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“What up, I’m Home!” Terry announces as he slams the door open. The echo reverberating across the entire house. The lights were off in the living room, leaving the house feeling eerily quiet.
The replicants were spending the night at a classmate's house. Leaving Terry and Korvo only one home. And with how empty the house was feeling Terry began questioning if Korvo had even moved from working on the ship.
Shutting the door with an equally intense thud. The green Shlorpian heads up the stairs to pry the other away from his work to properly take care of himself.
“Alright, Korvo enough nerd shit it’s time for a break,” Terry yells as he enters the ship. But just like the main entryway, the ship was far too quiet - no ambient sound of something being worked on. Not even a witty remark that the other was annoyed with the sudden loud noise. That made something bad crawl up Terry’s spine.
“Maybe he is just that focused,” Terry mutters to more or less to reassure himself.
“Korvo?” Terry calls for again, and just like the first time, there was no response. Maybe if Terry doesn’t Acknowledge the few Gooblers that pop from his head, there weren’t there. Out of sight out of mind.
“Okay Korvo, real funny, did think of you as a prankster.” A focused chuckle follows the sentence as he ventures more and more of the ship.
Then he steps on something. “Ew,” Terry says in an instinct. Getting a closer look to see what he stepped on, it caught him off guard. It was a Goobler. There were a bunch of them all of them leading up to a closed-door - a broom closet.
Terry knocks on the door. “Korvo?”
“Go away, Terry!”
A few more Gooblers pop out from underneath the door. He noticed a few of them were stained blue.
It was blood.
Something in Terry’s stomach dropped at that. Was Korvo hurt? Why was he even hiding in the closet in the first place? “Come on Korvo, open up!” Terry tried to pull on the handle but it didn’t budge. What use was a broom closet that locked from the inside anyway?
“I want to be alone!” Korvo snaps back and Terry can hear the distress in his partner's voice. Terry might not be the best with controlling his emotions, but he takes a step back away from the door. Taking a deep breath, he knows how easily upset Korvo can get. So he instead goes for a more relaxed route.
The green Shlorpian knelt to the floor, all while avoiding any of the Gooblers that wiggled their way from under the door.
“Are you hurt?” Terry asked, and his response was silence. “Knock once for yes, two for no.”
A pause.
One knock.
Terry ignores the pain in his chest as he continues.
“Are you able to unlock the door?”
A single knock.
And then the click of the door unlocking.
Very carefully, Terry begins to open the door. As to not startle Korvo anymore than he must already be. Even with the knowledge that Korvo is hurt, the sight of him curled into a ball on the floor of the broom closet with a dent in his head and blood staining his hands didn’t make it any easier.
Korvo shoulders bunched up at Terry seeing him in such a state, but he was so burnt out to move away from him in a getaway act.
“Is it okay that I sit with you?” A tiny single tap on the floor was his answer, taking a set into the closet and sitting next to Korvo. Having to twist his leg in such a way so he was able to sit comfortably within the small space.
Once finding a comfortable enough position, Terry brings his full attention to the other Shlorpian sitting next to him. At this angle, he got a better look at the wound on Korvo’s head. It wasn’t deep, only a surface level injury that would heal up in a few days with the popper care. Then his eyes trailed down to Korvo’s hand.
The palms were facing straight up, and they were coxed in dried blue blood.
“I just wanted my brain to stop,” Korvo says, breaking the tension.
“Huh?” Terry’s eyes snap back to Korvo's face. Who kept his gaze focused on the wall in front of him.
“I got so frustrated with trying to get work done on this ship, it feels as if when I fix one thing 10 more problems pop up and-.” Korvo fists bawl up and shut his eyes tightly as another swarm of Gooblers erupt from his head. “I just want something to go right!”
Before Korvo raises the clenched fist to swing another blow at his head, it is intervened by Terry. Who slowly lowers Korvo’s arm.until it was rest once more on the floor.
“Just remember to breathe,” Terry tells him, and Korvo does just that.
A few second pass and Korvo hands go lax, fingers spread out.
“Is it okay if I hold your hand?” And Korvo replies by taking Terry’s hand with his own, closing it gently around it. Terry looks down at their hands and can’t help but to smile.
Terry doesn’t move from his spot until Korvo is ready.
And that might be a little longer because Korvo was fast asleep, his head resting against his shoulder. Not that Terry was going to complain about it.