Gimme Some Affection

Thoughts of science, of the gun, were soon swathed away, however, as Larry felt increasingly self-conscious strolling through the bustling hive of suburbian spenders. Hell, he nearly booked it once he caught the eye of one of the securities, who couldn't have looked more cliche: bald, dark rimmed glasses, obvious substance abuser considering the trunks attached to his shoulders which looked ripe enough to rip a coconut -- with two fingers.

Thankfully, he only seemed to track him for a few tiles before his reticle lined up to some other poor-body doing who knew what mundane, ordinary deed. Larry let out a breath of air, trying to muster his mettle. This shouldn't be a problem. Somehow, some way, the gun was able to make these relationships real not just in the minds of the ones directly affected, but, apparently, everyone! It was ridiculous. This level of mind warping had to be a power drainer. Imagine if this had to be plugged in or something. Dad -- his -- would probably make him sell all his premier baseball cards and his bike to pay for the electricity bill.

"Oh, yeah!" Finger snap. "From Mrs. Gillian's?"

"Told you you'd remember!" Marice giggled. "Wasn't he a weirdo?"

As the girls in front chatted away, Larry noticed one person who was remaining particularly quiet -- at least in comparison to the earlier chat he had eavesdropped into.

Amber... Larry's thoughts drifted as his gaze drifted low... and then lower... What is she like I wonder. My own daughter... and her..

Gulp.

Her...

...her, oh man.

Oho man.

Sue him. He couldn't help it. Not from this vantage.

It was a little distracting, just how close he was behind her. Not breathing down her neck close, mind. But close enough to make it clear they were grouped together, while also at a bit of an awkward enough placement that he frankly looked a bit like a stalker.

But it was right there, and he had to admit: her butt moved quite cutely in those tight -- but not too tight -- jeans she was wearing. She seemed like a girl who was blessed with a naturally slender body, though she didn't keep it as polished as, say, her hot blond friend Carla's. But she definitely was gifted. With natural, nubile anatomical bestowments. Ones that were pleasing to the eye.

Should he do it?

Morally? Or logically? Because both were no.

He was her 'dad', he couldn't just... touch her there.

But damn it, in reality, he was a horny teen who would kill just to sit next to her in a school assembly! He had so much more opportunities here. He aimed to work with them!

Walking to Amber's side, Larry grabbed the teen girl's shoulder again. If his ex could only see him now.

Then, he took a quick, faint inhale, faced her...

And then he kissed her cheek.

It was funny -- they were practically the same height, Amber probably a few centimeters short of him. So whatever she was feeling in her brain, as far as he was concerned, this was... practically like a date.

Mmm. Lavender. Awesome.

Better than coastal breeze, even.

"Oh my--d-dad, noo." A huge blush covered Amber's cheeks as she comically tried to wipe 'ol McNeal's kiss off her cheek with the back of her hand. "Bleugh, stop, you smell like..."

The girl stopped mid-sentence, actually blinking a little to turn his way, before retracing.

"...okay, actually. But still..."

Larry blinked back as Amber then returned to admonishing him for kissing her on the cheek in public. Wonder what that was about. Who knew.

"Come on, Amber, you're still my baby girl," Larry verbally waved the brunette's words away.

"I'm not your baby anymore." She rolled her eyes, then turned her face slightly away to mutter 'god' under her breath.

With a little of his self-consciousness gone, Larry had time to wonder how this all worked again. What was their relationship in her brain? Was he her step-dad? Adoptive? Could she really believe him to be her biological father when they looked nothing alike and were the same age? How did her perceived history of her childhood change? How did any of this fit into the puzzle?

"Amber." Larry tried to find his wording. "Uh... you know. Ahem. Your mother would probably love to see us spending some family time together like this. Right?"

This caused Amber to flicker a little for some reason. Her eyes went down, then back up, her composed self returning. "Maybe if you'd tell me more about her, for once..."

Larry narrowed his eyes. Huh. Wait a second, did that mean she didn't have a mom? Well, he guessed that was--

Wait. Holy shit, wait--but... what if...

No.

Okay, actually, yes.

What if she DID have a mom? As in, USED to -- and then wham, in walked Larry with a ray gun that could turn him into your friken PIMP!?

...ha. Hahaha.

No, the gun couldn't just do something like that. Could it? He knew he was proposing something like that with his sister's and her friend's boyfriends, but, that was in regards to their relationship status, not their 'existence'. So yeah. It could rewrite minds. Maybe tweak reality a lil'. But snap someone out of the chat-room? Yeah. Nah, no way. Wasn't in the manual. Should be all good.

Then, as if this internal crisis couldn't drag on any further, Larry tacked on another thought.

But hold on a minute.

...what about her real dad? What happened to him?

Larry shook his head. Damn! Did he just blank a person out of existence?

Amber's voice suddenly broke through his mental whiteboard scrawlings. "...dad, are you... okay?"

Mm. Striking hazel. And was that a genuine glint of concern in those eyes?

Shit. Staring.

"Oh, erm--" Cough cough. Larry chuckled. "Perfectly fine. No worries, Amber. Noooothing to worry about." He took a breath. Whatever the deal was, he wasn't here to give it thought. He'd look into it later -- he wasn't going to be walking around pooping on his own party. That wasn't what he got the gun for, and that wasn't what it was going to be here for. "Look... Amber. You remember, back in the old days?"

Carefully, he searched Amber's eyes for any skepticism. The girl showed none -- instead, she was patiently (as patiently as an impatient daughter of one could manage) waiting him to continue. Which he did.

"You know, when you used to love love love to hug me, and cuddle with me, and sometimes try to beat me up?"

"Yeah..." Amber blushed again in embarrassment. "Dad, I told you I'm not a baby anymore, sooo..."

"I know, but just this once..." Larry leaned towards her, face directed forward. He then tapped his cheek, looking to Amber from the side of his eye. "Huh? Come oon, Amber, right 'ere, girl, right 'ere."

Amber widened her eyes, as she looked around. Marice and Carla broke out into laughter over some juicy gossip while they passed by a Babies-R-Us. "You're so... weird sometimes, Dad. Especially today."

Grinning, Larry kept his cheek directed towards her. "Just pretend I'm tucking you in." He closed his eyes. "It's nighttime, and I'm saying 'good night, sweetie.' Right? And there ya are, starry eyed and still moving around in bed and ready to go to sleep but don't really fuc--er, friken... want to, 'cuz you're a brat. And now it's your turn. This is the part where you say--"

Smooch!

Two soft lips pressed onto Larry's cheek. And then they were gone, almost more quickly than they had arrived. "Don't let the bedbugs bite, Dad." In the shock, Larry nearly tripped over one mis-placed foot, but thankfully avoided the embarrassing fall, instead using Amber as counterweight. "...right? Ow! Ow-ow-agh! Hey, stop pushing, Dad, jeez. You're heavy. You know," Amber rolled her eyes, "for a teenager."

Larry sneered, releasing her shoulder and very tenderly thwacking the back of her head with his palm. "And you're pretty skinny for the daughter of the biggest name in town" which he proceeded to shout: "Larry McFuckingNeal!"

Anger, then laughter, unraveled from Amber's head rubbing person, Larry soon joining along, as Carla and Marice looked back at the pair with blinking eyes.

"What is it they say, like father, like daughter?" After an awkward silence, Marice shook her head as they approached the watch store, Carla winking back, two shaking heads on two pairs of legs.

"Somethin' like that, I guess."