Requested By: unlovedduck

Picture From: https://batnats.deviantart.com/art/Fanart-Mugman-710871964

(Imma make DDLC refs cause I love the game and Yuri is best waifu ever fite me)

                                                                     Mugman's POV

I was laying on the grass outside of our house, lazily tracing shapes with my finger in the sky. It was a pretty slow day, my best friend had to stay after school for a club they were going to join so Cuphead and I walked home without them. It's been a pretty boring hour without them around, they're really sweet and fun, even though they constantly keep denying it and belittle themselves. I heard what sounded like the crunching of grass and I sat up and turned my head towards the sound, my eyes lighting up at the source of it.

"Hey! You're back!" I called out to them, quickly getting myself onto my feet, only to immediately regret it as I felt a very dizzying head rush. I heard them giggle lightly as they walk over and help me balance so I don't fall over. Once my world stops spinning I blink a couple times and smile at them. They smile back, but something about it seems forced.

"So, what was this mysterious club you were joining today about?" I asked teasingly, leading them inside and having them sit at the kitchen table.

"It was fine, I met some pretty nice girls there, and I wasn't the only newbie, so that was comforting," they answered as I made them tea.

"So, what's the club?" I asked. They refused to tell me just in case it didn't work out so that we wouldn't try to catch them at a second meeting and they decided not to come anymore.

"The Literature Club. Basically it's a club dedicated to just hanging out and reading whatever you want, from manga to psychological horror," they answered honestly. I chuckled to myself as I finished the tea, handing it to them.

"We need to get Cuphead to join, he'll introduce everybody to his short autobiographies and freak everybody out," I joked, laughing a bit. They laughed as well, and my heart soared. It always made me happy to see them smiling or laughing, no matter how brief it was. Suddenly, their laughter stopped and they stared down, their happiness gone.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, concern laced in my tone of voice.

"Just upset about the homework assignment from club. It's stupid, forget it," they answered, trying to hide their face in their jacket. My eyes hardened and I took their hands in mine, pulling them away from their jacket and forcing them to look at me.

"Don't lie, you know I hate it when you lie about your feelings. Honestly, what's the matter?" I pressed, giving their hands a gentle squeeze. They blinked a couple times and let out a breath of defeat.

"Fine. Monika told everyone to write a poem to bring to club tomorrow, and I'm really nervous. I can't write anything good enough to show to you, let alone a group of basically strangers who are all way more experienced then I am. I'm just... Afraid of what they'll think, and they might hate me or think something's wrong with me if I write something weird," they answered, tears falling down their cheeks as they talked. My gaze softened and I pulled them into a hug, rubbing their back soothingly. They've always had self esteem issues, and have always been insecure about their skills and what they have to offer. Not to mention an unhealthy dose of anxiety in the mix doesn't help their case either. I can understand why their upset, but it still pains me to see them upset like this. Once they calmed down, I pulled away from the hug and smiled at them.

"Quick question, how different are the girls?" I asked, hoping my plan would work. They blinked in confusion before answering.

"Extremely. Yuri is extremely mature and shy, Natsuki is cute and a bit rude, Sayori is energetic and a tad bit scatter-brained, Monika is like a mom with a clingy issue, and the new guy... well, he was just an indecisive ass," they answered honestly.

"See? They're all different and will have different ideas of what is bad and good when it comes to poetry. You don't need to write to please anyone, you just need to write something that you think is good and you can share with at least one person. I know it might be hard, but we can practice here until you get comfortable with the idea. Is that okay?" I explained, smiling gently. Their eyes were wide with surprise before pulling me into a tight hug, making my face explode into a blush as they thanked me over and over.

"You're right! I can do this! The practice will certainly help, and I want to make something to make myself happy!" They shouted, pulling away from the hug and digging through their backpack for their notebook. I smiled at them as they set their notebook on the table and pulled out their lucky pen from their pencil bag and began brainstorming ideas.

"How about you write a couple lists of keys words and choose one word from each of the lists for your poem?" I suggested, smiling. They nodded in agreement and got started on the lists as I watched. My gosh, they are such an amazing person. Their poem is going to be wonderful.

I just wish they could see how wonderful they are as well.

(Part 2 where Mug comes to the club and reads the finished poem WUT?)

(Words 931)