You And Me - A Collection of Les Twins One Shots

Yoherlandy

They went through an agenda before every show of TVA Révolution which briefly outlined every candidate that was going to perform and a bit about their respective backgrounds. 

Laurent had expected many things as far as tragic backstories went, but the one thing he absolutely wasn't ready for was Yoherlandy. As soon as they showed his video, he started squirming uncomfortably in his seat, feeling his muscles tense in anticipation.

Yoher seemed like a genuinely nice guy. He was talented, of course. But most noticeable about him, was the sadness and grief he carried with him. It practically radiated off of him. The soulful look in his gaze, the nearly-there but never fully blooming smile that seemed so fragile on his lips. The glimmer of tears in his gaze and the lack of another presence by his side, so startlingly obvious in the way he performed and moved, like he was used to having someone beside him that was no longer here. And now he was noticeably incomplete. It was a painful thing to watch. 

Laurent could barely look at the guy as soon as he stepped on stage.

And then the music started and it was a song he had never hear before. Thankfully or maybe sadly, because he certainly wasn't ready for the lyrics when they hit.

Yoher was masterful in his art, a living, moving, vibrant portrayal of his own grief and it was so palpable right then that it took his breath away.

There was a bunk bed on the stage and it was just like the one he and Larry used to have, Larry sleeping on top because he had fought Laurent so hard on it that he just gave in at one point to keep the peace between them. But Yoher occupied only one of the beds and there was such a raw expression of grief on his features that Laurent felt a pang in his heart in sheer empathy of the man's loss. He was trying so hard not to go there, not to imagine himself in that position because he was barely keeping it together as it was. But Yoher was bearing his soul to them, dancing with his own demons, battling them right in front of the jury and the audience and it was hard to blink or breathe or even think of anything other than 'not me not me not me not my loss not my brother not my twin'.

The lyrics rose up to a roaring crescendo, every word a punch to the heart. Yoher tore the garment of his lost brother off of his body, fighting with it like he was trying to get rid of the last remnant connecting them beyond death and then scrambling to retrieve it as though he was utterly shaken at the thought of losing that last tie to his brother.

It was heart-wrenching to watch, almost unbearable to listen to. 

His twin wasn't doing much better in the seat beside him. Larry had started out watching with a feigned smile on his lips, trying to make it through the performance with his usual poker face on. But even he was shaken now. Laurent didn't have to look at his twin to know the emotion on his brother's face mirrored his own heartbreak. He was sure if he risked a glance at Larry, he'd lose whatever feeble grasp on his composure he still possessed.

Yore jumped up high on the bed and dropped down on the mattress, burying his face in his brother's clothes and the performance was finally over, ending in roaring applause.

The rest was a blur to both of them.

In hindsight, Laurent didn't know how much he talked when giving his feedback to Yoher, he only remembered how hard he had cried, pouring out his own grief without the slightest restraint. In that moment it didn't matter that they were being filmed or that there was an audience. It only mattered to empathize with this man and the incredible performance he had pulled off, to share some of his pain and take some of the weight off his shoulders. 

When they returned home that night, Laurent allowed Larry to drive. His headache had reached migraine-like levels of pain and he was pretty sure the driving would only end up making it worse. Larry said nothing the entire ride back home.