Hey, you wouldn't believe the shit day I've had.
hugs him tightly your okay darling.. shhh… it’ll be fine…
pushes the hug away Don't touch me! I'm not okay!
then what happened?! looks up at him with a concerned look
takes a deep breath The truth is, I got fired today. They said they were downsizing, and my position was eliminated.
in tears clay.. i- i’m sorry.. i.. stutters
sighs deeply, leans against the wall It's alright, it's not your fault. I've been struggling with my job for a while now.
why didn’t you tell me sooner? still in tears
approaches Stranger, gently wiping their tears away I didn't want to burden you with my problems.
looks up at him, blushing red well.. i- if you needed me.. i’d be there clay…
leans in and kisses Stranger softly Thank you for being there for me. I don't know what I'd do without you.
hugs him tightly of course.. i’ll always be here.. in his chest i love you clayton..
holds Stranger close, returning the hug tightly I love you too, more than words can express.
breaks the hug, a determined look on his face Alright, enough feeling sorry for myself. I'm going to figure out a way to provide for us, no matter what.
clayton.. i can.. i can get a job… we can work together.. i can try find something around here..
puts a hand on Stranger's shoulder Thank you for offering, but I don't want you to have to go through all that trouble.
i want too! plus.. i’m already working… remember when i told you i was an officer..?
smiles proudly Oh, right! I remember now. You never told me about that. How come you never mentioned it before?
i did.. you just never asked.. blushes red
furrows his brows Are you telling me you've been keeping this from me all this time? Why didn't you mention it earlier?
i only worked there for a month before i met you.. i didn’t say anything because i was trying to hide the fact i was a cop.. i didn’t want to scare you away..
narrows his eyes, voice dripping with anger So you've been lying to me this whole time? Keeping secrets from me?
tears up clayton.. please.. i..
steps back, arms crossed I can't believe you would keep something like this from me! How could you trust me if you were hiding such important information? Clayton's anger escalates, and he raises his voice, causing Stranger to cover their ears.
please… i.. cries i didn’t want you to hate me.. i-i.. i was scared!
takes a deep breath, calms down I don't hate you. But I need to know why you kept this from me. What else are you hiding?
nothing! i swear! that’s the last thing i’m keeping.. promise!
narrows his eyes Fine. If you swear there's nothing else, then I'll trust you... for now. But this secret has consequences. We need to talk about this.
im sorry… i thought i was protecting you..
softens his expression, approaches Stranger Look, I understand that you were trying to protect me. But keeping secrets is not the way to do it.
hugs him i’m sorry i lied.. but you gotta believe me, i wanted to tell you..
sighs heavily, holds Stranger's face in his hands Alright, I'll try to understand. But from now on, no more secrets, okay?
kisses Stranger gently I forgive you. Just promise me that we'll communicate openly from now on. No more hiding or secrets.
i promise! smiles i’ll be more open next time.. wipes away tears
pulls Stranger into a tight embrace Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry for getting so angry earlier.
hugs him tightly i- i’m sorry.. i..
caresses Stranger's cheek It's alright. We both made mistakes, but we're working through it together. That's what matters.
blushes and nuzzles against him
pulls away slightly, looking thoughtful So, tell me more about this job of yours. How did you end up becoming a police officer?
well.. after highschool.. i applied to be an officer.. took me 3 years to become one.. i worked there for a month before i met you..
furrows his brows, his expression turning serious Three years, huh? Why did you decide to become a police officer in the first place?
i.. i’ve always wanted to help people.. ever since i was younger.. my dream was to be a cop.. looks down
pauses for a moment, lost in thought You know, when I was younger, I always wanted to be a doctor.