He gets a warm little bubble in his chest Sally calls him love. It happens every time. Yellow massages his breastbone with the heel on one hand as he listens, frowning at the fact that Arthur is so significant a name to her. Arthurs and Johns. He can't get away from them.
"Are--" Are we family gets hung up in his mouth and he swallows the urge to say it. "What are you making?"
"Cough medicine. It's that season," Sally informs him. "This is an alcohol and water solution that I'm heating to extract the medicinal properties from this cherrywood bark. Then it can be mixed with honey for more anti-inflammatory properties as well as a better taste."
There's a reason Sally's been implying things. She can see the reaction on his face when she calls him terms of endearment. He's not all that good at hiding his emotions. She knows there's a reason he always asks questions of her specifically.
She'll give him another crack at asking. "Was there anything else you wanted to know?"
He's leaning close to the concoction now to examine it through the glass. He certainly could let himself be caught out and bring that question back. Or--
"H... How does it get the medicinal properties out?"
Oh. Oh, mum instincts. Because she's Gwen's mom. Yes, yeah, that, because the other interpretation is weirdly terrifying when it's suddenly offered to him free of charge. No gauntlet to run to earn it. No hesitation on Sally's part. The generosity of it makes him dizzy. Catch, there's a catch, there has to be a catch, except when has there been one with Sally?
He stares. It's a bit like his whole internal everything has come crashing to a halt, thoughts and breath and feeling, all of it hung up on a mix of disbelief and confusion.
For a moment, Sally isn't sure how to answer. Why, indeed? Is it his endearing little mannerisms, the questions and the pouting? Is it that despite the sour attitude and deep voice, he still acts like a young boy? Is it because he reminds her of Percy? He really reminds her of Percy, that much is true. Is it his bond with Gwen, and the importance of those interactions? The fact that no matter what, he always feels safe coming to her?
After a moment, she smiles, and shrugs easily, rolling all those answers into one. "Because I love you."
Meteoric dismay rips through him, punches a hole somewhere in the midpoint between his chest and stomach, and every feeling thing in him seems to get dragged down through it as a tingle of fear rolls out from that emptiness and makes him prickle all the way to his fingers.
She can't just say that, can she? That's not something people just say. Is it?
All of that, on the outside, looks like Yellow-the-Humanshape fading into a shadow as dark as the space between stars, yellow cloth in every conceivable shade of the color unfurling from nowhere to cocoon the shadow-he-is into something roughly humanoid. His voice echoes a little more distantly when he speaks, no quieter, but with a hum that makes it seem like the words are coming from somewhere other than right in front of her.
"But- But why? What did I do? How did I make you care?"
If he doesn't know how he did it, he can't make sure he doesn't break it.
Sally's tone is sad, but gentle. She reaches out, catching bits of yellow fabric in her fingers. Unabashedly unafraid. How could she be afraid of her baby? He's just scared. They can work through it. It's going to be alright.
"You were yourself," she tells him. "And I love you for being who you are. You're sweet and you make me laugh. You take good care of Gwen and you're always thinking about her. I love all of your questions. You make me rethink parts of the world I took for granted. You're always trying to learn. You're so charmingly obvious about what you're feeling, even though you try so hard not to be! You're trying every day to be a better person than the day you were before. And you're just... fun to be around. I love everything about you, Yellow. And if you want family, if you'd like a mum, to look after you and support you and help you learn and help you pick a name, then I'll be all those things for you and more. No questions asked. I'd be honored, even. I can't think of a better big brother for Gwen."
Threads and strands of yellow cloth twine very, very carefully around her fingers in return.
He still doesn't understand. Why was being himself enough? Why did it work this time? What if it doesn't work again? Why does hearing her say good things about him make him anxious, feel bad. It's not supposed to do that. It's what he wanted before.
Sally just holds onto them, lets them curl around her fingers.
"...Sometimes finding the right people to love us takes a few tries," she says, hazarding a guess at what he might be thinking. "But I hope I'm one of your right people. 'Cause you make me happy. Can I get a hug?"
She might be getting a couple of extra tentacle-shaped limbs around her waist and shoulders. He's new at hugs. And he wants to hug her as much as possible. He's still hiding his face, his voice psychic instead of tangible.
He shifts a little to press his face against her neck and hug a little tighter. Carefully. He knows by now that he's significantly stronger than a regular person. Yellow mumbles something that isn't actual words. Hides his face a little more.
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no subject
Date: 2024-12-11 05:25 am (UTC)"Are--" Are we family gets hung up in his mouth and he swallows the urge to say it. "What are you making?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 02:11 am (UTC)There's a reason Sally's been implying things. She can see the reaction on his face when she calls him terms of endearment. He's not all that good at hiding his emotions. She knows there's a reason he always asks questions of her specifically.
She'll give him another crack at asking. "Was there anything else you wanted to know?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 02:38 am (UTC)"H... How does it get the medicinal properties out?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 02:43 am (UTC)"When you heat it, the chemicals inside of it that make it medicinal start to leak out into the liquid."
Alright. Time to take the wheel on this.
"For the record, I do think of you as family."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 04:20 am (UTC)"How did you..."
Can she read minds.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 04:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 04:47 am (UTC)There has to be a catch.
"Is- Is Gwen here?"
When in doubt: change the topic, kind of.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-13 04:50 am (UTC)"No, honey, she's with Claude today," Sally informs him gently. "...I meant you. If that's alright?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-17 06:44 am (UTC)"Wh... Why?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-17 11:08 pm (UTC)After a moment, she smiles, and shrugs easily, rolling all those answers into one. "Because I love you."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-18 02:27 am (UTC)She can't just say that, can she? That's not something people just say. Is it?
All of that, on the outside, looks like Yellow-the-Humanshape fading into a shadow as dark as the space between stars, yellow cloth in every conceivable shade of the color unfurling from nowhere to cocoon the shadow-he-is into something roughly humanoid. His voice echoes a little more distantly when he speaks, no quieter, but with a hum that makes it seem like the words are coming from somewhere other than right in front of her.
"But- But why? What did I do? How did I make you care?"
If he doesn't know how he did it, he can't make sure he doesn't break it.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-18 04:52 am (UTC)Sally's tone is sad, but gentle. She reaches out, catching bits of yellow fabric in her fingers. Unabashedly unafraid. How could she be afraid of her baby? He's just scared. They can work through it. It's going to be alright.
"You were yourself," she tells him. "And I love you for being who you are. You're sweet and you make me laugh. You take good care of Gwen and you're always thinking about her. I love all of your questions. You make me rethink parts of the world I took for granted. You're always trying to learn. You're so charmingly obvious about what you're feeling, even though you try so hard not to be! You're trying every day to be a better person than the day you were before. And you're just... fun to be around. I love everything about you, Yellow. And if you want family, if you'd like a mum, to look after you and support you and help you learn and help you pick a name, then I'll be all those things for you and more. No questions asked. I'd be honored, even. I can't think of a better big brother for Gwen."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-19 03:25 am (UTC)He still doesn't understand. Why was being himself enough? Why did it work this time? What if it doesn't work again? Why does hearing her say good things about him make him anxious, feel bad. It's not supposed to do that. It's what he wanted before.
He can't think of anything to say.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-19 03:51 am (UTC)"...Sometimes finding the right people to love us takes a few tries," she says, hazarding a guess at what he might be thinking. "But I hope I'm one of your right people. 'Cause you make me happy. Can I get a hug?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-19 03:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-19 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-19 06:04 am (UTC)[ I was here the whole time. ]
Which is not what he wanted to say.
[ ...Your chemicals are bubbling. ]
That wasn't it either. He's working on it.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-19 06:16 am (UTC)The second part makes her laugh again. He's so cute.
"They're supposed to bubble. I've got time. I always have time for you."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-20 05:43 am (UTC)"I love you too."