A/N: Hey guys! Here's part 2 from the last chapter as promised! Hope you like it!
The conversation would need to be a productive one. It was so easy to have a not productive conversation that doesn't really solve anything or lead to anything except a repeat of everything that was a problem before.
Most fights about something small actually about something big and the challenge is to look past the small thing and find the real reason behind it all.
"I'm sorry you feel like I pick at you to do things. I don't mean to it's just-" she paused.
"It's just, I feel like I am not being heard so I repeat it often and when it doesn't happen, I feel ignored." She stopped and looked at him carefully.
The hug had ended and they were sitting on the couch facing each other. The anger had dissipated and they were able to finally talk.
Percy sighed. "I'm sorry I make you feel that way. I do listen, it's just annoying-" He stopped himself and tried to rephrase his sentence.
"I feel rushed or…overbear-ed, if that's a word, when you repeat those things."
"I feel like I'm not capable…or dumb."
He stopped to look at her.
She was staring with horror and guilt and immediately grabbed his hands and pulled him onto her lap.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never want to make you feel that way."
"I know."
There was the silence once again as they both tried to sort out their thoughts.
She felt horrible, he knows that, he could see it on her face, in the way she gripped his hands.
"I will try to stop repeating things and nagging you," she said finally after a short period of silence.
"And I will try to be more timely so you won't have to." He paused and tried to remember the other things he had learned about productive conversations.
So far they had done a good job of using I statements. It had sounded cheesy when he had first been told it but it was a lot harder to implement and he understood why it was important.
It forced you to put your emotions into words and using I made you take ownership of them without accusing others.
They had had a very hard time the first time they had tried to do it. And it was still hard now, but they were better about remembering.
And he had just remembered something else.
"What can I do to make you feel more listened to?" he asked.
She sighed and looked down at their hands.
"I don't know."
And that was that. A valid answer. Not everything could be figured out or put into words all the time.
"Okay." He squeezed her hands. "Just let me know once you do and I'll do what I can."
And with that the silence returned. But a more peaceful, happy silence.
Their Friday night ended with falling asleep on a couch cuddled up against each other.
They had done their best, chosen to work through it, chosen to try for better, chosen each other.
Tomorrow would bring more difficulties, the challenge of keeping their word, of compromising and putting action to the promises they had made to help each other.
Tomorrow and the day after and the day after that.
But they would do it, together, slowly.
Saturday morning featured pancakes, laughs and clean dishes.
Yeah, they were going to be just fine.
A/N: So what did you think? Resolving conflicts and issues and fights is a difficult thing. Getting to the root of the problem, beyond the surface level is difficult too, but it is important. Like in this case the dishes weren't the issue it was the feeling of not being listened to or the feeling of being nagged. That goes beyond just dishes, and addressing those issues is what will help in the long run. I also think using "I" statements is important, especially since its easy to push blame on others and that just leads to more fighting. And of course the last bit, that isn't covered whole-y in this is the implementation, which is a hard thing in itself.
I hope this was a satisfactory end to this little two parter and I hope it made you think.
Please Review! I'd love to hear your thought on all this!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)