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Whimsy moaned into xeir hands, alone in the classroom. Xe had just gotten confirmation than Danni will transfer to Mr. Wrigley's class after the vernal holiday. Even xe couldn't really explain why it cut so deeply. It was Mr. Wrigley and xeir idea in the first place. Plus, Mr. Wrigley was literally right down the hall, so it wasn't like Danni was going to be sent to the other side of the school or anything. Xe was still going to see her in the mornings and passing each other in the halls, and on the days where Mr. Wrigley and xeir class would be playing together on the playground. All as well, it wouldn't be the same as having Danni in the room with everybody.

But Danni's little voice rang in Whimsy's head; how Whimsy made Danni feel safe. Xe would rather die than have that sweet child feel as if xe cannot be trusted to uphold that standard.

The last few days only seemed to confirm Whimsy's theory behind Noha's behavior; that he was doing the things he did to get a particular reaction from others, and Danni wasn't giving him what he wanted. She, of course, needed to come back to Whimsy's classroom until Mr. Samson reached a verdict. The child was silent mode, like when she had returned to school after having her appendix removed. She was politely attentive at best; making eye contact when you spoke to her and following instructions that were given to her.

When Noha proudly declared that he was the one who destroyed her toy, she merely glanced at him a moment before returning to her book. He got in her face and spat out swear words, slurs, and nonsensical insults. She waited until he was done before going back to her drawing. He made random threats; saying he was going to stab her in the face and make her bleed. She waited until he was done and went back to drinking her water.

Whimsy did NOT want Danni's last few months of kindergarten to be spent dealing with that sort of nonsense, or perhaps worse, depending on whatever whims Noha had. Xe got frustrated just watching him.

"I'm heading out," Andre announced, grabbing his bag from the closet.

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Uh, grocery shopping. Why?"

"Can I tag along?" If xe was being completely honest, Andre was pretty much the only reason why Whimsy socialized outside of work. Xe didn't necessarily NEED anything from the grocery store, but lately, xe had been eating the same sort of basic foods for weeks. Seeing what Andre purchased, making striking up a conversation about meal prep or recipes, might be what helps xem get out of the rut xe was in. Now, Andre wasn't xeir ONLY friend, but he WAS the only one who was single and childless. It was harder to make plans with friends who had obligations to their spouses and children.

"Sure."

***

"Now I need honey mustard..." Andre pointed towards a particular aisle, and Whimsy steered the grocery cart in his direction. "My dad found this recipe for honey mustard chicken and potatoes, so things are going to be interesting tonight."

"That actually sounds pretty tasty." Low effort. Make a pan of it for myself and have that be my lunch for the week.

"You could probably come over for dinner if you wanted. My parents have been wanting to meet you."

"Really?" Whimsy honestly could not recall the last time someone explicitly invited xem into their home.

"Yeah. For some reason, my mom thinks I just made you up so that she doesn't nag me about being more social. I think it's because you use gender-neutral pronouns." He turned to face xem real quick. "And I'm not saying that my mom has anything against queer folk--she doesn't. I guess she just thinks it's suspicious that I'm not specifying whether you're a man or a woman."

"Is she one of those: 'Hurry up and get married and give us grandkids,' type of moms?" Whimsy ventured a guess.

Andre sighed. "My parents respect the fact that I don't want to have kids. I guess, it's more like... They don't want me to die alone." There was a pause as he inspected two different brands of honey mustard. "It gets a little annoying sometimes. And don't get me wrong. I love my parents. I'm happy to have them in my life. But they think 'aromantic,' means I'm too insecure to ask anybody out. My mom will tell me how handsome I am, while my dad will tell me that they don't care if it's a man, woman, or whatever."

I'm a "whatever."... Why is THAT the first thing that popped in my head? "I mean, you WERE a shut-in for the past few years," Whimsy pointed out. "I think your parents' concerns are pretty justifiable."

"Yeah, yeah," Andre rolled his eye before tossing in a couple jars of honey mustard into the cart. "I mean, I'm not totally AGAINST being married. I still feel LOVE, but it's like... like... I care for you, and I want to spend time with you, and I want to be there for you through thick and thin. I don't want to do la-la-la-la stuff," he explained, wiggling his tongue around.

"What the hell is 'la-la-la-la' stuff?!" Whimsy laughed.

"You know! Like, deep kisses and stuff," Andre scrambled to explain. "I have no problem with other people doing that, but that is NOT for me."

"Are you asexual too, or just aromantic?" Whimsy brought xeir tone down a bit, for modesty reasons.

"Ehhh..." His expression turned sheepish, before he came to stand directly next to Whimsy. In a low voice, he offered an explanation. "I don't know if Mells told you, but I had a phase in secondary school where I was just... sowing my oats. I didn't get anyone pregnant; I was safe about it. And I only did it because... I felt like it was expected of me. So, I didn't HATE IT, but... I don't feel like I've been missing out on anything."

"You overestimate how interesting you are," Whimsy joked. "Mellilla and I have plenty of other topics we like to discuss. As for your disclosure, I say that falls under 'asexual.'"

"What about you, then?" He seemed relaxed that xe didn't scorn his sexual history.

"Mmm... When I was younger, I couldn't tell shit from shallots. I've had relationships, and they never worked out. Dated more jerks than I care to admit. I like to think my tastes have improved, along with my social skills. I was NO peach 5, 10 years ago."

"We live and learn," Andre shrugged.

"If I'm coming over for dinner, we need to stop by my apartment so I can change my clothes. I'm pretty sure there's snot and boogers on my pants." And I bought this nice dress that I haven't had the excuse to wear yet.

"Sounds doable. Well, let's hurry and get the rest of the ingredients then."

Maybe it was just a random fantasy, but Whimsy couldn't help but imagine if xe could be what Andre wanted in a partner. Could xe live without deep kisses and sexy cuddling sessions, and just... do normal, everyday things with him, except living under the same roof? When xe thought about Andre, there wasn't any butterflies-in-the-stomach sensation. It was more like... a gentle warmth in xeir chest. He was someone that made Whimsy feel safe. It wasn't a very common sensation.

***

"I was wondering when you would get here," Andre's mother stated when he knocked on the door, arms ladled with groceries. Then she noticed Whimsy, wearing a semi-formal dress, xeir hair tied in a braid with a flower clip at the end, holding a dessert from a local bakery. "Who is this?"

"This is Whimsy Aliferous," Andre introduced the two. "Xe is the one I've been hanging out with after work."

"You exist?!" the woman excitedly exclaimed.

"...yes." Odd question aside, she was such a stark contrast to Whimsy's own mother. This woman was old, and didn't feel the need to try and hide it. She aged gracefully, and exuded this aura of lightheartedness. I'm overdressed, and I'm making this situation awkward.

"Come, come, come!" Andre's mother ushered them inside. "My name is Heather Beehive; you can call me 'Heather.' Xe/xem pronouns, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Wonderful!" She turned to face the rest of the house. "Put your pants on! Andre brought a friend!"

"I promise we don't walk around naked," Andre muttered. "The bare minimum is boxers."

"I'll remember that for next time," Whimsy joked.

***

Alright, let's get this over with. "Danni, can you come out in the hall with me for a minute?" The lass followed her teacher, no doubt perplexed. Whimsy crouched down to her level, trying to hide xeir own heartbreak, so as not to stress out Danni. "When you come back from the spring break, you're going to be Mr. Wrigley's student."

"How come?" It was the first words she had spoken in days, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Mr. Samson looked through his papers and saw he made a mistake. You were supposed to be with Mr. Wrigley, not me." It was an explanation that Mr. Samson and Whimsy agreed to stick with for Danni's sake. Whimsy knew that there was a chance Danni would take the transfer as a form of rejection, and xe wanted to make sure they parted ways with no hard feelings.

From the look on her face, Danni accepted the explanation, but she wasn't happy about it.

Description

Whimsy moaned into xeir hands, alone in the classroom. Xe had just gotten confirmation than Danni will transfer to Mr. Wrigley's class after the vernal holiday. Even xe couldn't really explain why it cut so deeply. It was Mr. Wrigley and xeir idea in the first place. Plus, Mr. Wrigley was literally right down the hall, so it wasn't like Danni was going to be sent to the other side of the school or anything. Xe was still going to see her in the mornings and passing each other in the halls, and on the days where Mr. Wrigley and xeir class would be playing together on the playground. All as well, it wouldn't be the same as having Danni in the room with everybody.

But Danni's little voice rang in Whimsy's head; how Whimsy made Danni feel safe. Xe would rather die than have that sweet child feel as if xe cannot be trusted to uphold that standard.

The last few days only seemed to confirm Whimsy's theory behind Noha's behavior; that he was doing the things he did to get a particular reaction from others, and Danni wasn't giving him what he wanted. She, of course, needed to come back to Whimsy's classroom until Mr. Samson reached a verdict. The child was silent mode, like when she had returned to school after having her appendix removed. She was politely attentive at best; making eye contact when you spoke to her and following instructions that were given to her.

When Noha proudly declared that he was the one who destroyed her toy, she merely glanced at him a moment before returning to her book. He got in her face and spat out swear words, slurs, and nonsensical insults. She waited until he was done before going back to her drawing. He made random threats; saying he was going to stab her in the face and make her bleed. She waited until he was done and went back to drinking her water.

Whimsy did NOT want Danni's last few months of kindergarten to be spent dealing with that sort of nonsense, or perhaps worse, depending on whatever whims Noha had. Xe got frustrated just watching him.

"I'm heading out," Andre announced, grabbing his bag from the closet.

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Uh, grocery shopping. Why?"

"Can I tag along?" If xe was being completely honest, Andre was pretty much the only reason why Whimsy socialized outside of work. Xe didn't necessarily NEED anything from the grocery store, but lately, xe had been eating the same sort of basic foods for weeks. Seeing what Andre purchased, making striking up a conversation about meal prep or recipes, might be what helps xem get out of the rut xe was in. Now, Andre wasn't xeir ONLY friend, but he WAS the only one who was single and childless. It was harder to make plans with friends who had obligations to their spouses and children.

"Sure."

***

"Now I need honey mustard..." Andre pointed towards a particular aisle, and Whimsy steered the grocery cart in his direction. "My dad found this recipe for honey mustard chicken and potatoes, so things are going to be interesting tonight."

"That actually sounds pretty tasty." Low effort. Make a pan of it for myself and have that be my lunch for the week.

"You could probably come over for dinner if you wanted. My parents have been wanting to meet you."

"Really?" Whimsy honestly could not recall the last time someone explicitly invited xem into their home.

"Yeah. For some reason, my mom thinks I just made you up so that she doesn't nag me about being more social. I think it's because you use gender-neutral pronouns." He turned to face xem real quick. "And I'm not saying that my mom has anything against queer folk--she doesn't. I guess she just thinks it's suspicious that I'm not specifying whether you're a man or a woman."

"Is she one of those: 'Hurry up and get married and give us grandkids,' type of moms?" Whimsy ventured a guess.

Andre sighed. "My parents respect the fact that I don't want to have kids. I guess, it's more like... They don't want me to die alone." There was a pause as he inspected two different brands of honey mustard. "It gets a little annoying sometimes. And don't get me wrong. I love my parents. I'm happy to have them in my life. But they think 'aromantic,' means I'm too insecure to ask anybody out. My mom will tell me how handsome I am, while my dad will tell me that they don't care if it's a man, woman, or whatever."

I'm a "whatever."... Why is THAT the first thing that popped in my head? "I mean, you WERE a shut-in for the past few years," Whimsy pointed out. "I think your parents' concerns are pretty justifiable."

"Yeah, yeah," Andre rolled his eye before tossing in a couple jars of honey mustard into the cart. "I mean, I'm not totally AGAINST being married. I still feel LOVE, but it's like... like... I care for you, and I want to spend time with you, and I want to be there for you through thick and thin. I don't want to do la-la-la-la stuff," he explained, wiggling his tongue around.

"What the hell is 'la-la-la-la' stuff?!" Whimsy laughed.

"You know! Like, deep kisses and stuff," Andre scrambled to explain. "I have no problem with other people doing that, but that is NOT for me."

"Are you asexual too, or just aromantic?" Whimsy brought xeir tone down a bit, for modesty reasons.

"Ehhh..." His expression turned sheepish, before he came to stand directly next to Whimsy. In a low voice, he offered an explanation. "I don't know if Mells told you, but I had a phase in secondary school where I was just... sowing my oats. I didn't get anyone pregnant; I was safe about it. And I only did it because... I felt like it was expected of me. So, I didn't HATE IT, but... I don't feel like I've been missing out on anything."

"You overestimate how interesting you are," Whimsy joked. "Mellilla and I have plenty of other topics we like to discuss. As for your disclosure, I say that falls under 'asexual.'"

"What about you, then?" He seemed relaxed that xe didn't scorn his sexual history.

"Mmm... When I was younger, I couldn't tell shit from shallots. I've had relationships, and they never worked out. Dated more jerks than I care to admit. I like to think my tastes have improved, along with my social skills. I was NO peach 5, 10 years ago."

"We live and learn," Andre shrugged.

"If I'm coming over for dinner, we need to stop by my apartment so I can change my clothes. I'm pretty sure there's snot and boogers on my pants." And I bought this nice dress that I haven't had the excuse to wear yet.

"Sounds doable. Well, let's hurry and get the rest of the ingredients then."

Maybe it was just a random fantasy, but Whimsy couldn't help but imagine if xe could be what Andre wanted in a partner. Could xe live without deep kisses and sexy cuddling sessions, and just... do normal, everyday things with him, except living under the same roof? When xe thought about Andre, there wasn't any butterflies-in-the-stomach sensation. It was more like... a gentle warmth in xeir chest. He was someone that made Whimsy feel safe. It wasn't a very common sensation.

***

"I was wondering when you would get here," Andre's mother stated when he knocked on the door, arms ladled with groceries. Then she noticed Whimsy, wearing a semi-formal dress, xeir hair tied in a braid with a flower clip at the end, holding a dessert from a local bakery. "Who is this?"

"This is Whimsy Aliferous," Andre introduced the two. "Xe is the one I've been hanging out with after work."

"You exist?!" the woman excitedly exclaimed.

"...yes." Odd question aside, she was such a stark contrast to Whimsy's own mother. This woman was old, and didn't feel the need to try and hide it. She aged gracefully, and exuded this aura of lightheartedness. I'm overdressed, and I'm making this situation awkward.

"Come, come, come!" Andre's mother ushered them inside. "My name is Heather Beehive; you can call me 'Heather.' Xe/xem pronouns, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Wonderful!" She turned to face the rest of the house. "Put your pants on! Andre brought a friend!"

"I promise we don't walk around naked," Andre muttered. "The bare minimum is boxers."

"I'll remember that for next time," Whimsy joked.

***

Alright, let's get this over with. "Danni, can you come out in the hall with me for a minute?" The lass followed her teacher, no doubt perplexed. Whimsy crouched down to her level, trying to hide xeir own heartbreak, so as not to stress out Danni. "When you come back from the spring break, you're going to be Mr. Wrigley's student."

"How come?" It was the first words she had spoken in days, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Mr. Samson looked through his papers and saw he made a mistake. You were supposed to be with Mr. Wrigley, not me." It was an explanation that Mr. Samson and Whimsy agreed to stick with for Danni's sake. Whimsy knew that there was a chance Danni would take the transfer as a form of rejection, and xe wanted to make sure they parted ways with no hard feelings.

From the look on her face, Danni accepted the explanation, but she wasn't happy about it.