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Darnell feels his eyes grow heavy as the dim lighting of his television washes over him. Keith is performing at a concert tonight, and as much as Darnell would have liked to cheer him on, he's got other matters to worry about. Specifically a certain ginger lover of his.
Pico had woken up grouchy and disoriented, and after a few too many minor inconveniences, he'd become too overwhelmed to do much at all that morning. He could get like this during sensory overloads, but it hadn't been this bad in years, so Darnell just wanted to make sure he was alright.
Keith, of course, was reluctant to leave Pico in this state, but Darnell reassured him that he could take care of their freckled sweetheart. So, Pico's been closed up in their bedroom all day, blocking out the world with his headphones. Darnell checks on him from time to time, making sure he's feeling fine. However, Darnell can't help but notice how quiet he's been.
Pico has never been a loud person, but he'll usually shuffle around a lot while laying down, and Darnell will be able to hear their bedsheets moving. The taller man stands up, walking to the door to check on him.
When he opens the door, Pico is curled up on the ground, his arms bleeding all over the carpet and the spilled pill bottle next to him. He had puke running down his chin, and was sobbing uncontrollably.
Darnell ran over and picked him up, then rushed his shaking body to the bathroom.
"Fuck, Pumpkin, what happened?" Darnell asked while he grabbed a first aid kit.
Pico didn't respond, trying to catch his breath while he delved into a full blown panic attack. Darnell sighed and bandaged his arms, then gently wiped his mouth with a soft rag. He knew Pico hated being treated like a baby, but sometimes he just needed somebody else to help.
After they'd finished, Darnell carried him back to the bedroom, picked up the spilled medication from the floor, and lay down with his shivering boyfriend. He didn't even want to think about cleaning the carpet yet.
He held Pico tight, gently smoothing his messy ginger hair while the smaller man sobbed into his chest, letting out the pain of the day.
This wasn't necessarily unusual - Pico was known to self harm, and he often bottled his emotions until they came flooding out. But he hadn't tried to take his life since the first few years he was in foster care, which really worried Darnell.
After Pico had calmed down enough, he shakily signed an apology to Darnell, earning himself a gentle kiss on the forehead and a reassuring squeeze. Darnell didn't want to push him on why he tried to do what he did. He knew that Pico could get very overwhelmed directly after an episode, so he saved his questions for later. Besides, it didn't matter. All that mattered at the moment was that Pico was safe.
Later, in the early hours of the morning, Keith came home and discovered them in bed. Darnell was asleep, snuggling a tired but still awake Pico. Keith stepped over the blood stain on the floor, not noticing it, and went over to spoon Pico.
"You okay, coco...?" The bluenette whispered.
Pico shrugged, not really having an answer for that. He reached around to hold Keith's hand, just wanting his lovers close for the night. He could tell them later about what happened.