The Man and His Assistant (CLOSED)

He flinched. Nice wasn't exactly what he was looking for. "Forget it then."

She felt him flinch and winced slightly herself. Had she accidentally offended him? "I'm sorry, sir– I mean, Isaac, I didn't mean it like that…"

"Neither did I." He meant to say it dismissively, but his eyes welled up.

She slowly began to massage him again. "It was really nice. Unexpected… but that's a good thing."

"You mean to say that you enjoyed it?" He loved her touch on his shoulders.

She blushed shyly. "Yes, I did."

"Ready for more later on?" He gave a small, visibly shy smile, but it said everything.

A little shock ran down her spine at his smile. "Yes."

He threw a hug at her. "I love you!", he smiled and everything seemed good again… better.

She was shocked for a second, but she hugged him back. "I love you too."

"In what way?", he asked nervously.

"In a way that reaches further than you know," she said quietly.

(I'm sorry for being gone.)
He cried into her shoulder. "I'll never be enough for you.", he said, muffled by her shirt.

(It's fine!)

Her eyes widened in surprise. She did what she thought would soothe him – she rubbed his back gently. "That's not true," she assured him softly.

"You're so talented, kind, and pretty and I just get paid to have an imagination and pretend to be someone else.", he mumbled.

"That's how you see yourself?" she asked in disbelief. "Isaac, you are so much more than that."

"Yeah, I'm also stupid.", he added quietly.

"No you aren't!" she assured him. "You're smart and creative and incredibly funny, and… I really am in love with you."

"You shouldn't be.", he said grimly.

She winced a little. "Does that mean you're upset with me?" she asked quietly.

"It means that I'm upset with myself quite honestly." It was the first time in a long while that he had talked to someone about it.

"Why? There's nothing for you to be upset with yourself about," she assured him, continuing to rub his back soothingly.

He sighed at her gentle touch. "Little do you know."

"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked quietly.

"I am sick of worrying everyday, every second that people hate me. I have bad social anxiety and insecurity."

"Oh, Isaac," she whispered. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you…"

He sniffed and his crying stopped, but tears still ran from his eyes. He tightly hugged her. "You're so nice and pretty.", he said softly.

"I'm not that pretty," she whispered, a small knot forming in her stomach.

"You're stunning." He ran his hand in her hair.

She gasped quietly. "Oh… I-I'm not…"