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Felix hummed to herself as she sat comfortably on the couch. Her home was silent, all the kids asleep in their rooms, and her wife busy upstairs with her own work. Her mind was blank and all she was focused on was the words that mirrored back onto her eyes. For once, she felt at peace. It wasn't like her life was hard or anything, she loved her life. But sometimes, taking care of fifteen loud kids who only enjoyed the sweets of tooth rotting candy and loved to wreck things from time to time, it'd be no surprise why she preferred the soothing quiet over their loud noise. But she still loved it in her own way, just not more than her love for relaxing.
Just as she was about to cut her night to an end and head upstairs, she flinched a bit at the sound of her doorbell going off, rubbing her eyes confusedly. It was almost seven and the sun was nearly gone, so she had no idea who was at her door. Maybe it was her sister, Raibaru, visiting again? Or Ralph coming over for more stuff to borrow? She didn't mind. She always had a visit from someone almost everyday. The moment she heard Calhoun's footsteps getting closer to the stairs, she called out to her.
"Don't worry, love! I got it!"
She closed her book, set it down on top of the cloth covered coffee table and slipped her feet into some fuzzy sandals, making her way over to the door with a relaxed mindset. The moment she reached the knob and turned it, pulling the door open, her breath froze for only just a moment.
"Turbo?" she finally came back, blinking a bit. Turbo hardly visited her. The last time they had ever been with each other was at Turbo's wedding with his husband, Gear. After that, it was just short phone calls and texts from months ago. So seeing him again in person was a bit shocking but not really surprising.
"Well, you're still alive!" He ruffled her hair lightly as he took in her appearance. Now looking much more different from before, well, not really. Felix really did look the same but with more of a chest, slightly longer hair and a pudgy body. Or maybe that was just her oversized sweater making her look big. Who knows. Looks like all that pie eating really caught up to her. Ah yes, that was the big change. From a he to a she, everyone knew about Felix's entire change of her gender, some still getting used to it. Turbo was cool with it, still seeing her as the person she met all those years ago at high school, just now with breasts.
Calhoun came down the stairs to see who it was and shrugged when she saw Turbo, heading towards the kitchen. Felix just smiled, her hands crossed over her lap. "Yeah, alive and exhausted." She tried to joke, sounding a bit forced. "So..what made you stop by?"
"Just thought I'd come and see how my favorite handygirl was doing, maybe take you out for a little hangout like we used to do during our senior years!" Turbo seemed to be pretty hyped about this, taking Felix a bit aback. Turbo wasn't really one to go out, especially after they finished high school. He was always staying in with Gear, or just staying in alone doing who knows what. The only times he ever came out was during important events, appointments or to repair his car. But today was different, as if they were about to skip school to head to the park again all those years ago.
Felix just looked over her shoulder at her wife, silently asking her if it was okay. Calhoun nodded with a neutral expression. "Don't bring her back drunk."
"I'll try." Turbo chuckled, nudging Felix's arm. Felix reached for her jacket and hat off of a hook, already watching as Turbo walked away from the door. She quickly ran to where her wife was and gave her a quick kiss before leaving the house, shoving her keys in her pocket and closing the door. Turbo was already walking down the sidewalk, phone in hand, as he peeked from the corner of his eyes, watching Felix catch up.
"S..So.." She huffed "Where are we going? The park? That diner near the bank? Or-"
"We're going to a bar. I thought tonight we could both use a good drink or two." Turbo patted her back, grinning. Felix blinked and gulped. She wasn't much of a drinker. Sure, she had small shots here and there but that was from months ago, and they hardly ever went down her system in a good way, either leaving a bad taste in her mouth or making her vomit. It was safe to say she was a very weak drinker while Turbo was practically able to down probably two bottles in five minutes.
"Couldn't you think of anywhere else for us to go?"
"Calm down, pipsqueak. The bartender knows me. He'll make something light for a baby like you." Turbo poked her cheek, watching her expression harden a bit from the teasing.
"Haha, right. I'm a baby cause I don't wanna be an alcoholic."
"It's just one drink, Fifi. It's not gonna kill you." Turbo patted her head, having to lift himself just a bit to do so. Felix just sighed. She knew she was going to regret this, but seeing Turbo so happy with her and wanting to hangout after so long..she couldn't turn it down. Even if she knew she would regret it.
Another reason she hardly went out was quite personal. She already had trouble going to stores or even simple walks without people staring at her, questioning her about her looks and what she was. It left her feeling many things: anxious, scared, annoyed and hesitant to go out. This would build with guilt whenever she asked Calhoun to go out instead of doing it herself. Even if her wife understood why she felt this way and did this stuff, it still burdened her.
But Turbo didn't know. He had been away from her for a few years, so he wasn't aware of the struggles she was already having and what she imagined would happen when they got to the bar.
"C'mon, Fixie. Those glasses won't drink themselves!" Turbo dragged her inside. She didn't even realize they were already at the place, her mind racing with thoughts and bad possibilities to the point she blanked out. Turbo took her to the front of the bar where other people were, mostly men. Some buff, some slim but strong looking, and some that looked too friendly to be true. Turbo got on his stool, chuckling a bit as he saw Felix hop onto hers. She didn't say anything, just remained silent and stayed close to Turbo, letting him do all the talking.
"Heh, still a baby." He teased. As soon as the bartender came over to them, Turbo ordered them both something simple, his drink being slightly stronger. Felix dazed off, looking around the bar with soft eyes. She didn't know why she was looking or why her body decided to turn around in her seat, but it happened. Some looked at her, some ignored her, and some shot glares that made her instantly turn back around. Turbo noticed and laughed a bit. "Oh please, they're not bad. What, is it your first time in a bar?"
"Yes!"
"Oh. Well then, you're fucked. Sorry." Turbo shrugged, grabbing their drinks that was passed to them. He handed Felix her's and immediately started drinking his own. Felix gulped and just stared at her glass. She didn't want to drink, she didn't want people looking at her, she didn't want to be here. Before she could even move, a voice from a guy sitting in the stool next to Turbo made her freeze.
"Your friend looks pale, dude. His first time at a place like this?" They snickered, pulling out a cigarette. Felix frowned lightly at the pronoun use of "his" but didn't bother to correct the man, feeling embarrassed. Turbo was quick to step in, his expression hardening a bit.
"Actually, it's her first time at a bar." Turbo snorted, rolling his eyes. "Tch, guys these days." he mumbled to himself, only Felix able to hear. The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking Felix up and down for a moment before speaking again. "My bad. I ain't know she was one of those people."
Turbo almost choked on his drink as he stopped, almost slamming his glass down. "The hell you mean 'one of those things'? Do you wanna have your ass kicked tonight?" Felix felt her heart race. This is why she wanted to leave. She just wanted a calm night with Turbo. A simple hangout. A small little reunion with him after all those years from being away from her best friend. And here she was, sitting frozen in her stool, watching the man and Turbo argue back and forth. Last thing she remembered was being asked to leave with a slightly bruised Turbo. Not in a rude way, but in a way to prevent the problem from escalating.
"Pfft, some guy. He really had the nerve to say all that and not expect me to beat his ass." Turbo grumbled, holding Felix's hand as they walked through the streets. It was dark, barely any streetlights to shine down their path. Eventually, Turbo took them to a park he usually goes to whenever he did used to sneak out with Felix when skipping classes. They sat on a bench near the swings, sharing some fries and chicken that Turbo picked up on the walk. Felix didn't touch anything.
Turbo noticed.
"Hey, don't let those dumb words get to your head. Or else I'll beat your head up for being an asshole too." He tried to joke, but the soft change in her expression showed that it didn't work. He sighed, shoving a few fries in his mouth. It was silent for a few minutes. Felix stared at her knees, her bottom lip trembling. Turbo glanced at her and sighed. "Hey, Fifi..?"
"Yeah..?"
"Do you really believe what that guy said?" Turbo poked her cheek with a fry. She didn't respond, but her body language made the answer obvious.
"God damnit.." Turbo sighed. He couldn't handle seeing his best friend like this. All because of what, some dumb words a guy said? This was bullshit. "Hey, look at me."
"..."
"Look at me, Felix."
Felix sniffled and lifted her face, her wet eyes meeting Turbo's. He froze, then frowned.
"T..This isn't the first time this has happened to me, Turbo. Before we met..before you came over..this has always been a thing. People looking at me weird, making comments about me, being told I don't look the part enough to be who I want..I can't but assume they're right! I just..I just wanna feel like I belong." She confessed through light tears, her frame shivering. "I-I thought if I ate less, maybe my body would get slim, like how other girls look. I..I've done so much to myself, whether it hurt or not, just to look perfect for the damn society we have to be apart of..and it's never good enough! I don't know what to do anymore-"
Felix went quiet as Turbo's arms embraced around her stomach, making her gasp. Turbo grimaced a bit, feeling how thin she was. It wasn't extremely bad, but bad enough. He didn't say anything, he just held her. She moved her arms, closing them around Turbo, and broke down.
"Go ahead, let it out and ruin my jacket. I don't care." Turbo smiled weakly, hearing every hiccup, every sob, and every cough come from Felix. He wasn't one to care much, but with someone like Felix, his best friend for years having to endure something like this, he'd kill anyone who dared make his friend feel like an outcast for simply just wanting to be happy.
"Forget society. Forget being perfect and fitting in, you hear me? Fuck it all. People can say what they want, but I know my best friend is the most perfect girl in the world! And I'm sure your kids and wife thinks so too." He pressed a light peck to her head, a friendly gesture of comfort. Felix let out soft gasps before she sat back up, looking at Turbo with a wet face of snot and dried tears.
"You're not just saying that, are you..?" She whimpered, rocking back and forth a bit. Turbo stood up and held a hand out for her, pulling her to his side. "Of course not! I know a real girl when I see one."
Felix smiled, letting out a wet, choked laugh. The night somehow managed to get darker. Felix was trying to calm down in Turbo's arm. One wrapped around her while the other kept reaching for fries. By the second he wanted to ask her if she was okay, she had fallen against him, making him stumble a bit. He grabbed her with both hands and looked up at her face, a calm smirk forming on his face.
"Looks like all that crying burnt you out, huh?" He chuckled. He sat her down against the bench and reached for the bag full of leftover fries and chicken. He tied it up and managed to let it hang from his arm as he carried Felix in bridal style back to her house, the only noise cutting the silence being her snores. He laughed a bit. "I wonder if you snore louder than Calhoun." He joked, thinking of other stuff.
"You definitely aren't louder than Gear." Turbo continued to talk to himself as if talking to Felix the whole walk. He stopped one block away when Felix's phone rang. He carefully moved her around in his arms to reach for her phone that was in her back pocket. He saw the contact calling her, being Calhoun, he wasn't surprised. The moment he answered and pressed the phone to his ear, he immediately told Calhoun about everything, from the bar to the park to now, where Felix was asleep. He could hear the concern in the other woman's voice over the phone.
"Don't worry, we're only a block away." He responded before hanging up the phone. He shoved it in his back pocket and started walking again, eventually reaching Felix's house where Calhoun was waiting by the door.
"Hey, she isn't drunk, so I kept my word!" Turbo smiled, not even earning a smile from Calhoun. But she did laugh a bit. "Thanks." She was flat with her voice. Turbo gave Felix over to her then he slid the bag of food off his arm, holding it out. "For her. Make sure she eats this, please." Turbo was softer this time, showing his genuine care for Felix's wellbeing. Calhoun eyed him, then she smiled a bit. "Sure. She'd be happy that you're looking out for her."
She took the bag and walked inside, looking over her shoulder one more time. "Goodnight, Turbo. Get home safe."
Turbo didn't say anything. He reached for his back pocket, handed Felix's phone to Calhoun, and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "Thanks. Take care you two."
The door shut and Turbo walked away from the house, immediately taking his own phone out and texting Felix's phone knowing Calhoun would see.
"She's a loud snorer lol."
He then went to call his husband, Gear, who he could only assume was hanging with his sister, something he always did when Turbo went out. He enjoyed tonight. And he was sure hoping he could hang out with Felix again. He enjoyed their bond, their friendship, their mutual connection. It was almost as if he had a sister of his own! Just not blood related. Either way, it was nice.
But for now, he wanted to go home and drown his husband in a night of long lasting pleasure.