Polo! (how many RPs do you do at any one time? xD)

I frowned at Kougu's explanation. Damn... Jimmy had changed. Being reminded of his sister had really got to him. So much that he was thinking about his past life? I never expected something like that to happen.
"Thank you." I whispered earnestly, just as he sat up and pecked me on the cheek. I blushed slightly, feeling an odd sense of warmth at the contact once again, and snuggled up under the covers.
"Night." I added, but Kougu was already asleep. The poor guy must have been tired.

The night was as good as any other with a baby as young as Pedro in the house, and I was pretty much out to hush him once every two hours. Therefore, by the time it came to 9PM I was out like a light when I'd have usually been up by that point.
Someone walked into the room but I was in denial that it was the next day that I pretended not to know they were there. I grunted stubbornly.
A light clattering beside her - it was insanely quiet, but her tiredness seemed to mean every noise seemed louder than it was - then Kougu was next to her again.
"Happy birthday."
No, no not yet... I only went to sleep around-
Lips pressed against her brow and she cracked an eye open, staring at him as if he'd suddenly turned into a giant blueberry.
"Want some breakfast?"
Come to think of it, I was rather hungry. My nose caught a whiff of the food right by my head and straight away my head snapped up. Basic instincts kicked in and in seconds I was sat up and happily tucking into my food.
I took a few mouthfuls until sense kicked in, and I glanced around the bedroom curiously. Birthday? Who's birthday was-
No...
But yes, there were the presents by the bed. Wrapped with beautiful ribbon, naturally, along with a rose in a vase beside them. I stopped chewing, swallowed, and looked at Kougu again, looking slightly concerned. How did he know? Had Jimmy told him?
Funny... I hadn't celebrated my birthday in several years. Not properly, anyway. I'd had presents, but it had never felt like a true birthday. But today, with Kougu... I'd only just woken up and already I felt happier than I had in an entire six (nearly seven) years.
"Kougu..." I gasped, shaking my head and flinging my arms around him, squeezing him gently. "God, you shouldn't have..." I pulled away and, still having not finished breakfast, locked my eyes excitedly on the presents. I had to admit, I was interested to see what he'd bought me.
"Could I...?" I gestured towards the presents, grinning in a childish excitement at him.

Kougu jumped slightly and blinked in surprise when Charlie suddenly threw her arms around him. He had not quite been expecting it, and it took a moment for the gesture to sink in. But when it did, he patted her back awkwardly, and smiled to himself in vague amusement. "Kougu... God, you shouldn't have..." She gasped, releasing him to gaze at the wrapped presents beside her bed.
"Shouldn't I?" Kougu asked, shrugging unconcernedly. Regardless of whether or not he 'should have', Charlie certainly seemed happy, so he was still content with his choice. Besides, Jimmy had been extremely certain in his knowledge that this exchange of gifts was the accepted social convention for birthdays.
"Could I...?" Charlie asked excitedly, gesturing toward the presents, and Kougu chuckled fondly in response.
"Of course." He replied simply. Then, after a moment's thought, added, "I hope they're okay. I don't really get this whole 'birthday' thing... Lucky for me Jimmy was kind enough to explain it."
He smiled slightly awkwardly, and rubbed the back of his head in an anxious fashion.
This was far outside his area of expertise, and he wasn't entirely sure how he ought to conduct himself... Still, Charlie seemed happy, and that was the main point.

I squeaked happily and leapt to my feet, diving to my knees beside the presents. I should have really kept my cool, smiled at him, thanked him, hugged him... But I was far too excited. I'd not had a proper present in so long... I'd forgotten how much I missed it.
My hands ripped up the gorgeous wrapping paper without needing my thought and the next thing I knew I was unfolding a deep green item of clothing. Further inspection showed it to be a dress.
I opened it out and admired it with shining eyes. It was beautiful... Too beautiful for me.
Gasping, I caressed the expensive material with my fingertips and shook my head at it. When was the last time I'd worn a dress? "Kougu... God, it's beautiful..."
How much had it cost? More than I was probably worth, anyway. I... I couldn't accept it, could I?
But then again, there were more presents. I swallowed and ripped open the second present, then stared at the matching summer wedge shoes in my hands. God... I was speechless.
"Ko-..." I sighed. There was no way I could turn them down. They, too, were stunning.
I couldn't help it. I decided to go try them on. "I'll be back in a minute." I mumbled and went to the bathroom to try them on.

I came back into the bedroom looking slightly self conscious in the elegant dress. But when I saw Kougu my face lit up and so did my spirits, and I twirled for him.
"What d'you think?" I asked him. "And be honest."

Kougu watched as Charlie dived happily on the presents, and he began smiling slightly to himself upon seeing how excited she was. Then she ripped out the dress, and her expression changed slightly. Kougu continued to silently study her, trying to gauge her expression as she stared with shining eyes at the dress. She seemed... Pleased? At least, he hoped so.
She ran her fingers over the dress, and muttered in an awed whisper, "Kougu... God, it's beautiful..."
He nodded mutely in response. I thought so.
The Charlie went on to open the second present, and after a silent moment of what he thought was speechlessness, she quickly announced, "I'll be back in a minute." and raced off to try on her gifts.

She returned a short while later, looking a little self conscious in her new dress, even though - Kougu was pleased to see - it fit like a glove.
She twirled around when she saw him, parading the dress, and asked, "What d'you think? And be honest."
He considered her for a long moment, then stood up and walked over to her, a smile forming on his lips.
"I think you're just as beautiful in sweats." He admitted, grasping her chin lightly between two fingers and pecking her on the forehead, "But right now you are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen." He grinned, "It suits you."

My happy little skips sank to a nervous stance when Kougu didn't say anything, and my smile disappeared from my face. I gulped anxiously for a moment when he suddenly smiled, muttering warmly, "I think you're just as beautiful in sweats."
I groaned. That wasn't the answer I was looking for. But I mirrored his smile and lifted my chin obediently as he cupped it between his thumb and finger, then pecked me sweetly on the forehead.
"But right now you are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. It suits you." I made a muffled laughing sound, only half believing him, but hugged him anyway. As I wasn't used to wearing shoes with even tiny heels I tripped and fell perhaps a bit too heavily in his arms, letting out a surprised yelp.
Giggling, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him gently. "It's gorgeous. Thank you." I murmured, turning my head and kissing his jaw gently. "And thanks for breakfast. It was delicious."

Kougu allowed the hug, and folded his arms cautiously around Charlie in response, watching the opposite wall with a slightly worried expression. He couldn't help it; even when things were as good as they were, it was in his nature to worry whenever he got too close to Charlie. He had come to trust himself a lot more, but he didn't think the doubts would ever be erased from his mind completely.
Still... The improvement was more than he had ever hoped for.
He smiled slightly to himself, and as he was about to wrap his arms more snugly around Charlie, he suddenly felt her balance falter, and next thing he knew, he was basically holding her up.
After his initial surprise, a fond chuckle escaped his lips, and he rested his cheek against Charlie's head when she giggled and wrapped her arms around him again.
He was glad that they were getting along for once... And uneventfully, too. Everything was better without the stress, drama and heartache. He only hoped it lasted.
"It's gorgeous." Charlie murmured, dragging his attention back to the present. "Thank you."
She kissed his jaw, causing him to shiver in response, and added, "And thanks for breakfast. It was delicious."
"You're welcome." He replied simply, easing himself out of her embrace and setting her at an arm's length (just because he was becoming more confident with the idea of affection didn't mean he didn't have his limits). He smiled warmly at her, and stroked her cheek with a feather-light touch, his dark eyes locked intensely with hers.
He held the moment as long as he could, but when he felt the familiar flutter of nerves in his stomach, he cleared his throat and turned awkwardly away, shy as ever.
He walked over to the window and opened the curtains, then flinched away from the light and closed them again, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"So, um..." He turned around, facing Charlie again with an uncertain half-smile, "What do you want to do now? It's your day, after all..."

((I miss this character. He's so... Innocent. I think I actually managed to get slightly in character today, for the first time in, um... Forever? XD ))

I grinned at him, dropping my arms back down to my sides and caressing the expensive material of the dress with my fingertips. Before meeting Kougu I would have laughed at the idea of owning a dress so beautiful. Thought it wouldn't have suited a scruffy, thieving street girl like myself. In fact, I'd have laughed at receiving one. Who'd buy me anything? Most people just thought I was a troubled brat who deserved to be sent to prison.
I felt Kougu's long fingers brush my cheek and blushed at the contact, then watched him with vague amusement as he turned away and opened the curtains, then squinted at the light and closed them again. Good idea.
"So, um... What do you want to do now? It's your day, after all..."
I thought for a moment, cocking my head in a pondering fashion. There was a good question.
Funny, back when I had nothing there were so many things I wanted because I couldn't have them, but now I lived with a boy who had loads of money who was now asking me what I wanted, and I couldn't think of a single thing.
Then, a light went on in my head.
"Actually, I've got an idea." I slipped off the shoes he'd got me, since I didn't want to get them mucky. "There's somewhere I'd like to go. We'll take some spare change, but that's all we'll need."

I went away to get ready, and appeared a few minutes later in my usual jeans, shirt and hoodie. I'd found a few coins in a tub on the mantelpiece and shoved those in my pocket.
"I'd better take Pedro," I told him, then appeared again with a small pushchair and Pedro sat inside, looking around the room curiously. He was probably thinking 'so this is what it's like to be tall'.
"There's a place in town I'd like to go to, if you don't mind." I smiled at Kougu, suddenly feeling rather excited. "And I'm sure you'll love it."

"Actually, I've got an idea. There's somewhere I'd like to go. We'll take some spare change, but that's all we'll need."
Kougu nodded, and watched Charlie go off with a slightly worried expression. What was this 'idea' of hers? And why couldn't he know? He didn't like surprises... But then again, it was her day. He didn't mind doing whatever it took to make her happy. If she wanted to walk through hell, he'd be right there by her side, without a question.
After a while she reappeared, dressed now in casual wear. Then, muttering something about Pedro, she vanished again, and reappeared a moment later with the baby in tow.
"There's a place in town I'd like to go to, if you don't mind." Charlie said, smiling, "And I'm sure you'll love it."
"I probably won't." Kougu replied with a nervous grin, skeptical as ever, "But if you want to go, I'm in. It'll be fine as long as I'm with you." He offered a cheerful wink, and wrapped his hand around Charlie's, once again making an effort to be the sort of warm, affectionate man she deserved. He had the personality for it, he knew he did... It was just difficult to break the introverted habits that he had developed over the years.

He led Charlie out of the house, and locked the door behind them, then he turned to her, placidly eager, and waited for her to lead the way to wherever she wanted to go. He honestly didn't mind, as long as he was allowed to follow.

I bit back a smile at Kougu's reaction. I knew he didn't like being around people, or going into town for that matter, and his honesty was only amusing to me. But this one time I was sure he'd like it.
"But if you want to go, I'm in. It'll be fine as long as I'm with you."
I smiled to myself, feeling his hand wrap around mine, and squeezed it gently. His efforts were all I needed for now. I laced our fingers together and walked out of the house, pushing Pedro in front of me.
When Kougu gave me that expectant look as soon as the door closed I grinned knowingly at him, sticking my tongue playfully then started walking down the street, gesturing for him to follow.

After a few minutes of walking, and making small talk, I stopped half way down a small, quiet street. It wasn't made of much, mostly abandoned houses and a small corner shop which Kougu and I had once been in and Kougu had paid the shopkeeper to keep me from being banned from setting foot in there again. ((Remember that? Just before we met Jimbob for the first time? :') )) The buildings were not ancient looking, as they had probably been rebuilt since the Victorian era.
Except for one.
On the other side of a back archway that led to a few cobbled roads down the back streets, sat a little shop. It was no larger than the corner shop on the other side of the archway, and had a large, green sign that read 'Mrs Kibbles Olde Sweet Shoppe'. I stopped outside it and turned to Kougu, grinning, and ordered quietly, "Close your eyes." Then, "Stay here."
I went on ahead, lifting Pedro's buggy into the shop, then went back outside to get Kougu. I took his hand gently, whispering, "It's only me," then led him forward into the shop. "No peeking."
I grinned excitedly and walked him slowly into the shop. "This is the one place I've never stolen from, nor would I want to." I pulled him to the middle of the small room, my eyes flicking excitedly over the shelves and shelves of jars, all filled with every single different type of sweet any child could imagine.
I turned back to Kougu. "Okay, don't open your eyes yet. Smell. Try and guess where you are." I murmured daringly, taking his hand.

Kougu followed Charlie down the cracked old streets of the neighbourhood. They passed under an archway, and after continuing on a small way, Charlie stopped. Kougu halted obediently beside her, casting her a questioning glance, and she grinned back at him as she ordered, "Close your eyes. Stay here." He frowned suspiciously at her, seeming faintly nervous to do as she said - standing there with his eyes closed would make him ridiculously vulnerable, after all - but after a moment's hesitance, he closed his eyes obediently, bowing his head, and waited for Charlie.
He was standing alone for only a moment, before a touch on his hand made him jump. A shock like electricity ran though him, but before he could panic, he heard Charlie whisper, "It's only me."
Heaving a sigh, Kougu calmed himself again, and followed Charlie into the shop, keeping his eyes obediently closed. He was surprisingly graceful without his sight, moving easily amongst the shelves. He had done enough training of this kind to maneuver himself even without Charlie's guidance.
"This is the one place I've never stolen from, nor would I want to." Charlie's warm voice said beside him as they stopped, "Okay, don't open your eyes yet. Smell. Try and guess where you are."
With a murmur of assent, Kougu took a deep breath, catching the scent of the room around him.
"I don't know..." He mumbled uncertainly, "It smells... Sweet?"
There was a confused frown on his face, but his eyes remained obediently closed as he ran through all possible 'sweet-smelling' locations in his mind. The idea of a 'sweet shop' never occurred to him. The very concept was an impossible one for somebody like him to grasp.

I observed Kougu's reaction closely as his mind tried to calculate the possibilities. It was amazing, being able to watch him think through every detail as he'd probably been trained to do. It was something that may never leave him, but at least now he could use it as anyone else would, in everyday circumstances.
His answer surprised me. 'Sweet' was one word. But... Was that all? It tasted more than just 'sweet', yes. To me, it smelt of strawberries and cream, vanilla, fudge, chocolate, peardrops, burning sugar and hazelnut all merged into one. The burning sugar was surprisingly strong, and I didn't remember it being there before, but besides that the flavours were highly evident. Jars were stocked up to the ceiling of all different sorts of sweets. It was every child's heaven. How could he not recognise any of the smells?
"Close enough," I said finally, taking his hand. "Open your eyes."

"Close enough," Charlie answered, causing Kougu to tense momentarily when she took his hand again, "Open your eyes."
Obediently, he let his eyes flicker open, and considered the store around him with curiosity. He had never been inside a sweet shop before, and he still seemed to be trying to work out where he was. Slowly, with an expression now bordering on awe, Kougu began to explore the shop, staring in wonder at the various sweet-smelling, brightly coloured treats. He kept a gentle grasp on Charlie's hand as he explored, taking her along with him.
He studied the numerous containers of sweets, from candy-coated peanuts to long jelly snakes, and by the end of his exploring he was every inch as baffled as at the start. Whatever this place was, it was... Magical.
"At risk of sounding like a complete idiot..." Kougu mumbled, turning questioningly to Charlie, "What is this place?" He blinked innocently at her, his midnight-blue eyes stretched wide in childlike curiosity. He had never had 'sweets' per say. On occasion he had eaten the odd piece of chocolates, but sweets were a childhood luxury that he had never quite stumbled upon. Now, seeing so many all clustered together, he just didn't know what to think. It was like visiting another planet... But something about the aura of the store made him feel happy, and - confused as he was - he offered Charlie a warm smile, waiting for her to explain.

I watched Kougu's reaction as his eyes fluttered open, and his expression change from confusion to awe as he studied his surroundings. It was the same face every child wore when walking into such a place. Surrounded by so many colours and treats that no other shop could provide such a variety, it was enough to send anyone giddy even before they'd had any sugar. But Kougu's expression was something else. He was not in familiar territory.
"t risk of sounding like a complete idiot..." He mused, although there was a glow in his dark eyes I hadn't even realised was there before. He was genuinely happy. Despite what he'd said earlier, he was enjoying this. Even before he'd bought anything. The thought made me smile. "What is this place?"
I had to laugh. I couldn't help it, his face was adorably happy. Not only that, but it was completely lit up. Right to the core of his deep blue eyes.
"It's a sweet shop." I told him outright, pushing the pram forward as I viewed the shop like it was the first time even for me. There were so many jars of flavours I didn't even know existed. "I've brought plenty of change. Choose whatever you want."
That was easier said than done. It didn't matter what you had in your head when you walked into that shop, the minute you set eyes on the amount of jars by the counter, you immediately want twice as much.
I found a jar of pear drops and opened the lid, staring hungrily at the contents. "These are my favourite." I murmured, then screwed the lid back on and placed it back on the shelf. I'd kept to my word that I wouldn't steal from this place, no matter what.
"Charlie?" A female voice came from the back room, and a young woman around her mid twenties appeared, her black hair pulled back in a messy bun, a shocked grin on her face. "Oh My God! Is that really you?"
The next thing I knew I had arms around me, hugging my tightly. I patted the young woman's back awkwardly, put back my her affection towards me. "Hey, Meg." ((Shut up. XD))
The woman released me and I exhaled a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding, then smiled awkwardly at her. Meg's father and mine were best friends once, and she'd babysat me a few times as a child, and it was overwhelming to have her greeting me like a long lost friend. Still, times had changed since I'd last seen her.
She glanced around the room at Kougu, then Pedro, who was sleeping in the pram. Her face moulded with awe. She knelt down and cooed at him, although he obviously wasn't listening, ten she straightened up and turned to me with a funny expression.
"He's not... You're not his-"
It took me a while to figure out what she was talking about. "No, no. He's not mine. We-" How could I put this? "We've adopted him."
She nodded, seemingly more content with this, then she caught Kougu's eye, and grinned.
"Who's your friend?" She asked, her eyes curving upwards as her smile took on a whole new meaning. She lowered her voice and cheekily added, "He's cute."
My cheeks flushed.
"Aww, you're blushing!" She teased, elbowing me in the ribs. I wasn't used to this. People talking to me about my feelings. "Yeah, yeah. I like the 'emo' look. Who is he? I haven't seen him around..." She studied him silently for a moment, then murmured, "He doesn't look like he's seen a sweet shop before."
I followed her gaze to him, watching him fondly, then replied, "I don't think he has."
She frowned at this, then seemed to let it go. With a sigh she headed back to the counter and opened up a few small, plastic boxes filled to the top with different small, chewy sweets.
"Hey," She called to him. "You want to try some samples?"
I frowned at her. "Samples?"
"They're not really," She winked. "But don't tell Dad. They're only penny sweets though. We won't miss a few."
I turned to Kougu, waving him over invitingly. "Come on. Check these out."

"A sweet shop?" Kougu repeated questioningly, "I don't..." He trailed off, losing interest in his lack of understanding as he stared in fascination at the jar of pear drops that Charlie had opened. The scent wafting from the jar was tantalizing, and Kougu felt his mouth begin to water at the thought of trying some. Still, he hung back uncertainly, not quite sure what to do, or where to start. How did one go about buying sweets anyway? How many was he supposed to have? Wasn't it common knowledge that sweets were bad for a person's health? Then again, a little couldn't hurt, could it?
With his mind full of questions, Kougu tentatively approached a jar on the shelf, unscrewing the lid and peering inside. Just as he caught a whiff of the delicious sour worms within, a loud shout startled him, and he jumped - nearly dropping the jar in the process. He scrabbled around for a moment, then slammed the lid back on and placed it back on the shelf, hurriedly retreating before he could cause any damage. He scurried to the end of the aisle, and busied himself by pretending to study the sweets while Charlie greeted the newcomer - a woman called Meg - with whom she seemed to be familiar. He pretended not to listen, but his curiosity was piqued, and even as he studied the sweets, Kougu kept one ear trained on Charlie and her friend. They were talking about Pedro, and Kougu listened only absentmindedly until he heard the words, "We've adopted him."
Hearing this, he turned his head, eyes wide in surprise, and looked at Charlie curiously.
We have? He wondered silently, Nobody told me that...
The stranger - Meg's - eyes met his then, and Kougu glanced shyly away, retreating back to his spot at the end of the shelves when he heard the conversation turn towards him.
"Who's your friend?" Meg demanded curiously, "He's cute."
At this, Kougu blushed, quickly sneaking around to the other side of the shelves and out of sight. He had never heard himself described as 'cute' before. He wasn't even sure what that meant... Obviously, Kougu was not even slightly aware of his good looks.

Charlie and Meg continued chatting for a while, and Kougu soon lost interest in their conversation, turning instead back to the jars of sweets, and trying in vain to work out what ingredients might have been used to make them. Just as he was once again losing himself in his fascination, Meg's voice suddenly called, Hey, you want to try some samples?"
Skittish as ever, Kougu jumped at the sudden attention, and stammered uncertainly, "S-Samples...?"
He considered her warily, seemingly contemplating whether or not he ought to approach. But at Charlie's encouragement, he nodded mutely and crept over to the counter.
He considered the jar of sweets, then looked at Meg, his dark eyes softly questioning, and murmured, "Are you sure it's okay...?"
At her assurance, he reached into the jar and plucked out a sweet, gripping it tenderly between a pair of long, pale fingers. He studied it for a moment, then placed it gingerly into his mouth, and chewed.
A sweetness unlike anything he had ever tasted filled his mouth, and Kougu felt his cheeks flush at the sugary sensation. He had never eaten anything like it... It was not quite fruity, and not quite like chocolate either, but rather something in between, and yet, something entirely different. Something all its own...
Kougu swallowed, and instantly a chuckle escaped his lips.
"Wow," He commented, smiling shyly, "That was certainly different... It's good." He considered the jar, frowning in wonderment, and murmured, "How do they make these, anyway? What's in them? I can't even comprehend..." He trailed off, seemingly baffled by this gaping gap in his vast knowledge.
To think that something like this existed all along, and I didn't even know...

"Are you sure it's okay...?"
"Sure." Meg replied. "Get the Hell over here, honey." She urged, shooting me a funny look. It was like before; she was grinning that grin, like an approving look, but at the same time it was like 'Where on Earth did you find this one?'
We watched him nervously approach, then study the small, cheap sweets with a look of wonderment in his huge eyes. He looked like a baby who'd just discovered it's feet. For the first time in a long while, I witnessed him learning something new about the world and all the things he'd been missing, locked away in that big house.
He studied the sweet for a while as if trying to discover something about it, then popped it in his mouth.
His face was a picure.
"Wow," He murmured once he'd swallowed. "That was certainly different... It's good."
Meg pouted her lips in awe.
"How do they make these, anyway? What's in them? I can't even comprehend..."
I laced my fingers with his, resting my chin in his shoulder. You don't need to. Just enjoy the wonders of it.
"Aww, that's so cute." Meg giggled. "You thought that was one of the nice ones." She closed the lid of the jar, then opened another out and stole one of the sweets for herself, chewing loudly on it. "They're made by burning and crystallising sugar. That's pretty much it. Dad has-"
The door to the back room opened, and immediately the smell of burnt sugar filled the rest of the shop. A middle-aged man with greying, dark hair and glasses appeared with a tray of steaming-hot red droplets in one hand. He looked excited.
"Check it out, Meg. It's actually worked!" He tried to flip the tray over onto his gloved hand but the hot steam just burned more.
"Dad!" She scolded. "You could've burnt the shop down!"
"But I didn't, did I?" He shot Kougu and I a cheeky grin, one cheek revealing a small dimple hidden behind some dark stubble. "Got an old post-World War 2 sweet-making kit, and I've been having a play with it all morning." He blew on the tray in attempt to cool the sweets down.
I giggled. "Where did you get it?"
"Ebay." He grinned. He then got a large plate and broke each sweet off with his gloved hand, making sure each was separated properly. "I think when we get this going we'll be able to sell them to bring in some extra funds." He picked up one of the warm sweets and popped it in his mouth. He then picked up the plate and offered them to Kougu and I. I took one with a grateful smile.
It was strawberry flavoured, I knew that much. But there was something about it's purity, maybe the pleasure knowing it had been freshly brought out of the oven made it taste all the more special. It was a sensation you couldn't by from any other shop.
"You want to try one, mate?" The man asked Kougu, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

When Charlie's fingers touched his, Kougu jumped, already somewhat edgy being in a strange place, and around strange people. Luckily, Charlie didn't seem to mind, and when she rested her chin on his shoulder, he settled down again. When Meg went on to explain how the sweets were made - albeit briefly - Kougu stared at them, and nodded in silent understanding, mentally piecing together how the process might work. Just as he was beginning to make sense of it, a door behind them opened, and as a sickening scent of burning sugar filled the room, Kougu tensed instantly, eyes darting up to search for its source. He saw a man enter the room, a tray in his hands, and Kougu took an uncertain step back.
There are too many people around, now... I'm not sure if I like this...
The newcomer, who seemed to be Meg's Dad, began chatting animatedly about his new sweetmaker, and as the sense of danger faded, Kougu crept closer again, studying the freshly made sweets on the tray. He looked at them, and with an expression of dawning comprehension, he offered a silent nod. He had figured it out, now. How these 'sweet' things came to be...
When the conversation came to a close, Meg's father offered the tray in their direction, and though Kougu watched Charlie take one of the soft pink sweets, he hung back at first.
"You want to try one, mate?" The man asked encouragingly, still holding out the tray. After a moment's indecision, Kougu nodded and murmured politely, "Thank you." He took a sweet, popped it eagerly into his mouth, and chewed on the warm, gooey substance. His eyes closed for a moment, enjoying the tasty strawberry flavour, then shifted a little closer to Charlie out of instinct, and licked his sticky fingers in a dignified fashion.
How can something so simple taste so good...? He wondered silently, Why did I not know about these things before? It's remarkable; all the shapes, colours, flavours...
"This really is an art, isn't it?" Kougu mused out loud, casting a glance around the shop, "This sweet-making... It's remarkable..." His eyes slowly shifted back to Meg, and her father beside her, and he added simply, "I've never seen anything like it."

Meg's father watched excitedly as Kougu popped one of the sweets in his mouth, eager to hear his opinion of them. The rest of us tried one and murmured in approval, but Kougu's face was far more intrigued than the rest of us. My heart warmed at the sight of him. Bless him, still trying to figure everything out in mathematical form.
“This really is an art, isn't it?” He murmured, glancing around the shop with a look of child-like wonder. “This sweet-making... It's remarkable... I've never seen anything like it.”
“It sure is.” Meg's father mused, eyes crinkling in the corners in a smiling fashion. “It's still surprising sometimes to make something that has existed for over one hundred years.”
I linked my fingers with Kougu's and squeezed his hand assuringly. He'd been worried about being here, but I knew he'd like it eventually.
I released his hand again, and began absent-mindedly rocking the pram back and forth.
Meg's father crouched down to coo at Pedro, and I wandered curiously around the shop, cheking out all the different types of sweets to buy. There was so much choice...
Meg appeared beside me, pretending to study the sweets. “How long has it been?” She asked me quietly.
“Hm?”
“The accident.”
I paused, looked down at my feet. “Six years. No...” I frowned. “Seven years tomorrow.” Of course, it was my birthday! How could I forget?
She nodded silently. “I'm sorry.” She meant it, too. “How's your mum with it all?”
I winced. “She's not really with it nowadays. Can't really remember what happened, and I don't want to bring it up and upset her.”
She picked up a jar of rhubarb and custard flavoured lollies, picked one out and popped it in her mouth. She offered me one, but I shook my head.
“Alex.” She whispered. “Millions were his favourite, weren't they?”
My face lit up at the memory. “Bubblegum flavoured, yeah.”
She turned around and reached up onto a shelf in the corner, picking out the bubblegum flavoured millions in the jar. It was nearly empty. She handed it to me with a warm smile.
I pushed it away. “Aren't you going to need the jar?”
“No.” She shrugged. “We're due another delivery soon, anyway. You can keep it. For Alex.”
Nodding slowly, I took it and cradled it in my arms. Alex would have killed for some of these right now. Clawed his way through a dense crowd for the sake of a few tiny sweets. I was grateful for the thought. “Thank you.”
She messed around with the lolly stick poking out of her mouth. “Don't mention it.”
I turned round and put it in the bottom of the pram under Pedro, then found Kougu studying some more jars of sweets. “So...” I smiled. “What would you like?”

When they had finished talking to Meg's father, Kougu suddenly found himself alone, without any memory of how he had got there. Charlie was off in a corner, talking to Meg. He watched her for a while, his dark eyes studying her profile worriedly, but at last he convinced himself to trust in the kindness of the universe, and crept along an aisle on the opposite end of the shop, trying to busy himself by studying a few more tubs of sweets. But of course, he only ended up peering at Charlie from between the shelves. He couldn't help it; he would always worry about her. Even in the safest place on earth, he wouldn't let her take a single step without him at her side.
He had lost his whole world once before, and he never planned to go through that again.
Shivering off his thoughts - which seemed far too intense for the middle of a candy store - Kougu picked up a jar of Apricot sweets, unscrewed the lid, and took a whiff. The scent was mouthwatering. He stared longingly into the jar a while longer, then sighed, and screwed the lid back on. By the time he was done, Charlie and Pedro had returned. He shot the baby an uncertain glance, then headed back to Charlie's side like a loyal Labrador.
“So...” She smiled at him, her face even sweeter than the candy, “What would you like?”
"Uh..." He let his eyes search the shelves, and swallowed anxiously. It was like some sort of test, and he was afraid of picking the wrong answer... Licking his lips nervously, he pointed to the Apricots and said, "Maybe one of those. And a jelly snake."
I just hope all that sugar won't make me sick...
He shook off the thought, and smiled awkwardly at Charlie, rubbing his arm in a self conscious fashion. He still felt terribly out of place in the shop, that much was clear. Then again, Kougu was out of place just about anywhere...

Meg reached up to get the jar of apricots , took it to the counter and picked one out, placing it in a small paper bag. She then found one of the jelly snakes and did the same. I wandered over with my change and said with a fond smile, “Could you get him a one-hundred-gram mix as well, please?”
Bless Kougu. He was so conscious of himself and others, and it wasn't like he had to eat all the sweets there and then. But if he'd not been in a sweet shop before, he deserved to try a bit of everything.
She nodded and picked up a pix of the sweets by the counter, sticking in a large, home-made lolly in also. I also bought myself a pack of strawberry laces and a bag of lemon Millions for Anthony ((if he's still there. XD)).
“How much for the ones in the box you gave me?”
She waved that off with a flick of her hand. “Those were freebies.”
“You sure?” No one had given me 'freebies' before.
“Charlie.” She pulled a face at me. “I mean it. It's not like you're not buying anything else.”
“Okay.” I blushed, taking the collection of small, paper bags and paying her with the change. “Thank you.” I placed the bags in the pocket on the pram, and handed Kougu his bag.
“He's lovely.” Meg's father grinned, gesturing to Pedro. “He's a bright little chap, isn't he?” He wiggled a finger in front of Pedro's nose and the little boy giggled and squirmed at it.
“He is.” I agreed, reaching down and stroking Pedro's cheek affectionately. I then stood up and turned the pram towards the door, nodded to Kougu.
“See you guys soon.” I called out to them.
“Later, Charlie.” Meg replied. Then, “Bye, Kougu.”
I shot Kougu a grin. I guessed he'd made a new friend, then.
Once we were out I turned to him and smiled warmly, resting my head on his shoulder. “How was that?”

Kougu stood outside the sweet shop, waiting for Charlie, and just as he heard the clicking wheels of the pram approaching, a touch on his leg caught his attention. Jumping in surprise, he looked down. A newspaper, blowing along the ground, had wrapped itself around his lower leg. Frowning, he bent down to pick it up, eyes scanning the front cover. It had been months since he’d read a paper, of any kind. And what he saw made his stomach drop into his shoes.
The headline read, ‘Councilman  Noah elected president’, captioning a picture of a handsome, bearded man who looked all too familiar, even in disguise.
He may have been a man of many names, and even more faces – but Kougu knew his father, and a step this huge in his ‘master plan’ was impossible to overlook. His hands turned cold, and he felt a lump form in his throat as the newspaper blew out from between shaking fingers, the breeze whisking it away down the street, over the tops of the waving trees, and on into the world beyond to spread its poison.
He heard Charlie’s voice behind him, felt a head on his shoulder, but his mind was far from sweets and candy.
“Charlie…” He looked back at her, his anxious eyes searching hers, “I’m sorry, I-“ He gestured vaguely, but the newspaper was long gone. He couldn’t explain it in his own words. Instead he shook his head, and said urgently, “Something’s come up. We have to get back… Quickly.”
 
He put his arm around her shoulders, and gave her a hug, clenching his teeth as he felt the familiar tightness of anxiety closing like a clamp around his chest.
I wanted to give you a proper birthday, Charlie… I’m sorry.