Chapter Text
This had been a huge mistake.
As soon as Edge had set his sneakered foot inside the pen, the swarm of bitties had surrounded him. He wobbled in place, a wave of terror washing over him. Aw geez, one wrong move and he’d kill every last one of the little shits! How the hell was this even allowed?!
His expression of panic turned into a scowl as he heard Berry giggle behind him. Edge’s head snapped back to shoot a fiery glare at his brothers, both of whom were watching with a good deal of amusement. “Do you mind?!”
“Aw, what’s the matter, Edgy? Gettin’ self-conscious?” Blue teased with a shit-eating grin, eliciting another giggle from Berry.
Edge glanced down at the crowd of bitties, wincing at how some of them were attempting to climb his legs. He redirected his attention to Blue with an annoyed huff. “Just… let me do this in private, ‘kay? Go look at the clothes or some shit, I don’t give a fuck.” Anything to get them as far away as possible. This was bad enough, he didn’t need an audience too.
Blue’s gaze softened as he nodded in understanding, though he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Asshole. “We’ll keep our distance. Just give us a holler if you need us.”
Edge sent him a curt nod in return, having no plans of doing anything of the sort.
“Alright, Ber. Let’s give him some space,” Blue said before shuffling off.
Berry shot Edge his most winning grin, eyes sparkling. “You’ve got this, Edge! Just show them the amazing big brother I know you are!”
Edge’s form relaxed a bit, and his face softened. Damn, why did Berry always have to be so genuine? It was easy to get pissed at Blue, but Berry? Impossible; kid was just too damn sweet. Self-loathing was simply not an option with the ball of sunshine around—his smile alone could melt even the coldest of souls. “Thanks, dude.”
Berry gave him two thumbs up before taking off after Blue with a “MWEH HEH HEH!”
Pfft. Dork.
Edge let out a sigh, and with reluctance, he let his gaze drop to the smiling crowd at his feet. He winced. He was never fond of being at the center of attention, and the fact that they were all tiny didn’t seem to help matters in the slightest. “So… uh… hey?”
“HELLO!”
He flinched, shrinking into his hood. Aw fuck, this was gonna be hard. Why did he agree to this? He needed to get the fuck outta here!
No… no… just… take a deep breath.
In…
Out…
Edge’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. Okay. Slightly better. Don’t panic. Just re-
“Would you like to sit down?”
Edge nearly jumped back, only stopping himself in time as he realized he’d potentially crush several innocent bitties in the process.
...
Wait. Did the whole “if you break it, you buy it” rule apply to killing bit-
NO. NOPE. NOT GONNA THINK ABOUT THAT.
...
Looking to the sound of the voice, Edge spotted a male in a blue sweater standing on the back of a small chair. Feeling a little numb, he nodded. “Uh, y-yeah. That um… that sounds great.”
Just like that, the sea of bitties parted, allowing Edge to make his way over to the chair completely murder-free. Well that was one problem out of the way.
The blue bitty sent him a reassuring smile, and Edge did his best to return it. If the bitty’s reaction was any indication, though, it probably looked pretty terrifying. Oops. Damn, why’d he have to get stuck with a skull full of nasty looking fangs instead of those nice and friendly teeth Blue and Berry had? It sure would make first impressions go a hell of a lot smoother.
With a sigh, Edge sat down in the chair. All at once, it felt like his nerves and uneasiness simply washed away.
Okay… okay. This wasn’t so bad. Now that he wasn’t towering above all the little squirts and relying on their own sense of self-preservation to keep from accidentally squashing them, he could actually breathe and think. Maybe… he really could do this.
...
These thoughts were immediately chucked out the door and he instantly regretted every life decision that had led up to this moment.
A multitude of tiny hands began to grab onto Edge’s pants as they climbed up, and it took every ounce of self control to not send the little buggers flying off. Geez! Did these things have no concept of personal space?! Before long, about ten had scaled his bony body, resting on his lap or shoulder or wherever they could find a spot. Others had made themselves comfortable in a nearby play tower, hanging out windows or chilling on the roof. The rest simply opted to remain on the floor, looking up at him with big curious eyes.
Edge hated touching. Hated it. He could tolerate it from his brothers, but that’s because they were family. Anyone else though? HELL no. His magic was racing a mile a minute as alarms blared in his head, his anxiety off the charts. They had to leave him alone eventually, right? Right?!
“So those other two are your brothers?” asked a girl in a pink sweater, currently seated on his knee.
Edge swallowed hard, trying his best to remain as still as possible. “Uh, yeah.”
“Is it just you three?”
“Suuure is, kiddo.” He could feel sweat beginning to form on his skull. Maybe doing this alone wasn’t such a good idea.
“What kind of things do you like to do for fun?” piped a boy in an orange sweater, kicking his feet while he studied Edge’s face from his shoulder.
“Uh, n-not much, really,” Edge admitted. His red eyes darted around the room, trying to find something to focus on. “Watch movies, I guess?”
“Ooh! I love movies!”
“What kinda job do you have?”
Edge shrank in his jacket, his face heating up. “Uh, I kinda don’t have one…”
“So what do you do all day?” asked the bitty atop the chair, raising a curious eyebrow.
“Just… eat and nap, I guess? Watch TV in between?” God, this was the worst. He already had to deal with judgemental assholes on a daily basis, he didn’t need to be interrogated by a bunch of tiny ones too!
“That doesn’t seem very healthy.”
“Maybe you could try exercising! Getting out and going on walks!”
Edge winced. “Uh, heh, that ain’t really my-”
“Sir!” Edge’s eyes fell down to a cheerful girl in purple, a drawing pad clutched to her chest. “I’ve never seen a skeleton monster before, and you just look SO COOL!”
Edge’s cheekbones grew rosy. “Uhhh-”
“Is it okay if I draw you? Please?”
His eyes shrunk to pinpricks and the rosiness spread. FUUUUCK no. “Heh heh… um… sure?”
She let out a tiny squeal. “THANK YOU!”
Oh great. Now his nightmare-inducing face would terrorize the tiny residents for weeks to come. How lovely.
A content hum from his left seized his attention, and Edge found himself staring down at a pair of bitties comfortably nestled into the fur of his coat, looking like they were mere seconds away from drifting off. He grit his teeth. “Uh, HEYYY, could you NOT-
“Are you and those other two really brothers?”
The question made Edge’s head snap over to a bitty in black on the play tower. “What??”
“I dunno, you just seem a lot grumpier than them,” she replied with a shrug. “Your teeth are all spiky and your fingers are sharper and junk.”
Okay, before he was just getting overwhelmed, but now he was getting irritated. “Ya know, that’s a pretty damn rude-”
“Aw, don’t listen to her, Mister Edge,” came a rather tall bitty in green. “She just likes to pick on people.”
Edge winced. “Er, I-”
“Yeah! I think you seem like a real cool dude!” piped another.
“B-But you don’t even-”
“Mhm! Definite best-bud material for sure.”
“Wai-what? I-”
“Oh definitely! Those other two don’t have ANYTHING on you!”
“H-HEY! Don’t go talkin’ about my br-”
The comments and questions and remarks just kept coming in despite his feeble protests, one after the other with no sign of slowing. Though they were significantly smaller, the bitties soon drowned Edge out entirely with their chattering cacophony. He couldn’t even think straight; his own thoughts were hopelessly smothered by the sounds of too many tiny voices and the frantic rushing of his own magic. Everywhere his eyes darted, he was met with another face staring up at him with eyes that were bigger than should be allowed. His breaths were getting shorter and more erratic, and he had to resist the urge to wipe his sweaty hands on his pants.
Just keep it together, Edge-
“Seriously though, your teeth are SUPER sharp. Are you like, part shark or something?”
Just keep it-
“Is this a mustard stain? It kinda smells like it.”
Just-
“Hey, did you know you’ve got a hole in this sneaker? You should probably see about-”
“S H U T U P ! ! !”
It had only come out as a low growl, but the force behind it was undeniable, filled with barely contained rage. Somehow, he had kept himself from lashing out at the pests, though every bone in his body was shaking from the desire to do just that.
With several frightened squeaks, a large amount of the bitties fled from their previous resting spots, though a few brave ones still remained, their eyes studying him with worry. They began to gently pat and reassure him, but that only made it harder for Edge to keep it together; without meaning to, he started to quietly growl, the smell of burning wood filling the air around him. There were just too many of them! He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, it was simply too much.
This had been a huge mistake.
He needed to get out of here, ASAP.
He needed Berry.
He needed Blue.
He needed-
“Well that was pretty rude.”
Edge’s entire body went stiff. All of the tiny, overwhelming voices fell silent, snuffed out in an instant. Slowly, he turned his head to the source of the voice, red eyes flickering dangerously.
Leaning against the wall a short distance away was a bitty in a yellow sweater, a mess of sandy blonde hair atop his head. His arms were crossed, and he studied Edge with an icy expression. “I mean, I thought you came here looking for a friend, not someone to yell at.”
Edge’s face fell, and he felt himself grow a bit nervous. Shit, he really did kind of lose his cool, huh? Even if they were getting on his nerves, he knew it wasn’t okay to take his anger out on the little guys. After all, they were used to dealing with normal, friendly monsters, not nasty assholes like himself. He sighed, slouching in defeat. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I just get irritated easily.”
The bitty snorted. “And yet you think it’s a good idea to get a bitty?”
“Well, I mean-”
“All they were doing was trying to get to know you, bud. They were just being friendly,” the bitty went on, steamrolling ahead. “And you’re saying that pissed you off?” He shook his head with a tut. “Not a good look.”
Several of the bitties began exchanging nervous glances.
Edge’s sockets narrowed a bit. “HEY. That’s not- I-I just got overwhelmed, alright?!”
“Oh you got overwhelmed!” The bitty stepped away from the wall and turned to face him, wearing an expression of mock delight. “I see now! Well, that just completely excuses everything, doesn’t it?”
Edge’s shoulders began to shake, and the few bitties who had remained on his person began to hastily retreat. “Man... fuck you. The hell is your problem?!” He already knew he fucked up, he didn’t need this four-inch asshole chucking it back in his face!
“I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Edge.” The bitty in yellow took a step forward. “We’ve been nothing but kind, and yet you’ve been openly hostile. You say you were overwhelmed just by us being friendly. So tell me: how are you gonna handle having one of us around 24/7?”
Edge’s eyes began to spark, and his fists clenched. Who the actual fuck was this little prick?
“Are you gonna lash out?”
Shut up.
“Are you gonna beat up your defenseless little friend?”
Shut UP!
“Or are you just gonna get rid of them altogether? Bring them back and return them? Abandon them on the streets to fend for themselves? Maybe just silently end it all with a quick sli-”
THWUMP!!!
Edge was on his knees, fist slammed down beside the bitty as his whole body shook and rattled. His teeth were bared, and his red eyes were practically aflame with barely-restrained anger, the very air around him fizzling and crackling from his magical inferno. “Listen here, you little SHIT. You don’t know a fucking thing about me, so go crawl back into whatever mouse hole you came out of and. Leave. Me. ALONE.”
The bitty in yellow, having stumbled back, looked up at him in a bit of shock for a moment. However, as the seconds ticked by, a slow smile crept across his face.
“...Huh. Point proven.”
...
Edge froze.
What had been a raging fire moments before was abruptly reduced to nothing more than damp pile of ashes, his blinding anger finally silenced. Raising his head, he looked around to see all of the bitties staring up at him. However, their eyes were not wide with wonder and delight this time, but rather fear and horror. As his gaze met their’s, they began to whimper softly and shrink back, clearly afraid he’d make them the next target of his anger.
Edge felt his soul lurch.
Oh no.
Oh no… he’d really fucked up this time.
Just like always.
Edge sat back upright, pulling away from the bitty in yellow. His sockets were as hollow as he felt, and his bones were quietly rattling.
Why couldn’t he do anything right?
His form crumpled a bit, and he buried his face in his hands, unable to let the tiny faces look at him with their frightened eyes any longer.
Why was he like this?
Edge grit his teeth as waves of frustration and self-loathing ruthlessly pounded him from every angle.
Why had he even dared to get his hopes up that maybe, just maybe, things would be different this time?
…
What was the point in trying anymore?
…
Maybe…
Maybe he shouldn’t try any-
“OW! What the-”
“That’s what you get!”
“Tiny?! What did I tell you? Go back into the play-”
“No way! What you did was NOT cool!”
...
...what the?
Confused, Edge parted his fingers a bit to see precisely what was going on.
A new bitty had arrived on the scene, one he didn’t remember seeing earlier. She was small, way smaller than the yellow sweater bitty she was glaring up at.
Huh?
“Look, Tiny, I know you’re still pretty new here,” the bitty in yellow sighed, “but you saw what just happened. If I hadn’t provoked him here and now, he might’ve gone home with one of us and we wouldn’t have any clue about the kind of person he really is.”
...wait what? Is THAT what that was? Some kind of sick test???
The smaller bitty, aptly named Tiny, put her hands on her hips with a huff. “Yeah, but you went too far! He was just really nervous!”
“Tiny, people don’t lash out like that when they’re nervous.”
“We’ll he wouldn’t have if you hadn’t kept pushing him! He even apologized before you kept egging him on!”
“I needed to see how he’d react!”
“That’s a bunch of baloney and you know it. You’ve just got a big head and an even bigger ego!”
The yellow bitty made a strangled sound of shock and annoyance, and Edge barely kept himself from doing the same. Holy shit, who WAS this little pipsqueak?!
Standing up tall (or as tall as she could), Tiny moved around the stunned bitty and strode right up to Edge. She stopped a short distance away, not getting too close, and cleared her throat. “Excuse me...sir?”
Rather stunned himself, Edge lowered his hands to look down at her. Now that he could see her clearly, he noted she was wearing an oversized green sweater. Her rather messy hair was a light, dusty brown, and a pair of bright blue eyes seemed to light up her soft face. In fact, now that he could get a good look at her, it was clear that she was just a kid. He didn’t know how bitties aged, just that most tended to be either teens or young adults. Now that he thought about it, she was the only kid he’d seen so far.
Tiny shyly bowed her head. “On behalf of EVERYONE-” she shot a look back at the bitty in yellow “- I’d like to apologize for your experience here today. This shouldn’t have been your introduction to bitty adoption, and I’m really really sorry things went so poorly.”
Edge blinked, trying to figure out how to react to the sudden shift in mood. “It’s uh… it’s okay, I guess? Ain’t your fault.”
She pursed her lips. “I still feel bad though.” Her eyes ran over his face for a moment. “You… still look kind of nervous,” she noted. “Do you want all of us to, ya know, skedaddle while you um, recover and stuff?”
Recover?
...Oh, huh. Whaddya know: he was still shaking.
Edge nodded. “I’d uh… I’d appreciate that, thanks.”
Tiny stood up straight and nodded her head, eyes shining with newfound determination. Heh, she kinda reminded him of Berry, looking like that. “Alright, everyone! You heard the big guy!” she called out as loud as her little voice allowed. “Give the man some space! Go find something else to do! ESPECIALLY you, Judge!” she added, whirling around to point at the yellow bitty.
The bitty, or Judge as she had called him, raised his hands and retreated, though he gave her a stony look as he did so. Soon enough, the rest of the crowd scattered, vanishing from sight.
Once the area had been cleared, Tiny turned back to Edge, her face soft once again. “Feeling any better?”
“Startin’ to, yeah. Just need to sit and chill for a few, that’s all.”
She nodded. “Would you like for me to go get your brothers?”
Edge blinked in surprise. “Wait. Ain’t you supposed to like, stay in here?”
A grin of pure mischief spread across Tiny’s face. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
He couldn’t help it: Edge let out a snort. “Heh, uh, alright kiddo. Yeah, if you could do that, that’d be great thanks.”
With a nod and a salute, Tiny took off for the chair, quickly scaling it. “Just sit tight, okay? I’ll be back before you know it!”
“If you say so, kid,” Edge replied with a smirk.
From atop the chair, Tiny took a leap, landing on the wall, only to wobble in place for a moment. Fortunately, she managed to regain her balance, letting out a relieved sigh as she did so. Sending Edge a smile and a wave, she hopped down to the tiled floor of the shop and took off.
Edge tilted his head and chuckled with bemusement. What a weird fucking kid…
—
It didn’t take long for Tiny to locate the brothers at all. With all the noise they were making, she was surprised she couldn’t hear them back in the pen.
“Oh but PLEASE, Blue!”
“We can’t afford it!”
“But it’s so CUTE!”
Tilting her head with a smirk, Tiny slowed her run to a halt. It would seem the pair were currently debating buying a bitty house—personally, while they were neat and convenient, she had always liked the idea of fixing up a little place of her own. “Excuse me, sirs?”
Both brothers jumped a bit and looked around, and it took a moment before their gaze fell to the floor. The one with blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, immediately dropping down to a crouch. “Oh! Hello there, little miss! Are you lost?”
Tiny stumbled back a bit from the sheer force of his positive energy, but she kept her smile all the same. “No, I’m not. I was actually looking for you two.”
The other brother lowered himself as well, though he was slower and his smile was slightly confused. “Lookin’ for us, huh? You kneed us for something, kiddo?” he asked, giving his knee a pat for emphasis.
Tiny giggled, hands flying to her mouth. Gosh, it was so refreshing to hear a simple, dumb pun—the other bitties seemed to prefer much more elaborate and mature jokes. Which were great as well! But… she didn’t always get them, and no one ever wanted to explain them to her.
Once she had recovered from her giggling, she shook her head, smile falling a tad. “Actually, it’s your brother who needs you.”
The cheer was sucked straight out of both skeletons’ faces, and Tiny immediately felt bad. Their smiles were so nice too, much nicer than the somber looks they wore now. “Is he okay? Nothing bad happened, right?” the blue-eyed one asked, leaning in even closer.
“He’s okay,” Tiny confirmed with a nod, earning a sigh of relief from both brothers. It was sweet how much they clearly cared for him… would anyone ever care for her that much? “He just got a little overwhelmed, I think? Everyone was really excited and I think it might’ve been too much.” Not to mention a certain someone was incredibly rude, but she didn’t need to talk about that now.
The pair shared a look and seemed to have a silent conversation. After a moment, they turned back to her, gazes soft. “Thanks for getting us, we really appreciate it,” said the one with the white eyes.
“No problem. I’m just glad I could help out!” Tiny replied with a smile. “He seems like a nice guy-”
“Oh he IS!” the blue-eyed brother interjected with enthusiasm.
Tiny giggled. “Yeah, he really does. Maybe next time, you should try letting him meet only a handful of bitties? That way he feels more comfortable and everyone gets to see how nice he is.”
The brothers shared another glance, this time looking a little pained. Had she said something wrong?
Before she could dwell on it though, she had their focus once more.
“Thanks for the tip, kid. We’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
“Would you like a lift back?” the blue-eyed brother asked, his voice growing in volume with excitement.
Tiny beamed up at him. “Yeah, totally!”
The blue-eyed brother let out a squeak of delight and thrust his hands out to her. Tiny wasted no time boarding her ride, and the moment she did, his eyes turned into shining stars. “OhmygoodnessyouresotinyandCUTE!!!” he breathed, bones happily rattling away.
“Calm down there, Ber,” the other brother chuckled, rising to his full height. “Don’t wanna let things get outta hand, ya know?”
Tiny couldn’t help but giggle, and the brother holding her let out a semi-amused huff as he stood up as well. “Yes, yes, I hear you. Now quit your punning; Edge needs us!”
—
While it felt like an eternity, it was only a couple of minutes before Tiny returned with Blue and Berry. However, when he saw his brothers come around the corner, Edge felt his magic finally begin to flow smoothly once more.
Berry hurried over to the enclosure and held Tiny out with a grin. “Edge! Your little friend came and got us for you!”
Edge sent him a smile. “I see that.”
Tiny quickly hopped off of Berry’s hands and scrambled back down to the floor. However, upon landing she tripped, only just barely catching herself before she faceplanted. Edge held back a snort as she righted herself and gave her limbs a shake. With proud smile, she hurried over to Edge and gave him a salute. “Sir! I have retrieved your brothers!”
Edge chuckled, gaze soft. “You did, and I really appreciate it. Thanks.”
Tiny let her form relax, and she started to fiddle with her hands. “So um… are you feeling any better?”
Edge nodded, glancing over at a group of bitties who were huddled inside of the play tower, watching them with wide eyes. “Definitely. Just needed some breathing room is all.”
“No one bothered you?”
“Not a single one.”
Tiny lit up. “Good! That’s really good! I mean, I’m really glad to hear you’re feeling better, sir.”
“You can just call me Edge, kid. No need to be formal.”
Tiny’s eyes grew big and round. “Okay… Edge!”
Edge couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. Maybe all bitties weren’t totally obnoxious.
The sound of a throat being cleared caused Edge to look over at his brothers. Oh yeah, he had asked for them to come get him. To help him escape from this nightmare.
This nightmare that wasn’t… quite so nightmarish anymore.
Yeah.
He sent Tiny an apologetic smile. “Alright, kiddo. Time for me to get goin’. Thanks again for helping me though.”
At this, Tiny visibly deflated, though she kept her smile on. “Oh, o-okay. Yeah! No problem!”
Edge couldn’t help but wince a bit. Well that wasn’t genuine at all. It was almost as if she was disappointed…
...but that couldn’t be right.
Shaking off the feeling, Edge sent her a wink and a smile before standing up. “Good luck finding a home, kid. Whoever picks ya is gonna be really lucky.”
Tiny’s smile fell entirely, and the sight felt like a punch in Edge’s soul. However, she hastily picked it back up and slapped it on her face once more. “Th-thanks! Nice… nice meeting you!”
Edge’s own smile fell. “You too.” He sent her an awkward wave. “Later.”
“Take care…”
Edge walked over to Blue and Berry and exited the play area, a rather confusing mix of emotions swirling around inside of him. Blue placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”
Edge nodded and took a breath. “Yeah… I’m good…”
“Sooo?” Berry asked, scooting closer.
“So…?”
Berry rolled his eyes with a smirk. “Did you, YOU KNOW, connect with any of them?”
Edge hesitated before turning to look back at the enclosure. The other bitties had come out of hiding and had surrounded Tiny, excitedly chattering and showering her in praise. Her back was to him, but he could imagine how happy she looked. After all, she was surrounded by so many friends that obviously cared about her. She was a good kid, she deserved all the love in the world.
And that was something she wouldn’t find with him.
He didn’t deserve someone that good.
Eyes dim, Edge shook his skull and avoided his brothers’ gazes. “Nah. I think I’m ready to head out.”
Though he wasn’t looking, Edge could hear a slightly strangled sound come from Berry, and he certainly sensed the way Blue tensed beside him. Figures that they’d be disappointed in his inability to do anything right. They shouldn’t be surprised though at this point, given his track record. Maybe this would mark their final attempt at trying to help him.
A sigh from Blue made Edge finally look up at his brother, who was casually shrugging. “Alright, if you say so.” With that, he began to shuffle towards the door.
Berry squawked, eye-lights tiny and bright. “Bwah?! But! BUT! BLUE!!!”
Blue raised a hand. “Berry, you heard him. He’s ready to go, so we’re gonna go. No buts.”
Edge simply sent a shrug of his own to Berry before following Blue, which earned another indignant squawk from the younger brother. Kinda odd that Blue was being so casual about this and wasn’t pushing him, but he wasn’t gonna complain.
That said… there was a weird feeling of… regret stewing inside of him.
Why did he feel so bad?
“It’s kind of a shame though,” Blue mused as he neared the door.
Edge tilted his head as he was jerked out of his thoughts. “What’s that?”
“I guess this coupon I brought is gonna go to waste. It’s a pretty good one too.” Blue stopped and raised a hand, a piece of paper between his phalanges.
Edge’s brow bones rose.
“Thirty percent off child bitties. Expires today.”
Edge’s sockets grew round.
“Oh well.” Raising his other hand, Blue began to rip the coupon.
Hearing the sound of the tiny piece of paper being torn set something off inside of Edge. In a flash, he had pounced upon his brother, sending them both crashing to the floor with shouts.
“Ack! Dude, what the heck-”
“I wanna get her.”
Blue blinked owlishly before a smug grin spread across his face. “What was that?”
Edge’s face grew red as he glared down at him. “I said I wanna get her! Now give me that fucking coupon before I rip your hand off!”
“Hey, hey, no need to get violent,” Blue chided with a chuckle. Edge growled in response before snatching the piece of paper from his hands.
“Oh gosh! Are you boys alright?!”
Both brothers looked up in surprise to see Mama Bri hurry over, stopping to stand beside an equally perplexed Berry. “I’m sorry, I got a phone call that took longer than expected. Did someth-”
Before she could say anything else, Edge was on his feet and in front of her, resulting in the woman letting out a small squeak. Edge thrust the coupon at her, his face filled with stony determination. “I wanna use this.”
Mama Bri blinked before taking the coupon. Her eyes scanned it once… twice… Her brow furrowed.
“Um… this is a BOGO coupon for Cheesy Poofs?”
...
Edge froze, sockets going hollow.
From behind, he could hear Blue began to snicker.
Edge whirled around, eyes aflame. “You motHER F-”
“WHAT my brother means is that he’s interested in adopting a bitty!” Berry intervened, wrapping an arm around Edge’s shoulders to prevent him from punching a hole through Blue’s skull.
Mama Bri’s gaze snapped to him, clearly struggling to keep up with everything. However, she smiled after a moment, though it was obviously a bit confused. “Oh, alright! That’s wonderful!” Her eyes shifted to a very uncomfortable Edge. “Who was it that you settled on?”
Edge shot a dark look over at Blue, who had risen to his feet once more. “...Tiny.”
Mama Bri’s eyebrows rose, followed by a look of delight filling her face. “Really? Huh…” She sent Edge a warm smile. “I think you two are going to be a great match for each other.”
Edge felt his face heat up a bit, and he sent a shy smile in return. “So uh… what do I gotta do now?”
Mama Bri smirked. “Why don’t you start by giving her the good news?”
—
Things in the play zone had returned to normal after Edge had left. Everyone went about their business, hanging out with their friends and chattering and doing various activities.
And Tiny?
Well… Tiny sat on the chair that was much too large for any bitty. Her legs were hugged against her chest, and her head was resting atop her knees. Her eyes were hooded as she blankly gazed out at the expanse before her.
She knew she shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up, and yet…
Everything had felt so right.
With a sniffle, she wiped at her nose. To think she had let herself believe they’d want her. That if she proved herself useful, they’d see value in adopting a child bitty like herself.
Stupid…
So caught up in her cloud of angst, Tiny didn’t even notice the surrounding chatter go completely silent. She did, however, notice the awkwardly loud cough from above.
Snapping her head up, she was surprised to see the rather shy face of Edge again. What was he doing here? Tiny hastily rubbed at her eyes and sent him a smile. “H-Hello again, sir- I mean, Edge.”
Standing just on the other side of the wall, Edge leaned down and sent her a small smile in return. She liked his smile, it was nice. “Heh, uh, hey there, kiddo.” He paused, taking in her current state. “You uh… you okay?”
Sitting upright, Tiny nodded and made her smile bigger. “Yeah! Totally!” Her smile faltered as a thought struck her. “Did… did you come back to try and meet everyone again?”
Edge shook his head. “Nah, I think I got my fill the first time around.”
Tiny nodded, a wave of relief hitting her. The thought of watching him pick out someone else made her want to curl up and cry, and she didn’t think she could handle that right now. “Oh, okay. So what’s up?”
It was then that Tiny noticed both of the other brothers as well as Mama Bri hovering not too far behind him. That was weird…
Edge shifted a bit, looking increasingly uncomfortable. “Um… well ya see… I’ve got a question…”
Tiny tilted her head and sat up. Was this some kind of a test? Did Mama Bri put him up to this? “Okay, shoot.”
Edge sent an uncertain look back at his brothers, earning an excited nod of encouragement from one and a thumbs up from the other. He turned back to look down at her, clearly nervous. “Well I… shit. Fuck.” He took a deep breath. “Listen. I need ya to know that you don’t hafta say yes if you don’t wanna. Cause believe me, I understand if you don’t wanna. Heh, I know I wouldn’t wanna…”
Tiny tilted her head, trying to figure out where he was going with this.
Edge shook his head with a sigh. “Sorry. Any who… I know this is a long shot but… is there any chance maybe you’d wanna come home with me?”
“...what?”
Edge rubbed the back of his skull. “Like I said, don’t feel obligated to say yes. I know I made a real shit first impression and I ain’t all sunshine and rainbows and I’m a total asshole and- wait, why are you crying? Kid, h-hey. Hey! Stop crying! Shit!”
Tears were pouring down Tiny’s face as she beamed up at the now frantic skeleton above her. “Y-You… y-you really wanna take me home?” she squeaked out.
Edge froze, realization seeming to register. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do. B-But only if you wanna.”
Tiny nodded her head and stumbled to her feet, sniffling and smiling and furiously blinking through the waves of tears. “I’d l-l-LOVE t-to!”
Slowly, a smile spread across Edge’s face, one that was joyful and genuine and showed off all of his big sharp teeth. “Heh… I’m really glad to hear that, kiddo.”