Chapter Text
“Let’s adopt some bitties!”
That had been the first thing a close co-worker of mine proposed to me after the night had finished for us.
I did not know what had possessed me to agree.
It could have been the way her eyes widen along with her smile as she leaned close to me. It could have been how my body still ached from the amount of dancing we had done the whole night and how much I desperately wanted to go home. Or perhaps it was just my exhaustion overriding my logic as I nodded my head without really letting the words sink in to what she had just asked me to do.
Whatever the case, I found myself standing in the lobby of the too bright Bitty Care Center in the early morning with her arm wrapped around my own at the elbow as we made our way towards the front desk. Though she was merely tugging me along as I struggled to adjust to the lights of the center.
Grayridge’s Bitty Care Center was by far the largest and perhaps the most popular center considering how the city was where a majority of the monster population was along with the fact it had been one of the very first centers to have popped up when the bitties were introduced to society. Not to say that after the drama of human society finally recognizing monsters as citizens hadn't upped the center's busy days...
Some monsters began to head further away into the neighboring cities.
I could understand why some would make that decision very well. Grayridge was still a big city and like all big cities was always busy.
“Isn’t this exciting?!”
I jolted out of my thoughts as I regarded my co-worker beside me as we stood off from the desk to wait for our turn to head into the pens with the bitties. She was maybe not just my co-worker or just a close co-worker. She was one of the few people I honestly would consider to call a real friend outside of work.
The name she had chosen to use at work and the one she used to introduce herself to me was Oasis.
It fit her rather well as she often seemed obsessed with water and her personality was quite refreshing in a city like ours with that smile of hers. Her hair was even dyed a light blue to mimic clear waters in its wavy style and when she let it down it practically hit the back of her knees.
Today though she had managed to tame her waves into a bun in order to avoid it getting tugged. Her hair was often the subject of interest to certain people and while she loved it, she took precautions to keep it unreachable to avoid hard tugging in case the bitties used it to climb to her shoulder. Yet despite the early hours and the struggle she had told me with keeping her hair up, Oasis was as energetic as ever with her jumping in place.
I could barely hold a conversation without coffee in my system and could only tilt my head to the side as I replied.
“It’s…Nice.”
“I can’t believe you say it’s just nice Clover!” Oasis was quick to shake me before hopping on the balls of her feet, “We’re going to see bitties!”
“You act like we’ve never seen one before silly.”
The sight of bitties had become quite as normal as the sight of monsters walking around. I could always see a little monster on someone’s shoulder or being held close in their owner’s arms whenever I went out.
The sight sometimes made me wonder how the owner and bitty got along.
Was finding the ‘right’ bitty even a thing?
I took a glance at Oasis as she now chose to sway from side to side while standing in place.
From my guess she would most definitely be a perfect match to a Baby Blue or maybe even a Papy. She would shower whatever bitty she adopted with as much attention as possible.
This made me worry a bit at the thought she'd probably spoil the little one a bit too much.
“Could you two follow me please?”
Oasis grabbed my arm too roughly and dragged me behind her as the bitty tech lead us towards the pens. I said nothing as I felt her nails dig into my skin and just offered the tech a grin as she allowed us in.
The attention Oasis received as soon we stepped in was spontaneous.
Almost immediately a fairly large crowd of bitties had come over to greet us and began to ask many questions to Oasis. She was on her knees right away to answer all the bitties around her and even allowed them to climb onto her lap as she spoke to them.
I glanced towards a few people who eyed us with raised brows before shrugging.
Even with Oasis’ blue hair, her outfit just screamed attention and whether it was because of it that got the bitties attention or not, she stood out more than she ought to...
The red dress she wore was skin tight and while the long sleeves and mock turtle neck made it modest, the short skirt and beaded designs carefully forming seashells was far from casual. The material clung well to her body, but made me worry if anyone would say anything to her as she interacted with the bitties. Even the gold stiletto heels on her feet were not close to what one would even expect a business woman to wear and would probably raise questions to how she could walk so easily in them.
Granted maybe a few people just thought she just dressed like that because it fit her, but majority of the time I could feel their stares just trying to guess what she did as a job.
By comparison I looked much different than when I was at work…
Skinny jeans and a plain black t-shirt seemed normal enough, but the shiny black pumps on my feet might raise a few brows to why I wouldn’t have chosen sneakers…
I watched Oasis’ little crowd start to dwindle down when I managed to pull myself out of my thoughts and I noticed that a few Baby Blues, Papys, and a bitty that was probably a Teacup continued to stay by her as they kept talking. I smiled and leaned against the pen’s wall before taking a glance around.
Some bitties seemed to have taken an interest in me, but had chosen to keep their distance.
Some were openly staring at me and I swore that I faintly felt something try to nip at my ankle before I quickly shifted my stance. The Edgy gave me a glare before shuffling away with a huff and muttering under his breath at my lack of reaction. A few other bitties I’ve noticed, some bitties known as Lil Bros, were taking a moment to openly stare at me from a few feet away as I continued to rest against the wall. Some were instantly disinterested in me once they noticed I was only staring back at them and the few that took a moment to be closer to me walked away when I made no movement to interact with them.
I had a few more Edgy bitties try to get my attention through biting, but I was quick to move my hand away from the pen railing or kept crossing my ankles over each other when they came close to my feet.
Needless to say after a good five minutes I was left alone.
I could only push my glasses closer over my eyes as I kept studying the others in the pen with Oasis and I. I bit the inside of my cheek at how I was lacking interest in the bitties, but I honestly did not feel a connection to any of the ones in the pen with us.
Unlike Oasis who had gushed over the types she had shown interest in, I didn’t even express any reaction as I gazed at each picture on the center’s website with each bitty type they had.
The Lil Bros and Edgy type bitties did cross my mind, but in the end I could not bring myself to really feel a connection.
Even as I absently continued to stare at the bitties around the pen, I felt nothing tugging me towards anyone of them in particular.
It didn’t feel right for me to try and go to a bitty I had no real desire to connect with. No chemistry or even a false attempt to establish a relationship did not sit well with me. It was something that was unfair and I refused to try and hurt a bitty in a way to raise hope only to crush it when we found we just weren’t right together…
How on earth did someone find the right bitty for them?
Heck, one of the famous Newmore Sisters had about ten bitties? I wasn’t quite sure, but it was more than what I had often seen with a few people getting three at most.
I just didn’t want to adopt a bitty only to not be able to provide them the love and care they truly deserved…
It was like any other relationship...It was just wrong to try and force something to become 'right.'
“Clover! Look!”
I jerked back as Oasis suddenly jumped at me and shoved a little bitty right in front of my eyes.
The lone Teacup I had seen hanging off her shoulder smiled nervously at me as Oasis brought him back to her chest. The Teacup looked up at her before giving her a much wider smile as she squealed at the sight. “He’s adorable!” Her finger gently stroked the top of his head and instantly the bitty let out a low purr of content as she continued to coo over him.
This was exactly the type of connection I wanted.
I could see how much love Oasis had for the little guy, and she had only met him in under half an hour!
“Well I guess you better get your paperwork ready to take the little guy home huh?” I began to open the door to leave before Oasis quickly set a hand on my shoulder.
“Wait a sec Clover you didn’t-“
“I…I don’t think I’m not cut out for it. Not today Oasis.”
Perhaps it was the way my voice cracked that she quickly silenced herself before looking down at her Teacup. My heart clenched as she placed a light kiss on the top of his head before giving me a smile, “Well…Maybe next time right? You're probably just tired. Next time we'll swing by on a day off when you've actually had your coffee!"
“…Yeah.”
Oasis was quickly lead away to a more quiet side of the front desk to start up the proper paperwork for her bitty as I took a step out of the center.
Despite it turning a little colder, I didn’t shiver in my t-shirt as I leaned against the wall to look out at the crowd. Those with bitties continued to chat with them or give them gentle rubs on the top of their skulls. A few owners with fire elemental based bitties carefully held a hand around them in order to shield them from the wind or cupped their hands around them to keep them close to their chest.
Glancing through the glass I could see Oasis giggling as she spoke to her bitty before scooping him back up in her hands and giving him a kiss on his cheek. The Teacup's tail waved back and forth as he seemed to be giggling with her as she continued to shower him with kisses.
I had no idea just how on earth it happened, but the love I could see between the two only made my chest clench harder than it should.
I just didn’t want to back inside, not when I knew deep down I just couldn’t find whatever love that should have come when I saw a bitty. It didn’t sit right with me to come back again only to not adopt a bitty.
It would only hurt someone in the end.
After all, I couldn’t bring myself to drag someone as cruelly as that…