#which ends up giving him severe depression because even a big aquarium is nothing like the kind of territory he needs

[adriancatrin]

feral merman gutting a fish, i sculpted him two years ago but was unable to finish because he melted (my room can reach over 100 degrees in the heat of summer). only unfinished parts were the hands, fish, and the rock he’s sitting on (wanted to add reeds and coral and other details). despite him not surviving he’s one of my proudest creations ever, i’m so glad i got these photos before he collapsed into a sad slump of slime and wire

[urdbell18]

A Seed Hidden in the Heart Chapter 19: The One With the Dog

Wow I'm shocked that I was able to finish this chapter but I did! Yay me! But speaking up as you guys know two of the busiest retail holidays are coming up, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It means that I'm not going to have as much time as before to write my chapters so if my updates are a little slow that's why and I apologize. I just wanted to give you guys fair warning and thanks for understanding. Enjoy!

In the summer months Zelda took a job at the local college. The position was temporary, ending just before regular school started once again but it gave her something to do and a little more money over the summer than the packet that she got when school ended. When she collected her last paycheck Mr. Hawthorne said in so many words that she was getting a little bonus because of the several high scores that her students received. It turned out making her students taking that college level test paid off for her in the end. Mr. Hawthorne took all the credit of course. Zelda couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. Her work schedule was Monday and Friday mornings and Monday and Wednesday afternoon so the earliest she’s ever had to go in was nine and the latest she’d be there was almost 5. It worked well enough for her.

The time that she was at the school Vida was with Mary. Together she and Mary came up with activities that they could do with Vida over the summer. The aquarium and the zoo were on the list because they were things that Vida did and loved and wanted to do again but there were others like some crafts, swimming, and a small local theme park, Vida was excited about that one the most. Bust most of the time Mary kept it simple, spending time at home reading or going to the park. They spent a lot of time at the park. Sometimes Zelda would join them for lunch, usually on Mondays or Fridays but she could pull it off on Wednesdays if she wanted to. Wednesdays were usually the days that Mary and Vida went to Zelda, they would have lunch in the cafe before Zelda had to go to her next class.

It was during one park outing where Vida and Mary met him.

It was early June. The weather was nice but not stifling like July and August would be. Everything was still vibrant with color, the grass, the trees, and the flowers, all brightly colorful swaying in the gentle summer breeze. With it still being nice Mary and Vida took a walk.

There was a jogging path right next to the park and when it was nice like it was that day they walked the path. Vida liked looking at the flowers and Mary just like the soft exercise and time with Vida. Vida was curious about everything, Mary told her what she could like what a certain flower or tree was called and Mary loved how Vida would stop and watch the movements of the current bug or small creature, mostly squirrels, that caught her attention. On that day they were halfway through the walking path when a rustling of leaves from a nearby shrub caught their attention. Out of fear Vida moved behind Mary as the rustling grew louder until a dog appeared out  into the open.

The dog was between medium and small. It was long like a dachshund or a corgi but just slightly taller than either of those breeds. The dog had all the markings of the hound breed, short fur with a white belly, muzzle, and paws and brown and black patches all along its body but Mary couldn’t tell if it was a beagle or a basset hound. The dogs muzzle was too short for either of those breeds but its ears were very beagle-ish. The dog saw them and its tail starts wagging, causing his whole body to wiggle, mouth open to let its tongue roll out to one side.

“It’s a puppy!” Before Mary could stop her Vida was running to the dog. Though it seemed friendly Mary knew that could change in a snap but this dog stayed friendly. It ran in circles around Vida before standing on its hind legs licking anywhere he can reach. Vida giggled even as the dog knocked her to the ground. Mary approached the dog with caution, the dog looked at her and sniffed her legs when she was close enough. He craned his neck hoping for some head pats. “Can we keep him Mamma!?”

“We don’t know where he came from.” Taking advantage of the dog butting his head against her hand Mary felt the dog's neck hoping to feel for a collar. She didn’t find one, which didn’t really mean anything but it just meant that it would be harder to get the dog to follow them. Mary took the belt from her jeans and the ribbon from Vida’s dress to fashion a leash and make shift collar. The dog allowed Mary to wrap the belt around its middle, the belt was too thick to hold in place around the dogs short neck. After securing the ribbon to the collar Mary took two tentative steps to see if the dog would follow. He just stood there, wagging his tail like nothing was wrong. “Come here boy.” Mary tried to coax the dog but he didn’t budge. After a few minutes Vida took the slices of watermelon she was saving to lure the dog. It worked, the dogs nose twitched as it tried to keep up with the scent of the watermelon that was in Vida’s hands. Sometimes when the dog was close Vida would let the dog take a bite before moving more away. When she was down to her last slice they made it back to the main opening of the park. What was going on in the large side field gave Mary a good feeling on where the dog came from.

In a field that was sometimes used for soccer was currently holding what looked like a little fair. It was an adoption fair for a local animal shelter. There were dogs of various kinds and sizes in pens and a board with pictures of other animals, like cats and rabbits, that couldn’t be at the event but were also available for adoption. Naturally people flocked the fair, surrounding the pens to awe over the dogs. In the sea of people Mary located a volunteer for the shelter due to the light blue shirts they wore with the shelter name on one side and volunteer on the other. Mary approached a girl who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties with long black hair that she tied back in a ponytail.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?” The girl turned around and before Mary could ask her next question the girls green eyes lit up at the sight of the dog that was still trying to get the last few bites of watermelon from Vida. “Vinegar Tom! You found him! Thank you so much. He got loose when we were setting up. Bad boy.” Taking a slip leash the volunteer slipped it over the dog’s neck so that Mary could detach the belt.

“Vinegar Tom? That’s an interesting name.”

“Yeah. Sometimes we rename the animals when they come in. I’m a history major and I reviewed the play for a paper I was doing at the time. Vinegar Tom came in on my first day almost a year ago and I don’t know something just felt right about the name.” There was an empty pen not that far away so the volunteer placed Vinegar Tom inside, scratching his head in comfort. “Thank you again for bringing him back. We have a new volunteer who’s never done an adoption fair before and he kind of lost control over a few of the dogs and he slipped away. Actually, now that I think about it Vinegar Tom has never done that before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Tom’s really sweet but he’s usually not so energetic like this. I always think that he would fit in so well with a single person or a small family but whenever he’s considered for adoption he just… stands there or lays there not doing anything. It’s why he keeps getting turned down every time. It’s kind of depressing.” Vinegar Tom was pressed against the wire of the pen licking Vida’s fingers.

“We best be going. Vida.” Vida turned to her, she looked reluctant to move away from her new friend.

“Bye Vinegar Tom.” That’s when Vinegar Tom started to whine. He sat down on his hind legs and looked at both Mary and Vida with his big brown eyes. Vida in turn looked at Mary, jutting her lip out in a quivering pout. Between the pathetic whines of the dog and the look that Vida fixed her Mary could feel her resolve slowly dissolving away.

“What do we do to adopt?” The soft look that the volunteer gave Mary was matched with the squeal that came from Vida and the happy barks of Vinegar Tom. As Mary filled out the form Vida and Vinegar Tom played, mostly Tom rolling on his stomach while Vida gave him belly rubs. Though Mary loved to make Vida happy and Vinegar Tom was cute a cold feeling tickled in the back of her mind.

Zelda was going to kill her.

_____________________

Zelda arrived home a little after five. She had a staff meeting where all seasonal staff members were given some general info about the short semester. This wasn’t anything new to Zelda but it was necessary. In the end she couldn’t really complain because she got out the same time Hilda got off work that day so she swung by to pick her sister and niece, Sabrina saw some movie with her friends, before heading home. Everything seemed normal, Zelda had just enough time to place her keys on the table before Vida ran into her.

“Mommy! Mommy! Guess what!?” Zelda smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm. Vida took so much joy out of anything that it truly was a guess on what made her so happy this time.

“What Vida?”

“We got a puppy!”

“You what?” Zelda might not have wanted it to come out so harshly, but out of everything that she expected that wasn’t one of them. As if on cue a dog came bounding into the entrance hall. He lost his footing on the hardwood floors, slipping and half flopping onto the floor, but it didn’t stop him. He came to a full stop in front of Zelda, sitting almost at her feet and wagging his tail so hard his whole body was wiggling. Though Zelda looked at the dog dumbfounded Hilda and Sabrina awed and surrounded the creature to shower him with affection. “Vida where’s you Mamma.” Vida pointed in the general direction of the kitchen before returning her attention back to the dog. Zelda stormed off not giving the scene before her a second glance, Mary had some serious explaining to do. “You got a dog!?” Mary’s shoulders hunched over and she turned around to face Zelda, whipping her lips from of excess tea. Apparently Zelda surprised her mid sip. Mary placed her cup in the sink before placing them on the counter.

“Don’t be mad.”

“I have every right to be mad. You got a dog without consulting me first.”

“You weren’t there. Vida fixed me with this look.” Mary mimicked the look before continuing. “How was I supposed to say no to that?”

“You’re going to have to because the last thing that I want is for this house to become a glorified petting zoo.”

“It’s not. I doubt something like this is going to happen again. It might sound cliche but I think Vinegar Tom chose us.”

“The dogs name is Vinegar Tom?”

“One of the volunteers is a history major. Anyway, the one day that the dog went against his usual behavior is the day that Vida and I were in the park. The volunteer even said that he showed no interest in anyone except Vida. So here we are.” Zelda sighed through her nose. She really didn’t want the dog but Vida was attached she couldn’t say no now.

“He’s your responsibility.” With that Zelda turned on her heel out of the kitchen. Hilda, Sabrina, and Vida were still in the entryway with the dog. They were throwing some kind of soft toy for the dog to fetch. Zelda just rolled her eyes and went up the stairs to her room. She refused to have any part of this.

___________________________

It has been about a week since Vinegar Tom joined his new family and he could safely say that he’s never been happier. He yawned and stretched before stepping out of his basket. His madam got him his basket along with his toys when he first came and he genuinely loved them. He always made sure that he kept his ball next to his basket and his lamb close to him. He went to his water bowl for a small drink and then rang the small bell that was attached to the door. He didn’t need to go out, he just liked ringing the bell. Satisfied, he left the kitchen to the stairs. There was a lot of them and he climbed them as best as he could. He wasn’t used to stairs but anything to be close to his people. Still learning his way around he used the scent of his people to find their location. When he reached the door he gently pushed it open with his nose. In one bed there was his madam and mistress, he tried to climb up but it was too high. In another bed was his little miss, he went over to her and started to nudge her with his nose. His little miss moved and murmured before she sat up, rubbing one eye.

“Tom!” Taking that as an invitation he climbed into his little miss’ bed. Well, tried, he wasn’t very good at climbing. Little miss got out and helped him, she struggled a little under his weight but it was enough to get him on. Once he was in little miss joined him, laying down. Vinegar Tom did the same, laying his head near the pillow and a stuffed octopus. He gave a contented sigh and fell asleep.

_______________________

Though most of the family was smitten with Vinegar Tom there was one family member he hadn’t won over.

Zelda.

Zelda wanted nothing to do with the dog. She didn’t feed him and refused to walk him or acknowledge his presence. The only thing that she has ever done for the dog was let him out when he was ringing the bell and it was only that one time. All other duties and needs were regulated to Mary. She was the one who agreed to getting the dog she was going to do the brunt of the work. Though she must say she was impressed with the amount of responsibility that Vida showed. She helped Mary feed, walk, and bathe the dog and even learned some commands to help train him. Despite her disinterest Zelda recognized that Vinegar Tom was a good dog. He was fully house trained so they never woke up to any accidents in the house, Hilda even trained him to ring the bell that she tied on the door in the kitchen to be let out. Didn’t chew anything but his own toys, he liked rolling around his ball and squeaking his lamb toy. He listened to what they told him not that he misbehaved often. His only crime in Zelda’s eyes was that he kept trying to climb onto the sofa when she was on it. She didn’t know why he looked at her for attention but she was consistent and kept kicking him off. Keeping herself at arms length worked until one fateful day.

Everyone in her family was busy. Hilda had to work, Sabrina had plans with her friends, and Mary and Vida had a scheduled activity that they would enjoy but Zelda necessarily wouldn’t. Hence why they scheduled it when Zelda had to work. This was of course before they got the dog.

Vinegar Tom had been with them only a couple of days. It was why they, mainly Mary and Hilda, didn’t feel comfortable in leaving him on his own for so long. And with his veterinary check up not for another week they couldn’t enroll him in doggy daycare. There was only one viable option that was available and it was that he went with Zelda.

“Absolutely not!” Zelda abruptly got up from her chair and looked between Mary and Hilda. Apparently, Mary felt like she couldn’t ask Zelda on her own and called for reinforcements. Zelda couldn’t really blame her, she and Mary weren’t fighting but Zelda was adamant in proving her point. Mary wanted the dog she was going to take care of it.

“Zelda it’s just for one day.” Her sister pleaded in that soft tone of her, the one that she uses to try to calm her down with. It worked about 70% of the time. Zelda ranged in her anger a little but she wasn’t backing down.

“No.”

“Come on Zelda what’s the harm?”

“For one it’s against the rules. Animals aren’t allowed unless they are a service animal and I’m not about to commit a criminal offense just because there is no one to watch the dog that I didn’t even want. And before you even ask no I am not going to cancel my class.”

“Zelda it’s just one time. Do this for me and not only would I not ask this of you again but next date night is on me. Please? I would do it myself but the plans that I made with Vida can’t be changed.” Zelda turned her glare onto her girlfriend. Mary was being extremely unfair at that moment. Her expression was soft and her tone was pleading. It was a rare combination and it made Zelda cave in every time. And Vida was thrown in, it was dirty move and sadly, it worked.

“Fine.” Mary smirked and got up to give her a kiss on the check. It was supposed to be on the lips but Zelda turned her head to the side. Mary has not earned that privilege back yet.

And thus here she was now, driving to work with Vinegar Tom in the back seat. Though Zelda couldn’t stop thinking about everything that could go wrong, she could get fired, claw marks in her seats, dog hair EVERYWHERE, the mutt was having the time of his life. After dropping of Hilda at work he got up on his hind legs to look out the window. His breath fogged up the windows, his muzzle was that close to the glass, and his tail was wagging up a storm. There was even drool on the glass when Zelda went to let him out. Sneaking the dog into the building wasn’t that hard, the office that she used was on the first floor and the other teacher that she shared it with taught not only on days that she didn’t work but evenings as well. She had the whole space to herself but to make sure that Vinegar Tom didn’t get into anything he shouldn’t she brought a portable crate to create a temporary pen. Vinegar Tom circled his enclosure but he seemed content with the small water bowl and pillow that Zelda gave him. He was happiest with his lamb, he wiggled in eagerness when Zelda pulled it from the bag that Mary set up for her. He squeaked it a little before settling down near the pillow. The last thing that Zelda set up in Vinegar Tom’s pen was a pee pad, Mary walked him before she left but it was better safe than sorry. By the time that Zelda finished setting everything up it was time for her to head to her lecture. Before leaving she took one last look at the dog. He looked up at her with his big brown eyes and his goofy expression that had everyone in her family in love with but gave Zelda a slight jagged feeling in her stomach.

“Don’t get me fired.” With that Zelda left and acted like nothing was wrong.

________________________

When his mistress returned to her office Vinegar Tom was sleeping peacefully. He woke up when she closed the door behind her. He yawned and stretched before watching his mistress. She set down something before coming over to him. His tail started to wag, he was hoping for some treats or a belly rub for being such a good dog. He was slightly disappointed when all she did was take away the barrier that kept him in one corner of the room. It wasn’t quite what he wanted but he was free! It was something. He explored the best way he knew, by smell. He let his nose guide him but after a while of not finding anything he turned back to his mistress. She was sitting behind something big and wooden. She was looking at something but he couldn’t tell what. Her head was bowed, was she sad? Tom couldn’t let that happen. His lamb made him happy so maybe it would make his mistress happy.

Picking up his lamb he brought it over to his mistress. She didn’t appear to notice him so he got up on his hind legs, using the side of the desk for support. When she still hadn’t noticed him he squeaked his lamb. That got her attention.

“What?” He squeaked his lamb again and wagged his tail. He wanted her to know that it was okay to take it. She just looked at him funny. “What?” This time she turned slightly in her chair giving him a space to place the lamb. He dropped it in her lap. However, instead of being happy she looked even more funny and threw his lamb to some corner. Oh! She was playing with him! She must love fetch too! As fast as his legs could go he went to get his lamb and then brought it back, squeaking it twice so she knew that he got it. She threw it two more times, when he came back the third time she ignored him completely. Oh, she was done playing. That’s okay, he was a bit tired so he’ll take a little rest. He dropped his lamb on the floor and then rested his head next to it. He gave a soft sigh in contentment.

______________________

By the time that Zelda was done  she still had half an hour before Hilda got off work, great. Gathering everything that belonged to the dog she clipped his leash onto his harness and out they went. The dog still showed the same enthusiasm as before though Zelda wished he didn’t, she just cleaned her windows of his drool and there he was fogging and slobbering them up again. With twenty minutes still on her hands Zelda had to figure out what to do about the dog. It was pointless to drive all the way home when she would have to drive right back into town to pick up her sister, it wasted both time and gas, both of which she loathed. She decided to take the dog to the park. She didn’t know how tired Mary was going to be and she had the time so why not suck it up and walk the dog once.

The dog seemed happy about it. His tail wouldn’t stop wagging and he sniffed every tree that he got close to. He wasn’t that much different than Vida in that regard. Now that she thought about it he and Vida were a lot alike. They knew how to listen, could entertain themselves, didn’t get into much trouble, and were very loving and sweet with people they liked and a bit closed off with people they necessarily didn’t like. Maybe that’s why Vida fell head over heels with the dog because Zelda would have known if Vida wanted a pet. Yes, she wasn’t exactly forthcoming with Telling Zelda what she wanted but there were signs that as her mother she was able to pick up. There was nothing. Getting the dog was a completely last minute, spontaneous thing. Maybe that’s why Zelda was fighting so hard. She didn’t like spontaneous change. Yet that explained her relationship with Mary perfectly. She didn’t plan on falling in love with Mary, or moving their relationship so fast that they were living together in such a short time. There was no rational reason other than it just felt right. It’s what Mary felt when she agreed to get the dog, so maybe Zelda could work on changing her attitude towards the dog.

She knew just where to start. Since Vinegar Tom behaved himself so well at her work she decided to get him a special treat. There was a small dog boutique not far from where Hilda worked so Zelda took him inside to let him pick out a treat. She held her breath because there was a possibility that the dog could stick his head in a container and either destroy it or eat everything and take every last dime that she had. But as he sniffed through the selection of treats he didn’t seem interested in any of them until he found one he liked. He pawed at it and then turned to her with that same goofy expression and wagging tail. Zelda paid for it and tucked the trat in her purse, he could have it later after his dinner.

Home was very peaceful. Well, more normal than peaceful, and for that Zelda was grateful. As chaotic and as crowded as their household could be it was theirs and Zelda loved it. Vida wouldn’t stop talking about what she did that afternoon with Mary and they all sat around the table for dinner. That night it was Mary’s turns to wash the dishes, they tried to rotate who did what kind of cleaning. Zelda stuck around, she was finishing the last little bit of wine and it was the first time she could talk to Mary alone. Vinegar Tom was circling her, he barked softly and wiggled as he looked up at her. Zelda instantly knew what he wanted.

“Okay fine.” Zelda tossed him his treat. It was some kind of bone thing that smelled vaguely like barbeque. It was what he wanted and was safe for him so Zelda didn’t give it much thought. Vinegar Tom happily took his treat over to his basket and started to chomp away. Finishing up the last of her wine Zelda placed her glass with the rest of the dishes that haven’t been washed yet which was when she noticed Mary looking at her with a smirk and a gleam in her eye. “Not a word.”

“Well your attitude has certainly changed.” Zelda just huffed and walked out. Mary shook her head and went back to the dishes. Zelda would never say out loud if someone was right, she would stay silent and if she could walk out of the room. Mary smirked and looked at Vinegar Tom, he was halfway through his treat. “She’s warming up to you big guy.” He woofed lightly and went back to his treat.

Later that night Vinegar Tom padded into the living room where Hilda sat in an armchair knitting, and Mary and Zelda sitting on the couch reading. He went over to the couch and climbed up on it. Every other time he did that Zelda instantly kicked him off but instead she, without looking away from her book, took one hand and gave him a few head pats. Mary saw this out of the corner of her eye and smirked. It looked like Vinegar Tom was staying for good.

[splendidlyimperfect]

Gray's not feeling good, but he doesn't want to be touched. Sting's not sure how to make it better.

Rating: General Audiences Pairings: Gray/Natsu/Rogue/Sting (focus on Sting/Gray) Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Polyamory, Established Relationship, Depression, Crying, Touching, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Holding Hands, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gray's bad at feelings, Sting is sweet and intuitive, They're All Dorks In Love, kitty cuddles, all the cats, Fluff, so much fluff they're so sweet to each other it's gross Series: Part 30 of i'm with them

**tw for depressive thoughts

Sting woke up to Lector licking his forehead.  

“Hey, mister,” Sting said, scratching Lector behind the ears, then letting out a soft oof as Happy jumped on his stomach. Frosch meowed plaintively from her spot behind Sting’s pillow and he tipped his head up to look at her disapproving glare.  

“You’re not fooling anybody,” Sting said as Lector headbutted him. “I know Rogue fed you before he left for work, you’re not getting anything out of me.”  

Happy mrowled at Sting, turning in circles and then settling into a purring ball on his stomach. Sting sighed, petting Happy as he peeked over at the clock. Was it really 11:30 already?  

“Sorry darlings, but if I don’t get up, I’m gonna fall back asleep, and then Rogue’s gonna come home to a dirty kitchen and give me that look I hate.”  

Lector meowed again as if in agreement, then hopped off the bed and sauntered out of the room.  

Sting gently tipped Happy off his stomach, then stood up and stretched, yawning and peeking out the window. The sun spilled a warm beam across the bed where Sting had been sleeping, and Happy and Frosch both immediately dove for it, tussling for a second before settling next to each other in the light.  

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There was a sound of keys in the door and Sting frowned, stepping out of the bedroom and looking at the calendar. Everyone but him was supposed to be working today. The door swung open to reveal Gray, whose eyes widened in surprise when he saw Sting.  

“Hey, love,” Sting said, reaching out and taking Gray’s bag from him. Gray didn’t say anything, just closed the door behind him.  

“Sorry,” he said quietly, looking at his feet. “I forgot- I didn’t know you were home. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”  

“You didn’t,” Sting insisted, frowning in concern. Gray never forgot the schedule. “What’s wrong?”  

Gray wrapped his arms around himself and shook his head. “Just-”  

“If you say ‘just tired,’ I swear,” Sting said, sighing and dropping Gray’s bag next to the shoe rack. “C’mere.” He reached out his arms, but Gray shook his head, taking a step back.  

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t- I can’t right now.”  

“Sweetheart,” Sting said gently, pointing to the couch. “Never apologize. You want some tea?”  

Gray didn’t answer, making his way over to the couch and curling up in the corner. He grabbed a cushion and held it against his chest, resting his chin on it and staring blankly at the TV.  

Sting��s chest hurt – he wanted nothing more than to pull Gray in his arms and cuddle him. Instead, he made his way back into the bedroom and scooped Frosch out of the beam of sunlight. “Gray needs you,” he said apologetically, scratching Frosch’s head.  

Sting deposited Frosch on the couch next to Gray, and she rubbed herself against his arms, purring so loud that Sting could hear her. Gray looked down at her, slowly releasing his grip on the pillow and running a finger up her nose and over her head.  

“Hey,” Gray said quietly as Sting backed away. “How’s my girl?”  

Sting busied himself in the kitchen making tea, and by the time he came back out to the living room, Gray was curled up with the blanket, Frosch purring happily on his lap. Sting handed Gray a cup of tea, and Gray finally looked up at Sting, meeting his eyes.  

“I... don’t feel good,” he said, so quietly that Sting could barely hear him. Sting crouched down next to the sofa, close to Gray but not touching. He didn’t say anything – Gray admitting to how he was feeling was big enough, and Sting didn’t want to do anything to scare him. “Todd sent me home.”  

Sting’s concern immediately intensified – if it was impacting Gray’s work, it was getting bad. He chewed his lip, contemplating texting Rogue. He was better at helping Gray with these moods. Sting had trouble with the not touching – he would obviously never touch Gray if he didn’t want it, but Sting’s default comfort was hugging or holding hands.  

“What can I do?” Sting asked, and Gray shook his head, staring intently at Frosch and running his fingers through her fur. “You wanna talk?”  

“I don’t know,” Gray said, voice shaky with frustration. “I can’t... I don’t know. It’s- something’s...” He trailed off, sighing.  

“You been taking your meds?” Sting asked gently. Gray nodded, picking at a loose thread on the blanket and refusing to look at Sting. Sting sighed, rocking back on his heels until he was sitting on the floor, back against the coffee table. He desperately wanted to take Gray’s hand. “Do you want me to leave for a bit? I can get groceries if you wanna be alone.”  

Gray shook his head quickly. “Can we... watch something?” Gray asked. Sting could see he was trying hard not to cry, swallowing back tears and rubbing his face with the back of his hand.  

“Of course,” Sting said, grabbing the remote and holding it out to Gray. “Can I sit here?” He gestured to the spot near Gray, but not close enough to touch him, and Gray nodded.  

Gray flipped through several shows on Netflix, finally settling on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, then pushing himself back into the couch cushions. Sting tried to settle in as well, pulling his phone out of his pocket and hesitating over Rogue’s name before shaking his head and putting it back.  

Twenty minutes into the episode, Sting felt a tentative touch on the back of his hand. He looked up to see that Gray had shifted toward him, and that his knuckles were brushing Sting’s. Gray’s mostly-empty gaze was still on the TV, but he was closer now, and the cushion was behind him instead of cutting him off from Sting.  

Sting turned his hand, settling it palm-up between them and waiting for Gray to slowly thread their fingers together. The touch calmed some of the tension in Sting’s chest, and he relaxed a bit back into the cushions as Gray’s fingers gently squeezed his. He felt guilty – this wasn’t about him, but it still hurt to watch Gray feel this way.  

By the time the episode was over, Gray was pressed up against Sting’s side, and Sting could feel him trembling. As the ending music started, Sting let out a soft sigh.  

“Can I hug you now?” he asked gently, and this time Gray nodded. “C’mere, sweetheart,” Sting said, wrapping his arm lightly around Gray. Gray stiffened for a second, then turned and pressed his face into Sting’s chest, shoulders shaking. Sting hated watching Gray cry – not because he was sad, but because he always tried to hold it in, curling in on himself and biting back the sounds like he was ashamed of them.  

“’m sorry,” Gray said, gripping Sting’s shirt tightly. “I dunno what's wrong. I just...” 

“It’s okay,” Sting said, rubbing his thumb comfortingly up and down Gray’s arm. “Sometimes I just... I don’t know how to help. I’m sorry.” He sighed. “I feel like I should know, ‘cause you know how to make me better when I’m feeling shitty.”  

“That’s ‘cause you make sense,” Gray said, voice muffled by Sting’s shirt. “’m stupid.”  

“Gray,” Sting admonished gently. He could feel a damp spot forming on his shirt and he hugged Gray tighter, shifting until he was leaning back into the corner of the couch and Gray was resting against his chest. “You’re not stupid.”  

“I feel stupid,” Gray insisted quietly as Sting ran his fingers through Gray’s hair. “I don’t- it’s so fucking frustrating.” He hesitated, rubbing his eyes.  

Sting held his breath. Gray was reminded Sting of a stray cat he’d found as a child – angry and scared and jumpy. Any time Sting had tried to pet the cat (which he’d named Skittles), it had hissed at him or scratched him. Eventually, Oma had come out to the yard and sat quietly with Sting, reading with him in the sunshine, and Sting was amazed when Skittles had slunk over and quietly curled up in his lap.  

Gray curled up beside Sting now, tucking his head under Sting’s chin and playing with the buttons on Sting’s shirt. Sting pressed a gentle kiss to Gray’s forehead but said nothing.  

After a while, Gray started talking. “I hate this,” he said, voice quiet and shaky. “I just... I started crying at my desk today.” Sting made a sad sound and held Gray tighter. “I couldn’t- I don’t even know why, and fucking Chad c-came in, and I was so embarrassed b-but I couldn’t stop, and nothing’s wrong but it still hurts.”  

“Oh, Gray,” Sting said softly. Frosch meowed, hopping over Gray’s legs and turning several times before settling between them, purring loudly. Gray reached down and scratched her head.  

“He wasn’t a jerk,” Gray continued eventually. “I still feel stupid, but he was... surprisingly understanding. You’re a good influence on him.” Sting snorted. “’m serious.” Gray sighed, pressing his face to Sting’s shoulder. “Todd told me to go home, and he wasn’t mad or anything, but I still feel stupid. Th-they're always so...”  

“Nice?” Sting suggested. “That’s not a bad thing, love.”  

“I know,” Gray grumbled. “Just feel dumb.”  

“Does me telling you that you’re not dumb make it better?” Sting asked.  

“Not really,” Gray admitted. “Sorry. My brain’s-”  

“Don’t say stupid,” Sting said softly. “Please.”  

Gray sighed, taking Sting’s hand and tracing patterns on his palm. Sting sighed, chewing his lip and wishing there was something more he could do. An idea slowly came to him, and he looked down at Gray contemplatively.  

“Wanna go see Pancake?”  

o.o.o.o.o.o

The aquarium was quiet – it was just after lunch, and most people were at work. It was close enough to the apartment that they had walked, and the warm spring breeze had been enough to start to calm Gray’s racing mind.  

Sting tugged on Gray’s hand excitedly as soon as they walked through the door, and Gray’s lips curled up in a smile at the excited, childlike expression on Sting’s face. This was one of Gray’s favorite places to come when the two of them went on dates – sometimes they’d bring Rogue and Natsu here, but often it was just him and Sting.  

The soft blue and green light through the aquarium glass washed over Gray and he exhaled, closing his eyes for a second as Sting stopped to peek into the tank at the octopus.  

“Look, Herman’s feeling grumpy today too,” Sting teased gently, pointing to where one tentacle was barely visible through the plants. Gray pretended to be indignant, but slipped his fingers between Sting’s and nudged his shoulder. Sting had named all the creatures at the aquarium, and the octopus was named after one of Rogue’s crabby uncles.  

Sting leaned over and pressed a kiss to Gray’s cheek, then looked around and pulled Gray in the direction of the jellyfish exhibit. Nobody else was in the room, and Gray was almost certain Sting had done that on purpose.  

“Hey, Squishy,” Sting said, stepping up to the glass and pressing his hand against it. The room was dark, and the little jellyfish glowed bright pink and orange as they bobbed through the water. Gray watched their lazy patterns as they floated, his eyes moving between the jellyfish and the enchanted look on Sting’s face.  

They spent nearly an hour wandering through all the exhibits, with Sting guiding them around the crowds of people with gentle tugs on Gray’s hand. Finally they ended up in Sting’s favorite area – a large, open pool where several stingrays swam around lazily.  

“There he is,” Sting said, pointing to a large stingray with dark purple coloring. “Hey, Pancake!” Gray leaned forward, inspecting it.  

“How do you know that’s him?” he asked.  

Sting shrugged. “He’s the prettiest.”  

Gray snorted, leaning in and kissing Sting’s temple. Gray had adopted Pancake for Sting for his birthday the year before, after a trip to the aquarium where Sting had excitedly pointed out that ‘stingray’ was a portmanteau of their names, and was therefore ‘their animal.’ Since then, Sting had insisted on visiting Pancake at least once a week.  

They sat down together on the bench near the water, watching the rays swim back and forth. Gray felt the ache in his chest recede a little as he focused on the patterns of light, the background noise of people passing by, the warmth of Sting’s hand in his.

“I love you,” Sting said quietly, after they’d been sitting in silence for nearly half an hour. “And you’re not stupid. Your brain’s just different.”  

Gray sighed, letting Sting wrap an arm around him. “I know,” he said, resting his head on Sting’s shoulder. “It just feels like I should be able to… deal with it, y’know? I’m twenty-eight years old, I should have my shit together.”  

“Mm.” Sting kicked his feet out and pressed them against the glass. “Nobody has their shit together.”

“Stop being all reasonable,” Gray grumbled. He could feel the warmth of tears pressing against the backs of his eyes again, and he swallowed quickly to keep them at bay. He was quiet for a minute, then added, “thank you.”  

Sting pressed a quick kiss to Gray’s cheek, then gestured to the edge of the pool where the purple-finned stingray had approached. “Look, Pancake wants you to feel better too.”  

o.o.o.o.o.o

The sun was setting as Sting and Gray waited outside the aquarium, and it was almost dinnertime by the time Rogue and Natsu pulled up. Natsu hopped out of the car, reaching out for Gray.  

“Hey grum—”  

Sting frowned at Natsu over Gray’s shoulder, shaking his head and giving Natsu a significant look. Natsu stopped, looking closer at Gray, then nodding in realization.  

“C’mere, you,” Natsu said, stepping forward and reaching out a hand. Gray hesitated, then let Natsu pull him into an embrace. He sighed, wrapping his arms around Natsu’s waist.  

“You’ve got glitter glue on your face,” Sting commented, reaching out and running his thumb over Natsu’s cheekbone. Natsu laughed, wiping at his face. “Did I miss craft day?”  

“Nah, there’s plenty of sparkles left for you for tomorrow,” Natsu replied, bopping Sting on the nose.  

“How’s Pancake?” Rogue asked, coming up behind Sting and hugging him. Rogue smelled like ground coffee and cinnamon, and Sting hummed happily, leaning back and kissing his cheek.  

“Handsome as usual,” Sting replied. “How was work?”  

Rogue talked about his day as they all piled into the car – Natsu in the front seat, Sting and Gray in the back. Sting reached out his hand, and smiled when Gray took it and laced their fingers together.  

“You ready to go home?” Natsu asked gently, turning to look at them. Gray shook his head.  

“Not yet,” he said quietly, staring at a hole in his jeans. Rogue glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “Can we… just drive?” Gray asked.  

“Of course, love,” Rogue replied as he turned on the car. Natsu grabbed the phone from the console and flipped through a few before hitting play. The soft sound of Arcade Fire filled the car and Gray let out a contented sigh, settling back into the seat and squeezing Sting’s hand.  

Let’s go for a drive, see the town tonight There’s nothing to do but I don’t mind when I’m with you

Gray hummed along quietly, closing his eyes and leaning against Sting’s shoulder. Sting wrapped an arm around him, pulling Gray close and kissing his temple. Natsu gave them both a fond smile, then started talking quietly with Rogue while the music played in the background.  

As Rogue pulled out of the parking lot and toward the harbor, Sting felt a warm sense of contentment settle in his chest. Gray was right – they all had shit – but they also had each other.  

“Love you,” Sting murmured into Gray’s hair. “We’ve got you. You’re gonna be all right.”  

[richard-the-boy-wonder-blog]

Guess whos evil anD HATES ME, ITS KATIE! @not-reddie ❤❤❤

Eddie: *He sings in the shower every morning when he gets up. And its not your cute dainty singing, oh no. Its a full out concert in the bathroom, he sings along to ‘eye of the tiger’, 'we are the champions’, 'boys are back in town’ all the best jams.

*Eddie knows how to cook. Since his dad died his mom kinda stepped back as a parent and left him to learn how to do basic grown up duties. Hes really good at making spaghetti much to Richies humor.

*He is a really bad rage gamer. The losers have monopoly night which use to be dark souls night till Eddie shattered a ps2 controller.

*Actually a thicc and juicey boy. This kid is eating well and it shows.

*Eddie is a metal head. He likes NIN, Korn, Marylin Manson, Tool, but worst of all ICP. No one knows he likes ICP but 'piggy pie’ and 'boogey woogey’ are his jam.

*Eddie is also fairly good at doing voices along side Richie. They like to talk to each other in Mickey Mouse and Goofy voices all the time.

*He cannot own a fish or plant because IT WILL DIE.

*After Eddie moves his medical transcripts are taken literally and he ends up an addict for a year.

*Hes got a terrible terrible laugh. Is not cute or anything itll start off normal but then hes just wheezing and snorting till he basically passes out and clams down.

*Hes good with cars, hes the one who rebuilt Bills firebird.

Richie: *He has the Austin Powers theme set for his alarm, he dances to the coffee pot every morning in nothing but boxer breifs, crocs, and a blue robe to his while the song plays.

*Hes an ass man?? Guy, girl, his age, or 50 years old Richie Toizer digs the booty.

*Richie and Bill had their own band, '2+2.’ They both were lead guitar and vocals and only ever played Tenacious d.

*Richie has a real hard time telling people to 'fuck off’ or to 'go fuck themselves’ because hes afraid theyll actually leave him.

*Because of his sensory overload (a side effect of adhd) booming noises piss him off, stomping on the floor or when someone knocks too loud on the door it instantly throws him into a bad mood.

*Richie does a really good Selvester Stalon impessionation, its probably his best and most obnoxious voice.

*Hes a cat person for the simple fact that no one else really likes cats and they’re super chill and goofy.

*Both points above being said, he makes up voices for his pets and when hes lonely he makes them “talk” to him.

*The Chinese take out place a block over from his apartment know him by name because he once ordered every item off their menu and ate it all with chop sticks including his mochi balls.

*If you cant find Richie hes on the roof.

Ben: *This. Boy. Is. Good. At. Makeup. And. Hair Fight. Me. Ben heard Bev complaining one day about how hard it was to get ready in the morning so natrually he studied beauty blogs night and day for a month to help her.

*Hes your go to man with an problems you have, hes damn good and listening and giving back good feedback on the issue.

*Hes the one who loads the coffee pot because hes the only one who knows how.

*Ben joined the Marines after marrying Bev to carry on his familys tradition of serving the country.

*Because Beverly hangs around him so much, and speaks so highly of him, Bens first male crush was Richie.

*Hes a mamas boy through and through, it might not show as bad as Eddie does but he would kill for his mommy.

*Hes been a licensed contractor, and a very sucssesful one at that, since he was 17.

*Bens favorite day is Tuesday because then he gets to wear his 'taco Tuesday’ shirt.

*He wears really nice cologne and uses really nice minty shampoo and conditioner. Ben never smells bad ever.

*He knows all the names of the carebears.

Stan: *Whos severely lactose intolerant but loves cheese to the end of the earth? Stanly.

*Stans a really good drawer and writer but doesnt flaunt his work. What poems and art he has done are all hidden in a little notebook he carries everywhere with him.

*When he gets angry or excited he spout off in Hebrew, he hates it but everyone loves it.

*Hes clinically depressed as well as Mike so they have their own little get togethers in his room to talk and just be soft and warm together.

*“Joy to the world” by: CCR is the one song Stan cant not sing and dance along to.

*Speaking of dancing, Stans a damn good dancer?? He doesnt like to dance in front of others but sometimes he really can’t help himself.

* Hes got a tramp stamp that only Bill and Eddie know about.

*Stan is a really terrible drunk, like hes a mess and a hot one at that. His 21st birthday was a nightmare, thats where the tramp stamp came from.

*Stan fucks with everyone more than anyone else does but hes so suave about it everyone else points fingers at everyone but Stan.

*He doesnt know it but the brownies in the back of the freezer are Richies editable… He has one every Friday.

Bill:

*Still has bath toys and he uses, cleans, and plays with them regularly.

*He really likes otters and has big dreams to go to an aquarium sometime.

*He hates Monday’s with a burning passion, he hates Monday more than Garfield. So on Monday he makes everyone pancakes for breakfast to make it better.

* Bill is a babysitter for Georgie and a writer on the side. Being an uncle is a full time job with benefits.

*Real life superwholock nerd fan: Billiam Denbrought.

*He was a swimmer in high school and he cant grow hair on his legs anymore because of it.

*He pure edits all the losers homework and essays.

*He makes it a point to take his dogs and Eddie down to the park to play catch/fetch every weekend.

*His worst fear outside of losing his brother is Spiders or creepy crawlies in general.

*HE DONT EAT HE DAMN VEGETABLES. HE IS THE PICKIEST EATER AND IT MAKES EVERYONE SO MAD.

Mike: *Super flirtatious, like he doesnt even know hes flirting hes just really good at it.

*He collects stuffed animals. At first he was just having a hard time getting rid of his baby toys but now its a problem.

*He loves the color yellow?? Its his color, is room is painted yellow, his car is yellow, his favorite sweater is yellow. Mike really likes yellow.

*Spicey food makes him cry. Not because it makes him sad but because its fucking spicey.

*Chivalry and manners are alive and well in this one. Hes a complete gentlemen to men and women alike but even moreso to children.

*Mike is ticklish, way super ticklish, you even wiggle a finger at him at hes like: “FKDKF FHHEHEHEHEHE STOOOOOOOP.”

*Hell never say it but alot of his songs are about Bill. And not just cause they in love but because Mike genuinly loves and looks up to Bill as a person.

*He can play the guitar, bango, harmonica, piano, cello, the triangle and he can sing.

*Mike kisses all his friends platonically on the lips and no one has ever questioned it.

*Hes really good at riddles and rhymes.

Beverly: *She totes around a huge bag full of crap 24/7, its like Eddies fanny pack but 1000× larger and its full of crap theyll never need.

*Bev will not drink milk, i dont know why she just doesnt.

*She makes all hers and Richies clothes and fixes all the torn, ripped, and button missing clothes in the house.

*Beverly is a tree climbing champion.

*Beverly believes in faries because she is one and shes not ashamed of the fact.

*She talks in her sleep loudly too. All the guys will stay uo during their sleep overs just to hear what stupid shit shes gonna say while klonked out.

*She volunteers at the animal shelter, soup kitchen, and cleans uo trash off the side of the road for fun.

*When shes sad she listens to he Srgt. Peppers Loney Hearts Club Band record on repeat till she feels better.

*Shes always wanted to play Rizzo in Grease.

*She helps Mike run their greenhouse which she and Ben built together.