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“Bdubs, I- I, uhh…" Impulse is oddly quiet, looking away from Bdubs as he scratches along his arm. "Can I get some help? It's not- you don't have to."
Bdubs smiles from where he sits on their bed, already having grown used to his soulmate's occasional bouts of awkwardness around him. It had only been maybe a week and a half, neither of them fully adjusted yet to the idea of simply living together or sharing a bed, let alone their souls (temporarily) being tied to one another.
"It's- it's just a small thing-"
"What do you need, baby?"
Now that has the demon hybrid's cheeks turning a bright pink as he laughs, fond shyness showing so vibrantly in a way that makes Bdubs' heart sing.
Impulse tries to speak for a moment, but trips over words, ending up just holding his hand out for Bdubs to take.
They stand up, breaching the gap to take his hand in their own. Bdubs lightly squeezes his partner’s hand as they follow, trailing behind as they’re led into the makeshift bathroom, Impulse doesn’t even look at him the entire time until he’s seated himself on the bathtub’s rim.
"I'm- you know T and stuff." He laughs nervously, still not looking at his soulmate even as he sits down. "I-I get shots and-"
There's a hand on his cheek, soft no matter how calloused or scared they are. Warm, brown eyes meet his own in a look that says so many things that Impulse still has yet to learn the meaning of.
He quietly sighs, cupping his own hand over Bdubs’ as he leans into the small touch.
“Just tell me where you keep your needles, I already know what to do.” His tone is lighthearted, a smile adding to it, but Bdubs can so easily tell as he slips away how Impulse’s anxiety doesn’t fade.
It shows in the way he holds himself, shoulders knitted so tightly together that Bdubs can feel echoes of the strain in his own, aching even as he rolls them. Further upon that, Impulse’s tail doesn’t stop moving, swaying like he can’t decide if it should lay down or not.
“Afraid of needles?” The dryad asks as he opens the cabinet above the sink.
“Yeah.” Impulse says with a laugh. “You’d think after more than two decades of using them would make me less anxious about it.”
“It’s more likely than you think, baby.” Again, his tone is soft and lighthearted. He doesn’t even need to look away from his task to know that it makes his partner smile and destress just that bit more.
“I guess… Tango once tried them, but apparently he melted the needle they gave him so he just changed to using pills.”
Bdubs snorts from where he stands on the other side of the bathroom. “Was he lying?”
“Probably.”
A small tink tink echoes through the small room as Bdubs flicks the syringe, moving the air bubbles from bottom to the top where they won’t be dangerous.
“So… how do you?” Impulse vaguely gestures with his hand.
“Huh? Take mine?” They ask, quickly earning a nod as they look over. “Gel. Can’t stand needles.”
Again, Impulse chuckles, though this time it’s warm with a smile that Bdubs wouldn’t mind seeing every single time he looks at his partner. “Wish I were you. It just- I don’t like the texture, it just feels weird. I’m also too used to the injection to change."
“I guess it does, sometimes.” Bdubs hums again as he steps back. “Thigh or arm?”
“Thigh, it doesn’t hurt as much as my arm.”
Bdubs nods before crouching down, moving the fabric of Impulse’s shorts out of the way as he presses down.
There’s an abrupt, loud purring sound as Impulse holds onto his tail, fidgeting with the end of it as Bdubs finds a spot and hovers the needle over his skin.
It doesn’t help much, he can feel the murmurs of Impulse’s eyes squeezing shut so tightly it almost hurts, especially when the needle breaches skin. Claws digging in, adding to the brief pinch in his leg until it’s over and the cause of the demon’s anxieties is being pulled away.
The dryad can’t really stop himself, pressed a kiss over the bandaid he put there before standing up and placing another on his partner’s cheek.
“Feel a little better, my love?”
Impulse sighs heavily, opening his eyes to show the gentle gold that Bdubs had grown so used to. “Yeah… thanks, sweetheart.”
They practically giggle at the pet name, kissing him once more before stepping back to put everything away.
“Would you…”
“I’d gladly do this all again, as long as it keeps you happy.”
“I feel like you stole my words.” Impulse says with a laugh.
The dryad simply shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe, but it’s how I feel.”
Impulse is purring again as Bdubs takes his hand, leading the demon back into their temporary bedroom.