The Cover Says It (Shifty X Handy)

Chapter Six

" I'm asking you where's the vase!?"

" It's confidential you sick bastard!"

Their shouting resounded across Acorn diner. Shifty had both of his grip on Lumpy's collar, his flannel almost felt like it was about to tear apart. Handy realized they were gaining unwanted attention from the other booths. Immediately, he tugged Shifty away from Lumpy and set aside to have a private talk with him, " What the hell is wrong with you?" Handy hissed. " I'm helping that's what I'm doing," Shifty casually answered as he readjust his shackles.

The other man glanced at Lumpy who was comprehending what had happened just now. He return to face his partner. " You're being too harsh on him." Just a minute ago, all of them were waiting for one of them to speak again. Until Shifty thought it was a good idea to just pulled a stunt like that.

Shifty face seemed vex, " I woke up and chose to violate him. He's the reason i got this handcuff." He showed his wrists to Handy which he already had seen it numerous times. The beaver smacked his wrists away, " If you want to make amends with me then you better do it right." His face got closer to Shifty. There was a pause until Handy averted his head as it was unbearable to even face him at this point.

Time was ticking and they only made little progress. Handy took a moment before he exhaled, " I'll deal with him, you just behave." He gave a warning and returned to the booth where Lumpy was still slightly traumatized by the assault.

The very first thing he did was to apologized, " Sorry about him, he's a bit sick in the head." Lumpy look agitated, " You think? That lunatic harassed me!" He pointed right at Shifty. Handy looked over his shoulder to see him sitting at one of the barstools at the counter. He had his fedora lowered, staring right at their booth like he was a stalker. Though Handy could tell his intention was to intimidate Lumpy, he was a bit disapproval towards his behaviour recently. And seeing Shifty's demeanor at that moment, did caused his fur to prickled a bit. Which surprisingly impressed him.

Handy stood by the table, " All we want to know is where the vase is Lumpy. Why would it be considered confidential?" Lumpy curt his head to the side, " I'm not telling anything." said Lumpy with his arms folded. Handy raised an eyebrow, " Okay then... would you mind telling me if i order you another meal?" Lumpy stiffen until he turned his head to him, " Would you?" Handy had to admit, it wasn't shocking Lumpy could easily be lured by any negotiation. Handy could simply gave him something that's his interest and Lumpy would gladly take it. It's the same thing when interacting with a child to be honest.

" If you tell us that is." Handy said it once more. Lumpy glanced around the booth before he gave in. But what came out from his mouth, only made Handy's job more burdensome. When he finished talking, Handy eyes suddenly became twitchy, " You.. what?"

-

Shifty continue to watched over their booth, still a bit salty how he's on time out. Sure, he could just simply walked over there and pursue his way of interrogating the moose. But he decided to be against his own idea for once. He finally tore his gaze from those two and just stared at his wrists instead.

When Handy told him to behaved, it greatly damaged his ego. It amazed him how Handy knows how to put people in their places, including people like Shifty. He might've underestimated him after all. There was something about Handy that made Shifty gained some respect towards the repairman. "  Are you going to order or just going to make another scene here?" Shifty tilted his head to meet Giggles across the counter.

She had finished cleaning the floor few minutes ago. The felon blinked and leaned back on the backrest of the stool, " Don't know. But i do know i have to wait for Handy though." Giggles cocked her head to the side, " Waiting? That's new." She looked at the booth afterwards, " You sure you guys are only seeing Lumpy?"

Shifty stared at her dumbfounded, " Yeah..?" he said, " You're acting strange today. It's fucking weird." Giggles folded her arms, " Says the one that walked into the diner with a damn handcuff on." The only respond he could gave her was a glare. He rarely interact with Giggles with a lot of reasons. And it's mainly because anytime he does get a chance to talk with her, they always end up getting sassy with each other.

" It seems like you're not convinced yet that i've moved on from your friend." Shifty eventually brought up what had been bothering her this entire time. The waitress rest her chin in her palm, " And i still do." Both of them stared at each other for a moment, Shifty rolled his eyes, " For god sake, we were together last year. That was months ago." he went on, " What else is there to make you think i'm still chasing after her?" he said quietly, realizing their conversation had became personal. Giggles glance away to check the kitchen, making sure her friend was not eavesdropping. Her voice lowered into a whisper, " She told me you were talking to her the other night."

" So?" he said knowing where this was heading. Giggles continue her statement, " So stop it, this isn't the first time it'd happened." she confronted to him, " If you keep creeping up on her like that. I'm going to make sure i'll skin you alive." The sudden threat she threw at him was unexpected. Shifty was pretty aware how overprotective Giggles could get towards her friends. So with that in mind, he tried to took her warning lightly, " Okay relax, an employee isn't suppose to treat a customer this way."

Soon after, she had a look of someone who's about to leap across the counter at any moment now. Shifty chuckled nervously, regretting his choice of words, " Sorry, i'll be out of her fur if that's what you want." Giggles straighten her back, her face soften, " Thank you." Their was a brief silence until they heard something crashed at the exact same booth.

" You scumbag! What do you mean you sold it!?"

Giggles and Shifty were witnessing something unforeseen before them. Instantly, Shifty got off the barstool and rushed over to stop what was happening. Lumpy was on the ground, struggling to get off from Handy. He was standing on top of Lumpy's torso, his feet pressed against his chest, trapping his windpipe. Lumpy was holding onto Handy's ankle, wheezing, " Ack! P-please, i can e-explain.." Handy's expression was livid, there was murder in his eyes, " What is there to explain?" he put more force onto his air passage, almost making the man underneath him to pass out.

Right before he could do anything, Shifty put his chain over him and seized him away from the injured man, " Handy! Restrain yourself!" Shifty had no choice but to embrace him as Handy twisted under his grasp, " Let go!" Giggles hurriedly exit the counter to check on Lumpy. And once again, the same people were staring at them as the diner went awfully silent. Even the jukebox had died out. " I would if you just calm the fuck down." Shifty said, surprise by this encounter. It took him a while to compose himself. Once he was completely cooled down, he rested in his arms for a while, " He sold it to an auction."

Shifty looked at him bewildered, " You serious?" Handy eventually made eye contact, " Why would i be joking?" As they remained in this position,  their faces were uncomfortably close. In fact, everything was uncomfortably close between them. Shifty was the first to break eye contact, his face flushed a little, " Since when did we ever have an auction in town?"

This turn of event really shocked them both. Their chances of retrieving back Handy's vase was near to zero now. But the real question is, how did Lumpy even managed to sell it to an auction? After Giggles helped Lumpy got up from the ground, the moose quickly hid and trembled behind Giggles when he saw Handy with a scowl on his face.

" If any one of you guys even try to make a ruckus one more time. I won't hesitate to kick you three out." Giggles said as she had enough for today. Shifty reminded Handy, " You hear that Handy? One more outburst and we're out." he continue, " So try to behave?" Handy got startled when he spoke right next to his ear. He had forgotten how non-existent their personal space had become. In return for his reminder, he stomped on Shifty's feet. The raccoon bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming as Handy ducked under the chain to get away from him, " We're done here anyway." He quickly recover as he spoke to Giggles, " Oh and one more thing, send Petunia my regards."

Giggles just waver a nod before Handy and Shifty decided to end their interrogation with Lumpy. Customers in their booths averted their gaze when the strange duo walked past them. They reached to the exit with Shifty opening the door for Handy. Handy gave his last glare to Lumpy before completely stepped out from the diner. Shifty instead, glanced at the kitchen and shortly followed him as well. Together, they headed to their next destination in town.

-

End of chapter.