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It’s late at the studio, most have long since cleared out in a hurry and Tenna finds himself damn near sobbing at the in-house bar. He nurses a glass of straight vodka- not his first pick, but he remembers you mentioning it was your go-to before getting sober and evidently he loves torturing himself. Elnina sits to his left, sympathetically patting his back as Lanino tries his best to hide behind his girlfriend and Ramb busies himself cleaning an already spotless cup.
“And- and then they said that I was still in love with HIM! I mean, can you believe that? That spammy little freak is ruining everything, and he’s not even here! So I tell them how stupid it is that I’d be in love with someone when I’m already in a relationship, and they FREAK OUT! Full theatrics, crying and yelling and telling me we’re over! I don’t- what could I have said?” He slumps his face into his arms, and Ramb cringes at the stain that’s sure to be left behind.
Elnina shares a glance with her paramour, to which he shrugs helplessly, and she turns back to the oversized television with a labored sigh. “Look, I’m gonna say this as a friend and not as an employee, so you can’t be mad at me okay?” Tenna sniffles as he peers up at the cloudy woman, tears glinting off his dimmed screen. “If I’m being completely honest, I think they’re right.”
He makes a loud scandalized noise, but she continues before he can protest. “You bring that guy up unprompted way too often for someone who’s completely over it. And I’m not saying that means you still love him or anything, but you gotta understand how that would make them feel. Hell, they’re a saint for putting up with it this long! And telling them they’re stupid for feeling that way is quite possibly the worst thing you could have said.”
Tenna’s tail makes a sharp noise as it cuts through the air, before wrapping around his leg in agitation. “But- I mean yeah, sure, I bring him up a lot! But it’s not like I say I miss him or anything, I hate that guy!” He he takes a sip of his drink, gagging slightly at the sharp burn. He should have ordered something fruity. “I talk about other things too! It’s not like he’s always on my mind in a GOOD way!”
The tired weather girl levels him with a dissapointed stare. “But he IS always on your mind. Regardless of how you feel about it, the fact of the matter is that you’re always thinking about someone else when you’re with your partner. I don’t know about you, but I’d be pissed in that situation.” The TV pouts, resting his monitor on his fist as he takes a second to mull it over.
Tenna knows you had a partner in the past- pretty serious too, been together seven years and almost got married before the messy split. But now that he thinks about it, that was brought up on only two occasions- and both had been more of an explanation of why you have the fears and insecurities that you have. Not to mention they were private, late night conversations between the two of you and not- not in public. Never in front of people who had no business knowing your trauma and the way it affected you and your current relationship.
He lets out a loud groan, shoving himself to his feet and abandoning his mostly full drink for Ramb to deal with. He didn’t even want it in the first place. “Angel above, I’ve been an idiot! I- I need to go see them, gotta clear this up!” Tenna grabs his jacket from the back of the nearby couch, pointedly ignoring Lanino snickering at his misery as Elnina smacks him over the head. He might dock the moon’s points later, depending on how tonight goes.
A very short drive later, Tenna finds himself outside your house. He may have been speeding a little bit, but who cares! He owns this world, and the streets in it! He retrieves his old boombox from the trunk- thank god he needed it for a segment a week ago and forgot to bring it back home- and shuffles through his CDs until he finds something suitably romantic and regretful. The volume is cranked up, and he holds it above his head like the movies as he stands under what he knows to be your bedroom window.
He stands there for a while, the loud music giving him a slight headache and earning him a few glares from a passerby or two. Tenna’s grin strains as he starts to wonder if you’re even home, before the window next to your front door finally opens and he can see your irritated face peering into the night. “Wh- Ant, what the fuck are you doing? It’s late, turn that thing off.” The boombox is shut off and placed on the ground sheepishly, and he kneels down to shuffle closer so that only the bug screen separates the two of you.
Tenna’s metaphorical heart aches as he takes notice of your clear distress- puffy eyes, messy hair, and that three sizes too big hoodie that you only wear when you’re upset or sick. But damn if you don’t still look beautiful to him. “I’m so SO sorry, sweetheart, please give me another chance! I- I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t realize how glooby I was making you feel! I’ll give you anything, just PLEASE hear me out, darling. Let me try again!” You pinch the bridge of your nose, avoiding eye contact as you fight to stay angry.
“Look, Ant, I’m not… I can’t do this again. Do you have any idea how goddamn foolish you make me feel for loving you? Every fucking day was just another reminder that you don’t need ME, you just need somebody to stick around. And- and I’m more than happy to be that for you, but realistically it could be anyone and it wouldn’t even make a difference.” You sniffle, turning your face away as a sleeve wipes aggressively at the few tears that slip through your defenses. “You keep telling me I’m special, but I don’t FEEL special, y’know? It’s just- I’m so tired of feeling like a placeholder.”
Tenna’s nose dissipates so he can press his face against the screen, giving you the saddest and most pathetic pout he can muster as he scrambles to explain himself. “No, no, it’s not like that at all! I love you so much it hurts, dear, and I’m so sorry that I made you feel otherwise! I can do better- I WANT to do better for you! Sweetie, please, I can’t do this without you.” His claws sink into the dirt, needing to ground himself even at the cost of his gloves. “Please, doll, lets just rewind all this mess, ok? I won’t talk about him anymore, and- and I’m sorry for calling your feelings stupid, I promise it won’t happen again!” You stare at him for a long second, eyebrows furrowed in a way that makes him want to smooth the crease with his thumb the way he had so many times before.
Panic rises into his throat when you turn away without a word, ready to start begging again when the door opens to reveal you in your full glory. You don’t have time to say anything before Tenna is on his feet and throwing himself at you, grabbing everywhere he can reach as the side of your face is smothered in staticky kisses and fat tears. You let out a surprised giggle, and Tenna’s hands settle on your cheeks as he pulls back just enough to take in your face. “There it is… Angel above, how I love that smile… Let’s get all comfy and put a show on, how’s that sound darling?” He kicks the door shut, knowing that you need a distraction after so many big feelings, and herds you towards the bathroom.
Tenna insists on helping you shower and you give in far too easily, melting into his arms as he lathers your hair in that honey scented shampoo he could get lost in. In return you wipe him down with the microfiber towel he knows you hate the feeling of, but has been sitting in your bathroom for the past some-odd months, and he cant help but feel so lucky that you are willing to love him. He voices as much to you as he slips on the sweatpants he keeps stored in your dresser, pressing you into the mattress and intertwining your fingers while listening to your sweet laughter. He kisses your stomach and paws at your thighs before settling his head onto your lap, broadcasting that gameshow he knows you like until your breath evens out and everything feels right again.