On A Doorstep (unedited version)

Chapter 18

Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this really nice chapter. Really, really nice.

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Chiro sat atop the robot, looking out into the sunset.

"Look into sunsets often?" Jinmay asked, sitting next to him.

Chiro laughed.

"Only when I'm thinking."

Jimmy tilted her head.

"About what?" She asked.

Chiro turned his attention back towards the sunset and the castle.

"Just everything that has been happening in the past year. The kids being here, Mandarin coming back, the labs and what Skeleton King has done...it feels too much in just one year hasn't it?" He asked.

Jinmay nodded and clutched her knees.

"It has, but that's necessarily not a bad thing you know." She pointed out.

A slight breeze brushed past them, making Chiro shiver, but he nodded.

"Oh yeah I know....say quick question."

Jinmay scooted closer to him.

"Yeah?"

Chiro held her hand.

"Do you still want to look where you came from? Your home? I mean I know you tried to once or twice and ended up coming back here." He said, feeling guilty at the end.

Jinmay thought about what he said.

"Yes I do...I mean I still want to know where I came from but you...this city...Shuggazoom is my home." She said softly.

Chiro swore he was falling in love with her again as he smiled and held her hand.

"But after the war I am going to try to look for where I came from, but this time with a bit more help if that's okay with you." Jinmay said.

Chiro nodded.

"I would love to, I'm sure the others would feel the same way." He said before kissing her cheek.

Jinmay scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you...thank you so much...I love you." She said.

Chiro has never turned his head faster in his life.

"Wha-? What?"

Jinmay looked up at him.

"I just said I love you." She clarified.

Chiro' face turned a bright red.

"Erm uh I...you too."

Jinmay laughed as Chiro ducked his head. She then tilted his head up and kissed him.

"Dating for a while and yet you're still like this." Jinmay giggled before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well can you blame me?"

The two then sat up there and watched the sunset, curled up with each other.
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Erin groaned later that night as he sat up and looked around his room in the darkness. He was so bored! He had nobody to play with, well except his caterpillars, who were named Judy and Pumpkin. He really likes pumpkins. But they didn't talk or anything, and that's not fun!

Erin started babbling very loudly, hoping someone would wake up and come see him.

"Baaaaaa!" He yelled before falling on his back from the force.

The sudden shock of the fall caused him to blink before crying, both in frustration and in shock.

Suddenly the door opened as Mandarin entered the room. Erin's cries were nearly stopped as he sat back up and lifted his arms. His mommy looked worried for a second.

"How am I going to hold you?" He muttered.

Erin tilted his head, still sniffling. Mandarin looked around the room, unsure of what to do.

"Muuuh!" Erin whined.

Mandarin looked back at him before pausing.

"I'm going to take a risk." He said.

"Eh?" Erin asked before Mandarin put down the front of the crib and held out his hand.

"Can you crawl yet?" Mandarin asked.

Erin stared at his giant hand before nuzzling it. Mandarin blinked.

"Okay maybe not. Well then let me just..."

Erin felt himself being scooped up in one hand and being held in the other. He clutched Mandarin's finger as he looked down at his crib. His jaw dropped when he saw how high he was. Erin turned to Mandarin and smiled.

"Ub!" Erin yelled, raising both arms in the air.

Mandarin shakily sighed.

"Okay...I won't drop him...I won't drop him..." He said to himself as he sat down.

Erin completely forgot why he was crying earlier and looked down at everything. It was just so cool! He turned to Mandarin and smiled, having the time of his life.

"You're seven months right now, according to infant development books you should have been crawling since last month...but then again they didn't say that most infants develop differently." Mandarin huffed.

Erin didn't really pay much attention, just kept looking over Mandarin's hand and cooed.

He was suddenly confused when Mandarin placed him on the floor.

"Well then maybe we should start trying. Here I will put this," He placed one of his toys a bit aways from Erin.

"over here, and you can attempt to crawl over there." Mandarin said.

Crawl? Erin tried that and it didn't work out so well. He saw other babies do it and...for some reason he can't do it himself. Was there something wrong with him? Erin frowned at the toy before getting into the position to crawl, he started to force himself to go back and forth....and then he slid to the floor and groaned. He quickly got back up and tried a few more times before sliding back to the floor and groaning some more.
He felt Mandarin rub his back.

"Don't be discouraged. You will get there eventually, it's a natural thing." His mom said soothingly.

Erin sniffled, feeling so frustrated.

"I'm proud of you for trying anyway, that is what matters to me."

Erin sniffled even more and picked himself up and looked back at Mandarin. He smiled sadly and placed his finger on his cheek. Erin sniffled again and looked back at the toy. He was proud of him anyway? Even when he still can't crawl? That somehow filled him with such determination that he looked right at the toy and began to force himself to go forward and put one hand in front of the other.

"Come on...you got this." Mandarin whispered.

Erin took a deep breath before pulling himself forward and made his way towards the toy. He grabbed it and pulled it towards him. He looked down at the toy and blinked. Did he just crawl? He felt Mandarin picking him up and holding him close.

"I said you would get there." He said happily before kissing his head.

Erin blinked before the realization hit him and he gasped. He then clung to Mandarin and babbled happily, bouncing a bit.