The Stud Muffin Cafe (Wallababy)

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Bunny didn't work at the Stud Muffin Cafe, but her aunt and uncle owned the place, and her cousin, Bailey, was a sort-of employee (he just worked when he needed to or when a new batch of mochi was needed, as that was his specialty).  She had been ecstatic when she'd heard that her relatives had decided to move out to Pilot Ridge and start up a new bakery in town, because she loved their shop in Vancouver and missed it a lot when she'd moved out to go to Hammel.  Now, with it so close, she could go in whenever she wanted!

Which was what she was doing now, tucked into one of the cute little tables in the corner of the bakery, munching on one of her uncle's delicious concoctions.  Her cousin, by chance, had just texted her to see where she was, and when she told him, Bailey had told her to stay there because he was coming over with a friend.  Curious, Bunny kept glancing out the window to see when they arrived.

Bailey was, in fact, tugging along a certain cutie, and hadn't told Bunbun that he thought the two of them would be perfect for each other.  They were both incredibly adorable, as Bailey had found out in the short time that he had known Wally, and since his cousin had finally broken up with that blonde creep (Bailey knew Jackson from the basketball team but he wasn't a huge fan of him), he thought it was a good opportunity for them to get to know each other.  Hehehehe....

He waved at Bunny as he stepped inside to the pleasant jingle of the door, ushering Wallace in front of him so he could put his hands on the boy's shoulders from behind and practically escort him to his cousin.  "Bunbun!  This is Wallace, aka Wally.  Wallaby, this is my cousin Margery, but don't call her that, she likes to go by Bunny."  Bailey grinned cheekily at the girl, who was scowling at him good-naturedly but then turned her eyes to the cutie in front of her.  "Wally just told me he's never had mochi before, and I thought that was absurd, so I think I'll go back and make a fresh batch while you two get to know each other, yeah?"

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It hadn't been about mochi the whole time, and he wasn't going to let Bailey get away with convincing him otherwise. Because the athlete had been talking about his cousin well before mochi had even entered the discussion and while he was still incredibly confused as to what kind of plan he might be concocting... he was suspicious. And confused... mostly confused, as he had no idea why Bailey kept talking about his cousin and how cute she was and how she and Wally would definitely get along.

He appreciated the prospect of making a new friend, but something about the situation was fishy but he remained oblivious as to what it might be.

"Bailey, I'm not sure this is a good idea..." he whined as he was tugged along, "She might hate me and get mad at you for bringing me along and I don't want you two to argue because of me." As far-fetched as it seemed it was a concern that felt very legitimate to Wally. He was always worried he might do something to hurt or mess up Bailey's reputation or friend group, after all it must be hard enough for the other boy to have someone like Wally always stuck around him.

But it was hard for him not to want to hang out with Bailey, he defended and helped him out, he could easily call him his best (only) friend. It had been easy to allow Bailey to fill that protector and almost familial role that had been left vacant by the distance between him and his family but he worried that Bailey might be being too kind for his own good and their friendship might come back to bite him....

He launched more protests at his friend, hushing slightly as they pushed through the door and into the store, blushing when he caught sight of the girl that had to be Bailey's cousin. "I'm nervous," was the last hushed whisper he was allowed, paired with a look of concern before he was being introduced to the girl.

"Hi," he waved, turning back to her, his usual bright smile stretching across his face in compensation for the extreme nervousness he felt. "I like both your names, they're very pretty." Wally turned to look at his partner, shocked that he was leaving them alone, what if he did something stupid?

Obviously he was still oblivious to what Bae's intentions for the two of them were.

"U-um," he looked to his new female companion, and sat haltingly in the chair opposite her, fidgeting as he did, "I've seen you in the halls at school, but I'm still pretty new..."

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Nope, mochi definitely hadn’t been the real reason that Bailey had wanted to drag Wally along – if that were the case, he would have just taken him directly to the café rather than texting Bunny first to see where she was. It was just fortunate that he could kill two birds with one stone with this encounter, hehehe…

“Bunny would never hate a cutie like you,” he assured the nervous younger boy, reaching over and pinching his cheek playfully. “Trust me, I know what she’s like.” Bunny was more likely to swoon and fawn over the baby-cheeked boy than anything else.

He was also not at all concerned about his reputation dropping simply by spending time with someone who wasn’t really popular or ‘cool’. No, he thought the only thing that might happen was that Wally’s own reputation would go up from being around Bailey Bonneville. And besides, Bae couldn’t just leave a poor little sweetie like Wallababy to fend for himself against the jerks that thought it was cool to pick on those meeker than them.

“Don’t be,” he reassured him in a whisper. “She’s very nice.” Seriously, he’d never really seen Bunny mad, he didn’t think it was possible.

Bunny returned the wave with a bright smile, already, as predicted, oogling over the sweet-faced boy that her cousin was presenting her with. “Hi,” she replied, her own voice a little shy and quiet. “O-oh, thank you! Yours are very cute too.” She beamed up at the boy, already deciding that she liked him. He was enough to make her forget about her small, lingering feelings for her ex, much like Fancy had the other day too…

She blinked over at Bailey as he announced his departure, a surprised ‘o’ on her lips. The boy winked at both of them before ducking around the corner and disappearing to go to work. Bunny looked across at her new companion as Wally sat, and managed another shier smile. “You’ve never had mochi?” she asked, a hint of surprise to her voice. “Bailey, um, loves that stuff, especially because of his ability…” Bunny wondered if Wallace knew about that yet.

She nibbled on her muffin as the boy spoke, and perked up. “Oh! You know, you do look a little familiar too,” she replied with a nod. “How, um, how long have you been at Hammel?” Absent-mindedly, she curled a finger through her blonde locks, continuing to smile the entire time she spoke. Wow, he really was cute… “I hope my cousin doesn’t push you around too much, he can be kinda bossy,” she added with a giggle.

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Wally would definitely remain oblivious to Bailey's intentions concerning him and his cousin until the older teen decided to tell him himself. Even then he would more than likely remain confused. Wally wasn't blind so he definitely saw and thought of Bunny as being very pretty, but the idea of Bailey trying to set them up together... well saying it was an uncomfortable thought would be not entirely correct, but it would definitely be an odd almost crazy idea to him.

He'd never been unable to notice when other's were attractive, and had his own crushes in the past, but he'd never sat well with the idea of 'bothering' someone with those feelings or thoughts. He wouldn't want to make them feel bad for turning him down he guessed because obviously that was the only way a situation like that would turn out. He wasn't going to wallow in self-pity over it anyway, after all, it was understandable he knew his personality and 'quirks' were a handful, even for his parent's who he knew loved him dearly.

But as close as he and Bailey were (he didn't even mind when the other boy touched him anymore) he still didn't like weighing his older friend down with his ....issues.

So, for now, he ignored Bailey's assurances, his good friend held to high an opinion of him in Wally's opinion. He was so nice in that way, always trying to make him feel better about himself, but it was just something he knew to be fact. People didn't like Wally, he was odd, and said weird things, and freaked out and threw tantrums over things that seemed minor to everyone else.

Typically, Wally could almost be described as shameless. Often blurting out the things on his mind without really thinking too much about how it could be potentially embarrassing for him or any of his companions. And so while coping with Bae's sudden departure he turned to smile at Bunny, glad she liked his name and nickname and didn't think they were stupid or dorky as had been pointed out to him in the past. "You're pretty too!" He chuckled, saying it as if it were just a normal way to greet someone, there was nothing flirtatious or flattering about the way he said it. He smiled and continued on as if he had commented on how it was surprisingly nice out that day (which he would never say because Vermont sucked and he hated it).

"No," he said with a shake of his head, hands wrung together in his lap as he picked at the cuticles of his fingers out of habit. "There isn't a lot of it in Miami," and he'd never really ventured outside the city and never out of Florida when he did. Much to do with his dislike of travel or being away from home and the things that brought him comfort. "Yeah! He told me he wanted to show me his ability today too." They'd talked about their individual abilities before, mostly when Wally grew frustrated when he accidentally stored the shirt he was wanting to wear or one of his games and how he could never seem to retrieve the right thing. Typically ending with him on the verge of tears, sniffling and pouting as his friend tried to reassure him he would find the items again.

"Really?" Oh, wow she must be super nice like her cousin, because it was so nice of her to recognize him at all. "Only a little while.... about five months now I think." Wally remained cheerful as he spoke, though his voice fell slightly as he thought about it. It wasn't a terribly long time, but it felt like forever when you hated a place. He only liked it here when he was spending time with Bailey.... but maybe Bunny would actually like him and they could be friends too? That would be awesome, he'd only ever spent time with his sister's and their friends until now, which had been nice but it would be even better if he could actually manage to find his own group to hang out with.

Wally continued to smile as they spoke, "No, he's nothing but nice to me. He's a really good person because I'm sure he gets annoyed with me sometimes," he chuckled at his own expense, smile widening to crinkle at the corners of his eyes. "He said you're really nice too, and that we would get along. I hope we do."

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Bunny’s problem wasn’t that she thought she was unlikeable, but that she simply got interested in too many boys too quickly to be able to decide on just one. Even when she had been dating Jackson, she would have been lying if she said she’d never looked and oogled at someone that wasn’t him. She just couldn’t help it! At least it helped her get over him more quickly than she might have otherwise…

As far as Wally’s concerns about Bailey went, if he voiced them to the older boy, he would find that the jock didn’t see him the same way Wally saw himself at all. Sure, the kid might’ve had a few weird quirks and habits, but he was also ridiculously cute and sweet and energetic and Bailey just wanted to pinch his cheeks! And he thought for sure Bunny, too, could overlook his few unusual qualities and see what an awesome guy Wally was.

And he wasn’t surprised. Even as he headed back, he caught the comment coming from the boy that was sure to make Bunny blush, and he grinned in triumph.

Because indeed, Bunny did blush in surprise and delight when Wallace so easily complimented her appearance, and she gawked at him for a stunned moment before breaking out into a huge smile and giggling into her hands. “Th-thank you!” she squeaked. Even if he didn’t mean it as a flirtation, she definitely took it that way. “You’re v-very cute yourself. How old are you?” It was hard for her to tell – he might’ve been one of those guys that looked a lot younger than he was.

“Oooh, you’re from Florida?” she asked, leaning against the table towards him. “I’m from Seattle, so we had a lot of different places with it there, but I like the kind my cousin makes best.” Bunny smiled brightly. “His ability is really funny! He can make mochi move around and fly and- maybe I shouldn’t spoil it all,” she mused with a chuckle. Bunny didn’t offer her own ability, as it embarrassed her and she only really mentioned it if someone asked or if she accidentally used it.

“Oh wow! That really isn’t very long. I’ve been here for a little over a year, I think,” Bunny replied, thinking back. “It’s a really big adjustment, huh? I bet the weather is a lot nicer in Miami too…” At least Seattle had already made her used to wet and cold. “Well, if you ever want to, you’re welcome to come over to mine or Bailey’s houses sometime for dinner! Our parents all moved into town – well, I’m sure he told you that his parents own this bakery, right?” She waved around the room. “That’s his dad, my uncle,” she added, pointing to a very tall, very muscular man serving a customer behind the counter. “He looks scary but he’s really not. My aunt is a little stricter, but mostly only with Bae.” Bunny giggled at this.

She offered a piece of her muffin across the table to the younger boy while she nibbled on the rest of her own and listened to him speak. “Good, I’m glad to hear that,” Bunny smiled. “I think the only thing that annoys him is when other guys beat him as man stuff, so I doubt you do!” Wally didn’t look like the kind of guy that lifted weights, at least, but who knew? “I’m sure we will!” she agreed excitedly. “I think we’ll be very good friends.” She, too, was oblivious to her cousin's intentions for them.

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Wally's smile widened, his expression brightening at the genuine delight that spread along the girl's face. It was relieving to see as he had felt much like he was floundering at the beginning of their conversation. And while it didn't provide him with a significant boost of confidence it relaxed him a bit more to see something akin to enjoyment on her face.

His compliment wasn't false or empty, as it was with most things Wally said, he wholeheartedly meant it. Bunny was very pretty and he was noticing that she was also very sweet, which only made things all the easier for him to relax more. "Ah, thanks," he replied, sheepishly, a bit surprised at the returned compliment, "I'm fifteen.... What about you?" She didn't seem much older than him, but he supposed it didn't hurt to ask. After all, they could be in the same grade and maybe they would be able to hang out more!... depending on if she wanted to.

"Yeah!" he leaned across as well, more to follow her movements than his own idea, it just seemed the best thing to do. "There might have been some around, but I just never noticed it." Wally's face grew curious when she mentioned her own home city, but wrinkled his nose at the mention of the weather, "This is my first time being out of Florida, I'm still not used to how cold it is here." He laughed and smiled along with her glad that they seemed to be getting along. Bailey had said they would, but he hadn't really believed him.

"It sounds really fun... I'm still settling into the idea of it all," there was a lot he was getting used to and while he had learned to accept items falling out or getting accidentally sucked up into his storage with frustration rather than shock he still wasn't comfortable with all of it. "I'm not very good with my ability, it's kind of embarrassing honestly." Wally's eyes widened as they continued to speak of how long they had respectively been at the school, "Oh wow!" it honestly hadn't been that long but it seemed that way to him. "So you're really used to it here and probably know a lot of people?" She seemed like she would have a lot of friends, who wouldn't want to be her friend?

"Yeah..." it was definitely a huge adjustment, he had been forced to change a lot of things about his life, and he had been far too comfortable to do so easily. "Really?" he questioned in surprise, eyes blowing wide once more, "That's so nice... I would really like that." He was already so comfortable with Bailey and maybe he could get that way with Bunny eventually too... it wasn't a replacement for his own family that he missed, but it might help. He just hoped their parents didn't get too mad at him or decided Bae and Bunny shouldn't be around him... He looked over to where she pointed and at a very intimidating looking man, "Oh," he replied meekly, with a weak smile, but was relieved --though still slightly skeptical-- at her assurances, "Are you sure they wouldn't mind if I came over?... I don't want to make them mad or make them not like me."

Wally accepted the muffin with a brightly spoken thank you, munching on it as she spoke. "No," he laughed in amusement, "I'm not very manly." And even if he was there was no way he'd be as manly as Bailey. "I didn't have a lot of friends back home," any really, "so that makes me really happy."

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Bunny hid her blush behind a sip of tea, already happy that her cousin had thought to introduce her to his friend. “Oh! I just turned sixteen about a month ago,” she replied with a grin. “So we’re almost the same age!” Maybe they even had a class together that she hadn’t realized? Bun would have to make sure to keep a closer eye out.

She realized a little off-handedly that their faces were close enough now that she could see just how full the cute boy’s eyelashes were, and she felt her cheeks heat up again. “Well, I’m sure Bailey will smother you with mochi if you let him,” Bunny replied with a giggle. “Ahh, yeah… It can be really chilly in the winter. That’s why I make sure to drink lots of tea!” At this, she took another sip of her hot beverage and motioned to the counter. “I’m sure my uncle would be happy to get you a free drink if you want.” He had a soft spot for his family’s friends, after all.

Despite her hesitancy to talk about her own ability, she was definitely curious to hear about Wally’s. “It can be really hard to control,” she replied with sympathy. “I’m still really bad with my ability too. Can I ask what it is that you can do?” This sort of conversation almost always led to her being asked as well, but… She didn’t think Wallace seemed to be the type that would be judgmental about it. “Mhmm!” she chirped. “I know quite a few really nice people, I can introduce you sometime!” Of course, Bailey had his own friends, but they were mostly jocks, so it actually sort of pleasantly surprised Bunny to see that her cousin had taken the cute boy under his wing. She had to wonder how they had met.

She nodded eagerly at his surprised to her invitation. “Mhmm! I have people over all the time! I can even see if I can cook your favorite meal for you – what do you like?” Bunny was smiling excitedly at this point. Wallace definitely seemed like the kind of boy that her parents would like… Unlike Jackson. “Oh no, I know my parents wouldn’t mind, they love meeting my friends,” she assured him. “And as for Bailey’s parents, you can ask him, but I’m sure they feel the same way.” She knew that Bailey’s dad could be very intimidating, but he was honestly the nicest man she knew, like a giant teddy bear.

She giggled and batted her eyelashes unconsciously when Wally admitted his un-manliness. “No?” she replied with a smile. “That’s okay, he can get kind of cocky about it sometimes anyway.” Bailey definitely had an ego, and she only hoped it wouldn’t offend the younger boy. “No? Really?” she replied in shock. “That’s ridiculous! You’re so sweet, you should have lots of friends.” Bunny reached across the table and took Wally’s hands in her tiny ones. “If you need anything, we’re here for you, okay?” She didn’t know why she was being so bold, but something about the boy just made her want to… Protect him.