Midge the Neko - Boyxboy -complete-

Chapter 9 -- Shop

Scott pulled item after item off the rack, a bewildered Midge following close behind. He'd given up asking, the boy had no opinions and 'didn't need anything.' Yeah, right. He asked for a changing room and dumped the pile in the corner. Then he looked up and saw the sign:

"For your safety and convenience, dressing rooms are monitored via closed circuit camera by same-sex security personnel."

He threw his hand up to cover his face and sighed. Shit, shit shit. He can't try anything on! What had he been thinking? "Okay, change of plans."

"What is wrong?"

Scott just pointed to the sign and turned to leave. He stopped by to tell the associate he'd had an emergency and was sorry for the inconvenience. He didn't say another word until they were halfway down the corridor. "You can do shoes though, right? Is there anything wrong with your feet?"

"My feet? They are fine. I do not understand."

"Just trying not to be stupid this time and making sure we don't get in trouble. Let's find you some shoes and I'll think about clothes." He pulled him into the store and started wandering down the aisles. "What do you want? And please, please help me here."

Midge was in overload. He had never, EVER seen so many shoes. There were boots, and a million pairs of sneakers, and even sparkling high heels. "I like the sparkly ones" he said, staring at a pair of blue sequined stilettos.

"Men's, we need men's. Come with me." He led him to the, admittedly, boring men's section and started looking. "Something versatile is probably best. Do you exercise or work out? You don't run, right?"

"I do not, no. I do not run. I hate shoes, they hurt. Can I have soft ones?"

"Soft shoes?" Not helpful Midge. "Let's aim for comfortable." When the sales associate came up they measured his feet and then Scott asked for his size in four different styles.

He sat in the chair and stared as the lady unwrapped the shoe presents, pulling paper and shapes from inside, and placed one on his foot. He had tried to help but one look from Scott had told him that he should just sit.

"How does that feel?" she asked.

It was hard, and boring black and he hated it. "It is fine."

"Let's try the slip-ons please" Scott asked, and the lady whipped the boot off his foot and presented him with the much simpler brushed suede slide.

"This is better. It is softer" he answered when they looked to him. "Can I try the other one, it's friend?"

"Of course" she smiled and slipped the other onto his foot.

He took a few spins around the store until Scott was satisfied that he at least didn't hate them and they didn't seem to be hurting him any.

He quickly paid at the register and laughed when Midge was so excited that he could wear them out. "Okay, I think we're going to go to Walmart and just buy things in two or three sizes, then return what doesn't fit. We can at least get you a few basics of your own to tide you over a few days and then we can order online some nicer stuff once we have some idea what size you are. That work for you?"

"Whatever you think Si-Scott. Thank you."

"You're welcome." They grabbed a cart at Walmart and headed for the clothing section. "You need underwear."

"Why?"

"It's just.... you just do."

"Why?"

"Okay, we'll come back to that. Socks?"

"Sure, socks. They are warm." He frowned at the black ones Scott held up and found a pair of striped dress socks.

"They won't be as soft, but if you like them, fine. Get a bunch."

"How many is a bunch?" he asked, grabbing as many patterns as he could find.

"I don't know, 5 will probably do for now, depending on how much you wear them."

"Only when I wear shoes, I do not like to cover my feet." He padded silently towards the pajamas and started fingering the buttons down the shirt. "Fancy."

"Pajamas are fine, but you definitely need a small, those are huge."

"I sleep naked though, do I need them?"

"Just get them."

"Okay." He found a light green plaid pair and put them in the cart. "What else?"

"Some sweats that actually fit you, at least one pair of shorts and a few shirts for wearing around the house." Scott was able to convince him to get at least a few things in black so they'd go together, but in general Midge seemed happiest with as many colors as possible in the cart. So far, so good. When they got to the jeans, things got a little trickier. He tried holding them up to Midge's waist to guess the waist and inseam but he had no idea how to account for a tail.

"Maybe we can get two and see which one is best?"

"I think we're going to need more than that, and definitely the loosest fit we can find." He grabbed 4 pair and tossed them in, then headed over to find him another hoodie. After refusing to buy the hideous blue camo because he couldn't stand the thought of looking at it constantly, they found a royal blue one that they compromised on.

"This is so much, I have never had so many clothes."

"This is a fraction of what you actually need, so I don't, I can't comprehend.... okay, what else? We'll do food last, but what do you like to do? Do you need bathroom stuff too? Please, anything you need is fine, just tell me."

"I could use a comb, and a razor. I need to cut my nails, and a file. I am sorry."

"No, that's actually helpful, don't apologize. Follow me." The cart was half full and they were on the way to get a few groceries when he turned and Midge was gone. "Midge??" He backed up a row, frantically looking around before he spotted him in down the toy aisle. He left the cart and walked over, curious to know what had grabbed his attention.

Midge reached out, almost afraid to touch it but when he did it was as soft as he thought it would be. The stuffed kitten was white, with black ears and a black tail.

"It looks like you. Do you want it?"

"I... what do I have to do for it?"

Scott picked up the stuffed cat from the shelf and handed it to Midge. "We just have to pay for it. You carry him while we get groceries, okay?"

He gripped the toy as tightly as he dared, not wanting to accidentally hurt it. It was the most amazing thing anyone had ever given him. He followed behind Scott, watching as he put two big gallons of milk and a box of cream in the cart.

"You don't eat cat food, right?"

"Please do not make me. I mean, I am sorry. I will eat whatever you would like."

"No, no, okay, no cat food. Just checking. What's your favorite food?" he asked, trying to reassure him with a smile.

"Pizza. With pepperoni and sausage and all kinds of things on it. But I will eat anything."

"I know, I know. Okay, let's get home and order us a large pizza."