God, he was tired. So tired. Daniel hadn't slept right in weeks. But he had to go on. He swiped the last few items over the scanner at the self-checkout and tossed them in the shopping bag. Mopping solution, bathroom cleaner, bleach, and a few pre-made frozen meals to see him through the rest of the week. Paid up. The human turned and wandered toward the exit while going through his plans for the week. Class on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. Work every night but Friday. The professor had been emailing him about--

"Ow! What the fuck--woah!" The opossum Daniel stumbled into cursed and tried to jump back, but all she managed to do is put the end of her tail under his foot. She tottered, hanging on the edge of losing balance for a moment, before she went down. Half her grocery bags went flying, sending her groceries scattering over the floor.

Dan, on the other hand, managed to stay on his feet. He stared dumbly at the opossum woman on the floor before him. "Sorry," he said by reflex. "Sorry, sorry, sorrysorry." The words come out repeatedly as he stooped to start scooping up whatever she dropped. Daniel worked blindly, taking whatever he could and tossing it into a bag until it's full.

"Hey." The opossum knocked him out of his automatic response and he halted in the middle of reaching for a bunch of bananas. "You gonna help me up or what?"

Shit. Dumbass. Way to help the inanimate groceries first you fuck up. "Yeah, sorry, here." Daniel reached out for the opossum's paw and hauled her easily to her feet. Befitting her species, she was short, only four feet at the top of her rounded ears, and bottom heavy. Dressed as casually as Daniel was, she had a plain white tank-top, and bluejeans torn up at the knees. Completing the look were two studs and a bar piercing in each ear. Daniel liked the style. "Sorry," he appended another apology for staring, and handed over the bag he had half-filled. "Sorry for tripping you. You okay?"

"You don't need to keep apologizing. You said it once." The opossum started to pick up the rest of her lost produce until the two of them had it all gathered.

"Sorr--Uh--Yeah. Right. Just--"

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for helping me pick it up." She sniffed and shook her head. Her ruby-red eyes narrowed, looking closer at the human. "You alright man? You look--"

"Fine! Uh, fine. I'm fine. Just tired. Night shifts, you know?" He chuckled weakly and shook your head. Daniel knew he looked like shit. Wrinkled clothes you slept in, bloodshot eyes that stung whenever he blinked, a scraggly beard born of neglect. "Well, uh, I shouldn't waste any more of your time. Have a good one."

The opossum flicked an ear, and picked her tail up off the ground to turn for the exit. Of course, Daniel was right behind her, and found himself standing under the store's awning, staring out at the downpour that had sprung up while he was shopping. "Fuckin' course, just my luck," he muttered as he leaned out long enough to soak his head thoroughly.

"Yeah. No shit." The opossum laughed wryly. "I got lucky, I'm right there." She pointed with her tail at an older looking sedan parked only a few spots from the front of the lot.

Daniel sighed. "Walked. I'll wait it out."

The opossum hissed. "Oof. Shit luck dude." She didn't know the half of it. She didn't know any of it. Daniel had to suppress a wave of emotion before he said something rude.

Instead he let out a deflated "See ya," as he slumped against the wall. The opossum waved her tail and ran off through the rain. About right. Daniel was better off on his own at that moment. Nothing to do about it. He looked at the torrent of rain and after a moment resolved himself to walk it. Daniel couldn't afford to wait. Still more work he'd have to do for tomorrow. He pushed off the wall and took a deep breath to move on. It was only a few blocks.

"Hey!" The opossum's sedan rolled up in front of Dan. She leaned over the passenger seat and plucked the lock open. "You want a ride man?"

Daniel would have fucking loved one. "Nah, I'm alright, don't worry about it." She didn't need to waste her time with him.

"Come on, you got no fur. You'll fuckin' die out there." She opened the door and shoved it open.

"Racist." Despite his mocking chide, Daniel accepted the offer and slid into the passenger seat. "Thanks. I'm just down Sycamore and then on Roe."

The opossum nodded and put the car in gear, rolling off out of the parking lot and down the road. "I'm Annie." Her fur was slicked down, already soaked through by the short walk to the car. Her tail fumbled blindly at the heater control.

"Dan. Thanks again."

"Don't worry about it man. Looks like you needed a hand." Annie gave Daniel a grin out the side of her muzzle. "Try to pay it forward, you know?"

Daniel scoffed. "They made you watch that movie in middle school too, huh?"

"Eighth grade, 'life skills' class. Roe's here, right?"

"The one after this stop sign. You can let me off at the corner though." He pointed the way and get ready to hop out. Daniel didn't want her seeing his home.

"I'll take you all the way. Unless you're scared I'm a serial killer." She gnashed her teeth, then laughed and shook her head. "Or do you think I'm gonna root through your garbage?"

"No! No I wouldn't think that!" Daniel flinched, failing to recognize the joke in her second remark in time.

"Eesh, on edge much?" Annie raised a brow at him.

Daniel sighed, "Tired, I guess. Just work and class, then work and class, and home is--" Fuck. No. Shut up. Idiot. Fuck.

Thankfully Daniel's home rolled into view, the town home just the same as the two flanking it. He pointed it out. "There. That's the place. Thanks."

Annie leaned up to look it over. "Live with your family?"

He used to. "N--Yes. Yeah. Thanks for the ride Annie." He had to get out of there immediate before he talked more, like a goddamn mongrel. The door clicked open and Daniel was halfway out into the rain when she stopped him with a question.

"Sure you're alright man?"

Daniel was struck by an odd feeling, and he smiled wide. "No." With a laugh, he stepped out of the car. Part of him felt good to admit it, but it felt better to get away with it. Get away back to the empty house.

But he didn't get away. Something wrapped around Daniel's wrist, keeping just his hand still in the car. He looked back to see Annie had grabbed him with her tail, and stared at him. "What's wrong?"

He shook your head. "It's nothing. A joke. I was kidding. I'm fine."

Still staring. Her eyes were wide and earnest. She frowned. "You don't seem fine. Sit down." So Daniel did, letting himself be dragged back into the car. He sat with legs dangling out the door. It felt good just to rest a little longer. "What's the matter?"

"You don't want to know. It's a lot. Long story." How many excuses was Daniel going to come up with? None that were gonna work. Annie just kept looking at him with that look of concern on her face. "You really wanna know?"

"Yeah."

Daniel sighed and drew your legs up into the car again, turning so he wouldn't have to twist his neck so much to look at her. He supposed he could give her some of the lighter stuff. "It's just...all piling on, you know? I got class, and I got school, and I got other stuff I'm taking care of." Annie nodded her head, but stayed silent. "And it's like, this is stuff I was doing--doing okay for a while. But it's not--it wears you down, y'know? This shit just keeps on going and I can't just stop and take a break." God he needed sleep. "Cause they need me, you know? Cause if I stop working then I can't pay for school, and I can't pay for food and stuff. But then I'm working all night and I'm too tired for school so it's fucking my grades up." He was rambling, but he couldn't stop it. The floodgates were open. "And even when I'm home I can't fucking take a break. It's just me so I gotta keep the place clean, and cut the grass, and let the people in, and--and I got the homework. I--heh--I should be working on that now! But just--I need some time. Thirty seconds when I'm not working or studying or cleaning or driving from one to another." All the while Daniel vomited out a torrent of woes, Annie just stared and listened intently. "And like, my brother and sister just fucked off. Left me on my own. And I can--I get it, y'know? Cause they have their own shit, and their own lives to deal with, and I can't just put my own shit on them. If my mom--"

He gasped. The tears started flowing. A choked sob wracked Daniel's body and he struggled to breathe. God please don't do this. It was not fair. "M-my mom--" He couldn't get the words out. His hands come up to his face, trying to wipe away the tears that refused to stop. Another attempt to speak died in a full sob.

It hurt. It hurt and he can't make it stop. Daniel just had to stand tall and keep working and keep fighting like the pain isn't there. Every day. Because they needed him to be strong. Because she would have wanted him to be strong.

A paw rested on Daniel's shoulder, gently drawing the human over to the side. His face was pressed into the damp cotton of Annie's tank-top, and her paws stroked his hair. "I have you. I have you." She murmured as she held Daniel to her chest. Shameless, he cried into her and held onto her. For what seemed like hours he sat there, letting himself be held by a stranger as she comforted him and hummed in his ear.

As deep as he was hurting, the tears couldn't last forever. In time Daniel regained control of his breathing, and slowly pulled back to his own seat. Annie kept her tail wrapped around his hand, squeezing it gently. "Thanks." Daniel sniffled. Annie blinked. "Why'd you...?" He couldn't finish the question, but Annie understood.

"Because you needed it."