THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

Princess first crush

(A request from AlicornNorth )

Princess woke up to the familiar sound of Diane and Wolf arguing downstairs. It wasn't unusual—those two seemed to bicker constantly, especially when it came to how to raise her.

"I just don't get it, Diane!" Wolf's voice echoed from below. "Why do you let her go out like this?

"She's not a little girl anymore, and you can't control her every move!" Diane shouted back

Diane's voice was calmer but firm. "She's 14, Wolf. She's going to have moments where she wants to go out and live her life. Let her grow up."

Princess groaned, pulling the covers over her head. As much as she loved them, waking up to their arguments wasn't exactly the best start to the day. She rolled over, but before she could drift back to sleep, she heard another conversation happening downstairs.

"And for the record, I didn't enjoy that kiss from Piranha. Ew, he tasted like tuna and...potato salad," Webs' voice rang through the house.

"I didn't hear you complain last night," Piranha shot back smugly.

"Shut it!" Webs snapped.

Princess snorted, muffling her laughter with her pillow. That was the last thing she needed to hear first thing in the morning.

Downstairs, Piranha smirked at Webs, nudging her with his elbow. "C'mon, chica, you can admit it. You liked it just a little bit."

Webs made a disgusted noise, rubbing her arm like she was trying to scrub the memory off her skin. "Ugh, no. It was a distraction technique. That's all. And for the last time, you reeked of fish."

Piranha folded his arms, grinning. "Not my fault I got natural fishy charm."

Webs rolled her eyes. "It's your fault for eating three cans of tuna before bed. That was straight-up disgusting."

Piranha leaned closer, wiggling his brows. "Bet I could change your mind with round two—"

Webs shoved him off his chair. "NOPE. Conversation over."

Piranha just laughed from the floor, while Snake, who had been silently listening, groaned. "I swear, you two get weirder every day."

Back upstairs, Princess shook her head, still smiling. She had bigger things to think about.

She sat up in bed, her thoughts immediately drifting back to what had been on her mind all week—Eddie. Their kiss.

Her heart fluttered as she reached for her sketchbook on the nightstand. Opening it, she stared at the drawings she had spent the past few days working on. Page after page was filled with sketches of Eddie—his smile, his eyes, and most notably, the two of them together. Kissing. Cuddling. Holding hands.

She felt a warmth spread across her face as she picked up her pencil again, adding more detail to a new drawing of Eddie, this time with their hands intertwined. It felt so real, like a secret she could keep just for herself.

She didn't realize how much time had passed until she heard a knock at her door.

"Princess?" Wolf called from the other side.

Her eyes widened, and in a panic, she shoved the sketchbook under her pillow. "Uh, yeah?"

The door opened, and Wolf stepped in, holding a tray. "I've got some leftover brownies from Diane. You want some?"

Princess took a breath, forcing herself to act normal. "Sure! Thanks, Wolf."

Wolf placed the tray on her dresser, but then he gave her a once-over. His brows furrowed. "You're sweating. You feeling okay? You got a fever or something?"

Princess wiped her forehead quickly. "No! I'm fine. Just... it's hot in here, that's all." She forced a smile, hoping he wouldn't push further.

Wolf studied her for another second before shrugging. "Alright. Just let me know if you're not feeling good, okay?"

"Got it!" she said, maybe a little too quickly.

He gave her one last look before heading out, closing the door behind him.

Princess let out a deep sigh of relief before immediately pulling her sketchbook back out. She stared at the latest sketch of Eddie, biting her lip.

She liked him. Really liked him.

Before she could dwell on it for too long, another knock came at her door. This time, it was Diane's voice.

"Princess? Can we talk?"

She hesitated but then called out, "Yeah, come in."

Diane stepped inside, smiling warmly. "How are you feeling today?"

Princess hesitated before taking a deep breath. "I... I need to tell you something."

Diane sat beside her on the bed, her expression soft and encouraging. "Go on."

Princess fidgeted with the corner of her pillow before finally blurting out, "I had my first kiss."

Diane's eyes widened with excitement. "What?! Oh my gosh, Princess, that's amazing! Who was it?"

Princess felt her face heat up. "Eddie... it happened at Zoey's party."

Diane clapped her hands together, barely containing her excitement. "Oh, sweetie, that's wonderful! Eddie's such a great guy. I'm so happy for you!"

Princess looked at her pleadingly. "But Diane, you can't tell Wolf or the guys. Please. They'll freak out."

Diane's excitement faltered, but she nodded. "I get it. Don't worry, I won't say a word."

Princess exhaled in relief. "Thank you. I just... I'm still figuring this out, and I don't want them making a big deal about it."

Diane smiled and tucked a loose strand of Princess's fur behind her ear. "I get it. But, for what it's worth, I think it's sweet. First crushes are special, and I'm really happy you told me."

Princess smiled back. "Thanks, Diane. I appreciate it."

Diane gave her a wink. "Anytime, sweetheart. And hey, if you ever need advice, you know where to find me."

With that, she stood up and left the room.

Princess stared at the door for a moment before looking down at her sketchbook again. She ran her fingers over the pages, a small smile forming on her lips.

She wasn't ready to share her secret with anyone else just yet, but for now, she was happy.

Princess sighed, shaking her head as she heard the argument escalating downstairs. Just when she thought she could have a quiet moment to herself.

"Would you please let it go?!" Webs' frustrated shout echoed through the house.

"Why can't you admit you liked it?" Piranha shot back. "You were literally all over me! Couldn't get your hands off me. You were all like—" He cleared his throat and dramatically reenacted their make-out session. "Oh! Oh! Ohhh! Ahhh!"

Princess nearly choked on air, covering her mouth to stop herself from bursting into laughter.

"Oh, you are such a pig!" Webs snapped.

Piranha smirked. "But you're into that."

"Shut it!" Webs hissed, and a loud smack followed—probably her whacking him upside the head.

Princess shook her head, unable to hide her amused grin. This house is insane, she thought. And she wouldn't have it any other way.