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“You've never had a stuffed animal?”
K grips Evan's shoulders, shock and horror coursing through them, shakingn them to their core more than anything they have ever faced before. Evan puts his hands over theirs in what he hopes is a comforting gesture, preparing for K and Sam’s reactions which he can already see coming.
Nodding as he speaks to help them through this, he confirms, “the thing is, when I tried to as a kid they would come alive and try to crawl into people's mouths, suffocating them while whispering ‘goodnight’ in sweet little voices. So it wasn't the best idea, wasn't entirely worth it.”
Sam, seeing the fabric of Evan’s shirt bunch under K’s fingertips, takes K’s hands in hers, squeezing them to ensure Evan’s shoulders don’t bruise and helping suppress K’s fangirl squeal, “So you never had just a little guy to hold and hug when you were lonely or upset?”
“No, not really. Oh! I did sometimes hold my arm,” he brings one arm vertically to the center of his chest, grabbing his forearm with the other and holding it tightly, “but everyone always assumed I was injured and then would come up to help, and then something terrible would happen, so again, it wasn't worth it.” He lists the process off as casually as explaining any familiar and tedious process, “so stopped doing that to.”
Jammer claps Evan’s shoulder, leading him away from K who can barely contain themselves.
“Hey, you know that crazy shit you did on your broom yesterday? Think you can teach the other Scupper players that one?”
“Sure, but I'm not sure how well it’ll translate to brooms without the long brush cap.”
Once the boys are out of ear shot Sam shakes K’s hands, commending them, “good job! You didn’t mention how sad he was or ‘aww’ even a little.”
“Thanks, I’ve been really working on it. But, like, you know?”
“Oh, no, absolutely.”
“Maybe just one?”
Sam grins, half shrugging, “okay, just one.”
The halls are filled with a harmonious high pitched ringing.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
‘A Sleepover of Legendary Proportions,’ the banner reads. All goat insignia in the common room is overlaid with a magic illusion of a goat sleeping with an eye mask. The wide room is made warmer than usual as blanket forts insulate several smaller areas of kids huddling inside with their friends. Between each little fort, many larger on the inside than out, is a thin magic string connecting them, acting like a can on string communication system.
The only area not settled by the cozy frontier is a few feet away from the fireplace. The Pilot Program had staked their claim earlier that evening but are the last to create their own fabric nook.
A pile of thick quilts and thinner sheets fall from Jammer’s arms into a heap on the floor. “Alright! Me and K rounded up some sheets, how are you guys doing?”
“Yeah, we got quilts for the floor to kind of nest in and thinner sheets for the walls and roof,” K sets about sorting the jumbled sheets, "oh! But we’re gonna need some insulation too."
Evan and Sam shuffle chairs and other furniture into the structural supports. Seeing the new building materials, Evan surveys the area, “amazing, right so to keep optimal escape routes, we’re gonna want the entrance that way and a secret escape route that way.”
“Escape route?” Sam nudges a chair slightly over, deciding she likes the feng shui of it better there.
“Yeah, so we don’t get caught unawares,” he emphasizes the word, almost turning the S into a Z, “while we’re both out in the open and completely unaware of our surroundings. I did the same thing when I had to tent in risky areas, like city outskirts.”
“Right, and I totally get that,” Sam looks to K and Jammer for backup on this, “yeah, but we’re also surrounded by kids who think we’re the coolest people they ever met.”
“You are objectively the coolest person they ever met, but yeah.”
“Right, thank you, they love us. Anything goes down,” she points a thumb over her shoulder, “they got our backs.”
K rests a hand on his shoulder with a light squeeze, finger pads gently massaging where her nails indented earlier, “exactly, so we can just relax for a bit cause we all have each other’s back.”
Jammer nods along, adding, “yeah man, I know we, the four of us are a team, but Goat House is a team too and when we’re all together like this, we’re okay.”
Evan takes a breath, relaxing his posture from its ready state, and looks around the room, this time seeing the chattering and laughing kids and with a crackling fire.
“Alright, alright. Then maybe we could have the entrance that way. To face the fire.”
K’s grin is audible in her voice, “aw, really?”
“You’re sure you’re okay with that?” Sam stands by the tall backed chair, ready to move it if he’s truly okay with it.
“Yeah. Yeah, let's do it.”
Jammer pats his back as they start construction, right and true.
The fort fully constructed, the pilot program huddles inside, K and Jammer stretched comfortably on their stomachs, Evan slowly being buried under pillows and blankets like a mini weighted fortress by Sam as they discuss how useful weighted blankets are as they are surrounded by the warm flickering light of electric candles.
“Hey, you know what every sleepover needs?” Sam says with a shoulder shimmy.
It takes only a moment of eye contact for K to gasp, their own eyes lighting up, “stuffed animals!”
“Yes! Okay, okay, so what's everybody got?”
“Princess bat!” K presents the black and pink plush of a bat wearing a princess dress, limbs clumsily hand sewn together, waving it around.
Sam happily stims her hands, “oh my god, I remember her!”
“Hey, what is that, a western small-footed myotis?”
“Yeah! It was my first sewing project, my parents helped”
Jammer leans over to pet the toys well loved fur, “really? You made that as a kid? That's, wow,” he admires it before K pulls it back into a hug.
Theodore scurries up and sniffs at the toy, inspecting it closely, “adorable stitches, yes this is incredible!” He falls into it, the toy serving as a cushion for him as K holds them both close.
Sam, practically dancing in her seat, waves her hands again, “okay, my turn, T2?”
T2 trots into the fort, a little bow around his neck leading to a stuffed violet Beanie Baby poodle, making it appear as if it's riding T2.
“A Beanie Baby? Your parents let you touch those?” K’s eyes are transfixed in shock.
“Yeah, my mom was way big into collecting them but when the Beanie bubble burst, I got to keep a few.” T2 snorts, somehow looking unimpressed. “It’s not as cute as you, though,” scooping T2 into her lap, he nods and relaxes, a little pig puddle of love.
Jammer pushes himself up, “guess that leaves me.” reaching into his bag, he pulled out what appears to be a fair toy, a small blue fish with yellow crinkle stripes and a small loop at the top to be clipped onto bags or hang from a child's wrist.
“This uh, this is it. I got him from an aquarium trip as a kid.”
“That’s so sweet! Was it a family trip?”
“Kinda, yeah, but also no? It was a school field trip and my mom was the chaperone, so I got it with my friends and my mom.”
“That’s so, so sweet! You got it with your family and your second family.”
Sam clearly agrees with K’s assessment as the both look at each other and ‘aww.’
“Yeah, I guess. It was just a really nice time,” his thumb bushes gently over the faded and dulled fabric.
“Alright, your turn!”
The group turns to Evan, wide grins from each of them. His instincts aren't sure if he should brace for something or cower.
“Oh, no, I don’t have one. I'm not sure if I mentioned that before,” he stutters and stumbles over his words, not wanting them to feel guilty for forgetting or putting him in an awkward situation.
“Not yet! Come on, you really think we would do all this after you said you never had one?” Sam waves her hand at the idea.
“Damn, that would be just kind of mean,” Jammer laughs, reaching behind him to pull some items from his duffle bag and piling them in the center. Fabric scraps and odds and ends.
“I admit, I was a little confused, it seemed pretty out of character for you guys. But I was trying not to take away from your guys' joy though.”
Sam starts sifting through the different fabrics, “which one ya feeling?”
“I just, just need to pick one? This really isn't neccess–”
“Yes it is, you’ll understand once it's done, pick one!” K practically vibrates with excitement.
“Yeah man, I feel kinda bad you didn't get a familiar besides your, frankly, scary ass shadow. So a teddy could be, you know, something for you.”
Evan sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, but relents, “okay, if I gotta pick then I guess this one?” He’s still not convinced he needs a stuffed animal. What's the point? It’ll only take up room in his bag, a useless item. Well, anything can be made useful in some way and it'll help him fit in just a little bit more for now. A matching set.
“Hmm,” K hums to themself as they look at the fabric he's picked. “I’m not really sure we have enough…”
“That’s alright, I’ll just–”
Their eyes light up, “No! I got this! Be right back!” K gets up to leave so fast, the first few steps slip in place before they dart out of the fort.
A few moments later, a small distressed voice cries out, “my cloak! No!”
K returns, fabric of Evan's choice in hand, “got it!” they sit down cackling.
“Nice!” Jammer tosses them a pillow he snagged.
“Alright now Theodore, let's rip and tear this like we’re demon ass kickers!”
He adjusts his bow tie and bows his head, “yes, of course, right on it,” and with a chipmunk chitter, tearing is heard as little claws slash through cloth, Theodore burrowing inside. Tufts of cotton fly into the air. K’s fingers fly at an unnatural speed as they begin to sew.
Evan weaves his head around, trying to make out the growing shape in K's hands, “what are you making?”
“Uh uh, no, no. We didn’t get to pick our familiars, so we picked for you what kind of animal you’re getting.”
“Well you actually did kind of get to pick,” Evan points out, “you pulled out your basketball and it then became magical.”
“Ah, well I mean, I guess–”
“Look!” with a wave of her wand, Sam holds up an enchanted sparkling pompom ball. She holds it close to her lips, “you may think we’re the coolest, but you are the coolest person I know, and I’m just so glad we’re friends,” she then holds it away from herself and with a small squeeze, the puff ball repeats her words. She giggles when it works and passes it to Jammer.
“Family is family, and us? We’re family.” Jammer passes it to K, who’s ready to sew up the plushie.
They take it and take their turn, “you are so loved just for who you are and that will always be true.”
The pompom is sewn inside and handed to Evan. The other’s try to remain calm, not staring too hard and not wanting to pressure a reaction from him. Holding their collective breath.
A little platypus. Something strange but cute and loved, small decorations sewn to the back of the flippers for the secret infamous venomous claw. Deadly and goofy. In his hands rests something his friends made.
For him with their literal love sewn into it.
All it takes is a hug to be reminded of how much they care, even when they aren't around.
His eyes burn.
“Yeah, this is– this is like, um. Just really good. Like I'll always have you guys with me. I mean, I know we’re all gonna be together forever and a team, but this is just, you know?” he stutters on a while longer, trying to remain masculine and cool as he cradles the small toy, his three friends wrapping themselves around him, crying out for a group hug as he sniffles.
“Man, you know you can’t cry or I’ll start to cry,” Jammer laughs even as he says it and K is already tearing up as Sam takes a group selfie.