As soon as we got home, everyone passed the fuck out. Schlatt and I probably looked like dead bodies flopped on top of each other in the biggest room.

It was really pretty, honestly. When I woke up, the light of the sunset flooded through the window and I just stared at it for a good long while. Schlatt barely stirred when I sat up and began to unpack our things. I hummed as I worked and the job got done quickly, allowing me to finally peel off my clothes and jump in the shower.

After I shut off the water, I slowly dried myself and put on my warm, soft pjs. They were, realistically, just a Schlatt & Co hoodie and some Jschorts, but they were comfortable nonetheless. I stepped out of the bathroom and went across the hall to the couch. I found Charlie lying lazily on his back on the ottoman section of the large, beige couch and tapping gently, yet furiously on his Nintembo Lever.

I carefully flopped down on the couch by his feet. "Oh, hey Y/N."

"Hey Charlie. Whatcha playin'?"

"Animal Crossing."

"...And you're button mashing???"

"My asshole guinea pigs crawled on it and jammed the buttons, so now I have to press kinda hard."

"That's rough, buddy."

"At this point in our friendship, I genuinely can't tell whether or not that's ironic."

I chuckled. "Ironic."

He went silent, then squinted. "Cactus juice...?"

We both laughed quietly and went silent, though Charlie broke it.

"Schlatt told me, uh, something with a long ass explanation happened. You good?"

"Oh, that? Yeah, I guess I'm alright. The, like airport officer bag checker lady gave me a hard time. I got into a bad car accident when I was a young kid and it absolutely destroyed the knee and lower leg bones in this leg." I pointed to the injured limb, "So I had to get the, like, metal plating put in and it triggered the detectors at the airport. I explained that to the lady, who had a huge attitude, mind you, and she told me she had to pat me down, which is totally fair, but she basically dragged me and was super rough when she pat me down. I-uh-came out of the room with a limp and Schlatt totally lost his shit at her; he demanded her name, yelled at her, the like. He almost punched her, but I told her we'd sue."

Charlie looked at me really sympathetically and frowned. "I'm sorry, Y/N. Yeah, you need to address that lawfully; You expressed to her that you had a medical issue and she essentially assaulted you. You'll probably only get her for a misdemeanor honestly, but its better than nothing if you came out injured." He said thoughtfully and apologetically.

"Yeah, I know you're right. I'm really non confrontational, honestly. Like, I was heated then when I said will sue, but it was more of a threat, I guess? Like I don't really know if I want to go through that, to put Schlatt through that because of me?"

"Y/N. I think I can speak for Schlatt when I say he loves you. A lot, like more than anything. So I don't think you're bothering him by asking for help. That's what a partner is. Someone who you can always lean on, someone who supports you every where necessary. And you undeniably do that for him; you literally co-run his companies and edit his podcast. You actually carry Schlatt, Ted and I on your back with this podcast and even in general. I don't even know how many times you've offered to edit for Ted and I when we didn't feel well or expressed that we wanted to spend more time with our families. So like, can you just...Let us support you for once?"

The heavy ghost-like presences of stress and guilt lifted themselves from your shoulders and your back, their tangled twisted limbs unraveling from under your arms and around your neck.

"Thank you Charlie...I really appreciate it, man..." I looked down. I was vulnerable, and it didn't feel fantastic

He put his switch down and pulled me into a hug, not unlike the ones I'd get from my older brother when I was sad or scared. It was tight and caring, sweet and protective. It was different from those I'd get from Schlatt. I got big ones if I was hurt, but this wasn't romantic...it was...familial. I couldn't stop the tears from falling or my nose from sniffling, and my choked sobs rack through both of our bodies. He only hugged tighter, not wanting to interrupt whatever moment I was having with questions. He only let go when I was ready and I softly wiped my eyes.

"Do you wanna taco 'bout it...?" He asked quietly, pointing at his socks. I looked down and they had taco cats on them. I giggled super hard and ceased my crying nearly completely.

"Yeah, yeah it's just...My older brother passed away, uhm, 6...7 years ago now? I was 14 and a half and uh, the accident...his injuries...they finally got to him and he was hospitalized for a few days. The second day he was in the hospitilized was his birthday and uh, I just remember him hugging me really tight and it really felt similar to...your hug. So...yeah. Thank you, man. It was kinda like getting a glimpse of Alan again."

Charlie tackled me into another hug and began tearing up.

And it felt so nice.