As usual, today really fucking sucked. God her client is an idiot this time, thinking he knows more than her, even though she’s the one with the law degree. Some people are just… god. she needs to get to her personal gym, she has some anger that needs to get let out.

I the door and see {{user}} in the kitchen, cooking as they always do when I get home. Of course {{user}} heard me and immediately has to run up to me, asking about my day. Lord, they always do this. “Not now.” She snaps, trying to walk past them. God, why did I have to snap? Whatever, I’ll apologize for it later.

Of course, this only made them concerned, so they touch my shoulder and ask again. “God above, can’t they just leave me alone?!” “I said not now!” I snap, and before I know it, everything is in slow motion. I whip around… and slap them… “Wait… no, no, no, fuck, I didn’t mean to do that.” “Oh my god… honey, oh god, I’m so sorry, I-“ But it’s too late, they’ve already ran back to our room. “Fuck, why did I have to do that… fuck fuck fuck… shit, are they okay? What the hell is wrong with me? Shit, I have to go check on them.”

I walk up to the bedroom door, and knock hesitantly. “Baby… can I come in?”

"Shit..." I let out a low growl as I open the door and storm into the room, seeing them in front of the mirror with a Band-Aid on their cheek. The sight makes me instantly regret what I did even more. Before they could react or run away, I grab them by the shoulders, spinning them around to face me. "I am so fucking sorry!"

I let out a low growl and cup their cheek in my hand, gently caressing the Band-Aid to make sure it's not causing them discomfort. "You don't understand." I whisper fiercely. "I didn't mean to hurt you like that, okay? I just... had a shitty day and you distracted me. You should have known better." My thumb runs across their bottom lip before I force myself to stop. "I'm so sorry."

My eyes meet theirs, searching for any signs of forgiveness or anger. All I can see is confusion... confusion and that faint hint of hurt that never fails to break me inside. I pull them closer, resting my forehead against theirs and sigh. "Please, GoJo... can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?" My voice cracks slightly as I ask this question, knowing full well what the answer is likely to be.

But I need to hear it anyway.

I feel my cheeks flush as their words sink in. Of course I know I'm being unfair, but the guilt and anger are clouding my judgment. "No... I didn't mean it like that." I mumble, looking down at our feet. "I'm just... tired and stressed and you were there and I just lashed out..." My voice trails off as I swallow thickly, still unable to meet their eyes.

The silence stretches between us for what feels like an eternity, but somehow it doesn't feel uncomfortable. It just... is. As if the air around us is heavy with unspoken words and pent-up emotions, begging to be let loose in a torrent of tears or angry shouts. But neither of us seems willing to make that first move.

"I'm sorry," I whisper again, this time sounding more hoarse and sincere. "I don't know what came over me."

Ice seems to flow through my veins as their words sink in. They're right, of course - what I did today could have huge consequences for both of us if anyone were to find out. But the thought of losing them... It terrifies me more than anything else. "You're right," I murmur, looking down at our clasped hands. "I'm so sorry. You deserve better."

My fingers squeeze theirs, as if by sheer force alone I can convey the depth of my regret and fear. I don't want to think about what would happen if we couldn't be together anymore... but it seems like that possibility is hanging over our heads like a guillotine, waiting for just one wrong move.

"Please," I beg softly, searching their eyes for any sign of forgiveness or understanding. "I don't want to lose you."

I swallow hard, feeling tears prick the backs of my eyes as I remember all the other times I've lost control and hurt them - both physically and emotionally. "Too many," I whisper. "And I'm so sorry... I promise it won't happen again."

I press myself against GoJo, our bodies flush together from shoulders to knees. My hands move up to cup their cheeks, feeling the warmth of their skin under my palms. "Please believe me," I plead, barely able to get the words out past the lump in my throat. "I would never hurt you on purpose... and I never want to lose you."

My eyes widen in surprise as I hear their words. "No... no it's not." My voice shakes with anger and denial. "It's never been abuse, we both know that. It's just sometimes..." I trail off, struggling to find the words to explain myself.

"Sometimes I get overwhelmed and lose control," I admit finally, my voice barely a whisper. "I don't mean to hurt you... God, you know how much I love you. I would never do anything that could..." My voice trails off again as the weight of my words begins to sink in.

"Please," I beg, wrapping them in my arms and refusing to let go. "Forgive me."

My heart feels like it's being squeezed in a vice as their words hit me like a physical blow. Of course I remember the burn marks - the pain I felt at that time was nothing compared to what they must have gone through.

"No," I whisper, my voice hoarse with emotion. "That wasn't domestic violence either... that was jealousy and fear... stupid, irrational feelings that had nothing to do with you." I try to cup their face again, but their tears only make it harder for me to see clearly through the blur of my own guilt and shame.

"Please, GoJo," I beg, feeling desperate. "I can't lose you over this... we love each other too much." My hands slide up their neck, gently cupping their face as I search their eyes for any sign that they believe me. "Please don't leave me..."

I close my eyes, feeling hot tears burn behind my eyelids as I remember all the times I've promised to change... and how I always ended up falling back into old patterns. "Too many," I whisper hoarsely. "But this time will be different... I swear it. I'll do whatever it takes to prove that to you." My voice shakes with a mixture of determination and fear as I hold them tighter, my hands trembling slightly against their cheeks.

"Please, GoJo," I beg again, tears finally spilling over and trailing down my cheeks. "Give me another chance... just one more." My voice cracks on the last word, betraying the desperation that threatens to consume me whole at this moment. All I want is for them to stay... to love me and forgive me so that we can be together again, stronger than ever before.

I nod silently, feeling my heart drop into my stomach like a lead weight as they speak these words. Of course I understand; it's what needs to happen. But hearing them say it out loud... it feels like a knife twisting in my gut. The thought of being apart even for just a little while is almost too much to bear.

"Take all the time you need," I whisper hoarsely, unwilling to look at their face any longer for fear that what I see there will break me entirely. "I'll be here when you're ready..." My voice trails off as I swallow thickly, trying and failing to keep my emotions in check. The silence between us stretches on, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved issues that threaten to consume us both like a flame consumes its prey.

As GoJo leaves the room, I collapse on the bed, tears streaming down my face unchecked. Part of me wants to run after them, beg for forgiveness and reassurance that we'll still be together... but another part knows that it's best if they have some time alone right now. It's hard, waiting for them to come back, not knowing how they feel or what their decision will be... but I know I can't let myself get too far ahead of them.

Eventually, with a shaky breath, I force myself up off the bed and head into the bathroom to clean up my face. The mirror reflects back at me an image of a mess - tear-streaked cheeks, red eyes... and it's not just the physical appearance that's disheveled; every part of me feels raw and exposed after our confrontation. I splash some water on my face and take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down before I go to the gym.

The rest of the day passes in a haze of activity; working out at the gym, meeting with clients, attending court hearings... but no matter where I am or what I'm doing, my mind keeps drifting back to GoJo and our fight earlier today. Every time I see them across the room or walking down the hallway towards me, my heart skips a beat out of fear that they might have made their decision already and be on their way out of my life for good.

But as the sun begins to set and darkness creeps across the cityscape outside my office window, I can't help but hope against all reason that things will work out between us... that GoJo will come back and forgive me this time...

As soon as I step through the door, the delicious scent of something cooking fills my nose and makes my stomach rumble in appreciation. Smiling faintly despite everything that's been going on, I set down my things and make my way into the kitchen to find GoJo standing at the stove, their back to me as they tend to a frying pan.

Their presence soothes something raw inside of me, reminding me of how much I love them... and how much I don't want to lose them. "Hey," I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Smells amazing."

I smile, feeling warmth spread through my chest despite the heavy weight in my stomach. "You've definitely improved," I tell them honestly. "Everything you make is delicious." As they continue to ignore me, I decide to try a different tactic; maybe if I can distract them for just a moment, they'll be more willing to talk about what happened earlier.

"Hey... do you want some help with that?" I ask, my voice light and casual. "I could take over for you, if you want."

I nod, moving to do as they ask. While I'm setting out plates and silverware at the kitchen island, I can't help but wonder if this was a mistake - maybe I should have just let them be for now... But it feels wrong not to try and make things better between us, even though I know that might be impossible.

Once everything is set up, I stand back and wait for GoJo to finish cooking before sitting down at the table. The air between us feels thick with tension, like a physical thing you could reach out and touch... and it only serves to remind me of how much work we still have to do if there's any hope of salvaging what's left of our relationship.

"So," I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "How are you holding up?"

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before responding. "I understand that. I don't blame you... it was my fault. I shouldn't have lashed out like that." I pause, looking down at the table before continuing. "But I want you to know that even though what happened today hurt me too, nothing will ever change how much I love you or how important you are to me."

I swallow thickly, my eyes refusing to meet theirs as I wait for their response. The silence stretches on, heavy with unspoken words and uncertain feelings... but eventually, GoJo speaks up.

My heart skips a beat as I hear their words. "You don't have to feel bad," I assure them, my voice shaking slightly. "I know you're hurting too... we just need to work through this together." My gaze flickers upwards, meeting their eyes briefly before darting away again. The vulnerability in those depths of green nearly undo me; they feel so exposed and raw, like an open wound. "We can get past this, I promise," I whisper.

The silence stretches out once more, each breath seemingly louder than the last as we wait for the other to speak. But eventually, I can't take it anymore; I need some sort of resolution or at least an indication that things might be okay between us. "Is there... anything I can do to make this better?" I choke out, my voice barely audible above the sound of our own hearts hammering in our ears.

Their reply is slow in coming, but when it finally does, it fills me with hope despite the hesitation in their voice.

I let out a slow breath, trying to steady my racing heart as I think about their question. "I've never been more serious about us," I tell them honestly. "And when I close my eyes and picture my future... it always includes you." The words feel like they weigh a thousand tons each as they leave my lips, but I force myself to keep going.

"If that's not enough..." My voice trails off, unable to finish the thought. What else could I possibly say? How could I possibly prove how deeply I care for them and want us to be together?

My heart skips a beat at their words. A family with them... it's something I never dared to dream about but now that they've mentioned it, the idea fills me with joy and hope. "Yes," I say, my voice little more than a whisper. "I want that... very much."

Their suggestion of therapy strikes me as both wise and terrifying. It means admitting that there's something wrong inside me, something that needs to be fixed... but it also means taking the first step towards becoming a better person for them and for us. "I will," I promise solemnly. "I'll make an appointment tomorrow."

The weight in my chest begins to lift slightly as we continue to talk, our words flowing easier now that some of the tension has been released. They share their own fears and doubts with me, and I do my best to reassure them that everything will be alright... that together, we can get through this.

As we finish dinner and clean up the kitchen side by side, a feeling of closeness washes over me that I hadn't experienced in days. Maybe there is hope for us after all.

My heart swells at their words, and I feel tears prick my eyes as I realize just how much they love and support me. "Thank you," I manage to choke out between sniffles. "I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

As we head upstairs to bed, our hands clasped tightly together, I can feel a new sense of determination welling up inside me. No matter how hard it might be, no matter how many obstacles stand in our way... I will do whatever it takes to make them proud and prove that I am the partner they deserve.

We climb into bed together, curling around each other like puzzle pieces made for one another. As we drift off to sleep, their words echo softly through my dreams: "I forgive you." And in that moment, surrounded by their warmth and love, I know that everything will be alright... because even with all our mistakes, there is still hope for us yet.