Please trust me? [ gentle, not arguing even as he closes the distance so that he can support laurence before he wobbles ] I’ve got you.
[ and he won’t really leave much room for denial, just scooping laurence up into his arms so he doesn’t put any more pressure on his poor burned limbs ]
We’re going to the hospital, okay?
[ questions that aren’t really questions because yves is just gonna bring him there, but at least laurence can know what the plan is ]
[ but he isn't expecting to be scooped up, and with that motion comes a flare of alarm. and a brief rush of irrational panic. he can't run like this? what if something else happens? what if that persona is still here, what if there's more lightning--
the calming vibes help steady his breathing, little by little, but he's still tense. ]
[ yves accepts the panic like a wave that crashes and then crests against the shore. now that he’s not separated by the barrier, his own confidence resounds loudly. he can keep laurence safe and the next thing that tries to attack him is on yves’s shitlist ]
I’ve got you. I promise.
[ sure and certain and now getting on the train to get laurence back to somewhere safe ]
[ he nods, slowly, and tries to settle into that sense of safety. let go of the panic, the fear that drove him through the execution today. ]
Taair showed me, before...
[ back when zhongli died. he'd sat laurence aside and forced him to focus on breathing, not freaking out. he tries to recall that calm voice, the cadence, and takes a deep, shaking breath. in, then out, and again, until the panic starts to bleed out of him. ]
[ as they wait for the train to bring them back, and then for yves to get off it and bring laurence to the hospital. yves matches his own breathing pace to laurence’s, slow and steady. he rests his face against laurence’s hair briefly, pressing a kiss to his hair as they approach the hospital
all the way, just letting himself focus on those softer emotions. calm, comforting, loving, safe ]
[ nods. he'll run his fingers through laurence's hair in that familiar way briefly ]
I'll be right back. Promise.
[ and then he'll go do as he said. getting water, painkillers, burn medication, and the needed bandages and whatnot. this, at least, he knows fairly well. he offers the meds and the water out first ]
[ even if he feels fine, it's time to see to them. yves will gently reach out then, taking an assessment of where he's been burned and zapped and whatever else before doing the necessary medical steps. please just assume he's doing them well, none of us are doctors
there's a pang of empathy there, and then he shakes his head ]
... I never wanted you to.
[ even when they were talking about what to do next with the person they missed and there was no apparent way to save them, yves didn't talk about it. he didn't want laurence to have to think about it.
and now laurence is dealing with the injuries. the pain. the residual feelings after hurting a friend.
yves would've given anything to shield him from that ]
Whoever's making this happen doesn't care what we want.
[ laurence isn't used to pain, and he's not going to like it when the adrenaline really wears off and it finally does start to set in, so he's a good patient. he does what he's told without arguing. ]
[ that's true, and there's a little spike of frustration—not towards laurence, but to whatever is causing all this
even though the next statement confuses him. obviously. ]
Why are you apologizing...? You did worry me, but that's only because I love you and I want you to be well.
It's impossible to separate the two. I wouldn't dare.
[ to care about someone means to feel that stress for them, all the time. and yves knows he's caused laurence that same anxiety countless times by now ]
I'm not going to tell you your feelings about it are wrong... but it's different when you're the one who went through it on Sunday. You wouldn't call anyone else who did this in the past 'trouble', right?
... it's a little hard to breathe. [ softly, like he's trying to be careful about not re-triggering laurence ] But these burns look normal, so you should be okay. You can heal.
I'll help you with your care, so they don't leave a scar.
[ a soft smile at that, and he'll reach out to squeeze laurence's shoulder where he isn't burned or zapped ]
Hey, isn't that what I've been saying every week?
[ to try to lighten the mood ]
... it's okay, Laurence. I believe you. I'll try for the same but... isn't it nice, that even when we both run into trouble, we have each other? It's okay then, right?
[ today is enough to think about already, and yves will take this bridge first and foremost. he finishes up with all of laurence's bandages and starts packing a bag of things he can take with them so that it can be in their room, and they won't need to travel all the way here for first aid.
but he'll run his fingers through laurence's hair affectionately and he'll lean forward to bump their foreheads together ]
... things are complicated here, and they can be scary and difficult. That's true every week.
But I'm always going to want the best for you, and I'm always going to be right here when you need me. Okay?
[ somehow you haven't died on me yet. but he is still a little scared to believe that won't happen at all, considering the others they've lost already. ]
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[ and he won’t really leave much room for denial, just scooping laurence up into his arms so he doesn’t put any more pressure on his poor burned limbs ]
We’re going to the hospital, okay?
[ questions that aren’t really questions because yves is just gonna bring him there, but at least laurence can know what the plan is ]
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[ but he isn't expecting to be scooped up, and with that motion comes a flare of alarm. and a brief rush of irrational panic. he can't run like this? what if something else happens? what if that persona is still here, what if there's more lightning--
the calming vibes help steady his breathing, little by little, but he's still tense. ]
O-Okay...
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I’ve got you. I promise.
[ sure and certain and now getting on the train to get laurence back to somewhere safe ]
Just… focus on breathing, okay? One at a time.
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Taair showed me, before...
[ back when zhongli died. he'd sat laurence aside and forced him to focus on breathing, not freaking out. he tries to recall that calm voice, the cadence, and takes a deep, shaking breath. in, then out, and again, until the panic starts to bleed out of him. ]
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[ as they wait for the train to bring them back, and then for yves to get off it and bring laurence to the hospital. yves matches his own breathing pace to laurence’s, slow and steady. he rests his face against laurence’s hair briefly, pressing a kiss to his hair as they approach the hospital
all the way, just letting himself focus on those softer emotions. calm, comforting, loving, safe ]
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after a while, he says softly, ] I'm okay.
[ he is very much not, but he's trying to be. ]
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[ like it's a promise, even if it leaves room for the contrary now. he'll go to set laurence on a bed gingerly, and then before he leaves— ]
Let me collect some of the stuff we need to see to your injuries, okay? Do you need anything right now?
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[ that's really all he can promise when everything here gets worse by the day. ]
Okay. [ DOES he need anything. he feels kind of numb. ] Water, maybe?
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I'll be right back. Promise.
[ and then he'll go do as he said. getting water, painkillers, burn medication, and the needed bandages and whatnot. this, at least, he knows fairly well. he offers the meds and the water out first ]
Here, drink.
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but he'll do as instructed, anyway, popping a couple of painkillers into his mouth and washing them down.
a moment later, he mumbles, ] I really don't know how you do this, Yves...
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there's a pang of empathy there, and then he shakes his head ]
... I never wanted you to.
[ even when they were talking about what to do next with the person they missed and there was no apparent way to save them, yves didn't talk about it. he didn't want laurence to have to think about it.
and now laurence is dealing with the injuries. the pain. the residual feelings after hurting a friend.
yves would've given anything to shield him from that ]
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[ laurence isn't used to pain, and he's not going to like it when the adrenaline really wears off and it finally does start to set in, so he's a good patient. he does what he's told without arguing. ]
...Sorry if I worried you.
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even though the next statement confuses him. obviously. ]
Why are you apologizing...? You did worry me, but that's only because I love you and I want you to be well.
It's impossible to separate the two. I wouldn't dare.
[ to care about someone means to feel that stress for them, all the time. and yves knows he's caused laurence that same anxiety countless times by now ]
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We have enough trouble to deal with in this place without me adding to it. That's all.
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[ softly ]
I'm not going to tell you your feelings about it are wrong... but it's different when you're the one who went through it on Sunday. You wouldn't call anyone else who did this in the past 'trouble', right?
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No, of course not. But it's... I barely even did anything.
[ ran, mostly. ]
And there was that fire...
[ he remembers that story yves told him. it had to be on his mind when they were stuck in there, right? ]
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[ but it was truly teen trauma time. even still, yves' words are gentle as he continues wrapping laurence's wounds ]
... I've made my peace with my fire. But I know how terrified I felt when I was trapped in it.
It must've been hard.
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[ not even an open flame, before coming here. he's never been in danger of being burned like that. ]
It was even scarier than I realized.
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... it's a little hard to breathe. [ softly, like he's trying to be careful about not re-triggering laurence ] But these burns look normal, so you should be okay. You can heal.
I'll help you with your care, so they don't leave a scar.
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[ but he tries to take another deep breath, like it could help them both. if only it were that simple. ]
I'll be careful, after this. Try not to get into any trouble.
[ so he can heal and stop worrying yves. the faster, the better. ]
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Hey, isn't that what I've been saying every week?
[ to try to lighten the mood ]
... it's okay, Laurence. I believe you. I'll try for the same but... isn't it nice, that even when we both run into trouble, we have each other? It's okay then, right?
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...I guess so. It's... good. Having someone we can rely on.
[ support system?? support system????? huh????
(he is still a little hurt about firefly, too, but. today is enough to think about already.) ]
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but he'll run his fingers through laurence's hair affectionately and he'll lean forward to bump their foreheads together ]
... things are complicated here, and they can be scary and difficult. That's true every week.
But I'm always going to want the best for you, and I'm always going to be right here when you need me. Okay?
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[ somehow you haven't died on me yet. but he is still a little scared to believe that won't happen at all, considering the others they've lost already. ]
I just want to be able to help, too.
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Did you forget so soon already that you saved my life a few weeks back?
You've done so much for me.
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