A grocery trip!

*May include sadness, motivational speeches, and screeching at 8 am.*

The first time he was adopted was when he was five. It was around the age where bitties are supposed to be put up for adoption since they don't need their mamas anymore. That's what the humans said... but...

… He misses his mama, even though he doesn't remember her much. He has many brothers and sisters still, but he doesn't know where they are yet. He knows she was really pretty and nice all the time, even though she looked at the humans with a mad look. She would tell him that she wasn't mad at him, and was just thinking about something.

She would tell him stories about how it was outside, with grasses and meadows and houses. She would talk about the sun, and how it warms you up and shines brighter than the lights outside the cage. She would talk about what they would do once she got out with him, and to wait a little bit longer until that day.

He was put in a cage. At first, he cried a lot. He wanted her back! She didn't react much, maybe because that happened to his brothers and sisters too. But what he'd never forgotten, was when she said "Be a brave boy now, _. Everything is going to be okay. I'll be there soon and we'll go outside together." So he knew she would. Mama never lied to him before. So he tried being brave, even though he was scared. He wasn't alone before.

He would give anything to see her again, but he already knew she wasn't there anymore. The humans called her "Breeding fodder". He didn't know what it meant, but it sounded bad… real bad.

Then they put on a muzzle. He screamed, but the humans didn't like that very much. They shook him around until he stopped and became quiet. Then they put it on. That muzzle was made of plastic, lightweight so his head could carry it.

He hated that the most out of everything.

He got used to the silence after a week or two, then one day, he saw a girl. She squealed and looked at him with a happy look, then ran to her mama and papa to do something. They signed a lot of papers with a pen, and he got out of the cage. Everything happened so fast. He got outside for the first time. He enjoyed it all, the smell of fresh air, the sounds of wheeled-metal things whooshing past the road, and the sight of the little girl, who eagerly gave him a shiny new ribbon from her bow. He saw the sun and forgot that his mama wasn't there too.

His first owners were good people. They treated him well and gave him good food and clothes. He was family to them, with a new mama and papa and big sister. Everything was perfect, like a dream.

Until it wasn't anymore.

Because the little girl took off his muzzle, and he bit her when she went to pet him. He wasn't used to holding back, because he never had the need to.

She went to the hospital, he went to the shelter. With an inch-thick crack in his skull. It's healed now, leaving just a hairline-scar… but…

It was there that he found out he was dangerous. The muzzle was replaced with a metal one.

His second owner wasn't as nice. He had many dogs, large ones too. They liked to bite him a lot because he's boney.

He doesn't remember a lot from that owner.

His third owner hit him. She screamed a lot and called him a monster. The bad kind.

He was in a cage there.

He remembers even less from there.

His fourth owner got hurt a lot by her papa. So she hit him.

Why can't he remember anything else?

All he remembers from the other owners is... hurt.

He wakes up to the sun rising above and shining through the curtains. He feels the soft fabric of new clothes and blankets. He has a small pillow tucked under his head. Was he dreaming? Or is this a dream? He doesn't even have a muzzle on!

That's what usually what he thought when he didn't wake up to a dark cage that didn't let the sunshine in.

It was almost surreal. He was happy. He was finally free. He woke up to something other than ratty clothes and the sound of many other incarcerated bitties that would get chosen over him.

But how long would this last? A week? A month? A… a year? The thought made his soul pang, leaving a familiar ache of sadness, fear, and detachment. He brushed it off, bottling up the feeling. He was going to enjoy it while it lasted. At least this was a nice home, a good person, and no muzzle. That's more than he could ask for.

He took a deep breath of the sweet-smelling air and sighed, stretching and hearing the pleasant popping of his joints. He was adopted. He has a nice owner. He has a name now.

Teddy.

That's his name. He tries to ingrain it into his memory, so he never forgets it like his other names. Just so that he'll never forget it if… they take him back. This is the best home he's had so far, so even if they do, he won't forget them.

Teddy. It's his favorite word besides Y/N. He isn't just "purebite" or "thing" or "Bitty" or "Skeleton". No. He's teddy now, and he's so happy. It's a feeling he hasn't felt in a long time and he relishes it. Just feeling nothing but happiness, no pain, no hurt, no sadness.

He belongs again.

And he starts crying, laughing, giggling and then starts sobbing. It's a mixed cocktail of emotions that he's blocked himself from feeling for so long. But now he's here. He's safe. They weren't even mad when he bit them. They never even hit him once either.

He's so happy.

And he never wants it to end.

Well. You marathoned through four movies, watched two episodes of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie before your gag reflex kicked in, bought some bitty furniture, clothes, PJ's and other goodies, and blessedly got tired enough to snag two hours of sleep on the couch before you woke up at- lessee here… 7:30 Am.

Progress.

You kicked off the sofa throw and realization struck you; Shit. You need to make breakfast. You have a kid now. Did he wake up? Is he asleep? Should you make pancakes? Do you even have enough pancake mix? Is it bad if he hasn't eaten any actual protein in a while?

Shitshitshit-

Even though no sane child would wake up at this hour, you should have been prepared! (Oh. Every sane child wakes up at this hour. School, duh. Wait, Do bitties even have school?)

You made a mad dash over to the kitchen and yanked open the fridge door (That was totally not adorned with waifu-magnets. Because only a person with absolutely no standards would put that on their fridge. Hahahahaaaaa.)

Empty, save for a very, very unappealing carrot that oddly looked like your ex-coworker, a bunch of other vegetables that seem haunted and started dripping a probably (definitely) toxic liquid, dog-shaped cookies that were probably stale (but you were still going to be eating, because that cost you a good 7 bucks and they were Halloween themed), and a LOT of chocolate milk.

An unhealthy amount, even.

Maybe your energy-levels are shit because half of your life has been spent while drunk on chocolate milk. Made more sense than your other theories. *Cough*alien mind-control*Cough*

Well, It seems like a grocery trip was in order, especially if you want to give him anything healthy to eat for breakfast.

Okay, maybe a bit of junk food too. But not too much!

.

.

.

Yeah, You're totally going to buy five bags of chips. You're calling it now. Self-control died back when you had your own credit card.

Because you live on the edge.

You heard sleepy shuffling coming from upstairs. Looks like Teddy got up.

"Um... Mam- Y/N. Can you help me get downstairs, please?"

"Sure. I'll be right there Tedds." You walked up to the stairs and picked him up gently. No biting huh? Perfect. Today has been going unexpectedly smooth, and for some reason, you weren't feeling the incoming dread of something screwing that up.

Which meant that something else was definitely going to screw it up.

Ha, you think you got me, life? You thought wro- shit! You tripped on your own foot and stumbled madly down the last three steps, holding Teddy out of the falling-range.

This is what happens when you try and spite life. It'll spite you back and drop a loogie in your cheerios, then mix skittles in your M&M's to make something horrendously fruity and chocolaty.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Is everything good so far? More importantly, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah! Let's do it again!"

Tail? Wagging.

Smile? Still there.

Hotel? No memes until you've had coffee, thanks.

"I slept really well up there. Your bed is really comfy too. It's a bit too tall though."

"I'll have to get a stool for you to get on the bed and back safer. I'm glad you slept well despite that. "

"Thanks, Boo."

"Anytime Teddy."

He seemed rather absentminded, thinking about something, perhaps?

"You okay, Tedds?" he looked at you sheepishly.

"Um… I'm kinda hungry.."

He's hungry. Of course, he's hungry. Anyone who is rational would be hungry.

"Well about that… we have to go get some groceries to make breakfast. You okay with that, Tedds?"

"M'kay. By the way, did you sleep well?" His head tilted a little in curiosity. Another tick to the cute meter. But that made it just that much harder to lie to him.

"I slept… Adequately...?"

"That doesn't sound like you slept well." He pouted, just a bit. Which is weird, considering the lack of lips. Eh, let's just say he pouted.

"Like I said, I'll go to the shower now. Hm… Keep yourself entertained by watching some TV. What kind of shows do you like?"

"Umm… I like Sesame Street."

You didn't think you could die more from the cuteness. You were wrong.

"Gotcha! I'll go put it on. Feel free to be as comfortable as you want- this is your home now!" You set him on the sofa, put on Sesame Street, and gave him a quick run-through on the TV remote functions, then you ran into the shower to do your thing.

He watched Boo go upstairs, then he got comfortable on the sofa. It was really soft to sit on, maybe she wore it down by sitting on it a lot.

He saw Elmo on the piano and began to sing.

Phew. You got out of the shower- feeling less drowsy and much less grimy, then you walked into your bedroom and got out some casuals. Lets see here.. jeans? Totally. Iconic and slightly meme-y sweater? You bet. Uncombed hair that turned into a curly mess with the water yesterday? You aren't even going to try combing through that mane of yours. You pocketed your credit card and grabbed a bunch of coupons, then you headed over to where Teddy was.

Turns out he really liked Elmo. He was singing one of the songs from the show and bouncing in place, tail wagging and everything. It was the most comfortable you had seen him in the entire time since you met him. You don't regret saving him, so there, anxiety.

{Anxiety has blocked you from the chat.}

Jeez, cranky, aren't we?

He noticed you only when you grabbed your keys; maybe the jingle was something he couldn't help but pay attention to from his days at the shelter.

"Oh! Hiya Y/N. Are we going yet?" He looked at you with a curious look, and you noticed something extra cute.

His eyes are gaining some color. Before they used to be pure white. The little eyelights shone a faint lilac. Purple suits him.

"Boo?"

"Huh- Oh yeah! Do you want to go in those clothes, or do you want to keep those just for sleeping only?

"I think I want to put on my other clothes. I don't want to get these dirty outside- it's not going to be as fun to sleep on."

"Okay then Tedds. I'll get your other clothes and we'll go."

You got up the stairs, grabbed the extra set of clothes from the shopping bag, as well as the Bitty diet booklet. Could come in useful.

"Now, let's go to the car. You ready, teddy?"

"That rhymed! I'm ready Y/N."

"Perfect. And hey, it did rhyme. Good ear." You opened the door, quickly checked to see if you had everything once more, and you got out. You waited for him to catch up as you locked the door, and you headed over to the sedan.

"I don't have ears."

"Just a metaphor, hon."

"Okay. I haven't seen this car in the daytime before. It looks pretty." Everything is pretty for this kid. You opened the door for him and helped him get in the car, then you walked in and saw the familiar sight of the muzzle in the backseat. Fuck this thing. You tossed it in the trash outside and started the car.

You remember when you got this car. You got it used from your neighbor for $10,000, then took 3 months to pay it off in full.

You called her Patricia. The car, that is. Ol' Patty has been with you for a long time, through thick and thin, long voyages of going to that one good pizza place, and the shorter, wonderful times of going to the game store and getting a cheap, horrible indie that you can laugh about later. She's a dear, that Pat.

You headed through the familiar route to the supermarket; passing by the plaza as you did so. Teddy saw it and grew nervous, but once he saw that you had passed it, he visibly calmed down.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself, Teddy. It's better if we get to know each other more, right?"

"Um... Okay. What would you like to know, Boo?"

"How about your likes and dislikes?"

"Well… I really like soft and nice things, and I'm happy with everything but I don't really feel happy around big dogs. I also really like kitties. Oh! And my favorite food is pizza."

OH NO. HE MATCHES YOUR STANDARDS! This kid is gonna be the death of you. Wait- what'd he say about cats?

"Now it's your turn!"

"My turn, huh?" You turned to the parking lot.

"I guess I like peace and quiet a lot. Don't really like a lot of disturbance, and I keep to myself most of the time. I also like watching shows and stuff, maybe a casual video game or two. As for my favorite food, it's a tie between anything dessert-y or fat-filled."

"That sounds very unhealthy, I think."

"Oh, It is."

You turned into the parking lot and went into the spot closest to the supermarket, then you opened the door for Teddy and undid his seatbelt. He seemed like he didn't know what to do in a parking lot, so you carried him until you found a cart outside the supermarket.

Maybe you could just put him in the kid's seat? You adjusted the cart and gently placed him in the front section of the cart. He seemed to get the idea and put his legs through the front, then he smiled goofily.

"This is fun!" He swung his short legs over the edge of the seat and smiled at you.

"You're really optimistic, Teddy." You said as you entered the store. Lessee… You would need to get some meats or protein-rich foods for Teddy, maybe some snacks… (Totally some snacks.) veggies that won't rot in your fridge, maybe a soda. You definitely need to get some healthy stuff for Teddy. The pamphlet mentioned purebites growing more after a certain age. …Would you need to get him calcium-rich food?

He's a skeleton after all… Hm...

You were never fit to be a caretaker.

You can't even take care of yourself properly.

There's always going to be someone better than you.

You aren't good enough.

"Boo?"

You looked down to see a concerned Teddy staring back at you. For a moment you paused, agape in thought before smiling. You have to be a good role model for him. Don't mess up.

"Nothing, Tedds. Now, I'll hand you the checklist and you'll tell me what we'll need to get. How's that sound?"

"Sounds fun!" His eyes shone a little brighter and he eagerly grabbed the checklist that, let's be honest, was really big for him to hold. Still, he was determined to be helpful and began listing off some of the… words..?

His cheerful face grew confused, then frustrated. He looked at the words from top to bottom but had that face. The face you made when your college made you do calculus once upon a time. Frustrating you to the point of complacency and simple at-home jobs so you could enjoy all the time you were missing out on.

"Heh, I get it. My handwriting is chicken-scratch." No response. He kept trying to understand what your writing meant.

Or… Was he trying to understand what the letters meant?

But... now that you thought about it… Did bitties ever get a proper education? Or were they just there to sit still and look cute for people to buy them off?

Why would a small pet shop in a dingy plaza ever want to pay to educate them?

"Teddy… You don't know how to read, don't you?"

He flinched, just slightly and didn't want to look up at you. He must have heard this before. "I… I don't... Nobody taught me before… and I... just..." he trailed off weakly.

You felt a sort of ice-cold dread wash over you. The kind of feeling when you know something isn't as it seems. "Owning" bitties. The concept has been seen through rose-tinted glasses, making it seem like owning a dog or cat instead of another being that's being deprived of education, independence, and is forced into being sold off like toys. You wanted to rip that damned pet system to shreds. Teddy seemed to notice your irritation and thought you were mad at him.

"I… I can be good at other things though!" He looked up at you with faded-white eyelights, no more purple.

"Teddy wait-"

"I know I'm not too smart, or tough or mean or cute, but I-I can be useful too!"

He had the numb-kind of sadness. Part of it is disbelief and another part is hurt. Yet, when you feel like that you can't bring yourself to cry. Because you cried those kinds of tears before until they ran out.

"An-an' I can do anythin' you want! Honest! I-"

"Nonono shh, Teddy it's okay!"

"*hic* B-but- I- *hic*"

"Teddy, I'm not mad, for real! Please don't cry-"

He started whispering incoherent apologies and you got him out of the cart and back into the car before people thought you were abusing him or something. Then he really started crying.

You sighed. Dammit, now he thinks you're mad at him. This is why you shouldn't deal with kids, Y'N. You screw everything up sooner or later.

Once you were in your car, you pulled him into a comforting hug. "Teddy, please don't be sad. I don't think you're bad, or dumb or anything like that." He started calming down a bit, but his bones were shaking like a sort of rattle.

So you stayed in the car. For as long as you needed to. You didn't say much, he didn't either. You just stayed there, holding him close and petting his skull until he calmed down completely.

"You feel better, Tedds?"

"…mhm."

You gave him a reassuring grin.

"I'll teach you how to read. I'll teach you everything I know, and then you won't have to worry about anyone thinking you're not smart!"

He looked at you in the same kind of disbelief for a few tense moments and stayed silent. Maybe he didn't want to respond, maybe he didn't know what to say.

Until he gave you that million-dollar smile with tears still in his eyesockets as he looked at you with a sort of will to go on.

Purple.

Perseverance.

"Let's go back and get our groceries. YOU WITH ME TEDDY?"

"Y-YEAH!"

"REPEAT AFTER ME!"

"OKAY!"

"I'M NOT DUMB!"

"I..I'M NOT DUMB!"

"I'M VERY SMART!"

"I'M VERY SMART!"

...

Needless to say, it went on for quite a while.

So that's how everyone kept staring at you guys in the parking lot at 8 am. Maybe they were also a bit scared.

Of your self-confidence, that is. You walked in with Teddy in the front cart looking like a pair of badasses shopping for some food and maybe some pop tarts, you wouldn't know. Regardless, you grabbed the list and proceeded to check off the items from the overly complicated set of words.

Snack foods were crossed out and then re-written on said list, making it reek with denial. Sadly, you knew that you wouldn't hesitate to grab the snacks once you passed them.

It's basically inevitable.

You looked where Teddy was looking to see if anything caught his eye, but then you saw it. He looked at it with such a wide-eyed expression that it was impossible not to miss. A small but fluffy-looking plush dinosaur with different colored patches on it and cute little eyes. They always had these little plushies in the supermarket at this time of year, but you never really felt more inclined to buy one until now.

Mostly because of the eyes on some of them kinda… follow you.

And also because you've never passed by this particular section without running (away) frantically until you reach the icecream aisle. Speaking of which…. Frozen pizza is a must. You wrote it down haphazardly in the list, then you went over to the stand.

He saw you walk over to the stand and you picked the exact one he was looking at, giving it to him at his spot on the cart.

He looked from the plush to you and back again, wide-eyed and not knowing whether to smile or to squeal.

he immediately hugged the plush tight and bounced in his seat, then began to play with his new toy. Or maybe he was just petting it. *Insert 'I dunno' sound here*. You grabbed some bitty supplements in the pet aisle. Bones shouldn't look that thin. Or maybe it's because he's young? Gosh, you needed to google more about this.

It was nice. Kids are… refreshing to be around. You felt kind of teary. You grabbed some more chocolate milk as well as some yogurt and cheez fizz.

Ah, cheez fizz. Fun to make mustaches out of. Even more, fun to eat. Not as fun to digest (You're jealous of the younger you with a stomach of steel). But dammit if it isn't worth it. Scratch that, make it two cans of fizz. And one of whipped cream. And a tub of ice cream across the aisle.

"Tedds, what's your favorite ice cream?"

"Strawberry." He said as he pretended that the stuffed dino (Which he had named "Rexy", by the way) was eating the groceries.

Neopolitan it is then.

…

Maybe one day you'll be crazy enough to make a disgusting concoction of cheez fizz, whipped cream and ice cream, then eat it.

Well, you melted junior mints into a Slurpee one time… Still, that was a huge blow for you... Decisions, decisions.

Maybe this is why your dignity has gone away for an indefinite vacation… while also making it so you couldn't get the security deposit. Asshole.

Then again, it could also be the anime, or the sound of cats furiously mating outside your backyard at three am. Now that you think of it, you should soundproof Teddy's room before he loses a chunk of his sanity listening to get some pu-.

Wait- You're running out of cat food at home. Crap, better get some before they find you worthy as a sacrifice instead. You might want to cat-proof your home again. Teddy's like 1/5th your size. If those damned cats got you on your knees…

You shuddered at the thought, buying cat treats as well. Just in case they make it into your home.

Don't want that happening again.

Now, what left…

Veggies that won't rot in less than a week, check.

Bread, check.

Snacks, hm... You grabbed a box of Rice Krispies. Perfect. Check. And marshmallows. Pff- Teddy looks like a marshmallow. Anyway...

Cheese, check.

Sacrificial dried-nuggets for the hellspawns outside of your house, check.

…and wet food. They get angry without wet food. ...Also, check.

Ah, crap- pizza. You made a mad dash- (which made Teddy start pretending that the cart was a rollercoaster)- into the frozen foods aisle, then you got a few boxes of pizza.

…A few, because you couldn't fit too much stuff in your freezer. It's sad, but you have already spent your tears on that matter.

You should get another freezer while convincing the hopeful/delusional part of you that you're going to use the space to buy frozen berries and start juicing again.

Ha.

That juicing phase only lasted you an hour once you drank the concoction you made.

So you used your juicer for other things and more important deeds.

Like shredding photos of your exes. Your body felt way healthier doing that.

By the time you had gone and finished the list, it was already 10 Am.

"I'm hungryyyy" whined Teddy.

"Sameeeee." You also whined. Because you can.

"…"

"…"

"Pizza?"

"Yeah."

The groceries were in the car and you started driving home. You didn't want Teddy to get nervous about you driving to that plaza, so you decided to order it to your house and drive over. They delivered in about 30 minutes, just enough time for you to get the groceries in.

You put the groceries in the back and helped Teddy get in the car. He was so preoccupied with his stuffed animal that he didn't even try to nip you. He pretended that the little dino wanted to be his friend and they had fun talking about what they liked doing.

You called the pizzeria, then headed home.

It took a while to put away the groceries, but not too long. Teddy helped you by grabbing the smaller things and giving them to you, while you emptied out your fridge and reluctantly cleaned it out, scrubbing out the muck with a spare sponge.

What? You're not THAT lazy.

Then you put everything away and stored the shopping bags to use sometime.

The doorbell rang and you got out a twenty, then you paid and set the box on the coffee table.

"Yay pizza!"

"Heck yeah pizza!" The two of you cheered as you got out paper plates and sat on the sofa. "Okay Teddy, I'll teach you the best way to enjoy being at home. Step one, relax."

"I'm relaxed I think!"

"Perfect. Then get a blanket." You put the sofa throw on top of the both of you, while also putting a few napkins under Teddy's plate, just in case he spilled anything on the blanket.

"Third, Watch a movie!"

"What are we watching?"

"Something PG, of course. I'm thinking something like Disney. Hey! You ever watch Coco?"

"No?"

"Now I bring you to my last step. Turn off the lights and put on the movie while eating."

..

Teddy got the hang of it really soon. He also commented on how funny the skeletons in the movie looked. Hey, you were a fan of ironic situations, don't judge. It took a while, but he got pretty drowsy after eating and slept through the ending, hugging his dino plushie. You looked back at him from your spot at the other side of the sofa, then smiled.

Normally, you would spend the morning doing nothing and seeing what you could eat, and if there was nothing to do, you'd just do nothing until the afternoon to start working.

Maybe he saved you, in a way. You turned off the TV and went to feed the cats (Because they still need food too), then you laid down at the opposite side of the sofa.

In just one day, you found family.

...

You should try getting out that wish-board again...

Let me know what you think! :D

(Also, to avoid any further confusion, Teddy nicknamed Y/N "Boo" because A. It was a name suggestion I didn't wanna go to waste, and B. Typing Y/N over and over is going to give me an aneurysm.

Thank you, you beautiful people for reading, and virtual cookies to all ( 3) ~3 3