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Randy, the lovable shmuck, is currently in the process of unpacking his things, which honestly isn’t many. The self-proclaimed chivalrous Gingi did him the gracious favor of carrying over his one whole box, after declaring that Randy was far to fragile and weak to be doing any “heavy” lifting.
Unintentional insults aside, Randy was appreciative of the gesture, and the company.
“Thanks again for helping Gingi, I know it’s not really much, but I’m grateful you’re helping me out”
“Of course, my dear Randy. Anything for you, my sweet”
“O-oh, thank-“
Gingi drops the box onto the floor, rather aggressively. It’s a good thing Randy didn’t own anything valuable.
“Um, right. Thanks.”
He looks up at Gingi, and fidgets with his bandages. “So uh, would you wanna maybe”—Randy looks away—“uhh, stay here for a bit?” He looks back at Gingi, looking a bit too hopeful.
“Randy.” Gingi grabs Randy’s shoulders, forceful enough to make him squeak, and stares intensely into his eyes(?). “This was one big excuse to crash your new apartment. I’m staying whether you like it or not.”
“O-oh! Okay!”
Gingi lets go of their aggressive hold on Randy, to place their hands on their hips, tail swishing behind them.
Randy looks down, then suddenly back up at Gingi, a bit giddy. “You.. you wanted to hang out with me?”
“No, of course not.”
The poor man was devastated. Absolutely crushed. Randy hunches over and holds his arm, subconsciously in an effort to look as small as possible. On the verge of tears, Randy manages to squeak out, “oh. okay. understandab-“
“OF COURSE I WANTED TO HANG OUT WITH YOU!!” Gingi tackles Randy into an aggressive hug, knocking them onto the couch which was, by pure luck, right behind them.
Randy squeaks, flustered by the sudden physical contact. That, or the wind being knocked out of him, it’s hard to say. From hearing something absolutely devastating, then to something actually quite nice and that the devastating part wasn’t true, and then being tackled into a sudden physical closeness with someone Randy very much likes, Randy felt he could never emotionally recover. His poor heart just couldn’t take it.
The commotion ended up with Gingi practically straddling Randy in a sitting position on the couch. Gingi clings to the man underneath them like a fucking leech. They rest their head on Randy’s shoulder with a sigh of satisfaction, wagging their tail in happy contentment. Randy felt as if a handful of worms were wriggling around in his stomach, but in a good way? Was this what one would call… butterflies? Nevertheless, he’s happy. He tentatively
wraps his arms around Gingi, a bit unsure of himself. The cryptid squeezes even tighter in response, as if to reassure Randy.
He meekly rests his cheek on Gingi’s shoulder. “U-um. Thanks. This is… you umm… this is nice.” He feels warm inside. He hasn’t hugged anyone like this in, well, he hasn’t really had any physical contact much with anyone at all in a very long time.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Gingi pulls away and sits down next to Randy, turning to face him. Randy trys not to look to disappointed by his newfound lack of warmth.
“Hey Randy”
“Hm?”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
Oh dear, Randy could feel his heart rate spiking by the second. Possible questions race through his head, a decent 93% of them being bad. Did he do something wrong? Oh god oh phone lord what is this about, Gingi never puts thought into anything, this must be absolutely serious. Randy settles with a simple “yes hon?” In response.
Gingi starts twiddling their fingers, in an uncharacteristic act of anxiety. Their tail flicks back and forth in agitation. “So like… I know I kinda manhandle you just a bit”
“A bit?”
“Okay kind of a lot. And I’ve been thinking, which is a very painful and strenuous process, as you know.”
“Yes, I’m well aware.” Randy has no idea where this is going, and frankly, its mildly terrifying.
“Well uhhhhhh-
Okay so-
So what I’m getting at is…
So I know I’m not the most emotionally or socially domesticated creature. But uhhhhh… I thought I should ask.”
Randy sat there looking at Gingi patiently.
“Uhhhh. How much… touching is allowed.”
“What?!” Randy, caught entirely off guard, turns a bit red.
“Okay so that sounded incredibly sexual, which wasn’t the intent, but I guess that’s good to know too.” Gingi gives a thumbs up. “I mean like, the contact of the physical kind. Like violence but gentle. Y’know, like the gentle tackling, the gentle yanking you around by the hand, the gentle hitting… y-y’know?!” Gingi is panicking, starting to feel that they are loosing Randy.
“O-oh! You mean like… physical affection? Like h-holding hands? Or like hugging and s-stuff?” Randy was relieved to know what this was finally about. Gingi was asking about boundaries, in their own, Gingi sort of way. It was quite endearing. He didn’t think Gingi had the emotional intelligence to do that, they must be evolving. Randy didn’t know whether to be delighted or frightened.
“Y-yeah! Psychological affliction! That sounds about right.”
“Physical affection.”
“That’s what I said.”
“No, you said…”—Randy sighs—“never mind.”
“Okay well what’s your answer?”
Randal takes a deep breath. “Well, I’m just gonna state the obvious.” He puts his hands on his knees and bends over a bit, that thing he does whenever he’s about to say something self deprecating. “I… I am incredibly touch starved, and absolutely desperate for any physical contact you are willing to give, (excluding violence of course). You’ve seen that discarded body pillow from my old home in the dumpster. I was so desperate for the the warmth of another person I cuddled THAT every night while crying myself to sleep.” He puts his hand behind his neck and awkwardly looks away. “So uhhhh… yeah. Big fan of physical touch if you uhh, don’t mind.”
“Well geez Randy, if you were that desperate how come you never asked? Or like, tried to initiate it as much?”
“I- I- isn’t it incredibly obvious already!? I absolutely reek of loneliness and desperation.”
“Well- okay yeah. Ya got me there.”
Randy fidgets with his bandages. “It’s just… I… I’m afraid of coming on too strong, y’know? This is the first time in a LONG while that someone has been willing to be in my general vicinity for longer that five minutes. I don’t want to mess this up.” Randy sighs. “I just get worried, y’know?”
Gingi looks a bit surprised. “I’ve been scared of scaring YOU off like a mouse, with your strong prey-herbivore instincts and all. Y’know, how you’re sensitive, weak, overall fearful-“
“Okay, okay, I- I get it”
“Hey, I like those things about you. If I was was with an alpha male, I would be constantly fighting to assert my dominance.”
“W-what?”
“What I mean is… I really like you, my dear Randal.”
“O-oh. Th-thanks hun. I uhh, I… umm… I really like you too, m-my sweet!” Randy gives a goofy, but enthusiastic thumbs up.
“So now that you’ve admitted how incredibly touch starved and overall starved for human warmth you are,” Gingi pulls Randy into an aggressive hug, that cracks Randy’s spine, “that means you’ve condemned yourself to a life stuck with me; I shall forever cling to you like a parasite until our dying days.”
“O-oh, that doesn’t seem so bad—“
Gingi suddenly stands up, pulling Randy along with them. With a sweeping motion, the green cryptid puts their arm under Randy’s legs, resulting in a successful bridal carry.
“H-hun!?”
“I’ve just had a great idea!” Gingi carry’s him to the bedroom and throws him onto the bed, and then hops up on the bed themself, eagerly wagging their tail.
“G-g-gingi!?” Randy seems to turn a few shades redder, after being thoroughly manhandled and thrown onto the bed like the beginning of some porno.
The cryptid in question sprawls themself across the bed next to Randy. “Because of how overall pathetic you are, I’m assuming you’ve fantasized a lot about cuddling right?”
Randy looks like a deer in headlights. “m-maybe,” he says, avoiding Gingi’s gaze.
“Well how about we try out all of those cuddling positions you’ve cried yourself to sleep thinking about! Anything! Lay it on me!”
“Really??? Anything?”
“Oh ho ho, Randal my dear, I didn’t think you had it in you to be all suggestive and flirty like that, but I pick up what you’re laying down, I’m down to clown.” Gingi starts flirtatiously walking their fingers up Randy’s thigh.
“N-no! That not what I meant! I- I didn’t mean to imply-” Randy sighs in exasperation. “We already had sex in the tent! There’s nothing to be embarrassed about even if I did mean to imply that, WHICH I DIDN’T!!”
“Right, right.”
Randy gives a defeated sigh. “Could we maybe try, uhhh… spooning first?”
“Ha, a classic. Alright, come here little spoon!” They reach for Randy.
“W-why do assume I’m the little spoon?”
Gingi rests their chin on their hand looks at Randy.
“I could be a big spoon!” Randy says defensively.
“Do you want to?”
“W-well…”
“Randy, you are all in all a very fearful and sensitive person, in desperate need of comfort. And I am happy to hold you close and provide said comfort.”
“O-okay hun. Thanks I guess?”
“Plus, we both know you NOT a top, or dominant in any way, whatsoever. You are submissive and breedable in every way shape and form, just how I like it.”
“Please don’t say that ever again. What in phone lords name do you even mean by ‘breedable’!? How does that even work!? Y’know what, I don’t even wanna know.”
“Calm thyself. Just get over here.”
“Alright, alright”
Gingi wraps their arms around Randy and pulls him close, in a more gentle and tender manner than one might expect from from a green and feral cryptid. They gently pull him so their bodies are flush together, throwing a leg over Randy, tail gently wagging. The bottom arm sneaks under the pillow to wrap around and rest their hand on the top of Randy’s head. The other falls around Randy’s torso to rest their hand just over his heart, with a gentle and steady pressure to hold him snug to their chest.
Randy feels a pang in his chest at how this usually aggressive, outspoken, and feral person is holding him so tenderly with so much care and love. Randy starts fucking sobbing.
Gingi lifts their head slightly. “Randy? You okay? Is this okay?” The usual hard edge to their voice is gone, replaced with a gentle air of concern and softness.
“Y-yeah. Don’t let go. Please. This is… really, really nice.” He wipes some tears from his eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
“W-well… it’s just-“ Randy takes a deep, shaky breath, and slowly lets it out. “I’ve just… I’ve haven’t felt this safe, and loved, and accepted in a LONG, LONG time. Heck, who am I kidding, I’ve never felt like this before. It’s just… kinda hitting me all at once”
Gingi protectively pulls him even closer, absentmindedly wrapping their tail around his leg. “Y’know, it makes me feel all warm inside to make you feel safe and cared about. I don’t think I’ve felt this before either. I am generally uncaring of the well-being of others. Could this be… lovè?”
“You’re pronouncing it wrong, but uhhh, yeah. I lovè you too. Thank you, Gingi. For everything.”
And like that, Gingi holding Randy close, they fall into a comfortable silence, and drift off to sleep.