Reviews :
Romantic Sapp : LOL! No, Gunner isn't anything like Selka. He's genuinely a good guy, has redeeming qualities, though I'm sure there'll be some things about him that will irk the lot of my readers. I've never written for a love triangle before, though, so I'm pretty excited for it. It's clear really which ship will eventually sink, but there'll be lots of ups and downs. You guys will see. :) Also, yeah... Turbo's extremely subtle with his sly attempts at getting Berri to come right on back to him. It doesn't end with just the switch-a-roo of chargers, either xD
Burgie : That's so sweet! :)
CHICKENM4N : Yeah, neither of them are f*cking around haha.
Snake557 : Aww, wow! ;-; Thank you so much for saying that. You don't know what that means to me.
Song Listened To :
Ugly Dance by Fulkultur
*Chapter 39*
"Alright, Chester, I don't know if ol' Throttle will let you inside," Berri started tenderly as she approached Throttle's welcoming abode; a single storied home, it had a domed roof, a spherical feel to it, it emulated the rest of the towers on the lot, though was only just one floor and had a cozy, wrap-around porch. Throttle's teleportation pad hung near the left of his front door, up the few-stepped stoop of his gorgeous porch and home. Berri softly volleyed her sight to Chester, who patiently drummed his paws to a halt and perked his ears in cute confusion, Berri climbed the snowy steps in a lazy side step, so she could keep her gaze tight on Chester, "I'll ask Throttle, bud, gimme just a second."
Berri turned and gingerly began to finish climbing the steps of Throttle's stoop. As she approached his gorgeous, large, round green front door, with the cute, foggy window on the front, she clenched her fist in preparation to knock, though before she could even think about the next steps she was about to take, Throttle's teleportation pad buzzed with life. In the crackling of angry orange coding, Berri jolted in a whole jump of terror as none other than Wren suddenly bounced off the teleportation pad, grappled Berri's upper arms and held her frozen in a death grip of urgency.
"I swear to User if you don't answer my damn messages," Wren stabbed in a hiss of a whisper as he shook his head, his breath fogged the air before them as Berri held her eyes wide and tight to Wren's urgent glower.
"Wren," Berri huffed with a shaky, now sheepish giggle.
"You get yourself suspended and then spend the rest of the entire night ignoring me?" Wren huffed as she jostled Berri's upper body in continued irritation, though Wren cocked an eyebrow, looked Berri over, gripped Turbo's hoodie's left sleeve and gaped. He breathed a sharp, fogged breath of entire disbelief and stabbed his dark blue eyes into Berri's now blushing, shrinking, beaming demeanor, "Uhhh okay. So are you going to tell me where you got this hoodie? That has Turbo's name on it? Excuse me?"
"Wren, it's not important," Berri waved her hand, she shook her head and gave Wren a further sheepish smile, her face was glowing with the blush of a thousand secrets, though Wren firmly side-eyed her.
"How did you get Turbo's hoodie?" Wren stabbed as he gripped Berri's left arm, he squeezed a little, desperate for answers.
"He let me borrow it," Berri shrugged nonchalantly, though she huffed a hard laugh as Wren began to squeeze her arm harder, "Ow ow! O-okay, okay, I... I kind of welcomed myself into his house."
"WHAT?" Wren hissed sharply as he freed Berri's arm, though she shook her head and shushed him.
"It's not a big deal!" Berri sharply whispered in return, Throttle's front porch practically eked of foggy breath as they urgently continued to loudly whisper back and forth; Chester flattened his ears, rolled his eyes and looked off, his demeanor becoming impatient as he waited to see if he could be let inside.
"You actually went inside Turbo's house?" Wren wondered, their spike of excitement was through the game's sky limit, "He gave you his hoodie, you know what that means."
"It means I was cold, Wren," Berri stabbed with a hard laugh, though just as she was about to carry on, Throttle's front door opened, they both whirled around in giddy, childish surprise.
"You uh... You guys good?" Throttle choked a suspicious laugh as both Wren and Berri perked up in scheming, secretive cuteness.
"We're great! Sorry, Wren's just harassing me, what else is new," Berri softly shoved past Wren, who gaped and gave the back of her head a hard glower; Throttle choked another laugh and opened his door a little wider for Berri.
"C'mon, guys, it's freezing outside. Wren, you sticking around?" Throttle wondered in gentle kindness, to which Wren pulled his phone out of his coat pocket and cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I got a half an hour to blow," Wren grunted in irritation as he gave Throttle a small smile and a head bob of gratitude; as Throttle kindly let the two in, he halted his movement and peered back to Chester, who had his ears perked high in curious readiness.
"C'mon, bud, just wipe your paws," Throttle stated in soft dismay towards Berri's massively overgrown puppy-dog.
Chester opened his mouth in a happy pant of excitement, flapped his tail, shifted on his feet and quickly tore up Throttle's snowy steps, something he clumsily tried to get his footing on. With as much ease as Chester could, he flapped himself free of snow, brushed his paws on Throttle's welcome mat and softly budged into his home. Having been in Throttle's home before, Berri easily moved across his lovely, open format home, soaked into his kitchen, sat at the kitchen island and softly pulled out her phone, as well as Turbo's phone charger. Wren grunted an annoyed noise, left his coat and shoes in Throttle's small mudroom-area, off the front door, he eyed Berri as he moved across Throttle's breezy foyer and stood on the opposite side of Throttle's island, from Berri.
"You're inside now, you can take the coat off, you freak," Wren stabbed in Berri's direction, she shook her head and zipped it further up her body in girly defiance.
"You, uh... You have Turbo's hoodie?" Throttle furrowed his eyebrows in hard confusion, he gently sagged past Wren's figure, opened his fridge, came back to the island with a bottle of water and took a sip, though his creepy white eyes held tight to Berri's sleeves and hoodie.
"Yes, I have Turbo's hoodie, I went to his home, I got cold cause I was damp from the rain, he offered me a coat, I put it on, and then I forgot to give it back, OKAY?" Berri stabbed in annoyance as she unlocked her phone and thumbed through the apps, as if to pretend to busy herself.
"You FORGOT to give it back," Wren ogled, he cocked an eyebrow and shot Throttle an annoyed smirk, "I hope your little brother knows that he's never going to get that hoodie back."
"Yeahhh... Though, that's typically the mark of a good boyfriend," Throttle shrugged, to which Berri buried her face further into her phone.
"You know, you forgot you have ANOTHER boyfriend, at Academy, to worry about, have you forgotten already?" Wren shook his head, crossed his arms and gave Berri an annoyed glower; she peered her confused, bashful eyes from the top of her phone and genuinely racked her brain.
"Wait... Who?" Berri asked in tender humility, Wren choked in annoyance and wildly gestured his hand.
"Gunner Ko? Oh, I don't know, the guy you're like... In love with?" Wren staggered, though Berri sagged her shoulders, rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Oh, whatever," Berri argued.
"WHATEVER?" Wren bugged his eyes, "He's like the hottest guy in the whole universe. Just three days ago you were telling me all about how you loved his-"
"D-AH, WREN," Berri wildly flagged her hands, Throttle did everything he could to choke back laughter as he screwed the cap on his water bottle and put it back in his glossy, stainless steel fridge.
"Yeah, he's good looking," Throttle tenderly agreed, and although reveal of Throttle's orientation wasn't news, Wren still furrowed his eyebrows in plucked surprise and stabbed his curious gaze in Throttle's direction.
"... You like guys?" Wren bluntly asked, though he felt confident due to his own, similar preferences; Throttle shrugged and bobbed a nod as he stood a few feet from Wren, on the same side of the island as him.
"Yeah, I sort of... Accidentally came out, last Fall," Throttle grumbled, he bashfully looked down and shook his head, "Not really the top of any conversation I typically am caught having, but, short answer, yes."
"You didn't know that, Wren?" Berri wondered as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, he shook his head and genuinely looked stumped, a cute smile glued to his face.
"No, I didn't have a single clue," Wren's voice nearly crackled, to which Berri now suspiciously eyed him.
"I think the only person that I genuinely haven't told is Turbo," Throttle sighed, he rubbed his face in agitation and gestured his other hand, to further exemplify said agitation, "I can never get that guy's attention, he's the worst at making and keeping plans. I must've asked to come over a billion times, and he always cancels the next day."
"Oh, you should definitely have Berri give you advice, then, cause she practically waltzed on into his home, into his HEART," Wren flagged his hand in Berri's direction; she gaped and shook her head.
"OKAY, I did that because I told the entire Academy that Turbo was alive, and then got myself suspended, I literally had no choice but to force him to sit down and answer my questions," Berri argued, though Throttle cocked an eyebrow and began to show a bit more of a confident side to himself.
"That why you left with his hoodie and his phone charger?" Throttle dared, though Berri raised her eyebrows and felt her face turn beet red the second Throttle's ghostly white hands began to reach for Turbo's charger, on his kitchen island, "I may also be a little bit of a recluse, but I know this is Turbo's property, as well. See the red dot on the charger's brick?"
"You literally played yourself," Wren muttered without moving, Berri snatched Turbo's charger, urgently began to scour the little white charging brick, and sure enough, there was a red marker indicator on the edge of Turbo's charger.
"Son of a bitch," Berri muttered as she sagged and slumped Turbo's charger back to the island, "I fell asleep there, he took me home, I left my charger there, he just so happened to have his on his person. He texted me about it. Sue me!"
"My love, you've gotten more interaction out of him than me and anyone on this lot, combined, times twelve, have had in this past YEAR," Throttle choked a hard laugh; Berri urgently peered to him, and although his gaze was still creepy and difficult to look at, it was a lot softer than that of Turbo's or Nox's intense golden gaze. She heaved a hard sigh, shook her head and looked off as Throttle continued, "I'd be willing to bet that after my lesson, you're probably going to go see him, drop of his chargerrrr..."
"Hesitantly give back his coat, before, oops! You brush his chest in an attempt to get it off your shoulders," Wren clutched his chest dramatically and shot Throttle a look, as if to urge him to play along.
"Oh no, you clumsily stumble into him," Throttle put his hand on his cheek, both men peered to Berri in a full on slew of teasing looks.
"You guys are cute," Berri muttered sarcastically.
"He SWEEPS you into a romantic hug," Wren swiftly continued on as he tightly wove his own arms about his slender body.
"No, you mustn't," Throttle dramatically looked away and held his hands up, "You're saving all your firsts for... Say it with me..."
"Gunner Ko," Both Wren and Throttle urged at the same time, they were loudly rocketed into boyish laughter as Berri slumped her face into her wrecking hands.
"Y'all are REAL cute," Berri stabbed in an angrier, sarcastic tone.
"Just do me a favor," Throttle softened with a loving chuckle, his friendly eyes eased into Berri's soul like the sweetest honey, he shook his head and narrowed his gaze in further, tender inquisition, "Get him to come around more. We miss him."
"Guys, I'm not like his best friend, all of the sudden," Berri argued, she began to feel genuine embarrassment coat her soul, "I'm literally going to message him, go to his house, give him his things, and come home."
"No you're not," Wren urgently detested with a wide smile, "You're gunna stay there, because I want to come over to his house after Academy lets out."
"User, he would not agree to that," Throttle bugged his eyes and gave Berri a wide, nervous smile.
"Ohh, he would if a certain blue haired princess eloquently requested it," Wren cocked an eyebrow, waggled his finger and side-eyed Berri with a smile, "You watch. If you find yourself actually hanging out with him, suggest you let me come over after Academy. If he agrees, boyyy..."
"Hate to say it, Bear, but at that point, I'd say he's either loving your company, or he's terrified of you," Throttle shook his head and gave her a kind smile and a shrug, "Turbo needs friends, anyways... Even if he agrees, and maybe shows a little discomfort, I'd say just let it happen. Poor guy needs some love."
"So I'm just a pawn in your guys' game?" Berri retort, and although Wren laughed and rolled his eyes, Throttle furrowed his brow and looked to be a little sad that Berri claimed such things. Berri sagged her shoulders, shook her head and began to back-track, "Well, I mean... I feel like I shouldn't bother him if he doesn't want to be bothered. I'm not going to force my friendship upon him."
"Well, although Turbo typically is very lenient to Tessa and Zed, as King and Queen, and you as their princess, he DOES still have clear boundaries," Throttle bobbed a nod and looked off in tender thought, "If you actually were a burden to him, and he genuinely didn't want you around, he'd make clear of his intentions to keep you at bay. Has he messaged you at all?"
"Yeah, not ten minutes ago," Berri stated in tender confidence, Throttle tilted his head up in boyish curiosity and let a sly, toothy smile sprawl his face.
"What'd it say," Throttle huffed in tender, scheming delight, Berri sighed and tabbed to her's and Turbo's conversation, on her phone.
"He said, 'Your highness. Upon bringing you back to the palace, I went to plug up your phone but realized you left your charger at my house. I gave you mine, cause I had it on my person when I dropped you off. I have yours. They're identical, so I guess it doesn't matter, but if you would like to trade, just let me know. I'll be home all day,'" Berri rattled off in a monotone.
"As opposed to being anywhere else?" Wren muttered, Berri lit up with a smile.
"That's exactly what I replied with!" Berri blurt a hard laugh.
"'I'll be home all day'," Throttle used air quotes, his scheming smile only broadened as Berri bashfully locked her eyes to his. He shook his head and softly laughed, "He left the ball in your court. He NEVER does that. He always tells me 'I'll have to get back to you, I'll tell you when I'm available today, maybe tomorrow'."
"Oh, he's into you," Wren bobbed a nod, and it was at this point did Berri now become flustered.
"You GUYS. I literally have hung out with him once, I hardly even know the guy," Berri argued, she shook her head in whole irritation and was beginning to feel the cute, bashful, crushing sensation overwhelm her heart, "I'm not even one yet. My dad would have his head... Can we just drop this? We're not even friends, he still calls me 'your highness'!"
"Guess the second he calls you by your first name," Throttle trailed off with a small shrug, he eyed Berri in a knowing way, something that had Berri's heart thumping in her chest. She heaved a shaky sigh and looked down, and it was then did Throttle understand that this topic was heavily weighing on Berri's heart, "Y'know, Bear... If no form of a friendship unfolds from hanging out with Turbo, then so be it... But, if you guys become friends, then great. He'd come around more often, and, well... You'd gain one hell of a friend."
Berri raised her eyebrows in cute, tender surprise, her and Throttle locked eyes in quiet, humble sweetness, and it was here did Berri feel confidence come back to her. She bobbed a nod and smiled, knowing full well this was likely the universe's way of potentially easing Turbo back into a normal social life, the burdens of his very reclusive, secretive past had only done damage to his poor heart. She sighed, looked down to her hands and bobbed another nod of affirmation, she finally gave Throttle a genuine, appreciative smile.
"He's pretty cool," Berri mumbled in agreeing; Wren was receptive of the tenderness and swiftly held off any teasing, "He's very... Nervous. But, he's cool, nonetheless."
"Just wait, if you guys DO become good friends, you're in for a wild ride," Throttle bugged his eyes and blurt a soft laugh, though Berri gave him a look of mild disbelief, "That guy can get JUST as noisy and as obnoxious as Nox. You think I'm kidding."
"I most certainly know you're kidding," Wren mumbled, Berri shook her head and wrote off Throttle's words.
"I'm sure he doesn't get THAT weird and wild," Berri softly shrugged it off, she gave Throttle a smile as if to hope Throttle would ease off the act, though Throttle only raised his eyebrows, raised his hands, and looked down, as if to throw in the towel.
"Okayyy," Throttle prod with a hard chuckle, "Don't say I didn't warn yah."
Berri and Wren furrowed their eyebrows and peered hard to Throttle in now nervous belief, though before either one of them could ask for an example, Berri's phone tenderly chimed in delightful notification. She raised her eyebrows in plucked surprise, and as everyone softly glanced to her phone to see who was messaging her, both Wren and Throttle eased back with knowing smiles as Berri's eyes dart back and forth between both guys; Turbo's name was confidently plastered at the very top of her text notifications, which had Throttle's inquisitive smile only broadening.
"Neon lights, babe," Throttle's deep, crackling voice coat over Berri's soul with the dregs of a knowing chuckle, "Neon lights."
