Story Dump 🦀

Comfort Crowd

// I wrote this at 4 am. Sorry for any mistakes lol. (Also a lot of these are on my Archive! Which is Your_Pal_Cal)//

  Palette holds a lot of things, he's got secrets from almost a decade ago, feelings shared upon rooftops in the crisp air of autumn, small little things too. But he's a listener, he doesn't share because he's found it harder to deal with his issues rather than someone else's. It's good, he thinks, it makes him feel useful and helpful.

   Though, he supposes it was only a matter of time when it finally became too much. He'd rather be alone to cry, but he's crying before he can notice. In front of his friends, who are all on the floor with him, talking about random topics he's lost track of. Though he's sapped back into reality as a hand places itself on his shoulder, when his head snaps up he's realized the conversation has stopped,and everyone is giving him worried looks.

"-ok?" Palette looks back into a singular red iris, Lotus' eyebrows are furrowed with worry, "Uh- yeah I'm fine!" Palette says, but none of his friends move or drop the subject. "No really guys, I'm- I'm ok!" He sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than his friends, who glance at each other, "Y'know you can like,talk to us right?" Palette shakes his head,"Really guys I'm-" "Who are you trying to convince?" The question is followed by Lotus' quick scolding to Rurik, "No, I'm serious. We all know he isn't ok-" "Yeah, no shit Sherlock, but you didn't-" "Lotus it's fine, really!" Palette says, hands trembling as he tries to stop a non-existent argument from happening.

   It's obvious that they're not going to go any further than the bickering, but Palette feels guilty. "Palette, you don't have to feel bad for feeling bad." Goth says, and that's what tips him. Because Goth always had that little charm to him, always able to read him. Palette stares at Goth, fat tears well in his eyes, and he feels his whole body tremble.

  The room's gone quiet again, it's all too much. But he doesn't do anything to stop the tears falling down his cheeks, as a sob pushes it's way past his lips, suddenly he's surrounded by hugs, and it just makes him break. He holds a lot of things; The stress of these stupid expectations, everyone's feelings and how useless he feels when he can't help them, the idea that he's just like Dream, or even worse Ink, feelings he's never shared with anyone because he knows they won't listen, the frustration that his own dad doesn't listen to him, he's tired of being talked over, tired of being the topic of a discussion he apparently has no say in.

  He's sad, and hurt, and mad… he really needed a hug. So he curls into the comfort of his friends, the only three people that listen to him, that let him talk about things he wants and likes to talk about, lets him be himself. He realizes that he's crying all over Goth's shoulder and he goes to apologize but Goth shakes his head, "It's fine, I don't care… I don't think any of us would." And it's true. "Ok, I think that's enough Sappy shit from me" Rurik jokes leaning away, only to be swatted at by Lotus, "I swear to gods above I will beat your ass silly-" "You're just being mean now-" "Rurik I-" Palette can't help a giggle at his friends banter, because he can see they're smiles, the way that Rurik hadn't leaned too far away, Lotus still has an arm around his waist and Goth is still holding his hands, his friends seem to lighten up.

  "There we go!" Rurik announces, locking his arm around Palette's neck, and rubs his knuckles into his head, Palette tearfully laughs, trying to push the taller off, "He-Help" he calls reaching for his friends, Lotus rolls his eye, grabbing a pillow from the bed and the arm leaves his neck with a startled Yelp following fits of playfully screeches and laughs as Lotus shows mercy smacking Rurik with a pillow, Goth giggles beside him, taking his hand, "You ok?" Palette sniffles, wiping tears from his face, "Yeah, thank you" he says, leaning against his boyfriend's shoulder watching Lotus playfully attempt to smother the other, "Tap out!" Rurik calls but Lotus let's out a playfully evil laugh, "Not this time nerd!" Goth hands Palette a pillow, holding one of his own, a devious smirk on his face, he pulls Palette up and leads him to the others before smacking Lotus with his pillow, which starts a pillow fight between the four.