Kris and I catch the pizza delivery man just as he's about to speed away in his car.

“Stupid teenagers,” he mutters under his breath, handing us our pizza. “Can’t keep up with time.” After a few hasty apologies on my part and a rather large tip, the man drives away. 

I unlock the door to my condo and gesture for Kris to come in. “Put the pizza on the table. I’ll get plates.”

“Nice refrigerator,” Kris smirks, and I turn red. My gray stainless steel fridge looked too dull and boring, so I decorated it with an assortment of adorable magnets, dessert recipes, and pink post-it notes that have uplifting little quotes on them. It's a wonderful refridgerator. The best in the world. 

“What do you mean? My fridge is fabulous,” I reply, affronted.

“I didn't think you were into that kind of cute stuff.”

"Why?"

“Well, look at you.”

I examine my reflection in a window pane. Blood and dirt are splatttered all over my body, small cuts line my legs, and my messy brown hair is falling out of its hasty bun. There’s blood and dirt all over my body, small cuts on my legs, and my old tennis shoes are scuffed at the tops.

Kris sighs. “You're not cute in any way. You're just so...," 

I throw a Rilakumma magnet at his face. “I am a very cute person!” I yell. 

Despite my best efforts, I start laughing.

I don’t know if it’s because Kris and I fought as a team together for the first time, but we seem… better now. Like we don’t hate each other.

Not friends or anything, just… allies.

The smile on Kris’ face tells me that he thinks the same thing as well.

“Go take a shower,” he says. “I’ll get everything ready.”

“Thanks.” I run upstairs and literally twirl into the bathroom. Aaah, it feels so good scrubbing all the muck and filth off my body in the warm shower.

When I emerge from the bathroom, I feel like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Wonderful. 

“Give me a plate,” I command Kris, and he hands me a plate without looking up from his half-eaten slice. When I open the box I see that half the pizza is already gone.

“How much do you eat?” I gasp. “Jeez!”

“Growing boys need their strength,” he mumbles, half-chewed food still in his mouth. I roll my eyes. “We could always order another pizza for the rest of your family,” Kris suggests.  

I freeze. Kris’ eyebrows furrow at my cloudy expression. “Did I say something…?” he asks.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” I clear my throat. “I live alone. I don’t have any parents.”

Kris puts down his slice of pizza. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

There is an uncomfortable silence until Kris says, “Do you have an extra toothbrush?”

I tilt my head. “Yeah, why?”

“Because I’m staying over tonight.”

I choke on my pizza. “Wh-wh-wha-” I splutter between coughs. Kris pounds my back with his fist. “Ow!” I push him away. “That doesn’t help. And what are you talking about? Why would you want to stay over? Do you not see the fault in this? Teenage girl staying alone with teenage boy-,”

“I’m too tired to drive home,” he yawns. “And I just saved your life AND activated your chi. I deserve some form of payment.”

“I gave you pizza. That should be payment enough.”

Kris scoffs. “Nope. Besides, who would want to put the moves on you?”

After another 5 minutes of arguing and attempting to push Kris out of my house, I finally relent and show him to a guest bedroom down the hallway from my room.

“Bathroom’s next door. You better not finish all my food. Now, good night.”

And I stomp away.

As I’m getting into bed, I hear a soft murmur coming from Kris’ room. It sounds like he’s having a conversation with someone. Suddenly I hear a loud slam on the wall, followed by a lapse of silence.

My curiosity gets the best of me and I silently tiptoe to his room.

Pressing my ear on his door, I listen.

“Stop trying to push me into things I don’t want to do, Father,” Kris hisses in a low, angry voice. “I don’t want to be like you. I don’t care.”

There is a pause, and then Kris murmurs, “Don’t you dare bring her into this. Don’t you dare.”

He's having a conversation with his father on the phone. By the sound of it, they don't have the best relationship...

I teeter on the tips of my toes, wondering if it’s really my place to listen in to his private conversations. But the next moment, I hear Kris throw his phone on the table and collapse onto his bed.

I silently walk back to my room and close the door.

So I'm not the only one with family problems. 

why do i even try writing fluff it just turns out really stupid oh my god