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"Yep, it'll be fine."
You reassured Asta with a giant grin, flexing your muscles a bit to ensure the compressing tape had fastened neatly around your upper arm. You shot a glance over your shoulder at Arlan, who was settling down after the hectic invasion. That Doomsday Beast stood no chance against you. "Thank you, Asta." "Of course," she nodded her head, "ᝰᝰ—"
Her speech became nothing but fuzzy gibberish. The world swirled, motion akin to disturbed waters surface. Ringing harshly welcomed Arlan's ears. Although in his vision he saw you and Asta happily reassuring one another(with you grasping her shoulders gently in your hands), his mind pried off of his current safety straight to what he'd seen. The blood that painted the walls, organs decorating the white with crimson like morbid streamers. Sleek-coated monsters with blades for forearms hovering over the mauled corpses of friends, their bodies dripping with the gore of the innocent. The wailing of the alarms swarmed his mind, leaving his sides heaving suddenly. The floor felt as though it disappeared. Everything suddenly grew lighter, leaving Arlan staggering. He was certain he'd either vomit or pass out. His figure began to violently sweat, his mind flashing with the horrors of what he'd seem for every blink. Tears welled in his eyes as he forced himself to cease blinking as much as possible.
Your head lifted, gaze shifting over your shoulder. All that you could see was Arlan staggering on his own feet, one gloved hand cupped over his mouth while his sides heaved. He began visibly trembling. "Arlan—!" Cried Asta as she realized his sudden decline. You extended one arm, forcing her back. "Stop. You're overwhelming him." Through his protective gloves, you could faintly hear him croaking out "oh my god— oh my god.. stop, please stop". Asta gazed at you with her eyes huge in horror, "He must be bleeding again! We have to help!" She argued. "Shhh," you set her aside, "Please wait. Don't cause a scene." You pleaded with her, scanning the room to ensure nobody else was seeing this. Arlan's own heartbeat was deafening him as he began to crumble to the floor. In a swift blur, you placed your warm hands upon his shoulders. His eyes widened in a way that made it seem as though he'd scream, yet all that you heard was a faint whimper of horror. You crouched before him, allowing him to sink onto the floor. His sides heaved, almost like a gag. He began breathing so heavily both you and Asta could hear it very clearly. Blurriness consumed his vision as he began to bawl, tears spilling over his complexion. "Arlan, what's wrong?!" Cried Asta as she approached you. Yet to Arlan, all her voice said was just blurs of noise. He'd turned clammy with horror, beginning to struggle to breathe. It was as though his throat had sealed shut.
Without thinking any further, you gently coiled your arms around his head. Your warmth pressed into his, his feeble hands clutching your clothes. You placed your hand on the back of his head, setting your cheek atop his head. "Shhh, it's okay," you inhaled deeply, "Asta, don't be afraid. He's fine." "How can you be sure? He looks horrible." Her eyebrows knitted with sorrow. Your own eyebrows knitted with focus as Arlan's breathing raced more intensely, "I'm gonna take him to the back. Please wait here." "Why?" "The more people around, the worse it'll be," you hoisted Arlan to his feet, though his breath immediately hitched in his throat. "I'll text you the moment everything is okay." Asta nodded a bit, "Okay," she slowly stepped back. "Take care of yourself, too!"
You guided Arlan to the far backroom of the Main Control Zone, where a tiny medicine station had been set up. There was a metal bench present. Relieved to see it, you allowed Arlan to sink onto it. He placed his gloved hand over his chest, his other hand shielding his mouth. His sides heaved so horribly he'd occasionally hiccup whilst trying to breathe. You stood before him, simply hugging his head in absolute silence. With one arm coiled around him, you slid your free hand down his arm. With that, you removed his protective glove. You then pressed your hand into his sweaty hand. "Okaaay," you kissed the top of his head, "Relax. It'll be okay. It's all right." Arlan's eyes sealed shut as he pressed into your chest, his opposite arm slithering around your neck. You placed your forehead against his, snickering lightly with a soft grin. Audibly practicing deep, prolonged breaths, you slid your hand from Arlan's, brushing your fingers through his ponytail. Such a tender moment was followed by a relieving sob. It was so pathetic, it felt as though your heart had sank in your chest. As you hugged his head, your thumb stroked up and down his white hair.
Finally, you and he exhaled in unison.
"Hey," you whispered playfully, "Are you okay now?" Your fingers danced around his jawline, your palms flattening upon the sides of his face. Arlan, still somewhat choked on tears, nodded feebly. "Mm-hmm. I think so," he sniffled audibly. "I'm so sorry—" You silenced him with a forgiving kiss on his soft lips, "You don't have to apologize." You said, barely parting your lips from his. Proceeding to drink in a large amount of air, you pressed your lips back into his. He curled his arms around your neck, leaning into your kiss. His face flushed bright red, tears still dripping off of his jawline. You fastened your grip on his waist as he stood.
That was a satisfying way to end that.
Arlan broke the kiss, exhaling into your collarbone as he hid there. You pat his head, chuckling a bit. Your left hand squeezed his waistline, "Woohoo! You did it!" You silently cheered. Snickering, Arlan leaned back a bit. In sync with you, his forehead met yours. Your hands navigated up his sides, once more taking his face captive. As he laughed, you aggressively nuzzled into his cheek. "Grr, you're so cute. Haha! Alright, let's call Asta." "Ah, was she worried?" "Very," you laughed a bit, "I told her it's fine. After this though, we have a date in your bed." A subtle wink followed your speech. Arlan repeatedly blinked at you, his nose scrunching as he attempted to wink back at you. Not that you'd see it, being his hair draped over one of his eyes. Laughing, you playfully punched his shoulder. He began to smile at you, "I'm happy that's over. I'm sorry I dragged you into that." He sheepishly confessed. You shook your head, "That's completely fine." You then accepted his uncovered hand in yours, inviting him to reveal himself to Asta once more.
