Work Text:
"And from that day forward, Little Red Riding Hood never strayed from the path, and she lived happily ever after," Badd finished, shutting the book. "And that's Little Red Riding Hood for ya, Zen. How'd ya like it?"
Zenko hummed loudly, deep in thought. "It was okay, I guess," she said while shrugging. "Why can the wolf talk? That's not possible." The way her brother snorted at that made her smile greatly.
"Well, besides that. Dija catch the lesson in it?"
"Never trust strangers."
Badd grinned. "Atta girl!" He held his hand up to Zenko, and she slapped her tiny hand against his. "Ya got it perfectly. I know I tell ya not to anyways, but I figured that a book would help ya understand it more."
"But it's so unrelistic!" Badd snorted again, for what reason, she did not know. "Why would the grandma want cake and alcohol? If she's sick, she needs medicine!"
Badd stood up and ruffled her hair. "Thas jus' what people liked back then, I guess. Now, get to sleep. Ya got school tomorrow." He leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the forehead before turning off the lamp. Zenko couldn't see anymore, but she could hear her brother putting the book back on her shelf and shuffling toward her door. "Good night, Zen. Love ya."
"Good night, Badd!"
And with that, he shut the door quietly.
Within a few minutes, Zenko was fast asleep.
Zenko was inside a tiny room.
Where am I? She thought. She glanced around the area, seeing a tall figure dressed in a large dress. Who are they?
"Come, my darling," the person spoke. Zenko walked toward them. The person handed her a basket. "Here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother — she's sick and weak, and this will do her good."
Zenko would've sputtered in disbelief if she could. Was she living in the book that Badd had just read to her?
"Go before it gets too hot, and remember to walk carefully. Don't stray from the path, or you might fall and break the bottle." The person pat her head gently. Zenko looked up and it was Badd? Badd in a big old-lady dress and with longer hair?
What is happening?!
"And when you arrive, don't forget to say good morning before you peek around her room," Badd said all too properly.
This isn't him! I hate this! Why is he speaking so weird?!
"I'll be careful, Mother," she said with a smile before walking out of their tiny house.
In a blurred instant, she was strolling down a dirt path. Zenko felt dizzy with how crazy this dream was. In the second she had, she thought about what would happen next. The wolf is coming soon! Is it gonna be a wolf still or someone-
A flash of grey dashed to her side.
She glanced up.
That face.
I know that face.
"Good morning, twerp," said the wolf. The wolf who was much taller than her. The wolf who beat up her older brother a long time ago. Her brother's now best friend.
GAROU?!?!?!?!?! WHY IS HE HERE?????
"Good morning, Mr. Wolf," Zenko greeted. Garou joined in on her walk, his long legs carrying himself languidly.
"Where are you headed so early?"
"To my grandmother's house."
"And what's in your basket?" He asked, peering at what she held.
"Cake and wine." WHY DOES SHE NEED CAKE AND WINE IF SHE'S SICK??? "Grandma's been sick, so Mother sent me to cheer her up."
"And where does your grandmother live?"
DON'T SAY IT, PLEASE.
"A little further into the woods — under the three great oak trees, near hazel bushes. You must know it," she answered despite her desperate thoughts.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'm an idiot!
She saw how Garou licked his lips with a hunger in his eyes. He spoke slyly, "Flower are pretty, ain't they? Kid, why not pick some for your grandma? I'm sure she'd appreciate it. The birds are singing too! You walk so seriously; it's like you're goin' to school."
The dream version of herself walked off the path, and in the corner of her eye, she saw Garou run away sniggering like an idiot.
No! Grandma is gonna get eaten because of you, dream self! You're so dumb! Why am I stuck as you?!
Suddenly, her point of view switched to the Garou's. She could hear his thoughts, feel how giddy he was for his upcoming meal.
Garou knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" called the grandmother.
Garou cleared his throat before talking like a little girl. It was utterly ridiculous, and Zenko could feel herself giggling in her sleep. "It's me — Little Red Riding Hood! I've brought you some cake and wine."
"Lift the latch," the grandma called out again. "I'm too weak to get up."
Garou lifted the latch, opened the door, and walked inside. Without saying anything, he pounced, and that's when Zenko saw the grandma's face.
BADD?!?!?!?!!?!?
The grandma was BADD, and Zenko had to watch as his shocked face got closer and closer, and into Garou's mouth. Even though he wasn't a wolf, Badd still somehow fit and was swallowed whole.
Zenko thrashed in her sleep.
Her point of view returned to her stupid Little Red Riding Hood self. She was walking without a care in the world, holding an ugly bouquet of flowers. Her dreamself was shocked to see the door open already. She slowly walked inside, feeling uneasy. "Good morning, Grandma," she said as she made her way to her grandmother's bed.
The cap was pulled down low and the sleeves of her (obivously him, but her dream self didn't know) down to her fingers. She looked odd.
"Oh, Grandma, what pointy ears you have!"
"The better to hear you with, my child."
"But, Grandma, what big eyes you have!"
"The better to see you with, my dear."
"And what big hands you have!"
"The better to hug you with."
"But, Grandma — what a terribly big mouth you have!"
RUN AWAY!!
"The better to eat you with!" Garou roared, jumping out of the bed and at her. She screamed, but in just a second, everything was dark.
Ugh, my dream self is so dumb. The girl in the book is stupid! Has she never heard of stranger danger?!
Garou climbed back in bed, stuffed and with a fat grin of satisfaction on his face. He quickly fell into what Badd calls a 'food coma'. After a very good and large meal, he passes out on the couch for hours. Garou snored loudly, just like he usually did whenever he stayed the night.
Her point of view changed again, and this time, she was the hunter.
Oh no, he's going to kill Garou! Stop!!
The hunter noticed the loud snores from the house, and crept toward it. "What a lady, snoring that loud," he said, walking throught the open door. That's when he saw Garou splayed on the bed."It's you, you wicked beast." He pulled his gun out, but thought about how the grandmother and her dream self could still be alive, so he put his gun away and took his scissors out instead.
He inched closer to Garou, and before he could cut open his stomach, Zenko forced the line of sight to the side. She couldn't bear to see Garou get cut up like paper!
Without warning, her point of view changed again. She was back in her dream self's body. She shivered. "Oh, how frightened I was! It was so dark inside!" She looked up at her savior, and it was—
AMAI MASK?!?!?!?!?!?!!?
Zenko screamed as she woke up, her blanket flying off her body. A few tumbles and yells of commotion, and Badd burst through the door, falling flat on his face but scrambling to her.
"What happened?!" He asked. His voice was shaky as if he was the one crying.
Zenko sobbed in her hands. "I-I had a nightmare!"
Badd sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Sh, sh, sh, it's okay. Yer okay."
The light flicked on, and a familiar voice spoke.
"What's happening?" Garou asked.
"Nightmare," Badd whispered before comforting his little sister again. "It wasn't real. Yer safe. It's ok—"
"It's not okay!" Zenko shouted. She looked up from her hands at her grandmother- no, mother- NO! Her brother, and spoke again. "You guys died!" She felt Badd's body tense, how he hugged her tighter, and when Garou sat beside them.
Garou murmmered, "You're okay, Zen. We're still here—"
"No! No, no no! You got your stomach cut!! You were a wolf and tricked me and went to eat Badd!!! You're so mean for that!"
The room went silent with the exception of Zenko's sobs.
She spoke again. "A-a-and! Badd was a sick old grandma, but also my momma!" She dug her tiny hands into her brother's arm. "You were in a huge dress and talked like an old British person! It wa-was so weird and icky and gross!" She heard Garou cough and glared at him. "You're so mean!! How could you eat Badd up?!"
"Up?" Garou said, struggling to hold back a grin. "Up or out?"
Badd smacked his shoulder and Garou cackled, rubbing his now sore spot.
"You ate him up like an udon noodle! You slurped him up!!"
Garou fell off the bed, cackling his butt off.
Badd spoke again, clearly irritated by his friend. "Little Red Riding Hood gave ya a nightmare?" Garou laughed harder. "'m sorry. I didn't think it would do that to ya," he muttered, rubbing Zenko's head as her cries softened.
"That wasn't even th-th-the worst part…"
"It wasn't?"
"No. It was went I saw the hunter." Her cries started up again. "I-It was Amai Mask! Amai Mask cut Garou open!!!" She began bawling into Badd's shirt, holding onto him tightly.
Garou snapped up. "That guy killed me?! What?!"
Now, it was Badd's turn to laugh. "Pfft- Imagine gettin' killed by him of all people. Tough luck, dude."
"It's not funny," Zenko cried. "Amai Mask would never do that!!" She shook like a leaf in her brother's arms. "Never!!!"
Badd rubbed his sister back in circles. "Hey, Zen," he whispered. "It was only a nightmare. It's like ya said, Amai Mask would never do somethin' like that. Jus' like how Garou can't eat me in one go, like how I don't talk all weird like those old people, jus' like how I ain't sick like that gran'ma."
Zenko sniffled as she looked at Badd. Just his face calmed her down slightly. "…True."
"Yeah, 'xactly! None a that stuff 'ill ever happen!" He gave her another tight hug. "It was a nightmare, and nightmares ain't real." He pulled away and brushed her messy bangs to the side. "Mkay?"
Zenko nodded. "Mhm." She stuffed her face into his side and hugged him. "Thank you, big bro."
Badd smiled and hugged her back. "Anytime, sis." When Zenko let go of him, he slid off the bed, kicking Garou's leg away and tucking her back into bed. "Ya think ya can sleep after that?"
"Mhm. I feel a lot better now," she said while cozying herself up. "It was a weird dream, though. Hopefully I can forget about it."
"'m sure ya won't remember it by mornin'," Badd whispered, kissing her forehead and wiping her tears away. "Sleep well, Zenko."
"You too."
Badd walked to her bedroom door for the second time that night, this time with Garou, and flicked the light switch off.
Again, in a few minutes, Zenko fell asleep. This time, it was a dreamless slumber.
"So, eating you up, hm? When's that gonna happen?"
Badd punched Garou's shoulder. "Shut up! That stuff ain't happenin' ever."
"Awww, why not? You got to do that a coupla days ago to me," Garou whined, pulling Badd close, spooning him. "I could make you feel what I did. You remember how I sounded durin' that." He whispered into Badd's ear. "I could make you scream my name."
Badd tensed, his whole face and neck flushing red. "…Next time, then." He felt Garou's breath against his face as his secret boyfriend chuckled.
"Better be a promise," Garou said, giving Badd a quick peck on the cheek before burrowing his face into Badd's shoulders. "G'night, meathead bat."
"Good night, Mr. Wolf."
Garou punched Badd's side.