You’re so difficult sometimes.
All they had done was ask a question.
Why can’t you just be normal for once.
They wondered the same thing, sometimes. But this time, they weren’t sure what had gone wrong. They had phrased it so that this wouldn’t happen.
I don’t think this is working out.
They had tried so hard to be normal and act like a person, for once. They had hoped this time would be different.
Maybe there never was an option for them like for everyone else.
Maybe it was better if they were left alone.
Their heart was going to burst.
Whether they were on the verge of tears or snapping, they weren’t sure, the emotions difficult to decipher when the nerves were at the forefront of their mind.
All they knew was that they were sweating bullets and the sun was beating down on them and making it hard to just breathe.
They had asked a question when the answer had already apparently been told to them, and now they were staring at Guy’s back while wondering how to apologize for not understanding or if that would make this all so much worse. Was he angry? Was he frustrated? Was he thinking they were an idiot because they hadn’t understood the first time? Yes, he had patience, but Honey knew that patience ran out and that they weren’t the easiest person to deal with.
Add in the weather and the rowdy and somewhat drunken crowd on top of everything else...they were surprised he was still standing beside them at all.
It was why they preferred being left alone, but he had been so insistent and they had really hoped things would be different with him.
So f*cking stupid, they should have known they would mess this up. The situations always changed, but they never would no matter how hard they tried.
They should have fought harder to avoid the damn concert. They loved live music, but they often went alone and stuck to the seats to avoid the need for societal niceties that were necessary when going with people. They couldn’t focus, from the crowd around them and lack of personal space, to trying to keep up with his questions and process what words required a response vs. him just telling them something for the sake of it.
The conversation Guy had attempted hadn’t even been over something that needed much brain power, they assumed. But there were so many voices , so much to think and picture in their head while attempting to look engaged and present and—
“Honey?”
Their eyes shot upward to meet worried ones, the nausea immediately rising as they forced their throat to tighten to avoid making a mess of his shoes.
The guy from earlier had already nearly done that and more.
“I—” they attempted, but a hand brushing against their own had them sucking in a much needed breath. Their vision swirled before balancing out with each breath taken, Guy’s expression growing relieved.
Now they were sure they just wanted to cry.
Or run, maybe. Get away and get home and just hide. There, they couldn’t upset anyone. They couldn’t feel upset or embarrass themself anymore than they already had.
“Hey.”
Soft. His voice was soft against the harsh voices of the crowd and the awful sound mixing and the lights constantly hitting them in the face.
And then he was talking, but they could barely hear him and there would be another miscommunication and he would get frustrated with them despite their best effort the hear him and—
Their eyes dropped, waiting for the inevitable as they felt the familiar heaviness behind their eyes and the tickle in their nose. They wouldn’t cry, they would hold it until they were home and let it out on their bathroom floor before pulling themself into the shower and mourning the end of the relationship.
Going to bed alone after so long would ensure a sleepless night, their gut churning.
Honey was pulled from their thoughts as a phone was placed in their line of view, mind taking a moment before processing it was the notes app, blown up so the words were large and hard to miss.
We can leave if you’d like.
“No, ” they snapped, looking up to see that Guy was watching them with a somewhat neutral expression. It was hard to read how he was feeling, but he pulled his phone back and began typing again, leaving the original message and writing beneath it. When he turned his phone, their eyes immediately went to the next few lines.
Headphones, mask, or sunglasses?
Honey frowned, shifting back to him to see the same neutral expression, unsure of why he was offering them. That wasn’t normal. Or was it? They weren’t exactly an expert on that, meaning this was entirely new territory for them.
For some reason that made them more nervous than before.
“But…why?” they said with a tilt of their head. “Why would you give them to me?”
More typing, their shoulders settling into a more comfortable position and their jaw unclenching slowly.
This can be a lot, but I still want you to enjoy the show, too. Which means blocking out the extra noise…or lights…or, in this case, the obnoxious smell that the heat seems to be making way, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay worse.
He looked nervous when they finished reading, offering a sheepish smile as Honey’s eyes grew slightly wide.
Oh.
Like a cog that had been placed perfectly, their mind began to piece together that he wasn’t just randomly offering them his stuff for the sake of offering, but to stop their senses from being assaulted left and right.
He was trying to help even though they had already ruined the day.
The words left them before they could stop them.
"I ruined the vibe.”
Guy squinted and they felt their cheeks grow warmer under his gaze.
How?
There was no point in hiding it. Every attempt at doing so only made things worse, so Honey spoke what was really on their mind and braced for whatever was to come.
“I became combative," they said, embarrassed at their behavior. "I didn’t understand what you were telling me. I tried to ask questions but it made everything worse and you…” they trailed off, Guy’s expression lighting up as if realizing.
You weren’t combative. You were confused. I stopped because I wanted to think about how to explain differently. But doing that here would have been tough. Too loud. And too smelly, quite frankly.
He scrolled down and Honey felt their lips twitch, reading the words in his voice they hadn’t been able to hear since the moment they entered the venue.
We can figure it out later. But right now is time together. So stop scooching away from me. I know I don’t smell like pizza and to be frank that smell would be heavenly right about now sooooooo technically it would be like a favor. An honor, if you would. And boy do I hope you would~
The last sentence had them breaking out into a full smile as they huffed out a soft ‘dummy’ and shifted closer slightly. Then they were wrapping their arms around him and hiding in his neck as the tears rose again, still refusing to fall until they felt lips against their ear and arms wrap around them as well.
“I love you. Thank you for being so patient despite everything.”
Their lips parted, but the sounds around them grew muffled, one hand rising to feel that he had actually given them his headphones. They weren’t enough to drown out everything entirely, but they could actually hear themself think now, their heart slowing down as their hand moved to his cheek. They leaned in to speak into his ear as well, feeling his breath hitch as they started.
“You were the patient one,” they mumbled, “And I love you, too. So much. Even with your horn-dog tendencies.”
When they pulled away, they could see him grinning and knew he had a smart comment just waiting to spill from teasing lips. He opted for kissing them instead as if knowing they were complimenting him internally, his ability to read and know what they wanted both impressive and terrifyingly accurate.
He did that often, that oh so dangerous hope growing more and more each time he gave them what they needed.
Pulling away from the kiss to see his smile and listen to him hum, however, made them all the more willing to face that imminent fall if it meant getting a little more time with him like this.
Wrapped up in each other’s arms and pretending that the world around them didn’t exist at all.
