He felt... stressed. 

It clearly wasn't coming from his own mind, but at the same time, the sense of uneasy dread enveloped him so thoroughly that he couldn't find a way out. 

He also couldn't see anything, which wasn't really surprising, since his mind was normally comfortably dark, but then...

What is making me feel so stressed? 

His life was going pretty darn well now, and he'd just moved in with his idol and an adorable—wait a minute.

"Ammo?" Ian questioned as he wandered through his mind, moving carefully and listening closely. 

He didn't hear anything in response, but as he moved, he could feel the air around him grow more tense with each step he took in a certain direction. 

"You're over here, sweetheart?" 

He was used to feeling stressed and depressed, as it had been his two main emotions before he saw Grim in that Affinity ad. Now he had hope and excitement, though the stress still inched its way into his thoughts every now and then. 

"It's going to be alright," he told him as he finally caught a glimpse of something far up ahead. 

It felt like it took nearly half an hour just to get to the faint outline he could see, but he never slowed. Neither did he speed up, though. He understood what it felt like to be scared and depressed. And sometimes, when people reached out too quickly and tried to force you to accept help before you were ready, it actually did more harm than good. 

Once he was reasonably close, Ian sat down in the darkness and put a calm smile on his face. 

He couldn't see all of the young man, but that was perfectly fine. 

Depression and stress could eat up parts of your soul if it got bad enough. 

"Ammo, it's nice to finally meet you in person," he said quietly as he kept his eyes focused off to the side, not wanting to startle his new friend. 

There was no audible response, but that was alright. The response he did get wasn't comfortable, but he embraced it all the same.

"I'll help you hold your burden for a while," he said as he relaxed his body, even as wave after wave of anxiety and stress flowed into his system. 

It was a struggle to keep himself calm, but he knew that Grim was still home, watching over them both. 

"He'll take care of you, too. He's an absolute sweetheart," he told Ammo as the mostly-shadowed form moved the slightest fraction, as if he was turning his head to look in his direction. 

Ian smiled and leaned a little closer but kept his posture calm and relaxed. 

"Sweetheart, would you like a hug? Or maybe something smaller?" he asked, reaching out a hand slowly. 

"Perhaps just a hand to hold?" 

The top of the shrouded body tilted slightly, as if considering his question. At the same time, Ian began to see bits and pieces of Ammo's features begin to appear from within the dark miasma. 

After quite some time, he saw a wisp of darkness inch closer to his still-outstretched hand, but hesitate every few moments as it got closer, then withdrew over and over again. 

Hmmm, maybe...

Licking his ethereal lips, he looked around in the darkness until he could sense his other half. It didn't seem like it was a fan of their intruder and was staying at the edge of his mind, pacing and grumbling quietly. 

Ren? he questioned, using Grim's nickname for his feline. 

His cat grumbled again and shook out its coat. 

Ren, sweetheart? Could you come here and say hello? He's not a bad guy, he's just upset and could use some of your sweet purrs, he told it, hoping that his cat would calm down enough to listen. 

It paced for a few more minutes before, finally, inching closer. 

Of course, it didn't just up and run over, because the only person it seemed to do that to was Grim, but it didn't seem completely against greeting Ammo. 

Good boy, Ren. He's a sweetheart, he thought to it, coaxing his sweet cat closer. 

He could see Ammo's form watching silently, but that was okay... and important. Because he was watching. 

A faded, nearly-invisible eye was following the cat's movement from within the darkness of Ammo's soul. 

"Isn't he a pretty cat?" Ian asked quietly as he looked between the two, his smile never fading. 

Ammo's form wavered gently, then became a little clearer. 

Aww, hello there, cutie. 

He honestly was, too. The young man seemed a little older than him, but as his handsome features slowly became more visible, Ian couldn't help but internally gush.  

He's so adorable!

While Grim was gorgeously-handsome, Ammo was looking to be adorably-handsome, in a mature way.

While he was lost in his thoughts, his cat had moved closer and was now only a few steps away. 

"Hey there," he called to it quietly as he was about to reach towards it, only to feel a shaky pressure quickly grasp his still-outstretched hand. 

Ammo? 

The man beside him was now more than eighty-percent visible, and his hand was firmly wrapped around Ian's as he stared nervously at the bobcat pacing nearby. 

Ian reached over with his free hand and settled it overtop Ammo's, then squeezed gently. 

"He's a sweetheart and his name is Ren. Would you like to meet him?" he asked softly. 

Ammo scooted a little closer, practically leaning against him as his other hand gently grasped Ian's arm, then slid past it to hug it against his chest as he continued to stare at the cat. 

Ian watched his calm reaction and decided to reach toward his cat and coax it the last few steps closer. 

Thankfully, it obeyed without a fuss, evidently now curious about the other person instead of worried that they might do something. 

It took Ammo a few moments to react, but soon, he was reaching out a hand towards Ren. 

His cat slowed to a stop and leaned in, nudging Ammo's fingers with his nose. 

The initial touch was brief, but it seemed to brush away the remaining tension between the two entities, because Ammo was now reaching out in earnest, wanting to touch the cat, and Ren was circling excitedly, ducking beneath Ammo's hand every few seconds for a full-body pet.

It didn't take much longer before Ren was snuggled up in Ammo's arms, purring happily. It was calm but content, accepting being pet without aggressively demanding more attention. 

I remember Grim telling me that my cat was a bit forceful, but maybe he just wasn't used to him yet? 

Ren didn't seem pushy at all right now. 

He sat with Ammo for a long while as they simply paid his cat attention in the comfortable quiet, Ren's purring the only sound echoing around his mind. 

He wasn't sure how much time actually passed before Ammo drifted off to sleep against him, his cat contently snuggled in his arms, but that was when he noticed something gently brushing against his hair. 

"...—an?" 

The faint whisper might not have awoken anyone normally, as it was barely audible, even to him, but because it was Grim, Ian immediately began to stir. 

"Baby, it's time for dinner," Grim whispered before kissing his ear, making Ian's eyes immediately blink open and a red blush paint his face!

Thankfully, he didn't jump up or move abruptly, because he soon realized that someone was sleeping in his arms, and it wasn't Grim. 

At first, he thought that he should move and explain himself, because he really hadn't intended to fall asleep with a naked man partially on top of him, but when he saw Grim's calm, relaxed expression, as well as his finger pressing against his lips to signal for him to be quiet, he realized that the situation wasn't an issue.

Wait, he said that it's dinner time? 

He hadn't even eaten breakfast!

Looking back at the young man contently resting against him, Ian realized something. 

Ammo? He'd shifted back to his human form? 

He looked absolutely exhausted, but also, thankfully, at peace. 

With Grim's help, they gently managed to extricate him from beneath the other man, then get Ammo comfortable and tucked in without waking him. 

He watched the man sleep until he felt a warm hand slip beneath the front of his shirt and grab his side, then squeeze. 

"Time for you to eat," Grim said as he easily guided him over to the small dinner table that was already set with two heaping plates of food. 

The food of choice, however, was a bit shocking as he settled into the seat Grim pulled out for him. 

Pizza? 

It clearly wasn't ordered, though. 

He made this... from scratch? 

"Haven't tried this dough recipe before, so let me know how it is," Grim said quietly as he settled in the seat across the table from him, then picked up a large slice of pizza. 

It had every vegetable topping he could think of on it, and as he took his first bite, Ian couldn't help but inwardly moan from the crunchy, savory, garlicy flavor that caressed his taste buds. 

Then came the cheese. 

Mozzarella was clearly there, of course, but mixed into it was also what tasted like sharp cheddar and parmesan. 

"If you're gonna come, make sure you call my name, alright?" Grim said cheekily. 

Ian quickly nodded as he swallowed his first bite, then immediately went in for a second, then a third. He'd never had pizza so good, and before he knew it, he'd eaten four huge pieces!

The odd thing was, however, that even after having filled his belly, he didn't feel the normal food coma that came with indulging in junk foods. 

I actually feel really good. 

"No stomach aches here," Grim said, as if reading his mind. 

Ian glanced up from his empty plate, curious about what he meant. 

"I don't use any junk in my cooking and while I was light on the cheese, I used ones that had strong flavors," he explained, then added with a wink, "I knew my man would eat a good bit if he liked it." 

Ian fought himself not to look away as he smiled happily. 

"It was really delicious, thank you for making me some." 

He paused for a moment before remembering something important. 

"I-I need to pay you rent," he said as he took his phone out. 

"Do you have Cashapp? Paypal?" 

Grim grinned and gave a quiet chuckle as he pulled his own phone out of his back pocket and slid it across the table after turning the screen on. 

His Cashapp had been opened, and Ian carefully got the correct screen up and sent him his first rent payment. 

As soon as he got the text receipt for it, he gently picked up Grim's phone and held it out to him with both hands, being extra careful not to accidentally drop it. 

Grim took it back and nonchalantly set it aside instead of returning it to his pocket. 

"Now then, let's get some things done, hmm?" 

Things? 

The man's words said one thing, but the look in his eyes were saying something completely different!

He soon found out why. 

I'm glad he's not making me try on underwear, but still...

Ian tugged off his fourth outfit, glad that it fit, but also blushing from head to toe since Grim's eyes haven't left him in nearly half an hour. 

The guy had figured that since Ammo was asleep on the couch, they needed to be quiet, and he also needed to try on his clothes to see if anything needed to go back to the store. Thus, they were now both in his new room, with Grim sitting cross-legged on the bed and Ian awkwardly tugging on and off pants, shirts, sweaters, and what not. 

Turning around for the fifth time, Ian pursed his lips and slid his hands into his pockets as he nervously looked at the carpeted floor beneath his feet. 

He was now wearing a pair of black cargo shorts and a black and silver tank top. It looked like a workout outfit... much like the other four Grim had pulled out of nowhere that were next in line to try on. 

The man made another turn around gesture with his hand and Ian immediately turned in a circle for the tenth time. 

When he stopped facing Grim again, the guy was smirking. 

"Yeah, I could get used to looking at that while I work out," he noted as his eyes looked Ian over from head to toe. 

While he works out? 

"I work some nights, but most of my shifts are days and mornings. if you aren't working, come work out with me?" Grim asked, though it didn't seem quite like a question so much as a statement. 

Either way, he would never decline hanging out with his love, and especially not while they were both getting sweaty!

"O-of course!" Ian replied right away, stuttering from excitement. 

Grim laughed quietly in return as he gestured for him to come closer. 

"These are a bit loose, so make sure to use the drawstrings, but once you build some muscle they should fit perfectly without needing tied," he said as he tugged on the waistband, his warm fingers brushing against Ian's skin several times in the process. 

"Don't you agree, Michael?" 

Ian jumped slightly as he spun around. 

Ammo was standing in the doorway, clearly still drowsy and more than a bit unkempt. He'd put on a pair of shorts at least, though. 

"Yeah," Ammo responded with a raspy voice as he took a hesitant step closer, then averted his eyes slightly and bowed his head. 

"I'm really sorry for b—" his words died off into silence as his eyes widened and he lifted his head. 

Ian was a bit confused until he heard Grim get off the bed and walk past him. He expected them to start talking, or perhaps go into another room for some privacy before they did, but to Ian's surprise, Grim simply reached out and yanked the other guy right into his arms, then squeezed the ever-loving hell out of him until Ammo was a sobbing mess against his chest. 

Unsure of what to do, Ian stood there for a moment, too stunned to look away, even though he knew he should have. To his surprise, though, one emotion he didn't feel immediately bubble to the surface was jealousy. 

It was there, sure, but it was only just-barely a whisper in his belly. Easily ignored. 

Instead, his attention was quickly pulled towards something he didn't expect. 

Are those... cat ears? 

Inching closer, Ian let himself partially slip into his mind, calling for his own cat. 

Where is Ren? 

It wasn't responding. 

By the time he stopped about a foot away, he knew why. 

Ammo's fuzzy cat ears were flicking quite a lot. 

He was also making a sound that was all too familiar. 

As the tears died down, the unmistakable sound of content purring could easily be heard in the silence. 

Ren... is with Ammo?