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Decorations hung all around the house, he’d made sure of it, with candle holders scattered all about. If he were to fill each holder with a candle and light them the house would be filled with flickering lights. Darkness wouldn’t be an issue, though the light would be dim, and that was perhaps the problem in the living room tonight.

The fireplace was lit and the scent of candles filled the living room as Alexandre moved about with Katya following him with her eyes. The russian blue was happy to watch him while flipping through the book she was curled up reading, she’d been in a good mood lately - very good. Cadha, the little scottish terrier, was in the other room chewing on his new bone on one of his pillow beds.

He’d been cleaning for a while now, dusting and vacuuming and doing the wash, he had sheets in the washer that he was waiting to finish so he could move them to the dryer. He could hear the washer on spin cycle at the moment and was pacing about the living room waiting for it to finish so he could move them to the dryer and put in another load of wash.

Almost jumping, and cheering, when he heard the washer turn off he hurried into the wash room, which was also decorated though less so than the living room, upstairs hallway, stairs banister, and the kitchen. Those rooms all looked well and truly decorated, don’t ever ask how much he’d spent on decorations, the house looked good and the windows were even decorated so people passing by could see.

All those decorations however did not include fake spiders...and so he knew what was in the fake webs in the washroom was not part of the decorations. That was real and it didn’t take long for panic to set in as slate eyes went wide and the ashen blond let out some odd sort of strangled sound while he shook and stared at the thing which seemed to have been disturbed by Alexandre hitting into the dryer that was near it. Another sound, similar to shriek passed his lips as he sunk to the floor as the thing came down towards the dryer and closer to him.

Oh god...it was on top of the dryer and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from it. It wasn’t anything he’d seen before and it was huge, at least it was to him, as he felt air becoming an issue the blonde tried to scoot away from the thing as it continued to move closer. Oh god! Why was it moving toward him!?



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Hux had been up in his room at this point, reading a book that was perfect for the month as it was a horror mystery book with supernatural elements, and was quite content to let his cousin clean to his hearts content. After all if he didn’t think about it or go down there while it was happening he wouldn’t be tempted to rearrange everything. Again. But as he was getting to one of the good parts in the book he heard a shriek that had him practically jumping out of his skin. Eyes wide and his breathing stuttered a bit as he tried to calm himself down from the unexpected noise he dropped the book when it finally registered that sound had come from in the house itself.

He jumped off his bed and quickly made his way down the stairs onto the ground floor. “Alex? Tink are you alright?” He asked as he looked around for his cousin, not being completely sure just where the shriek had come from beyond it having been from this floor. “Tink?”



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It was Katya who had been shocked by the sound, she had been rather buried in her book since Aiden wasn’t home at the moment, and startled as she was she had gotten up, leaving her book, as she sought out Alexandre. The blond she found in the wash room and she figured out why rather quickly...and that wasn’t normal spider behavior was it?

It looked like it was ready to attack him for no reason, ready to pounce and likely bite him, for what purpose? He was on the ground shaking like a leaf and looking pale as a sheet. She was sure he was close to passing out also, if his breathing was any indication of that. She turned, ready to get his cousin, when she heard him. Stepping out of the washroom she turned her wide green eyes onto him. “It looks like there is a rather large spider about to pounce and bite him…” She was sure that Hux, being the elder cousin, knew of the youngers issue with spiders and would know he was suffering a panic attack thus she didn’t mention it.

Rather she went to find a shoe to carry back so he could smash the spider and put an end to things.



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Normally he’d have responded to his cousin but he honestly didn’t hear him. He was so focused on the spider he had a case of tunnel vision as he stared at it. Watching it as it got closer till it seemed close enough to jump on him and it looked like it might just...oh god why?! He wanted to cry, and maybe his eyes were watering even, as he shook with his legs drawn up to his chest. He looked a bit of a wreck right now rather than the strong General he could be, and often was. He looked nothing like the General he was as he sat there shaking and rocking and with his vision going dark around the edges as his sight narrowed to just the spider.

He didn’t hear Katya, didn’t know she had left her precious book to help him. He had no idea what was going on in all honesty and that was good...because he could keep an eye on the spider and make sure it didn’t get to him...right? Though why wasn’t he moving then? His legs wouldn’t work and he could get the thoughts to fire properly in order to move his legs even if they were capable of movement.



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Hux felt a flash of relief when Katya came out to tell him where Alexandre was but then felt worry for his cousin when she explained. He quickly moved into the laundry room to take in his younger cousin huddled on the ground shaking in fear while a large spider stood on a fake web making aggressive gestures. The blond looked around the room for something to help take care of the situation and didn’t find anything in particular that would do the job quickly with a spider that size. At least until the beautiful Katya returned with a shoe. “Thank you pretty one.” He said as he took the shoe and moved to stand between Alexandre and the spider.

One forceful swing later and the spider dropped to the floor with it’s legs curled inward in death. “Just hold on a moment Tink. It’s dead now and I’m getting rid of it.” He soothed his cousin as he put the shoe down and quickly grabbed a broom and dust pan he remembered leaving in there earlier that day. Once the spider corpse was scooped up into the pan he quickly made his way outside to place it inside one of the trash cans of the neighbors so Alexandre wouldn’t accidentally see the body. Task done he returned inside and to his cousin. “It’s alright Tink, the nasty thing is gone now.” He soothed as he knelt by the younger man, placing a hand on his shoulder.



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He had, last time his cousin had put the dustpan and broom in the washroom, moved it but it would be remaining here from now on. He saw the spider die, how could he not? His eyes were glued to it with all of his attention on it as he held himself tightly as he shook. With his cousin gone and the body gone he tried to calm himself, tried being the word there, he wasn’t very good at it . He wasn’t very good at doing it on his own but when his cousin returned he uncurled himself and clung to the older, like a small child...at least he had the size down?

Blond hair, mostly tied back, was mussed up from all the cleaning he’d been busy doing previous to the discovery of the spider. It wasn’t one he’d ever seen before and he managed to choke out those words while he tried to press himself to his cousin's body so he could even out his own breathing, Aiden had done it with him...getting him to focus on matching his breathing till he was calmed down.

“Don’t like them….fangs and legs...and silent…” He had been fine when he was very young. The fear he could trace back, as could his parents, maybe even some other family members of his had heard where it had started. He’d told Aiden once, after an attack. He knew he’d wind up with nightmares from this one but he had Aiden living here - sharing his bedroom and bed. He’d be ok...he’d be fine...but until he went to bed he’d be looking all around the house like a paranoid person. Just in case another spider was lurking somewhere in the house.

As he continued to work on his breathing, as he calmed himself, the shaking eased before stopping. It was a gradual thing as he relaxed and wound up tired and leaning heavily on his cousin's chest, still holding his shirt but not nearly so tight.



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When his cousin clung to him, Hux wrapped his arms around Alexandre and cuddled him close. “It’s alright, just breath with me. It’s dead and gone now. You’re safe.” He soothed and started to rub Alexandre’s back to try and help the other man calm down a bit faster. “It’s ok Tink, I understand. You don’t have to explain to me.” While not everyone in the family knew about Alexandre’s fear, the younger man’s parents had been sure to let Hux know when he was moving it to give him a heads up in case something of this very scenario happened.

“How about we move you into the living room, get you a nice warm drink, and I’ll search the house over for you?” He offered, hoping it would ease his cousin’s mind. It would be better for him to calm down, which he thankfully way doing so, and stay calm down.



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He had hoped Hudson would know, so he didn’t worry as much as Aiden had when he’d found out - the hard way. He hadn’t expected petco to be having a special on snakes, spiders, and other creepy pets including rats and cats, neither of which were creepy in his opinion. The spiders though...they had gotten him right in the middle of the store with a panic attack. He felt for poor Aiden when he’d realized what was going on, he hadn’t really planned on every bringing it up to the other in all honesty, there had been no reason to in his opinion.

Nodding his head slowly he moved to stand only for his knees to go out from under him, it seemed they still didn’t want to keep up his body - damn it. “Help me up?” He asked, lifting his head and giving his cousin a pleading look, he didn’t like being so weak but he really was right now and could use the help. “Mom told me you were told I have a spider phobia...I’m glad…” He’d been upset at first, not wanting someone to potentially know and think less of him, even more so once he brought his cousin into the negaverse. He worried it would look bad for him to have such a fear, especially as strong as his was.

No teasing though, just help and understanding...comfort.



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Hux gave Alexandre an understanding smile and nodded. “Of course.” He said and helped the other man get to his feet. Once they were both standing he didn’t let go of his cousin right away, instead kept him in a hug so he would have both support if he still was feeling wobbly in the legs and of course comfort. “I’m glad too, I wouldn’t have necessarily been able to react quite as fast otherwise.” The blond then started to walk Alexandre out of the washroom and towards the living room. “What kind of drink would you prefer? Hot chocolate, tea, coffee, or something stronger?”



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“Aiden found out the hard way.” He was tired, really tired, but panic attacks always seemed rather draining. He figured the two things went hand in hand really, they always had in the past anyway. With his cousins help he got to the living room couch and curled up with a couch pillow. Holding it to his chest he stared up at the other. “Don’t like tea or coffee..and I don’t have an espresso machine.” If he had one it would be dangerous, it would be the only thing he’d drink. He’d be wired on caffeine not to mention it wasn’t a healthy idea either.

“Juice...some kind of juice is fine.” Hot chocolate really wasn’t his thing, though they had it stocked in the house along with tea and coffee. All three things were for other people, and the tea were blends he made himself and put into labeled tins.



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“Alright, if you are sure you wouldn’t prefer something warm.” Hux said as he eyed Alexandre before moving over and grabbing a blanket on the back of the couch. Once he had it in hand he draped it over the younger man and left to get the requested drink. “Let me know if you want anything else before I start looking around the house.” He said before he disappeared into the kitchen. Even if the other man didn’t request anything else though, he fully intended to bring him back some of the pumpkin cookies he had made earlier in the day.



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“No, I’m good...or will be.” He said shaking his head, a smile in place. It really wasn’t so bad having his cousin living with him, not like he’d originally thought it might be. He’d worried about it at first, when his parents had told him, he’d always avoided his cousins during family get togethers. They were just too loud and annoying, so he didn’t know Hudson as well as he could have, but he found his older cousin...easy to work and live with. He still felt a bit bad for dragging him into things though.

“Looking around the house?” Was he really going to look about the house incase of more spiders? He didn’t need to...it was thoughtful though, and something that now knowing Hudson better didn’t surprise him.



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Katya meanwhile, her book forgotten for now, had decided to follow the older Evans into the kitchen. He, like few others, knew she was pretty and easily acknowledged it - as he should. She liked him, like she liked the rest of her General’s team...but more...more like she liked her General and his partner.

Hopping up onto a counter top she sat herself down and watched Hudson get Alexandre his drink. “I would like a cookie as well. I smelled them while they baked, it was delightful.” Alexandre had never baked, he claimed to be no good at it, he was good with cooking however. Maybe she could bring some baked goods, and freshly made food, the next time she went to a particular bookstore...a meal for two.



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“I might as well, no need for any more surprises right?” Hux asked, smiling even though he knew that Alexandre couldn’t see him through the walls. His eyes darted over to Katya as she followed him in and he got his cousin his drink. “Thank you. Of course you may have one, I think you more than deserve two for your part in helping Tink, hm?” He said with a nod then got two plates and put a few cookies on each. Once done he looked over at the guardian and gave a smile. “Would you like them here or in the other room with Tink, Beautiful?” Hux asked as he reached over and gently gave the cat a pet or two.



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“That is true I suppose.” Calling out to his cousin. The pillow he had in his arms, holding it to his chest, was snuggled in to as the teen uncurled and stretched out along the couch. Being small as he was he didn’t have to worry about feet dangling over the arm of the couch or his head having to lay on the arm or any sort of issues like that. He fit nicely spread out on the couch with a blanket over him, and the pillow now under his head.

Waiting till his cousin came out from the kitchen, pushing himself up onto an elbow so he could get a drink and a cookie. He took note of Katya...and another plate of cookies - pampered cat.



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Pampered indeed, just as she should be. She was a guardian cat and not some normal, simple minded, house cat. She deserved good things and Hudson knew that, as much as the younger Evans did, though unlike Alexandre the older cousin was always calling her beautiful and she did appreciate it.

“I’ll take them in the living room. Someone has to watch him - just incase.” She said lightly. She would try and keep her nose out of her book...a bit anyway.



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“Thank you for your hard work then, Beautiful.” Hux said with another smile then brought the two plates and glass of juice into the living room. He placed Katya’s plate down where she had been sitting with her book and handed Alexandre his glass and plate. “I’ll go and check around the house now, give me a heads up if you need anything.” He said yet again then bent over and placed a kiss on the top of his little cousin’s head. With one last check to make sure they were settled he started his search around the house to make sure no more spiders would be found.