Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hawt Saus struggled in the dark, trying to find a grasp on his surroundings. He didn’t know where he was, or even how he got in this situation.

“H-Hello? I’m warning you, I bite!” He called out, the fear in his voice clear.

“Hawt Saus!” A deep and booming voice rang out from the blackness.

A single light appeared, revealing a large series of court benches that reached higher than the red squirrel could see. At the desks were seven hooded figures, each glaring down at him as he trembled.

Hawt Saus fought to open his mouth to speak, preparing to fight if he had to, though he soon found that would be unnecessary.

Each hooded figure started to lower their hoods, revealing Chikn Nuggit and each of his friends. The little yellow puppy gave an excited wave of his paw, as well as a quick, “Hi Hawt Saus,” in his normal voice.

Saus gave a nervous wave back, his fear not fully quelled.

“Wh-What is this? Why are you guys bein’ so mysterious?” Saus asked the strangely ominous group of little animal friends.

It was Cheezborger that spoke up first.

“Chikn told us you wanted to be part of our friend group. But some of us are a little hesitant to do that.” Chee exchanged some glances with other members of the council.

“But why? I’m nowhere near as bad as I was! I’ve really changed!” Saus replied, a bit of confidence surging in him.

“Maybe, but some of us were still hurt before and you haven’t made up for it.” Fwench Fwy chimed in, a slight scowl on their face.

Hawt Saus recoiled, a part of him returning to a dark part of his own past.

“Oh come on! Is this really necessary? I’m in the group and I’m the most evil being here.” Iscream said, leaning a bit in their chair. “Besides, we let daddy time hang with us and he tried to cause the apocalypse.

“That’s exactly why we need to do this.” Fwench Fwy groaned at their partner. “Chikn may be fine now, but letting the wrong people in could be disastrous no matter who gets hurt. We have to put our mental health first.”

Hawt Saus tapped his foot and crossed his arms. “Hey, I’m right here! No need to talk like I’m not in the room. And I can be just as nice and friendly as all of you!”

“Okay. Say something nice about everyone here.” Cofi leaned forward, giving Hawt Saus an intense stare.

The squirrel looked around the room, hoping the words would come to him as he spoke.

“Well I… Chikn’s been really nice to me since I stopped being so much of a jerk. And Iscream’s pretty cool once you get to know them.”

Chikn and Iscream seemed to beam at their compliments, but Saus found he’d quickly run out of them.

“I don’t really know the rest of you. How am I supposed to compliment people I don’t know?”

“That’s what we’re talking about. You only know Chikn and Iscream. You haven’t even tried to get to know the rest of us. Some of us haven’t even been apologized too.” Chee’s gaze seemed a bit intense.

Saus immediately knew why. She was right. She probably held some small grudge against him specifically.

“Well, maybe I want to know you guys more! You all seem to have so much fun together I just… Wanted to be a part of it.” His words started confident, but as he spoke more his tone slowed down, growing more sincere. “I’m not used to people as nice as you. I’m sorry I called you all weirdos, but I really do want to try and be better.”

The council took a moment, whispering amongst themselves. After a pregnant pause, Chikn finally spoke up.

“Hawt Saus, we the council have decided. You are sentenced to… Having a playdate with everyone here until you find one thing in common with each of them.” The puppy pulled an oversized squeaky gavel from his robes and slammed it on the desk.

Hawt Saus scanned the faces of Chikn and his friends. They were all incredibly weird, some even more so than the rest. But they were always so happy. Maybe they knew something he didn’t.

The squirrel puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. “Easy! I can do that in my sleep!”

“Oh, good! Cause your first friend is Slushi!” The canine giggled.

“WHAT?!” Was all Hawt Saus could manage. Of all Chikn’s friends, Slushi was the one that seemed the weirdest to him. Hawt Saus hated anime, and he only knew what cosplay was because of Chikn telling him about it. Thinking about it, Hawt Saus had never even talked to her before. “You’re kinda throwing me in the deep end here, aren’t yah?”

The icy blue fox happily trotted up to Hawt Saus, a giddy expression on her face. “That’s why it’s the best choice! Sink or Swim buster!”

Hawt Saus felt himself deflate as he tried to think of how he was ever going to find something in common with the weeb fox.

Before he could say anything, Slushi scooped him up and started to run out of the room.

“C’mon! There’s gotta be a creative bone in you somewhere! Let’s go find your passion.” She cheered as Saus struggled in her grasp.

“Help! Chikn! I don’t wanna watch animeeee!” The spicy squirrel cried, reaching out for his one friend in the combo meal of a meeting.

Chikn just waved happily as he hopped down from his judge’s chair and turned to his friends.

“We should do this more. I wants to hit more stuff with my gavel.” Chikn said as a sinister grin grew across his face.

Chee kept her eyes on the door Slushi and Hawt Saus left through, a worried expression growing.

Cofi rested a claw on her shoulder. “It’ll be fine, Chee. She’ll sort him out. I’m sure of it.”

Chapter Text

Hawt Saus was practically one with his seat as he sat through yet another episode of Slushi’s favorite anime. It took all his willpower not to belittle the show but his body language was speaking volumes.

When the episode was finally over, even Slushi couldn’t deny she’d caught on to the squirrel’s indifference. It hurt a bit to know one of her favorite shows held no appeal, but he at least seemed to be doing his best about being nice.

“We should… Probably try something else, huh?” She asked, turning the tv off.

“Finally!” Saus cheered, a bit too excitedly before quickly covering his mouth. “I mean… Yeah. I just personally am not a fan.”

Slushi gave the spicy rodent a slight scowl before thinking about what to do next.

The icy fox quickly whipped up a table and some colored pencils before giving Hawt Saus an excited smile.

“Creating art is another one of my passions~ Maybe we can try that!”

Hawt Saus seemed unsure about it but he stepped over to the table and took a pencil in his hand.

The two got to work, but by the time Slushi finished her drawing, Hawt Saus hadn’t even started yet.

She cocked her head to the side and frowned. “What happened, Saus?”

“I… I didn’t know what to draw, okay?” He huffed.

“Aww. You could’ve drawn anything. The birds in the sky, a character you really like, even a tree. Just pick something and draw it.” Slushi offered sincerely.

“Yeah but it wouldn’t be anywhere as good as yours… You’re a professional artist!” He groaned, letting his anger get the better of him.

“Hawt Saus, it’s not a competition… You don’t need to compare our work. I think everyone’s art is beautiful as long as it comes from the heart.”

“Well my heart says I can’t draw.” Hawt Saus crossed his arms and turned away from the blank paper.

The silence hung in the air for a bit before Hawt Saus turned back to Slushi. “Why can’t we try something I like, huh?”

Slushi’s eyes started to sparkle. “That’s a great idea, Hawt Saus! What do you like?”

The Squirrel froze, not expecting Slushi to go along with his idea so easily.

“Well… I really like spicy food, metal and punk music, and givin jerks a piece of my mind!” He punctuated that last point with a fist to his palm.

“Let’s uh… Try the music. The others… Don’t really sound like fun to me.” Slushi’s expression said it all. Even she was having a hard time finding something in common with this spicy squirrel.

“Oh. Alright! I’ll show you my playlist!” Hawt Saus quickly pulled out his phone and found his favorite before grabbing the ear buds.

The song was loud and obnoxious, but captivating nonetheless Slushi had to admit, while it wasn’t to her exact liking, Hawt Saus’ favorites had their charm.

After a few songs, Slushi’s ears were ringing from the many loud sounds from Saus’ music. She needed a break.

“Hey, Hawt Saus. I have a question.” The red squirrel turned his attention to her.

“Why do you want to hang out with us anyway? I know you get along with Chikn and Iscream but I don’t think you’ve even acknowledged the rest of us.”

Hawt Saus took a moment to consider that. Even before he decided to try and be a better person, he wanted to get in on this group.

“I think… You guys just always seem so happy. No matter what happens you guys are always laughing and joking. Even though things are so weird around you. I think I just want that kind of happiness.”

Slushi smirked a bit when she heard that. She couldn’t help but remember something Sody told her about a while ago.

“Didn’t you call us all weirdos at some point? What changed?”

“I - Nothing. You guys are all still a bunch of weirdos. But I think if you guys can be so happy despite that, maybe being a weirdo isn’t so bad.”

Slushi’s smirk turned into a wide smile. “Aww~ Hawt Saus does have a heart after all~”

Saus waved his claw with a slight giggle. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t go spreading it around.”

Even in this moment, Hawt Saus couldn’t help but think of another reason he wanted to get closer with Chikn’s friends.

“Chikn was the only person I know willing to give me the time of day when I wanted to get better. I think… Without that, I wouldn’t have the motivation to go through with it.”

Slushi’s ears perked up as she saw the way Hawt Saus lit up when talking about Chikn.

“Oh my god… Do you have a crush on Chikn?” She asked giddily.

Hawt Saus was lucky he wasn’t drinking anything cause he would’ve done a spit take.

“Wh-What?! No! I’m straight! Why would I have a crush on Chikn Nuggit?” He sputtered, trying to recollect himself.

“A-Are you sure? The way you just talked about him made it seem…”

“No, I have never had feelings for a guy before. I just owe him for helping me. I could never have a crush on him.”

Slushi examined the red squirrel who’s cheeks seemed even redder than they usually were. Something seemed off to her, but she didn’t want to push it. Not after the progress they were making. She decided to drop it for now. Hawt Saus was on his own journey, and wherever that led him was up to him. Wouldn’t stop her from hoping it was true.

“Alright. Well… I think our time is up. You passed!”

“What?! Really? But I did so poorly.”

“We just needed to find something in common. You’ve got sick music taste dude, even if it’s not exactly my cup of tea anymore.” Slushi gave him a thumbs up.

Hawt Saus never felt so accomplished before. He did it!

“Now your next challenge is Sody Pop.”

Only for it to all crumble down.

Chapter Text

“I’ll see you later sweetie~ Have a fun night~” Sassparilla sang as she strode to the door.

“Bye mom! Have fun at the movie!” Sody waved excitedly, before turning back to Hawt Saus with a devious grin.

“Oh no, kid. No exploding around me. While I’m babysitting, I’m in charge.” The squirrel crossed his arms sternly.

“That’s what you think, old man. But I’ve got this!” Sody pulled out a red phone with a skull breathing fire on the case.

“H-Hey! That’s mine! How did you even get that?”

Hawt Saus jumped after Sody trying to take back his stolen phone, but Sody was too quick.

The red panda now stood behind him, his voice suddenly much deeper than before. “Omae wa mo shindeiru.”

“What? What does that even mean?” Hawt Saus turned, only to see Sody Pop skittering on the roof away, his phone clutched in the child’s mouth.

Hawt Saus quickly gave chase but found the hallway Sody fled down branched into three different rooms. He groaned and checked the first one only to find a bathroom. The second seemed to be Sassparilla’s room, neither of which had Sody in it.

It was then he heard a muffled, “Woooooah,” coming from the final door.

Hawt Saus slammed the door open and found his target, the little red panda scrolling through his phone. He turned his attention up to Hawt Saus with a curious expression on his face.

“How come most of your photos are of Chikn?”

Hawt Saus swiped his phone from Sody, his face a deep red. “None of your business!”

“Do you like him or something?”

Hawt Saus fumed more, his ears feeling like they were on fire. “No! I don’t like Chikn!”

“Oh. Good. He’s too good for you anyway.”

Hawt Saus was going to lose it. It wasn’t just the matter of fact way Sody said it that got to him. It’s that he kind of agreed. He never understood why Chikn gave him a chance in the first place. He didn’t deserve Chikn, as a friend or otherwise.

“You think I don’t know that?!” The squirrel’s tail was set aflame in his rage, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Sody wasn’t intimidated at all. Instead, his eyes lit up as he pointed to the fiery appendage. “Woooooah! You got fire powers from Chikn?”

“What are you talking about kid?” He snapped before looking to check himself. Suddenly, a surge of panic ran through him as he realized it wasn’t some prank.

Saus screamed and rushed to put the flames out. In his panic, he forgot about the nearby bathroom and instead reached for the nearest shirt he could find, quickly patting the flames out.

Once the fire had settled, Hawt Saus sighed in relief, finding his tail was no worse for wear. The shirt on the other hand was… Surprisingly fine too?

“W-What? How is-?’

“Mom started buying me flame resistant clothes cause of how often I’d explode.” Sody was quick to answer.

“Oh… Makes sense.” Once the moment of confusion was up, he turned to Sody with a slight growl. “Wait a minute! What’s the big deal? I never see you give Slushi such a hard time.”

“Cause Slushi is nice to me. You’re unpleasant!”

“But I’m trying to be better! You see that, right?”

“You never apologized to me or Fwench Fwy for calling us weirdos.” Sody huffed and crossed his arms.

Hawt Saus pulled his tail in front of himself and held it, remembering that moment all too well. He sighed softly and sat on the floor.

“Look, kid-”

“My name is Sody!”

“Right. Sody. I’m sorry for that. I made you feel bad just because I didn’t know how to interact with people. You saying that woke me up. I wanted to become better because of it.”

“How could you not know how to be nice? I get it and I’m nine.”

Hawt Saus clutched his tail a bit tighter. “I… wasn’t very popular in school. Didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. And the ones I did have… Weren’t very good. Always pushin me to misbehave or get in fights. But I always did what they wanted because they were my friends.”

Hawt Saus took a slight pause.

“Turns out… They didn’t feel the same way. They just thought it was funny to watch the tiny squirrel getting beat up. They were jerks.”

Sody sat in front of Hawt Saus, a serious look on his face. “They were bullies.”

Hawt Saus nodded softly, feeling comforted that Sody seemed to understand. “Yeah. They were. So when I got here and saw how nice you all were to each other… I tried to insert myself before realizing that I was being a jerk too.”

Sody took a moment to process what Saus told him. When he did speak up, there was a mixture of sympathy and rage in his voice. “I hate bullies. It’s not fair to make fun of someone because they’re smaller or they like different things. People like that need to go fix themselves.”

Hawt Saus couldn’t help but smile. He could tell Sody spoke from a point of experience.

“Fine. I’ll accept your apology. But if you’re mean again, I’ll destroy you!”

Hawt Saus couldn’t help but laugh at the tiny panda’s threat. He didn’t doubt his words, it just tickled him that a kid was willing to fight him, an adult, for the sake of his friends.

“You know, Sody. You kinda remind me of myself at your age. Wanna watch a movie you’re not supposed to and not tell your mom?”

Sody’s eyes widened as he started buzzing with excitement.

“Yeah! Yeah! Let’s goooo!” Sody burst from the bedroom, back to the living room, eliciting another laugh.

He followed after Sody before flipping on the TV to find the movie.

“Hey Sody, you know who’s next?”

“Yeah! Fwench Fwy!”

That seemed daunting, but having Sody and Slushi on his side gave him confidence.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Fwench Fwy. I got a question.” Hawt Saus asked, as he approached the wish dragon.

Fwench Fwy was lounging at the end of a rainbow, as they would often do on their days off. In all honesty, they kinda forgot Hawt Saus was going to visit them today.

They took off their shades and looked at the squirrel with intrigue. “If it’s anything to do with wishes, you’re out of luck today.”

“Oh, no. I don’t think I ever want another wish from you.” Hawt Saus shivered, remembering just how long it took him to recover from all those bee stings. “I wanted to ask. You know about LGBTQ stuff, right?”

Fwench Fwy raised an eyebrow and looked to the literal rainbow they were resting on.

“Right… I just wanted to know, could you explain that to me? Like I know the basics. Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans but… I don’t really know much beyond that. Iscream told me a bit about being Non-Binary but not much.”

Fwench Fwy actually seemed intrigued. He’d certainly come a long way.

“That’s a bigger question than you think Hawt Saus. There are a ton of other sexualities and identities beyond the ones you’re aware of. I could probably go on all day.”

“Ah. Well could you explain what pansexual is? Chikn mentioned it and I’m a bit confused cause it sounds like being Bi.”

Fwench Fwy smirked a bit, recognizing that of all the sexualities Hawt Saus was interested in, Chikn’s was the first one he brought up.

Fwench Fwy snapped and a chalkboard appeared, along with a pointer in their hand. The chalkboard showed a venn diagram with two mostly overlapping circles.

“Well, a bi person is someone who experiences attraction for multiple genders, while a pan person experiences attraction to all genders, so you’re not wrong in saying they’re similar. But just because the word ‘Bi’ implies two, doesn’t mean bisexuals are nonbinary exclusive, and people who do say so are just trying to stir up trouble.”

“Huh… So Chikn and Cofi don’t care about gender? Are there people who don’t experience attraction at all?”

“Excellent question, my friend. Yes.” Fwench Fwy flipped the chalkboard again to reveal a comparison table.

“On this side we have Aromantic people. They experience very little to no romantic feelings toward others. And on the other side we have Asexual people, who experience little to no sexual feelings towards others. This does not mean they cannot feel these feelings, just that it might manifest in different ways or happen very rarely.”

Hawt Saus thought about those terms, conceptualizing them in his mind. He tried to think back to his own experiences and found he didn’t really have many crushes growing up. Though the idea of a relationship did intrigue him, he couldn’t think of anyone actually worth pursuing.

“Can… Asexual people still want to be in relationships?”

“Of course! They just might not become intimate with their partners. There’s also a few subcategories of asexuality, like demisexual. Demisexuals can experience sexual or romantic feelings but only after forming a deep connection with someone else.”

That one stuck out in Hawt Saus’ mind. He thought back to the few crushes he did have. None of them were strangers, but people he knew well, or at least thought he did.

“Is it… Normal for people to change sexualities?”

Fwench Fwy caught the hesitation in Hawt Saus’ voice and gave him a comforting smile.

“It’s less changing your sexuality and more finding out who you really are. And it’s very common. Sexuality and identity are very complex and it can take a long time to truly learn who you are.”

There was only one more question on Hawt Saus’ mind. “So… Just because someone grew up thinking they were straight, someone could come along and totally change that?”

Fwench Fwy nodded happily.

Hawt Saus was on the verge of… Something, but his mind wasn’t ready to accept it yet.

“Thanks, Fwench Fwy. I… Think I needed that. And I’m sorry for how mean I was before.”

Fwench Fwy giggled a bit and waved a claw. “Oh, it never got to me. It takes a lot to get under my skin.”

Hawt Saus smiled, glad to know he never truly hurt Fwench Fwy. Though the smile was short lived as he remembered something.

“The more I learn about you guys the more I want to be part of this group. I’m just not sure I have something in common with all of you.” He cradled his tail softly as he spoke.

“Maybe. But I know something we have in common at least.”

Hawt Saus stared, finding it hard to believe he had anything in common with a wish granting dragon from heaven.

“We both regret something and want to be better.”

“You have something you regret?”

“Heh… Yeah. While we all share the blame, it was my job to keep Chikn from becoming the demigod of Chaos. And I failed. I got distracted.” Fwench Fwy almost seemed to darken when they said that. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for hurting him like that.”

“Oh, quit being so melodramatic.” The words seemed to shock even Hawt Saus, but when Fwench Fwy’s only response was to pause, he continued. “Yeah you messed up. So what? You realized you messed up and you’re working on it. You’re not perfect and you never will be, so don’t beat yourself up over something forever.”

Fwench Fwy found themselves letting out a little laugh. “That almost sounds like something Iscream would say.”

Fwench Fwy seemed to brighten back up. “Wanna hang out here with me some more? I could teach you more about the LGBT.”

“Sure, why not? I could probably learn a lot. But… Before the lesson. Who’s next on the list?”

“It’s Cofi. Think you’re up to the challenge?” Fwench Fwy smirked as they look to Hat Saus.

“I’ve come this far!” He responded, burying his fear.

Chapter Text

Hawt Saus hesitated once he finally made it to Cofi’s door. His hand hovered inches from the wooden structure as he tried to gather the courage to make contact.

Right as he found himself completely frozen, the door creaked open, revealing the sheep in wolf’s clothing he was so paralyzed by. She wore her usual neutral expression as she looked down to the tiny squirrel.

“Hey, Hawt Saus. You coming in?” She asked, her tone carrying no ill will.

Still, Hawt Saus shivered and answered quicker than he should have. “Obviously! Yeah. It’s our turn, isn’t it?”

Hawt Saus was still locked in place when Cofi walked further into her house. After a few steps, the sheep noticed this and turned to him.

“Do you need help?”

“N-No! I’m coming!” He finally found the will to follow after Cofi.

Once in the living room, Saus found that Cofi had laid out several fruits and veggies for them. His eyes immediately landed on the buffalo cauliflower wings.

“Woah! I love these things. How’d you know?” Hawt Saus asked, scooping one up.

“They’re actually my favorite.” Cofi took one as well before taking a bite.

Hawt Saus was shocked. He’d just walked in and already found something in common with Cofi. It felt too easy.

“Hawt Saus, I want to talk.”

There it was. The squirrel quickly ate the wing he had before sitting at the table across from her.

“I’m mad at you. You hurt Chee.” Her voice still remained calm, but there was a subtle edge to it.

“I… I kinda figured you would be.” He responded, recoiling a bit from the blunt honesty.

“Even beyond that time with Chikn, your careless behavior has hurt Chee. She just got better at hiding it.”

“I know. But I want to make it up to her! Truly apologize. But it feels like she avoids me.” Hawt Saus didn’t pretend to act surprised at that. There was a time he avoided her too. She was a constant reminder that he hadn’t fully changed.

“Is that why you agreed to this? So you could finally apologize.” Cofi had an amazing poker face. Despite the tension in the air, he couldn’t tell if she even believed him or not.

“That’s a part of it, yeah. It feels like, if I can’t apologize to Cheezborger, then I can’t really say I’ve changed.”

“So you’re doing it just so you can feel better about yourself.”

Hawt Saus huffed and shot a slight glare at Cofi. “Hey! Don’t twist my words like that! Maybe in the past but I do care about Cheezborger’s feelings.”

“Then why only call her by her full name?”

Hawt Saus paused, surprised Cofi picked up on that. She was more perceptive than he thought.

“Her… Her friends call her Chee. I highly doubt the two of us count as friends. Even if I want to be her friend, it doesn’t feel right to use her nickname.”

Cofi narrowed her gaze at him, making the squirrel squirm in his seat. After a few seconds of staring, Hawt Saus couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Look! Believe me or not, I am sorry and I want to make it up to her. Why else would I try so hard to befriend people I’ve hurt. I’m trying my best and I’d hope you could at least respect that!” He growled softly, his frustration with the wannabe wolf boiling over.

Cofi’s expression of doubt held strong, giving Hawt Saus a few seconds to contemplate his words before finally relenting.

“I believe you. The fact you’re here says everything I needed to know. Just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t chicken out at the end.”

Hawt Saus was still a little heated, but he understood where Cofi was coming from. He needed people to push him to take the next steps.

“So… Are you still mad at me?”

“A little. But it won’t last. I just want to protect Chee.”

Hawt Saus smiled a bit, understanding that feeling. Once again, he was reminded of himself with his old friends. He would’ve done anything for them. Maybe he had more in common with Cofi than he thought.

There was something that crossed Saus’ mind that he felt like if any of Chikn’s friends could answer, Cofi was the one.

“Hey, Cofi. Have you ever felt like an outcast?”

Cofi just gave a simple nod. In hindsight, Hawt Saus felt like that was a stupid question.

“I… I talked with Fwench Fwy the other day and I think I might be Demi.” Hawt Saus winced softly as he said the last word.

Cofi cocked her head to the side, understanding the word but not quite understanding why he was talking to her about it.

Hawt Saus gently petted his tail as he spoke. “While it feels right and that does fit my experience…Would anyone even accept someone like me? I’ve said some pretty bad things about LGBT in the past.”

Cofi cracked a small smile. “As long as you keep improving, you’ll be accepted. Everyone’s got a past. Don’t let it define you.”

Hawt Saus chuckled softly, looking up to the sheep in wolf’s clothing. “I guess you’re right. I’m also just a bit nervous to go waving that flag when I’ve never actually dated anyone before.”

Cofi smirked and leaned forward. “Wanna hear a secret?”

Hawt Saus nodded and leaned in for Cofi to whisper in his ear.

“I felt the same before Chee. She was my first.”

Hawt Saus’ eyes went wide as he heard that. He just stared in disbelief, stunned at how much he could have in common with someone so seemingly different from him.

“Now, all this food isn’t going to eat itself, is it?” Cofi asked, playfully.

Hawt Saus eagerly dug in with his new friend.

Hawt Saus started this journey with many doubts about himself and the people Chikn surrounded himself with. But each one only made him want to improve more.
He was ready.

Chapter Text

There was a nip in the air when Hawt Saus hiked out to meet Chee. She wanted to meet up for a jog through the park.

Once he arrived and saw the calico, he jogged over to her.

“Cheezborger! Didn’t think you were the type to be into working out.” He said as he approached.

Chee shot him a quizzical look and squinted her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hawt Saus immediately backpedaled, realizing he’d misstepped already. “N-Nothing! I just… Can I start again?”

Chee crossed her arms and nodded softly.

Hawt Saus cleared his throat and took it from the top. “Hi, Cheezborger. I’m glad we could meet up like this. How was your day…?”

The red squirrel was floundering and he knew it. Luckily, it seemed like the new greeting satisfied Chee.

“Today’s been pretty good. Little cold, but good.” She responded. The air wasn’t the only thing cold. Chee’s shoulder seemed to be pretty chilly itself.

“Right. You want to start the work-out?” Hawt Saus needed anything to get them away from this horrible greeting.

Chee just nodded and got into her starting position. Once Hawt Saus was ready as well, the two were off. Their initial pace was set to a light jog, giving them both time to warm up.

“So, Cheezborger. How long have you been working out?”

Chee eyed the squirrel running next to her before speaking. “For a few years now. Helps me get my blood pumping. Plus it’s just fun.”

“Oh? So, no specific reason?”

“Not really. It’s just something I got into.”

“That’s a better reason than me. You know I got into fights a lot as a kid? I just got tired of losing.” He let out a nervous chuckle.

“That’s not surprising.” Chee responded coldly before speeding up.

Hawt Saus tried not to take it personally as he caught back up with her.

“Look, Cheezborger. I’ve been meaning to say, I’m sorry for how I treated you. I Didn’t think about how my words sounded and I hurt you because of that.”

“Fine, apology accepted.” The tone in the cat’s voice was unconvincing. She picked up the pace again.

“I really am! I’m not that person anymore.” Hawt Saus was actually needing to try and keep up with Chee now.

“I believe you. You’ve changed for everyone, except me. Even now you still treat me like a stranger.”

Hawt Saus found his mouth needed a second to catch up with his brain. She’d realized it too.

“You’re right. Chee, I’m sorry.”

Chee growled and sped up more, turning their light jog to a full on sprint. “Why can’t you just be honest with me? You bonded with everyone else yet you still can’t open up to me?”

Hawt Saus huffed as the cat struck a nerve. He ran even faster, passing Chee as his tail lit up once more.

“Fine! You want the truth? I’m jealous of you! How come you get to be Chikn’s best friend when you almost left him behind?”

Chee caught up and matched his speed, shooting him a strained glare. “Why do you care? Don’t you have any other friends?”

“Iscream has Fwench Fwy, Slushi has Sody and Cofi has you! I have no one! No one but Chikn…” Hawt Saus slowed down, his body losing the will to keep moving as tears formed in his eyes. The flames forming on Saus’ tail extinguished.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to see everyone around you so happy and have none of that? Chikn was the first to give me a chance when I had nothing. Without him I wouldn’t have come as far as I have. But I know that no matter what I do, I’ll never be as important to him as you! Or any of his other friends!”

Chee watched as the hot headed squirrel broke down, something she never thought she’d see. Even if he was lashing out at her again, it came from a deep place of hurt. One that was all too familiar.

She slowly approached him before wrapping him in a tight hug.

“Hawt Saus… You can’t think like that. There are people who care about you. Iscream, Chikn, heck I’ve even heard the others talk about you since you started this whole quest. You’re not alone. And you definitely can’t measure how people feel about you. That will only ever lead to heartbreak.”

“I just… I just want someone to choose me. No one ever chooses me…” Chee could feel the hot tears as they dripped onto her back.

Chee fought the urge to cry with him but instead held him tighter. “We’ve chosen you. You just haven’t noticed it until now.”

Hawt Saus thought back to when the challenge was proposed. Even though there were doubts, this friend group agreed to this chance.

“You want to know something, Hawt Saus? It was unanimous. All of us agreed to this. While I can’t say why, we all chose you.”

Hawt Saus broke more, finally returning the hug as he just let himself cry. He didn’t deserve it, but Chikn’s… No. Hawt Saus’ friends gave him the chance to truly heal, and it was everything he ever wanted.

It took Hawt Saus a bit before he was able to recollect himself, but eventually he pulled from Chee.

“You guys are too good. I don’t know what I did to deserve you forgiving me.” Hawt Saus said, wiping tears from his face.

“You put in the effort. And that’s what matters. Sure you might regress from time to time but so does everyone. It’s all part of improving.”

“Heh… Thanks Chee. I think I needed a good cry. Been a while since I had one.”

“Happy to help!” Chee’s smile beamed with joy.

Hawt Saus returned the smile for a bit before his mind finally made a connection.

“Oh god, no!” He exclaimed, shocking Chee.

“What is it, Hawt Saus?”

“I think I like Chikn!”

Chapter Text

“Iscreeeeeeaaam!” Hawt Saus screeched as he skittered towards the demonic bunny.

Iscream’s true form practically leapt out of their disguise at their friend’s sudden arrival and assault on their ears. Iscream rubbed their ear as they tried to calm the ringing.

“What is it? Is it really worth making me go deaf?”

“Iscream! I think I like Chikn!” Hawt Saus screamed, still in a panic.

“Oh? You’re just realizing that?” Iscream cocked their head to the side.

“What - What’s that supposed to mean?!” The squirrel huffed.

Iscream placed a hand on Hawt Saus’ shoulder and gave him an almost parental look.

“Hawt Saus my friend, you had lovesick written all over you for a while now. And I’m an immortal, I’ve seen it aaaaall before.”

The frustrated rodent brushed Iscream’s hand away. “And you didn’t think to tell me any of this before?”

“Ask yourself. Would you have believed me if I told you? You still thought you were straight last time we talked.”

Hawt Saus huffed and crossed his arms, his cheeks lighting up a bit. “Probably not.”

“Exactly! So like a good friend, I let you come to that conclusion on your own. Go ahead, you can thank me now.” Iscream smiled cutely, but Hawt Saus just narrowed his eyes at the rabbit.

“Well, since you know everything, what’s your grand idea? What do I even do with this?”

“It’s simple. Tell him! Mortals like you have such limited lifespans. There’s no time to waste.”

“T-Tell him?! Just like that? I don’t even know if he feels that way about me.” Hawt Saus lowered his voice a bit, turning his attention away from Iscream as he spoke. “I’ve never even dated anyone before. I don’t know what I’m doing!”

“Hawt Saus, do you want to date Chikn?”

The question stopped Hawt Saus in his tracks. It was something he hadn’t even asked himself yet since realizing his feelings. He thought about the strange puppy who’d stolen his heart against all odds. Chikn was nice and comforting, a stark contrast to himself. But Chikn would always stand up for his friends, even against other friends. That care and love was endless and unconditional.

Hawt Saus thought about his life before Chikn. It was sad and lonely. He never had that unconditional love he craved. But was it worth risking it all to tell him how he really felt? If Chikn didn’t feel the same way, would he leave him? Deep down, Hawt Saus already knew the answer.

“Chikn… Freaks me out. His powers are strange and scary, plus he’s just plain weird. But he’s easily the best person I’ve ever met. Even if he doesn’t like me back, I want him to know how much he means to me.”

Iscream’s grin couldn’t be wider. “Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know. The worst person ever falling for the most pure and ‘holy’ being alive? If you and I weren’t already friends, I’d be the easiest bond on the list.”

Hawt Saus smirked and gave Iscream a light punch on the shoulder. “Huh, guess you’re right.Though I still got you beat in sheer good looks, Grandpa~”

Iscream rolled their eyes and gave Hawt Saus a light shove. “Whatever you say, Mr. Never Dated Anyone.”

The two shared a laugh, happy they could make these jokes without hurting the other.

Hawt Saus gently rubbed his shoulder and sigh. “I… Don’t think I’m quite ready yet. Think I need some time to goof around before I start blabbing about my feelings again.”

“Oh, alright! Waste your time.” Iscream teased playfully. “Oh! I know! Sody told me your powers from Chikn came in!”

“What? Chikn powers? You don’t mean - Wait! Is that why my tail was on fire? Is that why all you guys are so weird?’ Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

“Well, not mine or Fwench Fwy’s but yeah, pretty much!”

Hawt Saus groaned as his form sagged a bit. “Guess I can’t really call myself normal anymore, huh? Wait! Why would Chikn give me the power to set myself on fire?”

“I don’t think he really chooses what powers to give people. It’s more based on personality… Kinda? I don’t really get it. But it’s probably as simple as he thought it would be funny if you had fire powers.”

Hawt Saus really did not know how to feel about this new information. While it was kinda cool to have fire powers, he didn’t exactly like the idea of being changed for no reason. But the more he thought about it, the less it worried him.

Since meeting Chikn and his friends, Hawt Saus had changed in many ways. He’d become nicer, made friends that taught him things that changed his perspective and even learned more about himself. Life was all about change, and if he started denying it now, how far would he really get? Maybe he just needed to learn to roll with the punches. Even if one of those punches was unexpected pyrokinesis.

“Hey, Iscream. Know any place where I could practice these powers without causing a forest fire?”

Iscream smirked devilishly and gave a giggle.

“Ooo-hoo-hoo! I thought you’d never ask! I know a great little pocket dimension where only the worst kind of people live. Follow me~” Iscream said in a sing-song tone.

Hawt Saus followed uncertain, but happy to take the distraction from his worries for now.

As the day faded away into pranks and vandalism on the deserving, Hawt Saus had found he was happy with the changes that brought him here. There were unpleasant times in the past and still more challenges on the horizon, but he felt confident in himself and his friends. Confident that he could handle the changes yet to come. If not by himself, then with his friends at his back.

With the new knowledge and friends to fall back on, Hawt was was ready to face Chikn Nuggit.

Chapter Text

Chikn swung his legs as he sat on a bench waiting for Hawt Saus. He’d mentioned wanting to talk about something important but didn’t say much more than that. Chikn was ready to be a supporting friend, just like always.

Though, the word friend caught his mind. He wondered if that was all he’d ever be to someone. The park bench he was on had a clear view of all the couples going about their day. Sure there were some people on their own, but Chikn couldn’t seem to focus on them.

How long had he been single, now? He struggled to even remember his last relationship. Did the forest goblin count? Chikn didn’t want to think about that anymore.

Luckily for him, it was around that time he finally saw Hawt Saus. Eager for the distraction, Chikn’s neck stretched as it rapidly approached Hawt Saus.

“Hawt Saus!” He cheered as he closed in.

“Ah! Wait! Too fast Chikn!” Saus responded, bracing himself before Chikn’s head suddenly stopped in front of him. The rest of Chikn’s body was quick to follow, whipping across the park and slapping back into place like elastic.

Chikn’s tail wagged as he looked at his friend. “You did it! Now you’re officially part of the Combo Meal!”

Hawt Saus raised an eyebrow. “Is that what the friend group is called?”

“Mostly by me~” Chikn beamed.

Saus smirked and rolled his eyes. “Color me, not surprised.”

Despite Chikn’s usual wholesome and upbeat personality, he had to admit. He missed Saus’ sass. But there was important business to attend to.

“You wanted to talk right? What about?”

“Yeah! I… I did. There’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you.” Hawt Saus fiddled with his hands a bit.

Chikn couldn’t help but be a little concerned.

“Chikn… I… Just learned that I’m Demi! So that’s cool, right?” The tone of Hawt Saus’ voice implied that wasn’t what the squirrel wanted to say initially.

“That’s awesome Hawt Saus! I’m happy you’re living your truth! But that’s not all, is it? Wait! Is there someone you like?!” Chikn’s tail started to wag involuntarily, his excitement taking over his body.

Hawt Saus seemed to pull back, rubbing the side of his head. “M-Maybe… There might be… Someone.”

Chikn smiled wider, but a part of him was hurting inside. He knew this wouldn’t mean Hawt Saus would leave him, but he almost wished that someone was him.

While he played it off that one time in the park, he had developed a small crush on Hawt Saus. But Chikn had resigned himself to nothing more than playful banter with the squirrel because he said he was straight.

“Well, I’m proud of you! I hope whoever it is likes you back.” Chikn was trying to be supportive, but his tone came out a little flat. “Tell me about them! Do I know them?”

“Y-Yeah. I’d say you’re pretty familiar with them. They’re… Very sweet and supportive. They helped me through some very rough times. They’re weird as hell, if I’m being honest.”

Chikn wracked his brain, trying to think about who this could be. “Slushi?”

Hawt Saus made a face and shook his head. “No! I just talked with her recently.”

Chikn thought again, placing a paw on his chin. “Mrs Sassparilla…?”

Hawt Saus huffed and shook his head again, his cheeks lighting up. “Do I really have to spell it out to you?”

When Chikn just kept looking at the squirrel with confusion, Hawt Saus groaned and threw up his arms.

“It’s you, Chikn! You’re the one I like! Can’t you like read minds or something? How did you not guess that?”

Chikn’s cheeks grew red as he reeled from the revelation. Guys hadn’t even crossed Chikn’s mind, still thinking he only had interest in women.

“I try not to do that anymore! It didn’t feel right!” The yellow puppy replied, trying his best to recollect himself. “What do you mean you like me? You seemed grossed out when I flirted with you the other day.”

“I didn’t know yet!” The red squirrel’s cheeks suddenly turned redder. “Wait, so you WERE flirting with me?!”

Chikn froze and looked off to the side. “Maybe a little… But it didn’t start that way! I was just thinking about spicy nuggets. It just so happened that it came out flirty…”

“Chikn! That’s what helped me realize it. And… I guess the others kind of pushing me to this.” Hawt Saus sighed, finally allowing himself a moment to calm down. “Does that mean… You like me back?”

Chikn sat with the question a bit. It felt strange to admit it, but he did. It tickled him a bit that one of the first interactions he had with Hawt Saus was one of anger. They both had come a long way.

“I haven’t been in a relationship for a while. Honestly, didn’t think I ever would again. So I hope you don’t mind. I'm a little rusty.” Chikn chuckled and rubbed his head nervously.

“Chikn. I have literally never dated anyone and you’re the first dude I’ve ever liked. I think this is going to be a little weird for both of us. But… Weird isn’t so bad.”

Chikn couldn’t help but smile. In the flowing breeze, Chikn felt his body move forward as time slowed to a crawl.

Hawt Saus took notice and, after only a second’s hesitation, closed the distance with Chikn.

Their kiss felt like jumping into a cool pool on a summer’s day and being greeted by the calming depths. Any tension faded away as they enjoyed each other’s embrace. It almost felt wrong to pull away, but there was always a promise of reprisal.

“Kissing is… Not what I expected. But I think I could get used to it.” Hawt Saus’ face was still beet red.

“You know we have to tell the others, right?” Chikn held Hawt Saus close.

“Maybe later. I’m beat” He mumbled, falling asleep in Chikn’s arms.

Chapter Text

“Chikn! Get back here! No! Drop it!” Fwench Fwy shouted as they chased after the yellow puppy.

He growled lightly as he ran with one of the wish dragon’s shoes in his mouth.

Hawt Saus couldn’t help but giggle at the two as he leaned against a tree nearby.

He turned to see what his other friends were up to and landed on Sody and Iscream.

“Why not? I want to see more demons!” Sody exclaimed loudly.

“Trust me, buddy. I’d love to take you to the underworld, but mortals aren’t allowed without… Expiring first. And Sassparilla and Fwench Fwy would kill me for something like that.”

“Ooooooh! So you’re a coward!” Sody accused, pointing a human-like finger at the bunny.

“WHAT?!” The demonic bunny roared back.

Hawt Saus smirked and turned again, curious what Slushi and Cofi were up to.

“If it’s too spicy, you can say so. You don’t need to force yourself to eat it because I made it.” Cofi said, rubbing Slushi’s back.

Slushi held one of Cofi’s buffalo cauliflower wings in her hand. The fox looked like she had a bad sunburn, but was powering through the pain. “Nooooo… It’s fine! Art must… Be appreciated!”

Cofi pulled a small carton of milk from the picnic basket and handed it to Slushi. The icy blue fox was quick to extinguish the flames in her mouth.

Hawt Saus found he enjoyed watching his friends just be themselves, even if he wasn’t involved. They were all so different, yet they still cared for one another. Was this what true friendship was like? Had he even known what it was before now?

His thoughts were interrupted by Chee gently nudging him with a drink in both hands. The calico offered him one of the cans. “Taking a break from socializing?”

Hawt Saus nodded and took the drink she offered him. “Yeah, just a small one though. You guys have a lot of energy and I’m not used to it.”

“You sound like an old man, talking like that.” The two chuckled and shared a drink.

After a few seconds of people watching, Chee spoke up once more. “So, feeling less isolated now that you’re in the group and have Chikn?”

“A little bit. Though, I’m starting to think loneliness isn’t something that really goes away. Even when I’m surrounded by friends, I still sometimes feel lonely.” Chee’s expression grew concerned, but Hawt Saus continued. “But maybe that’s not so bad. Loneliness can really drive you to change, make you reach out when you would’ve just bottled it up. And with a group like this, I don’t think I’ll stay lonely for long.”

Chee felt the corners of her mouth lift before gently patting the squirrel’s shoulder. “Sounds like a good attitude to have. Looks like we really have rubbed off on you.”

“Heh, yeah. You really have.”

Hawt Saus stared at Chee for a bit. Someone who he hurt, yet gave him another chance to truly change. He turned to his friends down the hill, panning his vision until he saw each one. He owed this new mindset and this new life to all of them, and because of that he now knew where he belonged.

Hawt Saus finished his drink as his eyes landed on Chikn. Just looking at him made his heart flutter. He no longer needed to ask what he did to deserve a partner like him. Hawt Saus worked harder than he ever had before to get to this exact spot, and this was his reward. But he didn’t do it alone.

“Hey, Chee.” Hawt Saus said, not turning his attention away from Chikn. “Thanks for everything. I think I’m finally happy.”

Cheezborger grinned and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “So does being happy mean you’re gonna be less spicy?”

Hawt Saus turned to her and smirked. “Heck no! Spicy or bust!”

“I thought you might say that.” Chee chuckled before noticing a certain red panda sneaking up on Hawt Saus.

Before either could do anything about it, Sody quickly swiped something from the squirrel and ran off giggling. “I got your credit card!”

Hawt Saus screeched and ran after the little menace.

Fwench Fwy groaned and lightly pulled on Iscream’s ear. “What did I tell you about encouraging that kind of behavior?”

“Whaaaaaat~? That wasn’t me~” Iscream replied cutely, barely trying to hide their approval.

“Get back here you little gremlin!” Hawt Saus yelled, finding the child had more energy than he could keep up with.

“No! I’m gonna buy dakimakura with it.” The child giggled as he left the squirrel in the dust.

Slushi blushed a bit when she heard Sody Pop say something like that. “How do you keep learning about that?”

Sody just giggled, speeding up more.

Hawt Saus growled as his anger flared up. “I said give it back!” Suddenly, fire shot from his tail, propelling the squirrel forward. He tackled the small child and wrestled the card back from him.

“Self destruct sequence activated!” Sody screamed.

“W-What?!” Was all Hawt Saus could manage before he was enveloped in an explosion that sent him flying through the air.

He landed face first, a few feet from Chikn, who found and picked up the credit card.

“First time?” He asked playfully.

Hawt Saus groaned and sat up, dusting himself off. “Surprisingly, I’ve never been blown up before. Can I have my credit card back?”

“Hmmmm… Maybe. In exchange for a little kiss~?” Chikn cutely offered his cheek to Hawt Saus.

Hawt Saus narrowed his eyes a bit before smirking. He then grabbed both of Chikn’s cheeks and pulled him in for a deep kiss. The yellow puppy was so surprised, he dropped the card, which Hawt Saus caught before it hit the ground.

When he pulled away, Hawt Saus giggled and twisted the card in his fingers. “Heh, got it!”

Chikn had literally melted into a puddle from the unexpected affection.

Hawt Saus beamed, finally finding his people.