Though it was early afternoon, the air was chilly and Mordecai shivered as he breathed out a white puff of smoke. He slowly paced back and forth in a little circle, empty hand in his hoodie pocket. The leaves on the trees were different tints of red and orange and the smell of Pumpkin Spice anything could be detected even from where he was. This was still preferable over the hot and stickiness that Summer brought. He could've opted for sitting in the car, but he didn't want the interior to smell like cigarettes.

Rigby finally emerged from the building, obviously trying to hide the fact that he looked like he just got hit by a bus. Mordecai dropped his cigarette on the road, flattening it with the toe of his Vans sneaker. For a second there was just silence. Mordecai looked down at Rigby, while Rigby looked down at his own shoes. The taller didn't say anything; he waited until he was ready to talk.

"Lindy wants to put me on new meds." A pause.

"New, expensive, meds."

That was it. Mordecai had picked Rigby up from enough therapy sessions to know whether it went well or not just by deliberating his body language. But this seemed a bit foreign. This seemed like it affected Rigby a whole lot more than Mordecai would've assumed. He wiped his eye with the back of his hand, and that's when Mordecai knew it was time to step in.

"You think Benson'll give you more work?" The shorter shrugged.

"I dunno, man. It's not even the price. It's just…" he took a breath. "It feels like there's something wrong with me."

That sentence hit Mordecai in the chest like a rock. He knew that Rigby wasn't the most emotionally stable person, and he knew that he was really just trying his best. He understood that something like that could be seen as a setback, especially since he'd been going to his current therapist for a few months now. Rigby looked at him, like he was expecting him to say something. Mordecai leaned down and kissed him on the lips. He hoped that gave Rigby at least a little bit of solace, since he didn't really know what to say.

"Wanna go back home and nap?" Mordecai asked. With a nod, they climbed into the car. The ride back to the park was a silent one; silent, but comfortable. Mordecai glanced to the side at Rigby while they were stopped at a red light. He had put his feet up on the seat, and was leaning on the door. It hurt to see him so broken, lost. Every time Mordecai looked at him, it was as if he was trying to scream, knowing he needed attention but his own voice became lost underneath the thick layers of insecurities. Rigby probably thought the whole thing was bullshit, and he probably didn't think Mordecai was affected by it as much as he was. He often thought very little of himself, and that totally crushed Mordecai. He didn't want his best friend to feel this way.

After arriving at the park, Mordecai killed the engine but stayed in the car. He let his hands slide from the steering wheel and drop down to his sides. He wanted to say something to comfort him. He wanted to say something to make it all better. Seeing Rigby like this was so draining and depressing. Mordecai wanted to help, but he feared his attempts would be overbearing.

"Do you wanna… talk about it?" he asked. There was no reply. Rigby just looked at him, then back down at his knees. Mordecai took that as a "no," mentally kicking himself for asking such a weak question. Rigby seemed like he wasn't in the mood to anyway. He sighed, taking the key out of the ignition.

"Okay, Baby." A hint of pink diffused Rigby's cheeks, and he got out of the car. Mordecai sat there in the driver's seat for a few more minutes. He couldn't tell whether he was helping him or just being a half-ass of a boyfriend. Rigby's been a walking shell of his former self these past few months, so it was possible he wasn't even getting through to him at all.

He went around the house to find Skips in his room, meditating. He walked in, closing the door behind him. Skips looked like he was expecting Mordecai to consult him. He was always one to read people well; he understood how people worked. By that, Skips found out about the two of them pretty early on. He was the only one at the park who knew.

"Skips can I… can I ask you something?" He nodded, silently encouraging him to continue.

"It's about Rigby. It's like, he's not even himself anymore and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix it." Skips stood up.

"Look, Mordecai. Rigby's at a point right now where he doesn't want to be saved. He doesn't want help from anyone, because he thinks he can do it alone." He put his hand on the other's shoulder.

"He just needs someone. You have to show him that you're there for him." Mordecai nodded, smiling crookedly at him as a "thank you." Skips always knew best.

Mordecai went inside the house, sneaking upstairs in case Rigby had already fallen asleep. He saw him lying there unconscious, in Mordecai's bed. That sight was a little reassuring; he just hoped he could convey his efforts to Rigby like Skips had said. He knew he was going through a rough patch right now.

Mordecai replaced his skinny jeans with a pair of sweatpants and crawled in under the covers behind Rigby. For a moment he laid on his side, just watching his body rise and fall with the cycle of steady breaths. His beautifully tanned skin was additionally lustrous under the shift of the midday sun. It had kept its light sun-kissed pigment from the previous months, and Mordecai loved the way it looked against his own ashen flesh.

Uncontrollably, Mordecai wrapped his arms around Rigby's torso, holding him so firmly to his own body. He buried his face in the other's neck, breathing him in. Rigby had this earthy scent that steadied Mordecai's pulse and crinkled his toes. He loved the way Rigby smelled.

Sleep soon clouded over him, drifting his body away from consciousness while his grasp on Rigby remained. The feeling of their close intimacy never left as Mordecai fell into a deep, much needed rest. His dreams soon reached him, planting pictures of the other in his mind. He saw his deep brown eyes, his freckles on his face, his bright smile. Mordecai loved the way Rigby smiled. He was glad he had his memories, because Rigby didn't do much of that these days.

A/N: If you made it this far, thank you for reading & I hope you liked it! This was originally gonna be a one shot, but I think I might turn it into an actual story. I'm actually procrastinating on another story by writing this one, which is super horrible and I feel bad x_x Updates will be slow but they will come :) (you know if I end up doing something with this) Have a lovely week! xx