazily opened to see Kitty looking her in the eyes expectantly. "Ay... is it time to feed you already?" The weightlifter groaned, slowly sitting up in bed, still holding the sleeping Harry close. Kitty meowed adorably and the weightlifter smiled and scratched behind his ears. "All right, little guy, I'll fill your bowl up for ya." She climbed out of bed, taking great care not to wake Harry up, then stretched, her back popping slightly. Approaching the bag of cat food in her room, she scooped out a cupful and poured it into kitty's bowl. The small cat eagerly dug into his dinner. Cerebella smiled. Then, her stomach grumbled. "Huh...Wonder if Feng's decided on anything to have for dinner yet." The greenette mused, deciding to go and check in with her friend. As she walked, she felt Harry begin to awaken, squirming slightly in her arms. She smiled and patted his back as he woke.
"Hi honey, sleep well?" She asked with a smile.
"Isweptwell..." Harry mumbled, still waking up. Cerebella giggled at his cute mispronunciation and rested his head against her shoulder.
"That's good to hear." She gave the boy a kiss on the cheek. "All right, little guy, let's go and see if we can't get something to eat, yeah?" She felt the boy nod against her shoulder. She entered the kitchen, then saw Feng at the counter, in the process of preparing something. Cerebella smiled brightly. "Hey, Feng. Whatcha making?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing much." Feng shrugged when she saw her roommate enter. "Figured I should try something different for a change, making an old family stew recipe.
"Hi miss Feng." Harry mumbled, still groggy from his nap.
Cerebella barely had time to blink before Feng was in front of her, hands on her knees and fawning over Harry. "Aww, hi, sweetie..." She cooed before pouting slightly.
"What's up, Feng? Why the pouty face?" Cerebella questioned. Feng gestured to Harry's outfit.
"I was hoping you'd have him dressed up in those adorable tiny footed pajamas you got for him." Cerebella rolled her eyes with a slight chuckle.
"They're for tonight Feng." Cerebella said matter-of-factly.
"But he looks so cute~" Feng cooed. "I just wanna wrap him up in a blanket and cuddle him nonstop!"
"Get in line, girl. First come first serve and all that." Feng's cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish, to which Cerebella responded by playfully poking them.
"Ow. Your nails are really sharp." Feng rubbed her cheek with a small frown. Cerebella grinned sheepishly and looked at her hands.
"Riiight... Yeah, these fake nails are pretty dang pointy, aren't they?"
"I'm surprised you haven't accidentally cut the kid yet." Feng frowned. The thought alone made Cerebella whiten somewhat.
"I...I...I'd never!" She stammered.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Feng said immediately, trying to calm her friend. "I said 'Accidentally', I know you'd never do anything to hurt the poor thing."
Cerebella frowned down at her fingernails. "Right... Right, right, I'd better trim these..." She mumbled. "Hey, Harry, I'm just gonna go trim down my fingernails. Keep Feng company for me, would ya?"
"Okay, Miss Bella." Harry said with a nod. Cerebella set Harry down in a nearby chair and left to go to the bathroom and fix the potential cutting hazard.
"Hiya cutie." Feng smiled, bending down so she was more at his level. "Has anyone told you how cute your are today?" She asked with a closed-eyed smile.
"Uh, Miss Bella has..." Harry replied timidly, not understand what Feng was getting at. The juggler giggled and patted his head.
"Oh she has, has she?" She continued. "Well, then I'll have to tell you too!" Harry felt warm and fuzzy inside. After years of his relatives telling him he was ugly, it was nice to finally be told that he was cute... Just like Dudley had always been told... "Hey, Harry, why don't you help me make dinner? We're having stew." She said with a wink. Harry felt elated at the idea of cooking, and smiled brightly.
"Okay! I like cooking!" He said excitedly. Feng was torn on how to feel about that. She was glad he was happy, but why did he know how to cook? Whatever, she'd ask him later. Holding the tiny boy in one arm, she made sure to keep him away from the boiling mix as she debated what else to put in it. Deciding to ask Harry, she dipped a wooden label into the mix and blew on it to cool it, then let Harry taste it. Harry enjoyed the taste, smiling brightly, then turned to Feng. "Um... I think a little bit of salt would be good... And maybe a little bit of celery..." Deciding to take his word for it, Feng opened up the cupboard to grab some salt and a stalk of celery and sprinkled in the former before carefully chopping up the latter. Harry seemed to watch with great interest, and almost seemed like a celebrity chef watching a newbie try and prepare a dish. However, Harry remained silent, content not only with helping, but with being held my Miss Feng. Soon enough, Feng was satisfied with what she had made. She set Harry down in a chair and poured a bowl of stew for him, placing it before him with a smile.
"There ya go, Harry, eat up!" Feng said with a nod before filling up two more bowls, one for her and the other for Cerebella, who at that moment had walked in.
"All right, nails trimmed. Oh hey, smells good in here..." The greenette took a seat at the table.
"Thanks, Harry helped me make it." Feng said with a smile, making Cerebella raise a brow.
"Oh, really? We have a little chef, do we?" She said playfully, poking Harry's nose, making the tiny boy blush and look away.
"Um...I tried... I dunno if I'm that good though..." The boy mumbled softly, twiddling his thumbs and looking at the floor. Feng gave him a friendly grin.
"Well, only one way to find out." She tried a spoonful of her stew and smiled. "Hey, you were right, Harry! The salt and celery makes a lot of difference!"
"Really?" He asked, looking up at the two.
"Wow this is good!" Cerebella exclaimed. "Seriosusly Feng, what did you do different this time?!" Harry felt a sense of pride, no one had ever complimented his cooking before. It felt nice. The trio ate their dinner in high spirits, Cerebella and Feng chatting animatedly to each other, and even Harry chiming in on occasion, in an excellent mood after having his cooking praised. Cerebella was happy to see him joining the conversation. He was finally opening up more... Sure, he was still very shy... But noticeably less so. At the same time, Feng's stew would help make him seem less like a tiny skeleton who could be blown over by a gentle breeze. While Cerebella didn't expect Harry to become as strong as her, it did her mind wonders to know at least he wasn't eating literal garbage like when she had found him. She assumed he was as tiny and shy as he was due to his family, she also wondered if that's why he was so good at cooking, according to Feng. Had his family made him cook too? She frowned at the thought before noticing her charge looking at her and giving him a small smile, which he returned. Vice-Versa reached over and patted his head gently.
Soon enough, dinner was over, and the trio were seated in front of the TV. Cerebella looked down at Harry. "So...tomorrow's your first magic lesson with Beatrix. You sure you're up for it?" Harry fidgeted nervously in Cerebella's lap, still not used to the 'freaky stuff' being normal, or the fact that someone was going to try and teach him how to control it.
"Mmhmm." Harry mumbled nervously.
"Hey, don't worry." Cerebella said, patting his head. "I won't let her hurt you."
"I know... It's not that, it's just that... My... My aunt and uncle... They said that m- M- The M word was bad... And that I was bad for having it..."
"Aw, Harry... Don't listen to those jerks. You can't let them get you down like that. They're out of your life now. I'm gonna make sure of that." Harry looked up and smiled genuinely at Cerebella.
"Thank you." He said, leaning into her chest. Cerebella replied by leaning forward and planting a long kiss on his forehead, holding him in place playfully as she held her kiss for a good long while, finally pulling back and simply saying:
"You're welcome buddy." Feng smiled at the scene, happy to see Harry was happy. Cerebella truly was good for him. He was opening up to others slowly, yet surely. Cerebella looked up at the clock and then back down at Harry. "Well, little guy, I think it's time for you to go to bed now, okay?" Harry wasn't one to argue, sleep felt nice, and he didn't have to worry about being yelled at for falling asleep anymore.
"Okay." He nodded as Cerebella picked him up. "Night Miss Feng." He said with a sleepy wave.
"Good night my little price." Feng playfully cooed in response.
Cerebella snorted. "I think you mean MY little prince." She said teasingly. Feng threw a peanut at her, only for her to snap it up in her mouth.
"Hmph... You and your reflexes..." The juggler grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout. Vice-Versa reached over and patted her head. Feng gave Cerebella an annoyed look but said nothing. The tan woman carried the tiny boy to her room and tucked him into bed, making sure he was comfortable. Cerebella notes that while he hadn't been here long, the tiny boy's demeanour seemed to be improving. Good. She grabbed his tiny hand and squeezed it gently, smiling when she felt him squeeze back. She gave him a kiss, then turned and left the room to meet up with Feng and finish their movie.
Harry hugged his teddy bear close and mumbled something in his sleep. "Mama..." His dreams contained not a red haired woman... but a certain tanned greenette. He felt safe and secure, she cared for him. Genuinely and truly, she did. In Harry's dreams she held him close, smothered him with kisses, and told him over and over that she loved him. But that wasn't the best part... The best part was that, in his dream world, she was not just a babysitter... Not just a caretaker... She was his mother. She had told him such comforting words as "Mommy's here" ,"Mommy's got you" and "Mommy loves you. It made him tear up from happiness. Even though, deep down he knew it was only a dream...
Cerebella, meanwhile, sighed as she sat down on the couch. Feng raised a brow and then smiled at her roommate. "You really love him, don't you?" She asked, rather calmly. Cerebella paused, then nodded.
"Yeah. I love him so much. But, I don't know what to do now... I don't want to impose on him, try and make him call me-" Cerebella stopped short then sighed.
"Just give the little guy time. He's bound to say it sooner or later." The petite woman replied with a shrug before holding a bowl towards her friend. "Popcorn?"
"Ah, I thought I heard the popper working. Heh... Thanks, Feng." The acrobat accepted her offer gratefully and tossed a handful of the snack into her mouth. "What movie is this?"
"Gigantic."
"The one about the big ship?"
"Yup!"
"If I suddenly leave, I'm just checking on Harry, okay?" Cerebella said, and Feng grinned mischievously.
"You sure you won't use it as an excuse to leave so you can cry at the sad moments?" The juggler asked, only to be hit by a pillow.
"No." Cerebella replied flatly, hearing the muffled laugh of her friend.
"I can see the teardrops are starting to form already." Cerebella looked away with a huff, crossing her arms over her bosom and pouting.
"Not my fault they made this stupid movie too damn sad. Seriously, why'd they have to kill off James? Stupid boat...Drives me to emotions..."
"Don't you mean, SAILS you to-" Feng began, but was hit with another pillow, this one packing much more force. The juggler was knocked back onto her back and muffled as the pillow almost seemed stuck.
"Reaaal clever, Feng." The stronger woman rolled her eyes. Feng let out a muffled snicker before pulling the pillow off her face and sticking out her tongue.
"You're just mad because you didn't come up with such a hilarious joke." Cerebella flicked Feng's nose and she grabbed it with a whine.
"Well, if you're the brains, then I'm definitely the brawn." Cerebella retorted with a smirk. The pair watched the movie for a bit until Feng spoke up again.
"You really think Beatrix can help Harry?"
Cerebella grimaced slightly and tossed some popcorn into her mouth. "I dunno, Feng... Honestly, I'm worried about what'll happen... I don't want her to hurt the little guy's feelings..."
"Yeah... She's got one heck of a temper on her, doesn't she?" Feng agreed. "But...I mean... Harry is such a cutie... Beatrix has gotta have a heart somewhere down there, right?" Cerebella laughed and shook her head.
"The way she tried to take him... imagine Mama Beatrix!" The joke caught Feng off guard and she choked on her popcorn, which made Cerebella laugh harder. Once Feng collected herself, she began laughing as well. The two chuckled for a few minutes before Cerebella donned a thoughtful expression, as if she was remembering something interesting.
"What's on your mind, Cerebella?" Feng asked with a tilted head. Cerebella turned to look at her, looking somewhat guilty about something.
"Well...When I first introduced Harry to Beatrix, things got a little uh...heated, and...I kinda told her she'd be an abusive bitch of a mom...She looked...pretty upset when I told her that..."
"Huh. I thought Beatirx would be used to hearing insults, considering how frequently you two seem to go at one another's throats." Feng remarked, cocking her head slightly in a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "Wonder what's up with that?"
"I...there was a sense of venom, I wasn't just having a spat wit her, I was actually angry." Cerebella admitted, her face falling. "And I think I was just so shocked at how she was treating Harry, that when she approached him in the tent, I just sorta lost it." The two women remained silent, Cerebella rubbing her arm, until Feng finally spoke.
"Well, while you weren't exactly right in what you said, it's somewhat understandable. In a way, you're the kid's mother now. She sort of threatened him, and you felt the need to protect him. Did you do it the right way? Maybe not. But I still see why you did."
Cerebella bit her lip. "Yeah, but... now that I think about it, the look on her face when I told her that... She looked like someone broke her kitten's paw... D'you think that Beatrix... would actually want to be a mom someday?"
Feng thought about it, face scrunched up in concentration, before turning to her friend with a shrug. "I dunno, Bella... Maybe somewhere, deep down...she might actually want her own Harry, even if she doesn't realize it yet... But...that's just a maybe... No way of telling for sure..." Neither said anything after that for awhile, turning back to watch the movie. The only sounds made were that of the film, and the munching of snacks. Cerebella kept finding her thoughts drifting to Harry, hoping that one way or another things would keep looking up for him. She believed that after so much suffering, the world had finally lifted the dark veil that covered him for so long. Well, she was partially right. But if there's one thing to note about the world, it doesn't much care who the veil covers, or for what reason.
After the movie ended, Cerebella having needed to leave the room several times [Totally not to cry in the bathroom], the two girls decided it was time for bed. "Night, Bella!" Feng called out.
"Night, Feng!" Cerebella called back before the two went back into their room. When Cerebella entered, she found Harry sleeping...and whimpering, and...crying? 'Nononononononononononononononononono!' Cerebella mentally screamed as she rushed forward and practically dove into her bed to comfort the terrified boy. "Harry, Harry?! Wake up!" She practically begged, Harry bolted upright, sheet white, and grabbed hold to the first thing he could, which happened to be Cerebella.
He looked up at her, then...he flinched and let go, looking down at the blankets. Cerebella was now greatly concerned. "Harry...? What's wrong?" Harry sniffled.
His pleasant dreams had, seemingly out of nowhere, took a turn for the horrible.
"M-Miss Bella...? It...It was just a dream, right...? Please tell me it was just a dream... I don't want it to be real..." The boy said in a shakey voice. Cerebella gently grabbed his shoulders and pressed her forehead against his.
"Of course it was, Harry...It was only a dream... Only a dream..." She pulled him into a hug. "Now why don't you tell Miss Bella what it was about?"
Harry hesitated. "You...You punched me...And then you told me you hated me...You always hated me, and...and then you started kicking me and you told me you wished I died before you found me, and...and then you threw me in the garbage, and..." Harry couldn't say any more. He broke down crying violently. "Please don't hate me... Please don't throw me away..." Cerebella felt tears silently flowing down her face as she leaned forward and planted many kissed on the tear-stained boy's face.
"No. No. No. No." She repeated over and over as she kept kissing him, trying to calm him. She finally pulled Harry into a comfy position, his head resting on her breasts and she smiled down through the tears. "I don't hate you. I never could."
"Honest...?" The little boy asked timidly, giving her the cutest, most pitiful puppy eyes she had ever seen. She kissed his forehead once again and rubbed the back of his head.
"I promise you on my life...I will never hurt you. And I will absolutely NEVER hate you..." She was heartbroken... Little kids were supposed to have nightmares about monsters and ghosts... Not their loved ones telling them they hate them before throwing them away like trash... The two sat in comfort for several minutes, Harry slowly calming himself down in Cerebella's warm embrace. Eventually, they were sitting in silence.
"M-Miss Bella...?" Harry's tiny voice cut through the silence. Cerebella looked down at him. He looked apprehensive and nervous. "Can...Can...Can I..." He took a deep breath. "Can I call you mommy...?" Cerebella's eyes teared up again, this time happily as she pulled Harry into a very tight embrace, lying down on her bed and covering the tiny boy's face in kisses once again, before finally saying:
"Of course, baby." She practically whispered, smiling lovingly down at her son. Harry felt tears begin to form in his eyes once again at being accepted. He let out a tiny whimper and pressed himself against her as hard as he could, wanting to be as close to his new mother as possible. Cerebella felt his tears flow onto her dress, and his tiny frame shaking in her arms, and she rubbed his back in a soothing manner. "It's okay... Mommy's here... Mommy's got you..." Harry smiled and leaned into the comforting hug, cooing as Cerebella hummed a comforting tune to her son, the two content to sit where they were in a warm embrace, Cerebella had the biggest grin on her face as Harry fell asleep in her arms, sucking his thumb. "Goodnight sweetie. Mommy's here." She felt a warmth swell up in her heart. The warmth of contentment. Harry called her mommy... He called her mommy! She was a mommy now! Despite it being very much against her tough personality, the acrobat let out a very quiet squee of delight at the idea. "My Harry... My little Harry..." Cerebella suddenly found herself rather exhausted from the ordeal, and decided that this would be a fine time to go to bed. Smiling down at her son, she pulled him as close as she could, and left herself fall asleep.