#tagged everything

I don’t know how to do a “read more” otherwise I would.

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Joe could not sleep at night.

It was just impossible, honestly. The amount of words, sentences, poems of all types and formats surged through his head like marching soldiers. They refused to calm themselves unless written down on signs, on walls, in books. Only releasing them all would let Joe rest for once. This night was about the same.

Joe sat at a shoddy desk, the base stable only by a book keeping the table from wobbling. He opened a nearly finished book and grabbed his quill, ready to finally release the remaining thoughts in his mind when he heard a soft voice from below his loft.

“Joe? You still up..?”

It was Cleo’s voice, but much softer than usual. He placed the quill into the ink well again and called out a soft “Yes.” In response to Cleo. He heard shuffling and watched as Cleo shimmied up the ladder and popped up from the hole to enter the loft.

“Well miss Cleophas,” he started to say, until a tight hug cut him off. Cleo was hugging his ribs a little too tight, and shaking just a little too much for Joe’s comfort. Joe reciprocated the hug, rubbing Cleo’s back lightly to comfort her. Little sobs wracked Cleo’s form as they stood there.

It took a little bit for Cleo to calm down, but Joe was patient. He wanted to be patient. “Cleo, what troubles you at such a late hour..?” His tentative inquiry alerting Cleo, who had been lost in deep thought.

“Ah, just old scars, Joe.” She wasn’t lying, per se, but Joe could sense more than that.

“Cleo, is anything else troubling you?” He asked, this time setting a hand on Cleo’s. She looked down at the sudden gesture, eyes widened slightly in shock.

“I...” She began, struggling to piece a sentence together. She opened her mouth to continue multiple times, but closed it shortly after.

Joe squeezed her hand in reassurance, an understanding smile framing his sullen eyes and messy hair. “Take your time.” He sighed out gently.

Cleo looked at him, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She sniffled, looking as if she had been through hell and back. She squeezed back, and sighed. “I feel so out of place and unwanted...” she croaked out, stifling a sob. “Sometimes I wonder why I even a..accepted your invite to join..” she shakes with heavy sobs, hot tears soaking through Joe’s sleeve.

He frowned, Pity and sadness filling his eyes. “Cleo, honey...” he holds her form a little closer, as if to placate her sobs. “I asked you to come here because I wanted you here. You fit just like the rest of us.” He stated it softly, slowly rubbing circles on Cleo’s back, running over scars and thick stitches. “Hell, half of us shouldn’t fit, but we do.” He smiled as Cleo chuckles lightly, looking up at him.

“Thanks for that, Joe. I needed some humor..” she sniffed again, rubbing her reddened eyes. “I guess today jus’ got to me.”

“Which normally does not exactly happen, dear Cleo. Is something else troubling you?” Joe looked at her hands, which fidgeted with her long hair.

“Ah, well...Yes and no.” She looked away for a moment, contemplative. “It’s a little hard to explain.”

“I can wait for you to piece it together.” Joe responded.

“But it’s hard to say, really.”

“The Cleophas has found something hard to say? Surely it isn’t so!” Joe fake-swooned.

Cleo rolled her eyes, hiding a light blush. “Oh, hush. The great Joe Hills has issues like this, too.”

Joe, flummoxed, simply huffed at her statement. He couldn’t argue with that.

Cleo pursed her lips. “I can’t fight it any longer, I guess.” She shifted against Joe, and sighed. “Emotions are hard, Joe.”

Joe nodded in agreement. “No one ever said that they were soft.”

Cleo glared, but continued. “I just...I have trouble with the emotions I feel around you.”

Joe felt a weight drop in his intestines. “Oh? Positive or negative?” He prayed for positive.

“I’m not sure. It’s...a mix, I guess? I feel happy and giddy around you, but sad too. It’s...like, I just want you around all the time.”

Joe hummed. “Sounds complex.”

Cleo looked over to his desk, then back. “It’s hard to really put a name on it.”

Joe smiled. “Try to describe it, maybe I have felt like that before.”

Cleo sighed. “It feels like...I’m simultaneously energized and completely exhausted. It’s a...ahm...euphoria, I think? Yeah, it feels like that, too. It feels like a lot of things.”

Joe smiles. “I feel that all the time.” He admitted, his chest pounding. “I feel like that around you.” He looked away slightly.

Cleo did a double take, as if not wanting to hear that, but doing so anyway. “Wait, you feel that way around me??” She sounded bewildered.

Joe hugged Cleo, his hands wrapping around her shoulders. “Cleo, have you ever been in love before?”

Cleo was silent for a moment. “Maybe..? I’m not sure..” she hugged back.

“That’s what you’re feeling. Do you know who it’s for?”

You, mostly.”

“Then it’s mutual..?” Joe whispered.

“Yeah, I suppose it is.” Cleo smiled, her face tinted blue-green, almost teal. “I guess it’ll help if I say it out loud.”

“Try it. I’ll go first if it aids you.”

She nodded, looking up at Joe’s face.

He let out a breath he did not realize he was holding, and smiled. “I love you, Cleo.”

Cleo felt tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “I love you too, Joe.”