Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The bell above the door jingled as it swung open, a harsh sound among the softness of the rain and the low humming of Beef as he worked. Bdubs wasn’t on desk duty, that was Xisuma, for today, so the bell had no control over him. Still, he glanced up from the clarinet he was taking apart to see who had come in, a paying customer, a loiterer (Keralis), or someone coming for music lessons. Bdubs found himself hoping to see that familiar flash of white, to see Etho crossing out of the rain and into the shop to either drop something off or come annoy Beef while he was in town.

Bdubs went back to the delicate instrument in his hands when he saw it was just Keralis. He would have rolled his eyes at the sickly sweet voice echoing down the hall, but that would make him a hypocrite, considering he did the exact same thing when Etho came by, the routine was hammered down at this point, when someone’s friend or partner came into the shop. there was a small sign on the desk that said you had to buy something if you planned on staying more than 30 minutes, so Keralis always bought a kazoo as soon as he walked in, and Etho was getting into the habit of picking up guitar strings every time he dropped in, even if he didn’t need them.

“You and Etho have plans tonight?” Beef asked from the corner, the french horn in his hands was nearly finished being polished, and Beef was sitting back, observing Keralis as Bdubs glared at the small screwdriver in his hand and very very small screw he couldn’t get out of the instrument.

“Gonna stay in and watch something, Etho found this new documentary about some big game hunters and stuff, he’s excited.” Etho was too excited, he loved his documentaries, and even if Bdubs didn’t want to watch elephants running around the TV, he would, for Etho.

“Doc and I are going to this pottery place, they offer classes but we’re going to scope it out before we pay for anything if you guys want to come along..?”

“Etho really wants to watch this documentary, but I’ll trust your guy’s judgment if you think classes are something we should do?” Bdubs dropped another screw, and he almost threw the pliers, he wasn’t angry, not at all. The screws were just so fucking tiny— ah, thank god for magnets.

“Okay, Doc said we can also get a small discount if we take it as a couple, and a slightly bigger discount as a double date, so we are doing that.”

“That’s the only reason you want me and Etho there? To vouch for you and Doc’s fake dating, for a discount?”

“Maybe.”

“Good thing I love lying like a lying liar.” Bdubs dropped the last instrument pad into the bin, and zipped up the bag of parts, setting the bin aside for Beef to take to the back and clean later. If he had to unscrew one more part off a greasy clarinet- he was going to shoot himself.

The bell jingled again, and Bdubs looked up to see Xisuma at the door, locking up, and Keralis standing outside under the awning, pathetically looking at Xisuma through the glass. Ah, it was time to close up, and Xisuma had kicked Keralis out. He was perfectly able to just get in his car and drive home, or wait for Xisuma to come out the back and walk around front to his car- but no, he had to stand there like a wet cat in the rain, pouting.

But Bdubs couldn’t wait to get home, he wanted to just get into his own house, start up some tea, and sit on the couch and suffer while Etho forced him to watch a documentary.

“Leave all this for tomorrow, ill do all the fine cleaning in the morning.” Beef dismissed him, and Bdubs had never gotten his station cleaned up faster, never gotten his coat on and his bag under his arm- he wanted to get home. It had been a grating day, for some fucking reason, he didn’t know, but he knew it would be better as soon as he saw Etho. “Drive safe Bdubs!”

“I won’t!” He stepped out the back, hopping over that stupid puddle that was just too deep and always soaked his socks, and jogging to the lot to his car, the rain was light right now, and it wasn’t dark yet, just overcast and miserable and Bdubs figured it was the weather that was driving him insane.

He did drive safe, sort of. Pulling up to his house, Etho's car was in the garage, it was up on jacks, and the windows were rolled down, he must have been working on it today, getting that stupid bag wrapped from the axle hopefully. Etho had avoided doing stuff that involved driving his car as of late, because of that stupid bag, it had gotten melted as well and Bdubs was not about to help him with that, no way.

Bdubs was still damp from the rain as he shut the garage door, and stepped inside in the kitchen. Etho wasn’t around to greet him, but there was evidence of the other all around, there was a sandwich on the table and a cup of half-drunk coffee- it was cold. Etho’s laptop was on the dining room table, his notebook next to his, his jacket on the hook and his glasses folded next to his uneaten food.

And then Bdubs saw him- outside.

Charlie was barking, running in circles around the man, yapping his head off as Etho spun with him, a toy in his hand that Charlie was valiantly trying to catch. Etho was laughing. The rain was coming down harder and Etho was basically dancing with the puppy, tripping over the dog and laughing in the rain.

He was beautiful. Bdubs was realizing. The rain pushed his hair down, his clothes hung off him like he was a greasy child, he was smiling so wide that his cheeks hide his eyes and Charlie was jumping up at his waist, yapping his heart out as he went after the chew toy.

This was the life he wanted, and Bdubs could have cried as he realized it. This was it. This was the life he wanted, someone to come home too, a dog, double glass doors in the ding room, a family portrait on the wall. He had always wanted this, the soft rain, to give him hope. HE wanted this life, and he wanted to cry because he had it.

Oh god, he was in love and he was happy.

Bdubs put his phone and wallet on the counter, hung up his jacket, and took off his shoes. Stepping out the back doors to and onto the porch, Etho looked up at Bdubs and he swore, he never needed to see the sun again if Etho kept smiling.

“He wanted to go out!”

“I can see that.” Charlie jumped onto Etho’s back, and the (rather small) dog took Etho off his feet. The man fell with a splash into the soggy yard, laughing, and Bdubs wanted to run down and join him.

Ethos laughing, he’s laughing and Bdubs is thankful for the rain because he is crying, and he never been happier.

Chapter Text

“You are gonna get sick, come on.” Bdubs pulled Etho off the ground, Charlie growled at the idea of his playmate being taken away, so Bdubs scooped the puppy up under his arm, laced his fingers with Ethos, and lead him inside.

“That was fun, the rain is fun.” Etho shook his hair out like a dog as soon as they got inside, and Bdubs mentally slapped himself as he realized he’s taken up the floor mat this morning to wash, and not put it back, so Etho and him were dripping water on the hardwood.

“Go dry Charlie off and start a shower, I’m going to start a wash and toss down some towels,”

“Should we rinse Charlie off?”

“Uh yeah, just wait for me in the bathroom, wait, give me your clothes for the wash.”

“Jeez, buy me dinner first.” Still, Etho peeled off his soggy clothes to throw at Bdubs face.

“I do buy you dinner! and I didn’t mean here! Etho we have a glass wall for fucks sake!”

“Oops!” The man had already disappeared into the bathroom, and Charlie was yapping again. the sound of running water filled the house, and Bdubs heard Charlie’s yapping go to whimpering. Etho had probably trapped him in the shower. What an evil man.

It’s easy and methodical to get the wash started, and BDubs tosses in his own clothes, he covers himself with a towel, grabs some for the floor, one for Etho, and one to dry off Charlie, and heads to the bathroom. He can hear Etho humming, and he can hear Charlie whimpering. the shower glass is fogged up, but Bdubs can see the outline of his lover, kneeling on the shower floor and rinsing off the dog. He makes a joke about Charlie having a preference for where his sky water comes from and opens the door. Charlie squirms out, for Bdubs to wrap in a towel and dry off before he releases the little monster into the house, Etho leaves the shower door open, and he sits on the floor as he watches Bdubs dry off their dog.

“Are you gonna join me?”

“Are you gonna block the water from me again?” Charlie wiggled his way out of Bdub’s hand, and Bdubs let the puppy out into the house, he was dry enough and he knew to stay off the couch.

“I might.”

“Well scooch back, there is not as much room in that shower as you think there is. Better yet stay on the floor so you don’t take my water.” He stepped in next to Etho, who did stay sitting cross-legged in on the shower floor, and BDubs had to be careful to not slip on him or step on him, this was a horrible idea.

“ill get water in my eyes.”

“ill pour soap in your eyes if you take my water.”

“Let me up.” Etho almost fell as he struggled to stand and Bdubs was quick to turn them so Etho was to the wall and Bdubs got the water stream, but Etho just reached up and moved the shower head.

“Etho!! This is why I don’t shower with you.”

“And not the one time you fell?”

“We don’t talk about that!” Etho turned the water back just in time to blast Bdubs in the face with it. He laughed, and Bdubs lightly punched him in the ribs, both of them slipped, and almost fall, but Etho catches them, and Bdubs gets shampoo in his eyes.

They get out of the shower with minimal injury, Etho has a tiny bruise and Bdubs ego is undeniably pained with how much he kept almost falling over (because Etho was pushing him.) But all was fine, Etho grabbed some soft clothes for them, and Bdubs headed out to the kitchen to make some food. He was just in a towel and honestly- Bdubs knew they were the naked neighbors, but he didn’t care, he paid good money for that glass wall, and if the only use it got was Etho staring out like a madman and the neighbors seeing them run around like chickens with their heads cut off- so be it.

“I got you pants- oh my sandwich…” Etho came into the room, he was in Bdubs pajamas and held some in his hand for his partner.

“your sandwich- oh, Charlie probably took it.”

“damn, my sandwich.” The plate on the counter was empty, not even a crumb left. “Bdubs will you make me a sandwich?”

“Yeah, yeah, give me those pants though.” They are the matching pants to what Ethos wearing, and Bdubs smirks to himself, it was a good idea to buy those matching sets, even if Etho claimed to hate them, he found them matching more often than not. Bdubs tossed his towel at the puddle by the floor, and Etho dried up the floor without complaint as Bdubs got out the stuff to make him a sandwich.

It was quiet, calm, and controlled. An unspoken routine, forged by the years of living together. Charlie has settled on the dog bed, his toy next to him and his tail wagging slowly as he was watched his humans move about the room.

“Do we want to watch that documentary?” Bdubs asked as he plated up the food, on a plate that Charlie had NOT licked.

“Please- it’s this whole show about murder!”

“I thought it was about big game hunting?”

“That’s the first episode!” Etho settled on the couch, and BDubs was next to him, pulling the blanket over themselves as Etho set up the episode and Bdubs balanced the plate on Ethos knee.

“Can we make tea? before we start this?”

“What type?”

“Fruity tea?”

Bdubs sighed dramatically. “Fine- but we just sat down.”

Etho kissed his forehead softly, and handed the plate back. “ill only be a minute.”

“I hate you,” BDubs said it so fondly, he knows Etho will make fun of him, but in the moment, he just wants to look at him, see him, admire him, even if it’s just a moment as Ethos gets up to walk away.

“I know.” And the fondness shows in Ethos voice too.

Chapter Text

Etho doesn’t sleep often anymore. Or not all at once. He wakes up a lot now, and can’t stay asleep. It’s difficult to stay still and try and sleep all night. But if he got up, he’d wake Bdubs. so he suffered. Etho lay there in the night, wrapped up in Bdubs arms, and stared at the wall as he couldn’t sleep. Bdubs breaths so evenly, his forehead pressed to the nape of Etho’s neck, his arms securely wrapped around Etho’s waist, and his legs all tangled up with Ethos. and Charlie was asleep at the foot of the bed.

He hopes Bdubs dreaming of something nice. Because he’s awake and he can’t sleep. there’s a feeling of dread hanging over him, the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling are mocking him, and Etho doesn’t know why he’s so jittery and afraid, but he is.

He’s safe, he’s okay, he’s just fine. But he doesn’t feel it. Bdubs holding him is helping, but Etho is still scared, scared of something.

He must be shaking, or something, because Bdubs nudges a bit closer, one hand raises to Etho’s chest, settling on the clammy skin, and Etho could feel his chapped lips resting on Etho's shoulder. He wants to sleep. Why can’t he sleep?

It had been hours, and Etho wasn’t rested, he was just… there. Sunlight was streaming in the room when Bdubs woke up, slowly and carefully, he wiggles around until he’s gotten Etho on his back and laid himself on top of Etho, ear pressed to Ethos chest, listening to his heart as he slowly woke up. It’s slow waking, Ethos holds Bdubs as well, tracing soft circles down Bdubs bare back, he knows his heart is going fast, he knows Bdubs can hear, can tell, but he doesn’t know what to say if Bdubs asks.

But he knows this. Bdubs, asleep on his chest, this is safe. This is good. He knows this and he likes this. There is no reason for fear, this is good. He… loves Bdubs. He trusts him. Its okay that he’s been upset over nothing, because Bdubs is there and when he wakes up, Etho can ignore the night and pretend he’s all okay. He just has to keep telling himself that he’s safe and alright even if he feels like he isn’t.

He hopes Bdubs dreamed of something nice, he hopes one of them slept well, he hopes one of them feels safe.

“Hmmmmm, how did you sleep?” Bdubs woke up slowly, resting his chin on Etho’s collarbone as he looked up slowly, blinking really slowly that Etho almost laughed, one eye closing before the other. Like a frog.

Etho didn’t answer, humming uncommittably as he cradled Bdubs cheek, petting soft circles on Bdubs face, his stubble was scratchy on Ethos fingers, it was a grounding feeling, kept him focused on feeling alive and real and maybe not bad.

“What are we feeling for breakfast? I’m thinking about waffles.” Bdubs grinned up at Etho lazily, he knew Etho preferred pancakes, he was just feeling problematic today.

“I just want some coffee.” Oh god, he sounded awful, maybe he shouldn’t talk at all.

“Yeah, coffee sounds good.” Bdubs settled down, in no rush to move. He wanted to lay there with Etho and simply exist. But all good things must come to an end, Etho supposed, as Bdubs slowly sat up, pushing back the sheets and blinking slowly as he looked around the room. his hair was all messed up and he had those crusty things in his eyes, but he was Bdubs and he was perfect. Bdubs leaned down to give Etho a kiss on the forehead before rolling off of him and nearly falling off the bed, bless him, he was a mess when he wasn’t fully awake.

Etho just watched as Bdubs stumbled around the room, getting himself in order. It was a quiet moment, and Etho got to think, about his life, how he got here, of all places. He’d been living day to day his whole life, trying to outrun something inside of him. He’d been in love before, but not like this. He’d let himself be chased and he’d let himself be fawned over and he’d walk with a swagger to get someone’s attention and he’d lead countless people down trodden paths like he was leading them to water only to leave them confused and thirsty at the last second. Etho had filled himself with pointless things for the sake of feeling perfect, and he came up empty-handed every time.

Etho’s dad had worked out west and was always gone, and his mom smoked all the time, they broke each other’s hearts. She told him that love was a game, and its way to easy to play, but when did Etho ever listen to her? He raised himself and he turned out… fine.

But this? Bdubs? It wasn’t perfect and Etho never wanted it to be. He was the one chasing now, he was the one head over heels and trying to hide it, he was the one being strung along and he was okay with that. He kept pictures of Bdubs like he was a hoarder, he picked up rocks to give to the man, he wrote about him in his notebook, and he thought about him when he drove home. Etho realized as he lay in their queen-sized bed, with their dark green moss-looking blankets and their floral sheets, and the stupid squish mallows that Bdubs always turned to face the wall, he realized that he might love Bdubs forever, and he hopes that while forever is going on- he hopes Bdubs warms up to him.

Bdubs scampered off to let Charlie out, and to start the coffee, and Etho laid back and sighed, the bed was warm, and his phone was on the other side of the room, he had no reason to move. So he laid there, and he thought about the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, and how Bdubs was an angel. There was nothing else he could be, he was Ethos angel.

Chapter Text

“Dude! It was right there!” Bdubs laughed, a full laugh, where he tipped back on the couch and his teeth glistened in the low lamplight. Etho was not laughing, he was 7 over par on a hole that was a par 3. He shot that tiny motherfucking ball right over the fucking hole and he was about to start strangling Bdubs if this didn’t work out soon. “Oh honey, you are doing amazing.”

“I AM LOSING!!” Etho shot up, early throwing the controller as the ball rolled over the top of the hole again. “This is a game of pixels and the pixels hate me!” He begrudgingly stood there, like a toddler having a tantrum, as he shot the ball again, and finally, finally, it rolled into the hole and Etho’s turn was over, the hole was done.

He sat down and passed the controller to Bdubs, who made sure to pull his usual stunt of crawling up all over Etho (to gloat that he was better at putt-putt) to find the “perfect spot” to lay as he scoped out the next hole. This time, he settled between Etho’s legs, with his head tucked under Etho’s chin and insisting Etho held him around the waist.

(“It helps me concentrate!”

“Whenever you make a shot, you jump a little bit and it makes my teeth slam together.”

“but your so warm.”

“Don’t make puppy eyes at me, ill— lick them?”

“Lick my eyes?”

“Well, you said to stop saying gouge them out! That was the next best thing!”

“Why are you thinking about licking my eyes? Do I need to wear eye protection around you Now?”

“some type of protections-’

“Woah there etho-”

“Like a bulletproof vest! shut up and take your shot before I actually take your eyes out!”)

“You are evil,” Etho groaned as Bdubs, once again, had scoped out the cheatiest shot he could and gotten a par 4 in one shot. “Im going to do this the way the game wants us to.”

“This is why you are losing so badly.” Bdubs handed the controller to him, and Etho started the long haul of playing the game how it was supposed to be played, with rage. he squinted at the screen as he tried to figure out where he was supposed to go. But it didn’t help hed never played this map before, and Bdubs played ike- all the time, and was trying to unlock every hat in the game (Etho had beaten him once and unlocked a jester hat, Bdubs forced him to have it on his golf ball every time they played.) “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here, full send it?”

That was not what he was supposed to do.

“This is why you never make par.”

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just too easy.”

Etho kicked at Bdubs lightly and went back to trying to figure out how he fucked up putt-putt this badly, and how to fix it.

At 9 over par and one stroke away from getting a penalty, Etho had had it. he made it, but at what cost? 18 holes of putt-putt, Bdubs was settled at a nice 54 stokes, while par for the whole course was 72, and Etho was sitting at 132. Curse those par 6’s and especially curse that one par 7! “I think I’m burnt out on this- like for life.”

“Nonsense! I just bout a new map! It’s a bouncy castle map.” Bdubs wiggled, for lack of a better word other than slithered, out of Ethos’s lap to grab the controller he had so carelessly tossed aside, which had fallen into Charlie’s dog bed and the hellion was slobbering on it.

“You are trying to kill me.” Bdubs just innocently blinked up at Etho as he wiped off the controller (with Etho’s shirt.) He settled back in Etho’s lap and pulled up the new map.

“Last map, and then ill make dinner.” He all but pleaded, leaning his head on Etho’s shoulder and looking up at him at that terribly unflattering angle that was perfect if it was Etho. “Also you have a bug bite under your chin.”

“WELL- if you hadn’t said anything, then I wouldn’t have noticed nor cared but now! I’m gonna be noticing that all night.” Etho shoved BDubs face away, and tried to get up, making his escape from putt-putt. His downfall was the strings of his sweat pants and the fact that Bdubs had tied them to a couch cushion. The taller man tripped, going down face first as Bdubs stayed on the cushion he was tied to, it was a miracle that he strings od his pants dinner break, nor his nose. “I want a divorce.” was his only comment, from the floor.

“Yeah yeah, after putt-putt.” Bdubs pulled up the new map. “Wait are we married?”

“uh, not legally, we never got a marriage license.” Etho struggled to untie himself, and Bdubs pulled him back to the couch as soon as he could.

“Oh, we should get that done. We can go to the courthouse next week?”

“Sure, but if we are going that far into town, can we get Chick-Fli-A?”

“They are homophobic.” Bdubs pulled another cheaty shot on the putt-putt game, and suk it in a hole-in-one.

“Homophobic or not, I could slam a frosted lemonade.”

“Sure, we can get Chick-Fli-A after our wedding.”

“A dream come true.” Etho tried to copy what BDubs did with the cheaty one shot of the par 3, and he sent the ball right into the ocean. “aww man, now i gotta try again.”

“ya know,” Bdubs pulled Etho a little closer, wrapping his arm around the taller’s leg and resting his cheek on his shoulder. “We can start over and play this map later if you help me make soup?”

Etho made a face, a horrible, disgusted, rage-filled face that Bdubs had grown to love. “Mama didn’t raise no quitter, that’s why I never stopped taking Adderall.” He missed the shot again.

“Mama didn’t raise me at all, so I don’t feel bad about quitting. Come on, I’m hungry.” Etho made the same horrible face as Bdubs slithered away, and headed to the kitchen. “You are lucky you are cute, very lucky.” Bdubs had to love him though, horrible expressions and all.

Chapter Text

“Cilantro… Cilantro… there’s no cilantro!” the store lights flickered as etho and Bdubs tried to do their weekly shopping, at 3 am on a thursday. It was a 24 hour store after all.

“Good! That stuff tastes like soap.”

“Look, the soap gene is not my fault! Cilantro tastes good to me, and you are simply inferior.”

“Good to know youre still humble as always, Bdubs.” Etho crouched next to the berry display, taking his time as he looked over every single carton, Bdubs always managed to choose the cartoons with the most unripe berries. “We should get some mangos.”

“You hate mango.”

“Sticky mango rice, I want to try it.”

“I’m not cooking that for you.”

“it’s going to be an adventure, youre not cooking it alone, we are doing it together.” Etho stood up, putting sveral cartoons of several types of berries into the cart. “And we need more dog treats.”

“Come on then, the sooner we get all our stuff, the sooner we can go get Dairy Queen! You are pushing the cart, not me.” Bdubs tried to duck away as Etho nabbed his hand, pull the smaller man closer to him and linking his fingers over the back of Bdubs hand… and holding his hand to the handle bar of the cart.

“You picked a cart with a bad wheel, you are pushing it.” Etho gave him a quick kiss before trapping his other hand on the handle bar, and trying to jump up on the shorts man’s back. “Onward! For mangos!”

“Don’t treat me like a horse.”

“Act like one, get treated like one, let’s go horse girl!!” Etho tries, from where he is perched on Bdubs hips, to spur him forward, but all he does he kick Bdubs in the knee and make him stumble.

“I’ll push the cart but get off my back.”

“Can I ride in the cart?”

“You are in your thirties! No! You can’t ride in cart!”

“Then i’m on your back, let’s go!!”

“Get in the cart before I kill you.” Etho was unceremonsly dumped onto the floor, and Bdubs really considered just hightailing it with the cart, and leaving Etho alone on the floor in the middle of the produce section. He scrambled to get in the cart, being tall enough to just step in while Bdubs was tempted to kick his legs out from under him.

Etho situated himself facing backwards, like a child in car seat, and Bdubs simply piled the groceries on top of him. Dropping various cans in his lap and trusting Etho to find a way to make it all fit in the cart around him.

Bdubs was worried about and employee telling him to get out of the cart, Etho was worried about his nest being disturbed by a cold milk jug or frozen pizza. he was less concerned about the cans, tucked all around his ankles, or the soda and beer Bdubs had quite rudly shoved under his knees, but the ten-pound roll of ground hamburger was not going in Ethos lap, no way. The other three rolls weren’t either, but alas, that is where they ended up, Etho was buried under cold, slightly damp plastic rolls of ground meat.

“Okay, i take i back, i dont want to be in the cart anymore.” Etho tried to wiggle out of his prison of canned foods and condensation, but Bdubs stopped him with a pile of frozen pizzas, dropping them in his lap. And to add insult to injury, Bdubs put a gallon of milk at Ethos side, where it was extremely cold and he had no choice but to sit there and suffer, or dig himself out and risk an avalanche. “Bdubs! Dont even think about it!”

Bdubs turned slowly from where he was, standing infront of the frozen vegetable section. He had seven bags of frozen peas in his hands.

And very suddenly, Etho had seven bags of frozen peas right behind his back. Bdubs thought far enough ahead to clap his hand over Ethos mouth, so that no one would hear the shriek, however, it didnt help if someone could see the, and it really just looked like Bdubs was assaulting Etho and trying to kidnap him.

“Uhhh sir?”

“I couldnt find a price tag on him.” Bdubs did not let Etho go, and he contined to struggle until he was able to smack his boyfriends hands away and desperately tried to clamber out of the cart, where he was trapped by mounds of cold groceries.

“HE PUT FROZEN PEAS IN MY SHIRT!”

“Do you two.. know each other?” The employee looked very uncomfortable, trying to figure out whatever was going on with Etho and Bdubs.

“Not at all!” Bdubs joyously exclaimed as he dropped a bag of frozen mixed berries in Ethos lap.

“Bdubs! Of course we know each other!” Etho looked slightly panicked, as if the employee could really do anything if they did turn out to be strangers. “We live together! We have a child!”

“Okay, Charlie is a dog, first off.” A new voice entered the conversation.

“Beef! Beef, tell the employee that Bdubs and i know each other!”

“They have never met in their lives.” Beef answered with a blank stare and no hesitation.

“BEEF!”

“What are you trying to prove? I think its pretty obvious you two know each other, beacsue it would be werid to just be sitting in a strangers grocery cart, flirting with them.”

“well i was trying to buy him-”

“I'm just going to leave.” The employee just backed their dolly out of the aisle, leaving Etho, trapped in a damp cart of groceries and Bdubs, who was collecting more frozen vegetables.

“Are you guys shopping for the week or is this all… to torture Etho?”

“Uh both?” Etho tried to clamber out of the cart, but to no avail as Bdubs shoved him back down in the cart, “Wed needed alot of stuff anyway, since someone forgot to go shopping last week!”

“Let me out! Im all damp now!”

“You can get out when we get to the checkout aisle.”

“Beef! Im gonna get hypothermia at this rate!”

“Oh well, nice knowing you!” Beef waved and turned away down the aisle, leaving Etho stuck in the cart of cold and damp foods.

“Hey Etho, should we get ice cream?”