I'm kinda stuck on Hercules and Lafayette for whatever reason. -C

   He stepped on the needle.

   Hercules knows that he's an idiot, but he never thought he would be this idiot. How...How did he step on the freaking needle? A small part of him is relieved that somehow Lafayette managed to avoid stepping on it. The bigger part of him is practically wailing from the pain of stepping on a needle.

   In the dim light, his eyes trace down to his foot. There, in all of its glory, is a shining needle...Right through the flesh of his foot. It went right through. He didn't even think it was that big!

   This is why he needs to stop working at night.

   With a grim smile, he starts wobbling to his bed. Hercules is not a squeamish man, which is a huge relief. After all, blood and needles are pretty big phobias. And he has gotten both of them covered with one swell swoop. He also has to pull it out without screaming or tearing anything since Lafayette is finally getting so sleep. Hercules really worries about him. So, no crying and hide the blood that's swelling on the carpet.

   After squashing a small pillow in his mouth, he gets to work.

   By the time Hercules is finally settling into bed, there is laundry conveniently placed on the path of blood on his side of the room, a t-shirt torn up and wrapped tightly around the wound, and a needle in the empty box of take-out. Lafayette doesn't need to worry about any of that, after all. He can handle himself. Just fine.

   Lafayette has a nightmare. He can hear his boyfriend in the bathroom, sniffling and crying to himself. Hercules longs to spring out of bed and go to comfort him, but he knows better this time. The wound would make a sudden appearance. In the blinding lights of the bathroom, it would truly reveal the bloodied 'bandage'. If Lafayette needs to cry right now, maybe it's better that Hercules lets him do it alone.

   That doesn't stop the sickening feeling of guilt swelling within his stomach, and it doesn't stop the feeling that he needs to scream when Lafayette finally returns to bed.

   Hercules is the first one to rise, which is the most surprising. When Lafayette finally opens his eyes, Hercules has already showered and gotten dressed. His foot is surrounded by two socks, and he's wearing boots like it's winter. As Lafayette opens his mouth to comment on that, Hercules pecks him on the lips and says that he needs to hurry off and get breakfast. He has plans today, which he does.

   As soon as he's out of the dorm, Hercules slumps against the wall and lets the achy feeling dance up his leg. Alex and John exit their room, unwittingly jolting the larger man out of his thoughts. Hercules flashes them a toothy smile, makes a joke about their hair, and then he watches them walk away. He repeats this process, making various insults, until the person he was waiting for emerges from his room.

   Burr looks pretty surprised to have Hercules walk besides him. He lifts an eyebrow, and while he struggles to keep his voice neutral, the disbelief cuts through. "Hercules?"

   "Burr," he replies evenly before remembering to add the extra gusto to it. "How do you get stains out of carpets?"

   The smaller man tilts his head curiously. "Why do you have a stain in your carpet?"

   Right as Hercules is about to respond, he can hear Lafayette call his name. He swallows his remorse, says goodbye to Burr, and he hurries off to go...Somewhere.

   Later, that day Burr hands him a sticky note with the steps, and Hercules wants to hug him.

   John, Laf, and Alex. That's their little lunch party. Laf looks confused, hurt. However, Hercules knows that his secret would be obvious if Laf were to speak to him directly. So, he takes extra steps to somehow acknowledge his boyfriend without fully talking to him. It's exhausting, and it's starting to show on his face.

   When Alex asks Hercules if he's okay, he feigns a yawn. "Yeah...Had a late night last night though."

   And look at Lafayette's face. A mixture of confusion, confliction, and anger. What does Lafayette think he was doing? Secretly making out with Maria? As soon as that thought forms, Hercules really hopes that's not what he's thinking.

   He makes his escape before Lafayette has the chance to ask. After all, Alex gave him an opening. He thumps John on the back, ruffles Laf's hair, and fist-bumps Alex. Then, he flees back to his room, almost limping from the pain spreading in his boot. Hopefully, nobody had noticed. If they did, he would claim he tripped or something...

   Or something like that anyway.

   Burr's advice works like a charm, and the blood comes right out. He bundles up his laundry, throws it in the hamper, and he contently rests on his bed. His phone starts buzzing, a call from Laf. For a brief moment, Hercules debates about whether or not to answer. In the end, he just sends a text. It's easy to lie in texts.

   Herc: Sorry, busy right now! Ttyl?

   When the dots pop up on the screen, he hides his phone under his pillow. While he wants Lafayette to trust him, a tiny part of him hopes that Lafayette knows him well enough to know he's lying.

   All he gets is an okay from his boyfriend when he finally checks again.

   There's no working that night. When Lafayette finally returns, smelling slightly of booze and Angelica's perfume, Hercules is out cold. He only stirs briefly when he hears Laf's voice, questioning if he did something wrong.

   It looks almost worse today. It's red and warm, and it just hurts.

   Hercules doesn't leave his bed, deciding to pretend to be sick. Lafayette doesn't buy it all, but after a few words, Lafayette finally leaves, looking slightly dejected. Hercules tells his boyfriend he's the best and he's beautiful, but he's not sure if he actually believes it. But...He probably has bigger fish to fry right now.

   He's shivering, and swearing. It's a bad combination, but it's a combination that Hercules has always liked. Despite having goosebumps and having to wear Lafayette's favorite French hoodie, he's still shivering. He bundles the blankets high on him, diving beneath the sheets as an attempt to stay warm. Maybe, when Lafayette gets back, Hercules can ask him to turn up the heat? Otherwise, he's not leaving this bed. It's just a little cold.

   Hercules is trying his best to ignore the fact his foot still manages to feel like a radiator.

   He doesn't know when he started crying, but Hercules knows that he must have at some time. It hurts. It hurts so much. It's the middle of the night, night three of hiding his injury. He tries to keep his sniffles down. He presses his face into the pillow, letting it get snotty and covered in tears.

   Every time his foot moves slightly, he bites down and tries not to whimper.

   Lafayette looks slightly furious. He's asking why Hercules has been dodgy lately, and his lips are still moving, but it's getting harder and harder for Hercules to hear. It's almost as if he's somehow gotten submerged in water. He doesn't want to ask what Lafayette is talking about for fear of upsetting his boyfriend more.

   When Hercules almost falls off his bed from swaying too much, Lafayette catches on. And catches him. It's slightly awkward, but Lafayette finds his way to cradle his boyfriend. He asks him if he's been sick for awhile.

   Hercules' eyes can't help but drift back down to his foot. That's when Laf pounces, taking off his sock and observing the injury and woah. That's worse than Hercules thought. It's puffy and pussy and red and raised. He starts to speak, but Lafayette silences him with a single look, eyes starting to swell with tears.

   Within moments, Lafayette has gotten him up, and he's dragging him towards the bathroom. He prods at the skin, asking if he can feel it. If it's gone numb. Hercules wishes it would go numb, but he doesn't tell him that. He just shakes his head. Then, Lafayette tells him to take these pills, and he knows what's going on.

   He gladly takes the painkillers as Lafayette starts getting rid of the infection.

   In his drugged, feverish haze, he tries to tell Lafayette he didn't want to worry him. That he wanted to be the perfect boyfriend. That for once, Hercules didn't want to be the burden upon him. Because look at Lafayette. He's got it all under control, and Hercules wants to be a tailor...? That's the least manly job he can think of and...

   At some point, he realizes that he's blubbering and shuts up abruptly. He closes his eyes, and he prays that sleep can claim him faster.

   He wakes up in bed, Lafayette snuggled against him. Hercules presses his face into Lafayette's hair, and he wraps his arms around his boyfriend. Lafayette stirs slightly before settling deeper into his embrace.

   They survived the storm.