[Early Access] Monster Caretaker (Patreon)

content: gender neutral reader, reader with arthritis, fluff

Out of sheer curiosity, or perhaps to prove yourself something, you decided to sign up with a Monster Agency: they would match humans with eager monstrous creatures for all kinds of purposes. They were told, of course, that you had arthritis and required a little more understanding than the average human, so you didn’t expect high demand for someone like you, often weak and prone to flare ups.

You most certainly didn’t expect to be presented with a thick, tall folder of potential matches. It’s the ones who want to meet you, the agent explained factually. As it turns out, a lot of beasts dreamed of being able to care for a human, whether out of romantic desire or simply as a form of platonic comradery.

That’s how you met your current partner; a gargantuan, nightmarish being, one that instilled quite a lot of fright within your marrow upon the first encounter. For a second time you found yourself stumbling back in surprise – that such a colossal monstrosity would be so incredibly gentle and kind. The voice that spilled from his crooked, fanged mouth was warm, of a politeness that most certainly didn’t fit the imposing frame. He walked you back to his place, and you couldn’t help but quietly snicker at his awkward stumble as he tried to match your pace. Yes, yes, there’s no hurry, he reassured, nearly tiptoeing besides you and guiding the path with a clawed hand.

You would argue that you’re fairly independent and your circumstances are but a mere hiccup in daily life. Your newly appointed partner, however, appears to be rather protective, even touching the realms of exaggeration. Without exception, he starts the day by waking you up and helping you get dressed. He knows you sometimes struggle to get up, especially on bad days. He will follow you around, narrating your schedule and making sure that everything is happening according to your wishes. Moreover, as you’ve quickly learned, your terrifying caretaker is quite observant, picking up the smallest changes in your posture, the slightest twitch of your smile. He can instantly tell if you’re feeling insecure, maybe due to the bold redness around your joints, or the visible swelling building across your hands. If that’s the case, he will gingerly lift your limb closer to his snout and pepper it with kisses, merely grazing above the skin, careful to not bring you further injury.

‘I’m a little stiff, not incapacitated,” you declare, increasingly impatient. “You don’t need to do all this.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it, beloved (Y/N). It’s just, well,” the creature begins, awkwardly glancing away, “I’ve discovered, to my great shame, that I get utterly lonely if I’m not taking care of you.

Perhaps it’s mostly my needs that come into play.”

Indeed, you’ll have to excuse his enthusiasm. He is, after all, helplessly enamoured with this frail human residing in his home. It would be a mistake to assume that you're the one relying on him: it's the other way around.