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"Hey, May." Zuke called out, stepping outside from their makeshift practice room. The two were in the middle of a jam session when the guitarist got a seemingly urgent call and stepped out of the room to take it. It's been quite a while since she took it, and she hasn't returned, which left Zuke worried.
He scanned the room, finding her laying on the couch, back facing the TV, which was playing some random cooking show. "You okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine." She replied, not moving from her spot. Her voice sounded quiet, somber, almost like it was cracking. Like she had been... crying.
Zuke frowned, eyes focused on her. She was definitely not fine. He didn't want to pry too much, though, as he was worried that she'd either snap at him, or shut herself off even more. He sighed, placing a hand on the back of his neck.
"Well, I was just thinking about swinging by the Hungry Hideout for some burgers. Wanna come along?" He asked.
"No thanks. You can go ahead."
Zuke was taken aback. May never misses a chance to talk with Auntie, let alone get food with him. He let out another sigh. This was definitely not like her.
"Then, do you want anything? I wouldn't mind bringing back some grub and watching a movie while we eat."
"I'm not hungry. Thanks anyway."
Zuke could feel part of his heart breaking. She's never been this upset before. Her usual upbeat attitude: gone. Instead, she laid on the couch, back facing the surrounding room, all of her boundless energy seemingly sapped from her. She didn't even want to eat, which is definitely not like Mayday. He knew something was wrong. He knew that she needed support, but he also knew that she wouldn't go out and ask for it.
She always put up a tough front, even when she was suffering. It almost seemed like she was trying not to make anyone worry. Unfortunately, it wasn't working that well.
Zuke walked to the ladder leading to the surface above their sewer home. "Well, I'm still gonna get something to eat. I'll be back soon. Just send me a text with what you want if you change your mind, okay?"
May only hummed in response, still refusing to move.
With another sigh, he climbed the ladder, hoping that Auntie wouldn't be too upset about the guitarist's absence.
It wasn't long before he was back with a bag of food. He made sure to order Mayday's usual, in case her appetite returned later on. He found a place to set it, and stopped for a moment, debating whether he should let her know he's back, or to just let her be.
Skittering claws echoed through the sewer base, as a bright blue alligator, his beloved Ellie, ran up to him with a happy screech.
"Hey, Ellie." He said quietly, petting the happy reptile on the head. He smiled, Ellie always knew how to make him happy, mostly just by being herself. For a while, all he could hear was her tail thumping against the metal floor, and…. Talking?
Someone was talking in the main room. It was a woman's voice, but it didn't sound like May. Slowly, he entered their living quarters, trying not to raise any suspicion.
May was now sitting upright on the couch, listening to someone, some lady, talking through her phone. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what she was saying, but he could tell that May was listening with a heavy heart.
He started walking past her from behind the couch, his plan to walk around and sit beside her, ready to listen if she wanted to talk.
Suddenly, she tossed the phone to the side, placing her head in her hands. Zuke froze, noticing the sudden movement, only to turn on his heel and head for their bedroom the second he heard her let out a choked sob.
He grabbed the blanket off of his bunk, and a Sayu plushie off of hers, before coming back into the main room. He sat down beside her and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.
May lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes were red from crying. She sniffled a little, rubbing her eyes with her arm. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Zuke wrapped his arms around her, making sure that her head was close to his heart. "It's okay. Just let it out. You're safe."
More tears streamed down her face as she returned Zuke's hug. He knew that she would feel bad for ruining his shirt, but that's not important to him. Helping May is the most important thing right now. He rested his head on top of hers, gently rubbing her back.
After a while, she calmed down a little. Still curled up against Zuke, exhausted from her fit, she just wanted to sleep. Zuke looked at her and bit his lip. He really didn't want to ask what was bothering her, but he also knew that she would need to get it off of her chest.
"May," he said quietly. "Do you want to talk? It's okay if you don't."
She sniffed, slowly lifting her head up so she could look at the drummer. "Zuke. Do you remember me talking about my grandma?"
"Yeah." He knew that this wasn't going to end well.
"Well, that call was about her…" she paused, trying to stifle another wave of tears. "She passed last night."
"May…" Zuke quickly pulled her back into their hug. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. There's nothing either of us could've done."
She rubbed at her eyes again, trying to get rid of the tears that were forming fast. "This is stupid. I'm a freaking crybaby."
Zuke rubbed her back again. "No, you're not." He whispered to her. "You're not a crybaby."
"Yes, I am."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her slightly so he could see her face. He gently grabbed her chin so she would face him.
"May, you are the strongest person I know." He started, firmly yet gently stating the words. "I mean, you started a revolution to bring attention to the people of Vinyl City, and no matter how many hits you would take, you always got back up and kept going at it. And even before that, you would do everything you could to help me when I needed it. May, you're my rock."
Her pink, starry eyes looked straight into his calm, red ones. Zuke gently used his thumb to wipe away some stray tears from her cheeks.
"This has got to be one of the hardest things you've ever had to deal with, and I'll probably never truly understand how you feel. But, I do know this. I'll do everything I can to help you right now, okay?"
May smiled softly, more tears making their way down her face. She cupped her hands around the sides of Zuke's face, chuckling a little as she watched him blush a deep jade, before tenderly placing her forehead against his.
"Okay, Zuke."
With one quick motion, Zuke pulled her into another hug, leaning backwards until he was laying flat on the couch with her on top of him. The both laughed quietly, getting a little louder as they noticed Ellie climbing onto the couch to join in with her owner's cuddles.
Zuke sighed softly, looking at May, who was now half asleep with her head resting above his heart.
"You've always been there for me, May. Now I'll be here for you. Trust me, I'll be your rock."