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Kelly’s knee was bouncing.
While that all and of itself wasn’t too concerning, the Bennet boys had a habit of being always in motion, it was more worrying combined with the way that he kept raising a hand to his mouth. Robbie came over to him, making sure to bump against him in case Kelly didn’t realise he was there.
Almost immediately Kelly was leaning hard into Robbie, burying his head in Robbie’s shoulder.
While he had been waiting for Kelly to speak, Robbie eventually realised that Kelly wasn’t going to.
“Everything okay?” Robbie asked.
Kelly whimpered and it was blue blue blue.
“Do you want me to get Ox?” Robbie asked. “I can get Ox. I should get O-“
But Kelly had started shaking hard at the suggestion so Robbie forced his mouth to stop running. He simply sat there on the couch instead, hoping to bring some comfort to his Mate through their bond and through his contact alone.
While they were in the Blue House, the others were close by enough that Robbie could very well get them to come help sooth Kelly, though it was clear that right now Kelly just wanted him.
“Is this about…” Robbie chewed on his lip.
He knew what this was about, of course he knew what this was about. All of Kelly’s quiet moments had been like this ever since Carter left. It was like there was a piece of him missing, and in a way it was.
Carter wasn’t just Kelly’s brother, he was Kelly’s tether.
“I’m sorry.” Kelly moaned. “I just… I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” Robbie said. “It’s okay, promise, we’re going to get through this together.”
Kelly’s nod was almost lost in just how hard he was shaking. Robbie wrapped an arm tightly around him, wondering if he should go get a blanket or something. But then Kelly’s whole body was seizing up and Robbie was suddenly wondering if it was possible that stress alone could cause someone to disappear.
Just in case, he held Kelly ever closer.
But then Kelly was tensing again.
“Robbie…”
Understanding slammed right into Robbie and he was vaulting over the couch, scrambling to reach the kitchen. In his rush, he nearly tripped over his own feet but as soon as he had the small bucket they kept in the cupboard for when someone wasn’t feeling well, he was running back to the lounge room.
Kelly’s whole body was shaking as he gagged, hand clasped over his mouth.
He looked impossibly pale and when Kelly went to grab the bucket, he was already throwing up into it. Kelly shuddered, bringing up more sick, and Robbie sat beside him once more.
“It’s okay Kelly,” Robbie said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Kelly could only groan, barely holding back another gag.
When he seemed to be finished, Robbie carefully took the bucket away.
Kelly whimpered, curling up into a ball.
Robbie ached for his partner, knowing just how hard the last few months had been on him. It wasn’t just Carter having left to go find Gavin, before then he had lost Robbie too. Even though Robbie was back now, his memories returned and his love for Kelly returned tenfold, Kelly’s life had been a series of tragedies that he had had little to no control over.
It was only reasonable that his body had started rebelling against all of that stress, Robbie just wished that there was more he could be doing for Kelly.
“Do you want to watch something?” Robbie asked.
Kelly curled further into himself.
“Or we can just stay here together.” Robbie said. “Or I can go, if I’m bothering you, or… Or I can shut up.”
“I don’t want you to shut up.” Kelly said faintly.
“Oh.” Robbie said. “That’s great. I’m not actually very good at shutting up.”
Kelly’s chuckle was weak but Robbie was still glad to hear it.
When he held out his arms, letting Kelly be the one to choose if he were to move into them, he wasn’t hurt when Kelly instead stayed exactly where he was.
“You don’t want to hug me right now,” Kelly said miserably. “I’m disgusting.”
“Not more disgusting than usual.” Robbie said. Then, his eyes widened. “I mean, you’re not disgusting at all, though I suppose you’re probably feeling a little gross right now… See, not great at shutting up.”
Kelly’s hand reached up, cupping Robbie’s neck. Robbie felt warm, especially because Kelly had specifically brushed up against the mark on his neck.
“I see you and all that,” Kelly said. “But I really do need a shower.”
Robbie nodded, shifting away.
Kelly looked to the bucket and shivered strongly.
“Don’t worry about that,” Robbie said. “I’ll fix it. You go have a nice shower.”
“Thanks, Robbie.” Kelly said.
Robbie stood, rocking on his heels, beyond proud that that he was a good mate.
After a few more moments of just wallowing in his misery, Kelly forced himself to stand.
Robbie brought the bucket into the kitchen to clean up, listening out just in case Kelly called for him. After a few minutes he heard the shower start running but then all at once it was like Robbie was being punched in the chest.
Their bond.
Something was wrong with the bond between them.
Robbie threw himself towards the bathroom, barely having a chance to reconsider before he was already throwing the door open and rushing through.
Kelly was on his knees in front of the toilet, only in his slacks with his shirt abandoned to the side. He was shuddering, trying to hold back a gag, his long hair dangerously close to the bowl.
Robbie skidded the last few feet to him, not hesitating to gather Kelly’s hair to hold it back. Kelly lurched strongly, but he didn’t bring anything up.
“I got your hair, it’s fine.” Robbie said.
As if that was all that Kelly was waiting on, all at once he was vomiting again.
Robbie stayed right there by his side, talking to him softly and sending reassurances through their bond. Kelly’s poor body was struggling, but Robbie kept him steady as best he could. Since wolves don’t get sick, it wasn’t often they threw up which only ever made the experience all the more miserable.
When Kelly managed a few minutes without throwing up, Robbie eased him back up against him, holding him carefully.
“Sorry…” Kelly mumbled.
“Why are you sorry?” Robbie asked.
Kelly waved towards the toilet, then towards himself.
“I don’t mind.” Robbie said. “You’ve helped me plenty of times.”
“I did warn you not to eat that squirrel.”
Robbie’s face burned red, hoping one of these days Kelly would finally let him live that particular mistake down.
Kelly’s laugh was rough, but when he rose his hand to cup Robbie’s cheek, Robbie found that he didn’t mind so much about the squirrel.
“Besides,” Robbie said. “They always say its better out than in.”
“Who says?”
Robbie shrugged.
“You know,” Robbie said. “People. Well, humans I guess. I don’t really know what they mean but, you know…”
Kelly hummed.
“Kelly… Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”
The last of Kelly’s smile dropped.
“I’m okay.” Kelly said. “I just… I miss him. Carter.”
“I miss him too.” Robbie said. “But he will be back. He will find his way home, just like how I did.”
“Robbie, Love, we basically kidnapped you.”
Robbie shrugged.
“All the same,” He said. “I’m home now. I’m with you now. And soon enough, Carter is going to bring Gavin home too. Everything will work out, I’m sure of it.”
Kelly considered his words. He took in a shaky breath, and then another. Finally he seemed to fully calm, and when he nodded there was renewed strength in his beautiful eyes.
“Yeah.” Kelly said. “They’ll both be home soon. But then I’m going to kick Carter’s ass.”
While Kelly was absolutely able to move from Robbie’s arms, he didn’t for a long time. Eventually he seemed to remember just how gross he was feeling because he stood up.
“Do you want me to stay?” Robbie asked.
Kelly gave it a long moment of consideration. While he was almost always comfortable with cuddling up to Robbie, and would also partake in sex occasionally, he tended to be less inclined to share a shower with Robbie.
Robbie didn’t mind at all either way, though he didn’t want to leave Kelly alone for too long in case his nervous stomach returned.
Finally, Kelly shook his head.
“I’ll be okay.” He said.
Robbie nodded. He turned to go, though he took a detour by the cabinet to bring out a new bottle of shampoo. It was hardly Kelly’s favourite, that one smelled amazing, but this twelve-in-one had been left over from when Carter had come to the Blue House for a few days.
It wasn’t Carter, but it was a little piece of Kelly’s brother and tether.
Kelly’s smile was broken but Robbie could feel just the glimmer of green amongst all that blue.
“Robbie?” Kelly said.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks…” He said.
Robbie rocked on his heels, pleased with himself. He went to leave again but Kelly stopped him once more.
“And Robbie?”
Robbie turned back towards Kelly.
“I love you, you know that right?”
“I love you too Kelly.” Robbie said.
And it was grass and lake water and sunshine.
It was everything Robbie had ever wanted, and so much more.