Chapter Text
“Just this once.”
Raine had said that what had to have been dozens of times by now, but it never held any water when it came to being the last time they took King out for an after-dinner snack.
“Thank you, Raine,” King said, making big cute eyes up at them once they finally lifted off from the back of the house.
“Growing Titans need to eat,” they whispered in a quiet, singsong voice. “Or something like that.”
King laughed and snuggled into their embrace. They were still fairly new to the family arrangement they had going on now, but Raine rarely denied King a trip to the local burger joint after Eda would say no. It was their little secret, although King was beginning to suspect that it wasn’t as well-hidden as they wanted it to be.
“Do you know what you wanna eat?” Raine asked, flying low over the woods into Bonesborough.
“Just fries,” King responded, feeling the wind in his fur. “A little midnight snack, you know.”
“I know,” Raine chuckled, landing outside the restaurant gracefully and picking up King when they rose to their feet and let Fiddlesticks hide away up their sleeve. “Down, down,” they said, placing him on his little feet and walking up to the window to order with him.
King was fine with being too short to see into the window. Raine was always so willing to help speak for him.
“Okay, thank you,” Raine laughed, their voice so bright and cheerful once they had paid the cashier and received the receipt with the number they would be calling on it. “It’s going to be a few minutes,” they said, reaching out for King’s hand. “I’ll get you back in time to get a whole night of sleep. Where should we sit?”
King took Raine’s hand and guided them to his favorite table. It was the one he always sat at before Eda and Raine got back together. It didn’t feel any different now that he was there with Raine. They were family. It was still a family table to him.
“I think right here is perfect,” King said. He placed his open palms down on the table and let Raine join him.
“I think so, too, King,” Raine agreed with him, smiling such a friendly smile. “Good job picking this table out.”
King pressed his palms to his cheeks and tapped his little feet against the chair. “You mean it?”
“Of course I mean it,” Raine said. They let Fiddlesticks out onto the table for King to play with while he waited. “I can see why you always sit here with Luz and Eda.”
King started to run his claws over Fiddlesticks’ deceptively soft fur. “I’m the King of Decisions, you know,” he sang.
“You sure are,” Raine chuckled along with his antics. At the window, the cashier called out the order number. There weren’t a lot of people there at this hour. “I’ll be right back.”
“You’re such a cool step parent, Raine.”
“Don’t mention it, kiddo.”