Jack swiped his employee badge through the time clock. “Finally.” He muttered exhausted and depressed. The liquor shelves called to him as he walked to the front of the store. He shut out the siren call and reached for a green box instead. Kraft spaghetti was about the cheapest crap you could find, but it was enough to put a smile on a fluffy’s face, and that was enough.
That was jack’s outlet. When everything weighed at him $1.50 got him fresh made sketti and delighted praise from any fluff fortunate enough to cross his path. Plus it got him out of the house.
He ladled out the soft red slurry in waiting plastic baggies. It was a little harder to control than tupperware but undeniably cheaper. He sealed them up and let the steam collect in silver puffs at the top. He donned his oversized trenchcoat and stuffed the single serve bags into its deep pockets.
Most days he’d wander the park or through alleys looking for ferals but today felt like it had been rock bottom. With the worst of the day behind him he found the bravery to venture to the fluffmart, and Veronica.
It felt silly holding on to a crush at his age but something about the cashier made his heart melt. ‘if only I could meet her somewhere else.’ he lamented. He saw her the moment he walked in. Her eyes so tired and sunken, her smile so tight and forced. She was a woman who understood him, who felt his pain. A woman straight out of his dreams.
"H-hey Veronica!"He waved to her as he walked in. She looked at him confused.
“How did you know my name?” She asked.
“S-sorry…” he muttered trying to break line of sight in the shelves.
He didn’t know why he was so bad at talking to her but one day he might get better. one day. He stalked around the toys and food looping around to the play pen trying not to be spotted. He had to pass by the last chance wall to get there, but unfortunately he couldn’t help them. The plexiglass doors were locked tight and he could offer little but to stick a finger through the air hole for them to muzzle. His heart sank as they took it.
Jack wasn’t an abuser at heart he just didn’t really have his life together. It felt pointlessly cruel to force something else to rely on his care when he didn’t take the best care of himself. for now it was better to just watch from afar and take short visits to their smiling fluffy faces.
Jack knelt by the play pen reaching in to pet a slightly lazier fluff that was stacking blocks.
“Hey little guy.” He said as the fluff pushed into his hand for more affection. “Do you want a little treat?” The fluff turned to him, curious.
“Wha’ kind ob tweatie?” He asked.
“Just a little secret, between you and me.” He said pulling a bag out of his pocket discreetly.
“AM DAT SKETTIE!?” the excitable stallion screamed seeing the plastic wrapped paste of pasta and sauce. Dozens of heads turned as even the most engrossed in their playtime were shocked by the mention of the favored food.
“Nope.” Jack dropped the bag back into his pocket as he tried to stand and walk away. The stallion followed and many of the other fluffies in the playpen were with him.
“Am sowwy sketti man. Nu teww odew fwuffies bou’ secwet sketties. Pwease gib tu fwuffy?” He called out and others joined the chorus. “Fwuffy gud at keepin’ secwet!” “Nu nee’ gib tu odew fwuffies! fwuffy shawe wit yu!” “Dwop da skettie ow da babbeh gets it!” “Fwuffy pay yu tuesday fo’ a sketti today.” Jack sped up trying to find some quiet corner where they might forget what he looked like. His escape failed when his legs buckled, tackled out from under him and he hit the ground hard.
“Mistew hab tweat fo’ Pwincess? Pwincess be gud fo’ tweat!” a neon purple pegasus elated as she hugged his legs. Jack tried to get up but felt his hand slide out from under him as it rolled a plastic bag of warm sketti away from him.
“Dat mawe huwt da sketti man! Come on fwuffies! Sketti man needs ouw hewp!” One of the fluffies called from within the play pen. They surged to the wall battering it with their hooves trying to beat their way through. Jack tried to stuff the bags back in his pockets. There were so many and they seemed to slip out as fast as he could stuff them in.
“Come on princess. He doesn’t actually have sketti on him.” an exasperated owner said giving her leash a tug. She clung to him like a sloth clings to a tree in a hurricane. She tried to steal a bag from his pocket but he tried to rip it from her mouth.
“Sketti man! Sketti man! Sketti man!” The playpen chanted as an impromptu work song. They kicked at the wall in tandem, their efforts more coordinated and cooperative than the designers had ever intended.
The owner stepped closer reaching for his pet. He stopped short smiling. “Wait, do you?” He asked with a chuckle.
“No!” Jack yelled trying to hide the pile of remaining bags as he worked on gathering them in pockets. He was so close to grabbing them all, to getting out of here. The playpen wall finally popped its pins crashing to the floor.
“To da sketti!” A fluffy cried leading the charge against him. He was swarmed in seconds, buried under too many warm bodies to get his hands to his pockets. Their muzzles quested to them as he tried in vain to keep them all out. He grabbed any bag he could see leaving, trying to pull it back in. A bad grip tore one of them open. in an uncharacteristic act of ingenuity the playpen pack worked on tearing apart other prizes as well.
“What’s going on over here?” Veronica called out in a stern voice. Some scattered under her withering gaze but many stayed valuing the sketti over any possible punishment.
“No. no, please.” Jack muttered as shameful tears stung in his eyes. He shoveled loose pasta into the pockets of his ruined coat knowing how futile it was with the streaks of red sauce on the floor. It stained his hands and his knees and had coated more of the floor than he would have thought possible. He wanted to curl up and hope noone noticed but he was painfully aware of the spectacle he had made of himself. He watched helpless as she approached an inscrutible look of disgust and pity on her face. A cream colored fluffy rushed to his side and stood between them.
“Fwuffy sowwy nice wady!” She called out drawing veronicas attention. “Am fwuffy fauwt. Gud daddeh jus’ wan’ be nice an’ gib skettis tu fwuffy bu’ fwuffy nu pay-shent. Wiwy wan’ skettis nao. Das why daddeh bwing skettis fo’ fwuffy.” Veronica was stunned but looked more annoyed than anything. It was a marked improvement. She steadied her breath and turned to Jack.
“Sir please take your fluffy and leave. I will handle this just try not to bring outside food like that again.” He blinked away what few tears were still in his eyes and pulled himself to his feet.
“I’m-” He began but was stopped with a hand gesture.
“Just- Just go. I have more than enough to deal with thanks.” She said walking towards a custodial closet. The owner of princess hoisted the scape fluffy into his arms.
“Don’t forget her man. Word of advise? You just gotta let em cry it out sometimes.” Jack grabbed her still feeling like this was a dream. A half baked nightmare that would drop him pantless into high school any second.
“Thanks.” He said numbly carrying Lily out of the store. He walked in silence unsure of what to say. She was the first to break the silence.
“Su… Daddeh otay?” She asked carefully. He looked down at her confused.
“Why did you do that?” She tried to shrug in his awkward grip.
“Daddeh wook wike needed hewp. Wiwy happy to take bwame if hewp nyu daddeh.” He frowned at her.
“I don’t know if I can take on a fluffy.” He admitted. Lily looked at him like a deer in headlights before lowering her gaze.
“Wiwy kno. jus’ dat…” Her voice lowered to a sad whisper. “Wiwy onwy hab few days weft in waww boxie.” Jack felt a lump rise in his throat. He certainly couldn’t take her back now.
It’s not that I wouldn’t I just, I don’t think I’d be any good." Lily smiled at him
“Wiwy know yu gud daddeh. Wiwy see yu befowe. See how happy fwuffy smiwe makes yu. See how you wub fwuffies. Beside Wiwy hewp yu. An’ nu just wit’ hewp Wiwy.” He looked down at her.
“What do you mean?” She suppressed a snicker.
“Wiwy see cowts dat am bad wit fiwwies. Wiwwy kno’ yu wike Vewonica. Vewonica wiked Wiwy. She kno’ yu nu daddeh. Wiwy can hewp yu wook betta’ tu hew! Mowe… nowmaw” Jack tried to take the insult in stride. Overall it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. He’d still have happy fluffies and a cute cashier in his life. It would just be one fluffy every time and the cute cashier at home.
“Alright,” He conceded. "Maybe I could take in a fluffy. Lily beamed at him.
“Wiwy knew it! Wiww hewp but onwy if agwee tu one fing.” He scowled at her hard bargain.
“And what is that?” She rose up to full height excited.
“Can Wiwy hab skettis?”