[CHUCK MCCOY]

✧ RIP ✧

I ain’t seen Mo for bout a week tho it felt like a whole ass lifetime!! ‘Cause my whole life changed since the last time she seen me. No, I ain’t any taller, unfortunately. Ain’t got any uglier thank ■■■■.

But I had news. Hella news.

In some odd months, I was gonna be a dad.

Not just husband to the cutest girl in the whole wide world and the greater universe beyond. But father to her children, too. Our children.

It was hella rocking my whole world. I ain’t know what to say bout it at first, cept hug my girl hella tight and babble on some nonsense. How?? How were babies made? We made that? It was mine? I was pregnant, too?? Goddamn was it crazy!

But I was just so happy. Happy to be hers, happy to be a family unit and I couldn’t wait to tell Mo! Was quaking in my Converses the whole week!! Who else was I gonna tell? Bet my father already forgot bout me, ain’t seen Brie Brie or that adorable punk Ume in hella long. Mo was not only best friend at this point but also family. Shit, maybe from the start really. She was a part of this too. From meeting at that coffeeshop, helping out that whckass to the Kaneko ordeal and everything with her own kidnapping, too. Would do anything in the whole wide world to be there for Mo. Those spoiled brats of mine (brats with an s! Two! We’re having two of ‘em!!) were bout to be the luckiest nieces and nephews alive! Or niece and nephew? Nieces? Nephews? Niblings?? Spawn? Shit, I still ain’t know grammar either!!

So I roll up to one of our favorite grills, the fattest grin over my face. Clutched in one of my arms was a gift from a bakery near our apartment: two speciality rice balls packed in a gift bag! Could she guess what it was? If I got there first, I’d take a table for us by a wide open bay window, a sprig of flowers sitting pretty to the far side of the grill. I’d greet her with a huge hug, clapping her back!! If she got there first, I’d hug her all the same, howling with joy and turning heads at the joint!

tag: mochi

[mochi]

"Hoiii!" Mochi entered and glanced around, one arm going up over her head in a wave as she spotted Chuck by the window and scurried over to join him. Decked out in a baseball cap with 'EMPTY' printed on it in big bold letters, a baggy blue sweater with 'FULL' printed on it in the same way, tights and sneakers and takoyaki earrings in her ears the blonde hugged Chuck right back. Privately she beamed just a little bit brighter over Chuck being just as short as ever - Futaba had gone and gotten taller than her, and Kaz had always been, so the number of people Mochi was taller than wasn't a big list as it is!

Giving Chuck an extra good squeeze in response to the pat on her back, Mochi broke away from the hug and took a seat. Shifting a bag off her arm and off to one side where it'd be out of the way for now, she had gotten Chuck a gift to celebrate the big news. But she was going to try to surprise him with that so he'd have to wait a bit! Instead she gave Chuck a big broad grin and got right to teasing him: "Guess who I heard was going to be a mom soon? A certain 'Mrs. Mccoy'?"

The look on her face and her tone already were so smugly teasing it was obvious what she was talking about, but she made a show of briefly poking her index fingers up near the top of her head to mime horn before dropping her hands down to make a rounding gesture over her chest - meant to call to mind another of Kaz's traits. Ones Chuck was a big fan of according to Kaz herself.

CHUCK MCCOY

[CHUCK MCCOY]

✧ RIP ✧

MO!! The fattest grin came over my face as soon as I saw her, those takoyaki earrings that were just as unique as her, too! Hey wait, had she gotten a touch taller too? Maybe it was my imagination or just the sensation of being in the embrace of a lifelong friend who had your back through thick and thin. Hella great feeling, like you were skyhigh all of a sudden and they had a shield to the ozone protecting you. “Nice fit.” Years later and still one of my favorite aspects about clothing here were the random letters on articles of it. Just felt right nowadays, or like another element of Mo’s aesthetic that was right as rain.

Stepping back to take a seat, I ain’t even notice the gift bag, was just so at home in her presence. She got down to business right quick. A mad blush came over my face, neck as she said what she did, growing all the deeper as she made the rounding gesture with her fingertips. I chuckled, practically wheezing as my fingers swept through the back of my head and I came back up for air. “Aw shit word gets around fast, huh?” All grinning, despite my embarrassment, despite the blood thundering away in my veins. Excitement. Joy. Ecstasy. Fear. Worry, like I ain’t worry ‘bout nothin’ before, n’ I still had nightmares ‘bout Kazashi’s safety every night. It wasn’t just her now, it was the kids, and it was the thought of her getting hurt while carrying or what if something happened in childbirt-

“Yo it’s wild.” I stared off to the side, nowhere, a thousand thoughts occupying a brain that had a capacity of -1 at all times. Then I looked back to my favorite, and only, ocean-eyed homie. “How do I not ■■■■ it up?” Kids. Being the best for her. Everything about what was coming next. I ain’t even realize I asked until the question was out.

tag: mochi