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Sylus could tell something was off when you got home. The shakiness of your hand when you closed the door behind you, the way you skittishly avoided his eyes as if the mere thought of a conversation scared you, the way you wrapped an arm around yourself as if you were trying to hold yourself together. Were it not for the absent scent of blood, he would have worried that you were hiding an injury there.
"Sweetie," he called, and you stopped in your tracks to glance up at him with anxious eyes. Poor thing. "Hey, hey," he soothed, walking towards you, but keeping his hands in his pockets. "Relax. I'm not angry with you, and I won't make you do anything you don't want to. Are you okay with touch right now?"
You hesitated, then nodded, looking up at him with eyes reminiscent of a deer's. He needed to be careful; he didn't want to spook you or make you feel uncomfortable. He gently cupped your cheek, pressing his lips tenderly to your forehead. You felt cold, and that worried him. He needed to take this slow.
"You don't want to speak, right?" he asked, resting his face against the top of your head and gingerly pulling you against him, maximizing physical contact with you while not holding you tightly enough that you would feel trapped. You nodded your head in confirmation. He could feel your body trembling against his. His heart ached.
He knew that making any decisions would be terrifying for you in this state, so he wouldn't make you choose anything; he'd just ask for permission. "Do you want to lie on the couch and watch some videos? Hm?" He carefully smoothed his hand through your hair, scratching at your scalp just a little. You nodded again and shakily fisted your hands in his sweater, holding on so tight that your knuckles turned white.
Seeing you like this hurt, but Sylus took pride in being the one person who understood you enough to help. He always understood, because he knew you never had anyone who cared enough to try before. He could see it plain as day on your face, how grateful you were not to be alone anymore. How you no longer needed to weather these storms alone, curled up in bed with no one to wipe your tears.
"Alright. I've got you, sweetheart. I've got you." he murmured into your ear, gently picking you up with your chest still pressed to his, one hand on your butt and the other in the center of your back. He carried you like this, walking slowly and steadily, with no sudden movements, towards the room with your favorite couch. He stopped by the kitchen on the way to grab a couple of bags of snacks and a smoothie from the fridge, not needing to let go of you for even a second as he floated them along with his Evol.
Once he arrived in the room, he didn't separate from you for a moment, sitting down with you still firmly pressed against his chest. He dimmed the lights with his Evol and set the snacks on the table in front of you, then lay back horizontally on the couch and let you lie on top of him. Your little heart had started to slow, so he knew he was doing something right.
He held out the remote to you, looking down at you with one brow slightly raised. "Would you like to choose what we watch? Or is that too much right now?" You took it from him, navigating through the Youtube app to the newest video essay or podcast you haven't watched yet. Sylus didn't comment, simply enjoying the focused furrow in your brow as you typed the letters into the keyboard one by one.
As the video started, Sylus began slowly stroking your back, soothing up and down motions of his large hand beneath your shirt, warming your cool skin with his own. He could feel you melt into him, the tension and fear slowly ebbing out of your body.
He lay there with you for as long as you needed, not leaving your side or forcing you to move on to something else. His plans for the day were on hold; nothing mattered to him more than you, and he would gladly stay here with you all day if you wanted. He loved the trust you put in him, he loved taking care of you, he loved making you feel safe. The last thing he would ever want to do is leave you alone like this.
He had promised that you'd never have to deal with anything alone again, and he would never break that promise.