Carter & Cooper Episode 1 (Patreon)

Preface: Hey everyone! I've finally finished the illustrations for the first story featuring my twins Carter & Cooper. I wanted to keep their first story light and cute and I hope you enjoy it. I'm not sure where I want their adventures to go from here so I'm looking forward to your feedback. :) Doing these illustrations was good practice too since I haven't drawn these characters much yet, but it has me interested in coming up for more ideas for them. ^_^

                                  Carter and Cooper Episode 1 "The Tummy Incident"

Cooper woke up to the feeling of his stomach rumbling. He reached down and pressed his fingers into his soft belly sleepily hoping he could calm it down if he just rubbed the right spot. 'C'mon...' he thought groggily 'just settle down and let me sleep a little longer...' 

The sweet smell of breakfast suddenly smacked him in the face and his stomach felt as though it was trying to leap out of his body. With a huff he threw the blankets off  himself and rolled to a seated position on the side of his bed. “Fine.” he muttered to no one, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He scanned the floor for clothes that were perhaps not too dirty to put on again. Yesterday's sweats called out to him, at least he knew those would fit him.   

 When he rounded the corner into the kitchen, his brother Carter was already seated at the table dressed in his usual sweater vest and khakis. In the middle of sipping coffee, his “Morning” was slightly muffled by the mug. Cooper gave a half hearted wave as he dragged his feet toward the coffee pot. With mug in hand, he shuffled back over to the table for some almond milk. Carter looked his brother up and down before placing a hand on his belly, running it across the fabric of his tee shirt. 

 “What size is this?” he asked
 

Cooper looked down “I dunno... basketball?”*

 Carter couldn't help but close his eyes at his brother's morning denseness. “Your tee shirt, Coop.” He clarified, stifling a laugh. 

 “Oh.” Cooper said, slipping away from his brother's hand and taking a seat. “I dunno.” 

 “I'll stop by the store after work and get you some shirts that actually fit. Here...” Cart slid a plate piled with food in front of his brother “I hope you're hungry, everything in the fridge was about to expire...” 

 “You know... you wouldn't have to buy me new tee shirts if you didn't feed me like this.” Coop said with a smirk. 

 “Don't blame my cooking, I had the same thing for breakfast!” Cart held up his empty plate with a slight wave before standing up and bringing it over to the sink. “Besides, your chubbiness is so cute.” Returning to the table he used both hands to lightly pinch Coop's cheeks “I need to catch up with you.” 

 “You're ridiculous...” Coop said with a timid smile, rubbing the minor sting out of his cheeks. 

***

 In the evening Carter was on his usual walk home when his cell phone buzzed. “What are you up to tonight?” The text on the screen read. It was from Marisol. This was her not-so subtle way of making a booty call. Carter contemplated his response. “Just got off work, stopping by the store but I could be over around six.”

 
He stepped into the convenience store walking up and down the aisles perusing the junk food thoughtfully. He felt like he hadn't eaten all day, the sandwich he'd had for lunch a distant memory... He approached the cash register with both arms full of snacks and laid them out on the counter. An unfamiliar face looked down at the pile then back at him. 

 “Hello, how's your day going?” She asked with a bit of uncertainty. 

 “Pretty okay!” Carter said with a smile, his mind drifting a bit to the fun he'd be having in an hour or so. 

 “Havin' a party?” The girl asked, scanning each item carefully before placing it into a paper bag behind the counter. 

 “Naw, I'm honestly just really hungry...” He said with a laugh “Sadly, I'm planning to eat most of this myself.” 

 “Aw. No shame in that, I feel like doin' the same thing sometimes. Especially working here...” 

 “I bet! I don't think I've seen you here before, new job?” 

 “Yeah... I've only been here a few days. Though I was working for about a month at the downtown location.” 

 “Ah. I'm Carter, by the way.” Carter pulled out his wallet and handed the new cashier his credit card. “I  live across the street so... I'm in here a lot.” 

 “Oh, across the street... that's pretty convenient.” The girl paused a moment, looking Carter up and down. “I... hope you don't mind me saying so but... your hair is really neat.” Her cheeks turned pink and she began to laugh. 

 “Thanks, I get that a lot!” Carter couldn't help but laugh back as he ran a hand through his white hair. 

 “Is it natural?” She asked. 

 “Yeah, it started turning when I was around 15. I don't mind though, it's a good conversation starter.” 

 “I'm Lee.” She said pointing to her name tag before handing Carter back his credit card and pushing the bag of goodies in his direction. “Here ya go... Don't eat it all at once, you'll make yourself sick!” 

 “NO DEAL!” Carter shouted back as he used his rear to open the door and exit the store. Disappearing with a wave around the corner. 

 Lee's eyes lingered a little too long on the door before she was startled back into the present by her coworker tossing a pack of gum on the counter. “Alright, Lee. That's it for me tonight. First night closing, think you can handle it?” 

 “Yup.” Lee held her hand out and accepted the five, pressing the necessary buttons on the register for change. “Hey, I just met the most amusing guy here... he had white hair...” 

 Her coworker fished around the inside of her jacket looking for an inner pocket without a hole in it. “Oh, yeah? Was he real chatty?” 

 “Yes!” 

 “Carter.” She said “Yeah, he's cute... he gets old pretty quick though. It's hard to get him to shut up sometimes.” 

 “Pfft...” Lee laughed. 

 “Anyway, have a good night, Lee. I'll see ya tomorrow.” 

 Cooper sat at his computer and rubbed his eyes. He knew he'd been staring at the screen for too long when his eyes were blurry and started to water. It was probably time to take a break. He searched the cans around his workspace for an energy drink that wasn't already spent but as best he could tell, they were all empty. 

 Carter would usually be the voice of reason telling him not to have another this late but... the more responsible twin wasn't home yet. He scratched his head contemplating if he could muster the ambition to actually walk to the store across the street. He glanced down at his clothes, there were some crumbs on his shirt that must have been there for hours since that was the last time he'd eaten something. He brushed them aside and stood up, his chair rolling away slightly. He allowed himself a quick stretch before heading out the door. 

  
 He noted the time when he entered the store, thankfully he still had twenty minutes until closing. There was no one at the register, but he heard the sound of humming coming from the far aisle and figured whoever was working tonight was busy at the moment. He picked up a bag of cheese puffs and held it close to his body while he looked for the brand of energy drink he liked. He grabbed a few more items, fitting them in his arms... he was running out of room while contemplating whether he wanted ice cream too. When he rounded the corner of the last aisle, he stopped short suddenly a packaged danish falling from his pile onto the floor. He hadn't expected the store employee to be squatted down straightening items on the bottom shelf.   

 “Oops!” She said, lifting the pastry.   

 She looked up at him and Coop froze. He'd never seen her in the store before... 'Since when was there a cute girl working here??' He thought in a panic. 

  “Oh!” She said as if suddenly recognizing him. “I didn't expect to see you again so soon.” Letting out a little laugh, she got to her feet and placed the danish on top of the pile in his arms. “I guess you really can pack away some snacks!”
 

 Cooper's cheeks felt hot and he wondered if his embarrassment was becoming visible. 'She's... making fun of me??' 

 “You want me to take some of this up to the register?” She asked but failed to wait for a response while slipping her hands under the items, brushing against his body and sending chills up his spine. “You even have a little food baby now!” She laughed giving his tummy a pat.

 Cooper suddenly dropped the rest of the items on the floor. As Lee bent to pick them up, his sneakers disappeared from in front of her. He ran through the door and straight across the street causing a commotion with the passing traffic. He rushed up the stairs to their apartment and slammed the door behind him, leaning against it and breathing hard. He couldn't remember the last time he'd run like that. He looked down at his middle, the feeling of her hand pressing into his stomach still lingered. “What..” he said aloud “Why did she do that??” 

 Suddenly Carter walked out of the bathroom, his mouth full of toothpaste he looked at his brother with concern. “Everything alright, Coop? I was starting to wonder where you were...” 

  
 Cooper pressed his back into the door as if at any moment the girl from the store would burst through it. He hoped his anxiety and embarrassment wouldn't prevent him from explaining what happened. “There's a girl at the s-store...” he stammered. 

 Carter walked back into the bathroom where Coop could hear him rinsing and spitting before popping his head back into the living room. “Oh, you probably met Lee. She's new.” 

 “She...” Cooper shook his head as if trying to shake off the feeling of being humiliated “She said something like that I eat a lot and like... I had a food baby, I think? And then she like... felt up my belly.” He rubbed his hand over the spot. 

 “She felt your belly?” Carter asked perplexed. Coop nodded. “With her hand?” 

 “Of course with her hand!” Coop exclaimed “What'd you think she kicked me with her feet?”

 
 “Either sounds just as preposterous...” Carter said, taking a seat on the arm of their couch. “She seemed perfectly nice when I met her this afternoon. She didn't attempt to feel me up, best I can remember...” 

 Coop sighed. “Have I gained so much weight that a cute girl would think it was okay to be like Oh, look how fat you are! Har har! ??” 

 Carter's ears perked up at the phrase 'cute girl'. It'd been a while since he'd heard Coop express an interest in anyone. He thought back to his earlier conversation with Lee. Snacks... chatting... don't eat it all at once, you'll get sick. NO DEAL! “Ah!” he said, suddenly getting to his feet. “She thought you were me!” 

 “What?? We don't even look the same anymore!” 

 “Rubbish Coop, you have a pot belly...” Carter pointed “I'd wager a guess that it would look like a food baby... on me anyway...” He walked across the room, grabbing Coop's hand along the way and dragged him out of the apartment “C'mon.” 

 “What? No!” Coop argued, attempting to wriggle out of Carter's death grip. 

 “We're clearing this up right now.” He pulled his brother's arm as they made their way across the street.   

 Lee was inside sweeping the floor as the two boys pushed through the doors. Carter stepped in front of her, practically dragging his brother who was now instinctively hiding behind him. “Lee, hello again.” Carter said.  

 Lee stared at them bewildered. Coop's face was barely visible behind his brother's shoulder but she could see him turning red. She cupped her hand over her mouth realizing the mistake she'd made. 

 “This is my brother, Cooper.” Carter said, attempting to pull Coop to his side. Coop buried his face in his hands. 

 “Oh my God, I'm so sorry!” Lee exclaimed “I thought he was you!” She turned to Coop who was now staring intently at his sneakers. “I'm so sorry.”    

 Cooper could feel himself starting to shake, his anxiety getting the better of him. He put up a hand “I need to get back home..” he squeaked hoping that his brother understood. Carter gave him a nod. He thrust his quivering hands into the pockets of his hoodie and rushed back to the apartment hoping his legs wouldn't give out before he got there. Carter stayed behind to talk to this new girl at the store, but Cooper just tried to will the entire event out of his mind.

 
 As weeks passed Cooper avoided the store across the street like the plague and cringed every time Carter mentioned what he liked to call “the tummy incident” as if giving it an adorable nickname would make it less humiliating somehow...   

***

So that's it for now! I really hope you enjoyed it. As with any new project, sharing it always makes me nervous. :S But hopefully you'll like to see more Carter and Cooper in the future! *I included an asterisk in the story where some of you who've followed me for a while may remember I drew this scene a long while back, so as you can see I've been working on this story for quite some time! 

Now that this one is wrapped up, I will start work on the next Vincent & Friends story probably in a week or so. I'm not sure how many illustrations I will be doing for it or how much time it will take to complete, but I will keep you all updated on my progress as it goes. 

Next week I may open a few commission slots and I'm planning to spend some time just working a few fun things (mostly Osomatsu stuff) so I should have more content for you soon. Thanks so much for your continued support!