Chapter 28: Anxiety

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TW: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS S/H, IF THIS TRIGGERS YOU, THERE'S AN INDICATOR FOR WHEN IT'S OVER, OR PLEASE JUST SKIP THIS CHAPTER<333 


Moss, awake, of course, rocked his torso back and forth, the motion stabling him.

His anxiety kept him awake, just like it always did. Tonight it was worse than normal, almost as if it was a signal that something awful had happened.

He shook his head, trembling.

Nothing happened, he tried to assure himself. Nothing at all.

He knew it wouldn't work, but hey, he could try!

Acorn rubbed her eyes, on edge as well, and was greeted with Moss relentlessly biting his claws till they bled, rocking himself.

"Hey," Acorn whispered. "What's wrong?"

Moss jumped.

"Oh, hi!" he said quietly, weakly smiling. "Nothing, why do you ask?"

Acorn peered at him and positioned herself next to him.

"Hun, I know when somethings wrong. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but keeping it all bottled up and lying that you're okay isn't gonna getcha anywhere," she said gently, resting her paw atop his.

Moss, for some reason, gave in. He didn't know why, he normally would've never given in, but this time she just caught him off guard with her tenderness and gentleness.

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried that something awful happened. And that we're not gonna make it back home. And that we'll fail the Forest. And that my family needs me. And that everything is gonna fall apart. And that my sister is dead. And that you're all disappointed in me."

Then he stopped and covered his mouth, burying his head in his forearms, trying to suppress his tears.

Acorn wrapped her tail around him, softening. "Hey, listen to me, we love you, we would never be disappointed in you, we're so proud of you. It's gonna be okay. I know how you feel, but it's gonna be okay. Promise. And I never break a promise."

Moss didn't look at her, hiccuping into his paws.

"Sage is proof that that's not true," he choked.

Acorn froze, digging her claws into the ground. She took a deep breath. "We'll be okay. Sage'll protect us from whatever's out there."

Moss didn't buy it.

"It hurts. It hurts so much."

Acorn chuckled quietly, boy did she know that. "I know hun, believe me, I know."

Moss didn't know what motivated him to say what he said next.

"Acorn? Can I tell you something? And you have to promise you'll never tell another soul and forget it as soon as I say it."

Acorn nodded. "Of course hun, I promise my lips are sealed."

Moss's eyes got wet immediately and his head wanted to say the words but his body refused. He instead held out his wrist, looking away in shame at the insane amount of scabbed and bleeding cuts on top of faded scars.

Acorn squeezed his wrist gently.

"Mossy, honey, what is this?" she whispered softly, using her other paw to turn his face towards her.

Moss hiccuped, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I- I'm sorry," he choked.

Acorn wrapped her paws around him and surrounded his head with her wings.

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