On His Own: A Sing Fanfiction

The Trio Goes Out

       Johnny let out a sigh. That was... Certainly a scare this morning, he thought, pulling his jacket over his shoulders, beginning to feel relieved that he would be out of such an embarrassing space. "Tomorrow's a new day, huh?" he said to himself. As he stepped toward the door of the loft, Mr. Moon stopped him.
       "Hey, Johnny," he called from his office door. The gorilla froze. He did not want another scared face at his outburst, especially from his manager. He pivoted around slowly. "Yes, Mr. Moon?"
       "Aren't you forgetting something?" the koala questioned slyly. He had taken off his suit jacket, and was taking an incredibly casual meander toward the boy. Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Umm, only if you tell me what it is I'm forgetting," he answered, trying to hide his anxiety. His manager stood still a bit, processing the abnormally long answer. He eventually nodded and smiled with recognition. "Go get Mike," he reminded. "We're going out."
       Mike was leaning against the wall near the entrance, the sunset lining his shape. Johnny blasted down the stairs, completely destroying the atmosphere and stopping palms to the wall above Mike, who pressed up against it.
       "Hey, slow down, tiger. Buy me a drink first," the mouse warned.
       "We're going out with Mr. Moon today!" Johnny beamed.

       Mr. Moon didn't have a car, despite the funds Mrs. Noodleman had given him to get himself off the ground. "I don't wanna have that much responsibility, you know?" he excused. The mouse could beg to differ. He was out on Johnny's shoulder in an undershirt, sweating the day away. "How long have you lived here, Moon?" he asked irritatedly.
       "You can call me Buster if you like. But uh, my whole life. Why do you ask?" Somehow he seemed fine in his work clothes, minus the suit jacket.
       "You've been here your whole life, so about, I dunno, 29, 32 years, and you've never thought a car's AC might be nice?
       "To be honest, I'm used to Calatonia's blazing summers."
       "Screw you, Moon," the mouse grumbled. Johnny walked on in silence, trying not to focus on the heat. His heavy leather jacket was, of course, long off his sweat-soaked back, and he tugged on the collar of his tee, seriously regretting not wearing something lighter.
"Where exactly are we headed?" he asked. Buster scratched behind a giant koala ear. "Uh.. Haven't thought of that yet." Mike jumped up and Johnny sat him back down again. "You've got to remember to lay low, Mike," he whispered. Mike looked at him like he was stupid for a bit, then coughed and let himself down, red filling his cheeks.
       They eventually stopped at a familiar cafe. Buster stepped back and took a look at the baseball-themed sign. "Why not here, guys?" he asked, gesturing toward it. Johnny and Mike glanced at each other, and the gorilla sheepishly uttered "This is where I work.."
       Buster grinned. "All the more reason to go!" As the koala led the trio inside, Johnny could only hope that Dylan wouldn't give him a bad rap. Mike had said Dylan was like that.
       As they entered, Dylan's usual "Heallo. I'll be right with you," rang through the cafe. Johnny swallowed hard as the crew approached the bar. The rat hopped lithely onto the counter after a moment. He and Johnny locked eyes.
       "Hey, it's Johnny. And you brought friends!" He gestured with friendly, wide open arms to the two others, but slowly lowered them when he noticed his brother-in-law. "And.. You brought Mike.." Johnny's ears burned. Mike sat cross-legged on the counter, staring hard at Dylan.
       "Okay!" Dylan suddenly exclaimed. "What can I getcha, fellas?"
       "Get me that weird fancy grilled cheese thing you made the other day."
       "It's a panini, Johnny," the rat grunted.
       "Hmm..do you guys have tea?" Buster asked, his ears perking.
       "No," Johnny quickly answered.
       "Yes," Dylan retorted just as quickly. Not a lot of types, though."
     "Just something sweet would be fabulous, thanks," the koala nodded.
       "A four-ounce Dr. Dark for me," the mouse uttered expertly, his hands folded over his mouth as he eyed his brother.
       "Soda?" the rat scoffed. "You sure? Last time you had that you threw u-"
       "Finish that sentence and I'll tell my sister you've been cheating with a man," Mike threatened, leaning over his legs. Johnny snickered. His amusement was met with a confident grin from Mike as Dylan uncomfortably hopped to work. The pair continued to pester Dylan, who in turn would shock them right back with some snide remark or embarrassing story, much to the enjoyment of Buster.
       The trio ended up staying through dinnertime, until eventually, Dylan kicked Johnny out, saying "You need to get sleep for work tomorrow! Get outta here." Buster agreed, noting that practice would be the next day, but stayed behind to talk more to his new acquaintance.
       Johnny and Mike laughed all the way home, which wasn't far, as the garage was right across the street from the cafe. Mike jumped onto the couch as they arrived and requested, "Why don't we watch something tonight? That girl Meena said there was a new show on about kids going missing in the 80's."
       "That sounds... Odd," Johnny chuckled, following the mouse to his beat-up old couch and plopping down. The mouse grinned. "It's actually called Odder Stuff." At this point, Johnny laughed. "Great, that totally doesn't sound like a kids' show."
       Nonetheless, he turned it on. Eventually, maybe four or so episodes in, Johnny felt quite drowsy. Drifting between sleep and waking, he realized Mike  had at some point sat down on his shoulder. Johnny barely focused on the show, but he picked up hazy bits of 80's synth riffs as the mouse spoke quietly in his ear.
       "Hey, kid," he heard Mike croon. "I uh, really enjoyed tonight. It was a lot of fun to get to know you and the boss." The young gorilla began to come to, even if just a little. "Yeah..?" he mumbled, turning his head ever so slightly to see the little mouse. Mike smiled, not a big smile, but a genuine one, and stood up slowly. Johnny was called a bit more to attention by this gesture. "I really didn't think it would be a good time, especially when we ended up at my brother's cafe. But it was, 'cuzza you." He leaned in. "Thank you," he whispered.
       Before he knew it, Johnny was being kissed right on the mouth by Mike. He blinked once or twice in surprise as Mike broke off and realized what he had just done, beginning to blush. Before he had a chance to apologize or laugh it off, Johnny held a hand against Mike's tiny body, pulling him in again, and slid slowly down the couch until he was lying down.
       They broke off eventually, and Mike sank down to Johnny's furry chest, gripping some hair, taking in a deep breath and sighing. That night, the pair fell asleep together on a torn up and old couch, in the dim light of a TV.