Work Text:
It was just another one of those days.
The kind where everything gets on your nerves, where the universe seems to be against you at all hours of the day, where you're tested to your very last nerve. For both of them, it was one of those days.
Friend was stuck at home, while Battat had to stay behind a few extra hours because Tenna can't go five minutes without being coddled by Mike. Friend does not envy his work, but he's insistent on doing everything as asked. Friend was bored and lonely, Battat was a bomb waiting to go off. Even so, they were still counting down the seconds until he got home, and they could feel his beloved's arms around them. But they knew they had to be...a little patient, at first.
One thing Friend has learned about Battat is that the first thing he likes to do when he comes home, is talk. His favorite thing in the world, his coping mechanism, how he solves all of his problems, is through talking. Until he tires himself out and can't say another word. Luckily for him, Friend loves to listen to every single word. The harsh, the venomous, the sweet and gentle, the barely comprehensible. His voice was music to their ears, truly.
Occasionally, he would catch himself in the middle of a long-winded rant, or even just saying anything for longer than a few minutes, and stare with wide eyes. Sometimes, his cheeks would turn a rosy pink, and he'd avoid their (still very attentive) eyes before mumbling:
“Uh, sorry, didn't mean to talk so long. I'm probably not making sense anymore.”
If that wasn't said at all, he'd simply change the topic, or rush to conclude what he was saying before dropping it altogether. Friend can't help but feel a bit saddened by this. They know why he's so talkative, why he sometimes loses himself in his own excitement or frustration. It's an endearing quirk of his, one that others don't handle very well. He's been shut down more times than he can count. And, as much as he tries to hide it, the rejection clearly stings him. So Friend will simply smile, get a bit closer, maybe even turn his face towards theirs, before replying:
“Don't stop now, silly! You've gotten me very invested! I want to hear the rest. What were you saying?”
It'll take a few more nervous mumblings before he's back at full swing, but he hurries himself up anyhow. At least he still gets to speak his mind, and Friend still gets to hear it, while still saving plenty of time for other activities.
This, however, did not happen today.
Instead, the second he came through the door, the bomb goes off. Friend was still delighted to see him of course, but instead of greeting them in any capacity, he simply walks past and struggles to slip his jacket from his arms.
“Who does that glorified CALCULATOR think he is?!” Is the first coherent thing to leave his mouth, jacket falling to the floor with it. Friend is the one who hangs it up in the closet, humming.
“That bad, hm?”
This gets them a loud groan in response, and they giggle.
“Well, you can tell me all about it!~”
And tell, he did.
It sounded like a terrible day. Technical difficulties, tons of people not showing up from the start, Tenna rescheduling everything without a moment's notice. That doesn't even touch the stuff that happened as Mike, apparently.
Friend began to notice that, every time Battat would give that sort of sigh which indicated that he ran out of steam, he'd just pick right back up. All while walking around the house, pacing back and forth, cleaning and moving things around. It could barely get a word in, and it certainly tried. They were almost amazed at how okay he was with yelling at a brick wall, instead of opening the conversation and letting himself relax. They didn't take it personally, but...
They spent this much time alone already, making every time he basically phases through them all the more disappointing. And it makes Friend all the more desperate to be close to him. But of course, they don't want to force him into unwanted physical contact, especially while he's in a bad mood. So they follow, and wait, until he finally runs out of things to do. He sits on the couch, and they smile. They test the waters by slowly laying down, then resting their head on his lap. He lets them, giving a few scratches behind the ears, until...
“Ugh, it was just so stupid!”
...
There's...more to say?
He got right back into it, looping around to the same points he made 15 minutes ago. His job sucks, his boss sucks, and everyone who works there also sucks. He gets so heated that he's now making frantic hand motions, meaning that Friend's few seconds of bliss were already long gone. For how much longer, they had no idea.
So they wait. And wait. And wait even longer than that. They swear that he's said the same sentence in slightly different ways hundreds of times now. Are they stuck in a timeloop or something? Does he need a factory reset?
“Ah, yes, that's...very troublesome,” they eventually say, when they're graciously given the opportunity. They aren't sure how else to reply at this point. “I'm very happy you're home now, though. You can finally relax!”
For a moment, he pauses. Leans back in his seat, and Friend thinks it's finally over, and they can be showered in affection. Or do litterally anything else.
“It's about time,” he grumbles. “But I can barely rest for five minutes before someone's askin' somethin' of me! I'm tellin' ya, this place would fall apart without me! Seriously, who else is going to–”
At this point, they were starting to space out completely. Which they never do. Does he just..not know that he's not at work anymore? Does he realize how late it is already?
They pout and pull away, but it goes unnoticed as he's not even looking at them. He never usually stays on the subject for this long. Their tail thumps against the couch, until they hear Battat say something like “Oh yeah, and I completely forgot that he just–”
Without thinking, their tail was (lightly) covering the other's mouth. That's when he finally looks at them, bewildered.
“Battat, sweetness,” they begin softly, a bit of a grit in the last few syllables. “You've been home for half an hour now, and I've barely felt your presence at all! Slow down a little, yes?” They make their intentions clear once again, nuzzling into his lap as their tail falls back at their side.
“Oh. Okay.”
He gives them a kiss on their head, pulling them closer. For a moment, Friend relaxes in his gentle touch.
“...Anyways, so as I was saying–”
...
What.
What.
What.
He can't be serious, can he???
He's petting them very lazily as he tells the story, and while better than nothing at all, they begin to squirm in his hold from how overstimulated, yet understimulated they've become. They genuinely cannot handle another word about this topic, feeling their own mood finally begin to sour.
...While their mind drifts, they start to remember a playful threat they've made a few times in the past. It's whenever they're both teasing one another, Battat making a sarcastic remark that it knows not to take seriously.
“Such a sharp tongue you have! You better watch yourself, or someday I'll take your voice right out of your throat!”
This was an empty threat, of course. Friend can't imagine anything worse than Battat without his voice, even with that sharp tongue. Playing off of his insults and getting a rise out of him was just too much fun to pass up.
However, while they weren't serious about that threat...they never said that they weren't able to do it at all. In fact, they said it in that specific way because they can do it. Exactly as it's worded. It's not a painful, or even uncomfortable procedure, just a simple ability of theirs. A very specific one at that, which they aren't sure why they even possess. The same thing can be done to someone's senses as well. All they have to do is channel their energy around a specific area, and they can “take” that aspect of a person. If they don't return said aspect on their own accord, it comes back anywhere between twelve hours to an entire day.
The more they think about it, the more appealing it becomes. Especially as he keeps babbling on.
Now, they aren't that cruel. They aren't doing this because they want him to be quiet, and he'll certainly take it that way. Rather, they aren't feeling very listened to themselves, and this conversation is the one thing keeping them from their beloved's affection. They don't think it's going to end on its own, and they grow tired of waiting for it. They only get so much time together in a day! It shouldn't be wasted on someone who has drained Battat, and themselves, so strongly. They should explain the predicament they're in a little differently.
So, again, their tail wraps around the other's face. He lets out a muffled “What?” As though they have offended him.
“My love, perhaps I wasn't very clear before,” they say, and the glow from their tail does not go unnoticed. “You know I always love your stories, but...well, I did not wait here for over half a day just to watch you exhaust yourself!”
He tries to say something, but no sounds leave him. Terrified, he presses his fingers to his neck, and Friend chuckles.
“You're fine, don't worry! I will return your voice to you shortly...for now, how about you listen this time, hm?”
Out of habit, his mouth opens again, until it suddenly stays agap for a time. A stunned expression slowly appears as he seems to remember exactly where this sort of thing came from.
“Oh, fuck you,” he mouths, crossing his arms.
“Don't pout! I said this would happen to you one of these days, didn't I?” Friend jokes, and they get a “shut up” from his lips in return.
“I have done that for far too long, I'm afraid! Now...”
They grin, pushing their entire body into his lap as they wrap their arms around his waist.
“I missed you very much, you know,” they purr. “I do not like seeing you so upset. But I'd rather hear you speak about anything else by now. This is...a bit of a mood killer, don't you think?”
They look up at him, watching his frustration dim into a face of recognition, blinking a few times. Then, they see that stomach dropping frown, that look in another direction, anything to avoid being perceived. They decide to take the conversation more seriously, while they have the chance.
“I know you do not mean to cause any harm,” they murmur into his chest, “But you can get a bit carried away at times, and while I truly do not mind, you have yet to ask about my day at all. You have only acknowledged me when waiting for a response. After all this time apart, the only thing I want is to be with you. And that can be in all sorts of ways, but you have continued living like I'm not there. As though you do not wish to truly speak to me yet, only talk into a space that I just so happen to inhabit. Surely you can see why this is a problem, yes?”
After a few seconds, he nods. He begins to lightly drag his nails down their back, and they purr, immediately relishing in the affection.
“You can always talk to me,” they continue. “I'm glad that you have a safe place to express these heavy emotions of yours.” Ones that they often don't experience themselves. “But it comes to a point where I must wonder what it accomplishes, what you actually want me to do. I haven't gotten the chance to say much since your arrival, so I take it that advice or comfort is not what you are looking for.”
He thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. Friend realizes quickly that they've made it extremely difficult for him to express himself in this open conversation about a serious matter. Helping a person doesn't come easy for them, so they often sprinkle in a bit of everything and hope something works for him. They've gotten lucky every time.
“Then why are you still talking about it, if it is not soothing you?”
They pull back so they can get a good look at him. He's still trying to hide his face, but they can just barely make something out.
“I don't know. Sorry.”
...
They can imagine how his voice sounds in the silence, and begin to miss it. They put a paw on his cheek, making him look their way so he can see their smile. When he does, it gives a gentle kiss on his lips.
“You amaze me, my dear,” they praise. “I only wish to be a part of your life, however possible. It is quite difficult to do that when I am not given the opportunity from you. We can keep this going if you wish, but...can I ask that we leave room for something else? A pallete cleanser, if you will?” He nods immediately. They couldn't be happier.
“Wonderful! Thank you, my clover.”
They snuggle against his chest once more, enjoying the more frequent pets that came their way. After a few minutes, they start to get bored, and they can't wait any longer for what they've been wanting all this time.
They nudge its head against his chin, until he looks down. As soon as it gets his attention, they start peppering kisses all over his face, grinning from ear to ear as they do. He tries to groan in annoyance, but of course, it remains perfectly silent. They squeeze him tighter, like he was full of pillow stuffing instead of fragile bones, and he flails his legs as it continues. They move their lips from his face all the way down his arms, until it's switching between nibbling at his fingers and kissing his hand. By now, his cheeks are burning, and he'd rather look at litterally anything else in the room. They let him, to save him further embarrassment.
“Alright, I think I've had my fun!” They cheekily conclude, reversing the process of the spell it just casted, pressing its tail to his mouth once more. He gasps, and is amazed that he can hear it. As payment for this little charade, they get a light shove.
“You suck!” He whines, “You never told me to stop talking! You just said to slow down!”
...
Oh.
Well, now that he mentions it...
“I...suppose I could have been clearer!” They admit. “Though, I thought I was being rather obvious!”
“You gotta be more specific, dude. I'm stupid sometimes, okay?” He huffs, still holding them close despite the overwhelming emotions he must be feeling. While they wouldn't use that phrasing whatsoever, he can be beyond oblivious to everything that's in front of him. Especially when he's in a headspace like this. As they said, they know it's not to cause intentional harm.
“...Sorry, though. For not listening,” he eventually mumbles. “I like when you talk, too.” For some reason, this makes their eyes go wide.
“You do?”
He nods, giving another kiss to the top of their head. Friend never has anything nearly as interesting to say, so they aren't sure how it can be equally as enjoyable. Still, it feels nice to hear. Even if it's a bit silly to them.
“Thank you very much,” it says rather shyly. “I promise I won't do that again, and I'll make my needs more clear if I must.” He sighs, relieved.
“That would be preferred...though, I kinda deserved that. I was bein' a dick.”
“I won't confirm or deny!~” They joke, curling up in his lap, and he pushes them barely an inch to his right.
He allows them to keep doting on him, wherever its body can reach, and enjoying the little embarrassed or relaxed sounds he makes throughout. It's only been a few minutes, but they have missed his voice dearly! It makes everything so much lighter, like they're truly at home.
After a while of this, he speaks up.
“So, um...”
They pause, as much as they don't want to, to give their undivided attention.
“...What, uh, did you want to talk about?”
It blinks for a moment, before shrugging.
“Oh, nothing,” it admits casually. “I just wanted attention!”
He stays frozen for a few seconds, confusion apparent, before he decides to sigh instead of asking the further questions that it could clearly see on the tip of his tongue.
“I'm not sure why I asked...Well, at least I can give you plenty of it now.” And truly, can they ask for anything more?
“If you change your mind, then...I'd like to hear it,” he eventually adds, and their heart flutters with joy. It's a gentle reminder that these inconsiderate moments with him are extremely rare, and whenever possible, he likes to think of Friend's thoughts and preferences first. For both of them, they've never been much of a priority until they found each other. It's because of him that it can even dream to express discomfort, and expect change from it. Their happiness is just as important as his, at least that's what he likes to believe. Sometimes, they let themselves come around to the idea.
“Well, you'll certainly be the first one I go to!” And the only one, but that's by design. “What about you, dearest? Do you have anything else you'd like to say?”
His fingers slow against their furr, deep in contemplation. As if the hard day he could apparently go on for hours about just stopped existing, and there was only them.
Though there was clearly more on his mind, “I love you,” is what he decides to say, and he leaves it there. He says it like another apology, earning a few more kisses to his face.
“I love you even more.”
Perhaps he'll come back to it later. Though, you wouldn't be hearing any complaints from Friend if the name “Tenna” never left his mouth again.