Un-fur-tunate Events

For the next few days, Bus took extra care of Boy, giving him the proper food and attention that he needed. Tired would come over to help occasionally while Bus practiced or competed.

However, that meant that Tired could not come to his games, which Bus found at first to be a good thing. After all, with no one on his mind, he surely was able to play the game properly…Right?

The timing of finding this kitten couldn't have been worse. As the first few minutes started, he knew exactly how the game was going to turn out. With players going out into open fields where the ball wasn't there and generally staring directly into the void, it wasn't just Bus that was off his game.

Overtime, the team just got worse, and it was a group effort. From Diamond having drama revolving around his fanbase to Naanee considering quitting football to become a world-reknowned baker, the entirety of the tits were a mess, and Bus was taking the direct effects.

"I got distracted by a butterfly!? A butterfly!!" Bus thought to himself. "Pull yourself together, Bus! You're not on the varsity team anymore!"

Still, the stress of the drama combined with the pressure of being a quarterback really got to him. Even some of his fans were losing faith in him!

Of course, except for the crazy dude in the back that sneaks in with disguises…

"That guy is so weird…Wait, no, Bus! Stay focused! The ball is-"

It was already too late. A member of the opposing team caught the ball.

"Touchdown!!!" Shouted the commentator.

Fans shouted in anger and jeered as the opposing team jumped around victoriously. It was the first game of the season that the team won.

It was extremely pathetic. The Tits never struggled so much. If they lost one more game, everyone knew they were done for. At least nobody was shouting his ear off with insults. The coach would usually do that, but he was awfully quiet today. Bus didn't know why. Perhaps, it was due to the overwhelming disappointment that he was experiencing. At least, that was what Bus theorized. He didn't want to dig into too much of anything, though.

He just wanted to go home. He didn't sign any autographs that day, nor did he pay attention to any of his fans. He was physically and mentally drained. He went straight to his car and drove off, looking out his windshield depressingly.

What a day…

He took a breath of fresh air as he opened the door to his place. Surprisingly, there was nobody in the living room when he arrived. He left Tired with the kitten and the carrier in there. Where could they have possibly gone?

"Tired? Where are you?"

After he said that, he heard the faint sound of giggling coming from the floor above. Curious, he stepped up the stairs and found out the giggling was coming from his room. He slowly opened the door and peeked inside. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Sitting crossed-legged on his bed was Tired, playing with and petting Boy. He was surprisingly nimble, being able to bat at the toys that both Tired and Bus bought for him.

"Aww, who's a cute little boy? You are!!~"

Bus's face turned up into a warm smile. This rare side of Tired was becoming increasingly more common, as much as she didn't like to admit it. At times like these, Bus felt- for the first time in a while- like he was actually winning.

He finally opened the door all the way and revealed himself, to which Tired looked up and froze, her eyes widening. Bus looked at her and crossed his arms, grinning teasingly.

"Well, I see someone has made a new friend!~"

Tired's face turned completely red, and she avoided his gaze by looking back down at Boy and dangling the toy.

"Well, I had to find some way to entertain myself…"

"How did you know where my room was?"

"I didn't. I was just looking for the toys that we bought Boy last week, and I stumbled in here."

She picked up Boy and handed him back to Bus.

"Anyways, I think it's about time that I go home. See ya."

Tired was about to walk out, but Bus put his hand on the door frame, blocking the way.

"Now, hang on just one moment. You just happened to play with the cat in my room, even though you could've just left Boy in the carrier while you went to get the toys?"

"What are you, some kind of detective? It's not that deep, smart*ss. Don't overthink it."

"Then why are you still blushing?~"

"The slightest gust of wind can make my cheeks turn red, Sweetie. Don't flatter yourself."

"Hmm…"

He knelt down to Tired's height and spoke smoothly, still not losing the smug grin on his face that was starting to turn into a smirk.

"Y'know, if you liked how I smelled so much, you could've just said so~"

"HOW DID-"

Tired scoffed and blushed harder than she did before. She lightly punched him in the shoulder, not enough to hurt him but enough to get her point across.

"AS IF!!! GROSS!!!"

Bus started laughing and held Boy close so that he wouldn't be scared by all of the commotion.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I had to!!!"

He could barely get those words out in between his laughter. Tired turned her back completely away from him.

"You're not sorry in the slightest! Geez, the nerve…"

When Bus's laughter calmed down, his smile and gaze started to soften. He brushed the back of his neck and glanced to the side.

"Er…In all seriousness, Tired, I really needed this. I didn't have the best game today, and seeing you just…made my day better…"

Tired's scowl faded from her face into a calmer expression of surprise and empathy. She turned back to him, and the smile started to fade from his lips.

"There's just…a lot going on with the team and all…I was just planning on going to bed and ending the day here."

"Oh…"

She spent a few seconds of silence trying to configure a response, which was harder than usual for some reason. She finally spoke up awkwardly with the best version of comfort she could muster.

"Well, at least you happen to have me there. I mean, imagine how much of a mess-"

Suddenly, her words were interrupted by Bus's ringing phone. He gave the kitten back to Tired, stood up, and answered.

"Yo…uhuh…yeah…"

Bus's brow furrowed at the words he heard and at that, Tired could tell something was seriously wrong. Bus just nodded with a troubled face, responding occasionally with a quiet "yeah" or "okay". He hung up the phone and sighed.

"Who was that?"

Bus leaned against the door frame and slid down to the floor

"That was my boss. Long story short, my coach is losing it. I think the games and YouTube views he's lost have gotten to his head. He started talking about doing "Confession Saturdays"...whatever that is. If my coach ends up going insane and quitting, this could be the end of the season."

Tired's tough demeanor completely broke at those words. Her heart sank to chest, and out of sorrow, she decided to completely change what her response was going to be.

"Bus-"

"This is not a good time for a mental breakdown. I mean, I know 'Peepaw' is getting old, but I didn't think he'd go full-on senile!"

"Bus-"

"I mean, he's one of the most sane people I know! Who would've thought he could ever do this???"

"Bus!-"

"Is that why he was so quiet last game??? I didn't think he-"

With no other option to quiet him down, Tired held Boy with one hand and used the other to pull Bus into a soft, sweet kiss. Bus was startled and wasn't able to kiss back until the last few seconds. When Tired pulled away, she took a deep breath and spat out what she wanted to say, now that Bus wasn't interrupting her.

"Bus…I could stay the night, if you'd like."

Bus blinked a few times before nodding his head slightly.

"Y-Yeah…Yeah, okay. There's, uhh…"

Now, it was his turn to not know what to say. This was the first time where he wasn't the one initiating the action. This time- and for the first time- Tired truly caught him off-guard in the best way possible. He had to think for a little while before remembering his words.

"There's an extra bedroom…You can sleep there for the night."

"Thanks…"

The silence in between them was thick as they just stared at each other. Neither of them were expecting Tired to do what she just did, not even Tired herself.

However, the surprise- even though unprecedented- wasn't unwelcome, at least from Bus's end. It left him dazed, almost like what he felt at that one game when Tired looked at him from the stands. He just felt encapsulated by the feeling he got from her, and nothing could replace it. That feeling still left him frozen as Tired placed the kitten back into his arms and walked over him.

"I'm gonna get some of the stuff from my place. I'll be right back."

Bus nodded, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear Tired open the door and leave, and just then, all of his reactions started to flood back into his head. He could feel his face getting hot, and when he slowly walked to his bed, he set the kitten down on the blanket and flopped down onto the mattress, covering his face with his pillow.

Tonight was a rollercoaster of emotions. He felt so many things: sad, anxious, flustered, but most of all…

He felt lucky…so, so lucky.