Apply First Aid: Reprise

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this last reprise! Only one chapter to go after this, ah, I'm dying. Ok ok, I'll let y'all read and enjoy.

Also, there's a part in here with like, implied suicidal thought? It's more just a general apathy, like not caring if they die or not. It's just mentioned briefly, but I thought I'd make a note of it just in case.

Things were starting to feel better now.

They weren't perfect by any means. His colors were still very up and down, but they seemed to be brighter these days, more often than not. But he still had his bad days.

There were days when he woke up almost completely gray again, and those days were hard. It was hard to see himself like that, and think he was failing all over again. But unlike out on the Neverglade Trail, or even just a few weeks ago, he didn't feel like he had to deal with it alone.

He had his brothers.

Branch had been keeping him busy, refusing to let him just hole back up in Rhonda or his pod. So JD ended up helping Branch out with a lot of his foraging, collecting food and supplies for the bunker, and for himself as well. And he found himself genuinely enjoying the typically mundane task. Foraging came easily to him, and without the added anxiety of 'I need to collect food so I can eat tomorrow,' it was surprisingly relaxing.

On days where he was brighter, he and Branch would talk for hours, their cheerful voices carried across the trees. And on days when he was more dull, his mind shifted to a darker place, they would work in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest. But it was never an uncomfortable silence. John Dory didn't have to talk, and Branch didn't expect him to, and that was ok. Just knowing his brother was there if he needed him was enough.

He was spending a lot more time with Clay as well, which was proving to be incredibly fun. Clay had started giving him golf lessons funnily enough, and they were not going well. Then again, Clay was a golf expert, so it wasn't like John Dory even really stood a chance. But despite John Dory's apparent ineptness at the game, he could feel him and his brother growing closer, and that made his heart soar.

Sometimes, Clay would come over to hang, and he'd be greeted with gray skin and tired eyes. On those days, he'd typically pull a book from his hair, and both he and John Dory would curl up on the couch, and Clay would read to him. John Dory loved the moments of excitement and laughter he spent with his brother, but he really liked these quiet moments too. Just listening to Clay's soft voice as he read, the pictures swirling in JD's mind. It reminded him of when he used to tell his brother's stories as kids. It was kind of nice, being on the other side. John Dory would often fall asleep, but Clay never seemed to mind.

The past few days, however, John Dory had been on Vacay Island. He'd come to visit Bruce and Floyd, and Bruce's family of course. He'd spent a lot of time relaxing with Bruce, and talking about a few things from their past. Which was freeing, in a way, but not exactly easy. But he kept trying.

He'd been hanging out with Floyd as well, which was always nice. His second youngest brother had a way of putting his mind at ease, a strong calm in the constant whirling of John Dory's thoughts. However, his brother had seemed a bit… off ever since he got here. Unlike his other brothers, Floyd always tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, and it was very clear that something was on his mind. After a few days of Floyd dancing around him nervously, John Dory finally couldn't take it anymore.

They were laying out in the sand, basking in the rays of the midafternoon sun. Well, John Dory was. He lay on his stomach, letting the sunlight bathe his back as he rested his head on his arms, reveling in the comfort the warmth brought. But every so often, he'd peek his eyes over at Floyd, who had yet to lay down with him. Instead, the pink haired troll stared off towards the sea, looking troubled.

"Floyd?" he called gently, slightly groggy from the heat.

"Huh? What?" His brother was shaken from his thoughts, turning to look at John Dory. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah, 'Floyd'." John Dory chuckled, shifting into a sitting position. "I hate to say this, but you look stressed, man. What's going on?"

Floyd blinked, before letting out a nervous laugh. "Heh, stressed? Who says I'm stressed?"

John Dory raised an eyebrow, scanning up and down at Floyd's tense body. His brother just seemed to hunch down a bit more, so John Dory softened his approach, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, it's fine if you don't want to tell me, I just–"

"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow," Floyd blurted out, eyes trained on the ground. "The last checkup, y'know? To make sure I'm all good, and everything's how it should be. And I was thinking…" He paused, taking a deep breath. "I was really hoping you would come with me."

John Dory froze, unable to help but feel a flicker of fear in his chest at the thought of going to that doctor's office again, absently grabbing at his hand as it started to ache in protest. Things hadn't exactly gone well the last time they went…

"I understand if you don't want to," Floyd said quickly, fidgeting with his hands. "I completely understand, and you can say no, I just… I've been really worried about this whole 'gray' thing recently and if there might be physical side effects, so I just thought maybe it would be good to just check and make sure everything was ok." He pursed his lips, ears drooping down. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to push you or anything, I'm just… worried."

John Dory was quiet for a moment, thinking. To be fair, they didn't really know much about this whole "going gray" thing. The only other trolls he knew it had happened to was Branch and his father. Branch seemed to have recovered mostly from it, but it had completely destroyed his dad. So maybe Floyd had a right to be concerned. Maybe it was worth finding out if there were any… side effects he should be looking out for.

Ugh, but I really don't want to go there again… he thought, grimacing slightly. But as he looked over at Floyd's worried face, he let out a sigh, massaging his hand gently. ...but maybe I need to.

"Ok," he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll come."

"That's totally fine, like I said, you don't have to–" Floyd paused his rambling as what John Dory said seemed to dawn on him. He turned towards him, surprised. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah, I guess," John Dory replied, slightly surprised himself. He cleared his throat. "I mean, it's better to know, right?"

Floyd seemed to brighten at this, nodding. "Yeah," he said with a smile. "It is." Floyd's ears drooped down once more, face turning serious. "You sure you're ok with this?" he asked slowly, worry flashing in his eyes.

"I don't know," John Dory replied, laying back down. "But I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

So that's how John Dory found himself once again standing in front of the clinic, trying to drum up as much courage as he could to make his way inside. Floyd had already walked ahead, nearly reaching the entrance, but strangely, John Dory couldn't get his body to listen to him, instead standing firmly in place, unable to move.

Maybe he wasn't as ok with this as he thought he was.

C'mon… he thought, gritting his teeth. What's the hold up? You agreed to do this, you know it's going to be fine, so just move! His body started to shake in response, causing him to become even more frustrated.

Floyd seemed to notice John Dory was no longer following him, walking back over to him with a look of concern. "Hey, you ok?" he asked, grabbing John Dory's hands.

"I'm fine," John Dory hissed in irritation, willing himself to move. But his body still stubbornly refused.

"Look, John, if this is too much, we can wait," Floyd replied quickly, squeezing his hands slightly. "I don't want you to force yourself to do this."

"No no, I want to do this," John Dory said, shaking his head as he let out a dry laugh. "I do, really, I just… I can't get my stupid body to move."

Floyd frowned, his gaze soft. "Hey, take it easy on yourself, alright? You've been through a lot. It's understandable."

"Right, right," John Dory replied, forcing himself to take a deep breath. This negative self talk wasn't helping anything. "Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Floyd said, shifting to John Dory's side. "It's ok. We can do this together, right?"

John Dory took another deep breath, holding Floyd's hand a bit tighter, his body seeming to untense just enough so he could move again. "Right, ok," he said loudly, trying to hype himself up. "Let's do this before I change my mind."

They walked into the clinic, getting all checked in before climbing up onto one of the massive chairs in the waiting room. It was a lot easier to move around this place without a stupid hat covering up his hair. He sat next to Floyd quietly, his nerves starting to get the best of him as he rubbed his hand anxiously. However, he soon found his attention drawn to his brother, who if he didn't know any better, looked just about as anxious as he did.

Floyd was trembling ever so slightly, staring blankly forward, lost in thought. Without hesitation, John Dory reached out, grabbing his brother's hand in his gloved one, leaning forward so he could look him in his face.

"You ok?" John Dory asked worriedly, feeling his brother's grip tighten.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine, I just…" Floyd trailed off, looking back at him. "Are you sure you're ok with this? Like really sure?"

John Dory sat back a bit, ears drooping slightly. "I am, Floyd, I am. I'm just… nervous, y'know?" He let out a soft chuckle. "I mean, last time we were here, things didn't exactly go so well for me." He shook his head, trying to chase the nerves from his mind. "But I think this is… good. A part of healing or whatever. And I'm… ok." He looked back at Floyd. "Really, I'm ok."

Floyd nodded, jaw tight. "Look, John Dory, about last time…" he started, taking JD's hand into both of his as a gesture of comfort, rubbing it gently with his thumb. "I didn't mean to push, y'know? I'm sorry if I made you feel like you had to force yourself to come with me. I saw you were struggling, and I… I just wanted to help." His ears drooped down further, his face turning sad. "Like you helped me."

John Dory turned to Floyd quickly, guilt welling up in his chest. "No, Floyd, you don't have to be sorry. I know you were trying to help," he said firmly, eyes downcast. "I should have been more honest. About a lot of things." He grimaced slightly. "But I'm trying to be better about that."

"I know you are." Floyd was quiet, looking down at John Dory's hand in his. And after a moment, he spoke up again. "What happened, John?" he whispered, as if he didn't even really mean to speak out loud. He didn't have to clarify for John Dory to know what he was asking about.

John Dory looked down at his hand, confused. "I mean, you know the story," he said hesitantly. "I blew it up."

"Yeah, but…" Floyd replied worriedly, tracing gently over the scar tissue peeking out from the glove. "There's more to it than that, isn't there?"

John Dory stiffened, sucking in a sharp breath. Floyd picked up on this immediately, quickly backtracking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean… You don't have to tell me right now."

"No no, I…" John Dory trailed off, thinking. He'd never told the full story of what happened to… anyone. Not even Branch. He really didn't like thinking about it. The excruciating pain, the fear, and then… the numbness. Both physically and otherwise. All those dark, cold nights, wondering if he'd make it through till morning…

But didn't he owe it to Floyd to be honest? After all the lies and minimizing what actually happened, didn't his brother deserve to know? Talking with Bruce about things from his past had helped somewhat, so this should be the same, right? He should be able to do this. John Dory could feel a chill settle across him, and he shivered slightly, his stomach doing little flips. He took a deep breath, staring down at his feet. "Well, you know I blew it up, but…" he started, trying to keep his voice steady. "But it's what happened after that really… uh…"

His voice caught in his throat, eyes squeezing shut as vivid memories burst their way into his mind. Crawling out of that cave, practically deaf and blind from the explosion, ears ringing and eyes caked with dirt. His hand was on fire, it was burning. He could barely see it through the mud and tears in his eyes, but he knew it was bad, it was very very bad. He'd crawled down to the stream desperately, relying only on memory as he tried to follow the path he'd taken so many times, pulling his aching body over sharp, jagged rocks. The pain he felt as he plunged his hand into that icy mountain water was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. He screamed, but he couldn't hear it, why couldn't he hear it? It was just pain, burning, burning pain, and he was so cold…

"John?" Floyd's alarmed voice pulled him out of his head, setting a firm hand on his now shaking shoulders. "Breathe."

John Dory shook his head, trying to regain his composure. "Sorry, sorry," he said, a strained laugh escaping his lips as he slowly reached up to grab at his hair. "I'm sorry, I'm trying, I just…" He tried to calm his breathing, frustration prickling across his skin. Why couldn't he do this? He'd been doing so much better recently, so why couldn't he…

"Hey," Floyd said, reaching up to grab the hand from his hair and leaning down so he could look him in the eyes. "It's ok. You don't have to tell me right now. If you're not ready to talk about it, that's ok."

"But I want to," John Dory hissed, ears pinned back in annoyance. "I do, I just… can't."

"That's ok too," Floyd repeated reassuringly. "You're trying to be better at being honest, right? Part of that is being able to admit when something is too much. Being honest with yourself." Floyd poked him in the chest, causing John Dory to smile slightly. But that smile quickly dropped, his shoulders hunching.

"It was just… It was really bad, Floyd," he admitted, fidgeting with his glove. "I really thought I was going to die. I mean, I've almost died plenty of times, but that time I really thought…" He trailed off, unable to meet his brother's eyes. "I really thought I was a goner, and at the time, after everything, I almost didn't care if I–" He couldn't finish his sentence. He could feel his hand aching, heart beating out of his chest. He'd never told anyone that before. He quickly sucked in a shaky breath, clearing the dark thoughts from his head. "Back then I was ready to go if it meant I could be with you guys again… when I still believed you all to be gone. I don't feel that way anymore, obviously, but y'know… " He looked down at his scarred hand, heart in his throat. "It's still hard. It still hurts."

Suddenly, he felt Floyd wrap around him, smothering him in a tight hug. John Dory was surprised for a moment, but then hugged his brother back, the warmth soothing the icy chill that had spread across his body.

"I'm sorry, Floyd, I know that was a lot–" John Dory began, but he was quickly cut off as Floyd hugged him tighter, shaking his head.

"I'm fine, John, I'm fine," he said, his face buried in John Dory's coat. "I'm just really glad you're here."

John Dory smiled, letting out a sigh as he hugged his brother closer. "Yeah, me too."

Just then, the door to the office opened, and a young Vacationer stepped out. "John Dory and Floyd?" she called, scanning the waiting room. John Dory pulled back from the hug, waving at her, before noticing his cheeks were slightly wet.

"Ugh, what?" he complained, quickly wiping his face.

"Welcome to my world," Floyd said teasingly, wiping tears from his eyes as well.

"You were right, it is annoying," John Dory grumbled, hopping down off the chair as Floyd followed behind him.

"Yeah well, someone once told me that tears aren't necessarily a bad thing," Floyd replied cheekily, elbowing John Dory's side.

"Don't give me my own advice," he huffed, but felt a grin split across his face nonetheless. He wrapped an arm around Floyd's shoulders, ruffling his hair, and together, they both headed into the doctor's office. They were greeted immediately by a familiar face, waiting for them inside.

"Hello Floyd," Dr. Desiree greated, pushing her glasses up a bit. "It's nice to see you again. You as well, John Dory."

He and Floyd hopped up onto the counter, John Dory rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey, Doc," he said, shuffling his feet nervously. "So uh, I just want to start out by apologizing for my behavior last time we were here. I may have been in… not a great place, ehem, mentally." He rubbed his hands together, ears drooping. "Sorry you had to see all that."

Dr. Desiree held up her hand, an understanding smile on her face. "Thank you for your concern, but there's no need to apologize," she said kindly. "I realize I might have been a bit too forward about my approach to your situation last time." She sat back a bit, looking down at her clipboard. "We'll take things slow today, ok? I just have a few very simple tests I'd like to run on you two, and then we'll chat a bit, alright?"

John Dory felt Floyd grab his hand, and he squeezed it back slightly, nerves easing a bit at his brother's touch. "Alright."

The tests ended up being relatively quick, and before long, Dr. Desiree had the results in her hands, voice soft as she talked through them.

"Well, Floyd, just as we expected, everything looks great today. I think it's safe to say that you're now pretty much fully recovered, physically that is," she said, Floyd letting out a soft sigh of relief.

"Attaboy, Floyd!" John Dory cheered, wrapping his brother in a tight side hug. "I knew you could do it!"

"As for you, John Dory…"

JD immediately felt a flicker of fear in his chest, swallowing nervously. He turned back to face towards the doctor, Floyd wrapping his hand around his own reassuringly.

Dr. Desiree set the paper down, looking pleased. "Honestly, I'm happy with what I've seen today. The tests all came back normal, your blood pressure is lower, and all in all, you look much better than the last time we talked." John Dory couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as well. "Are you feeling ok?" she continued, brushing a strand of hair behind her glasses. "Any tiredness? Dizziness?"

"Um… maybe sometimes?" he said with a small chuckle. "But I blame that on the caffeine cleanse."

Dr. Desiree hummed, pulling out a book from her desk and flipping to a bookmarked page. "When Floyd had asked me about Trolls going gray, I did a little research to try and learn a bit more about it before you came in. And weirdly enough, just like in Floyd's case, it all ties back to this 'essence' you trolls seem to possess."

She turned the book towards him, and John Dory didn't have it in his heart to tell her that there was no way he was going to try and read all that.

"See, with Floyd, he had his essence forcefully stripped away from him," she explained, John Dory unknowingly hugging his brother closer as unwanted memories bubbled to life in his head. "Think of it like… a deep cut, the essence bleeding out of him at a rapid pace. But with you…" She closed the book, folding it over her lap. "With you it's more like you have a deficiency. It's not like it isn't there, your body is just struggling to produce it. Typically the initial loss of essence is triggered by a traumatic event, or a series of events, and this loss of essence is what causes this 'grayness'."

She pushed her glasses up. "This tiredness and dizziness you're feeling is part of that. Essence is part of your lifeforce. Without it, your body has to work twice as hard to keep up, and this can affect you both physically and mentally."

John Dory blinked, all this new information swirling around in his head. He'd have to tell Branch about this when he got back home…

"However," Dr. Desiree said with a smile. "Like I said before, I'm really happy with what I've seen today. I imagine your essence is still pretty up and down, but that's just sort of how it goes. I recommend doing the same exact thing I told Floyd: surround yourself with things that fuel your essence. Music, friends, family. Think of it like a supplement, until your body is able to replenish the essence it lost, and begin producing more for itself again."

"She's saying you have to take care of yourself," Floyd teased, giving John Dory a side eye.

"Mmm, that seems like a lot of work," John Dory shot back coyly.

Dr. Desiree chuckled a bit, amusement flickering across her eyes. "If I know anything about your family, I'm sure you're going to be just fine."

"Heh, yeah," John Dory said, leaning on Floyd's shoulders. "I'm pretty lucky." Floyd rolled his eyes at him, but he was smiling as well.

Dr. Desiree clapped her hands together, sitting back in her chair. "Well, I don't see any reason why you two should be stuck here any longer. You can just let me know if you have any more questions, alright?"

John Dory paused, thinking. And then, as if he had a sudden burst of confidence, he cleared his throat, stepping forward nervously. "Uh, actually, I…" He hesitated for a moment as Dr. Desiree looked at him, but he clenched his jaw stubbornly, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. "Last time, you'd mentioned some ideas for… this." He pointed at his hand, purposely not looking at it. "I don't think I'm ready for anything… drastic yet, but, y'know, maybe just some ways to manage it?"

Dr. Desiree smiled at him, adjusting her glasses again. "I think that's a great idea. Let me see what I can do."

John Dory walked with Floyd across the sand towards Bruce's resort, flexing his hand as he did so. Dr. Desiree had ended up walking him through some physical therapy exercises that left his hand aching and sore, but apparently, they were supposed to help in the long run. She also fitted him with a new and improved compression glove, the clean, black fabric a stark difference from his homemade leather one, which had practically been falling apart at the seams. It felt… weird, and he couldn't stop moving his hand, feeling it move inside the new glove. It didn't feel bad, just… different.

"How does it feel?" Floyd asked, as if he were reading his mind.

"Uh, weird," John Dory replied candidly, rubbing at the soft fabric. "It kind of hurts."

"It's healing," Floyd said with a soft laugh. "It's going to hurt a little bit." He paused for a moment. "The black looks good on you though. Very sleek, very fashion forward."

"You think so?" John Dory mused, tilting his head to the side. "I really think I'm more of an 'earth tones' guy." He flipped his hand back and forth. "I do like that it's a bit longer though. Covers it up better."

"Mmm," Floyd hummed. "Does it… bother you? Seeing those scars?"

John Dory frowned, hand dropping back down to his side. "A little, yeah. I don't know. I'm proud of most of my scars, but this one is just… different. It makes me feel weak."

"I know what you mean," Floyd nodded, looking up at his white-rooted hair. "It's hard sometimes, to think of these scars as anything other than a reminder of something terrible that happened." He closed his eyes, taking a long, shaky breath. "But I've been trying to think of them more as a reminder that I made it through something terrible, y'know? Like yeah, it was really, really bad, but I made it, right?" He looked back at John Dory. "So maybe, you just need to try and change your mindset. Instead of thinking of it as a weakness, think of it more as a symbol of strength."

John Dory looked back down at his hand, unsure. "Yeah… maybe," he mumbled, not too confident in his abilities to do so. But then again, healing takes time. Maybe someday, he'd be able to think that too. He cleared his throat, trying to shift the conversation to a more happy note. "Well, I think it's safe to say we crushed that doctor's appointment. Clean bill of health, baby! No more doctor's visits for us!"

Floyd laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know. I think I might have to try and drag Branch there sometime." His eyes turned sad, grimacing slightly. "He was gray for so long… I just want to make sure he's ok."

John Dory nodded in agreement, his ears also drooping at the thought of Branch's years without them. "Yeah well, good luck with that," he replied, smirking endearingly. "He's about as stubborn as they come. You might have to drag him here kicking and screaming."

"You have a point." Floyd laughed, eyes sparkling with amusement. He glanced over at John Dory with a smile. "He gets that from you, you know."

"What? When have I ever been stubborn?" John Dory replied, feigning offense.

Floyd just laughed again. "You two are a lot alike," he said, turning his gaze back out towards the sea. "Between you and him, you're both going to start giving me white hair." He pointed up at his two-toned hair, smiling mischievously. "And I can't afford any more."

John Dory reached out to ruffle said hair, but Floyd quickly ducked away, taking off across the sand. John Dory laughed, sprinting after him. "Floyyyyd come back! It's my duty as your older brother!"

They made their way inside Bruce's resort, where Bruce had apparently set up a small celebration for them at the bar. "We didn't really get to celebrate Floyd's good news last time so, here!" He held out a tray of weirdly frosted cupcakes, looking at them sheepishly. "Don't laugh, alright? This is my first time actually trying to decorate these things, and it's harder than it looks."

"C'mon Bruce, they look great! They don't have to be perfect," John Dory replied, grabbing one and quickly popping it in his mouth. His face lit up, eyes wide as he hummed in delight. "Mmm, see? Amazing!" he exclaimed, reaching for another one. As he did, he realized Bruce and Floyd staring at him, smiling, their expressions matching looks of pride. "What?" he asked, confused.

"Nothing, nothing," Bruce replied, his voice slightly husky as he shoved the whole platter into JD's arms. "I'm just really glad you like them."

They spent a while just chilling at the bar, watching Bruce and Brandy work, but after a bit, John Dory felt Floyd nudge him. "You want to go watch the sunset? I know a great spot for it," he asked, climbing to his feet. John Dory nodded, following his brother out into the fading, orange light.

Floyd led him over to a palm tree, set a ways off from the rest of the resort. The faintest sounds of music drifted across the island breeze, torches flickering as night crawled across the still warmed sand. Floyd sat down, patting the spot next to him before gazing out at the horizon, and John Dory quickly joined him. They didn't have to say anything. They just watched as the colors leached out across the water, bathing it in a deep reddish-orange hue, the air cooling ever so slightly. And slowly, those bright colors faded from orange, to red, to purple, and to blue, stars beginning to peek out from the sky.

John Dory let out a contented sigh, finally breaking the silence as he turned towards his brother. "So what are your plans now, Floyd?" He gestured out to the sea dramatically. "You've got a clean bill of health! The sky's the limit!"

Floyd laughed at this before drawing back a bit, rubbing his hands together. "I don't know, really," he admitted, ears dropping slightly. "I've been thinking about it, and I… Well, I was actually thinking of coming to live in Pop Village for a while."

John Dory felt excitement shoot through him, sitting up straighter. "Really?! That's awesome!" he exclaimed, unable to hide how happy he was. He could have two of his brothers, living in the same place?! It felt like a dream come true.

"Yeah," Floyd chuckled, eyes turning sad. "Y'know, with everything that happened in the past and with Branch, I just… I want to be around for him, you know? He went through so much because of what happened, and I promised I'd be there…" His voice caught in his throat slightly. "And I wasn't." He sighed, pulling his legs into his chest. "So I think I should stick around a bit. For him."

John Dory felt his good mood fade, replaced with concern. He was still happy his brother wanted to stay, but… The way Floyd was wording it triggered red flags in John Dory's mind. It sounded all too familiar…

I don't want you to do this for me. I want you to do this for you.

John Dory's jaw tightened slightly. That's why. It sounded like Floyd was deciding to stay out of… guilt. Floyd had always been a bit of a people pleaser, but this… John Dory took a deep breath, turning to face his brother.

"Floyd," he started slowly, trying to choose his words carefully. "What do you want to do?"

Floyd perked up at this, turning towards him in confusion. "What?"

"It just, it sounds like you're deciding to stay just for Branch," he continued, looking down at the sand. "And that's really sweet of you, but you know, Branch wouldn't want you to force yourself to do something for him." He looked back up, meeting Floyd's wide eyes. "If you want to leave, you should. You should go out and live your life to the fullest. I mean, it's not like we won't ever see each other again." He grimaced slightly, letting his gaze fall back down. "But if you're going to stay… you shouldn't stay out of some obligation you feel to us or Branch, or anyone. You should stay because you want to. You should do it for you." He reached out, grabbing Floyd's hand. "So what do you want to do?"

Floyd went quiet, brows furrowed as he thought. After a moment, he spoke up again, hands gripped tightly in the sand. "I've traveled a lot these past few years," he said quietly. "I've been everywhere, trying to find a place that felt… right, y'know? But no matter where I went, it never did." He looked up at the stars, a smile growing on his face. "Until now. It's strange, but now that we're back together? I realized how much I missed this. How much I missed… us."

He choked up a bit, tears starting to fall from his eyes. "The solo act didn't really work out for me. I met a lot of people, and most of them decided I wasn't worth the effort. But now, with you guys, I don't feel like I have to be anything other than who I am. And yeah, things got pretty messed up in the past but… we've all come a long way since then."

He looked back at John Dory, tears dripping down his face. "This is the happiest I've been in a long, long time," he admitted, eyes shining. "So yeah, I… I think I really do want to stay. Not just for Branch, but for me as well."

John Dory smiled, wrapping an arm around Floyd's shoulders and hugging him close. "Now that sounds a lot better," he said, heart full of pride.

Floyd laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "What about you, John Dory?" he asked, leaning in to his brother's touch. "What are you going to do?"

John Dory thought about this for a moment. "I'm… not sure," he replied finally. "I'm happier here. It's nice, not being alone anymore. Not being so scared all the time." He chuckled, looking down at the sand. "But it's weird too. I mean, I spent a good chunk of my life just trying not to die, I never really thought about doing anything else. So now that I don't really have to worry about that anymore, it's like… what do I do?"

Floyd hummed thoughtfully, staring out at the waves. "You live," he replied simply, taking John Dory's hand in his.

You don't need to just try to survive anymore. I think you need to try to live.

…Aren't those the same thing?

John Dory blinked a few times. Oh, he thought, a smile spreading across his face. I get it now.

"Live, huh?" he mused softly, looking up at the stars. He thought of the past few weeks, a sense of ease washing over him. "I think I can do that."

He could feel his body starting to sag, his eyelids growing heavy as he listened to the waves glide across the sand. Floyd really had a way of just lulling him into this state of calm.

"You can close your eyes for a bit," Floyd read his mind, murmuring sleepily into his side. "I'll wake you up in a few minutes."

John Dory chuckled softly. He could tell by the way his brother was curled up, breathing slowed, that he was already half asleep, but John Dory didn't mind. They were safe here, and it was ok. They were ok. He held his brother closer, letting his eyes flick shut.

And he didn't open them again until he heard the click of a camera.

He opened his eyes groggily to see Bruce, standing in the early morning light with a picture in hand. "Ugh, stupid paparazzi…" John Dory groaned sleepily.

"Sorry, couldn't help it," Bruce replied with a smile, coming down to sit next to John Dory, Floyd still deeply asleep. "I thought you might like this one."

John Dory peeked at it, a smile stretching across his face as well. He and Floyd both lay nestled up against the tree, his brother curled into his chest as John Dory held him protectively with his arm. It was a pretty good one.

He tucked it in his pocket, letting Floyd sleep as he and Bruce watched the waves crash against the shore. He may have dozed off again.

This healing stuff was exhausting.

Author's Note: Fun fact - Due to almost freezing to death on several different occasions, John Dory hates the cold. That's why he's always so drawn to warmth. I just wanted to share that, ok, buh bye