“J?” Star called, knocking on the door to his room.

There wasn’t a response.

“J I don’t want to impose but I feel like I’m about to pass out. Can I come in?” Star asked.

The door clicked and slowly opened up. J reached a hand out waiting for Star to grab it.

Star took J’s hand.

The door opened up more and J helped Star into the room. J stopped by his bed.

“J look at my face.” Star said.

J shook his head.

“Joel. Look at me.” Star demanded.

“Why?” J questioned.

“Just. Do it.” Star said.

J looked up at Star his eyes still red from crying.

“Good.” Star said, his arm winding up and punching J in the face, knocking him to the floor.

J laid on the floor for a few seconds before he started laughing.

Star smiled, “Now stand up and hit me.” He said.

J’s laugh started getting sadder as it turned into crying.

Star knelt down and sat next to him, “J…” He said.

J looked up at Star, “Y… you don’t… even… know how… much you… could have… hurt me…. do you?” He asked shakily.

“No… No I do.” Star said.

“T… then you k… know why… I’m… m… more than… mad… at you right now…” J said laying his head back down on the floor.

“Well when you’re depressed and have given up… You’re not really thinking about that kind of stuff. I think that’s something we both know.” Star said.

“I’m not talking about the gun!” J shouted.

“Sorry…” Star said.

“W… what you s… said down there…. it…. hurt so… much…” J said.

“Well it was true. And that’s how I felt for a long time.” Star shrugged. “Until yesterday...”

“F… for me… o… one thing… wasn’t true…” J said quietly.

“Well? Don’t stop now.” Star smiled.

“Y… you s… saw how… I was treated… b… before we met…” J said.

“Yeah? What about it?” Star questioned.

“Y… you saved me…” J said, “W… without you… I’d… have been d… dead a long… time ago…”

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Star laughed.

J remained silent.

“You know… Back when we first met in that kitchen?” Star asked.

“W… what?” J asked looking up at him.

“I was about to hit you with a brick.” Star said before bursting out laughing. “I was debating that and taking you in like I did. I was battling with my old self at that moment. It’s a good thing I didn’t though right?”

“I… it wouldn’t h… have been the worst thing t… to have hit me…” J said smiling a little bit.

“Well think of what I did a minute ago as making up for it.” Star smiled.

“Star?” J said quietly.

“Yeah?” Star asked.

“Since… we met… I looked up to you…” J said, “The first person… to show many any amount of kindness ever… and… I was scared… and weak… while… you were so… strong… and so sure… I never wanted to lose you… so… until yesterday… I was… too afraid of showing you… how much I loved you… I was scared that I’d lose you… that maybe… there was a slim chance… that you didn’t love me like that…”

“Kissing my ass isn’t going to get you anywhere.” Star joked. “Well… Maybe a little.”

“Y… you know… since… a month or two before we arrived… here I was depressed…” J said.

“But you’re not anymore right?” Star asked.

“I… I don’t know… I’ve gotten so good at hiding it… that sometimes… I can’t even tell myself…” J said quietly.

“Well if you are… Then I’ll be with you all the way.” Star smiled.

“Shouldn’t I be the telling you that?” J asked.

Star laughed pulling J into a hug, “I suppose so.” He said.

J wrapped his arms around Star. “I can tell you one thing I know now…” He said.

“And what’s that?” Star asked.

“You already know what it is…” J smiled. “But I know you want to hear it.”

“You know me too well.” Star joked.

“I love you.” J said. “And no matter what I always will.”

“I love you too Joel.” Star said before pulling J into a kiss.

“Woah there…” J chuckled, “Let’s wait a little bit before getting into that… you did say that you’re feeling like you’re about to pass out.”

“What? A kiss is a kiss. Plus we have quite a few years of lost time to make up.” Star grinned.

J smiled before kissing Star.

Star’s eyes shot open before pulling away, “Oh yeah I forgot…” Star said.

“About wha-” J started.

Star punched J in the face again, “Go apologize to everyone right now.” Star said.

J slowly got up, “Yeah… I feel like an ass for the way I treated them…” He said. “Before I go though… do you need a towel?”

Star got up and hugged J, “Why? I got a big furry one right here.” He smiled before kissing J’s cheek.

---------------------------------

J took a deep breath in, “Everyone… I need to say this.” J started, “I’m sorry.”

“Forgiven.” Star said quickly, trying to kiss him.

“No… I’m not done.” J said, “I was an ass to all of you because of… how much I’ve kept inside… and… it was entirely wrong of me to release it on all of you. What I did… was inexcusable… And I’m truly sorry for it. If you can’t forgive me… I’d understand completely.”

“You WERE overreacting a little bit.” Applejack said with a grin.

J’s lips twitched.

“It’s okay, really dear.” Rarity said. “We all understand.”

“Mm… Go on.” Pinkamena said.

“Yes.” Sarah said.

“We’re listening.” Serena said.

“Whatever I could say… very few have the capability to understand…” J said quietly.

“Just shut up. We forgive you.” Cadence rolled her eyes and smiled.

J smiled a little bit. “That’s great.” He said.

Pabu crawled up onto J’s shoulder and started licking his cheek.

“I think Pabu forgives you.” Star laughed.

J smiled even more, “I feel one last thing is in order here…” He said.

“Hugs?” Star questioned.

“Mmhmm.” J nodded as he tightly wrapped his arms around Star. Everyone else except for Pinkamena joined in the hug.

“Pinkamena?” Star questioned.

“No I’m good over here.” She waved.

Star stared at her, “I forgot the part where I was giving you a choice.” Star said jumping off the couch and tackling her.

“You wanna play?” Pinkamena said kicking Star off her and sending him crashing through the coffee table.

“That’s four… or is it five time’s I’ve had to rebuild that thing?” J questioned with a smile.

“Okay… Sarah! Serena go!” Star said pointing at Pinkamena. There was a long silence before Sarah pounced on Star, clinging to his back and tugging on his hair, sending him back to the floor.

Pinkamena knelt down to help Sarah, only for Star to kick her in the face. She stumbled back as blood ran down her nose.

“Oh shit… Sorry.” Star said quickly.

Pinakmena paused for a second, wiping the blood off her face before a sinister smile crept onto her.

“Um…” Star mumbled.

“Okay.” Pinkamena said turning around and walking into the kitchen.

Star got up and glanced around the room before taking a seat back on the couch next to Ethan, who was still passed out.

After a few more seconds Ethan’s eyes opened up, when he saw Star he started breathing heavily.

“Hey you’re awake. Are you okay? You didn’t hurt yourself when you fell did you? That was quite the fall…” Star laughed.

Ethan blushed a little bit and shook his head a little bit. “N… no…” He said quietly.

“Well that’s good. I know I’m just your uncle but… I don’t know what I would have done with myself if you got hurt.” Star said with a smile.

Ethan mumbled something quietly and looked down at the floor.

“Ethan… I’ve been thinking for a bit… I’ll go through chemo. I’ve beat the cancer before, and it sure as hell isn’t going to take me down this time. Especially with you by my side, and J… And your mother. And well… Everyone.” Star said wrapping an arm around Ethan.

Ethan stiffened up and his blush grew brighter.

“It’s you and your dad that keep me going. That give me hope.” Star smiled.

“Hey…” Sarah said.

“I didn’t forget about you two either!” Star said defensively.

“We know dad.” Serena said as her and Sarah hugged him.

J looked around the room, “Hey… where’s Dash?” He questioned.

“She went after Fluttershy.” Applejack said.

J closed his eyes, “I need to go talk to her…” He said.

“And I need to talk to Fluttershy.” Star said.

“Let’s go see them then.” J said.

--------------------------

J knocked on Fluttershy’s door. “Hey… can we come in?” He asked.

“Um… You sure you want to?” Dash called through the door.

J looked at Star with a raised eyebrow. “Do we really want to?” He asked rhetorically.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Star asked Dash.

There was a pause, “Okay I warned you.” Dash said before the door clicked open.

J pushed the door fully open and walked into the house. He saw Fluttershy on the couch with tears staining her eyes, “Okay what’s wr-” He stopped as he saw the spiders gathered around her, “Oh.”

“Well that’s… Different.” Star said. He walked up to Fluttershy and the spiders quickly scattered. He sat down, “Fluttershy are you okay?”

Fluttershy looked up at him for a moment before hugging him and sobbing into his shoulder, “Hey… I’m here. Everything’s going to be okay.” Star said.

J wrapped his arms around Dash, “I… wanted to tell you I’m sorry if… anything I did hurt you.” He said quietly, “I… messed up when I let out everything I’ve been holding in…”

Dash slapped J hard across the face before kissing him.

“I take it you’re forgiven.” Star laughed before Fluttershy’s grip tightened. “Hey… I told you I’m not going anywhere…”

“Mmm… now I know what was meant when they said, ‘Taste the Rainbow.’” J said.

A spider crawled onto J’s leg and bit him immediately.

“FUCK!” J shouted shaking the spider off. His leg went numb almost immediately.

Fluttershy started giggling, which transferred to Star as the two started laughing.

“You deserved it.” Dash said with a smile as she laid her head against his chest.

“Yes… I deserved losing the ability to feel my leg…” J groaned, “I love all of you too.”

“It’ll come back in a few hours. That venom is special and only lasts f-” Fluttershy froze as everyone was staring at her. “What?”

“Either you’ve been spending way too much time with Chrysalis or… something really freaky is going on.” J said.

“Beany told me.” Fluttershy smiled.

“Who… is Beany?” J questioned. He felt something move on his shoulder. He looked down and saw a spider looking up at him. “Oh… that’s great.” He mumbled. “Don’t bite me in my arm.” J moved his one hand up to brush it off.

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open as she tackled J to the floor and bit into his neck. The spider quickly crawled off his shoulder and onto the floor.

“WHAT THE FUCK FLUTTERSHY!” Dash shouted.

“Maybe she’s… Hungry?” Star shrugged.

“I wasn’t done with him though!” Dash whined.

“Fuuu…” J moaned. “W… warm… gah…”

“Uh… Maybe he’s just really happy to see her?” Star said noticing the bulge growing in J’s pants.

J’s head fell back, “N… no… more…” He moaned.

Fluttershy pulled off J’s neck, her mouth still open as a green venom dripped from her fangs. Her mouth closed quickly as she looked around, “Oh… I’m sorry.” She said quietly.

“What… the hell?” Dash questioned.

“Ohh now it makes more sense…” Star mumbled.

Dash quickly kneeled down beside J, “J?” She said grabbing his hand.

J didn’t respond.

“He okay?” Star questioned.

“He will be able to talk again in a few minutes… His tongue is the first thing to regain sensation, then his mouth…” Fluttershy said with a smile.

There was a pause, “God I love you…” Star said pulling her into a kiss.

Dash quickly picked J up, “I’m leaving then…” She said carrying J to the door.

“Sorry…” Fluttershy said for the second time before kissing Star again.