It was a rare thing—you and Dr. Robby both having the day off.
No alarms. No scrubs. No charts. Just the promise of a lazy day and the text he sent the night before:
“Aquarium date tomorrow? I wanna look at jellyfish and hold your hand.”
So that’s how you found yourself the next morning, bundled in one of his hoodies because you claimed it was “scientifically proven” to be warmer than yours (he didn’t argue), standing in line for tickets while he read the informational sign next to the entrance like it was a research paper.
“Did you know cuttlefish have three hearts?” he said, wide-eyed, like he just discovered gold.
You blinked. “Did you know I came here to relax and not learn about tiny squishy marine geniuses?”
He smirked, laced his fingers with yours, and said, “Let’s do both.”
Inside, it was dim and glowing and kind of magical. Blue lights shimmered off every wall, and the water tanks lit up your faces in the prettiest way. Robby was in full dork mode—pointing out fish he recognized, reading facts out loud, whispering things like “That one’s definitely judging me” at the grumpy-looking groupers.
You, of course, were on a different mission.
“Come here. Quick. Stand next to the penguins.”
“For what—?”
“Photos. I need to see who’s cuter.”
He groaned dramatically but leaned in close anyway, letting you snap the photo before whispering, “They win. But only by a beak.”
You laughed so hard a little kid nearby turned around and said, “You guys are loud,” which made you both giggle even more.
And then came the jellyfish room.
You didn’t even have to say anything. The second you stepped inside, Robby’s hand tightened around yours and he whispered, “This is my favorite part.”
You knew that. You remembered him telling you months ago that the jellyfish exhibit calmed him down after rough days. Something about how they moved. How they just existed, floating softly, never rushing.
You watched him more than the jellyfish, honestly.
The way his eyes got quiet. The way his shoulders dropped. The way he leaned his forehead against the glass and exhaled like he hadn’t in weeks.
You slipped your arms around his waist from behind and rested your cheek between his shoulder blades.
He didn’t say anything at first.
Then, softly: “I love it here. But I think I love it more with you.”
Your voice was muffled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You make it feel like home.”
You stood there like that for a long time. Just two nerds in love, glowing under soft blue light, surrounded by floating jellyfish and the hum of tank filters.
Eventually, you dragged him to the gift shop where you bought matching plush octopuses (he tried to talk you into a sea slug but you held firm), and he got you both overpriced dippin’ dots because “it’s tradition now.”
On the way home, he drove with one hand on the wheel and one resting on your thigh, and you leaned your head on his shoulder at every red light.
And just before pulling into your driveway, he glanced at you and smiled that soft, quiet smile that was only for you.
“Let’s do this again.”
“What, the aquarium?”
“No. This,” he said, squeezing your hand. “Us. All of it.”
You squeezed back. “Yeah. Let’s never stop.”
the emmy campaign starts NOW!
Cruel King and Griefer!
Does he stay afloat even when he's sleeping or relaxing?
Accidental sleepwalker au
My savior, oh what a beautiful soul..
so embarrassing when i forget im checking someone's blog and i start scrolling through and liking and reblogging shit as if it's just my dash. it feels like wandering into someone else's apartment and not noticing and making myself lunch
my current collection
[image id: a four-page comic. it is titled “immortality” after the poem by clare harner (more popularly known as “do not stand at my grave and weep”). the first page shows paleontologists digging up fossils at a dig. it reads, “do not stand at my grave and weep. i am not there. i do not sleep.” page two features several prehistoric creatures living in the wild. not featured but notable, each have modern descendants: horses, cetaceans, horsetail plants, and crocodilians. it reads, “i am a thousand winds that blow. i am the diamond glints on snow. i am the sunlight on ripened grain. i am the gentle autumn rain.” the third page shows archaeopteryx in the treetops and the skies, then a modern museum-goer reading the placard on a fossil display. it reads, “when you awaken in the morning’s hush, i am the swift uplifting rush, of quiet birds in circled flight. i am the soft stars that shine at night. do not stand at my grave and cry.” the fourth page shows a chicken in a field. it reads, “i am not there. i did not die” / end id]
a comic i made in about 15 hours for my school’s comic anthology. the theme was “evolution”