Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A loud and jarring ringtone wakes me from a deep and peaceful slumber. In shock, I almost bumped my head, rolling out of bed in surprise. "Whuh.. who... bwuh..." I wave my arms around, ready to defend myself from some unseen intruder, but it's just me alone in my Skin-Row apartment. Well... RAYmba is here, too, but he's not much use to me in a fight. I look over towards my phone... was it always this fucking loud?

I swipe my phone off the charger and glance at the time. 2 am. Of course... Of course, there is also a missed call, though I'm taken aback to see that Fang dialed me in the dead of night. Before I had a chance to text her back, my phone rang again, the screen lighting up with her face. Okay, I guess something must really be bothering her. I swipe the little green phone icon and pull the phone to my ear. "Hello? Fang, it's fuckin' 2 am, what is it? Are you okay?"

"Anon...? Oh, thank Raptor Jesus, you're still up." There was a panic in her tone, her breathing erratic, and her speech was short and worried. "You have to help me. I'm in... I'm in a lot of trouble."

Hearing her plea for help was enough to banish the rest of my weariness, my mind cranking into overdrive, thinking up all the horrible things that might have happened. "Okay, okay. What's the matter? How can I help?"

I'm still rubbing the sleep from my eyes, walking over to my closet, and pulling a green jacket free. "You have to come help me. I'm stuck... I... I don't know how much air I have left. I'm freaking out, Anon, I'm freaking out!"

The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Run out of air? Is this some bad joke? "Where are you, Fang? I'm on my way right now... as soon as I can call a taxi..." I pull open an app on my phone without hanging up the call, requesting a ride through its automated service

"I'm... I'm downtown. I'm at the mall."

"... the mall? It's the middle of the night. What was there... a concert or something?" She hadn't talked about this at all with me beforehand. Did she get in with the wrong crowd? Was she being blackmailed?

"My phone is about to die. I'll text you how to get in, okay?"

Before I can object, the call abruptly cuts off. Shortly after, I received a series of text messages just as the cab rolled up to the road in front of my apartment.

It's about a 15-minute ride before I reach the biggest mall in Volcaldera. It's still the middle of the night, no cars are in any of the lots, and the lights are all blacked out. The cabbie raises his eyebrows, but I shrug him off, passing some cash to him quickly and stepping to the front doors. I pull up my phone and follow the first instruction, heading around to the side where a few dumpsters are lined up under a window. I have to take a closer look, but true to Fang's word, the window is slightly ajar. I climb on up and pull it open, the opening provided just barely big enough for me to squeeze through.

The other side is a bathroom... looks like the women's room, to be precise, though I have no idea for what store. I rechecked my phone. Okay, this was still all a part of Fang's instructions. Hurriedly, I sent her another message: "This better not be some kind of prank, Fang. Seriously, if I walk into something stupid in here..." I send the text, knowing that I won't get a reply. It's the fifth I've sent already, and there hasn't been a response yet, but it makes me feel better to have some sort of pseudo-conversation as I move through the dark building.

I turn on the flashlight app to avoid bumping into anything unnecessary, but the door is easy to locate. As it turns out, it isn't locked, allowing me easy access to the room beyond… the arcade. The two of us haven't spent a lot of time here together… I guess we came once to play DDR, but none of the other games caught her attention.

So then, why am I here, at 230 in the morning, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes? I swung my phone around, looking for anything to explain what was happening. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

There is no response. A chill rolls down my spine… Fang was in some kind of danger, and here I was, stumbling around a dark arcade surrounded by surprisingly imposing machines. The bright glow reflected off the tacky neon green and dark purple flooring that was all the rage back in the 90s and could only still be found in relics of the past like this.

Suddenly, another noise catches my attention. A sharp and repetitive tapping echoes through the otherwise utterly silent arcade. I jerk around, my small light swinging with me, but nobody is there. The tapping continues unabated. "Hello?" I call out considerably louder now. It's evident that something, or someone else, was in here with me.

As if in response to my call, the rapping and tapping converge into a loud thumping, the sudden change almost enough to make me drop my phone. "Alright, Fang… this isn't funny anymore. What's going on?" Again, no response.

I'm left with only two options now. Retreat, climb out the window, and hope that everything works out for the best, or press on and find the source of the noise. Steeling myself, I choose the latter.

I press onto the far wall of the arcade and come face to face with a sight I'll never forget. I can't fight the stupid grin now; all my fears are instantly erased. "Okay, I was wrong. This is funny again."

Chapter Text

The day was utterly perfect. I had my arms wrapped tightly around Anon, my snout resting on his shoulder as the two of us slowly spun around in a serene and quaint dance. His strong hands were pressed against my lower back, and his short sleeves showed off his scars. He never told me the story about how he got them; to be fair, I never asked. He would tell me when he was ready to.

Above us was an ocean of glittering white stars, illuminating an otherwise black milky ocean surrounding the small square of wood that had become our dance floor. There was nothing around us, and that was perfectly fine. In this moment, we were all that mattered to me.

“Lucy…”

I shook my head. "No… don't say anything. Let's just stay like this forever."

“Lucy…”

His voice sings to me again, the sweetest sound I'll ever hear. "Mmm… what is it, my love?"

“You need to wake up…”

Suddenly, there was panic in his tone. His sweet, dulcet voice was replaced with worry. I pull my snoot away from his shoulder and meet his gaze, a sullen and terrified expression completely taking over. "W-what? Wake up? No… this is… this…”

He shakes my shoulders softly now, squeezing them a little too firmly. I wince in discomfort, but he continues. "You're going to be late, Lucy! You're going to be late!"

“Late… late for what late for-”

In shock, I spring upward, knocking the sheets from my shoulders. My breath is racing, and my heart is pounding as the view of my small bedroom returns to me. Instinctively, I reached beside me, looking for the warm body that had been sleeping next to mine since he returned from the armed service, but found nothing. "Oh… how long have I been asleep?"

Shooting up, my hands clasp against my snoot. The wedding! I slept in on the most important day of my entire fucking life! Warm light from the window nearby flooded the room, the sun already well into the sky. I reach for the table and grab my cell phone, my thumb flipping over the touch screen… but nothing happens. My phone is dead. "Huh? I swear I put it on the charger…"

Following the cord down to the wall, I see the culprit. Right where the cord meets the charging box, there is an extended gnarly cut, proof that something with malicious teeth tore through it where the cord connected. My stomach sinks. I don't have a replacement, and it's not like I can just run to the store and grab one. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!"

I hurry out of the room and to the living room, the only room with a clock. Ohhhhh fuck! It was already eleven! Fuck shit FUCK. Almost falling over myself, I race back to my room. Okay… this was going to be okay. I'll just wash up and get my dress on, and then here comes Mrs. Mous! I wasn't about to let a dead cell phone ruin my perfect day!

My sleepwear doesn't even make it into a dirty pile. I kick every piece off as quickly and haphazardly as possible, and the shower water doesn't even have enough time to heat up before stepping in. The cold water made me want to scream and jump back out, but every little second mattered now, and a little discomfort wouldn't make me late!

Just before the water reaches the pleasant warmth I usually find, I'm already stepping back out, my wings fluttering quickly to try and flick as much water off as possible while a thick pink towel does the rest. Okay, one thing is done: making good time. Makeup! Makeup!

Long gone is the time when I would fuss over myself for what felt like hours with moisturizer, then primer, and all that mess. Nowadays, just a quick foundation to really bring out the silver in my cheeks was plenty to make me feel gorgeous. I hang around, wasting another precious minute to ensure that every inch of my face is absolutely perfect before finally making my way back out of the bathroom.

The closet door swings open, revealing the gorgeous white dress that we had chosen. Just the sight is enough to brush my panic aside. With due reverence, I pull the dress from the hook and start putting it on. It doesn't take too much work to get it on. Despite all the frills and lace, the backless design gives me plenty of space for my wings and makes it simple to throw over my shoulders and slide in practically.

Giving the dress one final cursory pat down, I head for the living room again. Okay, good. Eleven twenty. I still have plenty of time to hop in the car and make it to the venue. I'm not looking forward to sitting in the driver's seat with all this fabric around me, but I won't let something like that stop me from my perfect dream day.

I pass through the living room to the small garage and the worn-down rust bucket inside. The old beater wasn't much, but it's lasted me this long. It's more of a battle than I thought to stuff myself in, but I can work myself into the driver's seat without the dress getting caught on anything. I slide the key into the ignition, but instead of the soft purr of the engine, I get a disappointing sputter. My heart sinks again as I turn the key several more times, each jerk more heartbreaking than the last.

My fists bash against the dashboard, tears welling behind my eyes. This can't be happening. Today, of all days, there is one more hurdle. But I wouldn't let this be the end! I glance around the garage, looking for something to help me make it.

I spot something… but grimace, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it in time! "Alright, It'll have to do."

Chapter Text

Naser was utterly exhausted. First, there was the nightmare that was Christmas traffic, and then his mom wanted him to take her to the MALL, of all places. A week before Christmas! A twenty-minute drive turned into forty, and that didn’t include circling the parking lot THREE TIMES just to find a spot. Well, they got one! Only problem was it was another ten minutes just to get to the front doors. Then there were the crowds, the CROWDS! If he wanted to bump shoulders with strangers for two hours, he would just go to a concert with his sister again.

“Naser, do keep up, dear,” Samantha calls from somewhere ahead of him. He could barely make out a shock of blue-gray through the ocean of technicolor dinos and did his best to squeeze through without dropping any of the bags they had already accumulated. “Oh! There you are, sweetie. Now. All we need is one last gift.”

Naser spies a bench nearby and points toward it. “Maybe let’s have a seat, and we can discuss it?”

Before he can even think about resting his already exhausted body, Samatha has him by the arm again, tugging him away from the sweet release of sitting down. Into yet another department store they go. “Now, now, dear. There will be plenty of time for us to relax when we’re done.” 

Naser groans as they step through the threshold of the mall interior and into yet another specialized clothing outlet. He almost retches from the heavy odors of perfume mixed with the sweat from overstressed last-minute shoppers. He coughs roughly in a vain attempt to clear his senses. “Who?”... cough “Who do we still need to get something for, anyways?”

“Your sister, of course! Why do you think I had you come along instead of her?”

Naser takes a look at the bags already weighing down his arms. He was in the prime of his youth, athletic, and even still, he could barely hold onto all the gifts he was laden with. “Because you couldn’t talk dad into doing it?”

Samantha swung around and stared at him intently. Her patented mother’s glare instantly defeated what little wit he could come up with. “Your father is very busy this time of year, sweetie. Besides, don’t you like spending time with your mother?”

Her stern glare had melted quickly into an intoxicatingly sweet smile. Naser couldn’t say no when his mother got like this. “Of course I do. It’s the holidays, after all. Definitely wouldn’t rather be playing video games with Anon or hanging out with Naomi.”

If Samantha caught on to his sarcasm, she refused to show it. She gave him a pleased ‘hmph’ and turned back toward the store, her eyes scanning for something to buy her daughter. 

Seeing his mother so enwrapped with the shopping, Naser carried on the conversation himself. “Do you really think Fang would be into any of this stuff? Pink and Yellow don’t seem to be her style anymore.”

“Hmm hmm… have a little faith in your mother now, Naser. I’ve been doing this for a lot longer than you have.” Her eyes darted around the store until she spotted the section she was looking for. With a self-satisfied grin, she points towards the label reading ‘human apparel.’

“Huh? Human stuff?” Naser follows her over, looking over various sweaters and jackets with interest. So this was the kind of stuff that humans were about? Oh! “Take a look at this one. I’m gonna get this for Anon. I bet he’ll love it.”

Samantha has a self-satisfied grin as Naser moves to the rack and checks for Anon’s size. She hums to herself, looking through the shelves until she spots something that turns her snoot upward in a grin. “Told you, Naser, your mother knows what she is doing~.”

***

***

Christmas morning at the Aaron household was always a festive affair. Samantha had always gone all out with the celebration, and this year was no different. It would likely be our last one before Fang and Naser were off to college, after all. The smell of sweet cinnamon rolls wafted upstairs into Naser’s room, encouraging the young ptero to escape the confines of his cold bed. He rolls out with a long stretch and rolls out of his room, narrowly avoiding his sister on the way down for breakfast.

They all share a rowdy breakfast, nobody bothering to get dressed out of their PJs as they wolf down the combination of sweets and breakfast meats that Samantha painstakingly threw together in the wee hours of the morning. Ripley shared jovial tales of his time working holidays in the past, while Naser and Fang excitedly shared their plans to spend the rest of the day with their friends.

“After everything that’s happened this year, I’m just so delighted that everyone is so happy today,” Samantha chimes in. Fang rolls her eyes, but the smile doesn’t leave her expression, and even Ripley has a grin that stretches from ear to ear. Naser couldn’t help but reflect on how it felt like the family was ready to pull itself apart by the strings last time this year, and now they couldn’t be closer.

With breakfast over and the dishes done, Naser and Fang rush to clean up and get dressed for the rest of the day. Naser pulls his phone free, texting Naomi, who sends him a cute picture wearing a new festive sweater. Now, he just has to wait for Fang to get ready, pick up Naomi, and head across town to meet up with the rest of the gang. This was shaping up to be a perfect last Christmas at home.

Fang finally returns downstairs just as Samantha walks into the living room. “Alright, cool. Ready to go?” Naser asks, grabbing his keys from a bowl by the door.

“Hold on, sweetie, I have one thing for Fang before she goes!~” Samantha sings out, holding a small bundle for her daughter.

Chapter Text

My heart was pounding hard enough to almost spill out of my chest! The monster was still looking for me, a terrible beast offering me a terrible fate! Olivia was next to me, huddled up in our sneaky hiding spot. Even now, I can hear his thundering footsteps and menacing presence as he diligently searches.

“He’s gonna find us, Amby! He’s gonna find us, and there’s no telling what he’ll do!” Olivia’s panicked voice rings true, my panic too much for both of us as I wrap my arms and wings around my life-long friend. I squeeze her as tightly as I can, my eyes glued to the opening of our secret hideout.

The footsteps stop, and I let out a sigh of relief. A cheeky grin worms its way onto my snoot as I give Olivia one more squeeze. “We did it, Amby! We hid from the monster-“

Our celebration is cut short. A malicious face twisted into a gruesome smile appears at the edge of our secret alcove. Before I can squirm away, its hands are upon me, dragging me out to the open air! I cling to Olivia as hard as I can, squealing and crying as he pulls me forth…

“Amber… you can’t get out of going out with us by hiding under the bed,” The monster bellows, tossing me up into the air and catching me under my arms. My wings flutter in excitement.

“I’ll stay home! Me and Olivia will stay.”

He looks between me and the stuffed Baryonyx plushie held tightly in my arms before shaking his head and carefully setting me down on the bed. “No can do Sweet Tooth. Besides, we have to take lots of pictures for Grandma and Grandpa!”

“No!” I defiantly reply, sticking my tongue out at my daddy. “You go sit and take pictures! I want to play with Olivia!”

As if ignoring my plea entirely, my dad starts combing his fingers through my messy hair. He starts to talk, that funny kind of speech he does when he doesn’t think he’s talking. ‘Amber… fuck, how did you mess your hair up already? It’s been ten damn minutes…' Huh… what was that word he said?

“Daddy, what does that mean?” He looks shocked, then mad that I caught him mumble talking again. “Damn! What does that mean, Damn!”

His eyes only widen further, causing me to let out a small laugh. He sighs defeatedly and shakes his head. “It means if you don’t say it anymore… and behave while we’re out today, I’ll get you some sweets for dessert tonight.”

Ooooooohhhh, this must be one of those ‘naughty’ words that mommy gets real mad when daddy says. I put my hands over my lil’ snoot and nod in agreement. “Okay, I won’t say it… for ice cream!”

Daddy rolls his eyes and, without warning, prods me in the stomach with his fingers. I try real hard to keep him from continuing, but I can’t stop his tickle assault. “Ooooh, don’t you extort me, Sweet Tooth. I get it enough from your mom!”

I let out a burst of giggles and laughs, batting at his hands to no effect. “S-stop! Stop it! Ahahaha! Hahahahaha!”

The door suddenly swings open, and the assault stops. A tall Pterodactyl looks at both of us with raised eyebrows. “This is what qualifies as, ‘getting Amber ready?’” She asks the both of us with a smirk. I hop off the bed and run over, grabbing onto her leg.

“I’m eksdorting daddy!”

She looks to me, then back to Dad, who is sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “Really? What about this time?” Not waiting for me to answer, she kneels and scoops me up, holding me at arms-length. “And how did you mess your hair up already, sweetie?”

“I was just playing with Olivia! Honest!” I pout. Why does everyone care what my hair looks like today? It’ll just poof right back as soon as we go outside. Mommy sits me on her hip and sighs, rubbing the bridge of her snoot.

“And Olivia got your hair all messy?” We both look over to the Baryonyx plushie resting on the bed, completely still.

“Yes.”

Dad walks over and puts his head on my head again, picking some carpet fluff out and flicking it back to the floor. “I think it might have been a certain adventurer crawling under the bed that got her hair all messy.” He can’t hide the laughter in his voice as Mommy gives me her angry look.

I swallow nervously and look away. “Okay… m-maybe Olivia didn’t do it…”

She simply rolls her eyes and boops me on the end of my snoot. “The shocking truth is revealed…” Her frown only lasts a moment as she carries me out of my room and to the bathroom nearby. “I’ll fix Amber’s hair. You get the camera."

“My hair is cute! I’m a rough-and-tumble adventurer!” I complain to no effect. Mommy sets me on her lap in front of the large mirror and runs the brush through my hair, swishing it over until it’s neatly parted again. I cross my arms and give her the meanest pout I can manage, letting her know what I thought about the whole thing.

“You have to look cute for Grandma. I don’t want to get an ear full after last year’s photo op…”

That gets a small smile out of me. “Hee hee! Grandma was so funny that year. I didn’t know you could even be that scared, Mommy!”

She scoops me up and gives me a small peck on the snoot, carrying me to the living room, where Daddy was already setting up the camera. I folded my arms again as she carefully passed me off to him. “Alright, sweetie. It’s just one picture, okay? Say cheese!”

Dad grabs me under the arms again and hoists me up, facing Mommy and the camera. My eyes sparkle with mischief one last time.

"Damn!" 

Chapter Text

It had been another long and miserable day at the office. Anon worked his ass off every single day that he came in and had been rewarded in kind…

With more work…

The usually speedy highway turns into a parking lot around 4 p.m., and today was no exception. “This is all worth it… this is all worth it…” Anon repeats his mantra as his fingers drum against the steering wheel. There was a time, not so long ago, in fact, when he could have been wrapped up and home before 4, but LJ Records had moved their main office into the heart of Volcaldera and scooped up the ‘bright young engineer’ that rubbed elbows in all the right circles. It was a promotion, for sure! If his bank account had anything to say about it, at least.

But the new building was huge. Three full-sized recording studios needed constant adjustment and maintenance, and LJ packed them with young, potential talent nearly every day.

“This is a dream come true, isn’t it?” LJ asked him once last Summer. She booked the whole building from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., which was a huge financial success!

“This is all worth it…” Anon had replied, the exhaustion in his tone well masked by his third cup of expensive dark roast coffee.

His brief trip down memory lane was interrupted when the car behind him laid into the horn. He squeezed the wheel until his knuckles turned white, fighting the urge to turn the engine off completely and give his fellow traveler a piece of his mind. For fucks sake, there wasn’t even a car’s length of space between him and the transfer truck ahead.

One quick stomp on the brakes is all it would take to turn this dickhead’s world on its shoulders, a fantasy that Anon often allows himself to enjoy while dragging along the road at a snail’s pace. Putting some furious driver in their place while financing a new ride would be an exciting change, but he would never make it home.

Besides, they are just trying to get home like he is. “This is all worth it…”

A buzzing in his pocket reminds him that there are other people in his lift. Not seeing any harm with traffic moving at a snail’s pace, he checks the new message on his phone. A small cute icon of a Pterodactyl beaming back at him graces the screen, along with a few short lines of text: “Hey, hon, Amber has a big school project due next week. Can you pick up a few things on the way home? Luv U!”

Several more messages quickly followed, each one piling more stress on the already frustrated motorist. Glancing out the window, he spots the imposing sign of the supercenter that had everything he needed… at the stop he just missed. Gritting his teeth, Anon’s mantra continues. “This is all worth it…”

When he finally managed to pull into his driveway, the sun had long since settled over the horizon, the LED streetlights filling the streets with plenty of light. It was a nice neighborhood, of course, even better than the one his wife had grown up in and certainly miles better than the shitty skin row apartment he was stuck in when he first moved here almost fifteen years ago. He would do anything to do better for his family. Face all this stress and anger to make sure they never had to worry when the next meal would come. “This is all worth it…”

On his way in, he passed several families walking home from the nearby public park or heading out to enjoy the cool night air. A soft pang of frustration had been building in his stomach the entire car ride here, like a bubbling fountain ready to spill over at a moment’s notice. He glanced down at his phone again, absentmindedly checking the time. It was already 8 p.m., and he was only just getting home. Perfect…

“This is all worth it…” he repeats, cutting the car off and leaning his head against the wheel. As soon as the engine stops, a wave of lethargy runs through his body. Another day, bringing his exhaustion home from work, barely enough energy to make it into the house. All he needed now was a bottle of rum, and he’d be the spitting image of his father, wouldn’t he?

He practically throws the front door open and tosses his keys in a bowl nearby, glancing around but finding the living room empty. Weird. They must have heard him pull into the driveway or fling the front door open, right? Fang’s car was in the driveway, and the door was unlocked. They have to be somewhere. His head turns to the side when he hears a sing-songy voice from across the house.

“Do - re - mi - fa - so - la - ti - do!~” A young voice calls out from the kitchen, cutting off his budding anger. He slowly creeps over to the open divider, peeking around the corner to spot his beloved wife and daughter fiddling with a small guitar. Amber strums it a few more times, repeating the vocal exercise. Lucy looks away, only momentarily, to give Anon a welcoming grin, but before she can step up to greet him, an errant strum leads to an awful-sounding chord coming from the small girl with her guitar. “I don’t get it! It’s too hard!”

As Lucy scoots over to help Amber adjust her fingers, Anon peels back away, feeling incredibly foolish for losing his patience in the first place. Ready to step away from both of them and start his evening routine, an idea crosses his mind for a moment. He pulls his phone free again and creeps back to the kitchen, holding it up to snatch a quick photo of his favorite people in the entire world. At the end of the day, he was right…

“This is all worth it.”