Archive of Our Own

It was a day like any other in the small, desert town. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and one teenage boy was asleep in bed.

At least until his alarm went off. The boy, Tycho Curious, groaned and rolled over in bed to turn it off before sitting up, stretching, and finally getting out of bed. He quickly made it before trudging off to the bathroom.

While brushing his hair, Tycho took a good look at himself in the mirror. Pale green skin with black eyes, not just the irises but the scleras too, a couple of pimples and jet black hair. All in all, he thought he looked pretty decent, even if he looked different from most of the other students at his school.

“Tycho, breakfast is ready!” he heard from the kitchen.

“Coming!”

He sat down in front of his bowl of cereal his pop made him and fiddled with it instead of eating it. I bet that jerk’s gonna harass me today, just like he does every other day. 

“Not hungry?” 

Tycho looked up to see his pop. Well, really, he was his stepfather, but he always called him Pop. Nervous Curious, maiden name Subject, a tall, thin, pale man with a long face and a spiky mohawk. His hair was black with streaks of grey, much like his husband’s.

Pascal Curious, Tycho’s father, sat next to Nervous, decked out in his full work uniform, a button-up shirt, tie, and long lab coat. He had short, neat, black and grey hair and wore round glasses. He was a head shorter than Nervous and somewhat plumper than him.

“Not really,” the teen admitted, looking back at his food. 

“Is something the matter?” Pascal asked, looking concerned.

Tycho shook his head. “Nah.”

Pascal looked like he was going to say more, but then Tycho heard the horn of the school bus beeping and got up quickly. “Bus is here!” 

He made for the door in a rush before he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Ah!” he cried in surprise.

“You going to school in your pyjamas?” Nervous asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

Tycho looked down. “Ah! My clothes!” He quickly rushed into his room to get dressed into his favourite red and orange shirt and grey jeans, then practically ran out of the front door, followed closely by his fathers.

“Have a good day at school, honey!” Pascal called, waving goodbye.

“And don’t let anyone push you around!” Nervous added. 

“Okay!” Tycho yelled back before taking his seat on the bus. How’d he know that’s what I was thinking about?

Strangetown High wasn’t the biggest or prettiest school, especially not compared to the schools in SimCity, but it was the only high school in the town, so the inhabitants didn’t have much choice. It had been built sometime in the 1940s, and even though it had been refurbished several times, it still managed to look old.

Upon entering the school and walking to his locker, Tycho was immediately greeted by the very last person he wanted to see—Tank Grunt Jr, a mean and angry guy who was committed to dressing like a bully from an 80s movie. Tank Jr was very much like his father Tank Sr was at his age, or at least, that’s what Tycho’s cousin Johnny had told him. 

In any case, Tycho was sick to death of dealing with Tank’s verbal abuse.

“Hey, Curious!” Tank jeered, following him down the hallway. “How are your dads? ”

Tycho rolled his eyes. He just can’t get over that, can he? “In a loving and happy relationship, which is more than you’ll ever be able to say, Tank.”

“I’d rather be alone than be gay!” he rebutted, looking around for approval from bystanders, all of whom just regarded Tank with disdain. 

“Good! We don’t need more of your genes in this town!”

“What’d you just say to me?”

Tycho turned around and faced Tank, steeling himself. “I said we don’t need any more of your genes, and if you’re too thick-headed to get what I mean, I’m saying I hope you don’t have kids.”

Tank gritted his teeth. “If there’s anyone that shouldn’t have kids, it’s you, alien boy! There’s enough Curiouses as is, and we certainly don’t need any more of your kind!” He poked Tycho in the chest.

“ My kind?” Tycho growled. 

“Yeah, your kind, dork! Your freaky alien species! You don’t belong here, Curious, and if it weren’t for your weirdo family getting pregnant, you aliens wouldn’t even be here! Men aren’t even supposed to get pregnant!”

Tycho was just about to retort when someone else interjected. “The only people who say things like that are small-minded people.”

The teen turned to look at where the voice came from and saw a girl. She had short, blonde, frizzy hair in a bob that only just reached her cheeks and straight bangs that covered her eyebrows. Her blue eyes were staring at Tank with contempt as her lips pouted. She was wearing a coral pink sweater and a matching skirt.
“Shut up, Freaker!” Tank yelled at her, causing the girl to gasp and tense, scrunching her hands into fists as they lay at her sides. 

Tycho recognised that girl, and Tank’s cruel nickname for her made him realise why he knew her. She was in his social studies class and sat in front of him, next to a guy he was pretty sure was her brother. She was prone to freaking out about things seemingly at random and would often yelp or even scream, causing the entire class to go into disarray. In fact, her brother was much the same and also got the nickname ‘Freaker’ from people, namely Tank. “Leave her out of this, dickhead!” Tycho bellowed. 

“What are you gonna do, Curious? Huh?!” Tank egged on, shoving Tycho hard.

The half-alien boy pushed him back, and just when it seemed things were going to escalate into a full-blown fight, a teacher’s voice filled the air. “Break it up!”

The teacher came between the two teenagers, forcing them to step away. “Mr Curious, Mr Grunt, please refrain from brawling in the hallways.”

Tycho looked away, trying to calm himself down. “Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir,” Tank mumbled under his breath. Then, the school bell rang.

“Get to class, you two, and I better not see you fighting again today,” the teacher said sternly.

Tycho nodded and made his way to his social studies class. As he entered the room with the rest of the students, he noticed that while the girl sat in her usual spot, in the front of the class, there was no one sitting next to her this time. Maybe her brother’s sick, he thought. On a whim, he approached the desk. “Hey, uh, can I sit here?”

She blinked a couple of times, surprised, then nodded. “Sure.”

Tycho sat down quickly. “Thanks.”

Their social studies teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and so, Tycho decided to strike up a conversation. “Hey, you stood up to Tank.”

“Oh, yes, I did,” she replied. “I don’t like people like him, who call others rude names because they’re different.”

“Yeah, he’s an asshole. Especially to me. Thanks for saying something.”

“Oh.” She smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”

“Okay class, no more chatting, it’s time to learn!” Their teacher announced, walking in with a flourish. 

Dammit, I didn’t get her name, Tycho thought to himself. He didn’t want to draw more attention to himself by talking when the teacher was talking. He’d had enough of the spotlight for one day. 

Instead, he opened his notebook and ripped off a small piece of paper, quickly writing on it before sliding it to the girl next to him. It read, ‘what’s your name? Mine’s Tycho’.

He watched as the girl looked at it, then took her own pen and wrote a response before sliding it back to him. ‘Ceres’, it said.

Ceres… that’s a cool name.

For the rest of the day, Tycho was set on talking to Ceres more. When they had to part ways for their next class, she gave him a small smile before walking off, and for some reason, Tycho couldn’t get her smile out of his head.

When it was time for lunch, he managed to track her down in the cafeteria. “Hey! Ceres!”

“Oh! Tycho! Hi,” she greeted while holding her tray of food. 

“Uh, do you wanna eat lunch with me?” Tycho blurted out. 

Her eyes widened. “Um, yes, actually. My brother just got into private school, so I have no one to eat with anymore.”

“Great! Well, no, that’s not great, but…” Tycho babbled, trying to figure out what to say. “Great that you want to eat with me, haha!”

“Eheheh,” she giggled, and with that, they found an unclaimed table and sat at it.

They sat in silence for a little bit as Tycho was unsure what to say. Crap. Come on, just ask her something normal, like ‘How are you?’.

“Um, Tycho?” Ceres questioned before he could say anything.

“Yeah?”

“Your surname is Curious, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Why?” She’s not gonna say something about my family, is she?

She tilted her head to the side. “Do you have any relatives that are scientists?”

“Oh, er, my dad and my uncles are scientists.”

“Oh, okay. My father’s a scientist, too. He knows some guys at work who are named Curious.” 

Wait a minute, he knows my dad and uncles…? “What’s his name?”

Ceres looked away for a moment, then looked back at him. “Loki Beaker.”

Loki Beaker wasn't an unfamiliar name to Tycho. He knew a little bit about the man, namely that he worked with his dad and that he was his superior. That, and Pascal didn't like him.

There was one other thing. His pop seemed to know Loki and his wife, Circe but never spoke about them. Pascal rarely brought the Beakers up in conversation, and it seemed to be an agreement between him and Nervous that the topic was avoided.

"Oh." 

Ceres shifted awkwardly in her seat. "I don't think your dad and my dad like each other."

So she knows that Dad doesn't like Loki? And I guess Loki doesn't like Dad either? Tycho thought, his curiosity piqued. But to Ceres, he said, "Just because our dads don't get along doesn't mean we can't be friends. Right?"

She looked taken aback for a moment, and then a smile broke out on her face. "Right! We can be friends!"

Tycho smiled back. "Friends it is, then, Ceres!"

Later that afternoon, Tycho sat on the couch, trying to do his homework while Nervous watched TV next to him. Unfortunately for the boy, he couldn't stop thinking about Ceres—or more specifically, her parents, and what his parents knew about them. Glancing at the man next to him, he decided to go for it and ask. "Pop?"

Nervous looked at him. "Yeah?"

"What do you know about the Beakers?"

Nervous's eyes widened. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Tycho responded, hoping that answer would suffice. 

His pop glanced at the TV for a moment, reaching for the remote and turning it off. "I knew we were gonna have this conversation eventually."

…What? Tycho thought, confused. That sounds a lot like what Dad said when he had to give me The Talk.  

"You don't know much about them, do you?" 

The teen shook his head. "Nah. Just that the guy, Loki, works with Dad, and they don't get along, I think."

Nervous nodded, a pensive look on his face. "Well… I used to live with them."

"What?!" Tycho exclaimed. "Wait, are you guys related or something?"

"No, no. They were my caretakers when I was young, though." He looked away, a frown on his face. 

"Like… your parents?" 

Nervous shook his head. "No. I lived with them, but they weren't like parents. They were pretty shit, actually."

Oh… I guess that's why they don't talk about them. "Why? What'd they do?"

The man cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "You know what a test subject is, Tycho?"

"Yes…? Like, for scientific experiments?" He answered, not sure where this was going.

"Yeah. That was me."

Tycho blinked a little in disbelief. "You… were a test subject?"

"For the Beakers, I was. They used to experiment on me," he elaborated. He tried to keep his face neutral, but his eyes betrayed how he truly felt. There was pain behind them, and seeing that filled Tycho with sorrow.

He threw his arms around his stepfather, hugging him tightly. 

After a moment, Nervous reciprocated, patting him on the back. "It's okay, Tycho, I'm alright now. I got out of there about seventeen years ago and it's well and truly in the past."

Tycho let go of him and returned to his previous position on the couch. "I… I don't really know what to say…"

Nervous shrugged. "No one does when you tell them something like that. Don't worry about it, son. Speaking of those two… I think they have kids."

Ceres! "Really?" Tycho pretended not to know.

"Yeah, I think I've seen Loki out with a girl and a boy that look just like him," Nervous recalled, furrowing his brow.

"Wait, you see them around? But what if they…"

"Don't worry, they pretend like they don't see me," he replied nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm not a scared twenty-something anymore. If either of them tried anything… I'd punch 'em." He grinned.

Tycho couldn't help but grin too. He's honestly kinda cool… cooler than Dad, anyway. 

“Tycho, do you know about Punnett squares?”

“Like, the genetics things?” he responded to the girl sitting across from him in the cafeteria.

Ceres nodded, eyes sparkling with interest. “Yes! They’re used to predict genotypes. I love Punnett squares.” She beamed.

“Oh yeah?” Tycho asked, smiling back. After learning about what her parents were like from his pop, Tycho felt a little uneasy at first about Ceres, but the more time he spent with her, the more he couldn’t help but… like her. She was nice, she was smart, and she didn’t seem cruel or unkind at all. 

“Yeah! Look at this.” She showed him her notebook in which she had drawn a Punnett square. “These are homozygous alleles,” she pointed out, “and these are heterozygous alleles.”

“Hetero-who-what?” the boy replied before laughing a little. 

“Heterozygous! It means they’re different, see? One dominant, one recessive.” 

He nodded, not really understanding, but he was happy she was happy. “Oh, right, hetero means different, should’ve guessed, heheh.”

“Hahaha, yep! Not a big biology guy?” she raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Not really, no,” Tycho admitted. 

Ceres waved her hand airily. “That’s okay! To tell you the truth, I’m not much of a biology buff either, Tycho. I just like Punnett squares.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I get that!”

She smiled at him, and Tycho felt his heart flutter a little. “One of my favourite little things about genetics is how weird they are. You know how two dark-eyed people can have a light-eyed child, because of recessive alleles?” She tapped the page of her notebook with her pen, iterating the diagram again.

“Oh, yeah. That used to confuse me.”

“Yeah! But it doesn’t go the other way. Two light-eyed people can’t have a dark-eyed child.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I have blue eyes, so I’ve got the recessive allele. You have… dark eyes!”

“Haha, I do, don’t I?” Tycho chuckled. “Quite dark, actually.”

“I wonder if dark eyes are also dominant where you’re from.”

“Sixam,” he offered. “Well, I was born here, but my alien dad’s from Sixam.”

Ceres’s eyes widened. “Sixam… What a cool name.”

Tycho smiled. She’s pretty… he thought before feeling embarrassed. Oh Watcher, am I into her?! 

“Is something wrong?”

“Agh! N-no, no,” Tycho denied, feeling himself flush. “Just got a bit… distracted, heheh. Um, about genetics and stuff…” the teen began in an attempt to change the subject.

“Oh?”

“My dad’s got dark blue eyes,” he continued, “and my other dad’s got brown eyes. I mean, my stepdad, so not much genetics there, but…”

“That’s alright! Say, about your stepdad, do you think he has any light-eyed genes?” the girl asked, staring down at her Punnett square.

“Uhh, I dunno. I don’t think so…?”

She looked back up at him. “Do you know what colour his mum and dad’s eyes were?”

“Um, Grandma had brown eyes,” Tycho answered. “As for Grandpa, er… I don’t really know.”

“Hmmm,” Ceres hummed, fiddling with her pen.

“You can’t really see Grandpa’s eyes,” he added quietly, thinking about Nervous’s father.

The girl furrowed her brow. “...Huh?” 

“Oh, er, since he’s the Grim Reaper and all,” Tycho blurted out.

Ceres blinked. “What?”

Shit! I shouldn’t have said that! “Uh…”

“Your grandpa’s the Grim Reaper?”

Tycho nodded. “I-I mean, he’s my stepdad’s dad, so, no relation, but…”

She stared intently at him for a moment, and Tycho feared the worst. I think that was supposed to be a secret…! Oh, Pop, I’m sorry…!

“Well… the good thing is, your grandpa will never die, because he is Death,” Ceres said with a shrug.

“Oh… yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

“Wait, does that mean your stepdad’s immortal…?” she asked, narrowing her eyes, deep in thought. 

“Damn, maybe…” Tycho considered. “Well, if he’s only half-reaper, maybe not immortal, but living longer than your average person…?”

Ceres flipped to a blank page in her notebook and began to draw another diagram. “Do you think immortality is dominant or recessive?”

“Uhh… dominant?”

Just as Ceres was about to fill in the Punnett square, the bell rang. “Ah! Lunch is over.” She closed the book and made to get up.

“Ceres, wait!” Tycho said hurriedly. 

“Yes?” she asked, looking taken aback.

“You can’t tell anyone about that, about my grandpa. Not even your brother or your parents, please,” he insisted, swallowing hard. 

“Okay,” she agreed, nodding.

“Promise me, Ceres. You can’t tell anyone.”

She held her arm out, a serious look on her face. “I promise I’ll keep it a secret, Tycho.”

He took her hand and shook it firmly. I still can’t believe I just let that slip like it was nothing…

“And,” she added, leaning forward over the table and taking Tycho by surprise, “I’ll tell you a secret, so we’re even, okay?”

“Uh, okay?” 

With her free hand, she gestured for him to come closer, and so the half-alien boy leaned forward, his face now very close to Ceres’s. The proximity caused the back of his neck to feel hot. 

“Dad made me and my brother in the lab,” she whispered in his ear. “We’re basically clones of him.”

Oh, Watcher… that’s crazy! Tycho couldn’t help thinking.

Ceres pulled away but kept a tight grip on his hand. “You won’t tell anyone my secret either, promise?”

“O-of course, of course,” Tycho reassured, shaking her hand once more. “I promise.”

She gave him a small smile and let go of his hand. “Now we’re even.”

Ceres was on his mind even more than usual—the reveal that she was made in a lab was of course quite the surprise to Tycho, but when he thought about how close she got to him, his heart began to beat fast and his body began to heat up.

Oh shit, he thought, I really am into her. Shit. Fuck. Shit! What the hell are Dad and Pop gonna say?!

Despite his apprehension, when the last bell rang, Tycho couldn’t help but run after the girl. “Ceres!” he called as he caught sight of her leaving the school. 

“Hey!” she replied, turning around and waving at him, a big smile on her face. “What’s up?”

“Are you taking the bus home?” he panted.

“Oh, no, I thought I’d walk home today. I wanted to stop at the mall.”

“Can I join you?” 

Ceres looked mildly surprised at his request but smiled all the same. “Sure!”

And so, the two set off down the road.

“What did you want to get at the mall?” Tycho asked, both curious and trying to start a conversation.

“Oh, nothing really,” she responded. “I just like to get something to drink and walk around, window shop, you know.” Her cheery expression turned into a sadder one. “...I don’t really have many friends, so I just… spend a lot of time at home, on the computer, heheh.” 

“Oh…”

“I mean, I have my brother, and now I have you!” Ceres continued. “Having you around makes school a little less lonely.” She gently bumped his arm with hers.

Tycho felt himself flush at the contact. “Aww, Ceres… I’m glad I could make you feel less lonely.” To tell the truth, Tycho could relate—while he did have friends, especially in the form of his cousins, being visibly different from most of the students at Strangetown High did mean he felt out of place a lot of the time. “You know…”

“Hmm?”

The boy hesitated a little. Come on, say it! “Being friends with you makes me feel less lonely, too,” he admitted.

Ceres beamed, and Tycho could’ve sworn she was blushing. “That’s good to hear.”

The telltale butterflies were flapping around in the teenage boy’s stomach as he smiled goofily back at her.

“Tycho, dinner!”

Tycho, who had been idly lying on his bed, scrolling through social media on his phone, sat up at the call. “Coming!”

Entering the dining room, he saw the usual display—his dad seated, still in his work clothes, and his pop serving dinner. Pascal currently worked until 7 PM, but he was hoping for a promotion that would give him better hours. For now, though, Nervous took up the role of making dinner on work nights, something he was quite good at.

As the teen sat at the table and began to tuck into his mac and cheese, Pascal spoke.

“So, your father told me you went out today.” Both men tended to refer to each other as Tycho’s father, which was confusing to everyone who wasn’t in their family.

“Yeah, I hung out with a friend after school,” Tycho replied as nonchalantly as possible, hoping he wouldn’t press further.

“What did you do?”

“Just went to the mall on the way home. How was work?”

Pascal ate a spoonful of pasta before answering. “Same old, same old. It was good though. How was school?”

I think I like a girl. “Pretty much the same, heh.”

“What about your day, Nervous?” his father asked, turning his attention to the man next to him, who was currently wolfing down dinner like it was about to run away.

Nervous swallowed. “Good! Ophelia came over for a bit, that was nice.”

“Oh, that’s good! How is she?”

The conversation between his parents continued while Tycho zoned out, his mind once again flitting to Ceres. I wonder if she feels the same way about me. …It’s too early to say. But what if she does? Should I ask her out? He looked up at his parents, who were still chatting away happily. …Will they let me?

Despite the boy’s worries, time passed, and as it did, his feelings for Ceres only grew stronger. They spent most afternoons together, and by this time his parents had begun to cotton on to what was happening.

“Are you seeing someone?” Nervous asked him one day after school. 

“Wh-what?” Tycho stammered. “No, no way, Pop.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

The teenager nodded, not meeting his stepfather’s eyes. Well, it’s true. 

Nervous stared at him a little longer before letting up. “Alright. Just wondering.”

Phew, Tycho thought, relieved. That was close…

“Because if you are, it’s okay, you know.”

“What?”

He was facing the TV, but his eyes quickly flitted to his son. “You don’t have to keep it from me and your father or anything, Tycho. I just want you to know that. Whoever you wanna be with, we’re okay with it.” He turned and looked at Tycho once more. “Just as long as they’re not an asshole.”

The teen couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Heheheh. Thanks, Pop.” I hope you really mean that.

Nervous smiled at him before reaching out and ruffling his hair affectionately. 

Later that very same day, Tycho's dad came home from work, rushing in the door. "I GOT PROMOTED!"

Nervous immediately made his way to Pascal, pulling the man into a hug. "Congrats!"

They shared a celebratory kiss before pulling away, which was when Tycho took his chance to hug his dad. "Good job, Dad!"

"Thanks, both of you," Pascal replied, smiling wide and giving his son a squeeze. "Starting tomorrow, I finish work at 1 PM, so I get to spend more time at home!"

"That's great!" the teen exclaimed. "Finally, you don't have to work late!"

"I know! I just hope I'll actually get to see you and that you're not going out every afternoon, haha," Pascal chuckled.

Ah, Tycho thought, realising the downside of his father's promotion—he'll be home more often, leading to him being more aware of Tycho's comings and goings, and potentially asking about who he's spending all this time with. But to his father, he simply said, "I'll try to be home a little more often."

Pascal patted him on the shoulder approvingly. 

The end of the week rolled around, and despite all his fears, Tycho had worked up the courage to tell Ceres how he felt. All that was left was to do it.

"I have something to tell you," he began after their social studies class finished at the end of the day. 

"Oh, well, I have something to tell you too."

"Oh!" Tycho replied, taken aback. "Well then, uh… You can go first."

Ceres looked around at the veritable horde of students surrounding them. "I'd rather tell you outside if that's okay."

"Yeah, totally!" he agreed.

They exited the building and walked in silence until they found a relatively secluded place to talk. Once there, Ceres took a deep breath. "I, er… I really like you, Tycho," she admitted, looking at him fondly. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out on a date sometime. But if you don't feel the same way, that's okay! I just hope we can still be friends."

Holy shit. She asked me out! Tycho thought in disbelief. "Yes!" he exclaimed, a little too enthusiastic. "Uh, I mean, I'd love to go on a date with you, Ceres! Actually, I was going to ask you out today, but uh, you beat me to the punch, heheh!"

"Really?!" she asked incredulously. "Oh, wow! Well, I guess that means we feel the same, haha!"

"Yeah!" Tycho replied, his face burning and his lips parted in a shocked grin.

Ceres smiled back, blushing as well. "Well, we'd better get going if we wanna get the bus home."

"Ah, right!"

Almost immediately after getting off the bus, Tycho greeted and bade farewell to his parents before rushing to 2 Cover Up Road.

Once inside, he sat in the living room with Nova and Lazlo. "She asked me out!"

"Yo, are you serious?!" Nova cried, standing up. "That's great!"

"I know!"

"Hell yeah, Tycho! Good job!" Lazlo held up his hand and Tycho high-fived it.

So far, Nova and Lazlo were the only people who knew about Ceres, though Tycho had requested that his cousin not mention her name. While he believed Lazlo wouldn't have an issue with Ceres, he couldn't risk the news getting back to his parents just yet—he was going to tell them eventually. And of course, Nova and her parents lived with their uncle Vidcund, and he wasn't a fan of Ceres's father either. 

"Where are you gonna go? What are you gonna do?" Nova asked.

"I don't know yet, but I came here to ask you for tips, Uncle."

"You're asking Dad for romantic advice?" his cousin interjected, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm pretty alright with the ladies," Lazlo retorted, smirking. "I married your mom."

Nova shrugged in response.

"So, what can I do for you, Ty?"

"Well, uh… how do I act on a date?" Tycho asked.

"Like yourself, dingus," his cousin answered, shaking her head. "She likes you, right? Be you! And be nice, don't be a dick."

Yeah, that makes sense. 

"Yep, Nova's pretty much got it," Lazlo said, leaning back in his chair contentedly. "You should offer to walk her home if it's dark out, too. Or just ask your dads or me to pick you guys up."

I'd rather not ask Dad and Pop to pick us up, Tycho thought, at least, not yet. I've gotta break the news to them first.

"And," Lazlo added, "don't be an idiot, Ty. Don't go becoming a father just yet, you know what I mean?"

"Aw, Uncle, come on," the teen protested. "That's not gonna happen."

"Not if you're smart."

"He tells me the same thing," Nova sighed. "'Don't go getting pregnant' and all that."

"It's perfectly sound advice," Lazlo insisted, looking at the two of them sternly. 

"Fine, fine," Tycho conceded. "I'm not gonna become a teen dad, okay? Sheesh." What does he take me for?

"Good."

"Is that all the advice you've got, then?"

His uncle shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. Oh, and good luck, kiddo."

Tycho shook his head fondly and sighed. Oh, Lazlo… "Thanks, Uncle."

"Tell me how the date goes, Tycho," Nova said, "and if it works out, I wanna meet her."

"Will do!"

Later that day, Tycho and Ceres organised the day, time, and place for their date over text. They decided to go to a small, local cafe that recently opened up on 88 Road to Nowhere, and it was to happen tomorrow, Saturday, at 10 AM. Tycho was so excited yet nervous, he could barely sleep. 

Still, he managed somehow, and when he woke up, he was full of energy. The teenager rushed around the house, getting ready and trying to make himself look his best before calling a taxi and heading out.

Tycho's heart was thumping as he sat in the car, staring out of the window. Calm down, calm down! He tried to tell himself, but it was no good. Oh, I wonder what she's wearing… I hope I look okay. 

The taxi dropped him off at his destination, and as the teen stepped out, he was immediately greeted by the sight of his date. 

Ceres turned around, surprised. "Oh! You're here already!"

Tycho took a moment to take her in. She was wearing a flower hair clip in her short, cropped hair and a long pink dress that went down to her ankles. As it was chilly that day, she was wearing a white cardigan on top of that dress, which matched her white flats.

"You look beautiful," Tycho said in awe.

The girl immediately blushed and grinned at that. "Not so bad yourself, handsome."

The boy felt his face heat up at that, and he smiled goofily back. He was wearing what he considered to be his nicest outfit, which consisted of black dress pants, a red button-up shirt, a black leather jacket, and his usual sneakers. "Thanks."

"I just got here a couple minutes before you," Ceres elaborated, stepping over to him. "That's why I was surprised to see you."

"Oh, yeah. H-how are you?" he stammered.

"I'm good, now that I'm here with you, Tycho," she replied, smiling at him.

"Awwww, Ceres…"

"Dad did get on my case a bit before I left, asking why I was all dressed up," she said, looking a little annoyed, "but it was fine. How about you?"

Her dad got on her case? Tycho thought, and his warm fuzzy feelings were replaced with apprehension and stress. Oh no, what's he gonna do when he finds out about me?

"Tycho? You okay?"

"What? Oh, uh, yeah!" he replied hastily. "Anyway, should we go in?" He gestured to the cafe.

"Probably, heheh," Ceres chuckled.

The two teenagers sat in the cafe and chatted idly about school, TV shows they had watched, and whatever happened to cross their minds. Tycho's anxiety dissipated as he grew more comfortable, and his fears were replaced with warm feelings once more as he and Ceres held hands across the table.

When the time came for them to leave, they walked together hand in hand to the edge of the road.

It was still bright out, but Tycho thought he'd offer anyway. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Oh, I was just going to take the taxi home!" Ceres chirped.

"Oh, right. Me too."

They each called a taxi before standing in silence for a couple of minutes, waiting.

"I had a nice time today, Tycho," Ceres said quietly, smiling at him. "Thanks for coming on this date."

"Thank you, Ceres," Tycho replied. "I had a great time too. I… I really like you, you know," he confessed. "I don't know if I said that before."

The girl squeezed his hand a little. "I like you too."

The teen boy flushed at that, his heartbeat speeding up. Oh, Ceres… I really do like her. …Wait. Is this when we kiss? Should I kiss her? Or should I ask her first?

Before he could come to a decision, one of the taxis pulled up. "Oh, this is my one," Ceres commented, glancing at her phone. "Well, seeya, Tycho."

"Seeya," he replied, a little sadly. I took too long to decide…

She leaned forward and planted a kiss on the boy's cheek, something Tycho was not expecting at all. When she pulled away, she was blushing and grinning.

He reached his hand up to where her lips met his face and touched it gently, in awe. Meanwhile, Ceres got into the taxi. "Bye!" she called, waving at him before closing the door.

"Bye," he returned, waving back at her as a smile slowly spread across his face. She kissed me…

The car drove off, Ceres still waving at him through the window. Tycho continued to wave back, keeping his eyes on her until he couldn't see her anymore. 

I can't believe it, he thought. That went… well! 

The teen suddenly became aware of the feeling of elation in his chest, the joy that was compelling him to smile, and in that moment, he felt on top of the world. 

After their successful date, Tycho and Ceres went out again and again, and eventually, it became official: they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

The two continued to spend lots of their free time together, stopping by the mall after school and going out on the weekends. Even when they couldn't be together in the flesh, they were prone to texting each other. Sometimes about random comings and goings, sometimes exchanging memes. All in all, it was good. Well, except for one problem.

Tycho hadn't told his parents.

He sat at the dinner table one night, thinking about it. I've gotta tell them. Keeping this a secret is killing me, but… how am I gonna tell them? What do I say? He glanced up at his parents, who were eating. 'Hey guys, I'm dating the daughter of the guy you hate!' That's gonna go down real well, Tycho thought bitterly. But they'll find out eventually… and it's better if they hear it from me. Besides, they can't stop me from dating her. I'm almost an adult, I can make my own decisions! 

"Tycho, are you okay?"

He looked up to see Pascal looking at him worriedly.

"Yeah," Tycho tried, "I'm okay. It's just…"

"Yes?"

"There's something I've gotta tell you."

At that, Nervous stopped eating and looked up as well.

Here goes… "I, uh… I met this girl."

"A girl?" Pascal echoed. "A girl you like?"

Tycho nodded, blushing a little. "Yeah. Actually, we're… well, we're kinda going steady."

His father's eyes widened, his face turning from concern to surprise and then to fondness. He smiled at his son. Nervous, meanwhile, shot him a smirk and went back to shoving his dinner in his face unceremoniously.

"What's her name?"

"Ceres," Tycho answered. "I sit next to her in social studies. She's... she's like..." He struggled to find words to describe her.

"Pretty? Nice? Smart?" 

"All of those things!" he exclaimed, and he couldn't help but feel fondness for her as he spoke. 

"Sounds like you've got it bad, hon," Pascal observed. "But that name..." he frowned. "Ceres... I've heard it somewhere... She's not related to us, is she?"

No! No, there's no way," Tycho insisted, hesitant to say any more. I don't know how they'll react when I tell them who her parents are...

"Good, good, because there's a lot of us in this town, heheh! Isn't that right, Nervous?"

"Mmhmm," Tycho's other dad replied, quickly swallowing the food in his mouth. "I was surprised when I found out how big your dad's family is, Tycho."

He nodded, knowing full well how many Curiouses there were from all the Winterfest and Harvestfest dinners.

"But yeah, this Ceres…" Pascal continued. "What's her surname?"

Tycho took a deep breath in, steeling himself for the reaction. "Beaker. Ceres Beaker."

At the mention of that name, his fathers' faces turned dramatically. Pascal's eyebrows were furrowed and he looked as if he was fighting a frown. Meanwhile, Nervous's eyes widened and his face paled, which was a feat considering he was already pale to begin with.

"Beaker..." his father whispered under his breath.

"That's... not gonna be a problem, right?" Tycho probed, grimacing. 

Upon realising his son was scared, Pascal's face turned from poorly concealed anger to worry. "N-no! No, of course not." He turned to look at his husband, and Tycho followed suit.

Nervous looked as if he was thinking something through. "Tycho..." he began, "do you know anything about her home life?"

"Uhh... not really," Tycho admitted. "I know she has a brother, but he goes to private school. She said she's been working hard on her grades to impress her father, but she has trouble remembering to get her homework done in time." 

"Hmm..." was all Nervous said in response, looking pensive.

Pascal put an arm around him and gave his husband a look, one Tycho very much recognised as his 'we'll talk about this later' look. 

"You don't want me dating her, do you…?"

"No! No, we're… concerned," he admitted, "but we're not gonna stop you. I mean, hell, we'd know what it's like to have our relationship be frowned upon, even forbidden." 

"We're not gonna do that to you," his stepfather assured. "It wouldn't be fair. Besides, you're seventeen. It's not like we can stop you anyway."

"True," the teen agreed. "...Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Pop."

Pascal smiled. "You're a good kid, Tycho. We just don't wanna see you get hurt, you understand?"

He nodded, a weight lifting off his chest. "Yeah. But Ceres is nice. She saw Tank Jr make fun of me and told him that he's small-minded, heheh." He grinned at the thought. 

"Well, she's right!"

"You want me to go look scary in front of him?" Nervous offered. He had a knack for that—the punk clothing, spiky mohawk, and his ability to make his face look unnerving and off-putting had been used in tandem with Pascal's icy glare to send the message that they weren't going to be putting up with any discrimination back when Tycho first started going to school. Once they got the message across, however, his fathers were perfectly happy to be their amicable selves to parents and school personnel, as long as they and Tycho were treated well by them, of course.

"Nah, Pop, I'm not a kid anymore! I can handle myself," Tycho shot down, a little embarrassed by the offer, even though he knew Nervous had good intentions.

"If you're sure."

His parents returned to eating, and Tycho followed suit. That didn't go so bad, he thought. I was honestly expecting worse. I suppose I can introduce her to them now… eventually.

And introduce her to his parents, he did. After Tycho had told them about Ceres, they asked if they could meet her, and though he was apprehensive, Tycho agreed, promising to bring her over.

He made sure to assure Ceres that everything would be alright. As the girl was prone to panicking, it was important to Tycho that she wasn't stressed out about this. The last thing he needed was her freaking out while first meeting his parents.

And so, the day came when Tycho would introduce his girlfriend to his parents. 

"Are you sure everything is gonna be okay?" Ceres whispered, gripping onto Tycho's arm.

"Of course it is," he reassured. "My dads are nice, don't worry."

"Mmm…"

In an attempt to calm the girl down, Tycho pulled her into a quick hug. “It’ll be okay, Ceres.”

She hugged him back and they stood like that for about a minute before pulling apart. “Okay. I can do this,” she replied, steeling herself.

The boy nodded, smiling at her. “It’ll be fine!”

With that, Tycho took Ceres’s hand and opened the front door. “Hey, Dad. Hey, Pop.”

"Hello, Tycho," his father responded cheerily from the couch.

"Hey," his stepfather added, also from the couch. His parents seemed to be watching a TV show together.

"Uh, guys, this is Ceres," he introduced, gesturing to her. "Ceres, these are my parents."

"Hello," she greeted, smiling politely. "Nice to meet you, Mr and Mr… Curious?"

"Yep, that's right," Pascal confirmed, smiling politely as well. "Though that's probably gonna get confusing. Just call me Pascal."

"And just call me Nervous," the other man added.

"Okay."

"Oh, Ceres," Tycho interjected, "do you want a glass of water or something?"

"I'd love one," she replied earnestly.

The two teens retreated to the kitchen, standing by the fridge while the adults continued to watch TV. 

Tycho caught sight of the glass in Ceres's hand trembling. Oh no. He instantly reached out, gently holding her arm to steady the glass. "It's going well," he whispered. "Don't worry!"

She nodded but didn't say anything, slowly bringing the glass to her lips before taking a sip. 

I've gotta do something to calm her down… I know! "Do you wanna play chess?"

"What?"

"We've got a chessboard out back," the boy elaborated, gesturing to the back door. 

"Oh. Okay!" the girl agreed, perking up a little.

Tycho nodded and grabbed her free hand, pulling her along. "We're just gonna go play chess," he announced to his parents, awaiting their approval.

"Alright," Pascal responded, looking over at them.

They went out onto the back porch and sat at the chess table. "You know, I'm actually pretty good," Tycho boasted, "so I'm probably gonna win."

"Ohoho," Ceres chuckled, "Really? I'm good at chess too, you know."

The boy grinned. She's looking happier already. "Then may the best chess player win!"

"So… what'd you think?"

Pascal mulled it over. "She seems fine. Perfectly polite… a little bit anxious."

"Mm," Nervous replied with a nod. 

Yet… Pascal couldn't help thinking. 

His husband shifted closer, moving until his side was touching Pascal's side. The proximity was comforting. "She sure looks like him, doesn't she?"

"Oh, she's the spitting image. It's funny how genetics is like that sometimes."

"She doesn't seem like him, though," Nervous continued.

Pascal turned to look at him. Nervous was facing the TV, but he had a faraway look in his eye as if he was a million miles away. 

"No," Pascal murmured, "she doesn't. None of the exaggerated confidence, the sanctimony…"

"The complete disregard for others."

"No. If anything… she looked terrified of making a bad impression on us." Pascal furrowed his brow. "Are we really that scary?"

Nervous shrugged. "Maybe."

The older man couldn't help but laugh at that. "Hahahaha!"

They sat in silence for a moment, Nervous wrapping his arm around Pascal.

"You don't think he's out there making us grandparents right now, is he?"

"What?! Are you serious?" Nervous asked incredulously. 

"I'm just saying!"

And so, the first meeting went over fine. Ceres stayed for a couple of games of chess before going home, and Tycho's parents didn't seem to immediately hate her. To him, that was a success.

"You don't hate her, right?" Tycho asked insistently.

"No, of course not! We just met her," Pascal reassured, shaking his head lightly. "She seems perfectly fine."

"So you like her?"

Nervous and Pascal exchanged glances. The former tilted his head to the side noncommittally while the latter shrugged.

They don't like her. …Yet. But they don't dislike her, either. That's not too bad…! "Well, I'm glad you don't hate her," Tycho said, relieved.

"We weren't going to hate her," Pascal returned, sounding exasperated. 

"You worry too much, kid," Nervous remarked, ruffling his stepson's hair. 

"Yeah, well, I wonder who I got it from."

"Your father," both men said in unison before looking at each other in surprise.

"I used to be a lot more anxious, but I don't feel like that anymore," Nervous stated.

"I'm glad you feel better now," Pascal replied with a tender smile. "But yes, I think I'm the one that worries more between us, now. Mainly about you," he told his son.

"You don't have to worry so much about me, Dad," Tycho protested.

"Nonsense, I'm your father. It's my job to worry about you," he said matter-of-factly while adjusting his glasses.

Tycho grinned and shook his head. I suppose you're right.

A week or so passed, and the teenage boy felt a lot less stressed now that he didn't have to hide his relationship from his parents. His girlfriend, however, had yet to tell her parents, but that was another story.

One night, Tycho decided he wanted to show Ceres the stars, and he knew exactly the place to take her.

Ceres's hand in his, Tycho knocked on the door of his uncle's house.

Lazlo opened it, and upon seeing his nephew, his face lit up. "Yo, Ty! What's up?"

"Hey, Uncle Laz," Tycho greeted, smiling wide. "I just wanted to take my girlfriend up to the roof." He gestured to Ceres, who waved.

"Yooooo!" the man cheered with a big grin on his face. "Pas told me about you!" He held his fist out. "My name's Lazlo Curious, but you can just call me Lazlo."

Ceres bumped her fist against his. "I'm Ceres. Nice to meet you, Lazlo."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ceres! Come in, you two!"

The two teenagers followed his cue and entered the house. "Where's Nova?" Tycho asked, looking around for any sign of his cousin.

"She's out with Lewis," Lazlo answered nonchalantly. "Are you gonna stay for dinner?"

"Nah, probably not. Dad and Pop'll want me home soon."

"Yeah, my parents are the same," Ceres added. 

"Alright, alright," Lazlo conceded. "You're welcome over for dinner anytime, though!" 

"Thanks, Uncle," Tycho said, and with that, he pulled his girlfriend up the stairs.

"Whoa," she said when they reached the roof. "That's a lot of platforms."

"I know, right? I used to climb them when I was younger and Dad would always tell me to be careful," Tycho reminisced fondly. "He told me he was stargazing with that very telescope when the pollination technician picked him up." He pointed to the one on the tallest platform. "...I suppose talking about that is kinda weird, especially because of how it happened, heheh..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry."

Ceres shook her head. "If there's anyone that knows how it feels to have been conceived unconventionally, it's me." She grinned ruefully. 

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Tycho admitted. "Well, do you wanna go up there?"

"Of course!"

The two teenagers traversed each set of stairs and platform until they made their way to the topmost one. Once there, they stared out across the landscape.

"It's awfully high up here," Ceres observed, looking a little shaky.

"Hold onto me," Tycho suggested, holding his arm out to the side.

With a small smile, she did so, nestling into the boy's side and wrapping an arm around his back. He held her in turn, and they stood like that in silence for a moment.

"On some nights, you can see Sixam from here," Tycho whispered, pointing to the stars in the sky. "I don't think it's out tonight, though."

"Hmmm," the girl hummed in response. "It's still pretty out, though."

"Yeah, it is."

While Tycho and Ceres were at Lazlo and Vidcund's house, enjoying the night sky, Pascal and Nervous were at home, the former feeling conflicted about his son's girlfriend.

...That's not fair, Pascal , he reprimanded himself. You can't judge her before you've even gotten to know her...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of an arm reaching around his shoulder and giving him a one-armed hug. "You're thinking about them, aren't you?"

Pascal looked up at his husband and sighed. "I can't help it."

Nervous smiled at him. "I know. I can practically hear your brain."

Pascal chuckled a little and leaned into him, resting his head on Nervous's shoulder. "Do you remember when he was little? When we didn't have to worry about things like this?"

"I remember."

"They grow up so fast..."

Just then, Pascal's phone rang. He quickly sat up and pulled it out of his pocket, checking to see who was calling him. It was Lazlo.

"Hello?" he greeted upon answering, feeling worried. What is he ringing for? What if something's happened?

"He's just like you, Pas," his brother said on the other end.

"What?"

"He's just like you," Lazlo repeated.

"What's he saying?" Nervous asked, leaning in to try to hear better.

Pascal put the call on loudspeaker before responding. "What are you talking about?"

"Tycho's taken his girlfriend up to the top platform to look at the stars, just like you used to do with Nervous," Lazlo continued.

"Oh, don't tell me that," Pascal groaned, hanging his head. 

"Why? You still hung up about her parents?"

Upon hearing his brother's incredulous tone, he felt even more ashamed of his thoughts about the situation. "Mmm..."

Nervous rubbed his arm in an attempt to soothe him.

"Okay, listen up. I'm about to drop some wisdom on you," Lazlo declared.

" Wisdom? Coming from you? "

"You'd better believe it," he said seriously. "Look, I get why you guys would feel the way you do, but you know there's no point in trying to stop him from dating her, 'cause that's straight up not gonna work."

"I know that," Pascal acknowledged, rolling his eyes.

"Getting in the way will only make Tycho not want to be honest with you," Lazlo continued. "Also, you both know what it's like to have people who don't like the fact you're dating, and I'd bet it sucks big time."

Pascal looked at Nervous, who nodded slowly. "He's right."

"See? He agrees with me," Lazlo said, sounding triumphant.

"Yeah, yeah, I agree with you too. The thing is, it doesn't stop me worrying, Lazlo."

His brother paused. "Okay. I know this is gonna sound obvious, dude, but kids aren't their parents, and parents aren't their kids. I may have only known Ceres for a day, but we've known Loki for years, and I'll say, she doesn't seem anything like him."

"She doesn't," Pascal conceded, "I know. But I can't help worrying. You must understand, you're a father as well. Don't you worry about who Nova's spending time with?"

"A little," Lazlo admitted, "But I try to keep an open mind, you know. Give Ceres a chance, Pas, for Tycho's sake."

The man took a deep breath in, then let it out. "I'll try."

"Good. Do you want me to send him home?"

"Yes, please."

"Got it. Talk to you later, Pas!"

"Bye," Pascal said, and with that, his brother hung up.

"So, you're gonna try?" Nervous asked him.

He nodded. "It's only fair, after all."

To that, his husband leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'm gonna try, too. I'm right here with you."

Pascal smiled. "Thanks, honey."

It was the end of another school day, and Tycho was walking through the hallway. He briefly stopped to look at a poster that had been put up. The Blast From the Past Dance…? That’s corny, he thought as he read it. Still, it’s the school dance… I should ask Ceres to go with me.

“Curious! Hey, Curious!”

Ugh, Tank… Tycho quickly began walking again, trying not to respond to the boy. It was in his best interests not to get into a physical altercation, after all. Besides, it was time to go home.

“Curious! Can’t you hear me?!” Tank jeered.

“Tycho!” a familiar, much more pleasant voice called. 

Upon hearing the call, he turned around instantly, to see his girlfriend approaching. “Ceres!”

She made her way to him through the sea of people and unfortunately crossed paths with Tank, who wasn’t far behind Tycho. “Oh, you ,” she said derisively.

“If it isn’t Freaker,” he retorted, narrowing his eyes. “Of course you like this alien creep.”

“ You’re the creep,” Ceres hissed before running forward to her boyfriend. “Tycho, would you like to—”

She was cut off by Tank, who yanked on her backpack, pulling it off of her back. “Wanna say that to my face, bitch?!”

“Hey!” Ceres cried, trying to take the bag back.

“Give it back, asshole!” Tycho intervened, also attempting to pull the bag out of Tank’s arms. 

“ Make me!”

Some students had ignored the scuffle breaking out, but others stayed to watch, excited chatter filling the hall as an audience formed. Undeterred, Tycho and Ceres kept trying to get the latter’s backpack back.

“You three!” a teacher called. “Break it up!”

Tank let go of the bag suddenly, causing the other two teens to stumble a little as the teacher approached.

“What’s going on here?!” the teacher asked, a stern look on her face.

“He tried to take her bag,” Tycho answered, gritting his teeth. 

“She started it,” Tank rebutted.
“ You started it!” Ceres yelped indignantly. “He called Tycho a creep, and I called him a creep, because he is, and he tried to take my bag!”

“Okay, okay,” the teacher replied, holding her hands up. “You need to stop calling people names, Tank,” she reprimanded.

The boy mumbled under his breath, not meeting the teacher’s eyes.

“As for you two,” she continued, turning to Tycho and Ceres, “you need to stop retaliating. When things like this happen, either ignore it or tell a teacher.”

“Yes, miss,” the duo replied reluctantly.

“Alright. Now, go home!”

With that, the crowd dispersed, and Tank stomped off, giving Tycho and Ceres a dirty look as he left.

That asshole… someone needs to teach him a lesson.

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…” Ceres huffed, “Tycho, would you like to go out on Saturday?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’d love to!” the boy replied earnestly, brightening up. “Where to?”

“Well, there really isn’t much to do in Strangetown, but, we can get something to eat at the mall?” she suggested hopefully.

Tycho grabbed her hands and held them. “That sounds wonderful.”

Despite the relatively happy conclusion to the school day, by the time Tycho got home, he was still aggravated, Tank’s antagonising being the reason.

He trudged through the house, trying to hide his bad mood from his parents.

“Hey, Tycho, how was school?” his father asked him, sounding as chipper as usual.

“Mmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

He sighed. “Tank.”

“What’d he do?” Nervous questioned.

Before answering, Tycho unceremoniously dumped his backpack in his room before returning to where his parents were, in the living room. “He harassed us again today. He tried to take Ceres’s bag and then one of the teachers stepped in.”

“Hmph,” Pascal responded. “I remember Tank Grunt Sr and Johnny didn’t get along… it seems his son is just as awful as him.”

“You know, maybe we should step in, Pas,” his stepfather suggested.

“You might be right, honey,” Pascal agreed.

“No!” Tycho said quickly. “No, I can handle this myself, guys.”

“We’re prepared to take matters into our own hands if this boy keeps harassing you,” his father asserted, a steely glare behind his glasses.

“No, no, you really don’t have to get involved,” the boy insisted, regretting mentioning it at all. “Anyway, uh, they’ve started putting posters up for the school dance,” Tycho said, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, really?” Pascal asked.

“Yeah. The theme is Blast From the Past, apparently.”

Nervous furrowed his brow. “Blast From the Past?”

Tycho nodded. “Yeah, weird, right? I guess they’ll be playing a lot of retro music or something.”

“What do you kids consider retro?” Tycho’s father questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I guess maybe 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s…”

“Hmph. I was born in 1975…” He ran a hand through his greying hair. “I feel old.”

“You are old,” his husband pointed out, a smirk on his face.

“Well, you’re not that much younger than me, so shut up.”

“Oh, come here!” 

The conversation quickly devolved into Nervous trying to tickle Pascal into submission and the latter loudly giggling, at which Tycho chuckled briefly before heading for his room.

Come dinnertime, neither of Tycho’s parents brought Tank Jr up again, having realised that their son didn’t want to talk about it. Instead, they engaged in casual conversation about other topics during dinner and that was the end of it.

Or so Tycho thought.

In the middle of the school day, he received a text from his father. What’s this about? he wondered as he checked his phone.

Dad: We’re picking you up from school today, just to let you know so you don’t take the bus lol. Love you x

“Shit,” Tycho cursed under his breath. His parents rarely picked him up from school, and despite the fact Pascal didn’t mention anything else, the teen could surmise there was an ulterior motive behind it. They’re probably planning to do something about Tank…! Shit! He could already feel the embarrassment before anything embarrassing had even happened. …They might not be planning something… Maybe there’s something else going on?

In any case, he couldn’t afford to be looking at his phone in class the entire time, so he quickly tucked it away. 

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. His last class was social studies, with Ceres, which he always looked forward to. They sat next to each other happily, taking notes while the teacher lectured the class. 

It was only when the bell rang that Tycho remembered that his parents were picking him up.

“Ah, shit,” he muttered as he exited the class with his girlfriend.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, looking around to see what could’ve upset him.

“Oh, it’s just that I told Dad and Pop about what happened with Tank, and they wanted to get involved,” Tycho sighed.

“Involved? How?”

The boy shrugged. “Beats me. I told them to forget about it, but I got a text earlier from Dad telling me they’re picking me up today, and I can’t imagine they’re here for anything else.”

“Yeesh,” Ceres replied, grimacing. “Atom and I once told our parents about Tank calling us ‘Freaker’ and stuff, and Mum and Dad were the same, saying they were gonna give him a piece of their mind.”

Angering the Beakers? The very thought made Tycho shudder. Not a smart idea at all.

“Hey, you two freaks!”

Right on time. Tycho glanced at Ceres next to him, who was ignoring Tank, and he decided to do the same.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” Tank yelled.

“It’s like he’s obsessed with us,” Ceres muttered under her breath.

“Yeah,” Tycho agreed. They just made it out of the building when he caught sight of his dad’s car. Welp, there they are. 

“Is that their car?”

“Yeah. I’m just gonna get in and hope to the Watcher they’re not planning anything.”

“Okay,” Ceres said, smiling at him. “Bye, Tycho.”

They hugged, and as he nestled in close, he replied, “Bye, Ceres.”

He pulled away a little, then leaned in to kiss her, closing his eyes. Before he was able to, however, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. “ARGH!”

“I can’t believe you’re actually dating! Hahaha! Freaker and the alien!” Tank remarked as he pulled Tycho away from Ceres forcefully by the hair. 

“Augh—get off!” Tycho protested, reaching back to try and dislodge the other boy’s hand from his head. 

“Tycho! Let go of him, Tank!” Ceres screamed, trying to help.

Once again, bystanders were crowding the scene, and the buzz of talking made it hard to tell what was going on, but Tycho still had a clear view of his parent’s car, and saw one of the doors open. No, no, no!

“Fucking—bastard!” he growled through his teeth, finally pulling free. He turned around immediately and grabbed hold of Tank’s shoulders, intent upon pushing him into the nearest wall.

Unfortunately for Tycho, it seemed he wasn’t to win this battle, because he then felt a sharp pain directly in his groin as Tank’s knee made contact with it. Fuck…!

He fell like a sack of potatoes, groaning in pain, as the crowd roared in response. This couldn’t get much worse…

“You ASSHOLE!” he heard Ceres shriek. Opening his eyes and looking up, he watched as his girlfriend retaliated, kicking Tank in the groin right back.

Much like Tycho did, Tank collapsed with a pained noise, while Ceres kneeled down beside her boyfriend. “Are you okay, Tycho?”

Before he could answer, a familiar voice pierced the chatter of the bystanders. “Hey, clear out! Don’t you have anything better to do than watch fights? Honestly! Go home to your parents!”

Dad…?

“That was a good kick, Ceres,” Nervous said, impressed.

“You saw that?” 

“Pop?” Tycho asked, surprised.

“I’m here, Tycho. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, fine,” the teen replied, struggling to sit up. He felt himself be pulled upright.

As he sat on the ground, he noticed that the rest of the people had mostly dissipated and that only his fathers, Ceres, and Tank were in the immediate area.

“Oh, Tycho, I know how that feels,” Pascal said sympathetically. “Come on, let’s get you in the car.”

He nodded, too stunned by what happened to reply coherently. Pascal and Nervous pulled their son to his feet, the former slinging his arm around him to keep him up.

“Thank you for avenging me, Ceres, heheh,” Tycho murmured appreciatively.

“Oh, well…” she replied, blushing a little, “I couldn’t just let him get off scot-free.”

“He bothers both of you, doesn’t he?” Pascal asked while glaring at the bully.

“Yeah, he does. He always called me and my brother ‘Freaker’,” Ceres explained.

“Ugh… you bitch…!” Tank snarled as he got to his feet, staring daggers at the girl.

“Beat it, kid,” Nervous growled. “And leave these two alone from now on, if you know what’s good for you.”

Tycho watched as Tank’s face morphed from one of anger to fear before he scarpered off. “Hahaha! Did you see the way he ran?!” 

“You scared the hell out of him!” Ceres exclaimed, grinning. 

Nervous smirked. “That’s what I was going for. Now, let’s get you home, Tycho.”

“Wait,” Tycho said, shrugging Pascal’s arm off himself. He approached Ceres, leaned in, and the two kissed.

“See you tomorrow, Tycho!”

“Seeya!” he replied, returning to his parents’ sides.

She waved to Tycho and his parents before leaving, and they waved back. “You know,” Pascal began, “I think I’m starting to like her.”

“Really?!” the teen asked, excited.

His father smiled at him. “Yeah.”

Oh, yes! Finally!

“Now come on, Loverboy, let’s go home,” Nervous joked, patting Tycho on the shoulder.

“What do you want, Tycho?”

“Huh?”

“What do you want?” Ceres repeated, gesturing to the fridge in the grocery store. She had a small carton of chocolate milk in her hand.

“Oh, right,” Tycho responded, realising what she meant. He had been lost in thought, and as such, wasn’t paying attention. “Same as you.”

She nodded, taking another carton out of the fridge and advancing toward the counter leisurely. Tycho followed after her, still thinking. Why are there so many people at the mall today? Teenagers, too… Am I forgetting something?

“Hello! Just these, please,” the girl chirped to the cashier.

“That’ll be §12, please.”

She handed him the money with a smile. “Thank you!”

When they left, Ceres handed him his drink and Tycho took it, opening the carton and taking a sip. They had barely gotten out of the door before Tycho caught sight of a couple of girls from school giggling gleefully, carrying sizeable bags from the clothing store. 

“That’s like, the seventh time I’ve seen people from school out today,” the boy commented, befuddled. “What’s going on? Why’s our entire grade at the mall today?”

“It’s probably because the dance is next week,” Ceres answered matter-of-factly.

“Wait, what?”

She stopped walking, looking at her boyfriend, surprised. “The school dance. It’s next Saturday.”

“WHAT?!” Tycho cried, shocked. “Next week?!”

“Yeah! Didn’t you know?”

“No! I thought it was way further away!” He smacked his free hand against his forehead, beginning to fret. “Oh Watcher, no wonder…!”

Ceres began to chuckle. “Hahahaha! That explains why you haven’t said anything about it!”

She was probably waiting for me to ask her! Tycho realised, suddenly feeling ashamed for forgetting. “Oh, I’m sorry, Ceres! I was going to ask you to the dance, I swear!”

Ceres shook her head fondly and reached up, gently pulling Tycho’s hand away from his head before holding it in her own. “It’s okay, Tycho. I was actually thinking of asking you to the dance today. If you wanna go, that is.”

“Of course I wanna go!” he replied earnestly. “I’d love to go to the dance with you, Ceres!”

She beamed at him, her blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “I’d love to go to the dance with you too, Tycho! I have to buy something to wear, and…” Her happy expression turned to one of worry. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, just… I should probably tell my parents about us,” she admitted.

What…? “You haven’t already?” Tycho asked, taken aback.

“Well, I’ve been meaning to, but I keep putting it off, heheh…”

Oh shit, he thought, anxiety setting in. What if her parents don’t approve of us? Scratch that, they won’t, there’s no ‘what ifs’ about it! Immediately, the few things he knew about the Beakers came to mind, and none of them were reassuring. 

“Hey, don’t look so scared,” Ceres interjected, smiling nervously. “You’re gonna make me worry, heh.”

Ah! Right! Tycho saw how tense she looked and forcefully pushed his own anxieties out of his mind. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just, uh, getting anxious over nothing,” he lied. “It’ll probably be fine, right?”

“Yeah! I mean, they’re not exactly as chill as your dads,” she stated, “but they’re not crazy!”

“Yeah,” Tycho agreed, though he didn’t fully believe it. 

The week passed relatively uneventfully. Ceres told her parents about Tycho, and though her father had initially gotten angry, he had eventually calmed down with the help of his wife and begrudgingly accepted the fact that the son of Pascal Curious was dating his daughter.

As for Tycho, he acquired a suit for the dance, a powder blue that complimented his green skin. 

In the middle of the week, he discussed the matter of transportation with his parents.

“I should’ve learned how to drive,” Tycho lamented. “That way, I could pick her up at her house, like they do in the movies. You know, how the guy always picks up the girl in his car?”

“I wouldn’t have any personal experience with that, as I didn’t have a date for my school dance,” Pascal pointed out. 

“I wasn’t allowed to go to mine,” Nervous said.

“Mmm…” 

“Look, how about we take the both of you to the dance?” his father suggested.

“Huh? Really?” Tycho asked in disbelief.

“Yeah! We can even go to Ceres’s house and pick her up. It may not be as cool as you picking her up yourself, but at least it’s free.” Pascal grinned at that.

The teen looked at him, then at Nervous. “Are you sure?”

His stepfather nodded. “That way, we can make sure you get there safely. We’ll bring the two of you home as well.”

“Yep,” Pascal agreed, nodding.

…They don’t like the Beakers, and yet… they’re willing to go to their house to pick up their daughter so we can go to the dance together. Tycho felt a burst of affection for his parents. “Thanks, you guys. It means a lot that you’re willing to do this.”

His father smiled at him. “You’re our child, honey. It’s what parents do.”

“Come here,” Nervous said, opening his arms.

Tycho obliged, wrapping his arms around the man.

“You too,” he said to his husband, who joined in on the hug.

“I love you, Dad and Pop.”

“We love you too,” they responded in unison.

And so, when Saturday night rolled around, Tycho was in his father’s car being driven up Tesla Court. Boy, I hope this goes well.

He alternated between fiddling with the fabric of his suit jacket and checking his phone every five seconds until the car came to a stop. Even then, he didn’t notice where he was until Pascal pointed it out.

“We’re here, Tycho.”

“Oh!” the teen replied, and he quickly opened the door and stepped out. The sight that greeted him caused him to gasp.

The house they were at was a large, grandiose castle. “Are you sure this is the right place?” he whispered to his parents.

“Yep,” Nervous confirmed from the passenger seat, glaring at the castle. 

She lives in a castle?! Tycho thought incredulously before hesitantly making his way towards the front door. Or rather, where the front door would have been, as there were actually open arches. 

He stepped up the stairs until he was right in front of the arches and able to see into the castle. What do I say? Maybe I should just text her to let her know I’m here.

Tycho pulled his phone out of his pocket and began typing, the nervousness so strong he was completely oblivious to the fact that someone was standing right in front of him.

“Ahem.”

The teenager flinched and looked up to see a tall, intimidating man, whom he could only assume was Loki Beaker. He had blonde and grey hair and a goatee, a very unwelcoming facial expression, and bore a striking resemblance to Ceres. In fact, he looked exactly like her. I suppose that’s not surprising if she’s a clone, Tycho acknowledged.

“Hi…?” he tried, unsure what to say.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the boy before turning his head to the staircase behind him. “Ceres!”

“Coming!” Tycho heard his girlfriend call back, accompanied by the sound of footsteps on the staircase.

“Don’t run!” another voice warned. “You could hurt yourself!”

“I’ll be fine!” Ceres replied, and at that moment, Tycho saw her. She was hurrying down the steps, one arm across her chest while the other held the skirt of her dress. Once she made it to the bottom, she quickly adjusted the neckline and smoothed out the skirt before looking up at Tycho. “Hey!”

“Hey,” he echoed, stunned. She was wearing a coral pink tea-length dress with a sweetheart neckline and her messy blonde hair had been tidied up, now set in gorgeous waves. She’s… she’s… “Beautiful. I-I mean, you look beautiful.”

Ceres beamed. “Thank you. You look amazing too, Tycho.”

Before the boy could respond, the sound of footsteps once again filled the air, and soon a woman appeared at the foot of the stairs. “Let me take one more look.”

“Aw, Mom,” Ceres protested as her stepmother gently patted her hair with seemingly surgical precision. She had short red and grey hair and the orange-lensed glasses atop her nose gave her an eccentric look. Then again, Tycho was no stranger to colourful spectacles as both his uncles had green-lensed glasses.

“I’m just making sure it sits right,” Circe replied, inspecting the girl’s hair. Once she was satisfied, she faced Tycho. “Hello there, Tycho.”

Eep. “Hi, Mrs Beaker,” he greeted awkwardly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, you should get going, sweetheart,” Circe said to Ceres. “You don’t want to be late.”

“Okay.” The teen pulled the woman into a quick hug. “Seeya, Mom.”

“Have a nice time!”

Then, Ceres turned to her father and hugged him. “Seeya, Dad.”

The man’s face, which had spent the entire time looking sour, softened as his daughter embraced him. “Stay safe, okay, Ceres?”

“I will,” she replied, and with that, she let go of him and moved to Tycho’s side, grabbing his hand. 

“Uh, bye, Mr and Mrs Beaker,” the boy said, trying not to sound as intimidated as he felt.

“Bye, Tycho,” Circe responded politely.

Loki said nothing.

“Loki,” his wife hissed.

The man grunted.

I’ll take that as a ‘bye’, Tycho thought, and with that, he and Ceres turned around and made their way down the steps and to Pascal’s car. Well, that didn’t go terribly. 

Once they were close to the car, Tycho whispered, “I think your dad hates me.”

“Oh, he’s always like that,” Ceres whispered back, but Tycho could tell she was just trying to make him feel better. 

He opened the car door for Ceres and she sat down. “Thanks. Hi, Mr and Mr Curious.”

“Hello, Ceres,” Pascal greeted brightly as Tycho entered the car. “Please, call us Pascal and Nervous. How are you? Excited for the dance?”

“Oh, yes,” she replied enthusiastically. “I’m—”

The girl was cut off by a loud yell from nearby. “PASCAL!”

“Oh, Watcher, here we go,” Pascal groaned, rolling down his window.

Tycho craned his head to try and see what was happening and caught sight of Loki Beaker stomping his way over to the car. Oh no, what’s he doing…?

“If anything happens to my daughter,” Loki began, pointing an accusatory finger at Pascal, “I’m holding you personally responsible!”

“Dad, please,” Ceres implored, sounding exasperated.

Tycho’s father let out a long sigh before responding. “You know, there are so many things I’d like to say to you right now, but because I want the kids to have a nice night, I’m not going to.”

“He’s got a point,” Circe acknowledged as she came up behind her husband. “Come on, Loki. Both Ceres and Atom are out, so we’ve got the house to ourselves. Let’s take advantage of that, shall we?”

“Mmm,” the man hummed in response. “Okay.”

Ew, are they gonna bone? Tycho cringed at the thought. Wait, my dads are gonna be home alone too… Ugh!

Before he left, however, Loki pointed at Pascal again. “Personally responsible,” he repeated.

Pascal rolled the window back up in response.

With that, the Beakers returned to their castle, and Pascal began to drive in the direction of the school.

“I’m really sorry about my dad, Mr Pascal,” Ceres apologised. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied nonchalantly. “Your father and I just don’t get along. It’s been like that ever since we’ve known each other. It’s not your fault, Ceres.”

“Mom says he can be hard to get along with.”

“Hahahaha!” Pascal laughed, and Nervous joined in.

“Anyway, enough about him,” the latter interjected, turning around to face the back seats. “You two looking forward to the dance?”

“Oh, yeah!” Tycho exclaimed.

“I’ve been so excited for ages! I’m glad I have someone to go with,” Ceres said, smiling at Tycho.

He took her hand and squeezed it, smiling back at her.

Nervous grinned wistfully. “I hope you kids enjoy it. I didn’t get a chance to go to my school dance. If only they held events like this for adults, then I’d go with your father.”

“Aww, honey, I’d love that,” Pascal cooed.

The rest of the car ride consisted of idle chatter between the four inhabitants, then when they arrived at their destination, Tycho and Ceres stepped out of the car and bade the former’s parents farewell. 

Other schools would usually pick flashier venues, but Strangetown High didn’t have the luxury, so the dance was being held in the gym. Thankfully, the students didn’t seem put off—in fact, when the two teens entered, there was already a plethora of their peers dancing to the nostalgic music. 

“I’m so happy to finally be here with you,” Ceres said, gazing at Tycho fondly.

“I’m so happy to be here with you, too,” he responded earnestly, beaming. 

As a slower song began to play, the pair watched as the other students began to slow dance. “Do you wanna dance?” Tycho asked, holding a hand out.

Ceres took it and grinned. “Of course.”

They slowly walked onto the dance floor and held each other close, staring into each other’s eyes as they swayed to the music. 

“You know… You have beautiful eyes, Tycho,” Ceres whispered gently. “They make me think of the night sky.”

“Th-thank you, Ceres,” the boy replied, flushing. “I think… I think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

Upon hearing that, the girl’s eyes began to well up. “That means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

Tycho held her close, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. 

She reciprocated, and they stood and swayed, embracing on the dance floor for just a moment before returning to their previous position, Ceres’s arms resting around Tycho’s shoulders, and Tycho’s shoulders resting around Ceres’s waist. Now would probably be a good time to kiss her, the boy thought, and he leaned in to do so.

Ceres leaned in as well, and their lips met as the music swelled and the singer sang a declaration of love.

They pulled away only as the song ended, and when it did, Tycho couldn’t help but grin broadly. “I like you so much, Ceres.”

She beamed back. “I like you so much too, Tycho.”

And so, the two continued to dance together long into the night.