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One thing about Cherry that was barely a secret anymore was the fact she was a demon. Anyone could look at her parents and figure it out, even with her differing appearance. Having powers that humans would never even dream of, hidden demonic features she could bring out on a whim, it really was no secret. Most people harbored a fear of this, and she couldn’t really blame them. Humans had a history of fearing things they didn’t understand. Her boyfriends, at least, didn’t fear her. It made her feel better about her heritage, that despite history, there were always humans out there that would defy the pattern. It made her feel like she could tell them anything.
Except, she hasn’t. Of all the things about herself Cherry could mention, there was one thing she’d kept to herself. It wasn’t really the fear of ridicule or rejection that fueled this choice. It was just one of those things she wasn’t fully sure how to put into words.
Really, how was she supposed to explain it in detail?
Besides, if she told the boys, they might get self conscious somehow. Cherry really didn’t understand why Keith and Pico would get so hung up on things, but she had a theory this would be something they would get embarrassed over. What was this thing, exactly? Well…
For as long as she could remember, things like music and other sounds would cause her to see eruptions of colors. She’d even thought that everyone saw that for a while, but when she’d asked her parents about it they had shared they don’t have that. Cherry would eventually learn that what she was experiencing was something called ‘Synesthesia’. Where her brain would, in some situations, essentially have two of her senses activate off of each other. So her world would be that much more colorful when she heard things. The problem was she could never really fully explain each experience. Cherry could see it and understand it herself, but trying to put it all into words? Impossible, even though she wanted to, and badly.
It made sense that she was always so drawn to musicians and singers. But on top of music, hers seemed to work the best with people’s laughter as well.
To Cherry, this fact was just adorable. She already regarded laughter as something precious. Being able to just hear the joy and happiness someone else felt, and even more so if it was someone she loved so dearly. It was wonderful to her. But where she loved laughter, there were people who hated it. Hated their own laugh, muffling it with a hand or never allowed themselves to be happy.
Just because she never saw this as a problem herself didn’t mean it wouldn’t be a reason to be self-conscious for someone else.
“Boys, what the hell are you two doing?”
The sight before her was as chaotic as ever; nothing was ever really calm when they were all together. Cherry stood with a hand on her hip, amused while Keith and Pico were on the couch seemingly trying to beat the shit out of each other.
“Fucker won’t give me the tv remote!” Keith shouted indignantly, trying to reach for it while Pico held it always just out of reach.
“Your choice of shows suck ass, I’m trying to enjoy my evening here!” Came Pico’s reply, “Get off of me you creature! You’re like a bug who doesn’t know when to quit!”
“A BUG?!” Keith shrieked. “I am not a bug! Fuck you!”
“Short, brightly colored, squeaky noises? You’re not just a bug, you’re the bug!”
Cherry couldn’t help but giggle as Keith looked like he’d never been more offended in his life. “You think I’m a bug, huh?” He asked, a sudden smirk on his face. “Call me a bug, will you? Well maybe this bug is going to go exploring, then!” He shoved his hands under Pico’s sweater, skittering his fingers with a purpose. “Maybe this bug mistook your green sweater for the grass!” He continued as Pico let out a shriek of his own.
“ACK-! Mother fucker! ” Pico shouted before bursting into laughter despite himself. “Get off mehe! Bastard!”
Cherry shook her head, smiling sweetly as her world lit up with color again. She never got to hear Pico’s laugh a lot, but it was always a welcome surprise when she could. Funnily enough, his laugh was almost the color of Keith’s hair in a way. A brighter hue of seafoam blue, if she had to try and pinpoint it.
“Maybe this bug isn’t gonna quit until you apologize!” Keith continued, a grin almost splitting his face. Cherry wondered if he’d be just as adoring as her if he could see what she was seeing. “Oh no! Your abs are no match for this bug!”
Pico managed to shove his hand into Keith’s face, trying to push him off while he squirmed around. The tv remote fell to the side, now being ignored as Keith had a different motive. “I’m not apologizing for shit! You’re just annoying and a sore loseher!”
"This is big talk coming from someone who's this ticklish!"
Cherry sighed happily, tuning out everything else and just focusing on the ginger’s giggles and the color now surrounding her. She should probably help him, but was it such a crime to want to just enjoy this for a moment?
Besides, Pico could stand to laugh more. God knows he’s suffered enough in his life and just deserved to be happy. She and Keith were helping with that, but Cherry would have preferred he’d never had to go through any of it in the first place. None of them deserved the stuff they’d gone through. That’s another reason laughter was precious to her- despite the past or present.
God, she would move heaven and earth just to give her boys the freedom to just laugh and have fun.
At some point while Cherry had been lost in thought, her boys had ended up stopping their play fighting. Keith was now sitting on Pico’s lap, back to his chest with the ginger’s arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Pico was busying himself pressing quick and playful kisses to Keith’s cheeks, behind his ears, the tops of his shoulders. Keith was huffing out breathless giggles, trying and failing to predict where Pico’s lips would land next.
Oh, the color of Keith’s laughter. Such an electric shade of indigo. It was cute that both he and Pico had colors that were some sort of blue or near to it. Similar but still contrasting, and the pair worked so well together. Goodness, she really was so in love with the both of them, wasn’t she? It didn’t matter that she was more intimate with one over the other, or that she’d been with one longer than the other. Cherry just loved the both of them so much, even the things they couldn’t even see about themselves.
“Gee? What're you thinking about so hard over there?” Keith’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she realized both of them were looking her way with curious expressions.
“Mmm, just about you two.” She answered, sitting down on the couch next to them. “About how much I love you both. Just the small things. Pico’s adorable little tooth gap. Keith’s beep-y little singing voice. How much you both love cuddling. The sounds of your laughter.” She chanced throwing that last one in. Maybe they would somehow pick up on the hidden meaning.
They simply smiled at her, soft looks that no one but Cherry could cause. Both of them decided to crowd her with hugs, causing her to laugh with joy at the affection she was receiving. And maybe, if Keith and Pico looked in the corners of their eyes, they would see a glowing, golden color- one that could rival even the sun.