Published: September 30th 2021, 6:31:43 am
Continuation of September 9, 2021: "Finnicky Baby Pt. 6"
Part 1+2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
"Oh boy," said Nick as he spotted a roach in the kitchenette. "Buddy boy, pack your bag we got roaches."
"What?" called Finnick, his large ears preceding his head as he peered out of his room. "Roaches? Lemme see..."
He rolled his eyes as he closed the bedroom door behind him and waddled out in his little elephant suit.
"Come on, Nick, you little pussy. don't tell me you're scared of a little... holy fuck!!"
Finnick screeched and jumped into Nick's arms as his fur stood on end. The bug was huge and clearly not shy.
"Don't tell me you're scared of a little...' began Nick.
"Don't you dare tell anyone you heard that," said Finnick, blushing under his fur.
"What, that high pitched squeal I heard? I've already forgotten about it."
The two had been roommates living in their new apartment for a week at this point. Finnick had been very secretive about moving into his room and would always keep the door shut. He made his boundaries very clear when they moved in.
"If I ever catch you going into my room, you're dead, Nick. got it?"
Slowly but surely, though, Finnick began to get a little more comfortable. At first he was always dressed up in his 'big boy' clothes, at least when Nick saw him. And for the first few days he spent most of his time in his room, peering out the door like a little meerkat and quickly closing it behind him before scurrying into the kitchen to get a quick snack. On the third night, Nick had caught him sneaking around in his cubby pajamas.
"You know, you can wear your pajamas in the house. There's no rules against it," said Nick, yawning with his paw over his mouth as he walked, bleary eyed, to the restroom.
Finnick had just stood there frozen as the taller red fox walked by, and when Nick came back out there was no trace of his little furry friend. But after that, Finnick stopped wearing his big boy clothes around, interacted with Nick more, and spent more time in the common areas. Well, area, really. The apartment really had only two rooms. Three, if you counted the bathroom.
Back in the present, Nick gently set a frazzled Finnick down on the ground as the roach just sat that, regarding them both.
"Looks like we have a third roommate, huh?" Asked Nick, with a weak chuckle.
"Get... that thing... the fuck... out of here," said Finnick in a trembly voice.
"Ahh... sorry, kiddo," said Nick. "I musta carried the little guy here with my stuff when I moved in. But I'm sure it's not that bad," he added, grabbing the cupboard handle to check inside. "I mean how many roachers can there b-"
When he opened the door, they saw a cupboard positively bursting with roaches, some of which began to scurry out into the kitchenette. Nick quickly slammed the cupboard doors closed again, but not before another high pitched squeal erupted from the little toot toot behind him.
"Okay, bud. Pack your stuff. We're going to a hotel." Finnick rushed off to pack his stuff. Nick called out after him as he went to pack his own stuff. "And wear something cute so we don't have to pay for two occupants!"
Finnick came back with a small bag and he was wearing an adorable pair of toddler shorts held up with two rainbow suspenders which ran over his little button up shirt.
"Aww, don't you look adorable, kiddo?"
"Fuck off, Nick," muttered Finnick, his ears flattening. Nick had taken to calling Finnick by baby names around the house, and Finnick's responses were becoming less and less explosive. Compared to a couple weeks ago, this was positively Rosy. Maybe the incident in Sahara Square had humbled him a little bit. The diminutive fox skirted the wall as far away from the kitchenette as possible as he walked toward the door.
"Hold up," said Nick, stiff-arming Finnick before he could leave the apartment. "Isn't your outfit missing something?"
Finnick followed Nick's gaze at his butt and he blushed fiercely under his fur. "Oh, COME ON, Nick! This isn't a full fledged caper..."
"Oh really? So are you just gonna, what, not sleep tonight?" Finnick's face fell.
"W-what are you tal- I don't know what you're talkin' about," said Finnick in a quavering voice that tried to sound confident. Nick was having none of it.
"I know you use them. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just bring 'em with." Finnick stood there blinking for a few seconds. "...ffffine," he muttered in a mildly annoyed voice. Finnick dropped his bag by the door and trudged off to his room, his tail wagging a bit despite his outward disappointment. He soon came back from his room dragging a huge duffel bag.
"Can I help ya with that?" asked Nick, watching Finnick struggle with the weight.
"Nah, I got this," said Finnick.
"Yeah, that's what you said when you moved in," said Nick. "And you almost gave yourself a hernia before I stepped in. There's no shame in getting a little help from your friends," said Nick, taking the bag from Finnick's arms again and handing him back his small bag.
"Agh, whatever," said Finnick. "Let's just get out of here. These creepy crawlies are giving me the heebie jeebies."
"I'm with you on that one, kiddo. Good lord, how many diapers have you got in here?"
"You're seriously pushing it, Nick," said Finnick, baring his teeth.
"Alright alright. Let's get going."
On their way to the elevator, Nick put in a call to Bug-Burga. "Hey, guys. I've got a treasure trove of premium product for you. All you have to do is collect it from my apartment. Yep. Uhh, say, a hundred bucks? That should be like five cents a bug? Deal. Yup, the super will let you in. Just leave the money in a burger box on the kitchen counter. Perfect."
"Disgusting," said Finnick, making a face at Nick as they went down in the elevator.
"Hey, didn't I always tell you not to eat there? Now you know why."
"Nick, I'd be scared of you if I weren't your partner- i-in crime, I mean. Partner in crime."
"I prefer the term entrepreneur," said Nick.
"Tomato, tomato," said Finnick, smirking.
"Wait, you just said that the same- y'know never mind." Nick shook his head as the elevator reached the ground floor and they exited. Finnick sure was a cutie, even when he wasn't trying to be, and Nick sure was glad that the elevator wasn't going to the basement. He was getting flashbacks from his old 'apartment'. Sure the new place was a shoebox, but it was a place. And it was his - and hopefully Finnick's - for the forseeable future. He just had to work the baby angle a little differently this time, and he had just the plan to test the waters. Or the diapers, as the case may be.