Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

3rd POV

"I dont want to be like my mother. I don't want to become some doormat handmaiden that stays in the shadow of her husband," She held a fist to her chin with glossy eyes. "I trust that you'll take good care of our little Lucy. And Todd, too. You are a better housewife than I could ever be, Orel. Even if your busy with work,"

"You can't just leave me. I cant do this on my own, Chrissy. I barely make enough money to sustain this family, what makes you think I'll have time to maintain the house as well?" Orel swallowed a lump in his throat. It would be constant work; waking up early in the morning, dropping the kids off to school, going to school, working all day, picking the kids up, going home to a dirty house, cleaning up after everyone, cooking for everyone- this was not a one-man job.

His voice shook as he nearly begged the woman before him. "I need you. Christina, you're the love of my life and I need you. We can make this work, together,"

"Your kids need you, Orel. Im sorry, I just-" she sniffled into her fingers, the tears in her eyes itching to be free. "I can't do this anymore. I've tried for so long and I just cant,"

Christina reached for her purse and slipped on her shoes. "I'm going to a hotel for the night. We can discuss.. splitting up tomorrow," a few heel clicks on the floorboards and she was gone. It was over.

Orel remained motionless above his rough, leather recliner that he was once seated in. He wanted to cry, but nothing came out as his throat and eyes were parched from the shock. Instinctively, he began to firmly clutch the pure silver cross around his neck, trying to find some sort of comfort in his situation.

Why does God betray me like this? He thought, trying to think of something in his life that he did so wrong to warrant this endless torture. Yet, even in the bleakest of times, he could still find things to be grateful of. He had two beautiful children with each a heart of gold, and Christina is a fool for not wanting to watch her precious young grow up.

Thats all he cared about, now. Everything he does from now on will be for his kids, no matter how exhausted or drained it makes him feel. More importantly, he didnt want to become like his father.

Orel shook his head and made a B-line to Lucy's room. A carebear nightlight glowed on a bedside table, giving off a steady gleam to the rest of the space, including the sleeping girl adjacent to the light.

He tiptoed towards her bed as to not make a sound, and kneeled down to her head to give it a gentle kiss. She had just turned five years old this month, and she was already so smart. Needless to say, Lucy had some damn good genetics.

Shortly after, he made his way out of his daughter's room and headed towards his own. He would give Todd a kiss too, but he was a relatively light sleeper, and Orel didn't want to disturb him, especially with the upcoming news that he may have to witness very soon.

Chapter Text

3rd POV

It was Sunday morning. It was unlikely that the Puppingtons would show up for church.

Orel was wide awake at 5:20 A.M. sharp and typing away on his laptop, just like every other day. What made today different, however, was the fact that the left side of the bed was now empty. He could still feel her presence looming over him like a rain cloud. A really dense, stormy, yet pretty rain cloud.

Unsurprisingly, Orel soon heard a door creak open and the jiggling of keys coming from the living room. Christina soon timidly pushed the door to the bedroom open and glanced at Orel, ringing her fingers for comfort.

"Chrissy, ple-," The woman sighed and held up her hand. "Please don't try this right now. I've made up my mind, Orel," She waltzed over to the corner of the bed, turning around to face the wall.

"My name is Christina. Call me Christina, please," An awkward silence filled the room as Orel felt his heart breaking into a thousand pieces with every comment she made. Christina crossed her legs and rubbed her head, saying, "I spent some time researching last night and I found a few lawyers that can help to file a divorce,"

Orel threw his laptop across the bed and stood up against the nicely woven carpet. "I'm still keeping custody, right?" He could barely get the words out, with his voice cracking from the tears swelling in his eyes.

"Yes. You should tell them, today. Get it over with..." As she trailed off, Orel sneered in her direction. "We are going to tell her. You are going to be there to see your ki-" he hiccuped, a single tear falling down his cheek. "-see your kids cry for you,"

Both adults stared at the floor, silently bottling up the arguments they wanted to throw eachothers way. Alas, Orel made his way around the bedframe and weakly held his hands out. "Can I please have a hug?" Every one of Christinas instincts told her not to hug him, but after a few moments of debate, she hopped of the bed and took a couple steps forward.

Her arms linked under Orels, and she tucked her nose into his collarbone, taking in his scent one last time. The brunette was quick to return the gesture, and wrapped his arms around her waist as tight as he could. It was like time had stopped for the both of them as the two relished in how perfectly they fit together.

It only lasted for a few seconds, though, because Christina soon pulled away and held herself. "How about we tell them at 7? Are you okay with that?"

"Um, yea, yea, thats fine," his voice was still wobbly, and it only got worse and worse as time went on.

Orel shook his head wildly at the floor and clenched his hands into fists. "Christina, where are you even going to go? Whats your plan? Just run away from you family and become homeless?"

"I... haven't really decided yet. I mean, I've always wanted to get out there and travel the world, so.." She bit her lip, tiptoing around her words as to not upset the man in front of her anymore than she already had. "I just think I need a new beginning. To get away from my upbringing, and all,"

Orel opened his mouth to protest but Christina quickly cut him off. "I know, I know, we don't live in Moralton anymore, but I swear everytime I look at you, I just get reminded of everything I went through,"

"How is that my fault? I've told you so many times to go get therapy like I did, but you never listen to me!"

Christina couldn't bear to gaze at her ex-husband, and cupped her face whilst yelling, "No, nothing will help! I've prayed to God so many times, and I think its destiny for things to be this way,"

She cupped her hands behind her back and started down at her red velvet shoes. "I'm sorry, Orel. Maybe someday if we cross paths again we can rekindle this, us, but I just cant take this anymore,"

The tears he had been holding back finally spilled, and he muttered, "Ill meet you a-at 7," before running to the bathroom to take a shower.

Chapter Text

3rd POV

It had been almost 2 months since the divorce was finalized, and Orel had taken a few weeks off from his job teaching at Melissa Bell Middle School. As it was his first day back, he had come in earlier than usual to put the finishing touches on his lesson plans.

When the clock struck 8:30 A.M., a few clusters of kids swarmed into the classroom and took their seats whilst chatting to one another.

"Mr. Puppington, your back!" Penny Brown exclaimed as she skipped towards Orel to give him a welcome-back hug. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Penny. Its good to see you again," Even for an 8th grader, the young girl was full of energy and had plenty of love to share. She was Orels favorite, and seeing her helped to slightly dull the pain.

Orel clapped his hands together rhythmically, signaling for everyone to return to their seats while he scrolled through his laptop to open the attendance page.

At the call of their name, each student raised their hand and called, 'here' as Orel moved down the list of kids. When he got down to the S's, there was one name he didn't remember seeing before, and that name was Trevor Secondopinionson.

"Uhm, Trevor? Sorry, are you new here?" The boy rolled his eyes and grunted in response. He had deep, mahogany hair that looked unkempt, and he was a bit bigger than the rest of the class.

Orel shook his head, mumbling under his breath, "Ah, wait, the staff told me about you," He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie in an instant. "Yes, Trevor, I'm sorry I wasn't here for your arrival. I'm happy to have you join my class!"

□

The more Orel taught his lesson, the more familiar Trevor seemed. His facial features, his shaggy hair, but what most stood out was his last name.

His thoughts were interrupted by a wet ball of paper that bounced off his cheek, coming from the very back of the class. Trevor and two other boys, presumably the friends he made while Orel was gone, were snickering up a storm and trying to hold back their laughs.

"Hey, you three, knock it off back there. If it happens again, I'm calling your parents," Trevor gave a nasty sneer at the man while the other two bowed their heads in shame. He was most certainly the bravest of the bunch, and didn't seem at all phased by Orels words.

The brunette turned his back towards the board once again to continue his speech about how to solve an algebraic equation when he felt another small pellet hit him right in the center of his head.

Orel whipped his head around to find the same three kids chuckling even louder this time. "Boys, Im going to have to phone your parents,"

"But, we didn't do anything! It was all Trevor!", Angel pleaded, knowing that it was easy to get off scott-free with Mr. Puppington if you begged enough. The other boy, Mikey, nodded in agreement and crossed his arms to his chest. The duo was known for causing trouble in the classroom, but they never went to this extent to disrupt a lesson.

Trevor just grinned at this. "Fine, I don't care, my dad probably won't even care! He's always busy, and could beat you up any day," Orel frowned, thinking, 'poor kid, must not have a good home life'.

"We can continue this conversation later, Trevor,"

Chapter Text

3rd POV - The Next Day

Orel sat in his now empty classroom, shuffling through papers and grading homework. Even after he told Trevor that he was calling his father, he still acted up for the rest of class, earning Orel an in-person visit with his dad the next day. He was always very serious about good behavior and respect, so he figured being bold at the very beginning would do the trick.

They scheduled to meet at around 4:15, but unsurprisingly to Orel, he was almost 40 minutes late. I mean, his classroom isn't that hard to find, and there's no way he lives that far away from the school.

At that moment, Mr. Secondopinionson trudged towards his desk, rubbing his left eye. He was a tall man, definitely taller than Orel, and wore a stained t-shirt underneath his beat up black jacket that had visible tears. He shared a striking resemblance to his son in terms of facial features, and this time, it really jogged Orels memory.

The sound of the door slamming behind him made the brunette jump, and he then hastily put aside the pile of worksheets he had assigned previously to make room for him to clasp his hands in an effort to look more professional. "Good evening. Joe, was it? Sorry, my brains' been a little scrambled recently," Joe slumped into his seat and ruffled his hair, a small grin beginning to split his face. "Yea. So what's this about my kid?" Enough strands of hair were out of the way for Orel to really get a good look at his face. Dark circles had accumulated under his deep hazel eyes, and a light stubble wrapped around his jawline, giving him a rugged look. His hair looked equally unkept, as it was tousled and dirty.

"Uhm, well, I just wanted to let you know that Trevor has been a bit of a distraction in class lately. He-"

"How so?" Joe interrupted, leaning back into the cushion of the chair. "..He has been shooting spitballs at me and disrupting the learning of other students. I wanted to touch base with you and see if we could somehow help your son,"

"Sorry, he's been takin' the move pretty hard. The boy has lived in Moralton his whole life," Orels eyes widened slightly and he unclaped his right hand to scratch his neck. "Oh! I used to live in Moralton when I was a kid too, heh,"

"Hah! I knew it! Your Orel, Orel Puppington, no doubt about it!" Joe busted into laughter and held he head down towards the desk with his fists against the wooden surface.

Suddenly, all the memories came flooding back to Orel; this was the Joe Secondopinionson. "Ah, pardon me, I didn't know it was you at first, Joe. Its nice to see you after all this time,"

"It sure is, I missed seeing pretty church boy every day," Joe bit his lip and rested his cheek on his palm, grinning from ear to ear.

"Uh, uhm, yea," he trailed off, feeling his blush deepen and spread across his face.

"We should catch up sometime, huh? Could I maybe get your personal phone number?"

Orel hesitantly ripped off a sticky note from a nearby pad and slowly wrote down his digits. "Erm, alright. Feel free to call me whenever,"

"Thanks. Hey, so, we're probably gonna have to talk about Trevor some other day. I'm pretty busy tonight," Orel almost rolled his eyes at this, but put on a gentle smile and nodded. "Well, okay. This is serious, though, I won't be accepting this behavior in my classroom,"

Joe cackled under his breath and winked at the man behind the desk. "Seeya Orel~"

A/n: sooo the two have finally met once again because of Joe's punkass little dumbass kid ((who was held back btw i feel like i should make that clear rn)....................this chap may go under heavy editing lol

Chapter Text

3rd POV

It was 6 o'clock when Orel arrived home. Todd was sitting on the couch watching SpongeBob with Lucy at his side, both snacking on some popcorn. At the sound of the creaking door, he quickly switched the channel to VeggieTales, silently cursing to himself. The teen swivled his head and shouted, "Hey, dad!"

"Hi, son," Orel kicked his shoes off and paced towards his kids, leaning down to kiss the younger siblings hair. "And hello there, my little Lucy-Loo!" He began to tickle her under her arms and around her stomach, earing many stifled giggles from the little girl.

"What were you two thinking for dinner, hm? There's still some leftover spaghetti that I could warm up," Todd and Lucy both nodded at him. "Sure! Can you, uhm, help me with my homework?" He began to fiddle with his buttons. "Its geometry again,"

Time Skip

Todd watched his food spin in the microwave, patiently waiting for the 2 minutes to be over. He had just put away his homework after Orel helped him, and was now tapping his fingernails on the marble surface in anticipation.

Being 14 was hard. Intelligent kids usually have a harder time making friends, and that was just the case for the young boy. Yet, it wasn't ever much of a problem, since he always focused on his work instead of others. That's what school was about.

As he heard the beeping of the microwave, he got up to get his dinner while Lucy jumped atop the stool next to her brother. Orel paced into the room with his laptop and charger in hand, heading towards the kitchen table.

He unraveled the cord and plugged it into the side of the table where an outlet stood, and he sat down next to Todd and opened his laptop with the charger plugged in.

"Aren't you gonna have dinner?" Orel shook his head. "No, I had a big lunch and I'm not feeling too hungry tonight," Todd frowned but went back to his meal, getting increasing worried about his dad. Ever since the divorce, he hasn't been himself at all It seemed that everytime Todd turned to look at his father, he had a sorrowful, lonely look on his face.

Orel felt the soft buzz of his phone in his pocket, and paused his work flow to take a look. It was an unknown number, and he almost declined the call before remembering his interaction with Joe earlier that day.

He felt obligated to answer, so he reluctantly swiped left with his thumb and held the device up to his ear while walking into his bedroom. It was probably good to keep this conversation private.

"Hello, this is Orel Puppington," Quiet rustling was heard through the phone before the caller responded with, "Heyyyy Orel, its Joe here. Trevor's dad,"

Its too late for this, Orel thought to himself. It hasn't even been a whole 5 hours and he's already bugging me. "Hi Joe. Here to reschedule our appointment?"

"Your all business, huh? Sure, whatever, but we've gotta do it on the weekend," Joe's words were faintly slurred, yet that seemed to be his nature since he sounded similar earlier. "I'm a busy guy,"

..busy? "Where do you work?"

"Youuuur gonna have to find out this Saturday, babe. I'll meet you at the coffee shop downtown - the one by the library - at 11 AM. I know how teachers have a weird fetish for caffeine,"

Orel couldn't help but giggle like a girl at Joe's boldness, and even felt a small blush creep only his cheeks. Pet names were his weakness. "Well okay then, I'll let you know if I can come. Bye, Joe,"

"Bye Oreee-" His voice was abruptly cut off when Orel hung up on him. He threw his phone on the bed and fell onto the sheets with his arms spread horizontally, sighing.

Its not a date.

Chapter Text

3rd POV

Orel tightened the belt around his waist and put his hands on his hips to see how he looked. He wore a cream colored polo and an expensive pair of jeans with black dress shoes.

It was almost time for him to get going, he just needed to wait for the babysitter to get here. He had phoned Doughy a day earlier to ask him if he wanted to come look after his kids when he was out, and luckily, he happily agreed.

A few seconds later he heard knocking, and he paced to the front door to meet his friend. "Hey, Doughy. Thanks again for wanting to stay for awhile, sitters are expensive, aheh,"

Doughy wrapped Orel in a quick embrace before pulling away with his hands on the brunettes shoulders. "Of course! Its the least I can do, and I love hanging out with Lucy and Todd!" Orel nodded and led him inside. "Well, I should probably hit the road now. Bye,"

"Wait! Orel, I, uhm," He grabbed ahold of his arm and made intense eye contact. "Um, are you doing okay? Like, after everything?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I promise. Don't worry about me," Orel gave Doughy a gentle tap on the side and turned around to leave for his 'meeting' with a dismissive wave. A light blush filled the redheads cheeks as he watched the man depart, feeling concern for his life-long friend.

-

As he pulled up, he took notice to the cottage-like decor and the well trimmed plants that lined the outside. He quickly fluffed his hair and hopped onto the concrete that led to the café.

Joe didn't seem to be here yet, so he took a seat close to a window that overlooked the parking lot. He bounced his leg rapidly, hoping that Joe didn't make him the butt of some cruel joke. It was quite in character, though, as he seemed to find the most pleasure in humiliating others when they were kids.

Even if he did stand him up, he wasnt doing it for anyone other than Trevor. It would also be nice to have a cup of coco when grading this afternoon, he still had much to do from the many days that he took off awhile ago.

He got so anxious at this point that his leg was hitting the bottom of the table due to how big his nervous leg-bounces were getting. He felt so stupid for falling for another one of Joe's classic yet terribly overdone tricks.

Unknown to Orel, a man walked in with a black leather jacket and ripped pants. He scanned across the room before recognizing Orels neat russet hair that seemed to glisten in the small amount of sunshine that escaped through the clouds.

Joe tapped him on the shoulder, giving Orel a small scare. "Oh! Joe, hi." His eyes unconsciously moved from Joe's head to his feet, and he began to giggle to himself in small titters. "What is it?"

"Why do you dress homeless one day, and then like a self-consious teenager the next?"

Joe smirked. "Well sometimes, I don't wanna put on a whole outfit so I can talk to the town twink about my son for 10 minutes," Orels cutesy giggles abruptly stopped and he stood up with his arms crossed, his head level to Joe's neck.

"Lets get this over with. I'm gonna go order!" He stomped over to the counter where an employee stood, his hands still crossed over his chest. Joe soon followed behind him, still snickering.

"May I have one small hot chocolate please?" He had a back and forth with the young girl for a few moments, and then walked past Joe and back to his seat.

Joe ordered as well and sat with Orel to wait for his order number. "Hey, I could've ordered for you, princess. When did you become such a brat, huh?"

"I-- I'm not! At least I've changed!" Orel cracked a smile and blushed. He was somehow charming through his layers ruggedness. Yet, it's not like it was hard to swoon a boy like Orel.

"I'm aware. And for the better, obviously," The barista called Orels order number and he quickly speed-walked to hide his bright red cheeks. He was immediately comforted by the sweet smell of his beverage. The outside warmed his hands and a small trail of smoke wafted up and disintegrated into the air.

She called Joe's name shortly after, prompting him to get up and grab his dark roast coffee.

The duo returned to their spots and Joe looked curiously over at Orels purchase. "Hot chocolate? Hm, alright then,"

He stirred the mini marshmallows around in circles with a spoon. "Whats wrong with my hot chocolate?"

"Nothing, really. I guess I should've expected it from you, but I like being surprised,"

"Its literally just hot chocolate, Joe."

"Well yea, I know that, but its cute," Joe snickered as he observed the impact of his comment, which was a flustered Orel. "Joe, please. I have work to do today,"

"I know you like it, that smirk of yours tells it all, puppy. Can I call you puppy?" Orel tapped his fingertips together rhythmically. "..Your Trevor takes after you quite a bit, I've seen. Have you talked to him yet? I'm also afraid that he may be influencing some of the other boys in my class,"

Joe's attention was fixated on the birds pecking at the grass outside. "Uh, I'm sure. I can tell him to cut it out if you'd like," Orel nodded with intent and bit the inside of his cheek.

"Is mom in the picture?" Their eyes met at that moment. "Nope. Does it matter?"

He suddenly felt bad for asking such a question, even though it was relevant to their conversation. Orel could almost sympathize with Joe, but he quickly pushed that thought away, as he probably only has Trevor because of some accident that led to his birth.

"A bit, yes. It is proven that a child with two parents has more health benefits than one without," Orel paused to take a sip from his drink, feeling Joe's knowing gaze resting upon him. "Anyway, I remember you mentioning that you were busy. Does your occupation take up a lot of your time?"

"Yeah. A lot. Thats just cause I'm passionate, though. I like to work on cars at my shop, which isn't a short process," he replied. "Heyy, you should swing by sometime! It would be nice for someone other than Trevor to look at my work,"

Orels eyebrows were slightly angled upward, as if he was having a silent debate with himself. "Come onnn, Orel! It'd be fun! I'd be easier if we just went now," Joe said, leaning in to close the gap between the two of them.

"Alright, fine. I guess I can spare another 20 minutes or so, aheh," he stammered. Joe grinned from ear to ear, yet kept his composure. "Great! Are you ready?"

Orel scratched his left cheek. "Yea, sure. Should I just...follow your car? I'm not sure that I know exactly where your shop is,"

Joe nodded in response, saying "Yup, just follow the red truck all the way to the fire station, its around that area," The chair scooted back an inch when he got out, and he walked behind Orel and pulled his seat out so he had room to leave.

"Sorry you can't ride with me, babe. Maybe next time?" Joe said, walking over to the trashcan to dispose of his drink cup.

"When did you become such a gentleman?" He took his unfinished hot chocolate and pushed the seat back in, looking at Joe with an eyebrow raised. "Am I allowed to treat a prince with respect?" His teeth showed through his smug smile, and he began to make his way outside, the door making a quiet jingle sound when he left.

-

Orel's car beeped when he used his keys to lock the doors and he paced towards Joe who did the same. It was a curious house; one half looked to be a giant garage, and the other a space for living quarters. There was a field nearby that a lone coop stood encased in a fence with two young hens picking at the few grass clippings that remained.

"Follow me, kay?" Joe spoke while he unlocked the door to the smaller part of the building. Orel stepped a couple feet inside after closing the door behind him, but was stopped when he saw a fluffy ball rub up against him accompanied with a small, 'mew'.

"Awwwe, kitty!" He kneeled down to pet the cat. She had a black pelt with a white belly, and she purred deeply as Orel scratched under her chin. Joe laughed to himself, saying "You like my Clarabelle? I know she likes you, she's very friendly,"

Orel looked up from Clarabelle, tilting his head slightly to the left. "I thought you didn't like animals? Especially not cats..." The brunette looked down, gently rubbing the top of the felines head. "You seem more of a pit bull guy to me,"

"Nah, dogs are too loud. I don't have to work very hard to take care of a cat, and they don't stink," This made both of them giggle. "I see, I like kitties too. They're just sooooo cute!" Orel said his last statement in a high baby voice, squishing Clarabelles furry cheeks.

Trevor peeked out from around the corner with a copy of Diary of a Minecraft Creeper in one hand, and a bag of kettle cooked chips in the other. His face scrunched up when his eyes fell onto Orel. "Ugh, is this who you met up with, dad? Weirdo," Out of habit, he rolled his eyes and turned around to go to his room.

"Clean your room, its a mess!" Joe called out to his son, yet his request was predictably ignored. "Heh, sorry. He gets it from me,"

Orel got to his feet and wore an empathetic look. "I see that. Its sweet that he takes after you so much, except it can be bothersome at times,"

Both men chuckled for a moment, finding humor in the mamy struggles of parenting. When the laughter died down a bit, Joe said "Hey, why don't we go to the garage? Thats why you came here,"

Orel cleared his throat. "Right, yes. Lead the way,"

Chapter Text

3rd POV

"So, that's pretty much it. Did you enjoy the tour, Puppington?" Joe asked and crossed his hands over his chest. "Heh, yea, that was nice. Thank you, Joe, but I should get going now,"

He nodded in agreement. "I get it, I appreciate the company. I'll see you later?"

Orel slipped his shoes on by the front door. "Sure...Bye, Joe,"

-

"Mister Latchkey! I'm hungry!" Lucy whined, holding onto the older man's leg.

Doughy bent down and patted her head. "What are you hungry for, sweetheart? Do you want me to make you a sandwich?" She giggled and tapped her toes excitedly. "Mhm!! Yes pleaaase,"

Lucy trotted behind Doughy as they walked to the kitchen, and he noticed Todd sitting on the couch with a book.

"What about you, Todd? Are you hungry?" The boy looked up from his novel and formed a shy smile. "No thanks, I'm okay,"

He nodded and set all the ingredients on the table as Lucy crawled up on one of the dining room chairs. "Peanut butter an jelly!" she exclaimed, patting her hands on the table in anticipation. "Sounds yummy!"

-

Once Doughy finished making Lucy's sandwich, he walked back to Orels bedroom to watch TV. The room was predictably tidy; the bed was perfectly made, all stray clothes were put away, and there were no signs of dust or ware.

Before getting comfortable, he looked through the nightstand for the remote control. It was surprisingly full, as it was difficult to pull the drawer all the way out. When he did manage to pull out the drawer, he saw many photos and picture frames that were stuffed into the small compartment.

They were mostly of Orel and Christina. One was of them on their wedding day, another was the duo with a baby Todd. Although these brought feelings of sadness to Doughy, he felt it nice to look at Orel once again.

In fact, the photos made him blush; Orel did look handsome. He sighed, going to put the picture back, yet paused. With a giggle, he took a polaroid of Orel in a blue argyle vest and snuck it in his pocket. Surely he wouldn't notice, it seemed like an insignificant capture to Doughy.

A few moments later, he heard the sound of the garage opening. By the time Doughy got to the living room, Orel was already through the garage door, and he was kneeling down to greet Lucy.

"Hey, Orel! How was your meeting?" Doughy chirped.

Orel turned his head and stood up straight. "Uhm, it was nice. They always make me sleepy, though, heh," He took a few steps towards the redhead. "How were the kids? I hope they weren't too rowdy," he said, his voice akin to sarcasm.

"Oh, they were amazing! You have such great kiddos, I always enjoy watching them," Orel nodded in agreement, expecting such a response. "Thank you! They're both sweethearts," he looked back to glance at Lucy, who was standing with her arms behind her back. She giggled, revealing a toothy grin.

"Well, I'd better start making dinner. Thank you again, Doughy," Orel said, facing Doughy again.

"Aww, hey, let me help! Two hands are better than one," Doughy pleaded while putting his hands together in a praying position.

He thought for a couple long seconds, but then let out a sigh and reluctantly nodded. "You don't have to do this for me, Dough, but it would be nice to have your company..." Orel looked down at the floor, blushing. "You can help if you'd like,"

"Mister Latchkey gonna stay?!" Lucy's ears pricked up and she wiggled her fists in excitement.

Doughy answered, "Mhmm! I'm gonna help make dinner!" This caught the attention of Todd as well, and he smiled at both adults while Lucy happily danced.

"I was thinking of cooking some salmon I have in the fridge with a side of green beans," Orel said while walking into the kitchen. "I know I can handle the salmon, so could you just heat up some green beans for me? They're canned and in the last drawer of the cabinet,"

He nodded. "Yep, thats easy enough!" As Orel began to cook the raw fish, Doughy pulled out a fresh can of green beans from the cabinet he was pointed to and dumped them into a bowl. He placed a paper towel over the top and carefully placed it into the microwave for 2 minutes.

Doughy confidently sat on the kitchen stool when he saw mini flashes of light coming from the microwave. Soon, the flashes turned into a small flame that engulfed the green beans.

"Holy toledo! Orel, Orel the beans is on fire!" Both men ran over to the microwave and Orel hastily took out a pair of oven mits that were hanging on a hook.

"Open it up!" Orel called, quickly putting on the mits. Doughy did as he was told and opened the door for his companion. "Go open the backyard door, I'm gonna put this out,"

When the sliding door was open, Orel threw the bowl of beans out onto the deck where small piles of snow still lay from a small sprinkle a few days earlier.

A fork slid across the wood along with many stray green beans, and Orel couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. He turned to Doughy, saying "Why in the world did you put a fork in the microwave?"

"Orel, I'm sorry! I just forgot, and, and I wanted to be quick for you,"

"I know, but you would have had plenty of time, since the salmon-" There was a hard knock at the door. "Papa, there's someone here!" Lucy yelled to her father. Orel set down the bowl and took off his mits. "I'll go get it, watch the salmon for me, please,"

When he got to the front door, he peered through the peephole and saw Joe, hands in his jean pockets. He opened the door, catching Joe by surprise. "Heh, heya, Orel. You forgot your wallet. I was on my way to the store anyway, so I thought to give it back," Joe held out a cream colored wallet and put on a flirty smile. "Dont worry, I didn't steal anything,"

"I sure hope not. Uhm, thank you, that was very sweet of you," Orel took back his wallet and bowed his head. "Hmm, what's that smell? You guys having dinner already?"

"Oh! Well, not yet, we're in the process of making dinner," As he spoke, Doughy peeked his head out to see who was at the door. His eyes widened, and he felt a hint of anger. "Whos that?" Joe tilted his head to the side to get a better view of Doughy.

Orel followed his gaze. "Doughy! I told you to watch the salmon for me!" He put a hand to his forehead while Joe began to recognize the nervous redhead. "Wait, Doughy? Like...Moralton Doughy?" Joe peered his eyes and validated his guess. Doughy did the same.

"Joe? Oh my gosh..." He shook his head in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" Before Orel could speak, Joe answered him with confidence. "We went out for coffee earlier today and when he left my house, I found his wallet in my garage,"

Orel went to his house?!, Doughy thought. It certainly left him with some weird implications. "Oh, that's nice,"

"Thanks for the warm welcome, Dough. I haven't see you since 12th grade!" Joe chuckled, yet Doughy was not as amused. "Yea, I know. I didn't know you moved here,"

"Orel, do you mind if I stay and continue this conversation with your friend over at the dinner table? I am feeling pr-"

"Sorry, we only made enough for the four of us, Joe," He scowled at him, not afraid to hide his distain for the man. Both Joe and Orel were a bit surprised by Doughys forwardness, yet Joe soon laughed it off. "Well, alright then. I'll be on my way now," Joe took a step outside and waved goodbye. "Seeya Orel!"

Chapter Text

3rd POV

Orel watched Joe walk to his truck, the sun shining through the clouds onto his tenth generation Ford F-150. As his vehicle bellowed, Orel could sense Doughy behind him.

"Are you friends with Joe?" Orel shook his head. "No, our relationship is purely professional. I simply had to have a talk with him about his child; why does it matter?"

Doughy narrowed his brow. "You go to his house to have a talk with him? Don't you remember how he used to treat us?"

"That was the past," Orel said. "We were kids, maybe he has changed since then. Its not fair to hold a grudge against someone for so long." His stomach rumbled quietly, yet was just loud enough for both men to hear. "Please, let's finish dinner. Its been a long day."

Doughy bit his tongue, feeling deep resentment but deciding that it wasn't worth it to argue with Orel.

-

Todd laid out the three essential utensils where a cloth and plate was placed, four for Orel, Lucy, Doughy, and himself. He sat down at his usual spot, right next to where Lucy sits. Doughy brought over a bowl of non-burnt green beans and set them in the middle of the table, then took a seat across from Todd.

Orel carried a pan full of freshly cooked salmon over to Todds plate and stuck a fork into a piece, bringing it down to his dish. He did the same with the other three plates. "Todd, may you please pass the green beans?" Orel asked.

"Yup!" The boy finished scooping green beans out of the bowl and stretched his arms over to Orel, handing it to him.

Orel filled his plate and then set the leftovers on the table. Everyone began to eat, a heavy silence filling the room. Doughys mind was racing, yet he couldn't find the courage to cut the tension and bring up something that could potentially start a quarrel.

The home phone started ringing. Orel politely excused himself and went into the living room to pick up the call. He barely recognized the number; no one ever called his home phone.

Nevertheless, he answered it, and he heard his aging mother on the other end. "Orel? Hello?"

He sighed. "Hi, Bloberta."

"I- I need your help, please. I've got this old cabinet I need to sell, and," her voice had a quiver, like she was nervous. "its very big. Your brothers are busy, you know and, I need someone to help me bring it out. Outside, tomorrow. I can give you some money."

Orel thought of his response for a moment, thinking about if he was going to be busy the next day. "Alright, I think I can help you. It would be best if I could come at around 10."

She agreed, giving her thanks before hanging up. He walked back into the kitchen and everything was as it was when he left; quiet and tense.

Doughy must've overheard their conversation, as he had worried look on his face when Orel sat down.

"Uhm," he set his fork down and lowered his voice. "that was Bloberta..?"

"Yea, she just needs my help with something." Orel read Doughys expression and he leaned towards him, staying emotionless. "It'll be fine. You know she's harmless, and besides, she doesn't remember anything anyways."

Doughy still felt hesitant, but he respected his friend's decision. "I guess so..."

-

Bloberta sat in a rickety rocking chair with her cross-stitching supplies in her lap. Everything seemed to be fairly kept; the carpet, although old, still maintained some cleanliness, and all the furniture looked like it had barely been used.

"Orel!" She looked up. "Its good to see you...the cabinet is in my room, down the hall and to your right, I'll be there soon." Orel nodded and followed her instructions. He found himself in a medium sized room with an old fashioned bed as the centerpiece.

The cabinet was opposite of the bed and looked like it was ready to be moved, since there was nothing on top of it and it had been cleaned.

He took ahold of one side and he slowly backed out of the room, but as he pulled, he heard something rolling around in one of the drawers.

Orel paused and went around to the front to check each drawer and what was inside. When he opened the second one, he saw an urn accompanied by a picture frame.

He examined the urn; there was no epitaph, and it seemed to be barely one fourth full of ashes. The picture frame held a capture of Clay in his 30's.

Bloberta appeared from behind the corner and said, "What happened? Is there something in there?"

He tucked the picture under his arm. "Yea, just some old frames...Should we get started?" Orel said before placing the objects down in a place that Bloberta couldn't see from her point of view. She nodded agreeably.

-

They both drug the large cabinet outside, heaving when they set it down on the gravel. "He should be here soon, very soon. I'm ready to get this over with. House is too full..." Bloberta trailed off as Orel wallowed in his own thoughts, specially the ones about his diseased father.

He wondered if he should go back and get his urn. But then again, it seemed like it would simply catch dust, and he didn't want to steal from Bloberta.

"You know, where's that Christina? Thought she- she would've come. She busy? With those kids?" A deep sigh escaped Orels lips. He forgot that he didn't tell her about the divorce, there never was a time for it, and he assumed that she wouldn't care. They never talked unless Bloberta needed something.

"She, um, she's not really around anymore?" He kicked the dust at his feet, his throat tightening. "We decided to split up, for the better of the two of us."

A familiar looking vehicle drove into view, stopping Bloberta from giving a response. Is that Joe..? Orel thought. He rubbed his forehead. This can't be real.

He jumped out of the car and headed towards the duo, but he paused when he saw Orels face.

"Heh, I should've known, buying from a Puppington. Hi there, Orel." Joe walked over to Bloberta and shook her hand. "Heya, thank you for the cabinet. I've got your money right here, 200, right?"

"Yes, 200." Joe took out his wallet and fished for exactly two 100 dollar bills. Bloberta took the money and turned to Orel. "May you please load it into the car? You know I can only handle so much, Orel, please?"

He hummed, waiting for Joe to get on the other side of the bulky peice of furniture. Bloberta went back inside.

They carried it over to his truck, which was a bit far from the house, and steadily loaded it into the back. Catching his breath, Joe glaced at Orel, getting a look at his sorrowful expression.

"Hey, something wrong, pup?" He put a hand on Orels shoulder, causing him to flinch at his touch.

"No, I'm okay. Everything's fine." The wind began to pick up, and a few strands of Orels hair danced in the breeze. His eyes were fixated on the ground, having an almost sultry look. It was hard for Joe not to question him further, it felt like he was just asking for it.

"A little unusual to see you with Bloberta. You two talk much?" What would have been a response morphed into a wobbly cry, and Orel shielded his face with his hands to attempt to 'hide'.

Joe, surprised, stepped forward and leaned down. "Woah, heyy, its okay! Sorry, I shouldn't have pushed, huh."

This made Orel more distressed. "No, no its not you! I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me..."

"Come here, it's alright." Joe pulled Orel onto his arms and held his head close to his chest, as to let him hide his tears.

Orel, while hesitant, accepted the hug, and let his body relax into Joe's hold. He stopped his crying rather quickly while making a few small 'hic' sounds. After pulling away, he used his button up to dry his eyes.

"All better?" Joe asked. "Uhm, a bit, I guess...thank you."

"I've gotta get home, put this thing where it belongs and then get something to eat." He gave a small smile and rubbed Orels shoulder. "I'm glad I got to see you again. Don't forget to call me someday, 'kay?"

"Yeaaa, okay," Orel blushed and turned his head to the side. "I promise."

Chapter Text

3rd POV

- 3 days later

"Morning Orel!" Tommy said with a cheerful tone as he plopped a small stack of papers onto his desk. "Here's the copies you asked for. Sorry it took so long, the copy machine was being difficult."

Orel reached over to grab the stack and skillfully jogged the paper by hand. "Thanks Tommy, its alright, as long as I have them by tomorrow it'll be okay."

Tommy hummed in response and pulled a chair over to Orels desk. "Anything new happen recently?" He asked. "...Have you talked to Doughy at all?"

"I guess so. There's this guy, and I think he likes me or something. I'm probably just reading it wrong though." He shut off his laptop, giving Tommy his full attention. "What else did you say? Sorry."

Tommy pulled at his collar in an awkward manner. "Oh, uhm, thats nice!" One of the desks close to Orel creaked as he sat on it. "Aheh, I said, have you talked to Doughy these past couple days?"

This gave Orel a chuckle. "Doughy? Yeah, I had the chance to talk to him when he was looking after the kids. That was actually when I started talking to that guy." He blushed, lowering his voice. "Again."

"Again? You gotta tell me who this guy is!" Tommy giggled to himself. "Well," Orel paused and thought of what to say. "You'll have to guess. We went to school with him back in Moralton, he's got black hair-"

"Oh my God, is it Billy? I think he had black hair..." The blonde kicked his legs back and forth as he ran his memory, thinking of the kids in their main friend group at the time. "Nope, he's a bit more...wild? Impolite? I don't want to give it away."

"Impolite? Well the only impolite kid with black hair that ever stuck out to me was Joe. Was that his name? Never really knew him." Orel smiled at the mention of his name and nodded. "Yes, Joe! Glad your memory from Moralton is still in-tact."

"Wish it wasn't." He cocked his head. "You and Joe? Let's hope he's more handsome than he was."

Both men laughed a bit, then Tommy raised an eyebrow as he inquired further. "Is he? I'm curious if he's changed much."

"Ah...uhm, I guess he's a lot taller now, same haircut though. And a nice stubble..." Orel pictured Joe in his mind, blushing evermore. "He could be handsome, in a rugged, tough kinda way.."

Tommy jumped to his feet. "Like hunky? I hope so, you need someone like that! I, personally, like the sweeter ones."

"I mean, he can be kinda sweet sometimes. It's strange, I didn't really expect him to act like that around me." He narrowed his eyes and playfully shot a smug look at Tommy. "Sweeter, as in Doughy?"

Tommy perked up and tried to hide his blush by looking to the side. "No! Yeah, he's sweet, but I just don't think he's interested. And it seems to me that he's distracted with someone else, anyway..."

"I know you like him, Tommy, but whatever you say. From my perspective, I don't see him fawning over anyone, but if that's what you think then that's your loss."

He rolled his eyes and took a sweet out of Orels 'reward bowl'. "Class is gonna start soon. Oh, and, I'm gonna need those vocab flashcards from unit 4 tomorrow. Can you drop them off sometime today?"

As Orel was about to respond, Tommy walked out the door and towards his classroom. "They're..in the cupboard, to your left..." His voice trailed off and he tiredly laid his head down on his desk, using his hands to provide some coushin for him. Just before the bell rang, he clutched the cross around his neck. "God, please let this day be somewhat bearable."

-

Orel came home to a silent house. Both children must be asleep, since there was no trail of either anywhere; VeggieTales wasn't even on.

Relieved at the peaceful atmosphere, he headed to his room and stripped to his underwear. He picked out his favorite pastel blue pajamas that had little puppy faces all over them.

He sat down on the bed and his eyes darted for the remote. Instead, he saw the home phone, and was reminded of Joe's word's a few days ago. Orel felt hesitant, yet he cuddled up under the covers and took the phone to dial Joe's number.

The phone rang and rang, and finally he heard a click accompanied by some other miscellaneous sounds. "Heyy, this is Orel, right? I think I recognize the number."

"Mhm, its me. Is it okay if I call right now?"

"Oh, sure! What's up? Something happen with my Trevor again?" Orel rolled onto his side, yet to respond; it felt too embarrassing. "No, he's fine, just the usual Trevor. Actually, I just wanted to see if you'd like to talk? You told me to call you..."

Joe held his breath, then snickered through the phone. "Sure! We can talk about whatever you'd like. I wasn't expecting you to call, let me get settled real quick,"

"Is this a good time?" A few seconds later and Joe replied, "Yea, yea, your okay. Today is my day off, anyways."

"Ah, thats good." He curled himself up, going into the fetal position. "You still haven't told me where you work, by the way!"

"Right. I spaced it out. I'm a mechanic for an auto repair shop, I mainly just fix up vehicles and all."

Orel bit his nails, listening intently. "Oh, how cool! I've never really been the type of person to be able to fix things, its nice to see that you have a talent."

"Talent?" Joe was clearly taken aback, he held a questioning tone. "I mean, it's pretty easy. But thanks for humbling me, sweetheart." There was a very brief silence before Joe came up with a follow-up question. "I know your a teacher, that must be hard. I don't know how you could possibly deal with all those brats. What's it like?"