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René had been in the back room working his way through some bookkeeping when he heard the noise, the shop had been closed but he’d left the door unlocked in case Alexandre wanted to stop by. Stepping out from the backroom, confusion crossed his face because he couldn’t see anyone in his store at first.

“Alexandre?” Calling out quietly, he wasn’t sure if they were here or if someone had mistakenly tried to enter but then left again when they realized the store was closed. As the lights came on though, René saw a sight that made the dinner in his stomach start to curdle. Bending down, he started pulling and throwing things out from under the counter as he tried to find the first aid kit. It was something he got after winter but then upgraded after being pulled into all this magic. Going out and doing whatever was expected of him hadn’t happened yet, he was still trying to manage things in his regular life and couldn’t really find a reason to risk things by getting entangled in whatever was going on in this city in the background.

Kit in hand, René rushed over and knelt down by the blond, being careful not to touch them too much as he looked them over and tried to see where the blood was coming from. Curses came out as he started pulling things out of the kit and laid them next to the small figure on the floor.

“Alexandre what happened?”

Leaning down, he took one of the disinfecting wipes and carefully dabbed at where he figured the blood from their head was coming from. It was messy and sent his stomach rolling, but he had to make sure they were ok. It wasn’t bleeding freely anymore, if anything just leaking a bit by now. Holding a gentle pressure there, he tried to carefully pull the other up to a sitting position.

“I can call them, don’t pass out just yet if you can.” Fiddling with their phone, he found the doctor’s number and called it. Voice shaking slightly as he explained what had happened, he made sure he got them the address before hanging up and going back to the task of trying to clean Alexandre up a bit and check for anything else.

He felt useless here, thoughts leading back to how he always ran from things. Would things have ended up differently if he’d been with them? How was this going to work if he just stayed on the sidelines? They hadn’t pressured him, hadn’t really brought the topic of magic and war back up. It made him feel sicker as he wiped and cleared the blood from the other’s face and hair as best he could.

Swallowing hard, he carefully held the other up and to him before scooting further away from the door with them. Lorcan would need the space to get inside his shop and he watched the door carefully while he kept cursing under his breath. Everything about this made him sick, made him mad, but he couldn’t do anything because he wasn’t the one out there doing whatever duty was expected. That would have to change though, even if the enemy couldn’t do to Alexandre what that b***h had done to him, they could still hurt his little angel. The thought that they might not come back one day left his chest tightening with anxiety, it hadn’t been something he’d really thought about this time as he’d been too focused on balancing work and his free time with the other.

“It’ll be ok… it’ll be ok my petit ange, if I have to, I’ll come with you to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” He’d figure it out, he’d have to after this because running wasn’t really an option.

Feeling them slump into his chest, he watched them carefully as he kept wiping at the blood. He knew they wanted to rest but he didn’t know what had happened to tell their cousin when they arrived. He didn’t really know anything about senshi or the other side of things other than the bits Alexandre had told him those first few nights.

It was agony waiting as the minutes passed, he knew that maybe something magic would help but he didn’t know what to do, didn’t know if it was something he could even do with how new everything was. “Just a little longer.” Gently running his fingers through their hair as he scooted back just a bit more from the door as he heard the sound of someone running down the stairwell.

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The call had come in out of the blue while Lorcan was pouring over the notes he’d taken on the most recent seminar he’d been to. It wasn’t a voice he recognized at first even if it was coming from Alexandre’s number. The important parts came through clear enough for him and he set everything down and made his way over after grabbing his medical bag and a few things from the medicine cabinet.

The stairwell was too easy to miss and he ran past it the first time before noticing the little sign down below the street level. Opening the door, he saw the familiar sight of Alexandre injured. The look on the Frenchman’s face both bothered and reassured him about the comments he had made to his cousin. As did the fact it looked like they’d been trying to clean him up and stop the bleeding.

“Alexandre what happened?” Kneeling down after closing the door, he looked over his small cousin while rifling through his bag for a penlight and a few other things.

“So a concussion, at least a minor one, and maybe a bruised rib.” Using his light, he checked their eyes and looked over where the bleeding had been coming from. It didn’t look too bad, probably didn’t even need stitches if he was being honest. It just probably was disorienting as hell.

“At least that’s one less witch to deal with from that side. You could have eaten that starseed to help yourself a bit but you’ll be fine either way after a few days, maybe a week.” It was messy but nothing too serious considering what he had seen before.

“Is there a restroom where I can wash my hands here?” Looking at René as he questioned them. There was blood all over and they looked to be having the normal response to things. “You should wash up as well and then he can rest.”

Nodding as he stood, Lorcan put the few things back in his bag and looked around the shop. It wasn’t a place he’d been but it was sort of interesting to see. Antique shops weren’t something that he cared much for but his parents often visited them and auctions to furnish his childhood home. The smell of dust and fabric itched at his nose but he ignored it and stepped back from the pair on the ground.

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René loosened his hold on Alexandre so Lorcan could look them over. The whole thing sounded rough and he paled a bit at the idea of getting hit by something like that. “Christ…” And the fact Alexandre had killed that senshi left him conflicted even if it had to be done.

The news that was given did help though, the fact that they weren’t as hurt as they looked or as hurt as he’d been when this all had started. It was reassuring to hear that the idea he had about those crystal things was right, even if he didn’t have any to give them to help them heal. But the way they said the word witch, he shrunk back a bit. That was what he was, wasn’t he? And this cousin of his didn’t like them for that reason as well as whatever else.

Focus coming back as they asked him a question, he nodded and pointed back over towards the counter. “There’s a back room with a small bathroom.” Pulling Alexandre in close again, he didn’t want to try moving them just yet even if he wanted to get all the blood off. At least it wasn’t as bad as he thought it might have been.

“Alright, I’ll get cleaned up and head out. If there are any more issues I can stop over before or after work. I can spare a starseed or two if needed as well” Shuffling to the backroom, he looked over everything and took it all in with a scowl. He saw some things he’d rather not have seen before cleaning his hands and making sure there wasn't any blood on his clothing. It wouldn't be good to track that out into the street and into his car and home.

Everything was cleaned and checked over, he made his way back to the front of the store and walked around the pair while they stayed on the floor. “If it will help, I can drop off some supplies to help remove the stains from the carpet. I can drop it off later on at your home Alexandre. Let me know if anything comes up or if you need anything. I’ll be up a while longer.” Waving, Lorcan stepped out the door and headed back toward his home.

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“Thanks Lorcan, I’d appreciate that. I don’t want to scare away my customers.” They’d gotten enough of a scare after he’d been banged up on the doorstep outside but having it happen inside the shop was so much worse for business.

After they left, he shifted and brought an arm underneath them so he could try getting up and carrying Alexandre with him. “I can bring you home, but I need to grab something to cover you with, it would be bad if anyone saw you all bloody.” Setting them down on the counter carefully, he went to the back and grabbed one of their extra sweaters and a blanket. He wasn't sure if they could change if their arm was hurt but he’d at least bundle them up so the blood wasn't visible while he carried them to his car.

“It’s okay, I’ll go with you next time. I’ll stay tonight too.” Wrapping them up carefully, he held them to his chest as he carried them and locked the door to his store behind them. It was times like these he was glad his car had bench seats so he laid the other down with their head on his lap as he drove to their house. They were small enough that nobody would see them unless they were standing at the window to his car which made things a bit easier as he drove through the city and bumbled his way through the streets. It was still a bit hard for him to remember but he got there eventually.

Resting his hand on their head, he sighed. Even now they were trying to give him an out on the fighting. It wasn’t something he could ask them to stop doing either so the only thing he could do was to tag along. But even then he was worried it would just cause more problems because they’d be focusing on making sure he didn’t get hurt either. He was just caught either way, damned if he did or didn’t.

There was a lot to think about, but he knew he didn’t want to see the other like this if there was even the smallest chance he could do something to help. “I don’t need to but I want to if it’ll help make sure you make it home.” Standing by wasn’t something he really liked doing and maybe he had been getting just a little bit curious about all the other things outside of the normal every day. He’d almost written off what had happened back in February as a fever dream but the repercussions were here and staring him in the face.

“We can talk more after you rest.” Parking next to the other’s car, he carefully carried them to the door and used his key to unlock it. The whole process wasn’t easy but he didn’t want to set them down until he got inside. Passing the couch, he went straight up to their room and bathroom so he could help them finish getting cleaned off and to bed. The clothes would have to go in the trash, there wasn’t any way to save them from stains.

First thing was to get the water running to fill the bath and then he went to the task of helping Alexander get free of the bloody clothes, letting them lean on him as needed. “I’ll toss them while you soak then I can shower to get it off me too.” He’d already started tossing his layers off to the floor, a large sploch in the center of his shirt from where they had been leaning on him. It had soaked through a bit onto his skin, that sticky feeling he really didn’t like but he would deal with it after helping them into the bath and out of the rest of those clothes.

It blindsided him a bit, he could have sworn the other didn’t like tea normally. “Tea? Is there a specific kind downstairs that you need me to grab?” It must be something like that because he’d been used to their espresso preference as well as the various waters and other healthy things they drank. Pacing the bathroom, he grabbed a few things to help them get clean before bundling up the bloodied clothes to throw into a trash bag. At least the other Evans cousin knew about all this so he didn’t have to worry about trying to hide it from them.

If anything he felt out of place in it all still, with how everyone else was involved and he’d been just here on the weekends or whenever the other needed him. It had been good, reassuring even but he’d have to talk with them about what to do and how to make sure they always came home. It didn’t sit right with him, the seriousness but he knew it was something that had to happen if things were going to continue working out.

“Let me know how to help, or if you need me to get anything else?”