Chapter Text
Jimmy has never known how to let go.
He’s never had anyone there for him long enough to be able to. They always come and go like waves crashing on the sandy shores of beaches. The more he thinks about it, the sadder he is the more helpless he feels.
3rd Life had made him fall and made him fall hard. He had Scott- and that was the longest he had someone.. Until he went and died of course.
And Last Life he had the Southlands!
...but he broke that trust and even died by the hands of the founder.
He just can’t let go.
He’s constantly teased by his friends- all jokes of course.
Teasing!
But… sometimes the teasing hurts. And he knows it shouldn’t, but he can’t help but feel like he got socked in the gut by a metaphorical fist made of words. Sometimes the tears poke at the corners of his eyes when it hurts too much, but he plays it off with a joke and smile. He can’t let it show that it bothers him sometimes. Cause as much as it hurts him- he also loves the jokes.
He loves the attention.
Even if it is in a negative context at that point-
It lets him have a spotlight for a mere second. And that blink of an eye warms his heart to the brim. It gives him life- But never a home.
//
Tango noticed something off about his soul this season.
He knew he was connected to someone else, but it feels… stressed. Like he can tell what his soulmate was feeling and how that affected their mentality and heart as a whole. He was so focused on the strange feeling in his chest that he didn’t even notice the creeper come down above him until he was back at spawn. The first yellow life of the season, bringing someone else down with him.
Jimmy.
As soon as he saw Jimmy’s hurt yet concerned expression, he stammered. He couldn’t find the words he needed to express what he actually wanted to say other than a measly “I’m so sorry…” to his name.
He could feel Jimmy’s sadness. He could feel the pain behind the hazel eyes of his soulmate. The flood gates that are so close to breaking down and crumbling at the next set of hurtful words.
He had to do something…
The two had separated to see if they could find their stuff and get a house set up. But he can’t help but feel a tinge of guilt building up into his chest. He was the reason Jimmy was yellow. He was the reason that the tradition continued.
He shook his head, getting walls built on their cruddy shack, making it presentable to Jimmy to try and make it up to him in some way.
//
They all kept laughing.
The taunting giggles.
The scrutinizing, bitter laughs.
The side eye looks that scream I’m better than you
He’s sick of it.
He storms back to the house, giving nothing more than a lazy wave to the people he passed on the way home. His permanent smile had turned into a fed up scowl.
Jimmy burst open the door to the small house Tango had built for the two of them, walking in and collapsing onto the bed face first.
The pillow covered his ears to the point where he didn’t even hear Tango come up the latter from the chicken coop. He only knew he was there when the weight of the bed shifted and a hand was placed between his shoulder blades, sending chills through his body at the physical contact.
“You okay there, Jimmy?” He turned to meet the soft glow of his soulmate's yellow eyes, not really thinking about what he’s saying but nodding in agreement anyway. Watching as Tango’s mouth presses into a thin, unimpressed line. “Jim… I can feel what you’re feeling dude. I know that you’re not exactly good up in the head at the second,” the man with yellow eyes gave him a sympathetic smile, holding his hand and squeezing it tight. “You can tell me what’s happening dude.”
The warm smile, kind eyes… he’s being serious. He wants to know what the other is thinking, what he’s feeling.
Jimmy sat up, still holding onto Tango’s hand as a form of motivation to get the words out. “Promise you won’t laugh..?”
Tango’s brows furrow at the question but the sweetness in his face never fades, “I promise.”
He breathes deep. A slow breath before his rambling. Keeping his eyes glued down at their entangled hands.
“Just- I’m sorta the punching bag of the server, yeah? I mean I normally don’t mind it and everything but… sometimes it-” He cut himself off, giving a squeez to Tango’s hand and looking up to meet his yellow eyes. “It hurts.”
Before he could even truly register what was happening, he was pulled into strong arms. A hug. Finally tipping the well and causing a pour. He choked out a sob into Tango’s shoulder, getting his sweater all wet but Tango just rubs circles on his back, moving one hand up to play with his hair.
“It’s okay.. I’ve got you. I promise I’m not going anywhere. I promise you’re not useless, You’re amazing Jim.”
Tango’s words made him smile. A genuine smile from another person's words.
“Thank you.”
//
Tango woke up first that morning. Not exactly remembering falling asleep tangled in a pile of limbs between him and his soulmate, but oddly enough he can’t bring himself to mind. He carefully removes himself from the pretzel, tip-toeing out of the room to tend to the animals. Minutes later he hears the creaking of the not so sturdy wood floors he put in yesterday, telling him that Jimmy is awake. Within the same few seconds he sees a blond mop of hair poke out from the doorway into the side shed, “g’mornin Tango.”
He smiled at Jimmy, telling just how relaxed he was after letting everything out last night.
His soul-
No
Their soul
Was happy.