Living Situation || Agent 3 x Agent 8

[22]

"Richie, wake up...I made food..."

The Octoling opened his eyes and saw Tara's beautiful face looking down on his. The sun that was shining through the curtains slightly reflected off her eyes, making them look more golden and bringing out the teal flecks. Her soft voice was enough to make him fall back asleep though.

"Pretty," he murmured, reaching up and squishing her face lovingly. She blushed and literally dragged him out of bed since it was obvious he wasn't going to get up. It was 7 AM, which meant they still had about an hour and half to themselves before they had to arrive at the train station.

Tara set a plate of slightly burnt eggs in front of him once he sat down, along with a glass of apple juice. "I know I'm not great, but I hope you enjoy," she said, kissing his cheek.

Richie hummed happily and began eating. There was still a small feeling of disbelief inside him. He still couldn't believe that his girlfriend was alive again, walking around, and now talking. It was a little strange. He hoped that she would open up about everything a little more now.

While he ate, Tara took the initiative to pack their bags. They didn't really know if they would be staying in Calamari County for very long, but it was good to have extra stuff just in case. She realized that she really only had two outfits. Maybe they would go shopping while they were there.

She pondered about what clothes to bring, but then she remembered that she didn't have much in the fashion department. Well...couples wore each other's clothes right? Maybe she could wear one of Richie's hoodies or something. As she looked through the closet, she noticed their agent uniforms hanging loosely off to the side. Her headset had been switched off and the small blue lights were dull.

"Tara, aren't you going to eat?" Richie asked, walking into the room. He noticed her looking at the uniforms and felt his heart hurt a little.

The Inkling shook her head and shifted her attention to the other clothes. She hated eating this early in the morning.

He walked up next to her and mimicked her concentrating stare. "Hmm...just leave the clothes to me. I'm more fashion-forward than you," he said, patting her head.

She narrowed her eyes at him and elbowed him in the side. He laughed and scooped her up into his arms, planting kisses all over her face. "Don't be mad at me, I was teasing!" he exclaimed.

"Put me down, you dummy!" Tara protested. "We still have to get ready and stuff..."

Richie gave one of his cute pouts and let her go so she could go back to picking out clothes. He was tempted to chime in but decided not to.

Eventually, she picked out the Knit Hat, the Octarian Retro hoodie, and Truffle Canvas Hi-tops. She looked at Richie for confirmation and he nodded approvingly. "It'll look cute!" he assured.

As they both put on their gear, Richie looked at the golden toothpick resting on his nightstand. He wanted to wear it, but thinking of the movie theater incident made him hesitant. Tara noticed and grabbed the toothpick. She put it in his hair and smiled. He looked at her in surprise, but didn't take it out.

The pair grabbed their bags and left. It was slightly cloudy today, but not enough to deter the sun from shining through.

Everyone was waiting for them at the station already. The idols were wearing disguises for obvious reasons.

"There you two are. Have a nice morning?" Ashton asked, smirking. Tara punched his shoulder and he winced.

Marie rolled her eyes and grabbed her bags. "Alright, come on people. We need to find a good spot," she said, tapping her foot impatiently. The squad collected their stuff and boarded their train that had just pulled in.

Richie was a bit hesitant about traveling. He didn't really like trains all that much. But at least the other passengers looked somewhat normal, unlike the ones underground.

Within minutes, the train was off. He watched Deca Tower grow smaller and smaller until it was hidden by other buildings. A sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes momentarily.

Tara smiled to herself and put in her wired earbuds. She turned into squid form and curled up on Richie's lap.

The Octoling hugged the green squid close to him. He could faintly hear death metal music from her earbuds.

A couple hours later, the group arrived in Calamari County. Pearl had nearly gotten lost in the crowd getting off the train, due to...a physical difference. Luckily, Callie managed to find her when she heard some squeaky screaming. Someone had apparently made her spill her mayo.

"Alright. Normally, we would rent a taxi or something, but we should go the scenic route," Marie said. "There aren't many cars here anyways."

Richie sighed in relief as the sun kissed his pale skin. The train had been cold. He took Tara's hand in his, relishing its warmth.

The town they had arrived in was small. There was a main street with various shops lining the sides. In the distance were other businesses not a part of the main area and some neighborhoods.

"It feels good to be back home," Callie commented, smiling. Marie nodded in agreement.

Marina looked around. "Wow...it's so quaint!" she said. "It's a big change from the city, right Pearlie?"

The Pygmy squid crossed her arms. She was still salty from the mayo incident. "It feels weird."

"Be careful not to cause property damage again," Ashton said, smirking. Richie and Tara laughed quietly.

Pearl huffed. "Good one..."

Callie and Marie led them through the town, pointing out their favorite stores to visit. As they exited the main area, they went over to a clump of leafy bushes near some trees.

"Don't tell anyone, but there's secret passages all over the county!" Marie whispered mischievously. "Gramps and his buddies used these all the time for shortcuts or hide-and-seek. This one leads to his house."

Richie sighed in relief; his legs were beginning to get tired already since he had been sitting down for so long. They all turned into their squid and octopus forms and hopped through the concealed sewer grate.

They arrived at an old traditional style house. It was surrounded by a tall wooden gate. A small flag sticking out of a hydrangea plant bore the Cuttlefish insignia, so at least they knew that they were at the right house.

Tara knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes, Cap opened the door. His buggy eyes seemed to get bigger, if that was even possible.

"Agent 3, what a surprise! And...holy carp! You brought everyone!" the old Inkling exclaimed. Callie and Marie pushed past and engulfed their grandpa into a hug.

"We hope you don't mind that we dropped in unexpectedly," Richie said once the clamor died down. "If we're a bother, we can leave..."

Cap shook his head. "I don't mind, bucko! I hardly see any of ya anymore!" he said, ushering them inside. "What have ya been up to?"

Richie and Tara exchanged a glance, but before they could speak, Marina chimed in suddenly. "Our luggage! We left it back at the entrance!" she said worriedly, hitting the side of her head lightly.

"Ugh...well, hopefully the taxi place is open or whatever," Marie sighed, motioning for Callie and Pearl to follow them.

Cap chuckled. "It's not like my girls to be scatterbrained. Well, maybe I should've expected that from Callie," he joked. They went to go sit down on the couch.

Ashton adjusted his visor. He looked somewhat sad. He looked at Richie for encouragement and the Octoling gave an assuring smile.

"Hm? What's that look for, kiddo?" Cap questioned. Tara remained silent, but she could sense that the boys were nervous. Even she was too.

"To answer your question from earlier," Ashton started carefully, "a lot has happened recently..."