[ oh, buddy... he truly hates the sensation sharing half because it feels weird and half because he doesn't actually like knowing hien feels this way. or that he's trying to forcibly chill and struggling about it. ]
Yeah. I'm still here. [ he doesn't quite touch him again, but he hovers close and seems to actively be focusing on deep breaths and trying to clear his head. he doesn't understand how red string works but he's trying. ] What can I do to help you?
[ you're really just putting hien through the pear wriggler…
But somewhere in the blur of heat and intimacy, as he tries to catch his breath, a thought arrives with startling clarity. Right. Love. They're in love with each other. Yes, as much as this is something they both want, Hien is in a vulnerable position. What's love if they're just using their bodies to express it? So, he presses a breath through his teeth to steady himself and gently pushes his arms out to their full length. ]
I won't, but we need to at least get you somewhere el——
[ —He doesn't finish.
The coughing hits like a blow. Violently, and like a raze, making Hien's buildup of heat practically gentle by comparison. It burns through his veins, searing up his chest and ripping through his lungs, unlike a heat that merely pools in their cores. And Hien, unfortunately, gets the full brunt of it. Sorry if Hien was counting on Elysium to keep him up, because this is where he falters, knees going out from under him and dragging Hien with him in a graceless tilt.
Whether they end up on the floor or whether Hien manages to be the alpha omega, the base instinct is the same—he curls in, shoulders hunching, arms pulling across his ribs as though he can physically hold the coughing back.
Hien tumbles when Elysium falls, but just barely manages to catch him in his arms before he takes the full impact of the pain that Elysium endures. He was already experiencing pain and even though he's used to feeling pain, he still hates pain. The sudden feeling shocks him that he stays frozen, but manages to keep Elysium in his hold, but even stronger this time. ]
"Elysium, what's--I thought the river would have..."
[ It didn't heal him fully? What's happening? He remembers seeing him cough like this in the morgue. His mental capacity is so fuckin kaput right now. All of this is such a turn-off, but he's still in heat and he is SO MISERABLE, both physically and mentally. ]
[ he's doing better than yosuke whose response to being hugged by yu while crying was "you dumbass, that's for girls." he's matured since then, and even if he's still not always good with knowing how to give physical affection he does at least know hugs have made him feel better (to his chagrin) and hien is clearly losing a battle here. what the hell is he worried about yosuke for?
so what this means is he kind of looks at him for a few seconds before he concedes. it's a little awkward at first like he's not sure if this is correct, but after a few seconds he actually pulls him closer. do as you wish. ]
[ He's fine with awkward hugs, because once Yosuke pulls him closer, Hien returns the hug with his hands almost clawing at his back. He buries his face into Yosuke's shoulder. He doesn't cry, but he wants to. He works so hard and fails repeatedly. He tries making lives better for what? The sake of his ego? He'll eventually eat all these worlds, so why does it matter? It's just to satisfy himself, but it'll never be enough. Never enough. He just stays like that for a little longer. ]
[ that pretty much makes it less awkward immediately, because hien's busy practically clinging to him and he'd have to be an absolute asshole to ignore that. he doesn't push him off or anything, and he doesn't complain about the hands gripping tight or the warmth of hien's face in his shoulder even if he's mildly worried he's a little too bony to be that comfortable.
instead, he's adjusting his arms to hold him tighter and sort of lets himself think before one of his hands comes up to stroke the back of his hair. that seems right? a slow, repetitive motion to try and calm him down.
there are plenty of other people who are probably better than this, and he's a little sorry this is what hien gets when he can't entirely measure up to what he might need, but he's at least doing his best because he's done his best for yosuke. it's only right. so basically he really can stay all he wants while he falls apart a little and can't quite crawl out of this pit, yosuke's going to keep hugging him until he decides he wants to pull away. ]
This is so fucking funny though. His nose wrinkles a little...]
...No do-overs. Okay?
[He feels like he has somehow gone backwards in his task after going forward so long and he's piecing together very quickly that dying is probably related to that.]
[Where's the vore pride, Hien... He just kind of tips his head to the side and starts wringing his braid out.]
Yeah? It was pretty weird. [Being eaten is not fun actually and he is not a fan of this red string effect ALL IT HAS GIVEN HIM IS PAIN.] You're a pretty weird alien.
[Unfortunately this clocks way less to him than Fiammetta's perfectly normal and valid fear response because he has spent the smallest fraction of his life with normal people compared to the amount of time he's spent with other freaks.
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