Work Text:
Izzy: Are you staying over tonight?
You bite your lip as you stare down at the text. After the stressful day you’ve had, you'd love nothing more than to spend the night at Izzy’s (something you've been doing more and more lately as your relationship progresses), but it's your time of the month and you've had mixed results with guys in the past when that topic comes up.
You know that menstruating is perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed of, but you still can't help feeling kind of embarrassed taking about it. Still- it's not like you can just blow Izzy off without an explanation for the next few days and it would feel wrong to make up some excuse for why you can't stay over his place, so you decide to just bite the bullet.
You: I'm on my period, so I don't know if I should.
God- how can you feel insecure but also a little childish for feeling that way at the same time? The human brain is truly an experience.
Izzy’s next text comes through pretty quickly. He must not be very busy right now even though you know he’s at work.
Izzy: We don't have to have sex if that's what you're worried about, but I understand if you would be more comfortable at home.
Actually, it's the exact opposite. When you're on your period, you like nothing better than putting on comfy clothes and curling up in bed and you honestly can’t think of nicer than cuddling up to Izzy while you ride this out, maybe with a heating pad for the cramps. You've found that you're most comfortable wearing pads, but unfortunately that can sometimes lead to leaking during the night and you can only imagine how mortified you’d be if you accidentally stained your boyfriend’s bed.
You: It's not that, I just know that some guys don't love knowing the details when it's happening. I don't want to gross you out or anything.
A few seconds go by before suddenly your phone is ringing.
You answer in a hesitant voice, confused about why he's calling you all of a sudden. "Hello?"
"I don't know what kind of guys you've dealt with in the past, but they must have been right twats to make you feel self-conscious about something perfectly natural like getting your period."
You can't help but let out an amused sound. Something about hearing that word in Izzy's breathy voice is always amusing and there's something sweet about hearing it being used in your defense by a man who tends to fling swear words around as easily as breathing.
Feeling a bit more relaxed at his easy acceptance of the situation, you bring up your other concern with staying over. "I'm worried that I might accidentally stain your sheets, sometimes that happens since I wear pads."
"So?" You swear you can almost hear a shrug in his easy tone of voice. "Sometimes I used to help my sister get them out with peroxide when she first started getting hers. And even if I can't, I have more than one set of sheets.” You notice that Izzy is keeping his voice quiet so you don’t have to be embarrassed about anyone potentially overhearing, even though they wouldn’t necessarily know that he’s talking to you even if someone did.
You feel silly now for worrying, but you can't help but feel relieved at how understanding he's being. It's not that you really thought that Izzy would be a dick about this, but sometimes it's hard to make your brain truly believe things.
"Ok" you say simply. It doesn't feel like enough, but you don't know what else to say in the face of Izzy so casually blowing your anxieties out of the water.
"Come over to my place tonight," he says softly. “We can watch that show you like. Text me anything you might need for supplies or snacks and I'll grab them after I get out of work."
Out of nowhere you hear what sounds like something crashing to the floor in the background on Izzy’s side of the call, and the man sighs heavily.
"I have to go find out what that was. If Edward broke something because he was doing something stupid with his fucking boyfriend again, I'm going to kill him."
You laugh. Izzy may have warmed up to Stede somewhat since they first met in the sense that they’re no longer actively at each other’s throats, but they still have a long way to go before anyone might mistake them as being friends. "You can't kill him. Then you'd have to cover his shifts at the bar and I'd never see you."
Izzy hums thoughtfully as if he's really mulling it over. You love when he indulges his playful side with you. "A fair point, but there are other bartenders out there and it would get Bonnet out of my hair..." he sighs. "But then I would have to deal with training whoever I hired, so I guess Edward is safe for now. Unless he and that ponce were fucking in the supply room again, then I make no promises."
This time when you laugh Izzy chuckles too.
"I'll see you later, don't forget to text me."
You smile. "Thanks Izzy, love you."
"Love you too" he says before ending the call.