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The early-morning sun shone through the glass walls of the reptile room, basking it in a warm hue. Unlike most households at this hour, this one's atmosphere brimmed with excitement, mainly sourced from the voice of its resident herpetologist.
Monty, having just read a rather interesting article, enthusiastically relayed the details to Gustav. It was about the history of the serpent superfamily Elapoidea¹. Passion extruded from him as he spoke, as it always did, whenever he discussed his interests.
Flapping his hands, Monty bounced up and down excitedly. This form of emotional expression came just as naturally to him as smiling.
Whenever he was overcome with excitement, Monty felt as if he had a huge ball of energy stored inside of him. Each hand flap allowed some of it to dissipate to his surroundings, keeping him grounded and regulated.
People often assumed that Monty was not a very "feeling" person, when in fact, he was. Joy was a rich orange wave of warmth that spread throughout his body. Sadness felt like a sharp pain in his chest and jaw- bright blue and striking. Hopelessness tore a hole in his abdomen and made him feel hollow and grey, whilst love was like being wrapped in a soft, pink blanket inside and out.
All of these emotions wrapped his senses up in a thick fog of colour and texture. Keeping it all inside was unbearable, and downright painful. Sometimes it was the immense build up of pressure that hurt him; other times it was the shadow left behind as he repressed his feelings.
When Monty was upset, he swayed or rocked himself back and forward, humming and hitting his hands together. When he was happy, he ran around, jumping up and down, flapping and chirping. Those who knew him best understood these expressions, accepting and loving them just as much as the rest of him.
The wider world was even more overwhelming than his internal one. Tapping, playing with his hands and fiddling with his swiss army knife helped him stay calm day to day. There was so much to process, and he felt as though he might explode half the time.
In the comfort of his loved ones, Monty didn't restrict himself. He moved as he pleased, making as many chirps and noises as he wished. Gustav would sometimes join in, especially if Monty was repeating quotes from some of their favourite movies.
Monty sat at his desk, continuing to stim and make notes on the article.
"1.21 gigawatts- 1.21 gigawatts-"
"Great Scott!" Gustav finished. ²
Gustav smiled in his partner's direction, a shared happiness buzzing around in his head. He loved their strange, wonderful shared sense of humour. And he loved Monty, more than words could express.