A Cup Of Desire (Cuphead x Reader)

Chapter III - Nothing to Worry About

I heard the door open and could hear a friendly conversation brewing with the occasional laughter. I got up from the chair and walked to the edge of the staircase, hiding behind the wall so I could listen in to what these two sounded like. I could hear one had a slightly higher voice than a regular man would, and the other had a more deeper, stronger voice to him. Their tone of voice seemed very friendly and nice, but it really didn't make me feel any better. I could hear what sounded like general chatter, then after a while, I could hear Elder Kettle change the subject. I couldn't make out everything he said, but I was able to recognise that he'd begun talking about me. He seemed very polite to them, stating that I was a 'fragile soul' and to not bombard me with anything. This went on for a little while until I could hear the boys eagerly say out loud they wanted to see me. That's when I heard Elder Kettle call out to me.

'My dear, you may come down now if you like.' He shouted with what sounded like a smile on his face. I sighed, resting the back of my head on the wall before taking a deep breath in and building enough courage to stand up and walk. As I slowly made my way down the stairs, I held my right arm tight as I clung onto the railing, having my head down watching every step I take. When I got to the last step, I stopped and looked up.

'(Y/N), these are my two boys.' Elder Kettle exclaimed. The first thing I noticed about them was... their heads. 'They have cups for heads?' I thought to myself. One was slightly taller than the other with red features and a striped red straw. The other wore blue features on him, with a slightly smaller blue straw. They both looked at me with huge smiles plastered on their face, seeming eager to converse in a conversation with me.

'G-golly...' The red one stuttered quietly to his brother. His eyes stared directly at me, filling my body with even more nerves than I already had and I could see from here that his face was filling up with a soft cherry blush.

'Hello there, (Y/N). My name is Mugman!' The blue one introduced while walking up to me with a gentle smile. He stopped for a moment, turning his head around and realising his brother was still standing there, frozen like a statue. 'psst, cup...' The red one snapped out of his trance and straightened himself up a little.

'Oh, I'm Cuphead!' He stammered while walking over to me. He reached a gloved hand out and I hesitated to accept it, but I obliged and held mine out. He gently grabbed it and shook it with a soft but firm grip. 'It's lovely to meet you.'

'Likewise.' I smiled, trying to hide the anxiety in my voice.

'You know, y-you've got a really pretty name.' He added.

'Aw, thank you.' I blushed, fidgeting my fingers a little. 'And you're name... uh, suits you.'

'Really? I hadn't noticed!' He laughed, making me laugh a little as well.

As he let go of my hand, he started to examine me from my head to my toes, probably thinking how disgusting I look. I took notice and wrapped my arms around each other. 'Sorry, I must look like a mess, huh?'

'N-no, that's okay!' He smiled, looking back at my eyes, 'Mugman and I have scurried through those woods before and trust me, we came out a lot worse than you.' He laughed in a comforting tone, which caused a little giggle to escape my lips.

'Hey Elder Kettle, why don't we take (Y/N) with us for a walk, show her around the place?' Mugman questioned.

'Yes, she should join us!' Cuphead added, a big grin appearing on his face.

'Well, it's up for her to decide.' Elder Kettle responded, causing all three of them to look at me, awaiting my response.

'Uhh...' I paused, looking down at my clothes then back up. 'I don't think I look very presentable, do I?' I questioned them.

'Yeah, maybe not.'

'Of course you do!'

Mugman said, followed by Cuphead boasting out, speaking at almost the same time as each other. It took me aback a little, but made me giggle in response.

'Well my dear, if you're not comfortable with what you're wearing now, I can send Cuphead and Mugman to go out and get you something a little better. Would that be alright?' Elder Kettle suggested with a warm tone in his voice. I agreed and the boys looked at me for suggestions; what colour do I like? What size clothing am I? Do I want a dress or pants? I wasn't too sure on everything, and I didn't really know what I wanted if I was being completely honest with myself.

'Um, surprise me.' I responded. The boys looked at each other, then back at me, as if they were going to raise their left hand to their heads, salute me and say 'Yes ma'am!' in unison before proceeding to walk off out through the door. Once they left, I sighed and slouched my back a little as if I'd just dropped a 10 pound bag from my shoulders.

'See my dear, there is nothing to worry about with them.' Elder Kettle comforted, placing a gentle hand on my arm and looking at me with a tender smile.