"I just can't process things right now, so I'm a little on edge," he amends.

"...okay."

He doesn't pull Theo in for a hug again.

That's okay. Theo will just sit here, making sure he's available if a need for him arises.

Oh the need's there. It very very clearly is there.

Well, that's... sad.

Theo frowns, a bit off-kilter.

Sadde sighs. "You don't need to be here. You should go home, get some sleep. It's been a busy week and stuff."

"No, I..." – he frowns even harder, here – "... I want to stay."

"Okay."

Still no hugs.

Something about that seems wrong to Theo. He still seems to be frowning.

Oh well.

Yeah.

Someone arrives to tell Sadde that Laura's stable, no vital organs were punctured but she'll need to stay under observation for a while. He'll be able to see her in an hour. Sadde nods numbly.

Theo smiles at Sadde somewhat tentatively when this news arrives, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. It's good news, right?

Yeah, in theory. Sadde can't bring himself to smile back, and just sighs, leaning forward to prop his head on his knees, covering his face with his hands.

Theo doesn't seem to mind much. He's okay to just sit here, doing nothing.

Eventually Sadde can go visit, and there's Laura, who's not awake.

He looks up when Sadde leaves, but then just continues to sit there.

He looks a bit lost. If Sadde's not back within a couple of hours, he'll probably text that he's leaving and then go home.

Kero's head pops out of Theo's bag. "Are you gonna just stay here?"

"For a while, yes. If Sadde doesn't need me, I'll go home eventually."

"...he obviously needs you." Kero looks around and pops the rest of himself out of Theo's bag.

"He shrugged off my hug, and didn't seem to like my presence. I'm really not sure he needs me, but I'd expect him to tell me to leave if he actually preferred that."

"Are you serious? His mother just got stabbed while he was helping you get a card, he doesn't need to say it! Well, do whatever you want, I'm going after him." And Kero starts trying to be surreptitious as he scoots his way, on the ground, towards Laura's room.

Theo decides that's probably true. They agreed to be in a relationship, so they're probably supposed to be there for one another, so that's what he'll do.

He gets up and walks over towards Laura's room, trying to project an aura of confidence. He's not actually supposed to go in there, but he tries to convey that he knows what he's doing, and has permission to be doing this.

Kero enters Theo's bag again once it's obvious what he's doing.

And Sadde's there, sitting on a chair, his chin resting on arms folded on the chair's back. He looks up when Theo enters. "Oh. I'd thought you'd left."

Kero floats over to Sadde and lands on his arm, giving him a tiny hug.

Theo looks at Sadde, and his expression softens. He goes over to him, hugs him and kisses him on the cheek.

Is that a tear? No, of course not.