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It was happening again. Four was in the middle of preparing food for the hotel guests, happily mixing ingredients together and preparing for some things to be put in the oven, when he started thinking a bit too hard. He started thinking about all kinds of things, and as they got lost in their thoughts, they started zoning out altogether.
They knew about their tendency to do this of course, so he stopped what he was doing and situated himself on the floor instead. Four stayed like this for a while, with their legs pressed to their chest and their arms folded on top, their head resting on them gently. They were breathing hard, almost conscious enough to feel the air hitting their body.
Sometime while he was stuck in his thoughts, Two had made their way into the kitchen. They were humming to themself as they walked in, taking a second before spotting Four on the ground.
"Hey, Four! What are you-" They started, their cheerful expression turning into one of worry. They haven't seen him like this before, the only emotions they've seen him express were anger and happiness. Mostly anger.
Two moved to crouch down next to Four. "Are you okay?" They inquired, but ultimately received no response. They realized after a few minutes that something really was wrong, and decided to sit next to him instead.
Four suddenly felt very alarmed! He slightly moved his head to see what the presence was next to him, only to be met with Two. He almost growled at the sight, shifting himself so he would be facing away from them. As if feeling like this all of a sudden wasn't enough, whatever number god up there decided to curse him with having to see Two. How wonderful.
"Just leave me alone," Four managed to hiss out, almost feeling more anger than anxiousness now. They really know how to brighten up a room, don't they!
"Are you sure? I mean, you look.." Two trailed off, feeling more worried than they ever have in their life. They felt even more worried when they noticed Four began trembling a bit. They just watched for a few moments, trying to decide if they should help or not, but the question was answered for them when they heard him start sniffling.
"I'm going to touch you, is that alright? I want to try and help you ground yourself," Two decided on, moving themself closer to Four. They were a bit surprised when he nodded tiredly, seemingly too exhausted to care anymore. They moved again so they were placed in front of him, finding where his hands were and gently tugging on them so they could hold them.
Four complied, but the position made it uncomfortable for him to continue having his head down. He lifted it up, blinking a few times and being met with the sight of Two. He avoided eye contact, not wanting the reminder of who's with him right now. He doesn't need to think about such things when he's already feeling bad.
"I want to try an exercise with you, alright? It should help calm you down pretty quickly," Two was moreso saying the second thing to themself, but Four nodded wordlessly again anyway. This won't do. "Have you ever heard of the 333 rule?" They asked, and watched as the other shook his head sadly. "That's okay; it's basically a technique some people use when they're having a panic attack," They explained, gently rubbing their thumbs on the back of Four's hands as they spoke. "You need to speak for it though, hopefully that's okay with you."
"Yeah," Four immediately managed to get out, their voice cracking as they spoke. "That's fine." He figures he'll have to just get over it. The sooner he's feeling better, the sooner they'll leave.
"Thank you. Can you tell me three objects you can see?" Two asked, and when Four began looking around, he could see they had a gentle look on their face. He could almost feel himself flush at the sight.
"Well, I can see you," He grumbled, mostly as a joke, but also to get a reaction out of Two. Their face slightly brightened, feeling a bit relieved.
"I mean other than myself, silly," They giggled, watching as Four huffed and continued to look around.
"Umm, well, I can see a few pots and pans over there," Four began, his eyes trailing all over the room. It wasn't too big, so there weren't a lot of things he could identify. "And I can see a bag over there, and the stuff I was cooking with before," He huffed, but he had to admit he was beginning to feel a bit better now.
"Very good, Four," Two praised, and Four felt his face heat up slightly as they did. They felt him grip on their hands a bit tightly. "Can you tell me three things you're able to hear?"
Four sighed. "I can hear us talking, obviously, and I can also hear a couple of people talking outside," He said, watching as Two cocked an eyebrow. "Does that not count?"
"Nono, it does, I'm just surprised you keep bringing me up is all," They explained, which Four huffed at. "One last thing, but I need you to stand up for it," Two said, and the other openly groaned. "Come on, don't be like that," They started, gently pulling Four and themself up to their feet. "See? Doesn't that feel better?" They cooed, and Four ripped a hand away from theirs to place it on his cheek.
"It's almost like you read my mind or something! Very good," Two exclaimed, and Four tilted his head to the side confusedly at them. "The last thing is to move three body parts! You've already moved one, so just two more to go!" Their voice sounded as chipper as it usually did now, their own worries being reassured by Four's usual behavior shining through.
"Oh," Is all Four could say, moving their leg slightly. "That's three, right? I already moved two other things."
"It is! I'm so proud of you," Two praised, opening their arms and leaning in for a hug but hesitating. "Can I hug you-?" They began to ask, but Four seemed to have enough of this and just moved to hug them himself. This is even better! Two smiled happily into the hug, their hold on Four being tighter than they would have liked.
They stayed like that for a minute or so, before Four practically scrambled out of their arms, blushing furiously. "Well, I have to get back to cooking now," He said, turning around and bringing his attention back to whatever he was in the middle of making. He expected Two to just leave, but was surprised when he saw them next to him.
"Ooh, can I help?" Two asked, their eyes almost sparkling in want. They almost cheered when Four nodded, beginning to ask what exactly he was making and how they could help.
They ended up cooking together for the rest of the afternoon, even though Two didn't have the slightest bit of knowledge about cooking. They had thought baking and cooking were the same, but they were proven to be wrong today! Four thinks that maybe he could use their help around the kitchen more often.