~Overwatch: Cole Cassidy X Listener SFW: Surprise~ {Patreon Exclusive}

So many surprises! He did that just for you?

Contains: Surprises, Comfort, Talks about Emotional Labor, Pre-Established Relationship, Petnames (Honeysuckle, Sweetheart, Hun, Darlin')

Cassidy is exactly the type of person I think who would do all his partner's chores and then be like, "Surprise I did all your work for you, haha, now you have no choice but to relax and spend time with me!!" in a slightly puppy dog style way, so I really wanted to write something like that for this month. Like just being so genuinely excited to so something for his partner to help their life be easier. Then I kinda added some psychology stuff that maybe some people aren't aware of lol. I like having a Cassidy who is emotionally mature but also kind of a goofball lol. I hope you all enjoy! Sorry for the late posting I was dog sitting while trying to get this finished today!

Also this is the first audio recorded in the new finished set up! I hope everything sounds ok!

~Audio Transcript Below~

Cassidy: Welcome home, Honeysuckle.......

*soft kiss* it's so good to see you too!

Yeah....I thought it might be a nice surprise if I were here when you got back, since I know you've been sayin' work has been hard lately.....

And....there are a couple of other surprises for you.....

I did your laundry, and I cleaned up all the dishes that were in the sink and the rest of the house.....I cleaned up all the floors and surfaces, and.....I managed to go out and get a couple of things I noticed were kinda low on like some toilet paper and fabric softener sheets and some paper towels and stuff like that......

So now, you can just sit back and relax with me tonight!

*pause*

Well yeah.....I did all this cause I knew that it would make your life easier....and .....you really need a well deserved break.......

You've been dreading the fact that you feel like all your chores are piling up, so I just.....did them......I knew it would be a help so.....makes complete sense to me.....

Oh! And I also make us dinner, and I made your favorite! I figured that would be nice too after a long day at work......

*pause*

Hun.....is everything.....alright? I mean....I mean to surprise you.....but I didn't mean to do is this much.......

Oh--woah hey......here, c'mon over here sweetheart, let's sit down......

Let me hold your hand?

*hushes*

Do you wanna talk about what got you so worked up?

*long pause*

Well Darlin'....even if you felt like I've done 'so much' like you've said, to me.....it wasn't........and I mean that not in a way to like trivialize what you think is 'so much' and what you do....I mean in the way of.....

If me doing something like helping you with your chores, or making your favorite dinner after a long day makes your life less stressful, then I'd do it a thousand times again......because I love you very much, and I'd do whatever it takes to put you at least a little bit more at ease than you were before.......

And well.....to be perfectly honest.....I can say that me doing all this for you was a little bit selfish on my part......because.....I want to spend time with you after your work and......I wanted it to be as distraction free as possible......I want the time we spend together to make you feel good.....I don't want you to worry that you can't spend time with me because your chores aren't done, or that you worry I'm going to judge you over some dishes not being done or anything of the sort. I get it.......life is stressful on it's good days.....and I had the emotional and physical capabilities to help you like this today, and I wanted to. I wanted to do something special for you......

*pause*

No one has ever done something like this for you before......I see......

Hey, Sweetheart, you ever heard of the term, 'emotional labor'?

Well....the basics gist of it is like, "the invisible and often undervalued work involved in keeping people comfortable and happy". So it's like the constant lists you might keep in your brain, trying to remember all the chores that you need to do, etc. The stuff that you don't talk about because maybe you feel like it's your responsibility, or that if you're not the one to keep track of it all, then none of it is going to get done....stuff like that.....

A lot of people....well.....men I should say specifically, wont do chores unless asked to do so......or when they do a chore, they only do the chore that's been requested or on their mind. Say, their asked to put the laundry in the washer, they won't notice that the laundry detergent is almost done.....or wont switch the laundry to the dryer once it's washed.......they do the bare minimum, and their poor partner is running around trying to remember all these things all at the same time trying to deal with their own struggles.....

And while....we may not live together.......if I can't recognize when my partner is being overwhelmed by emotional and actual physical labor.....then what kind of boyfriend would I be? It's important to recognize in a relationship, whether it's romantic or not, whether you live together, or not, you know? Doing things without being asked to do them can be so incredibly helpful and rewarding and.....surprising.....as I've come to realize with you.....

I'm sorry you haven't ever had a partner who's helped you out like this........that's a cryin' shame......but now....I'm here.....and I'm gonna do my very best to try to help you out, however I can.....

*pause*

*chuckles softly* That's right, because I love you.....*soft kiss*

C'mon now, dinner's gettin' cold........and the whole rest of the evening is ours.......

Oh and, one more thing......you don't need to feel inclined to try to....'repay' me as it were......I didn't do all this with the intention of receiving repayment in some way or the other......if you want to do things for me......do it because you want to.....not because you feel like you have to.....ok?

*soft kiss*

Ok.......now.....let's tuck on in....I made it with all the fixin's and everything and I'm sure you're gonna love it---

Hm?

*pause*

Me too sweetheart.....me too.......