Tragedy Ever After

Regrets?

        ~Donnie's POV~

     I sat on the couch as I watched my human preparing food for us. They've been silent almost all day. I almost felt bad listening in on their fight with April. Almost. Everything was working so well, why were they so sad?

     I didn't like this. The only thing that cheered them up, and it was only a little, was when they were giving me chin scratches. It was serene for both of us for the time it lasted.

     I also learned something new about the human. They liked me. Y/n liked me. That was good, great even for my plan. But was it good for me? That was something I didn't have an answer for. It frustrated me because I hated not having an answer.

     What else could I do to cheer my human up? Would they want cuddles? Kisses? What did humans like to cheer them up? I didn't like not knowing what to do.

     When our food was finished, they sat away from me and on the arm of the couch. They sat there even in good moods, but this seemed different. They were purposely distancing themself from me because they admitted they liked me to April.

     "Thanks for the food," my words seemed to catch them off guard and they looked over at me. It was rare for me to say thank you or apologize, but I wanted Y/n to feel better. "It's always really good."

     They offered me a weak smile at the compliment. They were nonverbal, that's what was happening. I knew what it was like to not be able to talk even if I wanted to. It was frustrating to no end at times.

     "Do you know sign language?" I asked them and they shook their head. That probably made it worse for them. "Do you need a notebook? You know, to write in?" they looked at me confused.

     "Well, it's clear you're stressed and upset which caused you to shut down a bit. It's making it difficult for you to speak and convey how you're feeling. In worse cases, you wouldn't be able to respond or react to anything in your surrounding environment," I explained to them and they listened intently.

     "Has this happened before?" I asked and they nodded in response. "I bet it was confusing the first time it happened right?" another nod. "I get it. The first time it happened to me, my brothers got upset at me. They thought I was messing with them which made me even more upset. My dad always threatened to take out my voice box if I kept rambling on and on, so I was scared he really did."

     Y/n gave me a sympathetic look as I told the story. "It's scary because you never know how long it can last for. It can be a couple minutes, a couple hours, or even a couple days. Mine lasted for days and it was terrifying because no one knew what was wrong with me. They were so relieved when I said something again, I think my dad even cried."

     I observed their reaction to my story. It was all true, I wouldn't lie to them and they hadn't lied to me. "He doesn't do that anymore, cry, I mean. He hasn't in a long time. I think he's a robot at this point, a little too much like me for my liking," I muttered and I watched Y/n's brows pinch together.

     "I haven't let my emotions show in a while, so much so that I don't know what I should be feeling at times. I like having a schedule to an extent. I like knowing what to do and how to do it," I slowly began to hate how much I was talking, but I couldn't stop.

     "You've changed me a bit. I want to know how to feel when I'm around you. I don't want to hide in a room all day in fear that I'll be made fun of for being a nerd," I didn't mean for that to slip out. I hated the teasing my brothers all took part in. They said they were all jokes, but constantly making fun of me and what I was good at started getting hard to deal with at some point.

     I looked back up as Y/n poked my shoulder, making a writing motion as they put down their half-eaten food. "Oh, okay," I got up and headed into their room to grab one of the notebooks from their bag for them to be able to communicate with me. I listened to the sound of them scribbling down their thoughts, no doubt it would be a bit messy with how quickly they were trying to write.

     I'm sorry you feel like that. If it helps, I don't see you as a robot. I'm glad you know what I'm going through, my parents always thought it was weird when this happened to me and it made them want me to move out as soon as possible.

     What happened today is you were right about April. We got into a fight and it didn't end well. She didn't like all the hickeys and she hated how much time I spent with you. I just feel more comfortable around you. You know how to give me space when I need it and I know to do the same for you.

     I-- the words were scratched out so I couldn't read them which made my brows furrow. I told her I couldn't talk to her anymore and I stormed off. I told her I wasn't allowed to and it upset her. I screwed up, and I don't think I can fix it.

     "Y/n," I looked up at them to see their eyes filled with tears. "Do you need a hug?" I pushed away the discomfort that I might feel to help them feel better. They reached out for the notebook and I passed it back to them.

     Are you sure? I nodded and they dropped the notebook and dove forward, arms careful as they tried to avoid my soft shell. My arms wrapped around them gently as their head rested against my plastron. Small sniffles escaped their lips, but they were otherwise silent. My hand patted the top of their head gently and soothingly, letting them know I would be here as long as they needed.

     This was my human, and they were a bit too much like me. I almost felt bad for wanting to be the only one they needed. Almost. We were both going to be the other's rock. We knew how to care for each other, we both understood each other to an extent. We only needed each other, that was something I was certain of.

     Word Count: 1,133. Another one! Hooray! Enjoy!