Rhino sulked into the detached garage still covered in green paint. He scans the garage that he uses as his planning office dejectedly. He goes to his desk and gazes at the mess of maps, plans, and ideas. All of them failed. So many failures. Rhino tightens his fist as rage fills him.
Every plan has been ruined by those spiders. Every scheme. Every time. Rhino replays each attempt over in his mind, feeling the shame of failure again and again. With each memory his body begins to shake with anger against Spider-man…..but most of all himself. Why do his plans always fail? He has one goal: to stomp and smash and cause chaos. Just the one goal. And the spiderman team ruins it every time.
The rage was making his head boil. Rhino slams his fists on the desk. Papers scatter in the wake of his anger. He sees his most recent plan glaring at him, mocking him. He screams and sweeps all the papers off the desk with such force that papers land across the garage.
Rhino grips the edge of the desk so hard he can see the white of his knuckles under smears of green paint. He stays bent over trying to regulate his breathing. He is so consumed with trying to tamp down the rage and disappointment that he doesn't hear the soft creak of the door opening.
“Hey.” Green Goblin hesitantly says. “I heard some noise and thought you might be back. How did everything go?” He speaks quietly, waiting at the open door in hopes Rhino allows him in.
"I don’t want to talk about it.” Rhino huffs
Rhino can be volatile, brash, and stubborn. Especially when he's hurting. And Gobby knew his boyfriend was hurting. He saw Rhino sulk into the garage from his vantage point in their bedroom. If it was a good day, Rhino changes from his rampage outfit and comes into the house in short order. If it's a good day, Rhino is happy and chipper and usually barges into the home they share with several ideas for their evening.
But this is not a good day. Gobby can hear the real answer in Rhino's voice. It failed. They always fail. Gobby knows they will work on another plan. They always come back to each other with more exciting ideas. It's one of their favorite things to do together. But he can’t think of that now. All he can think of is the sight in front of him; Rhino still covered in green paint, full of anger and straining for air. Gobby's heart aches for his lover. He knows how much it hurts to have a plan you've been working on for weeks blow up in your face. And he knows how gentle Rhino is. He has a remarkably soft heart, and it bruises easily.
He decides to not wait for Rhino to invite him into the garage and takes a few tentative steps closer. “Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Gobby can’t hide the panic in his voice as he slips over to his lover and gently places his left hand on Rhino's shoulder.
Rhino jerks instinctively at the intrusion into his personal space, but recovers quickly to his hunched stance, breath still coming in huffs, hands braced on the desk. Gobby slowly moves his hand to splay on Rhino’s back between his shoulder blades. His breath catches with the intimacy and Gobby can feel the tension in his lover's back tick down one point.
“Deep, slow breaths. Just like we practiced.” Gobby takes a deep breath louder than he needs to so Rhino can register the calming pace and match it.
He holds the breath for a beat before exhaling and taking in another slow, deep breath. Gobby feels Rhino's breath match his on the third go. "Just like that", Gobby coos. "Just breathe." He slides his unoccupied hand from its place at his side up to Rhino’s left cheek and applies just enough pressure to guide Rhino’s face to look at him. There are tear tracks on Rhino's forlorn face.
“Let’s get you cleaned up. I’m worried you’re hurt under all this paint. We can talk or ignore the day. You decide.” Gobby whispers while he rubs small circles on Rhino's back.
Rhino was silent except for his stuttered breathing and wiped a hand across his face, dispersing the tears as a renewed stream of tears tracked slowly down his face. He stands to his full height. The adrenaline from earlier is waning and aches and bruises are blooming all over his body.
Gobby gently nudged him towards the door. Rhino goes willingly, keeping pace to allow Gobby's hand to stay on his back. Gobby holds Rhino’s elbow with his free hand and guides him out of the garage and to the house. They enter the house and Gobby leads Rhino up the stairs to the bathroom off their bedroom.
“Here, sit.” Gobby closes the toilet seat for Rhino to sit as he pulls a washcloth out of the closet. “Let’s get your face cleaned off. I think you'll feel a lot better once you're cleaned up."
Gobby wets the cloth with warm tap water and tenderly begins wiping paint from Rhino’s cheek. He rinses the cloth then repeats his task. They shared a companionable silence, Gobby wants to wrap Rhino in his arms and absorb Rhino ’s sadness but he knows his sympathies aren’t wanted yet. He can wait, he will always wait.
Gobby brings the cloth to Rhino’s temple. Rhino leans into his hand. Gobby lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Rhino cautiously places his larger hand over Gobby’s.
Gobby brought his other hand to Rhino's chin and gently tilted Rhino’s head up to look him in the eyes. Gobby wants to melt as those warm chocolate eyes look up. Looking for comfort. “There’s my love.”
Rhino takes a gulp of air and Gobby can see his eyes glossing with unshed tears.
“Just once I want a plan I spend months working on to work….just once.” Rhino whines.
Gobby knows he shouldn’t but he can’t help how sexy he finds Rhino’s whiny voice. Gobby bends down hovering just above Rhino's lips. “It will. We will. I promise you that.” Gobby places a chaste kiss on Rhino’s lips. Before he can pull back Rhino’s hand flys to the nape of Gobby’s neck to deepen the kiss.
The next morning they had green stained sheets, but such a small thing won't stand in the way of Gobby and Rhino's love.