Sorry for the wait! I'm in the middle of college applications, so there isn't too much time to write. However, I do have a few of these waiting to be published. This is the first—a Russinka fic. Not big on the pairing at all, actually, but I like both the characters and wanted to write something with them in it.

Up next are probably Pepper/Zoe, Sunil/Penny, and Scout/Sugar Sprinkles. As always, recommend me pairings and ideas that you want to see published, I love suggestions!

The hedgehog held an apple in one hand, chew toy in the other, and was trying not to drop them both as a certain pink monkey danced around him. To his dismay, she was trying to fit him with a hat and set up her canvas all at once.

Russell was about sick of this. He'd agreed to be her subject for the day merely out of a desire to spend time with a friend—but now, he'd been stuck here all afternoon, just waiting on her to paint the stupid thing and get on with it! Artistic nonsense, he thought with a sigh, all of it.

He decided to give the monkey a stern warning after her 10th time moving her canvas. "Minkaaaaa…" he growled, tapping his foot irritably.

"Sorry, Charlie!" she chirped back, "just trying to get a good angle! I think you look really good with this hat on, and oooh! If you held this apple right here, the colors would go together so well and the abstract I paint of it is gonna look FANTASTIC! What do you think about—"

"Minka!" Russell had had quite enough. What on Earth did she want from him, anyways? If she wanted to paint a picture of him, she should have included only HIM in the picture, not any of that fancy garbage.

"Minka, come on! I thought you wanted a picture of ME! All of these props are getting in the way, and what's worse—you moved all of the stuff around! There's no way I can organize it!"

By the end of his tirade, he had dropped the apple, hat, and chew toy on the ground, his shaky hands not permitting him to hold anything in his trembling grasp. He was furious, though admittedly his primary irritation was not with the monkey herself, but with the sheer chaos her attitude suggested.

Minka, however, didn't seem particularly phased. During the middle of Russell's speech, she had slunk behind her canvas, and was now peeking up from behind it with a neutral expression. The hedgehog thought he had seen a wisp of sadness on her face; however, her countenance quickly lit up with something Russell could only describe as sheepishness.

She grinned a little, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh… okay! You don't have be the subject if you don't want, or if you don't like my props or my paints or whatever it is you don't like. No, sirree! I can find a different subject. In fact, I think I'll ask Sunil."

She was already walking by the time she uttered the blue mongoose's name, the likes of which sent Russell into quivering disbelief. His cheeks flushed and he bit his lip, his overbite drawing a little pinch of blood as he clamped down harder in jealousy. Wait, that was it, wasn't it? Jealousy? There was no way he could…

He didn't have time to finish the thought. All he could think of was Minka painting Sunil instead, and the look on her face as she watched the mongoose sit quietly and pose for her painting, pose for her…

"Minka, wait! C'mon slow down! I'll do it, I promise!"

She only looked back for a second as she dashed to the other side of the shop. Russell thought he caught her wink, but he wasn't sure.

"Hee, hee! Catch me if you can!"