You just got braces!

Congratulations, welcome to hell.

But no, really — you’ve been needing them for awhile. It’s good you finally have them. You know that rationally — even if it means pain and less of your favorite food for the next two years.

But the worst part is feeling like you’re teething. That aching feeling in your gums where you just know you need to relieve the pressure. But too much pressure means pain, so you have to balance it out.

Simon knows this. It’s become quite apparent since you got your braces put on last week and have since been chewing on things you probably shouldn’t be. One of those things being your own arms — and Simon’s, of course.

Today that ache has been particularly harsh and all you want is to relieve that pressure. So you walk into the room where Simon is sitting and he looks up at you, and you gnash your teeth without knocking them together too hard. He knows what that means.

“C’mere,” he exhales, pulling his sleeve down so that you can basically use his arm as a chew toy.