Chapter Text
Out of order. The World was out of order, the normal patterns of the kitchen askew. When did it get out of order?. And the colors were wrong. Static-y? They felt misplaced. Like none of their senses were connected to their actual body.
“Brian- Brian! Drumbot!” Arms. I have arms. A hand extended out as an arm reached around to support some of Brian’s weight. Yeah, there’s something on my arm. Warm. The sink was running too, and slowly Brian was able to pick up on the sound of it. And I’m wearing socks. I can feel my socks. “Brian, baby, what’s happening? Where are you?”
Marius. That’s Marius. But he’s at work? Brian’s right hand gripped a cane, and they could feel where the side of Marius's jeans brushed the tips of their knuckles. Marius himself was trying to be aware as he laid his hand in front of Brian on the end of the sink. The sink. At the sink. The running water. Water? Dishes. I was washing dishes.
“Dishes. I was doing dishes.” Brian could feel Marius’s exhale in the loosening of the arm wrapped around his shoulder, ready to catch and support them at a seconds notice if they faltered. That’s why the sink is so wet. Chemically floral soap flooded their nose as they took a deep breath in, wafting throughout the room. It smelled really good to Brian. They leaned back into Marius’s arm, and he shifted so more of their weight was on him, mindful not to knock the cane propping them up.
“Thank you, Brian, I'm both very proud and thankful for that, as well as for you doing the rest of the kitchen-” the counters were indeed shiny, still wet in places from where they'd been wiped down, and there wasn’t anything left out or open anymore. “But I think that you should probably sit down for a second. Wanna come sit with me for just a second?” There was trepidation in his voice, careful as though it might shatter something, but that didn’t keep it from being heavy-laden with worry. Brian nodded, adjusting their hand on the smooth grip of the cane and straightening up, wincing as some of their vertebrae scraped and then popped. Not bothering to pull away from their boyfriend, Brian started to push themself through the combination kitchen-dining room, slowly.
“Help or no?” Marius asked gently, not moving back from where his hand had fallen into Brian’s. The grasp helped steady the shaking of his own arm.
They nodded, gold curls bouncing against their forehead. “I could probably use it,” Brian admitted with a small chuckle as Marius slipped forward to lift that arm back around their shoulder, moving to his body to the left. He left a gentle kiss on their temple.
“Of course, my Prince,” Marius said in a playful tone, earning him a slap on the wrist, but he knew there was no malintent by the exasperated smile gracing his boyfriend's face. He walked slowly next to them, keeping an eye on every move Brian made.
Getting down to the couch, Marius knew the routine. The two had ended up buying a cheap, low sitting couch when they’d first moved in together but it proved an issue for someone like Brian who had trouble getting up and down. They insisted that it wasn’t an issue, but Marius knew it was annoying and impractical. It wasn’t like they didn’t have other furniture, but if the two wanted to sit next to each other, Brian ended up needing a hand up and down.
He moved in front of them, holding his arm out like a bar. Brian grabbed onto his forearm and Marius gripped onto their bicep as they started to lower down carefully. Marius pulled a lot of their weight as he went down with them, lowering down to a knee til Brian collapsed against the cushions with a sigh. Flopping down and putting an arm around the back of the couch, Marius took a deep breath and looked over to Brian, who leaned into the crook of his arm and chest, cane leaned on the couch's arm.
“So,” Marius started.
“So?”
“Would you let me get there?”
“You were stalling!”
Marius rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “I was not, but I was gonna ask what was goin’ on today when I got home?” He asked.
“I just got sucked into my own head. Tired out my body and my brain got caught up I think,”
“You were dissociating when I came in I think baby. I'm not totally familiar with how that works yet, but that's what it looked like,” Marius specified, noting silently how some of their words were a little nonsensical.
Brian nodded. "whoops?" They chuckled half-heartedly, ending it in a sigh. Marius frowned, mouth pressed into a line.
"Well, Bri, that hardly seems like something you'd do intentionally," he joked, trying to bring up his spirits. Brian laughed, grabbing their boyfriend's hand and clutching it in his lap. They could feel the shakes run through his arm and down to the tips of his fingers. It wasn't particularly bad today, and both Brian and Marius were thankful for that.
"Can we maybe lay down for a little? I know you just got out of class, and I have one in an hour, but I think a little recline and a heating pad might do some wonders," Brian suggested, looking hopefully at their boyfriend. Marius' face split in a wide grin.
"But of course my love! Here-" he stood up, holding out the stronger of his two shakey arms, bracing himself on the arm of the couch as Brian did his best to get up, leaning heavily on his cane. It wasn't far to the bedroom, it was a small place, but Marius slid a careful hand around his waist anyway, supporting him from the other side.
The sigh of relief from Brian when he flopped down onto the bed was internally reciprocated by Marius, tired from two psych classes in a row, both featuring Freud in a disgusting amount.
He heard them flick on the heating pad he kept tucked under the sheets on his side of the bed and watched as he melted into the warmth, joints creaking.
"I think I'm gonna use my chair for the rest of the day. Do you think you could walk with me to my next class? It's in the STEM building and I don't want to have to wheel across campus alone and I don't think Raph has any classes near there," they asked Marius with closed eyes as he resisted the urge to braid the long golden hair.
"Of course, my love," he assured, running his hands through Brian's hair, fingers massaging into his scalp. Brian sighed softly into it, a gentle smile gracing his tired features.
"I think I'm going to take a short nap, don't let me sleep through class," Brian muttered.
Marius scoffed in a small laugh. "don't worry, I won't," he promised as he gazed at the sleeping beauty. There wasn't ever gonna be a day where Marius wasn't totally infatuated with Brian. His voice and its kindness, his incredible mind, his beautiful face, and wonderful hair. He loved him so much.