"You're going to work tomorrow, right?" Uncle Kevin asked after the four of them had finished dinner and settled into the living room.
"Yeah," Arthur replied, nodding as he flipped the page of his book.
"Well, you'd better not oversleep, okay?"
Arthur couldn't resist the urge to tease back. "At least I would actually show up, Uncle. Unlike your friends."
Auntie Kelly let out a delighted giggle and gave Arthur a solid thumbs-up from across the room. It was a fair point, Shawn had completely stood them up today.
"Seriously, Arthur?" Kevin scoffed, trying to look offended. "Fine. But if you're late tomorrow morning, don't look at me. I'm not driving you."
"That's fine. I can just take the bus," Arthur countered, pouting to challenge him.
But that option immediately set off alarms for Kelly. "Absolutely not. You are never taking the bus alone again, Arthur."
Arthur sulked, though deep down, he was relieved. He didn't actually want to take the bus either.
Years ago, he had tried to navigate the transit system by himself and ended up entirely lost in a random, unfamiliar town.
A frantic, tearful call to Uncle Kevin had sent the older Alpha racing across the county to retrieve him. The incident had thoroughly traumatized Kevin and Kelly, and Arthur had been strictly banned from solo bus trips ever since. He was secretly glad, too as the whole ordeal had terrified him.
The memory made Arthur giggle softly. He sneaked a quick glance at Natalia, who was leaning back on the sofa, seemingly watching television but likely tuning into the background chatter of the house.
Letting out a quiet breath, Arthur looked down at his hands, his fingers fidgeting as his mind drifted. He leaned toward Kevin with a mischievous smile. "Are you at least going into town tomorrow, Uncle?"
Kevin had planned to go today, but since Shawn hadn't shown up, he had stayed home. Arthur wasn't upset about the canceled plans, but he was mourning the special treats Kevin usually brought back from town.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, you little brat," Kevin said, playfully smacking his shoulder. "I'm going tomorrow, and I won't forget your snacks."
Arthur grinned like an idiot. "You're the best, Uncle."
Kevin rolled his eyes affectionately as he watched Arthur immediately scramble over to Kelly's side. The little brat was undoubtedly about to beg for ice cream. Kelly had only allowed him a very tiny portion after lunch, leaving Arthur deeply unsatisfied and desperate for more.
Left to his own devices, Arthur would happily eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fortunately, Kelly kept his obsession under strict lock and key, and thanks to her discipline, Arthur had finally learned a modicum of self-control.
Kevin shook his head with a chuckle, turning to see if Natalia was enjoying the domestic comedy on TV. Instead, he caught her staring intently at Arthur.
"He's just a bit shy around new people," Kevin noted quietly, his voice gentle. "He'll warm up to you in no time."
Natalia quickly shifted her gaze back to her father, a rare flicker of embarrassment crossing her features at being caught red-handed.
She offered a casual nod, pretending it was no big deal. "When are you planning to visit the production factory?" Kevin asked, pivoting smoothly to business.
"Sometime this week," Natalia replied.
"Mm. Do you want me to let the management team know you're coming?"
"No. I want it to be a surprise visit," Natalia said, her eyes narrowing slightly with professional focus. "That way, we can see if operations are actually running as smoothly as they claim when you aren't around."
Kevin nodded, impressed. "Yeah. That's a smart move."
After a few more minutes of discussing business, the older couple turned their attention back to the other side of the room, where Kelly and Arthur were still giggling over some shared secret.
Kevin glanced at the wall clock. "It's already nine o'clock, Arthur. You have an early morning tomorrow."
"Ah... I really should go to sleep," Arthur murmured, checking the time himself. He always aimed to be under the covers by nine-thirty; if he pushed it any later, dragging himself out of bed the next day became an impossible chore. The familiar comfort of his routine was already making his eyelids heavy.
"Goodnight, Auntie!" Arthur leaned down to kiss Kelly's cheek before bouncing over to Kevin to repeat the gesture. "Goodnight, Uncle!"
He paused mid-step, realizing Natalia was sitting right next to Kevin. Her eyes were fixed on the television screen.
It would be rude to just ignore her, Arthur reasoned, his chest tightening with sudden nervousness. But she isn't even looking at him. What if she just ignores me? Arthur hated the thought of making anyone feel left out, and because he personally felt slighted whenever someone skipped over him in a room, he didn't want to inflict that awkwardness on Natalia.
Plucking up his courage, he took a breath. "G-goodnight, Natalia."
His heart did a frantic flip. If she pretended not to hear him, he knew he would be completely mortified.
Natalia tore her eyes away from the screen, turning her gaze directly onto him. Her expression softened just a fraction. "Goodnight, Arthur."
A helpless, radiant smile broke across Arthur's face. He practically floated out of the living room, feeling a rush of profound satisfaction.
The moment he closed his bedroom door, he collapsed against it, curling into a happy ball and burying his burning cheeks in his hands. Aaaah! She said goodnight back! She actually looked at me and said it!
He was ecstatic. The tiny, fragile crush in his chest flutters violently, completely erasing any trace of the sleepiness he had felt moments ago. But as his eyes drifted to the stacks of grading and lesson plans piled on his desk, reality crashed back down.
"I have to get up in the morning," he scolded himself, hitting his forehead lightly. "Go to sleep, you idiot. You cannot afford to look like a zombie and embarrass yourself in front of her tomorrow. I am going to be responsible and wake up early!"
Arthur clicked off his nightstand lamp, plunging the room into darkness, and tucked himself beneath the sheets with a wide grin.
God... life is so much fun.
Spoiler Alert: No, he did not wake up early. Arthur would remain a hopeless, lazy morning person, regardless of how hard he fell for the Alpha down the hall.