A special dedication and congratulations to guitarnotes.  Check out her interview with me in The MicroBytes Times on the MicroBytes profile.

~ Theosaurus & Charred Frog Legs ~

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One of the highlights of my night--no, my life, was seeing Theo Keller walk into my living room wearing a pink dinosaur onesie.

The hood was up and the long tail was swishing as he stepped into the living room. I thought nothing could top the frilly cupcake apron, but I was wrong. So very wrong.

"If any of you are taking pictures, I will not hesitate to break your phones," Theo muttered, pushing the hood back because the white felt teeth obscured his attempt to look intimidating.

"Are you going to chomp them with your ferocious teeth?" I asked him.

"Nah, he's gonna stomp them with his big, scaly feet," Eli contributed, pointing down to Theo's clawed feet. Eli was already on the couch like a frog prince lounging on a throne. Unlike Theo, Eli was happy with our choice for him. His onesie was a light green frog with a yellow felt crown sticking up on his hood. He claimed that he would get a kiss from me and Yvee by the end of the night and turn into a real prince.

Theo crossed his arms, trying to look tough but failing miserably. I circled around him and laughed quietly at the spiked tail, the tip of it dragged on the floor as he turned to me.

"It couldn't at least have wings?"

"Did you guys hear him?" I looked over at our friends with a chuckle. "Theosaurus wants wings."

"Aww, Theo wants to fly," Eli cooed.

"I'm just saying that I'd rather be a dragon." Theo gritted his teeth then muttered something about charred frog legs.

I tugged on his tail lightly to get his attention and smiled when he swished it out of my grip. "So aside from the lack of majestic wings, do you like it?"

"I'd like to take it off."

"Oh, kinky," Yvette commented lightly from her place on the floor.

"Go ahead," I told him. "Then you would have to leave."

"I only meant that it's a little warm. I'm not going anywhere, Sugar." He passed by me with a victorious smile to join his froggy friend on the couch.

I was the real winner out of the two of us, because he failed to notice that I did get a picture of him. I took it while he wasn't looking, but still managed to capture his glowering face and crossed arms. After setting it as his contact photo, I pocketed my phone and asked, "Who wants Sundaes?"

"Got mine already!" Jarod shouted over a mouthful of ice cream. When I gave him and his piled high ice cream sundae an accusing stare, he shrugged. "You forget I'm not a fangirl like you and Yvee. In fact, I kind of pity these guys. So no," he took another bite, "I didn't wait."

"I don't pity us," Eli said. "This thing is comfortable. I don't know why in the hell I never got one before now. Don't you think so, T?"

"Yeah," he agreed half-heartedly. "Comfortable. Hell."

Jarod pointed his spoon at Theo and gave me a chastising look. "See? He's sad because he's extinct. Poor choice, Abs."

"Give me that," I reached for the spoon he was waving around. The ice cream dripping off of it made a mess on the floor.

"Fight me," Jarod challenged, yanking the spoon away before I could grasp it. He pushed past me to sit by Yvette where he would be safer from me, but he clearly didn't feel Theo glaring daggers at the back of his head after the extinction comment. Theo leaned over and snatched the spoon, making an even bigger mess as the ice cream on it flung to the wall. Jarod watched it slide down the wall, mourning for the bite he lost.

Before whole bowl wound up on his head and all over the furniture, I quickly announced, "Hands up if you don't want to help me."

Jarod and Yvee's hands shot up first because they were used to it. Eli caught my wording a second later and put his hand up too. Theo was left confused with neither hand up because he was too busy plotting Jarod's demise to realize what he missed.

"Come on, Theosaurus. You get to scoop the ice cream."

He dropped Jarod's spoon back into the bowl and followed me to the kitchen without any objections. Once I got four dishes lined up, Theo took care of the ice cream while I pulled the cookie dough from the fridge along with the hot fudge, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and cherries. The other toppings were already set out, thanks to Jarod's impatience.

"Are you ready to make the best sundaes in the history of sundaes?" I asked Theo.

"That depends."

"On?"

"If I can add some Pop Rocks to it," he smirked.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "New rule of FooFliDay: No Pop Rocks on the premises."

Theo came up behind me while I was busy with the jars. I didn't have any trouble opening them, but his arms wrapped around me to take the last jar from my hands. I was starting to get a little too warm in my fleece when I felt his muscles tighten against me as he twisted the lid off of the hot fudge.

He put the jar back on the counter and I fixated on the lid spinning like a quarter until it tottered to a stop. I was as still as the lid, willing my hood to be up so I wouldn't have to feel the tickle of his jaw brushing against my cheek. Or at least my heels on to lessen our height difference and raise my confidence level. With barefeet, no makeup, and a pink panda onesie, I wasn't all that confident in myself. I needed all I could muster when he looked just as good in pink fleece as he did in leather.

Theo's reply was a purr in my ear, "Then it's a shame I'm a rule breaker, huh?"

New mantra: Sugar, spice, and breathe, Abby!

It seemed to work.

"And yet you didn't break the other rule." I turned around boldly, causing Theo's eyes to widen just a fraction in surprise. It wasn't enough of a shock to make him move back like I hoped he would, but I continued anyway, "You're still a cute little dinosaur with an even cuter tail."

"Careful, Sugar. This dinosaur bites," his darkened gaze flickered to my lips. "Especially when you take away my candy."

My new mantra was lost, along with the ability to breathe. Only Theo Keller had the power to make me a stuttering mess. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it a second later when a strangled sound escaped from my throat. The movie paused in the other room, leaving me with a twinge of disappointment as Theo moved away. He looked utterly pleased with himself for affecting me and getting the last word.

Eli came into the kitchen first, glancing between the two of us before reaching for his dish behind me. I still had my back glued to the counter because I didn't trust my legs to stand on their own just yet. I think I made it look natural though, so there was no way he suspected anything.

"The ice cream is melting," Eli noted, picking his dish up. With a smirk just for me, he asked, "Getting a little hot in here?"

You have no idea, I thought as I spun around for my own bowl to avoid his scrutiny. I added a generous scoop of cookie dough on top of mine, deserving it for putting up with the two of them.

"Your fault, Eli." Theo shrugged, taking a bite of his ice cream. "Volume was too loud for you guys to hear that it was ready."

He didn't believe Theo for a second, even if it was technically half-true.

The volume was too loud...but we didn't tell them it was ready.

Eli spared us and instead asked me, "What's that?"

"Shortbread cookie dough."

Yvette came over and took a heaping spoonful of it, then she covered that and her ice cream with the rest of the toppings. Jarod came up next and took some cookie dough even though his sundae was finished. Eli followed suit, taking a small amount to try and went back for more when he discovered how good it tasted.

Theo stood off to the side with a mouth full of ice cream. After he finished the bite and licked his lips and smacked them, he realized we were all staring at him expectantly. "What do I keep missing?"

"Cookie dough," Yvette enlightened him.

"Eat it," Jarod said.

"Now," Eli added.

"Please?" I asked.

His gaze bounced from each of us. "That was creepy. Did I miss some sort of ritual to get into this little group?"

"You did," I grinned. "It's eating the cookie dough."

"I'm afraid to now," he muttered, taking a little from the bowl and eating it.

Jarod threw his arm over Theo's shoulder. "Congratulations, bro. You're one of us now."

Theo gave him a half-smile and bumped his fist with Jarod's when he held it up.

Yvette stared Theo down, contemplating where she stood on the matter. "I'll accept you as my friend's friend, but we'll see what the future brings."

Eli was curious what they thought of him. "What about me?"

"One of us, other bro," Jarod gave him a fist-bump too.

"Friend," Yvette answered without hesitation. "You've spent more time with us than Mr. Bad Boy over there. He's got some catching up to do."

Jarod smiled at me, "If Abby would stop keeping him all to herself…"

"I don't!"

"You kinda do, Sugar. Not that I'm complaining."

No more cookie dough for him, I decided, glaring at Theo.

When we all had our sundaes, and Jarod had his hot fudge, everyone shuffled out of the kitchen to finally finish the second half of the movie. Yvette and I shared the couch, forcing the three boys to sit on the floor. There were blankets and pillows for everyone, so we were all cozy and settled in for the next few hours. It was getting late, but we had two more movies to get through before the night was over. I had my doubts about us staying awake, but the sugar high should help.

Jurassic World was the only movie I cared about anyway.

During the iconic scene of Owen on his motorcycle, riding with the raptors, my mind wandered to the boy sitting in front of me. It was almost disappointing that Eli fixed my car so soon, because I wanted to go for another ride on Theo's motorcycle. Owen and his raptors were nothing in comparison to Theo and his leather jacket.

Theo must have had his own thoughts regarding the subject because his head fell onto my lap. He flashed a secret smile that was impossible not to return to him. I averted my gaze to the screen and I felt the weight lift off of my legs when he eventually did the same.

Eli, who was sitting beside Theo, saw the grin on Theo's face and glanced back at me. I shrugged like I didn't know anything and he shook his head lightly. He whispered something to Theo, earning a swift elbow jab to his ribs that effectively shut him up.

Once the first movie was over, Yvee got up to get the second movie. We voted on which one, since we couldn't do rock paper scissors with five people. I chose in favor of Yvette's sci-fi, but the boys all voted for Jarod's scary movie.

Yvee groaned. "I'm not sitting by Abby. She'll strangle me. You," she pointed dramatically to Theo. "You can be the sacrificial lamb."

Theo just gave her a blank stare.

"Meaning I don't care if she strangles you." She motioned for him to get up. "Trade places with me."

Theo climbed to his feet and turned, catching me mouthing profanities to my friend. His brow lifted curiously as I sealed my lips and smiled tightly at him.

"She exaggerates."

I was lying, but he didn't need to know that yet.

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🍨 Favorite sundae topping! 🍨 -->

Eli: To the Sweeties who guessed I'm a frog... How dare you! It's all your fault the Author turned me into a frog! I was going to be a fluffy raccoon, bandit of women's hearts and food. But you made me into a slimey green frog.

Author: Technically, it's my fault for changing it. I am the one who told them to guess. And why are you talking so weird?

Eli: You, Author, would be a fly right now if I hadn't been able to convince you to put a crown on my head.

Author: That was not your idea.

Eli: *ignores Author* So I've decided to embrace my princely title. As Your Royal Frogness, I command you all to kiss me!

Author: Stop sexually harrassing our Sweeties.

Eli: *continues to ignore Author* Kiss me until I turn into a real prince and I will make one of you my princess!

Author: You could just take your onesie off--

Eli: Silence, peasant!

Author: *mutters* I never should have given him a crown...

Prince Eli getting a cold shower of holy water:

A/N: Unlike Eli, I want to thank those of you who commented in the last chapter. I'm honestly a little curious why so many of you chose a frog for him, but I won't question brilliance. I'm so grateful for the inspiration.

IMPORTANT-ISH

Since Wattpad is having some trouble with story notifications (I've been told they're working on it, but please report it if you're having similar issues), I just wanted to let you know I updated last week too in case you missed it. So if you didn't read how adorable Penguin Jarod is, go back a chapter to get a hug from him~

¤°*Pop Rock your day, Sweeties*°¤