Setting Boundaries
Hi welcome to indulgent writing featuring your personal care unit Moon. :)
TW: Implied toxic friendships
Blue fingers wrapped around the cellphone in your hands and plucked it from your grasp.
"Hey!" You frowned, rising from the couch to try and snag your device back from the towering animatronic. He gave a soft tsk, tucking your phone out of sight.
"Ah ah ah," Moon wagged his finger. "You've been making faces at your accursed device for an hour. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," you crossed your arms, sinking back onto the couch. Moon gave you a skeptical look, head tilting dramatically to one side.
"Nothing."
"Nothing," you insisted.
"I did not know you could cry over nothing," he mused, sinking onto the couch beside you. He flipped, letting his legs curl over the back while his back and head came to rest on the floor. You looked down at his face.
"...I'm not crying," you wiped at your eyes.
"You're a bad liar," he rolled his eyes in response. "Why are you upset?"
"I'm just..." You sighed, picking up one of the couch's throw pillows and wrapping your arms around it. "Am I a bad friend?"
"No," Moon said immediately. "The only thing you are bad at is taking care of yourself. Which is why we are here." He tilted his head, causing the bell on his cap to jingle.
"...Yeah," you nodded. "I guess."
"Someone told you you were a bad friend?" Moon wrapped one of his cool hands around your wrist. You allowed him to pull your hand closer, relaxing as he began to trace the lines on your palm. He knew it was always easier on you to talk if he wasn't looking right at you.
"They didn't say that, exactly. But I mean... They were venting and I guess I just... didn't respond the way they wanted or something. I don't know."
The lunar animatronic was silent a moment.
"Is this the same person who was venting to you yesterday?" He traced out the shape of a moon on your palm.
"Yeah, but-
"Shh. Were they also the person who was venting to you on Monday?"
"Well, yes, but-
"How often do you listen to this person vent?"
"...It's not that often-
"Oh yes it is," Moon rose from the floor to stand over you, arms crossed. "This is the third time this week. You aren't a therapist- you're actually in therapy." He huffed.
"I can't help it," you groaned, "I mean- it just seems like they don't have anyone else to talk to..." Looking at your lap, you sighed.
"Well, they can't talk to you all the time. You need breaks. You need time to yourself to decompress. I respect that you care about your friends, starlight, but you have to set boundaries. You look exhausted and it's barely eight o'clock." With that, Moon turned and walked out of the room. For a moment, you thought he was actually mad at you.
But a few moments later, he returned to you and wrapped a blanket around you. With a soft sigh, he turned on the TV- something that surprised you, since Moon didn't care for television- and put on a cartoon you'd probably spent way too much time telling him about.
As the theme song washed over you, you felt yourself relax a little more. Moon patted your head.
"If you are always carrying others' burdens, you will burn out," Moon said gently. You watched him walk into the kitchen. The sound of the burner clicking on hit your ears.
Soon enough, Moon was returning with a cup of tea, settling himself on the couch beside you. He passed you the cup of tea with a soft smile.
"You need to set boundaries with your friends. Tell them when you need a break. The constant strain will damage your friendships." Moon turned his attention to the television.
"What if they get mad at me?" You gripped the mug a little tighter, feeling a lump form in your throat.
"If they cannot respect your boundaries, they are not your friends," Moon said, tone clipped.
You shrank, looking down into the mug with a sigh. Moon sighed in turn.
"I'm not upset with you. It just seems like this 'friend' is really weighing on you. It bothers us." He folded his hands in his lap, looking apologetic.
Setting your tea aside, you scooted closer to Moon. He wrapped an arm around you, humming softly.
"I don't know how I keep getting into these situations," you mused, fixing your eyes on the floor as the colorful characters on screen laughed at a joke you'd heard a hundred times before.
"I just want my friends to be happy, you know? But before I know it, I'm taking on everything... I wonder sometimes if that's part of why I retreated in the first place." You looked over to the window.
Moon was quiet for a moment, rubbing tender circles in your back. He knew what you meant by retreating- the very reason he and Sun had been assigned to you in the first place.
Before he could respond, you continued.
"Where did I go wrong? Why is it that everyone can talk to me but I can't seem to talk to anyone? Why am I like this?" As you spoke, you felt the sting of tears at the edges of your vision. But you couldn't stop.
"I just- I don't get it. It always ends up this way. Why do I even try?" You laughed bitterly as the first hot tears slipped down your cheeks.
"What do I do? How do I fix this? It doesn't matter how many times I say I'm tired or that I need a break, we always circle back to me carrying everything with a stupid smile on my face." You buried your face in your hands, sobbing as you let it all pour out of you.
Cool fingers pulled your hands from your face. Moon gently cupped your cheeks, the chill of his hands soothing your burning face.
"If you are the one always taking care of everyone, who is taking care of you?" His voice was much softer than before. "You have to set boundaries. You have to maintain those boundaries. And... if it comes to it... you have to let go of the people who won't respect those boundaries." He sighed, watching you struggle to catch your breath.
"I know," you sighed. "I just... don't know how."
"We'll work on that together. But for now, let's focus on calming down. Breathe with me."
"You don't even breathe-
"Then breathe for me," Moon said immediately. "In."
You drew a breath in, feeling the way the cold air filled your lungs.
"Hold." Moon wiped the tears from your face. You could feel a sting in your chest as you waited to exhale.
"Out." He let your face go, reaching past you to pick up your mug while you let go of a shaky breath. Moon pressed the mug of lukewarm tea into your hands.
"Good. In."
You drew in another breath. Held it. And let it go. Moon made you do it twice more before urging you to drink your tea. You fixed your gaze on the television as you sipped at honey-rich chamomile.
Settling back into his spot, Moon let go of a sigh.
"...Who takes care of you?" You looked over at Moon. "If you take care of me."
Moon hummed, looking at you for a moment.
"I don't think I need to be taken care of, most of the time." He shrugged. "...Seeing you doing well puts me at ease, so just focus on that, hm?" He focused on the television. You quietly scooted closer to him, leaning against him as the credits rolled. He wrapped his arm around you, smiling softly.
When you glanced up at him, he was focused on the television. You smiled, feeling grateful for his presence.