Uncaging Bunny/LT Fanfiction

Chapter 61 - Tit For Tat

"Where are they?" An increasingly frustrated Laurent slowly paced his living room, his cell phone in his hand. "What could be taking them so long?"

Celeste, on the other hand, more concerned with Laurent's condition at the moment, sat watching him, trying to appease his understandable impatience.  She knew Playmo would take care of Larry. But Laurent still hadn't eaten much, nor had he slept enough since he'd arrived home, mere hours ago, given what he'd been through. But Laurent seemed unconcerned with any of that at the moment.

He'd tried calling Larry and then Playmo, twice, since they'd left, but both calls had gone to voicemail with a call you later auto text reply from Playmo. Not yet known to Laurent, Larry, in his haste to get to Evan, had absently left his phone in his car after he'd arrived and parked at the outdoor shopping mall, before angrily striding towards Evan's retail store.

Playmo, whose phone was on vibrate, having glanced Laurent's call, had replied to Laurent with an automatic message that he'd call him back later, adding to Laurent's already tedious frustration.  Playmo didn't dare leave Larry unattended in his current state of anger to take Laurent's call, Playmo determined.

Larry was obviously not thinking clearly at this point.  And depending on how all of this went down, Playmo was especially mindful that Larry had much to lose, to include his new job, his recent acceptance to culinary school, and possibly his freedom.  So, for now, Laurent's call would have to wait.

"What's taking them so long?" Laurent repeated.

Celeste gave her watch a quick glance and smiled. "Laurent, they've only been gone for about thirty minutes, give or take," she indulgently stated to him.  "It took them at least half that time to get there. I'm sure they're just fine.  But you, I'm not so sure.  Laurent, you're going to wear yourself down. For what you've been through, you've barely slept or eaten since you got home. Please have a seat. I'm sure everything is fine."

"I'm okay," Laurent responded.  But, in truth, he was tired, and it frustrated the hell out of him.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Uh, no, thanks, Celeste." Laurent ran a hand down his face, after he slowly returned to his seat on the long couch.  He was tense.  The pain in the superficial cut to his cheek just below his eye was starting to feel less painful, and the swelling had gone down some. "It's just that...." Laurent slumped back on the sofa, allowing his voice to trail off as he blew out a rough breath. Then,

"Celeste, you didn't see the look on Larry's face. I've never seen him so angry.  He already wasn't much of a fan of this guy, Evan, and now this. He's that angry and he's going after this guy.  I mean...there's no telling what he's doing or is about to do where Evan is concerned. Or worse, what Evan might do if Larry finds him at his store.  And what if Playmo doesn't catch up to Larry in time. Evan could...call the police on him, and sadly, depending on how things go down, he'd have that right.  Dammit!  I didn't want Larry to find out that Evan and Malek were involved in my attempted abduction just yet. Not like this. I wanted to tell him myself.  Later."

"Laurent, believe me, I understand your concern.  I do.  But I'm sure that if something went wrong, or will go wrong, Playmo would have, or he will call.  I'm sure he'll catch up to Larry. He'll take care of him."

Laurent sat back up; his elbows braced on his knees. "Yeah, I...yeah. I guess so."  The not knowing, the feeling of helplessness made Laurent antsy.  After a while, "Celeste...it's just that..."

"You love him."  Celeste smiled.  "You worry about him. I totally understand."

Laurent hung his head slightly, blowing out a breath, a bit embarrassed by his uncustomary show of vulnerability, even to Celeste.  "Yeah.  I...love him. Very much.  I don't want anything to happen to him.  I don't want him hurt, in any way."