He was awake again what felt like no less than five minutes later. He quietly stood up and slid into the doorway. Underdog was standing in the kitchen, drinking from a bottle.
"Oh, hey Lewis- bad dream?"
Lewis sniffed, unsure. He went over and buried his face in Underdog's chest. He flinched, prying him off.
"Did you sleep?"
Lewis shrugged.
"...do you want to?"
Lewis nodded.
"Well uh…" Underdog turned to the counter, "I have some melatonin… you shouldn't really have any but…" he sighed, "I don't think anything bad can happen if you just have one. Can you swallow pills?"
Lewis shook his head, wiping his nose with a sleeve.
Underdog hummed, opening a cabinet and grabbing a shot glass, filing it halfway with water, Lewis watched him, confused. Underdog opened a different bottle and placed a pill in the water. He then grabbed a butter knife and stirred it up a bit.
"This is something my mom used to do for me," he said as he turned back to Lewis. "So while we wait… how do you know about me?"
"My mom had one of your dvds… she had it on all the time… and I got obsessed. Riff Raff's another favorite but I'm...scared of him."
"Riff is a pretty cool guy, huh. You know, his real name's Riff Raft." he emphasized the t, "Changed it for the cartoon. For a pun," he shrugged, "Sounds the same to me, though."
"He's real too?"
Underdog nodded, "They're all real. Well," he scoffed, "Battyman isn't real. Or the Bubbleheads." he laughed a bit, "Most of the otherworldly villains in that show weren't real, not that I can remember."
Lewis hummed. He could believe that. "Who were they? Really? Riff and Simon and Cad?"
Underdog hummed too. "Well… Simon was a power-hungry bloodlusting evil scientist and Riff and Cad were people who wanted to pay of their debts before they died and got tied up in the wrong line of work." he turned and stirred the shot glass, "Let's talk about this more in the morning, yeah? You need sleep." he handed Lewis the glass, which Lewis nervously took, he handed it back to Underdog, trying to swallow. Underdog refilled it and handed it back. "They taste gross, I know."
Lewis eagerly took it, drinking it slower. "Why do you have these?" he asked, quietly, putting his glass on the counter.
"I'm sad and I can't sleep at night," he replied. "Night, Lewis."
"What do you- night…" he was too tired to finish that train of thought, and made his way back to the bed, falling asleep instantly.
"Polly I'd… I'd introduce you to my husband, but I believe you already know him."
"You're right."
Riff Raft. He looked just the same. He'd traded in his pinstripe suit for a red shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Taptap looked like she remembered him, traded his suit for a dark blue sweater, not unlike Polly's. Polly could believe it, a crime boss and a diamond chisler? What a perfect combination for jewel theft.
"Nice to meet you again… Polly," said Riff, nervously "I hear we have a child."
"Guess so." Polly didn't want to admit to Riff having any right to her son.
Riff was silent for a bit, seemingly taking in the place.
"I-I know you're nervous, Polly," said Taps, stepping closer to her, "Riff doesn't… doesn't do that anymore, I swear," his voice softened, "I wouldn't… marry him if he was."
Riff smiled from behind him.
"Whatever," muttered Polly, "Just help me find my son."
"Put on your Sunday clothes there's lots of world out there…."
Lewis groaned a bit, opening his eyes. The room didn't seem any brighter from last night. Looking around, he saw a few specks of dust through the doorway.
"Get out the brilliantine and dime cigars!"
What the heck was brilliantine? Ugh.
"We're gonna find adventure in the evening air!"
He groggily stood up and walked into the living room. Underdog was sitting on the couch with the radio on his chest, arms behind his head, eyes closed.
"Girls in white in a perfume night where the lights are bright as the stars!"
What even was this song. Lewis walked up and tried to locate a power button. Eventually he picked it up to look closer.
"Hey, what the ff-" Underdog sprung up, making Lewis jump. "Give me that." he said angrily, tearing the radio from Lewis' hands and turning it off.
Lewis could hardly move. Who… who was this?
Underdog looked up regretfully at him. "I'm- I'm sorry Lewis I just…" he sighed, trailing off, staring at the radio.
"You just what!" Lewis squeaked, trying to stop himself from crying again.
He looked up, voice softening, "...this is one of the last things I have left of my dad, I'm… really overprotective of it. I'm sorry."
Lewis sniffled. He couldn't really blame him… if he had something that important to him just taken away he'd be angry too. Maybe he should've brought something to remind him of his own parent.
Underdog quietly placed it next to him, and patted the cushion to invite Lewis to sit. Lewis eagerly took it, leaning onto Underdog. He winced as his shoulder made contact.
"You alright, kid?"
Lewis nodded, "Must be that tailfin I hit last night."
Underdog hummed, wrapping an arm around him to hold him closer, obviously recalling that.
"...do you have parents, Lewis?"
"...yeah?"
"Do they know you're here?"
Lewis was silent.
"Why are you here?" he went on, voice shaking.
"I just… wanted to meet you. I really like your cartoons and… I kept hearing that someone who looked like you lived here and… you know."
"Are you… alright? Like… what's up? Are your parents okay?" he seemed nervous, "...I'm not a stranger to kids of your age saying that I've… helped them through awful, awful things."
"No!" he started getting defensive, "my mom's great I'm just a stupid kid who's obsessed with you and does stupid things because of it!"
Underdog held him close. He sighed, "Whatever you say, kid."