"A movie sounds nice, I guess. Um…" He hesitated for several seconds, looking very nervous and unsure. "M-Maybe I could try some… uh… a little bit of soup, or something. If… if it would make you feel better."
@Skylark // Private Roleplay
“A movie it is, then,” Sol replied with a gentle smile. “I can get you some soup if you want to, but don’t feel like you have to, Joey.”
"I… I feel like I should try." Joey replied, obviously still tense. "I-I haven't eaten anything at all in days, and I don't want to die. S-Soup won't make me gain any weight. It's just… warm."
“Okay, I should have some canned soup in the pantry. Do you have a preference?” Sol said. “And if you change your mind, you don’t have to finish it.”
"Well, I wasn't really planning on finishing it anyway… but I dunno. Chicken noodle or something simple is probably fine." Joey shrugged a bit and looked away, wrapping his wings around himself.
Sol nodded and headed to the kitchen. “Go ahead and start a movie, estello, whatever you want to watch,” he said as he went to get some soup. It didn’t take long, and soon he was carrying a warm bowl back out to the living room.
"Okay…" Joey headed into the living room and settled on a Disney movie to watch. He was curled up on the couch when Sol came in, trembling with nerves and trying to get himself to calm down. He didn't seem to notice Sol at first.
Sol frowned worriedly when he saw Joey’s trembling, but put a smile on his face when he came over to the couch. “Hey,” he greeted softly. “Great choice of movie.”
Joey looked up at Sol meekly, his face pale as he quivered. "Y-Yeah, uh… um… thank you…" He stammered awkwardly in reply, his eyes shifting to the bowl of soup. He felt a bit nauseous looking at it, but he knew that he needed to eat something. One bowl of soup couldn't make him fat, right?
Sol carefully handed the bowl to Joey and sat at the other end of the couch, not wanting to crowd the other. Turning to watch the movie he murmured, “Only as much as you want, estello.”
"R-Right…" Joey hesitated for several seconds before he tentatively picked up the spoon and filled it with broth. He stared down into the spoon, trying to muster up the will to stick it in his mouth. He managed it after a minute or two, only narrowly managing to not spill it with his trembling hands.
Sol kept his eyes on the movie, but was constantly aware of the trembling angel beside him. As soon as Joey said the word, he would take the bowl. Yes, he wanted Joey to eat, but he knew that he needed to do it at his own pace.
Joey stuck another spoonful of soup into his mouth, his eyes stinging with tears. His body was relaxing a bit, savoring the small amount of food it was allowed, but his mind was screaming at him to stop. It felt good, but it felt wrong at the same time. He was obviously struggling to get himself to calm down or to figure out how he even felt about this.
Noticing Joey’s struggle, Sol wordlessly shifts closer to Joey and carefully takes his free hand (the bowl being on a tv tray), stroking the back of his hand with his thumb.
"I'm sorry…" He whispered weakly. "I-I'm making a big deal out of something stupid and insignificant… I just need to get my s-stupid brain to shut up." He forced another spoonful of soup into his mouth, almost choking himself on the spoon.
“It’s okay, Joey,” Sol murmured, squeezing his hand gently. “It’s not stupid or insignificant. Just take it slow, and stop whenever you want.”
Joey nodded weakly, sticking another spoonful of soup into his mouth. His hands were still shaking, but he was trying his best to keep steady. When he'd finished about half of it, he was starting to feel nauseous again, so he set the bowl down and pushed it away with tears in his eyes.
A wave of his hand had the bowl being carried away on a phantom wind. Normally, Sol didn’t use his magic for small things, he liked doing it for himself, but he right now he didn’t want to leave the room. “You did so good, sweetheart, it’s okay,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to Joey’s knuckles. “It’s okay, let’s just relax and watch the movie, yeah?”
"Mmm…" Joey crawled into Sol's lap and buried his face in his shoulder, trying to adjust himself into a comfortable position. He was obviously still stressed and upset, but he was trying to just keep quiet and cling to Sol in hopes of just forcing himself to calm down. "M'sorry I couldn't do more…"
Sol wrapped his arms around Joey, cradling him close, and kissed his head. “You don’t need to apologize, estello,” he said softly. “You did so well, I’m proud of you.”
Joey nodded weakly, relaxing a little into Sol's secure hold. "I just… feel so stupid. I-I mean, I can't even eat a whole bowl of soup. It's just dumb…"
“It’s not dumb, Joey,” Sol replied firmly, shifting to adjust his wings. “You ate half a bowl, that’s really good. I know you can’t always change how you feel, but I promise you you’re not stupid.”
"Mmmmm…" Joey held tighter to Sol, still trembling lightly. "My brain is dumb… it does stupid things. Makes me do stupid things. Makes me stupid. Dunno how I'm supposed to fix that…"
“Time and support, estello,” Sol answered, gently stroking Joey’s wing, a now familiar gesture. “You’re not stupid. This doesn’t define you and it’s not eternal. There are others who understand your struggle and can help, like therapists or support groups.”
He whined softly again, shivering as usual at the touch. "I don't like the sound of time. I'm immortal… what if it never ends?" He asked weakly, obviously afraid and upset.
Sol hugged Joey gently, pulling him close and nuzzling his hair. “It will end, I can promise you that,” Sol replied quietly, but confidently.
"How do you know?" He asked softly. "What makes you so sure that I'll get better?" He hid his face again, sighing shakily.
Lightly running his hand through Joey’s hair, Sol hummed quietly. “Because you’re strong. Because you’re not alone. Because others have done it and can help. I know you are afraid, but you have such courage for even thinking of trying, and with that you can get better.”
Joey paled a bit and tightened his grip on Sol, breathing more heavily. "Nngh… I-I feel sick…" He whispered weakly. "How can I… h-how can I be strong if I can't even handle a little bit of soup…?" He started holding his breath, hugging his stomach tightly.
“It’s not going to happen all at once, Joey, this is just the first step in the right direction,” Sol replied gently. “Would you like to go to the restroom? It’s okay, sweetheart.”