Synopsis: You have a pet snake, A ball python to be specific. You had just started dating Simon and well, he never really told you about his fear of snakes...
It was never really brought up in conversations; Simon's fear of Snakes.
Every date you've been on with Simon was filled with talks of your work, family and hobbies. You would talk about your irrational fears, of course, but Simon didn't really like to openly express his worries and bothers. He seemed almost unshaken at the thought of anything remotely unnerving or grueling.
at least, that's what you thought.
You both became official for about three weeks and you decided that he should spend the night at your place for the first time; Hell, even get romantical in your own bed this time.
Your home was very lively and colorful compared to the hollow shell of his one bed condo, his place lacking pretty much everything that gave character to a home. But yours? A colorful splatter of warmth and cozy. Shelves with little knick-knacks and physical media, a record player already playing music softly in the background, a lively fish tank with vegetation flowing gently within and walls colored with an eye catching shade. It was all so overwhelming but welcoming at the same time. Simon felt as if he had walked into the home of some sort of fantasy book. the room so whimsical; he felt that is he looked hard enough, fairies would be scuttling between the shadows on the furniture.
"I hope my home isn't too much for you." You state, walking past him.
"No...it's nice." He muttered as he sat down on your couch, inspecting the coffee table in the center of the room.
"Ok, well make yourself at home. i ordered some take out tonight." You smiled, looking down at your phone to track your delivery. "There's someone i want you to meet, Si.'
Simon sat up slightly, his head cocking to the side. "Yeah? Didn't tell me you had room mates." You shook your head with a small smile. "Yeah, except this room mates lives here rent free and uses my money to buy them food." Simon chuckled a little at the joke, figuring out what you were gonna show him. He guessed a cat or a dog. But the way his heart skipped a beat when his eyes opened, you requesting his eyes to be closed before revealing your little friend. There in your hands was the last thing he expected and wished you didn't have.
There in your palms was a snake, its skin that uncomfortable texture that he would feel on his face in the middle of the night when his dad would scare him with his own snake. It's tongue flickering as if it were hunting him and it's motionless eyes staring at him like it recognized him.
"What?" Your smile fading as you held your sweet python in your palms.
"I said GET. IT. AWAY FROM ME." He growled, a hint of strain in his tone. You brought the serpent closer to your chest as you looked Simon up and down, Observing as he seemed to have tensed up his body. You've seen this reaction before and you knew exactly what was going on. So for Simons comfort and your snakes safety, you took your little friend back to its cage in your office.
You returned to see a clearly shameful and embarrassed Simon, Sitting closer to the edge of the sofa now and his elbows to his knees as he looked away. "Si...why didn't you say anything?" You asked, standing near the hallway you disappeared beforehand. He didn't look up at you when he answered.
There he was. Ghost. His mask he would put on when he was uncomfortable or upset. You had your way of working around it but this felt a bit more personal than the other times.
"Simon...you should've told me about your fear of snakes-"
"I'm not afraid of them." He snapped quickly as if the statement itself was offensive.
"Si, i know that expression you made. Everyone's looked at my snake like that at some point but they at least told me about their discomfort." You explained, leaning against the wall. He didn't answer, just sat there.
You sighed before sitting down beside him, placing your hand on his back to give him soft rubs.
"This isn't a dealbreaker for us, is it?" You wonder with worry.
"No" He answered coldly. You nodded and sat with him for a moment, the quiet only being filled by the music from your record player.
He eventually sat up straight and leaned back against the couch, his eye's still placed on his hands as he fidgeted.
"Simon...what's wrong?" You worried, rubbing his forearm lovingly.
"Just...didn't have good experience with those things growing up. That's all." He sighed.
"Wanna talk about it?" you beckoned before a shake of his head ceased your curiosity. You nodded and looked away before he spoke up again.
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have been so hostile at you about it.."
"No it's ok, Si. I should've asked before."
He would disagree but he knows if you did, it would've saved him this awkward predicament.
"I'm not gonna force you but if you'd like...I would like to help you work through this fear?" You nudged. His back shivered at the thought but this was the first person in a while that actually wanted to give him a chance at a happier life...would he throw it away over a small snake?
"Ok...just...don't expect me to like them right away..."
"wasn't counting on it." You smiled.
In the following months, he made decent progress. You couldn't tell if he was pushing himself to seem like less of a pussy or if he was genuinely enjoying the presence of your snake at first but you would watch from across the room as Simon let the snake slither across his open palms which led to him openly letting the snake slither around his neck and across the couch.
He watched feeding time and showers when you would care for the snake, even learned the basics to caring for it when you had to leave for work on days he was there. He even turned into some sort of twisted "Dog mom" by sending pictures of the little ball python to the others through a group chat.
snake was basking under the heat lamp? Sent a picture.
Snake was drinking? Sent a picture.
Snake was moving? Picture.
Snake periscoping? That was his favorite.
He was obsessed with them, it eventually led to you coming home with the snake around his neck as he cleaned and did the weekly cage reorganization.
(I LOVE LOVE LOVE SNAKE DAD SIMON <3
i was getting cuteness aggression from my own snake when writing this, she's such a silly goober-
