Work Text:
Clink.
Amo hums along to Too Lily’s latest album as she scribbles on her math worksheet. Flowers and wonky puppy dog faces fill the margins between equations, and a faded name sits at the top where her eraser couldn’t fully get rid of it.
Clink.
She takes a sip of strawberry milk, legs swinging back and forth as she sits at her desk. Uncle Corvus was gone for the evening, busy at work, so she had the house to herself. Sometimes it was scary being all alone in such a big place, but Amo’s room was on the third floor and the soft pink interior made her feel cozy and safe. She had the television playing music videos for background noise, and the atmosphere makes her want to get up and dance in her pajamas. All things considered, there were far worse ways Amo could’ve been having to spend her night; algebra homework sucked, but she wouldn’t trade her life now for anything.
Clink.
Uncle Corvus enrolled her into a good school when he adopted her. An all-girls academy, where she got to wear a cute uniform and join the school choir. The trade off was a rigorous curriculum that she could just barely keep up with. Amo still hadn’t made many friends—not with the amount of tutoring she needed to make up for the years she missed out on a formal education—but that was alright. Uncle Corvus always reminded her that she could take her time now; Amo should just be herself because that’s what mattered.
Plus, it wasn’t like she was lonely.
Thud.
Her head snaps up as something slams into her window.
Thud.
Across the room, there’s a bang against the window—hard enough to make the panel shake. She frowns. Did a bird get confused? If it did, it could be hurt, and that’d be sad.
“…mo!” A voice, distant and muffled, calls out from the other side.
Amo frowns harder, setting her pencil down and marching over to the window. A drunkard? Or maybe one of the annoying boys from the co-ed school; they’ve tried to bother Amo on more than one occasion. She would’ve thought they learned their lesson last time they tried it while he was over. But some men never learn—even after they get their faces slammed into the pavement.
There’s one more clink against the window glass before Amo throws it open with a huff.
“Excuse me—!”
Thud.
Amo reels back, hands flying to her forehead as something bounces off it. A pebble falls to the carpet, having not hit her hard enough to hurt but enough to make her stumble in surprise. “Ouch! What the heck?”
“Gah! Amo, are you okay?”
Amo leans out of the window, hand still to her forehead as she looks to the street below. Rudo is pale in the face—his hands flailing wildly as he stares back up at her.
“I’m so sorry! You weren’t answering your phone so I was trying to get your attention! Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”
Rudo, Amo has firmly believed since the moment she first laid eyes on him, is very cute. He’s still in his work clothes—a pair of dark gray tobi pants with a fitted undershirt—but his panicked expression is adorable. Maybe Amo should find it strange that his flustered, guilty expression makes her feel all warm and tingly, but Amo doesn't have the emotional space to care.
She puckers her lips in pout, a hand still on her forehead as she leans out the window. “Rudo hit Amo’s forehead! Amo thought Rudo liked her forehead! He lied!”
“I didn’t lie!” Rudo splutters. “Your bangs are super cute, I can see your eyes better and…” He pauses, arms falling to his sides. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”
Amo grins. “Teehee. That’s what he gets for trying to break Amo’s window.”
“I wouldn’t have had to if you answered your phone!” Rudo waves his cracked smartphone around. “You’re the one that made me get this thing so you could send me stickers on Line!”
Correction: Amo tried to use her allowance to buy Rudo a new smartphone, but he insisted on paying for a refurbished old generation model that he repairs on his own whenever it inevitably gives out.
In the distance, the neighbors dog barks and Rudo practically snarls back at it.
“Wah,” Amo sighs, elbows on the windowsill so she can prop her chin in her hands. “Rudo is going to wake up the entire neighborhood at this point. Maybe if he says he’s sooo sorry, Amo will open the front door for him.”
Rudo frowns. “I already said sorry.”
“Hm? Amo can’t hear you.” She sings.
Rudo, to his credit, doesn’t bite. He just raises an eyebrow before adjusting his grip on his backpack. “You might wanna move.”
Amo blinks, “Huh?”
She watches, confused and mildly horrified, as Rudo jogs a few paces back before dashing directly towards the house at full speed. Amo can’t help but shriek when he launches himself up, grabbing the railing of the second floor balcony, and pulling himself up. He doesn’t hesitate to then begin scaling the brick wall between the balcony and her window until before Amo knows it, Rudo heaving himself onto her windowsill and she’s stumbling flat on her butt.
“Has Rudo gone crazy?” She shrieks, now on all fours. “You could've hurt yourself!”
Rudo dusts off his gloves before shaking out his fluffy bangs. “I do more dangerous stuff at work on the daily.”
“That doesn’t make Amo feel better!”
Rudo looks down at her, eyes taking in her red face and frilly pajamas, then snorts. “Why are you on the floor?”
With a huff, Amo stands up while Rudo slides fully into the room. He looks comedically out of place amongst the collections of stuffed animals and antique furniture, and Amo wouldn’t want anyone else but him here.
“You’re so mean!” Amo puffs her cheeks. “Meanie! Meanie Rudo!”
Rudo drops his bag to the floor so he can pinch Amo’s cheeks and tug. “Yah! I came by after work just to see you.” His smooshes her face with his worn out but surprisingly soft gloves. “Would you rather I leave?”
Amo pouts harder. Rudo isn’t that much taller than her, but his presence alone gives him the edge over her.
“No.” She finally mutters. Rudo snorts again, letting go of her face in favor of taking a seat at her desk. He smells faintly of sweat and the green apple candies he loves to eat throughout the day. He also looks tired. Very, very tired.
Amo holds her hands behind her back and walks towards the desk. “So…did Rudo have a good day at work?”
Rudo fiddles with one of her pens. “It was whatever.”
The way his voice trails off makes Amo frown. She hates liars.
“But?”
Rudo glances up at her, chewing the inside of his cheek. He mutters something under his breath and Amo puts her hands on her hips.
“Hm?”
Rudo sighs, “I got into a fight with Gris.”
“What?” Amo half yells. “About what?”
As far as Amo knew, Gris was the closest thing Rudo had to a proper adult role model in his life. If there was anyone Rudo genuinely respected and whose opinion he cared for, it was Gris.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Amo tries to argue but Rudo turns around in the chair, now facing her abandoned homework.
“What is this? Algebra?” He picks up the paper, inspecting it closer, before suddenly turning back to her. “Or a marriage certificate?”
At the top of the paper, clear as day, is a name. Amo Surebrec, in faded pencil that couldn’t be fully erased, stares right back at Amo.
“Hey!” Amo squeals, lunging for paper. Rudo quickly holds it out of reach while Amo flails hopelessly to get it. “Don’t look at that!”
“Your teacher can see this but not your boyfriend?”
The usage of that term makes Amo stumble until she face planting into Rudo’s chest.
“Woah! You okay?” Rudo holds Amo by the shoulders.
Amo, in response, slaps his chest. “Rudo can’t just say that!”
“What?” Rudo says. “Boyfriend? I thought that’s what I was—did I forget to ask you?”
“No you did!” Amo whines, slapping his chest again. She won’t forget that day for as long as she lives. “But you’re flustering Amo. She can’t focus on being mad when you do that.”
“Oh.” Rudo squeezes her shoulders and Amo peaks up at him. His face is red. “I guess I should do that more then.”
If he wasn’t so cute, Amo would hit him again.
She takes a deep inhale. The smell of sweat and fabric softener makes Amo’s shoulders droop. Just being around Rudo makes her feel at ease; the grease on his gloves was probably staining her nice pajamas but she couldn’t care less.
“Are you struggling with your homework?” The reminder of it makes Amo groan. “I can help, if you want…”
That makes her perk up. “Really?”
Their faces are close together and Rudo reels back slightly, eyes darting away. “I mean, sure. I was good at math in middle school-“
“Yay!” Amo smushes a kiss to his cheek. “Is Rudo hungry? Amo will get snacks!”
Rudo splutters a weak, ‘Okay,’ but Amo is already bounding out of her room and down to the kitchen. She piles cookies and a bottle of juice from the fridge into her arms before pausing when she sees the lunch box Tomme packed her for tomorrow. After a second of hesitation she grabs it and runs back upstairs.
Rudo is already sitting at the coffee table in front of her television, back hunched with her math homework and books spread out for him to review. The sight is enough to make Amo’s heart flutter; it looks like a scene from the dramas she and Eishia watch on her phone while hiding during lunch.
Behind her, the door slams shut and Rudo looks up—a pencil between his teeth.
“Hey.”
Amo sways nervously in place. “Amo brought cookies.”
“Cookies?” Rudo says with poorly concealed excitement. He’s so cute Amo thinks she might be sick.
Once she’s taken a seat beside him, Amo tears open the pack of chocolate cookies and holds one near Rudo’s mouth. Rudo looks at it, blushes, and sheepishly opens his mouth so Amo can feed it to him. His eyes instantly light up once he gets a taste of its sweet exterior and he chows down on it without complaint.
“So what is confusing you?” Rudo asks as he licks away crumbs from the corner of his lips. Amo watches him do it, completely ignoring the question. When she doesn’t respond, Rudo glances at her. “‘mo?”
“Wah,” Amo blinks, shaking her head. “Oh, um, Amo doesn’t get the letters and stuff…why are there letters in math?”
Rudo stares at her for a moment, his ears slightly red, and quickly pours himself a glass of juice to take a long gulp.
“Um,” He clears his throat. “I think you’re getting confused on the order of operations. The goal is to find out what the letter is so you can solve the problem but you have to do everything in order.”
Amo nods like what he’s saying isn’t going over her head. “Rudo is very smart.”
Rudo shrugs, “Just math. I have to use that a lot in construction. I’m hopeless when it comes to literature and stuff.” He nudges her. “Unlike you.”
Amo, embarrassingly, giggles high in her throat. It’s a loud, ugly sound that makes her bunch her hair to her face in an attempt to cover it. Rudo looks at her bewildered, only to suddenly press his lower face into his palm, covering his mouth completely. Amo can tell he’s suppressing one of his awkward smiles and that makes her giggle harder.
“Focus on your homework,” Rudo murmurs into his palm. “This is why you’re failing.”
“I’m not failing!” Amo squawks, shoving Rudo even though she knows he won’t budge.
After a few minutes, they settle into working. Rudo is patient as Amo stumbles her way through different equations, quietly correcting her when she gets something wrong or helping when she gets stuck on a problem. They get through the front half of the page when a loud growl from Rudo’s stomach makes them pause.
“S-sorry.” Rudo stutters, red faced.
Amo smiles and reaches for her lunchbox. “That's okay—Amo prepared for this.”
Rudo moves closer as Amo unpacks the box, revealing a mountain of rice, shaved meat, and assorted vegetables. The sweet salty aroma of sauce makes his stomach growl louder and Amo scoops some up with a spoon to shove it in Rudo’s mouth. Rudo makes a surprised noise, practically choking, before slowly chewing it.
“It’s yummy, right?”
Rudo nods as he swallows. “Yeah. What is this?” He takes a closer look at the box. “Amo, is this your lunch for tomorrow?”
Amo shrugs, taking another scoop and shoving it in Rudo’s mouth. “Yes but it’s okay.” She uses her handkerchief to wipe rice from her boyfriend’s mouth. “Like this, it feels like we are on a school lunch date. Amo’s always wanted to have one of those.”
Rudo is quiet after chewing his food. Amo only notices when she goes to feed him another bite and the boy is staring down at the table with a twisted expression.
“Rudo?” Amo asks, head cocked to the side. “Are you okay?” She hugs his arm but he tenses slightly. It’s enough to make Amo’s heart sink.
Eventually, Rudo mutters quietly, “Gris and I got into a fight.”
Amo nods, resting her chin on Rudo’s shoulder. “Was it bad?”
“Just,” He spins the pen with his gloved hand. “Rehashing the same old argument.” Amo makes a confused noise and Rudo sighs. “He thinks I should go back to school.”
Amo perks up. “Thats great, Rudo! Oh—we could take the subway together!”
Amo is smiling but Rudo just stares at her with furrowed brows. It makes her shoulders jolt.
“I’ve already said I don’t want to go back to school.” His tone is flat but harsh.
Amo frowns, “Why not? It would be good for you!”
Rudo scoffs, “What? So I can be around a bunch of privileged turdfaces, learning shit I already know, stressed out about exams I’ll have to take for universities I could never afford to attend? When can I start making my own money already?” He crosses his arms. “It’s stupid and a waste of time.”
Amo’s throat burns.
School was scary when Amo first started. Because of strings Uncle Corvus pulled, she got to start the same year as girls her age, but it was obvious to all that she was years behind in material. Addition had to be counted on her fingers, words got mixed up when she read them out loud. When the other girls got to hang out and eat snacks during break, Amo was in the tutoring center trying to finish workbooks without crying. She only made her first friend, Eishia, after the older girl found her hiding in the same spot she usually went to, repeating notecards for her oral test over and over.
People call her stupid. Amo hears them because they don’t exactly try to hide it. She is the weird girl—a freak who only gets to go to their school because her guardian has the right connections.
But Amo never got to go to school before. She never got to giggle over shows or sing without getting hit. School was scary but Amo would feel worse without it.
Rudo makes a noise when Amo detaches from his side to stand up and shuffle over to her bed. The confusion only gets louder when she crawls under the pink comforter, eyes burning, and cocoons.
“Amo?” Rudo asks, voice muffled by the blanket covering her ears. “Huh-Wha-Are you okay?”
There’s some footsteps but Amo presses her warm face into the mattress. A hand rests on her back and when she flinches, it instantly retracts.
“Are you crying?” Rudo sounds shaky. “Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Amo sniffles. It’s ugly and snot filled but she refuses to fall apart over this.
“Amo?” His voice is even weaker. “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you-“
“Amo isn’t upset.” Amo bites. “She is mad!”
Rudo hesitates, “M-mad?”
“Yes, mad!” Amo curls in on herself. “Mad that Amo is so bad at math. Mad that Rudo can’t afford to go to school even though he’s the smartest boy Amo knows!” She throws her fist out and hits nothing. “It’s not fair!”
The room goes still. Outside, wind rattles the window, and the energetic beats of Too Lily play softly from the TV.
Beside her, the mattress shifts. She feels it dip as Rudo lays down beside her—far enough to not touch but close enough she can feel his body heat and smell his skin.
“Rudo should only do what he wants to but,” Amo hiccups slightly. “It’s not fair. You should get to be a regular boy and go on regular dates with me and not worry about stupid things like rent.”
“I can take you on more dates if you want.”
Amo rolls over in her blanket to stare blankly at Rudo. The boy has the audacity to look sheepish.
“I don’t need more dates, Rudo. I want you to be able to do what you want because it’s what you want!” Her tone must sober Rudo up because he sighs and moves to stare up at her ceiling.
“What if I don’t know what I want?” Rudo mumbles. “Between my dad, Regto, the fucking foster homes…I’m fine just working if it means I’m surviving.”
Amo frowns, eyes stinging again. She sits up and crowds Rudo—one hand on either side of his shoulders so she can stare down at him.
“Then I’ll help. I’ll help you find what you wanna do, and if I can’t do that, I’ll just make you the happiest in the world!”
Rudo stares up at her, face red. “That…that sounds like marriage proposal.”
Amo stares back before falling back until she’s sat in Rudo’s lap, face in her hands. “It’s not! Amo was just—she was—it’s not!”
Rudo laughs a little, carefully prying her hands away. “I know. I was just teasing. I thought girls liked teasing.”
“I was trying to be serious,” Amo pouts. Like this, Rudo is only inches away. She can see him glance at her lips before quickly looking away.
Rudo is so mean. He teases Amo but is so straightforward it makes her dizzy. He can’t lie to save his life and his earnestness is almost sickeningly sweet. Rudo isn’t the nicest person Amo knows, but there’s no one else she’d ever feel this at ease with.
The peck she gives her boyfriend is light and sweet. Their lips are only together for a moment but Amo giggles happily after. Rudo is more flustered; he brings his gloved hand to his mouth and blushes all the way to his ears.
“Cute,” Amo leans in and licks his cheekbone. “Cute.”
“Amo!” Rudo shouts, flailing backward and pulling her flat atop him. Amo giggles into his neck, hugging him closer. “What the hell?”
Amo kisses his chin, making him yelp again. “Rudo is so cute.”
Rudo grabs her by the face and pulls her back. “You’re a brat.”
Amo squeaks when Rudo kisses her. Their teeth clink together awkwardly but it doesn’t take long for Amo to start pressing closer to him, trying as hard as she can to meld their bodies together. Amo likes Rudo’s lips; they are warm and a little rough so Amo can nibble on them and make Rudo squirm. Rudo is equally annoying. He squeezes Amo’s waist with one hand and toys with her hair using the other. His arms are strong and firm for months of hard labor, so feeling them around her makes Amo melt. Kissing Rudo turns her brain to mush; it’s pure bliss in physical form.
“Rudo,” Amo whines, gripping Rudo’s shoulders. Rudo kisses the corner of her mouth, her jaw, and back to her lips to deepen it. Amo hums happily, feet practically kicking in the air. “Don’t stop-“
“Amo!”A familiar voice booms from downstairs. It’s remarkable how such a soft spoken man can command a space and make Rudo go rigid in an instance.
Amo scrambles off of Rudo, rolling onto her back with his shirt still gripped in her fists. As soon as she hits the mattress, Amo—with all the strength her skinny arms can muster—throws Rudo aside as hard as possible. Her boyfriend hits the plush rug covered floor with an oof before Amo watches him pencil his body to roll under the bed. Just as his hair disappears fully from sight and Amo is fixing her own, the door creaks open.
Uncle Corvus peaks in with his usual pleasant smile. “Good evening, Amo.”
“Uncle Corvus!” Amo sits up, praying her face isn’t as red as Rudo’s always is. “You’re home early.”
Arkha chuckles, “I am. My meeting with Miss Nijiku finished early, so I thought I’d pick you up some dinner before I sequestered myself back in my office until the morning.” He holds up a bag. “I got your favorite pasta.”
Amo claps, swinging her legs off the bed to run over to her adoptive father. “Thank you!”
“How was your day?” Arkha pats the top of her head while she rummages through the bag, noting that there’s at least three containers of food.
“Good! I had choir practice after school so I’m working on my homework now.”
Arkha hums, “Good good. And Rudo?”
Amo freezes, eyes suddenly fixated on the little packs of parmesan cheese. “R-Rudo?”
“How is he?”
Oh. Amo laughs nervously. “He’s doing great! We’ve been texting a lot.”
“Is that so?” Arkha responds. He looks over Amo’s head and to her homework that lays long since forgotten on the coffee table. “I suppose that’s why your homework still isn’t done?”
“Hehe.” Amo rocks back and forth on her heels. “He’s helping me?”
Arkha just hums again. “Well that’s nice. Rudo is a good boy—I like him.”
Amo looks up at Corvus, eyes wide. “Really? You think so?”
“Mhm,” Arkha pats her head once more. “He has a good head on his shoulders. Plus, he makes you happy, does he not?”
Amo could cry. Her bottom lip wobbles as she nods and Arkha smiles.
“Then that’s all that matters. So long as he isn’t distracting you from school too much, that is.”
Amo nods rapidly. “He won’t, I promise! Rudo is helping me! I understand math way better now!”
“That’s good.” Arkha chuckles. “Well, I’ll leave you be. Enjoy your food, Amo.”
“I will!” Amo holds the bag up. “Good night, Uncle Corvus!”
Arkha turns on his heel to head back out before pausing in the doorway. “Oh, one last thing.”
“Mhm?” Amo looks at one of the containers. It’s a cream based sauce—one without any spice whatsoever. Amo has a good tolerance for spice. The only time she ever eats it is when she’s stealing some from Rudo.
Oh.
“I’d love for you to join us for dinner, Rudo.” Arkha looks over his shoulder with a smile, but his pale eyes are sharp. “But I must ask that you use the front door next time.”
There’s a long, silent pause.
“Yes sir.” Rudo answers, distant and muffled by the bed on top of him.