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Multi isn’t a particularly observant person.
He doesn’t waste his attention on unnecessary things that don’t pique his interest. To some, that’s a flaw. He’s been called absent-minded, inattentive, oblivious to his surroundings. But being a scientist has taught him something valuable: focus on what matters and ignore the rest.
Which is exactly why it’s so irritating that he’s currently paying attention to something as pointless as the way Katie scrunches her nose whenever she’s about to lie.
“I— I really have no idea,” she sniffs, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “Actually, come to think of it, Nacho probably took it since you let him play with that green stuff!”
Multi hums quietly and clicks his tongue, obviously not buying a single word coming out of her mouth.
Katie leans back in her chair, settling comfortably into her seat, elbows resting against the armrests as she entwines her fingers above her stomach. Her nose scrunches again before she continues, “And he’s probably hiding it somewhere, you know how he is,” she shrugs dismissively.
“Do you at least know where?” he presses, not letting her off the hook so easily.
Katie pretends to contemplate it for a moment. Her lips pull into a mock frown before she shakes her head, bridge of her nose wrinkling once more.
“No clue,” she says.
Multi stares at her blankly for a couple of seconds, lips pressed into a thin line as he silently decides what his next move should be to finally make her crack.
Silence settles between them, stretching unbearably long. Katie meets his eyes for only a split second before immediately looking away, whistling softly to herself.
He sighs.
“So, Katie,” he starts calmly, “you wouldn’t mind if I pulled out the uranium sensor and have a look around, right?”
That catches her attention instantly, and she straightens in her seat. “Well, well, I mean…” she pauses, carefully choosing her next words, “you don’t think Nacho would put it in his mama’s HQ now, would he?”
And there it is again: that tell-tale sign that gives her away every single time she lies through her teeth.
“Listen, Nacho knows how much mama adores—”
“Katie.”
“—her HQ. He would never, and when I say never, he would never put it in harm’s wa—”
“Katie,” he repeats, sterner this time.
“Yes, Multi?” she blinks up at him, feigned innocence painted all over her pretty face.
He pinches the bridge of his nose in disappointment and sucks in a slow breath. Sometimes he wonders if she enjoys making things difficult for him. “Are you lying to me?”
Katie snorts, as if offended by the question. Her nose crinkles again. “No, God no. I would never!”
“Do you realize that I can tell when you’re lying?”
“Sure buddy, that’s just absurd.”
“I can.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh yeah— okay, sure,” she says, leaning back into her chair again, skepticism written all over her face as she squints at him. “How?”
Multi hesitates.
He’s not sure if he should tell her, lest she stops doing it altogether, and then he’d lose the only way he has of telling when she’s lying. But the more genuine reason is because he’s embarrassed.
Truly, deeply embarrassed.
Because noticing something so small and inconsequential about her feels strangely intimate. As if he’s unconsciously holding on to every little expression and mannerism she has without meaning to. The realization leaves an uncomfortable warmth creeping up the back of his neck.
And Katie absolutely does not need the extra ego boost from knowing that. She already has more than enough of it to keep her flare sharp.
Multi clears his throat after realizing he’s gone silent for far too long.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says smoothly, brushing the topic aside. “Anyway, that’s not what I came here to talk to you about.”
And as the conversation moves on, he doesn’t miss the soft exhale she lets out, or the way her shoulders droop ever so slightly in relief, a reaction that mirrors his own, albeit for completely different reasons.
:
The mess in his workspace puts a sour start to Multi’s morning.
Papers are strewn everywhere across his desk, mixed in with scattered test tubes, petri dishes, gloves, and half-finished notes scribbled in his own rushed handwriting. One of the drawers hangs slightly open, and there’s a faint chemical smell lingering in the air that’s begun to settle permanently into the walls of his lab.
Multi massages his temples with his thumb and pointer finger, trying to soothe the headache already beginning to bloom behind his eyes.
With a weary sigh, he reaches into one of the drawers and pulls out a clipboard. He blindly grabs the nearest pen and scribbles ‘clean desk’ onto his to-do list, only to abruptly stop when he notices the exact same task already written three separate times above the new one.
He pauses, and stares at it for a moment. Slowly, he lowers the clipboard.
“Kurwa,” he cusses under his breath.
Setting the clipboard aside, he starts gathering loose papers into a somewhat organized pile. He barely gets through a handful before the soft click of the door pulls his attention elsewhere. The papers slip right out of his hands again.
“Hey, Nacho. Good morning,” he greets softly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he turns around. The tiny egg crouches enthusiastically in response, and most of the tension leaves Multi’s shoulders instantly.
“How was your sleep?” He crouches down slightly to get a better look at Nacho as the little egg places a pale oak sign on the floor.
Multi waits patiently as the letters slowly appear across the wood: VERY GOOD
A quiet chuckle escapes him and warmth blooms softly in his chest at the sight of the tiny white egg standing happily beside his sign. No matter how stressful his work became, it was difficult to stay in a bad mood around him.
“Good, good.” He pushes himself back up to his feet, clasping both hands together with a sharp clap that echoes throughout the chamber.
“Okay, so,” he starts, glancing down at Nacho, “what do you want to do today? It’s papa’s day off.”
As Nacho starts writing on another sign, Multi absentmindedly begins listing possibilities and suggestions.
“We could go to Cucurucholand,” he offers, despite already dreading the loud music, the bright colors, and the endless noise. In all honesty, he absolutely hates that place. But Nacho adores it enough that Multi tolerates it for him.
“Or maybe we visit your uncles at the cave,” he continues. “Ah, maybe we could even borrow one of Pierre’s planes and take it around the island for a bit.”
Nacho takes a few tiny steps back from the sign, an indication that he’s finished. Multi trails off as he reads the message quietly to himself.
visit mama?
Multi’s expression softens, and he bites the inside of his cheek as he thinks it over.
Katie always has something she’s doing, filling every waking second with work, tasks, and whatever random side quest has managed to catch her attention that day. The woman has like twelve jobs for fuck’s sakes. He begins to wonder if she ever stops. Then he realizes, sharp and unbidden, that they’re kind of alike, she and him.
After a moment, he looks back down at Nacho, who’s staring up at him expectantly.
“I don’t know, Nacho.” His voice comes out apologetic. “Mama could be busy.”
Nacho stays unnervingly still for a couple of seconds, and Multi internally braces himself. He’s learned that silence from Nacho can mean many things. One of them is an incoming tantrum. But, fortunately, it never comes.
Instead, Nacho calmly walks back over to the sign and begins writing again.
mama always time for nacho
Multi just blinks at the words for a few seconds before letting out a long, defeated sigh. A tired, fond smile pulls faintly at the corners of his mouth. He’s never been particularly good at refusing Nacho.
“Alright, okay, okay,” he relents at last, and Nacho immediately perks up.
Digging through his inventory, Multi retrieves his warpstone before glancing back at the stubborn little egg.
“Do you still have the warpstone I gave you?”
Nacho gives him a tiny, almost indiscernible nod, and Multi hums in acknowledgment before clicking the waystone set for Katie’s HQ.
A bright, vivid purple glow envelops the two of them, and within seconds, the lab vanishes, giving way to soft green grass beneath their feet and Katie’s enormous pink HQ looming overhead.
As soon as they land, Nacho’s already running up the stairs towards Katie’s office.
Multi clicks his tongue. “No running, Nacho,” he scolds.
The tiny egg either doesn’t hear him or chooses to ignore him. Most likely the latter.
Nacho continues scrambling up the stairs happily, and Multi can only shake his head in tired amusement. His feet automatically carry him towards the top floor, knowing that’s usually where Katie lingers most of the time. He’s halfway up the stairs to the second floor when a distinct rustle of paper catches his attention.
He stops, and Nacho pauses too before immediately changing direction and waddling towards the noise.
As they make their way toward her therapy room, the noises grow louder and more distinct: the rustle of papers, the slam of drawers, and the occasional muffled cursing.
The sight that greets them the moment they step through the doorway roots Multi in place.
If his laboratory was messy, then this, her therapy room, was an absolute catastrophe.
Papers, pictures, clipboards, pens, pins, every possible object is scattered across the already cramped room. The desk is buried beneath layers of mess, and the floor around it is even worse, almost impossible to walk through without stepping on something important.
It looks less like an office and more like a hurricane tore through the room, leaving nothing untouched.
And standing at the center of it all is Katie. Her hair falls wildly over her face, a few strands sticking up at odd angles from how many times she’s roughly pushed her hands through it. She’s breathing hard, shoulders tense, anxiously rummaging through drawer after drawer with growing frustration.
Nacho walks up beside her and places down a sign. She doesn’t look up.
“Hey Nacho, baby,” she says distractedly, already yanking open another drawer. “Mama’s just a bit busy right now— trying to— goddammit, where the fuck is it!?” She harshly kicks the drawer shut.
“Ow, fuck,” she hisses immediately after, wincing as she bends slightly, grabbing at her knee.
Multi exhales slowly through his nose.
Carefully stepping over scattered papers, he reaches for the hair clip dangling precariously off the edge of her desk and picks it up. He stops behind her, hands hovering uncertainly over her shoulders.
“Katie,” he says softly as she continues rubbing her knee. “Are you okay?”
She scoffs and immediately straightens back up, opening another drawer. “Do I look okay to you?” she snaps, a bit harsher than she means to.
Multi simply sighs again. “How can we help?”
“I’m— I’m fine, really. I just need to find that stupid…” she mutters the rest of her words under her breath so quietly, he couldn’t hear it over the rustle of a hundred papers.
Katie grunts, and roughly shoves her hair behind her ears for what must’ve been the umpteenth time.
Absentmindedly, Multi steps closer. Gentle fingers gather her hair together into a clumsy ponytail before securing it with the clip behind her head.
“Can you please calm down?” he asks gingerly over her shoulder.
“I am calm,” she grits out.
“Stop that.”
“What?” she breathes, already pulling out another folder and dumping its contents carelessly onto the desk. Before she can continue destroying the room further, Multi grabs both her wrists, firm, but not enough to hurt, and spins her around to face him.
“Hey— ouch!”
“Sit down.”
Katie stares at him in open defiance, chin tipped stubbornly upward as she wrenches herself free from his grip and crosses her arms tightly over her chest. They hold each other’s gaze, locked in a battle of wills neither seems willing to lose.
The silence stretches on for several more seconds before Katie finally looks away, the fight slowly bleeding out of her. Her shoulders slump, and a defeated sigh slips past her lips.
Without another word, she walks over to her chair, which has somehow ended up shoved into a corner during her rampage, and she slumps heavily into it.
Nacho waddles toward her immediately, and without hesitation, she gently scoops him into her lap. Multi’s icy and impassive demeanor instantly breaks and he softens imperceptibly.
“Tell me what you’re looking for,” he says after a moment, turning towards the horrific state of her desk.
“It’s a stupid blackmail I have against Ewron,” she mutters bitterly. “He’s been fucking with me again lately.”
“Have you checked your backpacks?” Multi asks as he starts gathering the scattered papers into neat piles.
“Of course I have.”
“Your chests?” He crouches down to collect the pens, pins, and paperclips littering the floor.
“Yep.”
“Your place in Schlatt’s?”
Katie lets out a long, exhausted sigh.
“I’ve checked everywhere, Multi,” she says defeatedly. He can practically hear her rubbing her eyes. “The universe just hates me.”
Multi just hums thoughtfully and stands once again, a fistful of stationery items gathered in one hand. He straightens her pencil holder with the other before dropping everything into it with a disorganized clatter.
One by one, he sorts through the mess. He separates screenshots from loose papers, stacking folders properly, arranging clipboards neatly. Slowly, piece by piece, order begins to return to the room.
By the time he’s finished, he takes a step back to admire his work.
Then he leans casually against the edge of her desk and glances toward her with the faintest hint of smugness creeping onto his face.
“How’d I do?”
Katie looks around the room and smiles despite herself, shaking her head. “It’s great knowing you’re not completely useless to me.”
Multi frowns in mock offense. “See how mean your mother is to me, Nacho?” he asks, feigned hurt laced in his tone as he shifts his focus to the tiny egg curled up snugly in Katie’s lap.
The sight hits him strangely hard, and he bites the inside of his cheek hard enough to ground himself.
Suddenly, Katie stands.
She gently lowers Nacho back onto the floor before walking towards him. Instinctively, Multi straightens too, matching her height as she comes to a stop beside him, close enough that their shoulders are nearly touching.
Katie stares ahead at the blank wall across the room, and Multi follows her gaze.
“Great place for a portrait, don’t you think?”
He’s not entirely sure if she wants an answer or just thinking out loud, so he stays quiet.
Katie looks down at her feet, rubbing the tip of her shoe against the floor.
“But the only painter in this God-forsaken town just had to be my mortal enemy,” she scoffs lightly. “And his greedy ass charges one netherite ingot per painting.”
Multi glances sideways to examine her. He watches the restless way her foot drags against the floor when there’s too much on her mind, or the way her brows furrow slightly whenever she’s frustrated, creating that tiny crease between them that he aches to smooth out with the pad of his thumb every time.
“It’s whatever, though.” Katie catches his gaze and holds it.
For a moment, Multi almost forgets how to breathe as he stares into her wide sapphire blue eyes, dark like the ocean, sharp and hypnotic like a siren’s call.
Then she looks away first as Nacho shuffles between them, tiny hands tugging insistently at the hems of their clothes, and the spell breaks.
In the blink of an eye, the gloomy sadness disappears from her so quickly it’s almost as if it was never there to begin with, replaced instantly by her familiar bright voice and easy grin. She leads Nacho out of her therapy place, promising a day full of fun-filled adventures.
Nacho bounces excitedly beside her, and Multi lingers behind for only a second, taking in the scene.
Sunlight streams in through the balcony, bathing the pair in a warm golden glow. It’s an ordinary sight, nothing remarkable about it, and yet he finds himself committing it to memory all the same, tucking away the strange and foreign feeling it stirs in his chest.
Katie calls his name from down the hall, and without a word, Multi follows.
:
“Nacho, not too fast! Wait for papa!” Multi’s voice carries down the path as he hurriedly jogs after the tiny egg, already regretting every life decision that led him here.
The humid summer air clings uncomfortably to his skin, thick and sticky beneath the heavy layer of his lab coat. Sweat gathers at the back of his neck, dampening his collar, and every breath feels hotter than the last.
The little menace simply continues bouncing ahead, entirely unbothered by the fact that Multi is on the brink of dehydration.
After a few more running and breathless panting, he finally catches up to Nacho with a quiet grunt, chest rising and falling as he struggles to catch his breath.
This entire thing could’ve been avoided if they had simply used the warpstone. But Nacho had annoyingly persisted they walk to Katie’s HQ instead. He vividly remembers the words Nacho had scribbled onto a sign, calling it ‘papa and nacho bonding time.’ And because Multi apparently possesses no backbone whatsoever when it comes to this child, he’d agreed with no hesitation, folding instantly under zero pressure.
Now he’s trudging through mud under the scorching sun while bugs buzz mercilessly around his head. He feels his foot sink into another wet patch of dirt.
“Kurwa,” he curses under his breath.
The sound squelches unpleasantly as he yanks himself free and he grimaces at the seemingly endless path ahead, swatting another flying insect away from his face before turning towards Nacho.
“Come on, Nacho. Let’s teleport out of here. It’s clearly un— Nacho!”
The tiny egg wanders off the path on his equally tiny, alarmingly fast legs, and Multi immediately rushes after him, watching in horror as Nacho happily plucks handfuls of unfamiliar flowers from the grass.
Suspiciously bright green flowers, the exact kind that screams toxic and poisonous and definitely do not touch.
Multi quickly pries Nacho’s tiny fingers open, sending all the flowers tumbling back onto the ground. Nacho stares at him in utter betrayal before pulling out a sign.
flowers for mama
Multi pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you trying to kill her?” he asks flatly. “Those look poisonous, Nacho.”
The tiny egg tilts his head up innocently.
“I mean, honestly,” Multi continues with a sigh, “I appreciate you taking after me, but this is mama we’re talking about. We don’t want her dying on us now, do we?”
Slowly, Nacho shakes his head, lowering himself sadly toward the ground, tiny body curling inward with obvious shame.
Multi’s heart immediately twists and he softens.
Damn it. It works every time. Every damn time.
With a quiet sigh, Multi crouches down in front of him and settles a hand atop his round little head. “Listen,” he says, gentler this time, and Nacho hesitantly peeks up at him. “Let’s go look for something else, yeah?”
The tiny egg just stares back at him blankly for a couple of seconds.
Then, reluctantly, he gives a small nod.
“There we go.” Multi pats his head once before straightening up and glancing around at the sea of greenery surrounding them.
His gaze sweeps over clusters of wildflowers scattered across the area.
“And maybe something pink,” he mutters thoughtfully.
Nacho brightens like a light bulb at the suggestion, then, without warning, takes off running again towards the creek nearby.
Multi curses under his breath as he scrambles after him once more, exhaustion dragging heavily at his limbs now. The heat is starting to make him grow dizzy, sunlight glaring harshly from above.
By the time he reaches the creek, the world swims at the edges of his vision. Meanwhile, Nacho stands excitedly at the water’s edge, hopping from foot to foot.
The tiny egg then points to the opposite bank, where a cluster of pink lilies sways gently in the breeze.
For a long moment, Multi simply stares. He blinks once, twice, then his gaze slowly drops to the creek separating them from the flowers.
The current looks more dangerous up close, rushing noisily over rocks and uneven ground. Definitely strong enough to carry away a tiny egg if he slipped. And judging by the way Nacho’s staring up at him expectantly, he already knows exactly what he wants.
“Oh, absolutely not.” Multi backs away, making his stance perfectly clear. He’s never had the strength to say no to Nacho, but right now, right now he definitely has more than enough resolve to refuse him.
Nacho places down another sign: for mama
He starts to circle around Multi, crouching and springing back up in a wordless plea.
“Mm-mm.” Multi plants his feet firmly into the soil, shaking his head. “I’m not risking my life for mama.”
Nacho stills completely. For a brief, hopeful second, Multi thinks he’s won.
Then the tiny egg lowers his head.
And Multi knows he’s already lost.
Sure enough, the tiny egg takes one determined step towards the creek, testing his patience, and Multi, horrified, quickly grabs him by one of his thin black arms and hauls him away from the edge.
“Okay, okay!” he relents, rubbing both hands over his face. “Na litość boską.”
Nacho brightens profoundly as Multi slowly begins to roll up his trousers past his knees before slipping off his socks and shoes. Multi stares at the water with deep regret settling into his bones. What is he getting himself into?
He cautiously dips his toes into the creek and instantly shivers from the immediate cold that meets him, a brutal contrast to the scorching heat of the sun.
Under his breath, he starts muttering a long string of incoherent polish curses and rushed prayers. After a moment’s consideration, he adds a quick sign of the cross for good measure. Then he steps into the water.
The current tugs at his legs instantly, icy water splashing against his knees as he carefully tries to make his way across. The rocks are dangerously slippery beneath his feet, with a few digging painfully into his toes.
The water feels as if it’s below freezing temperature, and he considers just turning back, but then he looks up and realizes he’s already half way there and every time he glances back, he sees Nacho crouching up and down in silent encouragement.
Multi sucks in a deep breath and keeps reminding himself that he’s doing all this for Nacho.
And only for Nacho.
But somewhere tucked deep in the back of his mind is another reason entirely.
He imagines briefly how Katie would react when she sees the flowers.
The foolish, absurd thought alone pushes him through the last few difficult steps, and by the time he reaches the other side, he collapses into the grass with a heavy exhale, sprawling there for a couple of seconds as he tries to recover.
Across the creek, Nacho practically vibrates with excitement, bouncing up and down so fast he nearly topples over.
Despite everything, Multi smiles. “Spoilt little thing,” he mutters fondly, before pushing himself upright and gathering a handful of pink lilies into his fist, careful not to crush their delicate petals.
With the flowers secured firmly in one hand, he turns back towards the creek, and his face immediately drops from realization.
The water — cold, relentless, and entirely unimpressed by everything he’d just endured to cross it — stares back at him mockingly as he drags a tired hand down his face.
“…Kurwa.”
:
The sun is already beginning to set by the time they finally reach Katie’s HQ.
Multi feels like he’s about to collapse. Every muscle in his body aches from the walk alone, and traversing through that freezing creek twice certainly made it worse. His legs feel heavy, his socks are still damp inside his shoes, and even after all that, Nacho still insisted they continue walking instead of teleporting the rest of the way.
And, naturally, Multi had agreed. He really should be awarded Father of the Year.
Ahead of him, Nacho skips happily down the path, clutching the bouquet of pink lilies tightly in one tiny hand. Despite himself, a tired smile tugs at Multi’s lips.
He adores the tiny egg far too much to stay annoyed at him for long.
As they approach the HQ, Multi notices Katie standing outside talking to Graf. They’re deep in conversation until Nacho comes barreling toward them.
Immediately, Katie’s attention snaps away from whatever Graf is saying.
“Nacho babyyy!” she squeals loudly.
Her entire face lights up and she crouches down, scooping him into a tight hug.
Multi slows to a stop several feet away, content on letting them have their moment. The small smile on his face remains until Graf looks up, and the second their eyes meet, Multi’s expression flattens into its usual stoic neutrality.
Graf chuckles. “Wyglądasz jak gówno,” he says through a laugh.
Multi huffs out an exhausted snort of his own, rubbing at one of his eyes with the heel of his palm. “Oto co dostaję za bycie wspaniałym ojcem,” he says wearily.
It only makes Graf laugh harder.
Before Multi can continue, another loud shriek from Katie pulls both their attention away.
“Are these for me?” she gasps dramatically, pressing a hand against her chest.
Nacho nods enthusiastically and Katie squeals again.
“Awww— OMG, and they’re pink!” She carefully takes the bouquet from his tiny little fingers and immediately starts admiring them. “How’d you know mama likes pink?”
Nacho stares up at her blankly for a moment before slowly turning his entire body towards the giant pink-accented building behind her. Katie follows his line of sight, then snorts.
“I think it’s kind of obvious, Katie,” Graf says dryly.
Before she can retort a sharp answer back, Nacho places down a sign. The adults all fall quiet as they wait for what the tiny egg has to say.
papa pick them for u
There’s a tense moment of silence among the three of them as Multi’s ears go red while, beside him, Graf clears his throat.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” he says through another cough. “Katie, we’ll talk more tomorrow.”
The said woman starts waving enthusiastically. “Okay! See ya.”
The moment Graf disappears around the corner, Katie slowly turns toward Multi with one brow raised.
“Multi?” she starts, stressing each syllable.
Multi immediately looks down at Nacho in betrayal, only to find the tiny egg crouching there happily, not a single thought behind those wide black eyes, before turning back to her.
“It was Nacho’s idea,” he says flatly with a shrug. “I just helped get them.”
Katie narrows her eyes between the two of them suspiciously, turning to look at Nacho, then back at him, back to Nacho, until her gaze finally lands on him.
The smile that spreads across her face instantly makes him suspicious, stretching wide enough to reach her eyes.
Suddenly, she starts walking towards him.
Multi stays rooted in place, watching her approach carefully. The setting sun catches against her skin in an unfairly pretty glow, soft golden light outlining her sharp features and making the freckles across her face stand out more clearly.
His eyes trace over her almost helplessly, shamelessly, then he lifts his gaze to meet hers once more and realizes she’s staring at him too. Only unlike him, Katie looks entirely aware of what she’s doing.
Her sweet smile slowly turns into a smug grin.
“You went all this way for me?” she teases, brows pinching upward in fake touched appreciation.
Multi scoffs immediately and looks away. “Don’t get cocky.”
She takes another step closer, then another, until she’s close enough that her scent immediately assaults his senses all at once, sharp and pungent and entirely Katie, and he’s suddenly far too aware of the fact that he’s covered in mud and probably smells like a swamp.
His fingers fumble nervously inside the pockets of his lab coat when something suddenly slips free, and both of them look down at the same time.
Multi bends quickly to grab it, but Katie snatches it first.
She turns the item in her hand and Multi’s stomach drops.
Because resting in her hands is his mini notepad, the one filled with all his personal observations and notes about the island, and if that thing ends up in the wrong hands, it could genuinely be the end of the world.
Katie turns it over curiously.
Multi exhales slowly through his nose. “Katie,” he says carefully, “please give that back.”
“What is it?” She turns it some more, examining the front and back, before she stops and reads the cover aloud. “Observations, listings, and more, signed by YoungMulti.”
His jaw tightens. “Please, Katie, it’s confidential. Don’t open it.”
Katie studies it for another second before shrugging her shoulders and letting out a soft, uninterested hum. She extends it toward him.
Multi practically feels relief wash through his entire body as he reaches for it, only for Katie to yank it out of reach at the last second with a grin.
His eye twitches.
“Tell me three things you like about me first.”
Realizing far too late that he’d instinctively stepped closer in an attempt to take it back, Multi’s brain briefly short-circuits at their sudden proximity. He hastily retreats a step, putting a sliver of distance between them once more.
Multi drags both hands down his face before shoving them back through his dreads with a groan.
He exhales heavily.
Then he looks up thoughtfully, pretending to think. In all honesty, he doesn’t know where to start. Not because he can’t think of three things, but the problem is narrowing it down to only three.
After a long, drawn-out minute of silence, Katie huffs in offense and takes a step back, still clutching his notepad in her hand.
“Oh really? So this is mine now then.” She rolls her eyes, but a small smile betrays her annoyance.
Multi smirks at her as she mistakes his silence for something else entirely. “Okay, okay, wait kurwa, I’m thinking.”
“You’re thinking really hard,” she raises another brow and crosses her arms over her chest.
“Three things… ah!” He raises a finger.
“I like your blazer.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I like your… uhm,” Multi takes the opportunity as an excuse to really look at her, openly this time, without feeling the usual shame and embarrassment that comes with it. The wind softly catches her hair as he continues, “…your hair.”
Katie smiles brightly, clearly loving that one, and nods, urging him to continue.
“And…” he trails off, meeting her eyes, and for one reckless second, he almost says it as his answer. But he catches himself at the very last moment, and instead blurts out: “And I think you’re very pretty.”
He freezes.
And she freezes.
And Nacho’s just happily there, content to listen in on his dysfunctional parents’ conversation.
Katie stares up at him knowingly, and Multi suddenly feels the overwhelming urge to drown himself in uranium.
“What was that?” she asks sweetly, dragging it on and leaning closer with one hand cupped behind her ear. “I didn’t quite catch the last one.”
“Just give me back my notepad,” he mutters through clenched teeth.
Katie shakes her head stubbornly. “But I didn’t hear it!”
Multi groans loudly into his hands, patience thinning.
“Really, Katie?”
“Really, Multi.”
He sucks in a deep breath, eyeing his notepad that’s hanging loosely in her hand, then looks back at her still leaning towards him, and then, suddenly, a brilliant idea sparks in his mind.
He steps in closer, bending down until his lips hover beside her ear, one hand slipping carefully behind her back just out of sight.
Katie goes rigid as he whispers: “I said you’re pretty—”
Before she can fully process his words, Multi snatches the notebook cleanly from her hand in one swift movement.
“Hey!” She tries reaching for it again, but he’s already leaning back and tucking the notebook away in the safety of his pockets.
He straightens to his full height, smug satisfaction written all over his face, and finishes his sentence, “—annoying.”
Katie lets out an exaggerated huff, though it does little to hide the smile already spreading across her face.
Multi looks unbearably pleased with himself.
She lightly shoves at his chest.
“Asshole,” she mutters with no real spite behind it.
Then she turns toward Nacho, beckoning the tiny egg to follow so they can start getting ready for bedtime.
Multi’s eyes stay trained on her retreating figure before he drops his head with a quiet laugh, then he follows the pair into the HQ.
:
A lot had changed in the Polish cave since Multi had last been here.
Between the endless lab work and the growing pile of research swallowing up his time, Multi has practically started living inside his laboratory. Most nights, he just passes out at his desk for an hour or two before waking up and continuing where he left off.
So walking through the cave now almost feels unfamiliar. New builds and structures had appeared in corners that had once been empty, and there were a lot of chests and a few boats scattered throughout the place.
The cave is unusually quiet today. Multi glances around briefly as he walks toward the row of buildings tucked at the back.
Anyway, he wasn’t here to socialize, he just needed a handful of materials from the automatic sorter before returning to the lab.
A quick trip. In and out.
The automatic sorter rattles softly when he steps inside. Multi immediately starts gathering the last few things he needs for his next experiment: extra glass bottles, redstone components, iron, a few stacks of quartz.
His inventory is already full when a familiar and aggravating voice suddenly cuts through the silence. Multi closes his eyes briefly and sighs through his nose. He grabs the last item he needs before finally turning towards the door.
But the moment he’s about to step out, Ewron steps in.
The two of them stop, blinking at each other.
Then Ewron simply sidesteps around him with a flat, unimpressed: “Oh.”
Multi’s brows furrow slightly at the reaction, but he quickly brushes it off. He genuinely has better things to do than entertain Ewron’s volatile mood swings today.
“Morning, Ewron,” Multi says calmly before turning to leave again.
Behind him, he hears Ewron quietly repeat the greeting back in a mocking and petty tone.
That makes Multi stop. Slowly, he turns around with a frown.
“What’s gotten your panties in a twist today?” he asks dryly, knowing his tone will only irritate him further.
Sure enough, Ewron immediately rolls his eyes. He starts aggressively rummaging through one chest before moving onto another with visible annoyance. Then, almost instantly, his expression changes completely.
A painfully fake smile stretches across his face. The fakest smile Multi has ever seen, honestly.
“Nothing, Multi!” Ewron says brightly. “I’m just so happy to see you, see?”
He smiles even wider, and it looks like it hurt.
Multi has to physically fight the urge to roll his eyes as well. Instead, he just turns and walks out of the building, deciding once again that he doesn’t have enough energy for this conversation.
He should’ve know, however, that Ewron would just follow him immediately after. He catches up beside Multi and matches his pace easily.
“Where are you going?” Ewron asks curiously.
“None of your business.” Multi keeps walking.
“Is it Katie’s again?” Ewron continues casually, and Multi doesn’t miss the bitter undertone in his voice. “Feels like you’re there 24/7 lately.”
He stops walking so abruptly that Ewron almost walks ahead of him. The other man turns to look at him, and Multi stares him dead in the eye.
Something mean and ugly curdles low in his chest and he slowly nods.
“Yeah. I’m going to check on our son,” the scientist lies, emphasizing the word son deliberately for extra measure.
And judging by the look on Ewron’s face, it works beautifully. His expression twists into something sour and furious and wounded all at once.
Multi doesn’t stick around any longer and walks away before Ewron can decide to react violently.
This time, Ewron doesn’t follow him.
Good.
If he wants to be a dick when Multi’s done nothing wrong, then two can play that game.
:
Cold white lights reflect harshly against steel counters and scattered glassware, illuminating the endless mess spread across Multi’s workstation.
He hunches over his desk, one gloved hand rubbing tiredly at his eyes while the other flips through another stack of notes.
Something isn’t lining up. Or maybe it is, but at this point he isn’t entirely sure anymore. The numbers have begun blurring together hours ago.
He compares fresh samples under the microscope with older records he’s documented weeks ago, carefully noting the changes he’s begun observing across several islanders.
Certain strains mutate faster than they logically should. Others show abnormal resistance to effects that should’ve destabilized their systems already.
The bridge of his nose begins to ache. His neck is already aching, and so is his back. Every time he thinks he’s close to understanding something, another inconsistency appears and sends him back three pages.
He’s been at this since morning, and hours have blurred together so badly that he no longer remembers the last time he stood up, ate something, or even looked outside.
Suddenly, his communicator dings.
The sound cuts through the suffocating silence of the lab, and strangely enough, relief washes over him, welcoming the distraction.
Anything is better than staring at DNA strands for another second.
Multi reaches beneath a stack of papers and blindly fishes around until his fingers close around the device.
The screen lights up.
saucebxss whispers to you: miss u
He stares blankly at the message for a second, then sighs quietly, one hand rising to soothe his temples before he sets the communicator back down without replying.
A minute later, it dings again.
He considers ignoring it this time, already knowing it’s Katie again, but curiosity eventually gets the better of him. He grabs it once more and opens the messages.
saucebxss whispers to you: when do u plan to get nacho
saucebxss whispers to you: its already 9
Multi freezes at the same time his stomach drops.
Fuck.
Right. Nacho.
He quickly checks his lock screen.
Wednesday.
He stares at the date for a moment too long before raking a tired hand through his dreads.
It’s his turn tonight on the custody rotation he and Katie had recently worked out.
God, he doesn’t even know what day of the week it is anymore.
He exhales sharply and starts typing back a response.
You whisper to saucebxss: be there in an hour
You whisper to saucebxss: sorry, lab work
After pressing send, he tosses the communicator aside again and immediately starts condensing as much work as possible.
It feels like forever by the time he’s finally done. Multi slowly pushes himself out of his chair and stretches. Every joint in his body pops loudly in protest.
Something near his spine makes a noise that genuinely concerns him and he winces.
He continues to stretch both arms overhead before beginning the familiar ritual of sorting papers. He separates important papers from less important ones and starts gathering them into a neat pile.
Afterwards, he hastily grabs his communicator again to check the time.
11:08 PM.
“Oh kurwa.” The curse slips out spontaneously and he immediately starts moving.
The communicator gets shoved into the pocket of his lab coat while he rushes around the room, gathering other necessities he always carries before going out. Another stack of notes gets pushed aside before he finally fishes his warpstone from his inventory.
He scrolls through several locations quickly before finally landing on Katie’s HQ.
Multi teleports in a flash, and in a second, he’s already standing outside the enormous pink building.
There are barely any lights on as he steps inside. The HQ is completely silent, save for his footsteps echoing softly against the polished quartz floor and the distant chirping of crickets and other insects outside.
When he reaches the second floor, there’s still no sign of Katie or Nacho. He keeps walking until he stops just outside of Nacho’s room.
For a moment, Multi considers knocking, but ultimately decides against it in case the tiny egg is already asleep. The last thing he wants is to wake him.
Carefully, he turns the doorknob and slowly pushes the door open.
A small bedside lamp glows softly beside the bed, painting the walls of the dim room in warm shades of gold.
And, as suspected, he finds Nacho already tucked in, snoring softly and fast asleep.
However, he isn’t alone.
Multi’s gaze drifts to the figure curled beside him, and his heart clenches at the sight.
Katie is asleep too, one arm draped protectively over Nacho’s small round body. She’s curled into a fetal position, her posture awkward and no doubt uncomfortable, to accommodate both of them in his tiny bed.
Multi quietly leans against the doorframe, carving the sight into memory.
He notices that Katie softly snores in her sleep too, and for some reason, Multi finds the realization unbearably endearing.
Something sickening and sweet flutters low in his stomach.
After lingering for another moment longer, he finally decides it’s best not to wake them. But before leaving, he crosses the threshold of Nacho’s room, and softly makes his way to the bed.
He grabs the discarded blanket resting at the foot of the bed and gently pulls it over both of them. His hand hovers over Katie for a second, and his fingers itch to brush the hair away from her face.
He stops himself just in time. But almost as if she can sense his intentions, she suddenly stirs.
Multi immediately pulls back just as she blinks her bleary eyes open. He swallows, giving her time to fully wake. Then she turns her head and faces him. It takes a split second for her brain to register what she’s seeing before she bites back a yelp.
“Multi,” she whisper-shouts.
Katie turns back to Nacho’s sleeping form, and after confirming the tiny egg is still sound asleep, she carefully untangles herself from the bed and crawls out.
She starts to stretch her arms over her head, her shirt riding up slightly in the process, and Multi immediately looks away out of sheer instinctive decorum.
She finally stands up and gestures for him to follow her outside the room.
Once they’re out, Katie slowly closes the door behind her before turning fully towards him, arms crossed over her chest and brows faintly furrowed.
Multi properly takes in the sight of her rumpled hair and half-lidded eyes still heavy with sleep before meeting her gaze once more.
“Where were you?” Her voice comes out rough and hoarse from sleep, prompting her to clear her throat.
Multi exhales softly through his nose. “I got caught up with work. Sorry.”
Katie just stares at him silently for a few long seconds, then without another word, sidesteps around him and heads toward her room across the hall from Nacho’s.
“Well, Nacho’s already asleep.” She turns back to Multi, scratching her nape before continuing, “Do you want him to stay here for a while so you can focus on… whatever it is you’re doing?”
Multi nods almost immediately. “Yeah, please. Just for this week.”
Katie also nods in return. “Alright then.”
Silence settles between them afterwards, long and strangely tense. Katie’s the first to breaks it. As always.
“Wanna sleep here?” She tilts her head towards her room casually.
The question catches him so off guard that every muscle in his body goes completely rigid.
“What?” he breathes.
Katie squints at him, wondering why he’s making such a big deal out of it. Then, after a second or two, realization dawns and her eyes widen.
“Oh my God.” She immediately facepalms herself and drags a hand down her face. “I mean the couch, of course. For you to take the couch.”
Multi’s lips twitch.
“It’s pretty late,” she continues defensively. “And I thought it was a kind gesture.” She rolls her eyes before glancing down at her feet.
A second later, she peeks back up at him, trying to be subtle, but he catches her gaze anyway, and she immediately breaks into laughter.
The sound is so ridiculously contagious that Multi finds himself joining her.
“Gosh,” Katie says between laughs, “get your mind out of the gutter.”
Multi just shakes his head with a big, stupid smile on his face, then his eyes flick towards the stairs before returning to her.
“Thanks, but I’ll just…” He pulls out his warpstone from his inventory, and holds it up to show her what he means.
“Right.”
He hums and nods once. “I’ll get going then.”
“Mhm. Night night, Multi.”
“Goodnight, Katie,” he says before bright purple light engulfs his entire figure, and within a second, he disappears completely from sight.
:
The small bell above the door chimes softly as Multi steps into Juan’s art shop.
The scent of paint and varnish immediately greets him, mixing with the faint earthy smell of canvas and wood. The shop was quiet, save for the gentle scrape of a paintbrush against canvas.
Juan looks up from what he’s currently working on, and the moment he notices Multi, his face brightens.
“Hi, Multi,” he greets warmly.
Juan sets his brush aside before standing from his stool and making his way around the counter, leaning both arms against it.
“Nacho’s painting?”
“Hello, Juan,” Multi replies with a small nod. “And yes, please.”
Juan gestures for him to follow with a subtle tilt of his head, and Multi trails behind him through the cluttered art shop, carefully stepping around drying canvases and jars overflowing with brushes until they stop in front of a half-finished painting resting on an easel.
Multi studies it quietly. Even unfinished, it already looks incredible.
There’s really no doubt that Juan is a talented artist.
“As you can see, still not done,” Juan says, motioning towards the canvas. “But I swear I’m getting to it. Just been too many commissions lately.”
“No, no, no,” Multi immediately assures him. “Take your time, Juan. Really. There’s no rush.”
At that, Juan places a hand over his heart. “Aww. Gracias, Multi.”
Multi simply hums in acknowledgment before the two of them start heading back towards the front of the shop.
Juan settles behind the counter once more. “So,” he starts, “is there anything else I can do for you today?”
Multi opens his mouth to politely decline when a memory from a few days before suddenly surfaces.
For a brief moment, he was no longer standing in Juan’s shop. Instead, he was back in Katie’s therapy room.
Back to that afternoon. Back to the way she’d stood beside him, staring at that empty stretch of wall while trying to act like she didn’t care. He remembers the slight crease between her brows, and the wistful look she’d worn when she’d mentioned wanting a portrait there.
Great place for a portrait, don’t you think?
Multi finds himself staring blankly at the counter for a second, then quietly exhales through his nose. Before he can think too hard about it, his hand is already reaching into his bag for netherite.
Juan watches him expectantly from across the counter.
“Yeah,” he says after a moment. “There is actually.”
:
Multi has forgotten what sleep feels like.
He's also forgotten how comfortable his mattress is and how warm and soft his pillows and blankets are. Somehow, he'd managed to finish early in the lab today, satisfied enough with the progress he'd made to finally call it a night.
He crawls under the covers and reaches beside him to switch off the bedside lamp. Darkness immediately settles over the room, wrapping around him like another blanket. Multi lets out a quiet sigh as his muscles sink into the mattress, every part of him relaxing as sleep begins to pull at him.
A minute or two might've passed when suddenly, he hears the familiar notification sound of his communicator.
His brows pinch together, but he chooses to ignore it.
Another minute later, it dings again.
Multi groans and blindly grabs one of the spare pillows beside him, shoving it over his head in an attempt to block out the noise.
A third ding rings out through the quiet room.
Exasperated, Multi straightens with a groan. The pillow falls into his lap as he reaches for the communicator sitting on his nightstand. He drags both hands down his face before finally looking at the screen.
The brightness nearly burns his retinas. Squinting, he waits for his eyes to adjust before clicking on the messages.
Graf whispers to you: where are u
Graf whispers to you: katie's insanely drunk here in the tavern
Graf whispers to you: pls come pick her up before she does something really stupid
Multi rubs at his eyes and reads the messages twice, just in case he'd somehow misread them the first time.
He hadn't.
Slowly, he closes his eyes and lets his head fall backward. Of course. The moment he was about to get a good night's sleep, something like this would happen.
A long sigh escapes him as he shoves himself out of bed. The blankets seem to protest in his departure, just like every other exhausted bone in his body.
After pulling on some decent clothes, he grabs his warpstone and clicks on the nearest waystone to Graf's tavern. A familiar flash of purple light surrounds him, and in one second, he's already stepping into the four-story building.
Multi heads straight for the stairs, wasting no time, because every second spent here is a second spent away from his bed.
The noises grow louder as he climbs higher. And once he reaches the third floor, the first thing he sees is Foolish and Shappo cheering from the sidelines. The second is Graf trying, and failing, to haul a stubborn drunk ginger off a table.
Multi immediately feels second-hand embarrassment hit him like a truck. He closes his eyes for a brief second, composing himself, then steps forward.
The moment Katie spots him, her entire face lights up.
"MULTIIII!" she screams, voice cracking slightly.
Multi has to slap a hand over one ear to prevent permanent damage of his eardrums. Ignoring the laughter that follows, he approaches the table and gives Graf a grateful nod.
"I can handle it from here,” he assures.
Graf looks relieved enough to cry. "Good luck."
He immediately releases Katie and backs away, leaving Multi to deal with her. Multi grabs her arm and tries to gently drag her off the table.
"Come on. Let's get you home."
Katie shakes her head. “No.”
“Katie,” he warns.
“No.”
After a brief struggle, Multi finally manages to peel her away. Katie squirms against his hold and eventually slips free.
"But the party's just ratted!" she slurs.
Multi sucks in a deep breath through his mouth and exhales heavily through his nose.
"How much have you had to drink?" he mutters near her ear as he pulls her upright after she'd somehow ended up sprawled across the floor. Katie immediately bursts into laughter.
"Oh, c'mon— Mike!" She cups a hand beside her mouth as if sharing a secret and points her thumb towards Multi. "Fun police over here."
Mike’s not even here.
Multi pinches the bridge of his nose and plants both hands on his hips as he shifts his weight onto one leg, trying to properly assess the situation.
He studies Katie for a moment: her cheeks are flushed, and a sheen of sweat clings to her skin beneath the tavern lights, making her look almost like she’s glowing. Her eyes are unfocused, her smile entirely too wide, and she looks one bad decision away from accidentally setting something on fire.
Multi looks away and sighs again.
“Can you stand?" he asks calmly.
Katie hums before attempting to push herself upright. She makes it approximately three seconds before collapsing back onto the floor and laughing at her own failure.
Without another word, he crouches in front of her. His back faces her as he glances over his shoulder.
"Hop on."
Katie just blinks at him, making no attempt to move.
Multi fights the urge to pull every single hair out of his scalp. Instead, he reaches back, grabs her wrists, and pulls her arms over his shoulders himself.
"Hold on tight, okay?" he instructs.
"Okay." she giggles back.
His other hand hooks beneath one of her knees, and he waits as she shifts around, trying to find a comfortable position. She fidgets for several seconds before finally settling all of her weight against him.
He grunts as he fully stands, posture slightly bent forward as he adjusts to her weight. Katie's body leans heavily against his back, her arms draped around his shoulders while her head lolls lazily beside his own.
A series of exaggerated "awws" immediately erupts from Foolish and Shappo.
"Bye, Katie!"
"Get home safe!"
Katie waves dramatically at them. "BYEEEE!"
“That’s adorable.” He hears Shappo whisper to Foolish before they could make it down the stairs.
“It is,” Foolish agrees.
He turns to glare at both of them, only for Katie to join in as well.
“Hear that, Multi? We’re adorable.”
“We’re not.”
“We are,” she sing-songs.
“We’re leaving.”
“We’re adorable and leaving.”
The room erupts into laughter and he rolls his eyes. Just before they begin the long trek down, he meets Graf’s gaze and gives him one final grateful nod.
Graf simply waves back.
Outside, the cold night air is a welcome relief from the warm and stifling atmosphere on the third floor. His footsteps echo softly against the pave walk as he starts the short walk toward Katie's HQ.
For a while, neither of them speaks. Katie rests her chin against his shoulder, her arms hanging loosely over his chest. Most of her earlier energy seems to have dissipated, replaced by a pleasant sort of drowsiness. Every so often, he feels the hot puffs of her breath against the side of his neck, and despite himself, he finds the sensation oddly comforting.
Then, after a moment, he feels something tugging at his roots.
"Katie," he whispers.
"Hm?"
"Don't pull my hair."
She immediately lets go. "Oh."
Not even five seconds later, she does it again.
Multi closes his eyes and inhales.
"Katie."
"Sorry."
There's a pause, and he lifts his gaze from the sidewalk. A few more steps and they'll be in her HQ in no time.
Suddenly, he feels her lean closer.
"Your hair's really soft."
Multi slightly stiffens and decides not to acknowledge that. Behind him, Katie lets out a quiet giggle before settling her chin back onto his shoulder.
The rest of the walk passes in comfortable silence. Eventually, Katie’s head grows heavier against his shoulder, and by the time they’ve finally reached her HQ, her breathing has evened out completely.
Multi pauses at the entrance and adjusts his hold beneath her knees before heading inside. He carefully climbs the stairs to the second floor, mindful not to jostle her too much.
When he reaches her bedroom, he nudges the door open with his foot and steps inside. The room is dark save for the faint moonlight spilling through the window.
Slowly, he makes his way over to the bed and gently lowers her onto the mattress.
The moment her head hits the pillow, she immediately curls onto her side with a content little hum, as if she'd been waiting to get into bed all night.
For the first time since arriving at the tavern, Multi allows himself to relax. He then straightens and studies her for a moment.
Without all the laughing and shouting and drunken stumbling, she looks surprisingly peaceful. A few strands of ginger hair have fallen across her forehead, and without really thinking about it, he reaches out and brushes them away with his fingers.
The movement causes her to shift slightly, but she doesn't wake. Instead, she only snuggles deeper into her pillow.
A faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
Then, as if catching himself, it's gone in a second.
Multi grabs the blanket from the foot of the bed and pulls it over her, making sure she's covered fully before taking a step back.
"You so owe me for this," he mutters before finally pulling out his warpstone and teleporting away.
:
Spring is in full swing on the island.
The citrus groves are heavy with blossoms, filling the air with a sweet scent. Wildflowers blanket the hills in patches of yellow, white, and violet, swaying gently beneath the sun. Bees drift lazily between flowers, birds sing from somewhere overhead, and everywhere Multi looks, there's life.
It's beautiful.
And unfortunately, full of bugs.
Katie had suggested that there was no better way to spend such a perfect day than taking the whole family on a picnic. Multi had agreed, seeing the peaceful potential of the idea.
Now, seated beside a stream surrounded by citrus trees, he's discovered the sole thing capable of ruining this otherwise flawless afternoon.
Mosquitoes.
For the past minute, he's been swatting away a relentless swarm of flying pests. Every time he manages to chase one away, two more seem to appear in its place. He groans.
Suddenly, he hears Katie laugh from across the blanket.
"Your blood must taste really good," she jests while smearing peanut butter and jelly across a slice of toast.
Multi only frowns and pulls his lab coat further down over his wrist to protect the already abused skin beneath. He's almost envious of how unaffected Katie seems by the weather. If anything, she flourishes in it.
Spring is definitely her season. The sunlight catches in her hair, turning the ginger strands almost gold. Her freckles stand out more beneath the warm light, and her smile comes easier than usual as she finishes preparing three sandwiches.
She hands one towards Nacho, but before he can take it, the tiny egg is already sprinting off after a colorful blur fluttering through the grass.
Multi squints to get a better look at the creature.
It’s a blue butterfly.
With the exact same shade as Katie's eyes.
"Nacho!" Katie calls. "Don't go too far, okay? Stay where we can see you!"
The tiny egg just continues to chase after it without looking back.
Katie sighs dramatically before turning back to Multi with a smile and a shrug. "Kids, amiright?”
Multi accepts the sandwich she offers him.
"Thank you,” he says.
The moment he takes a bite, he pauses. The peanut butter is smooth and nutty, the jelly perfectly sweet without being overpowering, and somehow the ratio is exactly right.
Multi’s never been particularly fond of sweet food. But Katie's PB&J is an exception. Saying it tastes delicious would be an understatement.
He almost moans at how good it is, and although he was able to hold it back, he sees Katie’s tiny grin.
After finishing her sandwich, Katie leans back on her arms and stretches her legs toward the stream.
Nearby, Nacho continues his adventures. He runs after squirrels, then butterflies, then a bird, then something neither of them can identify. Most of the animals seem equally terrified and confused by the tiny egg attempting to befriend them.
Every so often, he calls for one of them to grab fruit from the trees. Katie usually gets the higher ones since she has longer limbs than him.
After a while, Multi slowly feels himself relaxing. The familiar tension in his shoulders eases, and for once, his thoughts are quiet. He tilts his head back and lets the sunlight warm his face.
"I have a gift for you.” Katie suddenly speaks.
He turns to look at her. She's still staring at the sky, eyes closed.
“Is today a special occasion that I forgot about?” he asks, instantly intrigued.
Katie chuckles, and the sound shoots straight up his spine. Finally, she turns towards him.
“No. It’s nothing big,” she pauses. “Just something I thought you’d appreciate,” she finishes, then adds quietly: “Hopefully.”
The mention of gifts reminds him of her portrait that he commissioned from Juan. Multi shifts slightly and fully turns towards her as well.
"I have a gift for you too."
Katie quirks one brow in surprise. "Oh?"
Multi hums and smiles at her expression.
“Do you wanna go first?” she asks.
“Do you?” he counter-asks.
She flushes before answering. “Well, I don't want to show you my gift first and then get completely mogged by yours."
Multi laughs, shaking his head. "Let's just do it at the same time."
"Great idea."
"Count of three."
"'Kay."
Multi places the painting of her in one of the main slots of his inventory for easy access and he slowly counts down to three.
After three, they pull out their gifts simultaneously. His eyes immediately go to hers, and she to his.
After a moment of discerning what’s in her hand, his eyes go wide. He meets her gaze, and the exact same shocked expression is on her face.
"Did you—"
"Is that—"
They stare at each other for a second longer, eyes wide and unblinking, then back at the gifts. Only the sounds of nature cut through their silence.
Then, Katie breaks first and she laughs, loud and real. Multi simply continues to stare at her as she doubles over before her laughter inevitably infects him too.
When Katie finally calms down, she wipes a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Let me see that." She makes a grabbing motion with her fingers and they exchange gifts.
He examines his gift from her and it’s almost like staring into a mirror. Juan has done a great job capturing his facial structure and features. His eyes trace over the portrait’s eyes, nose, lips, down to his nonexistent jawline. He scoffs softly at how accurately Juan has captured him.
Then his eyes trail over to Katie’s, anticipating her reaction. So far, she’s gone quiet, and he has to admit, it’s more than a little unsettling.
Suddenly, the corner of her mouth twitches upward.
“I swear that guy secretly likes me,” she says as she continues to admire her biggest enemy’s artwork of her.
Multi snorts.
Then, after another minute, she finally looks at Multi.
Her grin stretches into a big, bright smile, and suddenly, she’s lunging herself at him. Multi has barely any time to react before she collides with him, knocking the air clean from his lungs.
She hugs him tightly around his shoulders and her familiar scent hits him almost immediately. Subtly, he buries his nose in the small dip where shoulder meets neck and softly inhales. He feels her turn her head towards his ear.
"Thank you, Multi," she whispers.
Multi relaxes against her and slowly wraps his arms around her back.
“No problem, Katie. Thanks too,” he murmurs back.
Then, in a heartbeat, she’s already pulling away and settling back into her seat. Multi clears his throat and straightens his clothes.
A few seconds later, Nacho comes running back and places down a sign. They both turn to look at what their son has to say.
mama <3 papa
The two of them blink at the words and Multi immediately expects Katie to deny it, to shrug it off, to turn bright red and start arguing with the sign as if it had personally offended her.
Instead, she just laughs and pats the empty spot beside her.
"Come on, Nacho. You still have to try mama's PB&J."
Multi smiles fondly as Nacho makes his way beside Katie, plopping himself down with his tiny little legs stretched out before him. He steals one glance at Katie, admiring the softness of her features and her easy-going smile.
And of all the little things he’s come to notice about her, he realizes her smile is his favorite.