Archive of Our Own ^beta

Frye grumbled to herself as she stalked out of the grocery store. She struggled for a moment to keep her arms up, her muscles straining under the weight of the twelve or so bags of groceries in each hand. Maybe I should have used a cart...

"What was that?" Asked Boss Callie her voice quiet and staticky from the spotty signal.

Frye had to roll her shoulder to keep her phone pressed up against her ear. "Oh nothing! I'm just complaining about the biggest betrayal I've experienced ever in my life."

"...buying the groceries?" Callie asked, confused.

"Buying the groceries!" Frye let out an incredibly overdramatic sigh as she hefted the bags into the bucket on the back of Viper, her vespa.

"I'm not sure I understand." Callie clarified. "I thought the betrayal thing was Liquid Sunshine."

Frye distractedly leveled the groceries and latched the basket's lid before swinging herself up into the seat. "Well, Big Man usually does the grocery shopping. He likes the couponing, right?"

"Right..."

"But his van is dead!" Frye punctuated her cry of despair with a twist of Viper's keys and the roar of it's motor. "So me and Shiv had to do the shopping!"

"Oh no?" Callie did not seem even remotely sorrowful. "I don't think you should be so--" The rest of Callie's pointless talking was completely drowned out by the sound of Frye peeling out of the Mako Mart parking lot

"It's the WORST! I can't even bring my eels!" Frye tore down the road, swerving around the few cars that dare not triple the speed limit. She was driving around in the outskirts of town, so it wasn't too dangerous to be driving like this.

Callie didn't seem to agree. "How fast are you going ?!"

"Not fast enough!" Frye revved the engine to prove a point. "What'dya wanna tell me? I can't break 100 holding this thing to my ear."

"Oh, nothing crazy." It sounded like Callie was shrugging as she said that. "Marie just wanted me to tell you to stop ignoring her calls and that she wants you to send Shiver to see her. Leader stuff."

"Girl, you have NO idea how happy I am I lost that splatfest. When Marie's done with them, Shiver's like a--" Frye cut off for a moment while she tried to work up the courage to speak the next few words. "Like an o-office worker." She nearly lost control of her vespa as a full-body shudder zipped its way down her spine. "It takes her like, two days to get back to normal."

"Where is Shiver anyway?" Callie asked through the phone. "I thought you were shopping."

"Shiver was just supposed to go down the street and get the cold stuff from the corner store, since they know if I'm going out to ride I'm gonna ride. That's why this is a betrayal! I had to go get the groceries instead of riding around!" The few pedestrians in the area all took a step back as Frye recklessly shot past.

"Well I'm sorry you had to contribute to the little domestic family thing you three have going on."

"Ew, don't make it sound so formal." Frye made a gagging noise for emphasis. "Housing's expensive these days."

"In the Splatlands."

"Yeah."

"For one of the city's most popular bands."

"Yeah."

"Who all also happen to be clan heirs."

"Yeah, you heard me." Frye rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "How is Green Bean doing?"

"Oh, Acht is doing great! Just the other day we went out--"

"Yeah, cool, I'm happy for you and all." Frye sharply turned a corner, tilting so low she could have rubbed the ground with her elbow if she wanted to. "Is there anything else you needed to tell me or can I hang up."

Callie scoffed. "Marie's gonna ride over to Splatsville and kick your ass herself if you don't start picking up calls again."

"Pssh. Alright sure. I'll--"

"She'll bring the Captain too."

"Ah..." Frye trailed off, her bluster completely crushed. "I'll have some free time later tonight."

"Great! I'll let her know! That's all Frye, good catching up with you!"

"Eh... You too Boss Callie." Frye quickly took a hand off the handlebars to snatch her phone. "She really does blabber doesn't she?"

Now that her head wasn't pinned to her shoulder, it was time to really let loose. She may be on a vespa, but that didn't mean there weren't some splatlands specialties added to it. Shiver was able to find someone to motorize her shark, for cod's sake, getting a sleeper build on this little thing was a walk in the park.

And it was time to wake her up.

Frye grabbed the handlebars and twisted, and Viper roared in response. She tore down the road, going fast enough to gain legitimate air time off the uneven pavement. The engine's rev echoed far behind her as she blazed around the edges of town. She grinned into the wind, her tentacles blowing out behind her as she rode, basking in the euphoric feeling.

It reminded her strongly of the times back in her school days when she'd go out riding with Shiver and Big Man. They each had something different; Shiver and their skates, Big Man with his street luge or skate board, and Frye with her own scooter. Their little trio menaced the town every day when they got out of school. Up and down the streets, in and out of shops. Prank here, heist there. Ah, man. Good times. Her childhood only reached a fraction of the speeds she regularly zipped past now, but the rush of the wind and the adrenaline rush wouldn't ever truly change.

And then her little moment of recollection was over. It was time to have some fun. Frye cut a hard right, nearly tipping Viper over as she did so, but she masterfully pulled it back up and shot forward without losing any speed. Down the road she went, until she suddenly cut an equally hard left, repeating the process. This far out of the main city, there wasn't anything so civilized as stoplights, and Frye didn't exactly feel like stopping at the intersections. She simply turned away before she reached any crossings that look like they might have people in them before she got there. At one point she had to turn around, a process which may or may not have included several donuts in the middle of an intersection.

Eventually though, the time for heart pounding scooter rides came to its end. Frye pulled back on her speed, approaching a 'reasonable' level as she drove back into the populated parts of the city.

"That was just what I needed!" she cheered to herself as she sped under a yellow light. "A relaxing ride through the cityside. Free my soul. Clear my min-HEY WAIT IS THAT SHIVER??"

Sure enough, waiting right there on the sidewalk was Shiver, in all their casual glory. There was no dressing up for a grocery run; Shiver was decked out in a stained hoodie, sweat pants and slippers. Which was a truly insane combo of thing to be wearing with it currently being the peak of summer and having the temperature to reflect that. Consequently, Shiver was currently bent over, heaving for breath, with all four of the shopping bags they carried splayed on the ground beside them.

"HEY SHIV!" Frye shouted as she prepared to jump her scooter up onto the sidewalk. Unfortunately, she was going to fast, and had to abandon that plan with a hard curve to the left, sending her through the middle of the street. "Oh shit wait. Hold on." Frye called back, before quickly zipped around the block.

Shiver's second impression was somehow more undignified than the first. In the scant 25 seconds it took Frye to circle back, Shiver tried to save face by acting as if they weren't actively staving off heatstroke. They were leaned against the wall like some kind of cross between a model and a delinquent. Despite the... inspired pose, they held the grocery bags in their hands, completely ruining whatever scant aesthetic the pose would have otherwise held. The self confident, reassured smirk was the final nail in the coffin for any "coolness" Shiver had, as the dark bags under their eyes, the sweat pouring down their brow and the red flush across their face completely negated it's effect.

Frye, now moving much slower, jumped her vespa onto the sidewalk and parked right next to her friend. Shiver stood there, determined to hold their pose despite the heaving of their chest. Honestly, it was a pretty pathetic sight. Frye adored every second of it.

"Yo, Shiv! How's the shopping?"

"Haaa... It's going good! Good..." Shiver pulled themselves from the wall, and started slowly plodding down the sidewalk. All of the false bravado left their body the moment they took the first step. This was a matter of survival now.

"You uhhhhhhh... want some help?" Frye leaned over the handlebars as she asked.

"No, I got this. You don't--" They stopped, took a deep, shuttering breath, and turned back to give Frye the most miserable little smirk they were still capable of. "Check it." Shiver took a small step forward, lifted up their toes, and then pushed off with their back foot.

"You brought the healies!" Frye watched as Shiver gradually gained speed as they rolled down the hill. She kicked Viper into gear, and started down the hill after her friend. It took just a few seconds to catch up, and then it was easy to ride alongside Shiver and their maniacal grin. Frye may have gotten a bit distracted staring at Shiver's face and run someone else off the sidewalk, but that's neither here nor there.

Once they reached the bottom of the hill, the remainder of Shiver's speed quickly died off. "What'dja think of that?" Shiver asked as they came to a total stop, planting their fists on their waist in triumph.

Frye gave them an amused look. "Clever. Saved a lot of effort and time."

Shiver basked in the praise, a bold smile spreading over their face as their ego inflated.

Frye leaned back, her own smile turning into a smirk. "What now?"

It was easy to pinpoint the exact moment Shiver's ego broke. "I uhh..." The next hill was bigger, and a little bit steeper at that. Worst of all, Shiver would have to walk it. "I'm gonna.."

"Mmhmm?" Frye asked playfully tilting her head in confusion.

"Shut up. I can do it." Shiver huffed. They stumble a little, their balance failing them for a moment.

Frye watched them shake their head to try and stay awake. "I know you can do it, but I'd like to eat my ice cream with a spoon, not a straw. Hop on."

Shiver sighed dramatically. And then they sighed again, even more dramatically. Frye busied herself by inspecting her hands while Shiver did their thing. Might need to re-dye my fingers soon, the color's starting to fade. Shiver sighed a third time, before grumbling something to themself and clumsily stepping towards the bike.

Frye helped them pack the groceries into the back basket before she retook the driver's position at the front. Shiver sat behind her with one final huff, and then wrapped their arms around Frye's midsection. Shiver's chest lightly pressed into Frye's back, making her blush slightly. "Ready?" she asked. There was no verbal answer, but Shiver laid their head on Frye's shoulder and nodded.

Speed is a relative thing. Going fast enough to get four seconds of airtime from a speed bump is one thing. Flying down the biggest hill in town on your regular scooter at twelve years old is another. Both of those made Frye's hearts pump like crazy.

Right now, she was not driving fast; someone might even mistake her for a law abiding citizen. But her hearts said otherwise, if their beating was anything to go by. Rides with Shiver were always the most exciting.

Frye knew what she usually did was dangerous, that's where the thrill comes from after all. But she didn't need those speeds for thrill. Not when Shiver's hands were wrapped around her waist. Neither of them say a word as they ride. They simply enjoy the others company, basking in the city's sights and sounds as the cruise through the streets. Frye didn't miss it as Shiver's breathing steadied

When the ride finally came to an end, Frye circled their destination a few times before pulling up into the driveway. She guided Viper into the garage, parking right beside the out of commission Manta Mobile before gently ruffling Shiver.

Big Man propped the door open as Frye was helping Shiver off the seat. "Ay! Ay. Ay, ay? (Welcome back! Both of you were gone for a quite a while. Nothing melted, did it?)" He rounded the corner of his van to see Frye supporting a nearly unconscious Shiver.

"How late did they stay up last night?" Frye asked, her tone a mix of both playful and serious concern.

"Ay, ay. (I don't know if she went to bed at all, based on this.)" Big Man gestured to Shiver's sleep walking form as he spoke.

"That's like, three straight days awake then. Why'd they volunteer to go out?" Frye looked over Shiver with worry. They were basically asleep where they stood, and unable to answer.

"Ay? Ay, ay. (Who knows? Mysterious mind, that one.)" Big Man popped open the basket with all the groceries inside it. "Ay, ay. (You take them to bed, I'll get these put up.)"

"Thanks Big M," Frye gave him a smile. "I think they'd only been out of the store a few minutes when I rode up, but you might want to hurry with the cold things."

"Ay! (On it!)"

Frye walked Shiver up and into their kitchen, leaving the door open for Big Man. She walked her sleepy companion around the small house, being sure to part the beaded curtains or tapestries in the doorways for them. Frye wasted no time maneuvering Shiver's upper body to pull the oversized hoodie off. They wore a light tank top underneath, to which Frye only felt a tiny pang of disappointment. Shiver swayed for a moment, before leaning into Frye and loosely wrapping their arms around her.

Frye greedily holds them there for several seconds, enjoying the sensation. When she's had enough to satisfy her, she carefully walked Shiver over to the bed, and opened her arms. They gracelessly fell out of her arms and onto the mattress, fully asleep before their head hit the fabric.

Frye sat on the bed next to them, and gently grabbed one of their hands to fiddle with. "You've gotta stop pushing yourself like that Shiv, what if I wasn't there to help you?" She thoughtlessly fidgeted with Shiver's hand for a few more moments, admiring the natural red hue of Shiver's fingers against the dyed purple of her own. "I guess that was a pretty clever way to take a ride with me though."

Frye stood from the bed and wandered into back into the hallway. She returned a few moments later with a fan, which she deftly plugged in and pointed at Shiver's sleeping form. She almost left to help Big Man with the groceries before something occurred to her. A mischievous grin crossed her face as she scampered across the room. Snatching a black marker and a notepad, she wrote out a quick message and left it for Shiver to find when they woke up

Welcome back to the world, no heat stroke this time. Holler if you want anything, but be nice about it or I'll throw it at you.

Also, the Boss Ladies want to see you soon. Good Luck :D

Frye laughed to herself, and went to help Big Man put everything away.