𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ━ shawn hunter¹

6│THIS LITTLE PIGGY

She did not miss the look exchanged between Cory and Topanga before the other girl continued, "no, I mean a proper home, where he can run around."

"He can run around with me."

"Come on, Shawn. Do you really know how to raise a pig?"

"Topanga, it sounds like you're trying to tell me what to do," Shawn answered.

"Well, it sounds like someone should."

"Guys, lighten up. I mean any way you slice it, it's only a pig, right?" The two gave the boy wide-eyed looks causing the boy to exclaim, "what?"

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"You know Cory, having a pig is sure making school fun," Shawn said after class.

"But the fun is over," Cory pointed out, "look who's coming."

"Uh-oh, Feeny," Shawn agreed as he spotted the teacher. "Little Coriet, go to the locker."

The pig disappeared into the doggy door that Shawn had installed. "You taught him that?" Cory asked.

"No, he just knows," he and Cory moved in front of the locker. "Hello, Principal Feeny."

"No farm animals here," Cory added.

"Yes, well, the day is young," Mr. Feeny answered before he walked away.

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Shawn had (somewhat reluctantly) asked Juliet to come over after school to help him learn how to take care of Little Coriet. The pair was standing in the kitchen of Mr. Turner's apartment as they prepared to feed the pig. "Admit it. You love Little Coriet."

"The name is growing on me," Juliet agreed.

"I meant the pig, Julie."

"He's adorable, I'll give you that but love isn't what I'd call it."

"But you're his aunt!"

The redhead frowned at her pig-related title. "You did kinda just drop it on me, Shawnie. I don't know how to be an aunt."

"It's easy, all you have to do is spoil him. I'm the one that has to do the disciplinary action," Shawn insisted.

The pig clambered onto the couch and began to lick Mr. Turner as he slept, causing the girl's face to break into an amused smile. The man squirmed slightly in his sleep. "Oh, Catherine. Oh, Catherine, you wild woman. Oh. Oh, Catherine—" the pig's squeal woke Mr. Turner. He shot up and wiped the slobber off of him as Juliet couldn't contain her laughter any more and broke into giggles. "How long have you two been standing there?"

He received no answer as the redhead was too busy laughing and the brunet's gaze was fixed on the joyful girl, a soft smile on the boy's face as he watched her. The teacher sighed. "Hunter!" he said sharply, finally regaining the boy's attention." We had an agreement. He can't kiss me anymore. Look, Hunter, we went over the ground rules. You can keep the pig—"

"Little Coriet," Shawn corrected him.

The man looked at the pig before he looked back up at the boy. "Little Coriet, but he's all yours. I don't want to raise him. I don't want to hear from him. Do we understand each other? And stay focused," he added sternly as his eyes flicked to the redhead whose giggles had subsided.

Even a blind man would know how much Shawn Hunter cared for Juliet Capelwood and the boy had been living with him for months now. It seemed that at any given moment the conversation would turn to something about what the red-haired girl had done, said, or hadn't done yet but would in the future. Mr. Turner had gotten to know the history the two had through the boy's stories and while Shawn hadn't out rightly declared his feelings for the girl, he made it almost painfully obvious— though the redhead had yet to pick up on them.