Chapter Text
Allen’s First Time Through A Car Wash
“Where are we going?” Allen asked, swinging his legs in the back seat of Cross’s beat up 1957 chevelle.
“The car wash. What got a hot date with Dora the Explorer on T.V. or something?” Cross shot back.
“Uhhh no what am I like three?” Allen shot back with a glare.
“With how tiny you are honestly I don’t know anymore.”
“I am not tiny I am vertically challenged! Besides I haven’t hit puberty yet!”
“You are the smallest kid in your grade. You looked like a fucking toddler during your Christmas program.”
“Says the guy who only went to hit on my teacher!”
“Can you blame me!? Damn you’re lucky you have a teacher that fine, all the teachers I had were old and cranky.”
“Can you at least wait until I pass this grade before you decide to make your move on her.”
“Fair enough,” Cross agreed.
“Why did you even have to take me with you to the car wash? This piece of junk is always falling apart why do we gotta even wash it?” Allen whined.
“Why do you think I take you everywhere I go?” Cross fired back.
“Cuz you’re secretly lonely and I am the only person that talks to you that isn’t a female with huge boobs or a coworker.”
“Nice guess but no. It’s because you are the unluckiest kid I have ever met and if I leave you anywhere unattended, I know somehow you’ll almost get yourself killed.”
“What can I say, I make your life interesting,” Allen agreed.
“I can’t believe I left only to get the mail out of the mailbox and you almost drowned yourself in the bath tub,” Cross sighed.
“It’s not my fault the bottom of the tub was slippery and I smacked my head really hard on the side of the tub! Your house isn’t child proofed, it’s barely adult proof!” Allen whined, crossing his arms.
“How did you survive all those years alone as a fucking toddler!?”
“Cuz the fates enjoy my suffering too much to let my life end so early.”
“That’s pretty dark kid.”
“So is every time you close your eyes.”
“It is way too early for me to deal with your fucking sarcasm.”
“It’s always too early for me to deal with yours.” Allen sassed right back.
“I wish this car had an eject child button somewhere.”
“I’m surprised it doesn’t. It already tried to kill me once already!”
“You didn’t shut the car door all the way and I apologized what more do you want kid!?”
“To know we’re not driving in a death trap!” said Allen
“I like to live dangerously! One day you will appreciate the survival skills I teach you just by being in my mere presence!” Cross responded.
Allen rolled his eyes and blew a small piece of hair out of his face.
“Don’t you fucking roll your eyes at me I am the king of sass and I am not willing to give you that title yet,” Cross complained.
“I’m sorry but did you mean sass or king of asses?” Allen fired back.
“You’re lucky we’re in the middle of traffic or I would turn this car around.”
“I don’t even think this hunk of metal can barely turn at a stop light anymore let alone make a full U turn.”
“…Dammit I think you’re right.”
Allen smirked in victory to which Cross frowned in annoyance as he pulled into the car wash. Allen blinked, looking around in curiosity. Mana never took him to a car wash before, usually they washed the car themselves and it was very seldom. Mana liked to see the dirt caked on the car because he said it made it look like a traveler’s car, which they were. They were traveling performers. In fact, Mana’s car was older than Cross’s car and didn’t have any seat belts, but Allen didn’t mind. As far as he was concerned it got them to where they were going, but as he thought back to the night of the car accident, it probably would’ve helped to coax Mana into getting the car checked out. Maybe he’d still be alive. Of course, that was a story for another day.
Cross turned off the car momentarily to walk up to a machine to pay and pick what option he wanted before he returned to the car and brought it up to the entrance.
“W-Wait so you’re not going to get out and like wash it by hand?” Allen said, his eyes wide.
“Pfft no, what do I look like to you a peasant?” Cross responded before looking over at Allen, “I know Mana never seemed to wash his car before, but you’ve never been
through one of these before?”
“No. Are you sure the car won’t fall apart in here?” Allen asked.
“As long as you keep the windows rolled up then it should,” Cross responded as he drove up to the track would automatically take the car through the wash, “I mean it, keep the windows rolled up or I will tan your hide, got it?”
“Yeah,” Allen said distractedly, gasping when the car jolted and began to move on the track.
“Don’t piss yourself kid,” Cross laughed, stealthily pulling out his phone so he could record Allen’s reaction.
“I’m not scared!” Allen retorted, although his eyes flitted around nervously when the car began to shake, and water began to splash against the car. The part that entertained Cross the most was when the big brushes came out, “What the bloody hell are those things!?”
Cross resisted the urge to cackle at Allen’s accent slipping through in his surprise, deciding to just quietly sit and watch his reactions which were a mix of awe and fear. He wasn’t a fan of the huge brushes which quickly became clear as he moved as far away from them as he could and stared at them distrustfully. Timcanpy even popped out to move towards the window, attempting to bite at them through the glass, an attempt to protect his little companion.
“Ah it seems Tim doesn’t like them either,” Cross chuckled, watching Allen’s huge eyes blink owlishly as the soap slowly oozed down over the windows. He was grateful the kid hadn’t noticed he was video taping because he was so enamored with what was going on around him. Once Allen figured out that the brushes would be able to hurt him from within the car, he seemed to relax a little bit but still stared suspiciously at them and scooted away from them. Of course, that didn’t stop Tim from growling at them and flying around aggressively to try to scare them off. Once Tim was sure the brushes would not be returning, he flew back to perch on Allen’s head, seeming to be quite satisfied with itself. Of course, the fun wasn’t over as more water washed over the car and the air blowers started. And began to rock the car even more.
Cross continued to laugh as Allen instinctively scooted closer to Cross’s seat, staring at the air blowers warily. It reminded him of thunderstorms and he didn’t like how loud they were. He wasn’t traumatized by the experience though and Cross thought that was a win, even though his reactions were absolutely priceless. Timcanpy was simply an added bonus as he began to growl at the blowers and swish his tail around like a pissed off cat.
Cross quickly pocketed his phone before Allen could finally take notice, smirking cockily at how close Allen was pressed up against his seat and staring back at the exit in a mixture of awe and concern, “Not scared huh?”
“Shut it I wasn’t scared! I didn’t know what to expect! Tim was the one who was scared,” Allen yelped, glaring and pushing himself away from Cross’s seat in favor of kicking it once in defiance.
“Are you kidding me? Tim was at least trying to fight those things you just cowered away in your seat.”
“I’m too tiny to fight them!”
“So is Tim, that doesn’t stop him.”
“He has pointy teeth and can fly!”
“You do to and if it’s flying you’re concerned about I could just send you flying.”
Allen puffed out his cheeks in irritation before sulking in his seat, “I aint scared of some stupid car wash. I was scared of the car coming apart halfway through it.”
“Whatever ya gotta tell yourself kid.” Cross said, rolling his eyes with a shit eating grin, “I can’t believe I actually got that shit on tape.”
“YOU DID WHAT!?”
(The End~)