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Sollux Captor slowly walked down the hallway of his hive, towards his ancestors room. It was midday, every troll was asleep, awaiting the alternian moons to rise. The young Captor had awoken to a nightmare. Voices screamed in his head, disorienting his thoughts, hearing, and vision. He felt along the walls as he made his way down the hallway. When he got to the end, he slammed his palm on the door, creating a loud crash that killed his head. Suddenly the door opened to reveal a shirtless, sleepy Psii.
“Thollux, are you okay?” Psii asked softly when Sollux fell to his knees.
“Too… Many voitheth…” Sollux whispered, his lips trembling.
Sighing, Psii picked up the smaller Captor and carried him to his pile. Sollux practically screamed in pain. “I’m thorry, Thol.” Psii uttered brushing Sollux’s hair from his bicolored eyes.
“Thii… It hurtth…” Sollux clenched his jaw and screwed his eyes shut.
“Thhhh… I know. I’ll go get thome ithe water and a cool rag. Thtay here, don’t move pleathe.” Psii whispered softly, placing a light kiss on Sollux’s forehead. As promised, he headed out of the room and down stairs to get the mentioned supplies. He filled a bowl with water and ice and placed a bottle of water in it and a rag. He also grabbed some pain medications then headed back upstairs to his pile where Sollux lay, unmoved.
“Thollux.” Psii said softly, earning a groan from the boy. He placed the cold cloth on Sollux’s forehead and handed him the medications and water. Sollux did as he was told and took the meds. He laid back against the pile as Psii lay beside him.
“Thankth Thii. I’m thorry for waking you up.” Sollux lisped in almost a whisper. A pout formed on his grey lips as he looked at Psii.
“It’th okay. I’m Thuppothed to be here for you during thingth like thith.” Psii ruffled Sollux’s black locks.
“Thtill. I feel bad. You need thleep too.” Sollux scowled.
“It’th no problem. Bethideth, you woke me up with your thcream. I wath going to come to thee you when you came to me.” Psii chuckled, petting the younger. “Try to thleep, okay?”
Sollux nodded, closing his eyes once more. “Thii, will you stay with me?”
“Of courthe. Are you feeling alright? Athide for the voitheth.”
“I’m not thure. I jutht don’t want to be alone.”
Psii nodded and continued to pet Sollux’s head. Sollux curled up, grabbing his other hand and bringing it to his cheek. He then laid his head on Psii’s chest, listening to the older man’s heartbeat. The steady thump-thump soothed the boy’s nerves.
Sollux’s breathing eventually evened out as he fell asleep on his ancestor. Looking at the childlike display, Psii smiled softly before shutting his own eyes and drifting off into a dream bubble; back to before The Signless’s culling. Back to when they were mere wrigglers.
The sudden slam of the bathroom door woke Psiioniic with a jump. He looked around the room slowly. Sollux was gone, the place where he was laying still warm. It was dark except for the light in the hallway. Retching noises sounded from the bathroom. Psii jumped up and briskly walked to the bathroom where he saw it: Sollux curled around the toilet bowl, emptying the contents of his stomach.
Psii stooped next to him, petting and rubbing his back while holding his side bangs out of his face.
“Thhhh, Thollux. It’th alright. Jutht let it all out.” Psii hushed lovingly.
“I’m… Thorry…” Sollux replied between coughs and gags.
Psii only shook his head with a smile. When Sollux eventually finished and rinsed his mouth, Psii picked him up and carried him down stairs and into his office. He set him down on the yellow and black striped bean bag that Sol had carried in there to make himself comfortable. It never left. Sollux sat in it every time he stayed with Psii in the office.
“Thollux, how are you feeling?” Psii asked softly setting his hand down on Sollux’s cold, trembling cheek.
“Athide for thlightly feeling thick. I feel pretty good. No voitheth. No migraine. I may or may not have ingethted thome thopor thlime when I woke up latht night.” Sollux tried to laugh it off.
“If that’th it…” Psii sighed before placing his forehead against Sollux’s.
“I’m thorry for worrying you.”
Psii shook his head and hugged him. “Don’t be thorry. For one, it wath time for me to get up anywayth and for two, I need to take care of you if you’re thick.”
Sollux smiled, his double pair of fangs showing. He rubbed at his eyes only to go stiff. He then jumped up and ran upstairs to grab his glasses. He suddenly tripped on the something and landed on his face… Or so he thought. Psii had grabbed him with his Psionics and had him hovering just above the ground.
“Jutht in time. Be careful pleathe. I’ll talk to Tuna about leaving hith thkate board in the hallway.” Psii gave a small chuckle before setting him on his feet.
“Thankth.” Sol nodded. “I’m glad I avoided it latht night. That would have thucked.” He laughed, rousing Mituna who looked out his respiteblock.
“What’th going on?” He whined softly.
“Tuna, it would be of great help to not leave your thkate board in the middle of the hallway for otherth to trip on.” Psii scolded the childish troll.
“Yeth, Thii.” Mituna grabbed his skateboard and brought it into his room before going to get dressed.
“Anywayth, Thollux, where are you going tho fatht?”
“I’m going to go get my glatheth.” He replied, a slight yellow tinted to his cheeks.
He walked off in the direction of his room to grab the glasses off the table beside his husktop. He walked back out of his respiteblock and down stairs to see Psii in the Nutrition block drinking water. Sollux placed his glasses on his nose and walked into the room. He hugged Psii around the waist, setting his forehead on the taller man’s shoulder blade.
“Sollux, are you alright?” Psiioniic asked softly petting the smaller’s hand with his bigger one. “You’re awfully clingy.”
“I don’t know…” Sollux trailed off as Mituna walked into the room.
“Psii, Sollux, are you okay?” He asked, frowning a bit.
“I’m alright. Tuna, will you do me a favor and take Sollux to the couch and stay with him?”
Mituna nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him out of the nutrition block and into next room. He sat him down on the couch and then sat beside him.
“Thollux, are you okaaay?” Mituna asked in his normally loud voice.
“I don’t know.” Sollux replied, yellow tinted tears welling in his eyes.
“Psii! Psii! Thollux ith crying!!” Mituna hollered into the next room.
Psii rushed in a kneeled in front of Sollux. “Hey, Thol. Are you okay?” He asked in a hushed, calm voice.
“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Sollux sobbed, grabbing onto the front of Psii’s shirt. His hands shook and his eyes wouldn’t stop watering.
“Thollux. Calm down. It’th okay. Nothing’th going to hurt you. I’m right here. I won’t let anyone touch you.” Psii whispered softly, kissing Sollux’s forehead. “Tuna, can you go get Thollux thome water?”
“Yeah!” Mituna jumped up and walked into the nutrition block.
“Thollux, thcoot over a bit.” Psii commanded gently. Sollux did as told and scooted forward on the couch a bit. Psii slid in behind him and pulled him up against his chest so that Sollux was laying against him.
“Here’th the water, Thii.” Mituna said coming into the room making slow steps so he didn’t spill it.
“Thankth, Tuna.” Psii said taking the water and giving it to Sollux.
Mituna smiled and sat down by Sollux’s feet. He started to subconsciously stroke Sollux’s calf, a habit from before his accident. Sollux downed the water and coughed a bit. He handed the cup to Psii and leaned back against the broader chest.
“Thollux, I want you to calm down, Okay? I’m right here, Mituna’th right here. You’re thafe. Nothing can hurt you while you’re with uth.” Psii whispered gently into Sollux’s hair.
Sollux nodded and took deep, calming breaths. He sighed and leaned forwards, catching Mituna’s hand within his own. He pulled on it softly and Mituna’s eyes widened in happiness. He stood up and took off his boots as Sollux leaned back and got comfortable. Mituna then crawled up onto the couch, laying his head softly in the middle of his younger brother’s chest. Sollux wrapped his arms around him and sighed happily.
“Are you both comfortable?” Psii asked softly.
Both boys nodded and closed their eyes. Psii took Sollux’s glasses and placed them on the side table before placing his hand on the younger troll’s head, stroking his hair gently.
“You’re okay, Thollux. I’ll always be here for you. Both of you. I love you both so, so much. Goodnight.”