here goes nothing

Spider sniffles against Strai’s chest, listening with growing sadness as he speaks of his own past. their stomach twists with nausea, faintly ill at the very thought of what he’d had to go through. it makes sense, then, why’d he been so terrified to care about them. it makes sense, and it’s horrifying. “i’m sorry that happened to you,” Spider whispers, eyes trained on the ground. they might be on the brink of teenagerhood, but be beasts with claws and teeth capable of destruction, but in this moment they’re just two scared kids left in ruin by their shitty mums. and wasn’t that just unfair. “well, then she’s definitely wrong. you’re not weak, Strai.” they smile up at him, so grateful he’d stayed with them when every instinct had been screaming at them to go. so grateful they hadn’t had to endure this alone. “you’re wonderful.”

they turn their gaze away and add, voice quiet, “that clearing where i met you…that’s where my mum abandoned me, when she left. it made me sick to return there, but then…there you were.” the smile is evident in their voice as they add, “i’m glad i have a nice memory now to replace the bad one.”