Work Text:
It had been a horrible day. By the time Squiddo hit the tree line, everything felt like too much. The forest was loud in a way it never used to be. Her gaze snapped to every leaf that fell from a tree, distant mobs groaning somewhere she couldn't see. The crunch of her own footsteps sounding irritating, sharper than it should. Light filtered through the canopy in broken patches, flickering against her vision every time she moved, sometimes light went directly into her eyes, blinding her and it only made things worse.
Her armor felt heavier with every step, the metal digging and itching into her, and the constant hum in her head refused to quiet down no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. She focused on the familiar things, the bend in the path where the grass grew, the torch she and Wifies placed weeks ago that still burned steadily, the outline of their base just barely visible through the trees. But even that comfort came tangled with exhaustion. She’d held herself together all day, smiled when she was supposed to, laughed when it was easier than explaining, swallowed every sharp feeling until her chest felt tight and hollow all at once.
Now walking home, it all crowded in at once, every sound too loud, every sensation stacked on top of the last, and she clenched her hands at her sides and kept moving, because stopping felt like it might be the thing that finally made her fall apart. Her breath was heavy, she grit her teeth, reaching a hand up distressed trying to move her hair from her neck. She felt everything, her clothes against her skin, her hair touching her. And she hated it, she hated it so much, it was so overwhelming.
Squiddo's eyes snapped to every noise that blasted through her head, staring down at her feet when she stepped on a leaf. Squiddo tried to focus on her hands, but they were shaking, she could only try to move faster. She just wanted to get back to him, she wanted to get back to Wifies. He always knew how to help, he always knew what to do. Squiddo imagined his soft voice speaking to her and it gave the smallest bits of comfort through this time.
Eventually, the silhouette of their base became more detailed. Squiddo tried taking deep breaths, but they were shaky and uneven. She straightened her posture slightly, taking a few steps up their porch. The creaks of the wood were so much louder then she had ever noticed. Squiddo shakily reached for the handle, thankfully, it was unlocked. She quietly walked in, Wifies heard the door and turned his head. He immediately noticed Squiddo's state within a glance and stood up silently.
Wifies had dealt with these kind of situations before. Squiddo's movements were unintentionally aggressive as she took off the armour, she needed it off now, it felt so itchy on her skin. Her breath was heavy as her vision blurred slightly, tears she didn't know were being held formed swiftly in her eyes. Wifies rushed over and gently offered his hands, not forcing Squiddo to, but seeing if she wanted them. She took a few deep breaths and turned her gaze to Wifies as she took one of his hands in hers, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Do you.. have a hair tie?" Squiddo's voice wavered. Wifies didn't have one on him but he knew where they were, in their bathroom.
"I can get you one darling, you're doing so well honey." Wifies kept his voice stable, staying calm for her. Squiddo swallowed hard but nodded, she was trying not to cry harder then the silent tears falling from her eyes. Wifies gently pulled away and went down the hallway, presumably to their bathroom. Squiddo took herself to the couch, sitting down. She took off her sweater, throwing it to the other side of the couch in agitation.
In a thankfully short time Wifies returned, walking around the couch and offering to tie Squiddo's hair for her. She gave a small nod and lifted her head slightly. Wifies made sure to gather all the bothering hair and tied it into a ponytail so it wasn't touching her anymore, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose.
"Does that feel okay?" Wifies sat next to her, not too close just in case. Squiddo was pretty silent, the overstimulation making it hard to speak consistently.
She nodded, but scooted back on the couch slightly as she brought her knees to her chest. She had been trying so hard all day, she had been trying not to let everything get to her but it was too much. Her lip quivered and she buried her face in her knees as she broke out into a choked sob, tears wetting her knees. Wifies knew sometimes touch was comforting, and other times wasn't very helpful. Wifies adjusted himself slightly, opening his arms, offering.
"Do you want a hug baby?" Wifies spoke gently, the question was answered without words as Squiddo tackled him into the couch. Squiddo was still crying but she wrapped her arms around Wifies, burying her face into his chest. Wifies reached a hand up, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Wifies didn't try to shush her or calm the tears, he let her let the day out freely. Squiddo clung to him, her hands gripping his shirt. Wifies spoke up,
"I love you, so much. I'm always here for you." Wifies soothed her, and it helped. Her crying quieted down from the sobs, turning into softer hoarse breathing.
Squiddo hadn't realized how much it had been affecting her, throughout the day she pushed through it by imagining this moment when she got home. Imagining the moment she got to hug her love. The overwhelming feelings were fading away, she still felt off but now she had Wifies. His touch felt nice against her body. Squiddo felt a smile form on her face as Wifies gave her a small forehead kiss, holding her close to him. Wifies began a soft hum, a familiar soft tune that he used whenever Squiddo and him cuddled.
Squiddo's eyes felt heavy, tingling and burning slightly from the previous tears, but she didn't care much as she shut them. She felt drowsy as the exhaustion set in heavy. Squiddo's breath was light as her mind focused on Wifies humming, the grip she held on him loosening as her body relaxed into his. Wifies continued to rub her back, slowing down to soothing circles with his thumb. Squiddo let the sleepiness take over her, slowly drifting off as comforting silence surrounded them other than Wifies tune.
"Sweet dreams my love." Wifies smiled, leaning his head back to rest himself.