Archive of Our Own

"AAAAGH SHIT!" An annoyed voice cried out, belonging to a certain loud-mouthed Somali cat. It was immediately followed by a clattering wooden sound, with a slight scraping for extra ear damage. He was glaring at nothing in particular, maybe the air or existence itself at the moment. He eventually picked himself up off the ground, brushing pebbles out of his fur and rubbing over his ass. "Fuuuck...come on you jackass it's not even THAT hard..." Paulo grabbed his skateboard and worriedly checked to see if it had taken life-ending damage or not...letting out a small sigh of relief as it was still good to go. He had lost his center of balance going a combo of tricks and goddamnit he wasn't going to leave the skatepark till he did what he had been practicing! He stood at the edge of one of the bowls, setting his board up and stepping on it.

As he prepared himself to attempt the collection of tricks he had been practicing for the last couple of hours once more, he was blind to the new set of eyes that were watching him. Another skater had stepped into the rink, though they had not yet made their presence known to the orange furred boy. Amaya was dressed in generally loose-fitting clothes of purple and yellow hue, two colors that compliment each other far more than Amaya originally expected. They had recently begun to embrace the concept of skater fashion, and once they began there was really no looking back. They wore a cap as often as they could, always turned to the side or backward as was only natural. Under their arm they held their own skateboard, one they had bought themselves with money from work, and watched Paulo closely. However, Amaya had never been someone who jumped out at Paulo, or anyone really. They were mostly the silent observer, watching with a smile, which made their gaze easier to ignore than others if you weren't thinking about it. Really with how they were dressed and how fucking orange they were, one would think the small cat much more noticeable but it was not the case. The Somali wasn't thinking about it, gritting his teeth as he stared down the metal banister and set up his board again... this would be the one.... this time he would do it. Paulo leaned forward, making himself and his board go into the bowl. He let himself build up some momentum going up the sides then back down a couple of times. On the next go he jumped out of the bowl, holding onto his board and riding the arc back in. Next he grit his teeth and started to grind along the edge, before flipping and continuing the grind. His board was a bit wobbly and he was stressin’ some but he had to finish it! Without launching his board into the fucking stratosphere, ideally. The orange cat tipped his board and leaned down to grab ono one side of hit while his other hand gripped onto the edge of the bowl....stopping his momentum and doing a handstand pose! He could only hold it for maybe 2 seconds before he had to drop himself down. He hit the ground a bit rough...but threw his arms up. "HELL YEAH!"

Though perhaps his performance would have faltered slightly if he felt the eyes of the silent judge who watched him. Amaya only let themselves be known once Paulo had fully come to a stop, merely walking a couple steps forward, and in doing so releasing them from the shadows that once cloaked their shorter stature. Paulo couldn't help but catch their eyes in his peripheral vision, laying on the hot rink floor and breathing into the sky. Neither of them, in fact, had anyone else to look at besides each other, they were the only people here. In the split second before Paulo's reaction he could see a little spark of emotion beneath Amaya's gaze, whatever emotion it was, it was one to set the spirit alight with flame, though what kind of flame he did not know. Paulo quickly felt a slight heat wash over his face, not expecting someone to have been watching him this whole time. It wasn't like this was a secret or nothin...but it was always embarrassing when you were actin’ like no one was there but there TOTALLY was. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNEW THEM UGH THIS SUCKED!! He cleared his throat and got up, grabbing his board before looking to Amaya. He'd never seen her wear clothes before...noticing the board right after. "Err..hey Amaya. I didn't know you...Look!! What the hell are you doing being all quiet like that!! You some kinda damn spy?!" He brushed some hair out of his face, glaring at the tabby but not actually mad.

The only response of the tabby cat was a tilt of their head and a raise of their eyebrow. Even Paulo could admit that asking Amaya why she was quiet was a stupid question, though who could blame him for talking out of his ass when he was suddenly jumpscared by a person he knew. Amaya stood on a slope above him, and slowly walked to the edge, now towering over the Somali with their adorable little shadow. At least... It would be adorable if Paulo's cheeks weren't so busy being flushed with embarrassment and a slight intimidation, though he would never possibly admit that Amaya of all people could intimidate him. Never in his life would he admit that Amaya could scare him a little, he'd literally rather let someone kill him!!! He cleared his throat and crossed his arms, closing one eye as he did a sassy little pose and expression to match, at Amaya. "You jealous or something? I could teach ya some tricks ya know. I ain't got JUST those moves." Hah, saved it! Change embarrassment to a way to hype himself up...hehehe, she'd TOTALLY be impressed.

 
…

But they were not impressed. Amaya snickered, and one of those big smiles they liked to wear spread across their face. Paulo tensed slightly and he could swear he heard glass shatter in his mind. If there was a single reaction he didn't want, it was that one. Additionally Amaya held that glint in her eye again that Paulo couldn't quite place, but the longer they held it the more that it made Paulo's muscles tense. Eventually, the short Tabby shrugged, before quickly closing the distance between them, both vertical and horizontal, on skateboard. Even when they weren't doing tricks, Amaya's movements were like water, and it felt as if their board was apart of their body as it carried them to where the boy stood. Swiftly and casually they hopped off the board and stopped its movement, and then just like that, Amaya was staring at Paulo. They wore the same smile they always did, but now it came with an expectation: If Paulo was to boast that he had more tricks to offer and teach, he better be able to back it up.

Paulo's eyebrow raised at Amaya's reaction. Why the hell was she smiling at him like that?! It was a little crazy how much any one of them could get from even a single shift in the Tabby's expression. In Paulo's case, that usually meant something bad or Sue finding out something he really didn't want her to.

Clearing his throat, he set his board back down at his feet, placing one foot on it as they approached. He had to tilt his head way down to look, of course. Those eyes burning into his own....brashly exhaling as he leaning closer to the Tabby's height. "What, you don't believe me? Fine! Check these!" The Somali then pushed off his board back toward the bowl, speeding up and doing another handstand before going back into the bowl and doing a 180 in the airtime he has before getting back in. "I'm no Tony Hawk or nothin but I'm not lyin!!" He pops back up over the edge and gets off his board, stumbling a little back standing with a cocky smirk in front of Tabby.

Amaya looked back to him with a big smile, appearing to have watched him closely the entire time. They approached Paulo, nodding in appreciation of his work and giving him a little pat on the shoulder. Their smile felt genuine and warm, though Paulo still couldn't help but feel a pang of self consciousness as the tabby cat slipped by him, popping their board and sliding into the bowl themselves. They moved as if they were light as wind, though gained momentum as if they were heavy as rocks. As Paulo watched her rapidly build momentum she gravitated toward a rail a good 5 feet away from the bowl they skated. They flew up the ramp, their board spun beneath them as they crossed the distance, only stopping its momentum when Amaya slammed it down onto the rail, transitioning perfectly into a grind. For just a second Paulo was able to see their grin as she grinded down the rail, preparing to pop off of the rail again in another trick. Almost as soon as they had hit the rail they grinded the entirety of it, tricking off of it and transferring back to the bowl once again. They channeled all of their speed, flying up the ramp before grabbing the ridge with one hand, pushing themselves into a one arm handstand as they held their board! When they returned to their starting position they hopped off their board and quickly made eye contact with Paulo, smiling proudly.

Paulo felt a bit proud as Amaya gave him that little pat...he could tell if it was condescending or not...plus the shortass girl didn't usually do stuff like that. He tilted his head a bit as Amaya wordlessly approached the bowl. What he definitely was not fucking expecting was Amaya starting to totally shred her absolute ASS off aroudn the bowl...clearing a sick hop from the bowl to the rail! His jaw actually dropped and his eyes went wide as next came the long, damn near perfect grind. Trick followed by grind followed by another....holy fuck! He rubbed his arm and felt really fuckin stupid for saying ANY of what he did. Amaya makin' it even crazier by pulling a way more sick handstand than the one he did. After the Tabby stopped and smiled at him, he looked off to the side, unable to keep eye contact as he rubbed the back of his head. "N-Never fuckin' mind, I guess." Wow, he must look like a JACKASS to her.

Paulo only recognized the slight tilt of Amaya's head through his peripheral vision. They let out a breath of amusement before approaching to give the boy a comforting little pat on the back. Clearly whatever Amaya's intentions were for their sick tricks, Paulo had not fully picked up on it.

He straightened up a bit at the contact, exhaling hard out his nose and trying to shake off his stupid damn feelings. No reason to get like MIKE , he might as well just fuckin' lay on the ground and die if he was going to be that pathetic about things. Pushing himself a little, he gently bumped his fist on Amaya's arm. He was actually afraid that even a playful punch would hurt someone that much smaller than him. "Well, I mean...that was pretty sick. When the hell did you learn any of that shit?! I just see you doing nerd shit with Sue all the time!!"

Amaya, thankfully, didn't crumble beneath his light tap, and gave him a smile and a slight squint, as if they were satisfied they could fool him. Evidently nerd shit wasn't all they did, and since that was the case what the hell else were they getting up to?

Paulo took the initiative and made the executive decision that he wasn't gonna skate anymore today. Prolly bruised his ass anyway. He started walking, stretching his arms out. Exhaling hard as he started heading toward a bench...or maybe he'd just go to the rest of the park... "Yer so damn small n light I'm shocked you didn't shoot up into the sky!" He teased, not really caring if people were short or not...but it helped him feel a little better to harmlessly poke fun.

"Can't even say ya have more free time....you were working WAY before I was..." He exhaled softly as he thought about that...maybe they just kinda....kicked ass at whatever they did. One of those kinda people. He sat down on one of those short little dividing walls and winced a bit, rubbing by his tail. He looked at Amaya again for a few seconds before looking off to the side. Resting his chin on one hand trying to seem like he wasn't a pouty little bastard.

Amaya gave him a knowing and slightly deadpan expression, appearing to see directly through his facade. They kicked up his skateboard into their hand before sitting down next to him, pushing his skateboard back into his arms. They shrugged at the comment about working, letting their eyes drift to the side as if it didn't really mean anything to them, Paulo supposed they had far different outlooks on having jobs at their age.

He took his board back as Amaya pushed it toward him, flipping it over to rest his elbow against the smooth wood instead of his leg. He didn't mean it like it was super important...just that there wasn't any easy excuse to make! And that sucked ass! He started bouncing one of his legs as they sat there in silence.... Is this what Sue did with 'em all day???

Amaya narrowed their eyes at him, their unbroken gaze burning a hole into the side of his head. eventually they let out a slightly exasperated sigh, putting their board down right in front of him now and sitting on it, making it impossible not to make eye contact with them. Their eyes bounced to his board, and then back to him, they said nothing (obviously), but as they stared at him their gaze nearly slapped him for being so emo. The skate park wasn't for being pouty and emo! It was for skating!

His tail frizzed up just a bit as the Tabby sat down right in his line of sight. Tracking her eyes and back made his cheeks flush just a tad as he was being called out pretty hard. He crossed his arms and looked off to the side again. Those eyes were too strong. "I-I-I don't wanna skate anymore right now, kay?! That's all! Nothin else! You don't know how long I was practicing...!"

The little tabby tilted their head with an unimpressed expression, it was fairly early... the park hadn't even been open for that long. they put both their elbows on their knees to hold their chin as they continued to stare, almost smirking a little bit, Paulo couldn't avoid the feeling that she didn't believe him, at least not entirely. He kept bouncing his leg and occasionally glancing over at the Tabby....her eyes never breaking their stare. Eventually he inhaled and closed his eyes as he stood up, grabbing his board of course. "FINE! You wanna see me fall on my ass or something huh?" The Somali begrudgingly stepped over to the bowl, looking down into it and wondering what he should even try to do right now.

Amaya smiled brightly as Paulo rose to his feet, turning to the other side of their board to watch Paulo as he walked over to the bowl again. Paulo could feel their eyes on him still, and it only made it harder to think of something to do. He didnt know why, but he wanted to impress them, whether he was actually able to one up them or not. Maybe he could try to do that crazy ass hop out to the grind rail? It wasn’t really somethin he had tried before… he wasn't trying to have David record videos of his tricks or anything like that anymore. Paulo moved his shoulders around and set his board into position before starting to skate around the bowl to pick up speed. He didn't know about any good angles or shit so this was gonna be entirely by feelin! Eventually he went for the jump....at a complete diagonal instead of straight shot. "AAAGGH FUCK!!" He cried out again, landing in some bushes after going right over the rail. He had overcompensated for thinking he needed a lot more speed than tiny lil Amaya did.

Only a couple seconds after Paulo went crashing into the bushes, Amaya was over them with wide eyes and small pupils. They crossed the entire rink in record time, popping their board up the minute they crossed to the grass and held it under their arm as they ran over to him. When he opened his eyes Amaya was squatted beside him, offering him a hand while delivering him an expression of concern.

"Shouldn't have tried that, I can barely hop a ramp let alone whatever fuckery you were doin'." He said curtly as he grabbed her hand and pulled himself up, only slightly concerned he would yank her down to the ground instead. He started pickin twigs n shit out of his fur. "Hey, don't be worried or nothin. I've eaten shit alot on my board. My bike too...and ice skatin when shit's frozen over." He smirked a bit, sticking his tongue out at Amaya. "It just sucks when someone's watchin!" The little tabby breathed a sigh of relief, seeming to have been genuinely concerned for a minute there. She reached up, plucking a couple twigs out of Paulo's fluff. "Hey calm down girl, ya ain't my mom! I can clean myself up!" He gently pushed her hands away, feeling odd whenever people fussed over him...even certain girls that were in his head rent free.

A strange emotion and expression flashed on their face in response to what he said, before going away as rapidly as it appeared, as if they were ashamed to have ever felt it. They shrugged, before flicking the twig back into his fur with a slightly teasing smile. "HEY!" He said, playing up his annoyance as he grabbed a handful of leaves and twigs and sprinkled them over the Tabby.

As quick as the wind Amaya threw the twigs on their own body back onto Paulo, flinging some more leaves and twigs at him from the ground. "AGH QUIT IT YOU LIL FREAK!" He was snickering though, grabbing Amaya and lifting her up before holding the Tabby over the bushes. "I'll dunk you! Maybe I could show mercy if you apologize though...~"

Amaya lit up as bright as a Christmas tree, the heat of their bodies connecting for only a moment before Amaya attempted to struggle free, notably not apologizing, or saying anything for that matter. "Brave one huh?! I like it! Too bad that ain't gonna save ya!!" He said with a mean grin as he then lifted up Amaya to spike her into the brush...before just simply dropping the Tabby and seeing if their reaction time would kick in! Paulo wasn't surprised when she landed on her feet, and they looked up at him with a red face before puffing their cheeks out and walking back to the rink in a huff, that'll teach THEM for simply trying to help the boy out!! They were so flustered from the being picked up business they even forgot their skateboard!

Paulo couldn't help but grin...snickering at Amaya's reaction before picking up the skateboard she left and walking back up to her, leaning over like a bow and presenting the board with a flourish. "Forget somethin?~" But before Amaya could reach out and take it, he pulled it away a bit. "Waaaaait a second! I wanna hear you call me cool first!" It was only natural he was curious about what she actually sounded like… smirking at Amaya as he waited for her decision. 

Amaya only greeted him with a deadpan glare and then a roll of the eyes, turning away once again and starting to walk back to the rink. Paulo was slightly disappointed, just about to give it back to her anyway before his eyes went wide as, after only a couple seconds, the orange cat turned around once more, making direct eye contact with him and closing the distance between them, gesturing for him to lower himself slightly so they could get closer to his ear... had they changed their mind? He smiled and leaned down, bracing one hand on his leg. Fuck she was short!! Gah! Or was he just tall....both??? Whatever! He was about to hear Amaya speak for the first goddamn time! 

They closed the distance between them until Paulo could feel the warmth of their breath against his face and the aura of their body heat against his fur. He felt every moment of them taking in a slow, gentle breath, collecting her thoughts. However before they could speak they took their opportunity, while Paulo was distracted they snatched not their own board, but Paulo's! They broke out into a sprint, leaping onto the rink and bonding with Paulo's board as if it were their own. The boldness of the little orange bitch was a surprise and as such it took Paulo a few seconds to even really realize what they’d done.

As they sprinted off they looked back to Paulo with a wicked smirk, as if to dare him to chase. Eventually he glared and shouted. "WHAT THE HELL!! I WAS GONNA GIVE IT BACK!!" He got on Amaya's board and went after her, leaning down to not create as much drag. Thought she could just snatch it huh?!

She absolutely thought she could just snatch it, and it was exactly what they did. Amaya always seemed to be just a bit ahead of him, and they gave him a little smirk after his comment; perhaps they knew that he was going to give the board back anyway, but this was just a lot more fun. They popped off the normal pavement and into the bowl, rapidly gaining momentum on Paulo's skateboard. Paulo kicked off the ground to try and catch up, grunting to himself and wondering if he was even actually going to catch someone else on a board....focusing on speed in the bowl wasn't exactly his forte and he didn't wanna fall n eat shit cuz that would suck!!! Amaya continued to focus on their speed, slipping into tunnel vision as they flew down the path that would get them the most momentum they could possibly gain. The distance between the two cats was becoming greater at the little one sliced through the air like a bullet. Paulo struggled to try and keep up, their boards shredding loudly across the concrete… no freakin way he could catch up to her in a million years!! "H-h-hey Amaya!! Come on! I'm just gonna...take your freakin board home if you don't slow down!!" He was tirin' out, he needed a soda or something bleugh!

But Amaya wasn’t listening, they couldnt focus on anything else, tunnel visioning on their goal as they flew toward the ramp. They channeled all of their motion into the ramp, and as they hurtled into the air Paulo was in the perfect position for the sun to beam around the silhouette of the skater tabby. In their air time they grabbed the board from under them, throwing their arms out, and through the beam of the sun Paulo could see the silhouette of a CHRIST AIR on HIS SKATEBOARD.

The Somali ground to a halt....staring up at the airborne Tabby like time was frozen. Eventually crossing his arms and glaring like HELL. Ohhh that...fuckin...goddamn little...showoff!! with HIS board too, just to make it worse!!! The Somali grumbled to himself.....why wasn't this bitch going to the X-Games or some bullshit?! They landed in a flash, skidding to a halt on Paulo's board and heavily breathing, as if they had barely kept themselves on the board. When they looked up to meet Paulo's eye they wore a snarky smirk on their face, though it sort of felt like they were putting up a face…

"....." He blushed some and tapped his foot against her board as he stood there with a very mixed expression on his face. He was just soooo..... he didn't even know how to put the things he was feeling into words!! As if in response to Paulo's silence, Amaya gently pushed his board forward, refusing to break their eye contact as it sloooooowly rolled over to Paulo. Their smirk got a bit more genuine as they started to step forward, as if the redness of the Somali's face made the short tabby more powerful.

He picked up his own board and pushed Amaya's over to her, exhaling hard like a stubborn bull. "Whatever!! So what if you're really fucking cool! Is that why you don't talk?? Voice too sexy or somethin??" He kept tappin his foot, of all the goddamn things to find out! Amaya was actually way too cool for any of her own friend group....

Amaya's face absolutely flared, sexy was not a word that was ever used to describe them. Suddenly they looked a little embarrassed, their eyes shying away from his contact as they took their skateboard back into their possession. Their eyes drifted down now, focused on the concrete in front of them. Why was all of this suddenly so awkward...? Paulo didn't know why he was surprised though, Amaya was the monarch of awkward silences.

He let the awkward air between them hang still before clearing his throat and walking over to the Tabby, patting their back and shaking his head. "Jeez, you show off then get all shy when someone compliments you? Talk about weird...heh." He might get the same way if someone went really overboard with it....David could always get him embarrassed for the smallest of accomplishments.

They stared at him for a very long time, holding an expression that Paulo couldn't exactly describe. The Somali stared back, wondering what exactly the two were doin just lookin silently...till he felt her hand gently pat his shoulder and his eyes went wide. Amaya picked up their board with a face that still burned bright red. "........ I........ T-Think you're cool too." They eventually spoke, for the first time that Paulo had ever heard it, in a voice so quiet that Paulo swore he could have imagined it. "W-when you aren't messing with Sue anyway........" His ears perked up and his face flushed deeply as he heard her… That really had been Amaya right, or was he going crazy??!?! "Uhh....thanks." Was all he could think to say. He wasn't just gonna leave her hanging but he had absolutely no clue if he should say more.

Amaya let a small breath of amusement leave their mouth, flipping up one of his bangs. "Some flirt you are....... You finally get me to talk to you and you don't know what to say..........'' their voice was so soft, as if a fairy was speaking. Paulo was so entranced by it that he didn't even realize Amaya had begun to slowly skate away... and to think the only person to have heard Amaya's voice before him was fucking Sue!!

Paulo was quite literally just stunned as he watched Amaya...his ear flicked and he eventually shook his head snapping out of it, running up along side Amaya and starting to walk with her pace. "H-hey wait wait WAIT did you want me to flirt with you?" There weren't many girls who had told him they felt left out of his jackass behaviour.

Amaya looked at him with a smile when he matched their pace, which wasn't exactly hard to do, but they didn't respond. Instead they only looked back at him and cocked one of their eyebrows, as if he was slightly missing the point. Damn it!! He had just got them talking and suddenly they were quiet again!!!

Agh! Shit! No he didn't know what she wanted him to say! He… he cleared his throat and looked her in the eyes. "S-sorry I mean.... thanks! It means alot to hear you think I'm cool… er..." Why the fuck was it so hard to talk? Amaya had been around everyone for years but it was like he was hitting up a stranger. "I just wasn't expecting to actually hear you."

They held the same expression they usually did until his last sentence, where they let their eyes drift down and to the ground again. They barely payed attention to the board as it rolled under their feet, it was second nature to them. "I...... Wasn't expecting to talk today either.... I hate my voice.. I've been... very lucky that people don't really force me to talk too often....." Their eyes were focused on a place far off in the distance, a place Paulo couldn't possibly see. Eventually she giggled softly to themself, "you're more of a dork than I thought you were....."

It was the Somali's turn to flare up red, balling up his fists a bit and grumbling. "I-I'm not a dork!! You just...caught me on a dorkier day is all!!" He was almost too embarrassed to focus on what she had said prior... "Wait waitwaitwaitwait a sec! Why the hell do you hate yer voice...?? I think ya sound nice."

Amaya snickered again at the concept of having a day in which you're 'dorkier than usual' before their face fell slightly, in tandem with the slight reddening of their cheeks. ".... Sure ya do...." They eventually said. It didnt seem as if they were avoiding eye contact, more that they were unable to make it. "But I don't like it........ I just cant help it..... not like I needed it to find some friends anyway......" They kept their eyes on that point in the distance, and Paulo got the feeling that there was a further part of that sentence that remained unsaid through the blush of the tabby's cheeks.

"Well...why? I-I mean I guess if you really don't wanna talk about it… I get it, you don't hafta." He rubbed behind one of his ears, exhaling softly and looking over to where Amaya was, just in case there was something she was actually looking at. Seeing absolutely nothing, he looked back to Amaya and her clothes n stuff. Did she just like dressing like that? Was she a way more hardcore skater than she looked?

Amaya suddenly stopped in her tracks with their brow aggressively furrowed, as if they were thinking really hard about something. Eventually their gaze slowly turned to Paulo again, and they stared into the very depts of the Somali's soul, slowly stepping off their board and walking up to him, they spoke again. "Paulo...... Are you gay?"

Paulo's face lit up like fucking Christmas as those words left Amaya's mouth, his tail and back fur standing on end at the sheer shock of being asked straight up... "N-NO. Why the hell would you think that?!" He answered after a moment, trying super SUPER hard to avoid eye contact and unable to stop his heart from racing. Holy FUCKING shit how could she tell he even thought about boys a little?! H-He wasn't GAY but....agh, shut up sht up shutupshutupSHUTUP!!!

Amaya tilted their head… why did they seem to look almost disappointed with Paulo's answer…? "Are you....... sure...? I could have sworn you were.... I guess I could be wrong...."

W-wait… why… why did he feel… bad? That look that flashed on her face.,...he wasn't sure if Amaya was even aware but for a second.... "I...I...." He ran a hand through his hair, looking stressed out before gently grabbing Amaya's arm, making sure the Tabby stepped off the board before picking it up and pulled her off to the side. Sure it was still the park but he felt...safer, in a slightly more out of the way path. If there was anyone he could tell… it was the person who never talked to anyone, right?

Amaya jolted slightly before following Paulo into a more secluded spot. Their eyes stayed on him the entire time, as if they were actively searching the depths of his soul, waiting for him to spill.

"D-don't gotta look like yer gonna cry about it! God..." Paulo said as the two finally stopped at a spot he deemed good enough. "You gotta promise not to tell ANYONE please, I'm fuckin dead serious about this." Once he got confirmation, the Somali would take a deep breath and lean in towards Amaya's ears. "I...I'm......I'm.............kinda....kinda gay, okay?"

Amaya nodded and did the motions of their lips being zipped, before they slowly smiled. "Okay...... Okay... Good." That was NOT the reaction he was expecting. Amaya took a step forward, clasping his hands in theirs. Paulo's heart began to race again, eyes wide as Amaya grabbed his hands. What the fuck? GOOD??? WHAT DID THAT MEAN? "Now it's my turn alright.....? I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone....." Their eyes drifted to the side, "not that anyone would believe you anyway........"

"Y-Ya got a secret too? Ya don't gotta tell me to make it even...but yeah, I wouldn't even break my promise cuz you promised me!! That'd be fucked up."

"It's not in return...... My question for you was....... Sort of related......" Amaya couldn't seem to make eye contact all the sudden. Paulo only now had all the chances that used to pass him by to notice Amaya's little mannerisms. The way their gaze bounced between unbreaking eye contact and being unable to even attempt it; the way their hands always shook, ever so slightly. "I needed to know you were b-before I told you...... T-the reason I don't talk at all.... And hate my voice....." It felt as if they were forcing the words from their throat, things they didn't want to say but felt like they had to. "It's because I hate being a girl...... I hate it.... A-and I don't feel like a girl..... But I don't feel like a boy either ..... I want to be someone in the middle.... L-like..... Like I'm grinding on a rail, and if I tilt to one side I'm a girl...... And if I tilt to the other I'm a boy..... B-but instead I wanna stand tall... Right... Right in the middle..." It wasn't the most spectacular analogy but it was fairly clear that Amaya was trying their hardest to connect it to anything both of them could understand.

Paulo had all the time in the world to look at Amaya right now, looking at her- er....he wasn't sure what to use. It didn't matter much, listening intently as he squeezed Amaya's hands while the cat went over these feelings and thoughts....hated being a girl, but wasn't quite a boy? G...grinding a rail? He was starting to get a bit fuzzy on what exactly that metaphor was but maybe he could KINDA get the bigger picture. Once Amaya had said not a girl, he assumed she had actually been boy for sure after having asked if he was gay but then that was quickly proven to not............WAIT....WHY DID HE THINK THAT.....NO WAY AMAYA WOULD HAVE LIKED....... He stared straight ahead and turned bright fucking red again as he realized his assumption. He shook off his dumbass thoughts before clearing his throat. "Uhhhh...so like....yer definitely not a 'she', but yer not a 'he' like me either? Somethin else? Is there even a word for that??"

Amaya found themselves almost crumpling under his confusion, their face red with shame. "Its uhm....... it's they.... like singular they............" they staggered so quietly that if there were anyone else in the park at all it would have drowned them out, "I... I-I thought that... I just thought...."

Paulo was probably going to feel bad if he ever got Amaya to tell him how they were feeling later on. The Somali's ears drooped down a bit and he leaned down some. It was always a bit awkward when someone was feeling....an unknown mix of things and he was the only person they could go to. Even weirder when he didnt quite understand.... "You thought...what? It's okay, dude. Or uh...they-dude...whatever that would be I call everyone dude!!! I'm just tryin ta say go ahead and talk!! I promised."

"D-dude is fine.... I... like that actually...." They stepped a little closer to him, making it easier for him to hear them even with a low voice. "I... I want t-to be like... not a boy or a girl... like something in the middle... more androgynous... like.. I want people to call me they or them instead of she...." Their face flushed with hot embarrassment, as if saying their feelings out loud was the lamest thing in the world. "I'm... I'm sorry.. this is probably really weird......"

Thank fucking god dude was fine he was maybe going to explode if it wasn't. He's getting it now...kinda. sorta. A little a bit. "I dunno what androgynous means but I think I get it. Ya don't...feel like a boy or a girl, so you're somethin else?" He would wait for a nod or quiet confirmation before smirking. "Okay? Who cares what you wanna be? If you're not a boy or girl then you ain't! If I wanted people to start callin me somethin it aint their fuckin business WHY it's what I'd want for myself!" It was baffling that he was so afraid of being gay and yet he seemed to think this was something simple.... maybe it was on the surface but.....

"S-so..." they stuttered, seeming to have not expected his bravado at all, "Y-you.. dont care...? You’re okay with that...?" they still looked cautious, but there was a twinkle of some other emotion beneath their eyes, an emotion that they seemed desperate to suppress until it was completely safe…

"Why the hell would I go out of my way to make ya feel like shit?! Not like you're askin alot...." He rubbed behind his head, face not nearly as bright but still red some. "Like sure, I don't really understand it yet but...it's not somethin hard. Just say they instead of she...and whatever replaces her I guess? Grammar n shit sucks and trust me THAT's way harder!" He snickered a bit. He really wasn't that stupid but his ass WAS forgetful. "So yeah, I'll call ya whatever ya want. Aint nothin wrong with that, dude."

They stared at him for a moment in silence with their huge, glistening eyes... before they slowly started to water. They closed the distance between the two, suddenly grabbing Paulo and hugging him tightly, burying their face in the fur of his chest. "Th-thank you.." They muttered, nearly silent as they spoke through their tears. 

Paulo was suddenly washed with the feeling that whatever he had just done had been much more important to Amaya than he had originally thought. His tail frizzed out once more, eyes widening as Amaya hugged him; his cheeks slooowly flaring up bright as he looked around before veeery slowly embracing the small...dude against him. He pat the back of their head and cleared his throat some. "U-U-uhhh… i-it's no problem....a-are you okay?” Also his fur was super totally fuckign soft n comfy n nice.

They sort of acted on instinct, they had reacted the same way when Sue accepted them, though they would never tell Paulo that. Quickly they removed themselves, wiping their eyes and shaking the thoughts out of their head, though the tear stains lingered on Paulo's fur. He didnt think he had ever seen Amaya cry before. "Y-yeah... Im fine sorry just... I uh... Im really happy that you're so... cool about it... I know how you were with gay people for... a long time so.." they trailed off before shrinking back just slightly, giving an apologetic smile that only looked a little strained, "s-sorry that was so out of nowhere...."

He looked down and off to the side as Amaya reminded him of his past transgressions...rubbing his arm and wondering about a different future where he might have hurt someone like Amaya instead....man that would be really awful. 'Specially after he's just seen how cool n shit they were... "I-It's no problem I....uh...sorry......"

They nodded, as if to say that it was all okay. "Y-you're a lot cooler than you used to be....." They muttered, trying to gather themselves the best they could.

"A-aww come on I was always cool!" He said with a grin, putting his hands on his hips and tryin' ta look all rad and almsot silly. The best way to make an awkward or sad situation better… be silly!!

they squinted at him and gave him a little smile and side eye, ".........mmmhm...." they said as if he was full of shit.

"C-come on!! You can't tell me you didn't think I wasn't ever cool before....!"

"I mean... sometimes...." they snickered, though to be honest they didn’t remember too many things about paulo’s early days that didn’t involve him getting slapped by the end.

"Shut up! Whateverrr..." The Somali fwipped his hair up, huffing out his nose and tapping his foot again. So what if Amaya was maybe way cooler than him...

Amaya shrugged with a smirk, "fine....! I think you're pretty cool now but.... if you want me to stop talking forever again I guess I cant blame you...!~"

"NONONONO!" He said with a suddenness that surprised even him...calming down with a slow breath before straightening out. "Can't be the last time I ever hear ya! That'd be fucked up...no one would even believe you spoke to me!"

Amaya's eyes widened a little and their cheeks flushed slightly from Paulo's reaction, and his second sentence caused their smirk to only become more devious, "You wouldn't be able to convince them either way!~"

The orange cat glared at the little punkass dude, flicking their little nose. "Yeah! That sucks....!" Of course...for once his brain thought up something smart and he gave them a sly side eye smile. "Welll....dontcha think Sue would?~"

Their face flushed red, before they shook their head aggressively, "Sue wouldn't believe you extra!! She would never believe I would tell you!!" even when they were trying to be loud their voice was quiet and soft, it was completely fucking adorable.

"Oh so I would just get you were a they or something?! She'd NEVER believe I was that good at guessing or smart enough to figure it out!!" He grinned really fucking wide, basically like the fuckin sun with how he was beamin over here.

"N-no..!! Y-you need to keep that a secret from everyone!! I don't want anyone finding out!!" There was just a twinge of desperation in their voice, deep beneath their otherwise average banter.

He would get down on one knee to make eye contact with the short lil enby, putting a hand on their shoulder. "Gotcha.~ You really think I'd tell someone without askin!! I don't even wanna get one over on Sue that bad!"

Amaya averted their eyes, puffing out their cheeks and crossing their arms, "W-well someone's gotta worry...." they mumbled, though they weren't very good at being grumpy. "I know you wouldn't though........ I trust you....."

"Plus if I blabbed you’d start posting papers everywhere about how I wanna neck boys or some shit!" Paulo'd snicker at the sheer pettiness of the idea, sitting down next to Amaya in the grass now. "Ah...man it's kinda...nice? To be able to tell someone that and not be afraid."

Amaya plopped down in the grass next to Paulo as well, smiling over at him. "Kinda feels like an understatement... it's awesome..." Amaya smiled, letting themselves fall onto their back in the grass.

"Well...if it's anything to ya I think Lucy n the rest of em wouldn't say anything about your 'secret'." Paulo leaned back on one of his hands, playing with one of his pretty-boy bangs. Man....what the hell would today have been like if Amaya hadn't been all up in his business.... "Hey wait a minute, now you can tell me why you went all nuts with the tricks!! Were ya just showing off?"

Amaya's face grew red once more, their eyes drifting to the side as Paulo waited for their answer, "It wasn't. I wasn't just showing off no........"

The Somali switched to leaning on one side, raising an eyebrow as he stared right at Amaya's face. "Th' hell was it for then, dude?! You were goin nuts."

"I..... just wanted to impress you I guess......... cuz yer always underestimating me..........." They muttered in barely a whisper into their shirt, making Paulo's eye contact but being adorably embarrassed about doing so.

Paulo's eyebrows shot up. Trying to impress him???? He can't think of anytime that… well… ANYONE had done that! He rubbed the back of his neck and felt bad about being all shitty over it now.... that musta sucked for them. "O-oh...well...uh....ya really fuckin accomplished that then, fuck."

Their face was even redder, "r-really..? I thought I just annoyed you......"

"N-No! Well..I mean...I-I was just a little annoyed cuz...y'know....I didn't even know you skated, and I thought I was gonna impress YOU. Then you go and get all crazy on me..." Why did he feel so awkward talking about this? There was nothing weird about it right? Just a couple of dudes callin each other cool...

"A-ah... I guess... you hadn't seen me skate before...." They seemed to realize, averting their eyes with a warmth in their face. "F-for the record..... I wasn't. not impressed.... I didn't know you skated either....."

"Y-Yeah I've been doin it since middle school....helped to get around with wheels before y'know...actually even with a car sometimes you don't need to really use it." He chuckled a little and flopped back onto his back next to Amaya, inhaling deep and exhaling slowly. "But yeah, you're kind of amazing at it."

"T-thanks...." Amaya responded somewhat awkwardly, Paulo got the feeling that they didn't get complimented often, or recognized at all for that matter. "I have..... A lot of free time to do whatever I want when I'm not at work, and I spend most of it here..."

"What the hell we should hang out! You go to the arcade ever?? I'd love to have someone more free than David." Paulo sounded a little excited at the idea, turning his head over to Amaya.

Amaya's eyes widened slightly, and as Paulo turned to look at them their eyes jumped away, "U-uh.. sure! I'd love to!" they snickered slightly at the last statement, still looking away, "The couple of times I've been to the arcade it was with David.... he said he wanted to 'investigate me'... to 'deduce what I was hiding'... but I think he was just lonely because you were doing something that day..... I like him.... he talks for the both of us so I don't have to...."

“GOD he talks for the THREE of us I don't know how one fuckin' dog can say so much bullshit!" Paulo whined, wondering why Amaya had looked away from him. He vaguely wondered if he had grass or a dirt smudge or something and they were tryin not to laugh... "That ain't what we were talkin about though. I'll make sure to invite ya sometime! If you don't mind Sue looking at you like you're diseased for acceptin." He added with a snicker… it wasn't meanspirited he SWORE it was just teasing that Sue would think they were weirdos.

They snickered in response, before shifting to look at him shyly out of the corner of their gaze, "I don't need to tell her everywhere I go..... She'll be happy I'm hanging out with friends.... I don't know why you guys cant just make up though....."

That was not an easy thing to answer. It was Paulo's turn to break eye contact as he scratched the back of his head. "Mmhhh...I dunno. It's been weird between us since we met. I don't know if it's just how I act or her thinkin I'm too irresponsible or me teasin her too much but it feels like a big ask." He exhales softly...really he didn't actually know if he terribly cared that much but it wouldn't HURT to be actual friends with her but....

Amaya shrugged, "I think both of you could get along if you weren't insulting each other all the time... but I dunno some people just don't mix....."

"You KNOW if I walked up trying to apologize outta nowhere she'd think I was up to some shit....but maybe not if you were there too..." He was trying to focus on this, but something in his mind was slowly muscling its way to the front of his thoughts....cheeks turning a little red as he scoots just a biiit closer to Amaya.

"I... I think it could work if I mediated it.... I'm a pretty good mediator.... that's what Sue says anyway...." Amaya didn't seem to notice his subtle scoot closer, their eyes still elsewhere.

He stared at Amaya and then looked off to the side, playing with one of his bangs again. "Mmmhh...maybe..." He took a deep breath, clearing his throat and closing his eyes. Fuck, why couldn't he stop thinking about this... "Y'know, your voice...doesn't gotta be a 'girls' voice. It'd still be cute as a boy’s....or whatever else you wanna be called."

When Paulo's eyes drifted to look at Amaya again they were staring back at him as red as a ripe tomato, they almost seemed stunlocked by his compliment because they just stared at him with wide eyes in their cute ass outfit.

His heart skipped a bit with how red they were. He locked eyes with them and scooted a little liiiittle bit closer....fuck why did he say something so fucking gay???

Neither of them seemed to be able to look away, Amaya twitched, as if noticing Paulo's advance... yet didn't budge themselves... "P-Paulo... a-are you..?"

"A-a-a-am I....what...?" He suddenly felt nervous as they finally responded, dragging a claw through the grass but unable to stop looking at the rad little dude in front of him.

"A-are...... A-are you like......." They stuttered helplessly.

"....Yer just really cute, alright?" The Somali dropped onto his back and covered his face. Fuuuck he couldn't keep up a smooth front any longer. He was about to explode from what he was saying.

"Y-you still think that....? Even now that you know......?" They said it so quietly, as if it couldn't possibly be true, as if they were dreaming. 

".....Y....yeah..." He kept his face covered, wanting to fucking die with how they asked that. UGH..... this was so embarrassing....

They were silent for a moment... and then Paulo felt Amaya's gentle hand over his, guiding it softly away from his face. They were sitting next to him and towering over him now, illuminated from above by the light of the sun beaming through the canopy. "Do.... do you really mean that...?" they spoke, even softer than a whisper.

His face burned even brighter as Amaya moved his hands away, lips quivering slightly as he stared up at the sun-cradled visage of the Tabby.... "Y-yeah dude....w-wouldn't say it otherwise..."

Paulo's heart pounded out of his chest as the tabby above him stared down at him, both their faces glowing. Very slowly they leaned down, staring deep into his eyes as if to read his soul to know he was genuine... and then, light and soft as a feather, they kissed him.

As the Tabby graced him with such a soft and real kiss.... Paulo's heart damn near shot out of his chest. Eyes wide… he sloowly struggled to put his arms around them. Returning their kiss just as tenderly before breaking it and lookin at them with a shocked expression… "Holy fuck...am I gonna kiss all my friends before senior year...?"

Amaya looked just as baffled that they had kissed him as Paulo did, even though they had been the one to initiate. "wh-h-huh?? W-who else have you kissed??"

"W-Well Lucy and- WAIT WAIT SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT!" He covered his face again but kept one arm around Amaya......holy fuck he felt so warm. THEY felt so warm.

"gh-and who?? AND WHO!?" Amaya shook him, usually they didn't care about gossip... but usually they didn't hear it at all, Sue sort of shielded them from it.

"D-DON'T WORRY I'LL TELL YOU LATER I JUST KISSED YOU BRO!!!" He was burning red, oh god was he going to have to admit some shit?! He was slowly cracking under pressure.

Amaya's hands FLEW to cover his mouth, they were blushing so hard it looked like they could pass out from too much blood circulation to their head, if that was even a thing that was possible. "D-don't s-say that so loud!!!" They stuttered, whisper yelling at the boy.

He meowed softly, his face hot to their touch. The Somali gently pried their hand off his mouth...continuing to hold it afterwards and clearing his throat... "S-Sorry...y-you got me all flustered n shit dude..."

Amaya huffed, "S-some playboy you are...... C-cant even handle one kiss........"

Never kissed someone like you before, jackass!" He huffed right back, pouting and pulling the smaller and lighter cat closer to him.... ...Lighter...."Oh my god...wait....have...have you had a crush on me?! I-Is that why you got all red when I picked you up earlier?!"

Amaya twitched away, but then sort of almost sank into him. Their eyes shot wide when Paulo suggested that, "U-uh... Well.... I-I mean... M-maybe... I d-didn't want to be too hasty b-because I was really scared you could only like me as a girl....."

"Mmhhh...yeah that makes sense....I was a real asshole about that stuff." He spoke plainly, not beating down on himself quite but speaking the truth as he needed to...... God they were really soft...makin him squeeze the nonbinary cat up against him just that little bit more... "At least you know NOW for sure, right?~"

"y-yeah you... Kinda were... I'm glad that you came around..... If not for me for David." They snickered, no fucking way that guy was completely cis.

"Awww man I feel bad enough about David....but I don't know what the hell he's about either!! He asked me if I was gay cuz I didn't take advantage of Lucy wanting to bang!!! It was complicated dude!!"

They squinted at Paulo for a moment, "...........ew. why would he say that..."

"Man I don't know but I was a dumbass for listening and getting involved with three other girls and.....lets...let's not get into it..." Paulo pressed his face into Amaya. They could feel that his muscles had tensed with all the stressful and weird memories....

They placed a hand on his head, stroking gently through his hair. "Mmm..... Yeah that was uh.... You're one of the only people I've ever kissed...."

He let himself purr softly as it always felt really nice when someone played with his hair or ears. His eyes went wide as the next thing said though. "Oh my GOD really?! Am I your f-f-first?!"

They shrunk in embarrassment, "L-listen n-no one wants to kiss the weirdo who n-never talks and hides in the back all day...."

"But you're fucken cute and smilin' and you'll let people into movies and...you've always been awesome!!" Paulo buried his face against the Tabby again and groaned in despair. "God please don't tell Sue without me there....she's gonna kill me for making your first kiss a manwhore..."

Amaya rolled her eyes, "some manwhore you are....." They repeated, "besides, Sue doesn't need to know literally everything I do.... She's my best friend not my mom....."

"Yeah but you're gonna be all giggly n stuff cuz you got a piece a this!~" It was almost stupid how quickly Paulo could turn it back around, kissing Amaya's cheek and grinning after. "Or she'd see us being all gay or somethin, right? I know David's got a high chance of finding out...."

"O-oh please you have no idea how good my poker face is.... Just cuz I'm showing you a.... Lot of myself doesn't mean I show other people...." Amaya shot back, though their face was burning when Paulo kissed them again. "David will probably find out eventually.... He'll choke it out of you, you can't keep quiet like me...."

"What does that mean!!! I was saying that cuz he could literally be in the trees or some shit at any moment he's like a fucking cryptid!!!" Paulo laughed, squeezing Amaya's hand and pointing to his and theirs clasped together. "And how can you poker face stuff like this?~"

"by simply not holding hands with you.....!~" Amaya smiled teasingly, they squeezed his hand a little, looking deep into his eyes ... "B-but you're right David could be anywhere..."

His face was stupidly handsome and cute as it usually was...squeezing back. "He could be digging around under us like a mole!!" He snickered a bit before suddenly looking....a little sad.

Amaya snickered too, and then tilted their head slightly in response to his expression, as if to ask what was wrong without speaking a word.

"Does that mean I'm gonna have to...call you a girl and stuff around other people?"

"Please don't....." Amaya admitted, letting their warm body sink into his slightly, "They probably won't even notice if you don't call me a girl.... as long as you don't call me a boy people will just ignore it...."

"Fucking good...that'd be really kinda gross." He said with a palpable relief, rubbing gently along Amaya's back. "Guess I better get used to saying your name....er..." He turned his face away, scratching at his cheek with one finger. "That kiss wasn't just...cuz you were curious right? My dumbass head ain't getting ahead of itself, is it?"

"No...." They spoke after a prolonged silence, "I was just.... Really excited that anyone liked me for like.... Who I actually was....." They looked away, blushing hard, ".................I'd do it again.."

His tail started to swish, not that he realized that was happening… holding Amaya with both arms now and resting his head against theirs. "........fuckin sweet."

"........................can I.......?" They whispered, fidgeting with their fingers. There was a part of them that had always liked Paulo, there was just something about that failboy nature that spoke to them. Even so, never in a million years did they think they would ever get an actual opportunity like this one.

Paulo would gently hold their face and pull it up closer to his. He was somehow too embarrassed to just say yes, so this gayass romantic method was his Plan B. Their face was exceptionally warm as they stared at him with giant eyes, "i-i-i-is t-that a y-yes..?" They muttered.

"Y-y-yes! A-As much as you want dumbass.....!"

Without a second thought they collapsed into him again, wrapping their arms around him and kissing him deeply. Gently they threaded their trembling fingers through his hair as they held him back as passionately as he held them. Theirs was without a doubt the softest embrace the boy had ever felt..

A shiver ran down Paulo's spine at the sheer gentleness of every single one of Amaya's touches. It wasn't like anything he had ever really felt before... The orange feline's embrace was warm and intimate, the feeling in Amaya's kiss versus how soft it was....

They pressed in just a little more, until Paulo ended up on his back in the grass with his body intertwined with theirs. Even as they squeezed him they were gentle, as if carefully caring for a delicate flower, something Paulo of all people was completely unused to. Eventually they had to pull away, even though neither of them wanted to, and Amaya rubbed their cheek to his before nuzzling into the crook of his neck. ".........If I knew I was gonna do this a couple years ago........ I probably would have hit myself...." They giggled.

" I probably woulda called you crazy!" The Somali said, trying not to just turn into a purr machine....leaning into Amaya's hands and exhaling softly. It's like the lil dude was afraid of breaking him or some shit. He gently rubbed along their back and sighed softly. "Also, rude~”

"Awwww....~" They cooed teasingly, nuzzling into the boy and rubbing their cheek to his fur, "How could I eeeeever make it up to you...?"

"Hmph! Ya don't SOUND like you wanna make it up to me!" He closed his eyes and turned his nose up and away from Amaya…

"Cmonnn don't you see how sorry I am......?" They ever so gently tilted Paulo's head down to look at them, giving the biggest most adorable kitty cat meow meow eyes in the whole world... Paulo had no knowledge of this but it was one of their tricks, and it had never failed, on Sue anyway.

Paulo's cheeks turned dark red as he looked down at that fuckin adorable face....shoving his palm over their face and sticking his tongue out. "S-Stop that! That shit ain't fair, damnit!!"

Amaya made a little noise of annoyance from the hand in the face, before gently removing it and looking at him with an even MORE pleading expression. Their lips were pouty and their eyes were all watery.... How could he possibly stand up to this power.....

"AuuUUGGHHHH FIIINE! " He held the stupid cute cat and kissed all over their face, huffing out in annoyance. "I'm sorryyy I'm sorrryyyyy stoooop! Trying to destroy me with those damn eyes of yers...."

They giggled profusely, Christ their giggle was so cute, and their face was so warm. They scrunched up a little under all the affection, as if they were completely unused to it. "I forgive you.~" they eventually muttered, gently pecking Paulo in the cheek a couple times themselves. After a second they perked up, as if they remembered something, they shifted slightly, digging around until they whipped out their phone. "I should give you my number...." 

It was genuinely fucking crazyass to Paulo that he'd never heard their voice before today....and he was already addicted. Getting to hear them laugh was a reward all on it's own. "Ah- shit yer right." The Somali brandished his own phone...looked kinda sleek n nice. He keyed over to make a new contact and then held out his phone.

Their fingers flew like the wind as they typed in their own number, handing it back in only a second or two. "...There we go! I'm much more uh..... talkative online....."

"I don't got a computer cuz I don't think we even got internet at our house...." Paulo scratched his chin as he took his cell back, tapping his foot in thought. "But I guess texts work! Just don't go blowin' up my messages TOO bad~"

They snickered, "Don't worry.... Sue sometimes gets annoyed that I never text first, so that probably won't be an issue...."

"Psshhh..." There was a snarky comment about Sue somewhere there...but he didn't wanna make ‘em upset and ruin this wonderful mood they had going.

Amaya gave him a squint, as if they could read his mind... before letting themselves sink into him a little more. Though Amaya was so light it was never anything less than pleasant even when they were sinking their full weight onto him, like a really adorable blanket. Paulo stared up at the sunny sky and scratched over Amaya's ears a little. This was really almost too nice considering that he and Amaya hadn’t talked a bunch or done anything really as just the two of them...but it was really good despite how sudden it was. "Who like...DOES know? It can't just be me n Sue, right?"

It definitely was sudden, but all things considered not too much had happened. Amaya smiled and rumbled slightly and softly as he scratched between their ears. "Well uh..... I mean..."

"Noooo wayyy dude...that's sooo much responsibilittyyyyy!" He fake whined, but actually being just a little shocked....he then snapped his fingers and looked down "I know who you COULD tell if you wanted, I think"

"I'm.. I'm sorry...... thank you for dealing with it anyway........." they responded completely genuinely. They then tilted their eyes to look up at him, listening intently.

He looked down and squished their face, grumbling. "I didn't mean it! God....don't take everything I say seriously babe." Clearing his throat, the Somali poked the Tabby's nose. "Anyway, Jessica and Rachel would TOTALLY be chill with your deal."

They blushed profusely at the word babe, shrinking into Paulo's arms. "Mm-mm.. M-maybe I will..."

"Just somethin ta think about." He says with a snicker, settling with the Tabby once again. It was so warm and nice today....

"I'm. sorry for rushing into all of this so fast...." they eventually spoke.

"....It's alright. I'm...not really any better sometimes. Either that or so slow I miss the damn starting line..." He sounded a little tiny bit bitter....covering his eyes with one of his arms.

Amaya seemed to be able to tell he was experiencing some sort of memory, whether they knew anything about it or not. They gently rested their head against him, their gentle comfort radiating into him without a word about the topic spoken. "We should totally go to the arcade sometime...... that would be awesome........"

"Yeah....I've never been on an arcade date and that's fuckin' crazy! It's fun n shit...." Paulo spoke softly, almost afraid of speaking those words out. If he traveled back a few HOURS and told himself that Amaya was totally into him and not a girl he'd think it was some kinda fever dream.

Amaya nodded happily, starting to sink into Paulo a little more. Suddenly their phone rang, and they jolted up like a deer in the wood when someone steps on a stick. Paulo was about to say something but- "AAAGH!!" Amaya's hand rested squarely against his face as they shot up lightning quick.

They scrambled for their phone, and their face visibly scrunched in annoyance when they saw it. "...Fuck its my dad....." They picked it up, and their eyes darted around as they quickly spoke back, so quickly and quietly it was impossible for Paulo to hear. He closed one eye and watched the basically inaudible interaction...which was really fucking impressive considering he was a cat with fuckin cat hearing. Eventually they put the phone back in their pocket, but appeared visibly upset as they let themself flop back down onto the grass.

Once his face was unsquished Paulo ventured to ask... "Mmmhh...what's wrong...?"

"S-sorry it's just..... Work.... Dad was talking about how I need to stop letting people in for free even though I haven't done it in months..... He thinks I should be working more even though I work about 20 hours a week on top of school already.... " They rubbed the bridge of their nose in annoyance, it was strange for Paulo to see them allow themselves to be so expressive. They let their head rest against the boy, their eyes sinking and fists clenching. "He...... He wants me to smile more....... As if I don't smile enough..... He says it's not genuine enough....."

Paulo glared as he heard Amaya recall what they’d been told...he had always looked pretty normal but running a business just sorta made you an asshole sometimes, it seemed. His hand found itself resting over Amaya's and squeezing gently, the other stroking Amaya's head. "You smile all the time...and it's really sweet lookin...th' fuck does HE know?!"

Amaya shrugged, "I think he was just looking for something to tell me to do better......... he loves me but he's like......" Amaya trailed off for a second, gathering their thoughts, "He's one of those 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps guys.... he's always looking for some way to improve and make more money..... and that sort of just... comes out at me, I guess.... he's really not a bad guy otherwise...." The swiftness which Amaya defended her parents gave Paulo the idea that this wasn't the first time she had done a dance like this, Sue had the same reaction he did..... ugh, imagine though.

"My dad gets upset when I get held after school for detention n shit but that's not really the same sorta bull is it?" Paulo mused over what the difference might be with his dad when HE got mad and Amaya's pops....the Somali exhaled and held the Tabby close to him. "...Sorry."

Amaya sank into him, letting their eyes flutter shut. "Its okay........ heh.... I've never wanted to go to work less...." they rubbed their cheek to his fur, nosing his chin a little..

"Man....stop being so fucking cute.....killin me over here..." He nuzzles against their head and exhales softly. He's never really thought of what shit Amaya might be going through at any time and he felt bad...but also like....wasn't that kinda normal? They didn't talk or anything so.....

They giggled, nuzzling into him further just to spite him, before slowly rising from their spot. "...I do need to go to work though..." They eventually said, though they seemed reluctant. "I don't..... We should uhm.... we should talk.. on the phone... like later.. or something."

Paulo tried his best to put on a slightly fake smile, streeeetching out as he got up as well. Brushing the bits of grass out of his fur, he clapped Amaya on the back. "I'll be waitin for my phone to blow up a lil’ later then! Let me know when you wanna go out on that date!!"

The word date seemed to make Amaya's cheeks flare, and they quickly slipped back onto their board. "Y-y-yeah... I-I'll.... I'll text you at least, for sure..!" And then, like the wind, they were off. Paulo watched the cool cat skate away, their awkward nature seeming to melt away when they were able to become one with the board again. Picking up his own board and tilting his head and putting one hand on his hip. Fuck....this was really weird....like a feeling he couldn't really describe to himself. He started walking home, looking down at his phone. His walk home was a quiet one, the boy kicking some cans or whatever the hell was on the floor along the way. Eventually getting home and heading up to his room. He set his board down and then flopped face first onto his bed and yelled into a pillow.