#and this is why I ship Oppy and Cheated

[procyon-kiryu-heaven]

Somebody: Why are you sad?

Cheated: He cheated me -Points at Oppy-

Someone: NO. With who?

Cheated: What? Oh, no he don't cheated on me

Somebody: Then what he cheated you in?

Cheated: IN EVERYTHING ELSE

[writingdevil]

hiiii i haven't seen a prompt with smitten and cheated yet and im very curious how ur take on their dynamic would be. could be platonic or romantic though knowing me im definitely partial to shipping them <3

stay awesome and thank you 🫶

(HI PINK! I hope you like this one, because I loved the story you showed me about them and all your thoughts on the ship, so I hope you enjoy this one! You stay awesome as well! 🫶)

Cheated liked to think that he had a pretty good sense for when something was wrong.

Some of the others thought he was just tempermental and a sore loser, but Cheated knew that they didn't understand how he operated-how lucky for him.

Cheated didn't enjoy standing by while others were either pushed aside unfairly, or using dirty tricks to get ahead of others. That's why he always defended Broken and heard Paranoid out, and why he didn't trust Oppy and picked fights with Stubborn. It was all because he wanted everyone to be on the same page as each other, because only then Cheated believe that they can get along.

Cheated didn't like getting angry, believe it or not. He didn't like yelling at something that may not ever change for good, but he found that being loud was the only way to get people to listen to him, to make them understand what the problem was.

But he found that yelling wouldn't solve this problem.

He had been the first person to even know that there was a problem in the first place, and Cheated hadn't even been paying that much attention. It just stood out that much to him.

It was a single moment-barely lasted a second-but Cheated knew something was up the instant it happened.

A group of them had been chatting in the living room, and while Cheated wasn't joining in the conversation, he was still paying attention to the people around him.

He was leaning against a wall, listening to Hero and Contrarian yap about whatever, when his gaze was beginning to drift away, to a small corner in the room that he normally wouldn't have cared about.

But Smitten was in that corner.

Cheated blinked, but Smitten was still there, hugging himself and pressing his back against a corner of the room, a wistful expression on his face as he watched the others in silence.

Cheated straightened up, studying the other more seriously, because that wasn't like Smitten at all.

Smitten was known to be loud and boisterous, his mere presence being able to lift the mood instantly. Being quiet and reserved? Making himself invisible and small? That wasn't the Smitten he knew, not one bit.

But Cheated knew better than to draw attention to it immediately, so he waited, now only half paying attention to the conversation, too busy trying to decipher the sad yearning in Smitten's eyes.

Eventually, the conversation came to a close-of which Smitten hadn't spoken up once- and people started to disperse. The second he saw Smitten begin to sheepishly move away from his little corner, was when Cheated walked up to him, trying to look as normal and not as confused as he could. He most likely failed.

Smitten didn't notice him at first, keeping his head bowed as he walked, and when Cheated put a gentle hand on his elbow, Smitten flinched.

"O-Oh!" Smitten exclaimed in fright, not so subtly moving away from Cheated's hand. "My sweet friend, I didn't see you there!"

Cheated narrowed his eyes at the slight movement, but still tried to keep his voice light and casual as he said, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to ask if you were alright."

Smitten blinked at him, as if surprised at Cheated's concern, before he gave him a reassuring smile, waving a hand through the air casually as he said, "Oh, what a silly question, dear. Of course I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Cheated asked, and he saw the way Smitten's body tensed up, but Cheated couldn't think of how else to go about this. "You were acting a little different than usual. You kinda seemed a bit s-"

"Oh, I just remembered!" Smitten suddenly exclaimed, feathers puffing up in alarm, and Cheated couldn't help but think that they were acting as a barrier against him.

Smitten took a big step back, making sure not to touch Cheated, and blurted out, "I'm supposed to be meeting Skeptic for lunch today, silly me!"

Cheated tried reaching out to him, but Smitten quickly turned to rush out into the hallway, giving Cheated a quick wave and went, "Be seeing you, Cheated!"

Then that was that.

Cheated couldn't do anything but move on with his day, but his dumb brain couldn't get the sight of Smitten looking miserable out of his head all day.

Something was obviously wrong, but Cheated didn't think that it was his place to say anything just yet, not when Smitten was about to visit his brother. Skeptic will sniff out the problem immediately!

-Only in the days that passed, Smitten still looked upset.

It was all that Cheated could focus on anymore. He noticed the way Smitten's smile didn't reach his eyes anymore, his voice was lacking his usual passion and love, and he wasn't talking to anybody.

It was as if Smitten was becoming a shell of himself, and Cheated was felt a fearful knot in his chest each time he glanced at Smitten.

He confronted Skeptic about this, because surely Skeptic had a plan in the works. But when Cheated spoke to him, he said that he hasn't met up with Smitten in the last few days, and that he hadn't noticed that was anything was wrong with him.

Smitten lied? He was hiding something from his brother?

Now Cheated had to get involved, that urge to step in and help growing more and more, but unlike in other cases, where he would demand for justice and fairness and was ready to fight for that-he felt like he couldn't do that with Smitten.

Smitten, at his core, was a soft bird, who only wished to please and shower the others in love. He obviously had his more aggressive moments, but Cheated saw the way those moments disgusted Smitten. He didn't like being driven by hate and anger, and if Cheated confronted him in his usual manner, that might scare Smitten off.

So despite everything Cheated stood for, he decided to be patient and wait, but constantly being on the lookout for any changes in Smitten's behaviour, anything to explain why Smitten was acting this way.

But day after day, all Cheated saw was Smitten distancing himself further from the flock. He just started to shine less, and Cheated was terrified of seeing that light go out fully, for the day that Smitten didn't smile and express his love in the ways that he knew best.

Cheated couldn't understand why, though. What happened to draw out this behaviour in him? Nothing particularly traumatic or devastating has happened in a while, so what was troubling Smitten so much?

Cheated couldn't stand it. Smitten deserved to be happy and to be loved just as much as anyone else, and Cheated refused to let him wither away without telling him that Cheated was here for him.

He wanted to let one of the more gentler ones take the lead, like Skeptic and Hero, but Smitten appeared to have them both fooled into thinking that he was alright, so it was up to Cheated and his loud nature to knock some sense into Smitten.

The very next day, Cheated searched all over the house for Smitten, swearing under his breath for every minute that he couldn't find him.

It was Hunted, that ended up telling him that Smitten had gone on a walk up the hill not far from where they lived.

"Fuck, I hate hills," Cheated muttered under his breath as his legs ached at the steep climb he was forced to go up.

Smitten didn't seem to notice him at first, or if he did, he didn't have the energy to run away from Cheated anymore.

Cheated could imagine what Smitten would've been like in that moment-he would probably make an effort to help Cheated up, maybe talk about how- 'I feel your pain as if it were my own. Allow me to relive you of your suffering.'

He would most likely try to pick up Cheated, and the thought of that made Cheated flush-along with the reminder that he needed to get to the bottom of Smitten's plight.

He groaned loudly once he reached the top, and he saw that Smitten had been idly making a flower crown in his lap. Were flower crowns easy to make or was Cheated just that slow?

He felt Smitten's wary gaze on him as he tried to catch his breath, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "How can you do that walk? Aren't you dying by the time you get up here?"

Smitten wore a blank expression, which honestly creeped Cheated put, and then Smitten tilted his head to the side and spread one perfectly preened wing out and said, "I flew up here. Did you not think to do that?"

Cheated huffed at the question. "Can't, remember?" Cheated flapped his stupid wings that weren't big enough to hold his stupid weight enough to fly. Ridiculous.

"Oh," Smitten said, realisation dawning on his face. "I guess you were dealt a bad hand in that regard."

"I've been dealt a bad hand in everything," Cheated retorted with, before sitting down next to Smitten-who inched slightly away from him.

They sat on top of that hill in silence, and if there wasn't a pressing issue at hand, Cheated would've called the moment quite relaxing.

He bunched his hands into fists and stared out down at their house and softly asked, "What's wrong, Smitten?"

"Nothing's wrong, Cheated."

"That's bull-" Cheated stopped, taking a deep breath before he snapped at Smitten and ruin everything. That could still happen, if he's being honest.

"I've seen you, Smitten," Cheated said. "You're really upset over something, I can tell."

A pause. "You can?"

"Yeah, of course." Cheated twisted to face him fully now. "I can see it clear as day on your face that something's up."

Smitten was staring down at his flower crown as he quietly said, "Nobody else seems to feel that way."

"Yeah, that's because they're not looking for the right thing. I am. I can see what's really going on with people, no matter how hard they try to hide it."

Smitten hummed, twisting the intricate crown of daisy's in his hands, and then asked, "You don't have to concern yourself with looking at me. You won't like what you find."

"What do you mean?" Smitten sighed, lifting his head just enough to gaze down at the house where the rest of their flock resided.

Smitten looked so sorrowful as he said, "All I've ever wanted was to let others know how much I adore them, that I would devote myself to them no matter the cost."

"Okay?" Cheated said, cringing at how rude it came out. "What's the matter with that?"

Smitten didn't immediately answer, instead placing the flower crown on the ground between the two of them so that he could tuck his knees up under his chin.

"The problem is that I hurt people with my love," Smitten revealed, his trembling voice on the verge of a whisper. He took a shaky breath in, blinking furiously up at the sky, then continued, "My love for others does nothing but harm them. I did it to our beloved princess, and I did it to the Long Quiet."

Smitten glared up with a viciousness that Cheated wasn't used to seeing in him. "My love is just a poison that infects everyone around me, and I refuse to hurt people anymore."

That's why he had been avoiding touching people, and not bringing as much attention to himself. He was afraid of getting too close and letting himself lose control with passion.

Cheated gazed at Smitten in sympathy, and no matter how hard the other tried to spin it, the only thing that was clear to Cheated was that Smitten was so lonely now.

He was literally depriving himself of properly being with the people he loved, making himself miserable all for the sake of them.

The thought made something twist within Cheated.

"Well," Cheated slowly said, glaring at the grass below him, "what about us, then?"

"You're all better off without me-"

"No, what about our love?"

Cheated watched in satisfaction, as Smitten's face scrunched up in confusion, before he finally looked at Cheated.

"How come you're the only one that's considered dangerous, huh? You don't think we're fucked up enough to do something crazy?"

"What?" Smitten blurted out, bafflement all over over his face. "I am trying to keep you safe from me-"

"Then who's gonna keep us safe from when Stubborn goes mad? Or when Hunted goes feral? Why do you have to be considered more dangerous than the rest of us?"

Smitten's jaw was hanging open, and Cheated could practically see him frantically trying to come up with an argument.

"How is it fair," Cheated snapped, leaning in closer to Smitten and glaring at him, "to think that we can't hurt you just as much as you could hurt us? Why do you need to be punished while we get to live our lives without any fear?"

"I am trying not to hurt you with my love!" Smitten exclaimed indignantly. "Well don't," Cheated retorted, "because that's a stupid fucking argument." Smitten looked appalled, as if in disbelief at the way Cheated was talking to him.

Cheated gave him a serious look and said, "We could all hurt each other-badly. But that doesn't stop us from loving each other, and it definitely shouldn't stop you, because I could tell that you were fucking miserable."

Smitten was staring at him more softly now, less shocked and more surprised.

Cheated instinctively clutched at the grass beneath them, sighing heavily, and then said with a rising blush, "You're always saying that love is the greatest force in the world or whatever, but that goes two ways as well. We love you Smitten, and our love for each other is definitely stronger than whatever demons you've got inside you."

Cheated averted his eyes, staring down at the flower crown instead. "I know I'm not the best person for you to talk to, that I'm too rough with my words where you deserve someone soft to help you. But I'm not gonna just sit around while you torture yourself."

Cheated then delicately picked up the flower crown with a soft smile, admiring its beautiful and the person behind it, and then gently placed it atop Smitten's head, who was completely stunned into silence.

"You deserve to be protected too," Cheated softly said, watching the way Smitten's eyes slowly lit up with that light that he had missed so much.

They sat there like that for a few seconds, as Cheated gave Smitten time to process his words. He couldn't tell what Smitten was feeling-all he knew was that Smitten was staring off into the distance, and more and more life returned to his face, until Cheated felt like he had made his point.

He turned away from Smitten, rubbing the back of of his neck and going, "Well, I'll leave you alone and stop spewing curses at you." He started to stand up, saying at the same time, "Sorry if I came off a little rude-"

But he froze at the feeling of Smitten grabbing his arm.

Cheated froze, letting Smitten drag him back down beside him so that he could cuddle into his side, and Cheated's brain was stuck in that moment, too busy focusing on the warmth that he had missed so much from the other bird.

Then Smitten placed a soft kiss to his cheek, and Cheated truly was done for in that moment.

"It was perfect," Smitten whispered, and then he rested his head against Cheated's shoulder. "You were absolutely perfect for me."

[salty-an-disco]

Yeah, sure, gonna do this too. Here’s a list of some of my ships and also just some dynamics I’m really fond of:

Gonna start with my explicit romantic ships, ranging from OTP (my personal description of an OTP is a pair I cannot imagine in any other relationship) to ships I’m just very fond of.

ContraHero (duh, my OTP of all time)

ParaCold (smth of a secondary OTP, I’d say, since I also can’t imagine them in any other relationship lmao [at least, long-term])

Foreign Body (Quiet/Stranger) (I can’t imagine the heart not being Stranger, tbh, and also, smth about the both of them having a ‘monstruous’ form aksmdjddj)

Skeptunist (it’d be a slooooooww and LOOOONNNG burn, but I think the progress would be so interesting and the eventual relationship so weirdly sweet)

Ghost Lily (Spectre/Witch) (reaching OTP to me, ngl, as I can’t bring myself to be invested in other relationships involving them lmao)

Sweethearts (Smitten/Damsel) (have no problems imagining them with others, but this is still my primary ship for them)

Eternal Challenge (Stubborn/Asversary) (same situation as above)

Aaannnnd that’s it for explicit romantic pairs I think, I’m. actually a pretty picky shipper akmaksmdjkdmd

Now let’s move to what I call my OTBesties. When you ship them, but in a ‘they’re besties!!!’ way :D

Dark Comedy (Contra&Cold)

Strategy Game (Skeptic&Cheated)

Shining Shield (Hero&Para)

Bare Root (Wounded Wild&Thorn)

Nightmare&Spectre

Witch&Hunted

Hunted&Stubborn

Mending Hearts (Smitten&Broken)

Prisoner&Cold

Spectre&Paranoid

Confined Minds (Prisoner&Skeptic)

Thespians (Oppy&Smitten)

Hunted&Stubborn

Those are the ones that actively takes up more brain space, and ones which I most rotate around my head. Here’s some general dynamics I like exploring:

North Star (Cold/Oppy): their toxic yaoi wouldn’t last a year and be horrible for the both of them (mainly Oppy), and I’m all here for it.

Smitten and Skeptic, while not in OTBesties tier for me, is also a friendship I’m very fond of. I think they’d have coffee in the morning together.

Nightmare’s possible dynamic with anyone would be so interesting to explore, but especially with Tower– just. imagine the chaos

Speaking of– also Tower’s dynamic with Razor. Put her in the same room with some of the most relentless and violent vessels, I wanna see what happens

Wraith and Cheated would be an interesting dynamic when taken out from their chapter’s context tbh– Wraith is resentful because of how she’s been treated and only resorted to those drastic actions because that’s what you left her with. I think Cheated would sympathize with that and realize the hand he played (if you get him in her chapter) to get her like this.

Oppy and Hunted feel like they’d have a weirdly close and strong bond. Not OTBesties or explicitly romantic, but a secret fourth thing

Oppy and Contra have beef at first sight to me. They either completely ignore each other, or swear to make the other day’s worse, whatever they feel like atm

Also– since me and the folks in the discord started headcanon that while alive, Narrator could’ve been groomed by a cult and that’s why he has such a deep fear of death, and think eternal bliss is the best alternative for that– I’d like to see more of his dynamic with Broken. In a what-if scenario where they both got over enough of their bagage to have an actual conversation together, I think they’d have a lot to talk about.

Also, shout-out to my Happily Single Tokens, aka, characters I hc as non-partnering/not interested in romance/‘just not in the mood for it, dude’:

Cheated, Broken, Thorn (aro hc for her caught my the throat and won’t let go, I’m sorry Modeus), Prisoner, Narrator (AroAce and romance-repulsed king, tbh), and Hunted

[writingdevil]

hiiiiii! Thank you for the Tongues and teeth and for every additional ask you wrote after that. Soooo interesting! I would love to see your take on skeptic / opportunist if you don't mind. It might not be romantical, anything you're comfortable with really. Have a good day!

(Thank you! I really like Skeptunist and I was debating for awhile on whether to write something for them, but they also felt like a ship that would be tricky to write for, but I'll try my best for you! Enjoy!)

Skeptic was never one to back down from a mystery, or the challenge of figuring out a complicated question. The journey from the beginning to the conclusion, watching as logic took control and let all the pieces fall into place, was an experience that Skeptic loved every single time.

This extended to his flock as well. There was just something about watching the way his flockmates lived, now that they had their own freedom and forms, that intrigued Skeptic. Why did Cheated get so angry at every little thing he deemed an injustice? Why did Contrarian spend his whole day goofing off and cracking jokes at anyone who would listen?

His fellow birds were an enigma that he wanted to solve as well, as a way of understanding them, and his latest subject was Opportunist.

If Skeptic took a step back to observe all the others with their odd behaviours at once, Oppy was the one that stood out to him.

He was never outwardly malicious or cruel, but everyone at this point knew that he was merely pretending so that he could get the upper hand. But why? They weren't trapped in a cycle of death anymore, so what reason would Oppy have for keeping up appearances? He looked like someone doing a one man play, but there was no audience to watch him.

Except Skeptic. He wanted to understand why Oppy behaved the way he did, because for as tricky and annoying as he was, he was genuinely an intriguing person, in Skeptic's opinion.

Oppy had a habit of just appearing in front of people and talking their ears off, and while most others would bat him away, Skeptic had started hearing him out, and even going so far as to seek him out to spend time together.

Once Skeptic started listening and taking notes on Oppy, he realised that, on the surface, Oppy would go through a cycle of talking about himself and then commenting and complimenting Skeptic on his intelligence.

At first, it sounded like a whole lot of nothing. It just looked like Oppy was still attempting to cosy up to people for his own benefit, and Skeptic was about to write him off as a self serving fool, but then he stopped himself.

Why?

Why did Oppy insist on acting like this, when it's been proven that there's no danger, therefore no need to grab control over others?

Skeptic had a few theories, ones that ranged from a secret intense insecurity, to an obsession with staying ahead of everyone else. Either way, Skeptic was determined to peer behind his mask, to see what it truly hid.

So he started engaging with Oppy more, actually listening and offering his own perspective to topics. It was actually-fun, to talk to someone who thought in a similar way to him, who used logic in different ways.

Skeptic used logic to understand the world around him and all his questions. Oppy used logic to understand the people around them and what their goals were. It was just different enough that it had Skeptic yearning to understand Oppy's mind even more, to the point where Skeptic was actually starting to look forward to spending time with Oppy.

He liked being around Oppy. He liked being around a sharp mind who appreciated the way his brain worked, and who actively enjoyed listening to Skeptic ramble about his many theories-to the point where it made his heart start to beat faster.

The realisation didn't dawn on him until he found him replaying Oppy's words in his head-'I never would've thought of that,Skeptic. You have such a brilliant mind, Skeptic. You're truly as smart as you look, Skeptic.' Just Skeptic, Skeptic, Skeptic.

Oppy kept saying his name in that sugary sweet tone, and Skeptic started to crave the taste of it, and he wouldn't even care if it was poisonous. He liked the way Oppy thought, the way he crafted his words perfectly to the person, the way he was perfectly in control of his image, whereas Skeptic always felt like he was a frenzied mess everyday.

So-he had fallen for the backstabber, and he had somehow come no closer to seeing his true self in all that time. What was meant to be a calm and controlled observation and investigation, had diverted into a mess of feelings that Skeptic hadn't a hope of deciphering, so he went to the only person who could possibly understand-his brother, Smitten.

But what his brother told him in response to his woes was advice, and suffice to say, Smitten's suggestion was worth testing out.

So, one day, he decided to.

"I've got the cards, Skeptic!" Oppy announced, already sitting at the kitchen table and waving a deck of cards in his hand. Skeptic had asked to play a few rounds with Oppy, one of many activities that they found themselves doing together. But as Skeptic walked into the kitchen, he abruptly halted, pretending to look confused, patting down his feathery body, until eventually Oppy asked, "What's wrong?"

Skeptic sighed in frustration, impressed by how well he was doing. He glared at the ground in annoyance and said, "Nothing. I just forgot my notebook, is all." Skeptic always carried a notebook with him in case he suddenly had an epiphany about anything.

He had barely finished speaking before Oppy was up and out of his seat, handing the deck to him as he said, "Let me get it for you, friend. You sit and deal the cards." Skeptic smiled in success as Oppy quickly walked away before he could protest, his need to feel useful to others coming in handy right now.

A few minutes later, Oppy returned, sitting down and sliding the book over to him while also managing to pick up his whole deck in one hand. Oppy's eyes scanned his cards, and Skeptic saw a flash of excitement that he rarely witnessed in Oppy.

Oppy genuinely liked playing these games with people, no matter how much it involved his skills of lying and bluffing.

Skeptic's eyes lingered on Oppy's face, before he shook himself out of it, placing one hand firmly on his notebook. "Thank you, Oppy," he quietly said, Oppy looked over his cards to give him a big smile, and Skeptic found that he liked it, no matter if that was the whole purpose of the mask.

"Don't even worry about it. If I was thinking as deeply as you do on a daily basis, I feel like I'd be allowed to let some little things slip." Although Skeptic wasn't actually one to forget things, the words still reassured him over something he wasn't even aware he worried about.

Oppy placed the first card down, and Skeptic couldn't wait any longer, and made his move.

His hand shot out, not to put a card down, but to place it over Oppy's hand, gripping it gently as he firmly said, "Really, Oppy-you're very kind."

He could feel the way Oppy tensed up underneath him, and when Skeptic looked up at him, he found his smile frozen inbetween confidence and shock, making him just look nervous and terrified now. He could practically see the way his eyes clouded over, his mind probably searching for the correct act to sell him to allow him to stay on top of this.

But Skeptic wanted to push this further, so he gave Oppy's hand a little squeeze, and that was when he saw Oppy let a small gasp out, his face falling into such a soft expression that Skeptic wondered if Oppy had even realised he had let the mask fall.

But it only lasted a few seconds, as Oppy blinked, and a cold calm washed over him. He smiled bitterly, shaking his head as he went, "No,"and tried to pull his hand back, but Skeptic just tightened his hold on him.

Oppy finally looked up at him, but it was with such a wide and intense look that it made Skeptic's feathers bristle. Oppy chuckled emptily, and now Skeptic was just wishing for Oppy to be dramatic or performative, because that would be so much better than the defeated expression he wore.

"No," Oppy repeated, "we're not doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Don't do that!" Oppy snapped, his smile trembling in rage and his voice bordering on a yell. "Did Smitten put you up to this?"

"He didn't exactly put me up to-"

Oppy rolled his eyes with a harsh sigh. "I'm not stupid, Skeptic. I know what you're doing." Oppy's smile turned cruel and sharp as he nodded towards his notebook. "I know you've been studying me and my habits. Read it on the way here," he admitted, but it was as if he was happy to reveal that to Skeptic, to admit to the invasion of privacy.

But Skeptic knew that Oppy would look through his notebook. He hadn't cared, because he had nothing to really hide.

Skeptic kept his voice calm and level, giving Oppy's hand a reassuring squeeze, to which Oppy tried and failed to hide his reaction to, but Skeptic heard the quiet yet sharp intake of breath.

"Oppy, it's true that I was-observing you, but that was because I was trying to figure you out."

Oppy hummed. "I know," he replied bluntly, "although, I'll have to mark one of your theories as incorrect. I am in no way touch-starved-"

"Smitten begs to differ." Oppy tensed up at the mention of the passionate bird, and Skeptic warily watched as Oppy balled his free hand into a fist on the table. The silence was beginning to suffocate Skeptic, so he explained,"Smitten just told me that it seemed as if you really enjoyed touch and being praised-"

"No!" Oppy snapped, shaking his head with a disbelieving and nervous chuckle. Skeptic wasn't sure if Oppy realised he was accidentally squeezing his hand for comfort, but he wasn't about to say anything. "No," he repeated, panic now evident in his eyes, his mask cracking more and more, "no, that would be ridiculous. Me? Be desperate to have someone treat me like a pet? You scheming brothers must have me confused with Broken, because I would never let myself be so weak and pathetic-"

"It's not a bad thing," Skeptic softly insisted, stunning Oppy into silence. Skeptic refused to break eye contact with him as he lifted up their joint hands, showing how tightly Oppy was clutching his hand. Oppy stared as if he couldn't believe what was happening. "It's okay to want people to appreciate you and to make you feel loved. You're not weak for wanting that."

Oppy shook his head, but Skeptic leaned closer and said, "I'm sorry if I made you feel like I wasn't treating you with respect. I genuinely just wanted to figure out how you worked, because then I could learn how to be a better friend to you-I'm not very good with assuming what the right thing to do is."

With every word he spoke, he saw Oppy's anger and mortification slowly dissipate, until he just looked tired, his feathers still puffed up in caution.

"I don't think-" Oppy quietly said, so quiet it could be considered a whisper, "-I don't think I'm very good at-accepting stuff like that. I'm not used to it, and that scares me."

Skeptic chuckled softly. "It scares me too, if I'm honest." Oppy looked up at him in surprise, and Skeptic found that he couldn't look away as he continued, "But I'd be happy to practice it with you."

Skeptic was waiting for the moment that Oppy dismissed him, that he regarded him and Smitten as a threat to his safety now, and distanced himself from them. Skeptic didn't want that, but the longer the silence went on, the more he was sure that was going to be the case.

He was busy trying to ignore his heart crying out in protest, when he felt it- a single squeeze back.

His head shot up to look at Oppy, who's face was flushing deeply as he refused to look anywhere near Skeptic. "I'm willing to test it with you," he mumbled, but it was more than loud enough for Skeptic.

Mask or no mask, Skeptic just wanted Oppy, and he would be sure to give him all the love he deserved.