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Saying Spoke was having a rough week was an understatement. Somehow, someway, he was having the worst week of his absolute life. His parents leaving him wasn’t even that bad. Maybe that’s because he wasn’t old enough to remember it but that was beside the point.
Spoke just wanted to calm down and be held by Minute. It’s embarrassing to admit but being held by Minute helped him out tremendously. He wouldn’t admit it aloud though, he never admitted a lot of things aloud. He confined in his father friend.
He tried messaging Minute, but it just came out in a bunch of gibberish.
You whisper to MinuteTech: On my wya hioe you foint mund
You whisper to MinuteTech: Stresful eweak m’sorry for bargeing in
You whisper to MinuteTech: srory if ‘m ver to much.
Minute didn’t see the messages, he had ManePear curled up on his chest. Mane regressed during a fight at spawn and Minute picked him up before anyone else could see Mane regressed. Minute felt his comm buzz, but he pushed it off thinking it was someone else.
Spoke was rapidly approaching Minute’s base. His lip quivering and his whole body shaking. He wanted to be held, pampered, and loved on by his father friend. Everything wasn’t going in his favor, and he was so ready to bust down sobbing. He knew Minute would let him with no questions asked and that’s what he needed.
He finally got into Minute’s base and almost burst into tears. Oh, to be loved and cared for in this moment. He ran through Minute’s base; he knew it like the back of his hand. He busted into Minute’s room which jostled Minute and Mane who was half awake and still very regressed.
He saw Minute slowly sit up and rub his eyes and then he saw Mane curled up into Minute’s side. That was supposed to be him. Did Minute not care about him anymore. Why was Mane here. Mane was their enemy so why was he here in Minute’s base curled next to Minute.
Spoke’s lip quivered more until he burst out sobbing. His whole body was shaking as he fell to the ground. Everything was so, so, so much for him. He couldn’t take it anymore. He was in so much pain.
Minute quickly got up from the bed and embraced Spoke in his arms. He ran his fingers through Spoke’s hair hoping to bring him the slightest bit of comfort.
“Oh, bubba, what happened, is everything okay? Anything I can do?”
Minute was quick to look over Spoke, to see if there were any physical injuries. Thankfully Minute couldn’t see any so that was one plus.
“Bad… bad week, no good” Spoke shook his head side to side. He just wanted to be held by Minute.
Mane stayed on the bed curled up; it wasn’t his business. He was also really tired still; he yawned and snuggled closer to the bedding.
Spoke shook against Minute, he longed to be held by Minute like this for the whole week. He had been put under so much pressure that he hadn’t had anytime to himself to digress and calm down. All of his big feelings were coming out now and there was no way to stop them.
Minute slowly picked Spoke up and carried him over to the bed. Spoke looked like he needed a bath, but Minute didn’t care. That could wait until the next day when Spoke wasn’t sobbing and shaking.
Minute sat in bed with Spoke in his lap. Spoke put his face in the crook of Minute’s neck and continued crying. Everything was so much for a small guy like him. He couldn’t take it anymore.
Minute ran his fingers through Spoke’s hair and fur. Spoke leaned into the touch and whined when Minute took his hand away. He couldn’t bear to have Minute not be there for even a second.
Mane curled into Minute’s side confiding in the body heat. Minute sighed and let it happen. He didn’t expect to have two littles with him today, but he didn’t mind. Spoke was his son, he would always be there for Spoke no matter what. Spoke always came first to him. Nothing would ever change that.
Spoke started sniffling after a while and stayed hidden in the crook of Minute’s neck. He was comfortable sue him. He had a death grip on Minute thinking that if he let go Minute wouldn’t be there anymore. He couldn’t help the big feelings he was feeling. He was feeling so many big feelings and didn’t know how to communicate them because he’s so small.
Minute held Spoke close and talked about whatever he could think of to help Spoke start to settle down. Minute didn’t know what happened with Spoke this week, but he’d do whatever he could to help it be better. He would also explain Mane when Spoke was more up for it in the morning.
Spoke’s void white eyes were puffy from all the crying. He wore himself out with all the tears he shed. He didn’t feel like talking about what brought him over the edge and he knew Minute would understand that. He was so thankful Minute would understand that.
“Your safe bubba, you don’t have to stay up if you don’t want to.”
Spoke held onto Minute tighter. He didn’t want to let go. Not now, not ever.
“I love you dada…” Spoke’s voice was so tiny, Minute almost missed it.
Minute couldn’t help but smile at Spoke’s words. He held Spoke tighter and rested his chin on Spoke’s shoulder.
“I love you too bubba, now sleep well. We can talk in the morning, okay?”
“Mhms…”
Minute could feel Spoke going limper in the moment. He knew Spoke wore himself out today especially with that cry fit. Minute would always help Spoke out though. That was his kid, always will be. Even if they weren’t related by blood, he had a deep connection to Spoke.
Minute ended up with Spoke sleeping on top of him and Mane buried in his side. He was thankful Mane didn’t ask questions or even question what was wrong with Spoke. He knew it was because the lion was so tired, but he was still thankful, nonetheless.