Connected Lives (a Les Twins FanFiction)

Chapter 27

Since Sarah's arrive a month ago, the twins had made a couple low-key appearances around Paris and a short notice VIP performance at Le Palace Club. It was enough to quiet the social media masses about them being MIA. But, of course, the photos of Laurent now had them questioned what exactly happened during their two-month hiatus. He was very lean and his skin was pretty pale, but his short, ratty fro was not in long, sleek twists which helped. If Laurent had fans questioning, Larry had them downright worried. For some reason his weight loss and sunken eyes were more dramatic than his brother's. Rather known for his effusive personality and engaging stage presence, his subdued attitude and precise style seemed to lack heart. The fanarazzi had been openly lurking for some time now and the "Les Twins Clique" postulated incessantly, sent messages, emails and snaps seeking the tea under the guise of unconditional concern. But somehow, not without growing stress and frustration, Thea had managed to keep the hounds at bay. Now though, fans were getting angry and had picked a new target. Her.

Sarah had quietly settled into a routine at the Bourgeois residence. She was a peaceful presence for the most part. When she and Laurent went head-to-head things would get interesting but it would inevitably end with Sarah please and Laurent in a huff - even when he "won." Their sexual chemistry was intense, more so every day that they didn't act on it.

Thea and Larry, on the other hand, their moment interrupted by Laurent was their last. Larry just shut down. He spent more and more time with Aurelie. And by default with Sabine, who had taken to Instagram posting artsy photos of daddy and daughter, of her with various men, and inspirational memes with cryptic captions about love and "the one." Thea liked Sabine well enough, and she loved Aurelie, but this was really getting on her nerves. It wasn't really all of that though. It was that Larry said...nothing. He talked to Laurent and that was it. And Mama B a little bit. She had visited a couple times recently when Aurelie was there. Despite what she had told Thea in the hospital the day Laurent woke up, she did nothing but smile pleasantly at her now.

Then there was Laurent. And Larry and Laurent. Les Twins. Laurent was overdoing it, according to Larry. Laurent called him a bitch, Larry called Laurent a fucker, and then they sat down together and rattled on about god knows what in super high speed French. That was pretty much how it went. Normal, in a way, but always with an undercurrent of tension and a sense of distrust between the brothers. It was there when they danced. You saw it but couldn't quite put your finger on what "it" was. Larry danced angry. All of his moves were brutally exact and ferociously raw. Laurent was cautious, wary, but hitting big moves hard when the music really moved him. There was little technically wrong, but the energy was not right. To Thea, this was a multi-layered problem, especially with their first performance in months taking place in three days. At Adagio in Berlin no less, a club with an adoring and intense Les Twins crowd.

"What's weighing on you?" It was Sarah. In the last few weeks she had really become Thea's support, her friend. She wondered, every now and then, how she would coping without this lovely stranger. And she was. In all of this time Sarah had offered nothing more of herself aside from her vague reasons for coming in the first place: she wanted to discover the meaning behind the vision she had of Laurent. Thea could understand that desire, but why? What did she leave behind in the US? Who was she? No, Thea had too much to worry about without adding Sarah in the mix. She just needed a friend, even if she was a stranger.

"The performance coming up in Berlin," she groaned. "This is huge, I don't know if the guys get that. Their dance is just off. The twin connection just isn't...there. Adagio is an intense venue with an intense crowd who know and love Les Twins. And expect a lot from them."

Sarah nodded thoughtfully. "I agree."

Thea turned and looked at her. "That's it?" she scoffed, "you don't have any other thoughts?" Her tone was slightly incredulous.

Sarah looked hard at Thea. "I understand why you are worried and I agree that Laurent and Larry are off." She walked over to Thea and sat down, her gaze never leaving her friend. "But Thea, what power do you think you or I have over that? In terms of the lives of these two men, we're along for the ride, we don't navigate."

Thea kept looking at Sarah for a long while as she chewed on her words, then she slowly shook her head. "No Sarah. I am no passenger. You're right that I cannot control their lives, but that does not mean they control mine either. I work for them, and I do a damn fine job. At many levels my job does involve guiding them, so I am invested. And I do have a say if I see them headed down a questionable path. I have kept my mouth shut in the past and look where we are now."

Sarah smiled and sat up straighter. "Well, that is one way to put me in my place! So, what are you going to do?"

Thea deflated, "No fucking idea."

"Okay, what do you need to do?"

"Ha! What don't I need to do!" Thea laughed sarcastically. Sarah sat, unmoved, as she leaned her head sideways and rested her chin in her hand. "Okay! Okay!" Thea conceded. "I need to reconfirm the booking. I changed the times from 10:30pm through 3:30am to 10:00pm until 2:00am."

"Do Laurent and Larry know?"

Thea shook her head. "No," she continued, "I need to see if I can get them an earlier flight so they can get more rest. They sleep better on red eye flights. I need to find out what they want to wear. I need to know what they want to eat and drink. Almost all of which required Larry to hold an actual conversation with me."

"Huh?"

"Oh please Sarah, you expect me to believe you haven't noticed that he goes out of his way to limit our contact? And spends every moment he isn't with Laurent with Aurelie and Sabine?"

"I guess when you put it that way then, yeah, I've noticed. But I have read it differently I guess. I think if you pulled him aside and focused him you would find it isn't personal."

"He stays at her place."

Realization dawned on Sarah. "Ah. It is personal then. I should have known. I'm so sorry Thea." Sarah gripped her friend's hand.

"I shouldn't be upset like this Sarah! We've never even kissed much less made any sort of commitment. I just thought that he, that there was something there. It hurts, you know? To realize that I was wrong."

"Are you in love with him?" Sarah knew the answer but still had to ask.

"Yes." Thea's eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'm so sorry." Sarah was unsure of what to say or do. She had no solutions and what little she knew wouldn't comfort. So she stayed silent and squeezed Thea's hand a little tighter.