#soft ...

it’s been a long day.   he was at the dealership today for a few meetings,  all of which ran long by no less than twenty minutes.   then he had the advanced class at the dojo,  pairing them up to practice circle dancing.   results were mixed, to say the least.   and devon kept him after class for a while,  asking so many questions his head spun.   @offenseonly was already home by the time he pulled into the driveway.   after giving himself a moment to take some deep breaths,  he went inside.   

one shower and a change of clothes later,  daniel lays between john’s legs on the couch,  face pressed into his chest.   his husband runs one hand through his hair gently.   it’s the first time he’s been able to rest for more than a couple minutes all day,  and he can feel himself drifting off.   ' would you still love me if i were a worm? '   it takes him a second to process the question,  blinking sleepily as he looks up at john.   he’s scrolling through something on his phone with the other hand,  though daniel can’t see what.   maybe one of those questionnaires sam has been sending him lately.

when they're unaware ...

she's already half asleep in his lap, some old film flickering along their features. sadie's comfortable, the buzz of the tv a welcome sound to tired ears. fin's fingers play at her hair, like she's some welcome pet. it's probably a terrible thing to compare herself to a pet, but it's the best she can do when her brain refuses to work at full capacity.

there's a smudge on the side of her face, her chest heaving with the anger of it all. should she have driven to gen's place, white-knuckling the steering wheel all the way down the road to pull into her driveway? probably not, but it's worth it to go to a place that he knows he could be safe. so, now he's perched on gen's couch, her legs tucked under her body like she's supposed to be there.

actions speak louder than words / always accepting.

@k7tt1 sent ── back, sender gives receiver a back hug / let Kitty love you Zestial (:

it's rare that zestial trusts , but when he does , he does so deeply , irrevocably. how odd it was to find that here in a little fizzy bot , a slow going process but one he'd hardly deny all the same. another quiet meeting , another step forward --- ( * though it's the last thing on his mind when familiar robotic arms wrap around him from behind. ) the overlord stills but instead of sharpening , he softens. shoulders fall & a soft laugh rumbles through his chest , eerily quiet & warm in the chill of early morning.

his head turns , if only to catch a glimpse of that contagious smile of hers. clawed hand moves to rest atop head affectionately , trailing down the tails of her hat. ( curling one around fingertip as if to memorize before letting go. ) the spider shifts to wrap an arm around her , hefty cloaked fabric falling round kitty like a blanket. " my most humble apologies , sweetling. it would appear i did not bid thee a fitting farewell. "