#angelcakeeee

On days that Darlin’s brain refused to get up out of bed, Sam would wake them up slowly. Kisses placed deliberately across their face, hands slowly running across their body.

He’d lay with them in silence, interrupted only by soft hums and tiny giggles— until they spoke first. Once they spoke, he’d bring them into a conversation, letting them take the lead on the topic changes.

He’d wait for the sleep to fade from their eyes, and then he’d ask for them to join him in the kitchen. He’d put on a pot of coffee and start warming a pan to make breakfast.

He always made food for himself too on days that Darlin wasn’t feeling well. He knew that it made them feel better to see they weren’t the only one eating.

The two would sit together and eat, discussing whatever came to mind, or not talking at all.

When breakfast was eaten and plates were empty, Sam got up to wash the dishes. Some days Darlin would follow, holding onto Sam as he bent over the sink. After the dishes were clean, it was time for a shower.

Sam would start the shower and set it to how Darlin liked it, undressing the both of them and coaxing them into the warm water. He’d wash their hair, comb through it while the conditioner set. He’d tell them how much he loved them, how beautiful they were.

He’d wrap them up in a towel, sit them on the toilet while he got his own towel on, and then bring them over to the sink to brush their teeth.

Sam took care of Darlin when it got hard, because he knew that they could do it, but they just struggled with starting the things they needed to do. They just needed an extra push and a little extra loving on the bad days.

Sitting on the ride home makes him realize that the ache of a flare is starting to set in, but he doesn’t say anything at first. Dear notices something is off when he doesn’t seem to hear their question the first time they ask it, and they can tell by the slight grimace on his face that he’s starting to feel bad.

When they step into their apartment, Dear doesn’t turn the lights on and coaxes Lasko over to the couch. They sit him down and pad into the kitchen to get some pain meds and water for him, returning to make him take them.

Lasko gets quiet when he has flares, Dear uses his demeanor to gauge how bad it is rather than asking too many questions. They stand between his legs and slowly start undressing him, talking him through the process and cooing reassuring comments to him as they do so.

Once he’s mostly undressed, Dear guides him up once more and towards the bedroom. He sits on the bed as they find comfortable clothes for him, and he lets out soft whines as he shifts atop the comforter.

Dear opens the blankets and waits for Lasko to get under them before they start to undress themself, changing as quickly— but calmly— as possible. They climb into the bed with a lot of their skin bare on purpose, knowing that Lasko finds comfort in the warmth of skin to skin.

He gives gentle whimpers as he tries to get comfortable, entangling himself with Dear and pressing into them. Dear rubs his back and asks if there’s anywhere he’d like them to massage or rub. He asks for scratches on his back.

After breaking up with their shitty ex, they held onto the few friends they still had. Their warmth had faded, though, and it wasn’t like it used to be. They felt like everyone kept them at an arm’s reach now, close enough to call friend but far enough for plausible deniability.

So, honey started only inviting certain people to events they did or hosted. They stopped reminding people about their birthday, just spent it alone instead.

Honey had become so accustomed to people falling through on their promises that they expected it. They no longer hoped their friends were caught in traffic when a few minutes late and began assuming they weren’t coming anymore.

That was, until, they invited their roommate to something for the first time. Well— invited was a strong word. Guy practically shook them by the shoulders begging for all the details.

Guy showed up— on time, too. Honey’s eyes had caught his across the venue they were performing at and gave a double take in the middle of their performance.

His face looked like the epitome of adoration.

Honey had to hurry back into the dressing room to fight off teary eyes with dabs of tissue on their waterline. After their show, instead of standing alone, they were standing with Guy. Instead of watching longingly as the other performers talked with audience members or friends and family, they were getting their ear talked off by Guy.

Instead of having to stand on the outskirts of someone else’s conversation, they were having their own. Something blossomed in their chest that day— something bittersweet.

They invited him to more after that, loving having him as their personal entourage. It was so nice to have a familiar face in the crowd. So nice to have someone show up for them. They didn’t worry about other friends no-show-ing their events because Guy filled their empty space with more than enough.

Guy cheered so loud that Honey barely noticed the absence of everyone else.

When Honey finally started dating Guy, he showed up for them even more than he already had been. He found ways to weave himself into their life seemingly so effortlessly. They found that he was the safe place not only in crowds during moments of stage fright, but in the home that they came back to after work too.

No matter who disappointed Honey, they could rely on Guy to hold to his word.