"Lark?"

"Hey!" Clark coughed awkwardly, scrambling to sit up properly once more. He found himself reaching for anything he possibly could reach to cover remnants of injury before realising he'd have to cover the entirety of his face and neck, among other things. "Hey."

The petite girl wormed her way from Jethro's arms and trotted to climb atop the bed at Clark's side. Ever naïve and wondrous, she reached little fingers up to touch the black, blue and green voids circling and covering Clark's throat and nose.

"What's this?" She asked, almost jabbing before her wrist was caught between gentle fingers. She looked to the offender - Jethro - with a confused pout.

Clark smiled, gathering Aurelia into his arms and satiating his selfish need to hold his sister close once more. "They're bruises." He answered truthfully and watched as Auri processed.

"How'd you get them?" She pressed and Selene was about to step in to tell Auri that her Lark was quite tired and that they should let him rest before she saw the shift in Clark's eyes. Something in them shone bright and happy and Selene wasn't ever going to be the one to put that spark out.

"There was a big bad dragon." He stated matter-of-factly and Aurelia seemed shocked for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief. "There really was! Wasn't there, Ro?"

All too soon, two sets of almost identical brown-green eyes were watching Jethro. Despite the fact that Auri and Clark weren't from the exact same parents, Jethro swore they were the spitting image of one another. They shared the same mischievous smile that curled around far-too-bright eyes and dimpled adorably at their features. They shared the same lion-heart - big, brave, beautiful and so entirely full of love regardless of how much it is, was or will be loved back. They shared the same mind - imaginative, inventive and innocent despite the worlds cruel intention to break them.

If Jethro wished to achieve one thing in life, it would be to ensure the people right in front of his eyes were never broken.

"There was! It was mean and ugly, with beady little eyes and big, sharp teeth." He confirmed, crooking his forefingers beside his bared teeth to demonstrate. He carefully slid into the open space at Clark's side, wrapping an arm around the back of Clark's shoulders and allowing Aurelia to sprawl over where their thighs were pressed tight. "We were all so scared, but Clark came and saved us!"

Aurelia watched with wide-open eyes as Clark and Jethro retold the tale of the mean old dragon and his plot to hurt all of their friends. And, when she burrowed between them for comfort, she was greeted with warm arms and reassurance that Clark beat the mean old dragon and that it wouldn't ever come back.

Selene needn't have heard from Clark that he may have finally worked through whatever had been going on between him and Jethro - it was clear as day right then and there that they'd long since found their home in one another's hearts.

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@JeThrowMeAway
Lark, the whole time the nurses were trying to talk to him:

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@OhOphelia
us when Jethro actually correctly made a meme: wow, didn't know it did that
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@fleepfloop
I'm not even surprised at this point,,, please make sure my son is okay
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@KeresHexxOff
He's shy 👉🏼👈🏼
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     @JeThrowMeAway
     are we thinking about the same Clark here?
     shy is the LAST word that comes to mind
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     retweets      likes

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"Do you need-"

"I swear to all things holy, if any of you baby me one more time, I'm going to castrate myself with a rusty spoon and make you all watch as I eat it."

It was silent for a moment before "What the fuck, Clark?"

Unsurprisingly, Clark crumbled into amused giggles, deciding on reassurance rather than threat. "Honestly, I'll be fine. I once healed a broken leg with some old wood, a roll of duct tape and way too much cling film."

"I'm pretty sure that's medically impossible." Darryl said, eyebrows pinched in worry though he was also mildly impressed. Part of him hoped this was another fabricated story due to some kind of medication.

"No, that one actually happened." Jethro confirmed, arm discretely tucked around Clark's waist to guide him safely to the car. "It's a wonder he didn't get tetanus." He added, not bothering to hide his sense of pride.

"See? I'm a medical miracle and I'll be perfectly fine." Clark shrugged nonchalantly. "We should be focussing on meeting up with the dude Meg hired and getting our story straight - it's a wonder they managed to keep him in custody long enough for me to recover this much."

"Clark, give yourself a second to breathe before jumping straight back in, dude." Zak tried, a few others nodding their agreement but Clark shook his head.

"I'll breathe after it's over." He brushed off. "Our guy is already on his way and he's got his kids with him so we can't keep him waiting. Chop chop." And, with that, the boy awkwardly manoeuvred himself into the car he'd been guided to. He closed the door behind himself, effectively cutting off all argument.

Jethro turned to the group with an oddly softened, apologetic expression. "I'll make sure he takes a break." He assured before joining Clark in the car.

"Looks like we're crashing yours again." Nick commented with a grin, patting Clay and George's shoulders as he passed.

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@autumn.yearner

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@autumn.yearner
WAIT FUCK I FORGOT THIS WAS MY MAIN ACCOUNT NOW ASKKDHABEJDNKAKABSK YOU GUYS DONT SEE SHIT
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@chiccennuggies
Clark,,,,,,,, Buddy,,,,,,,,,,, either you're still in hospital or just got out,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and you're already yearning again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, how are you so gay?
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@OhOphelia
this isn't even your handwriting.... honey, what is you doin?
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@autumn.yearner
OH SO GEORGE AND DREAM CAN HAVE
ACCOUNTS DEDICATED TO YEARNING
FOR EACHOTHER BUT I CANT? ITS
CAUSE THEYRE BI, ISNT IT?
HOMOPHOBIA.
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"It's a pleasure to meet you, can I get you anything?"

"Clark, sit. Could I get you anything, Phil?" The man in question laughed cheerfully, voice thick with a familiar accent.

"I'm alright, thank you." He dismissed, waiting as the rather large group - including a very young child, who he couldn't help coping at - situated themselves around the room. "Are you all here for the case or just moral support?"

There was a moment in which everyone looked between themselves in silence before Clark spoke up. "Trust me, we'll need at least this many people to counter who we're after." He assured before looking the other up and down. "Though I have a good feeling about this one. You don't look anything like the lawyers I've had in the past."

Phil froze, suddenly nervous.

"I'm sorry, kid, I'm just here to make sure double trouble don't break anything."

As if on cue, a loud crash resonated from the front door, followed by an even louder voice.

"You can't just go in, we've gotta announce you!"

In stumbled a thin boy, topped with disheveled brown hair. He barely took the time to breathe in before announcing "The blade!"

The man that strode in next was cleanly dressed, pink tinted hair swept neatly across his forehead. "Dave Techno." He introduced instead, voice monotone and smooth.

On his heals was the second of the two apprentices; a ridiculously tall child with softly blond hair and a devilish grin to rival Clark's own. "The Blade!" He repeated dramatically, more than happy to speak over his elder.

Clark stood to greet, shaking each of their hands firmly despite his weakened state. "You're the lawyer?" He asked 'The Blade'. The man nodded, disregarding the other two's protest that actually they were the lawyers, he was just a lawyer.

"Please don't call me the blade - Tommy and Tubbo haven't let go of it since they found out it was my stage name." He begged and Clark laughed.

"Sleepy Bois, right?" Clay pitched in, pretending he wasn't fanboying at all. "Is Wil coming too? Get a band reunion going?"

Dave shook his head. "No, Wilbur overslept so we left him behind." Delivered in his monotonous voice, it wasn't hard to spur the room into gentle laughter.

"Alright Techno - can I call you Techno? Dave is lame." Clark asked, dropping himself gracelessly back into the couch and then wincing at his frankly stupid decision to do so.

"It's better than the blade." He sighed, flat out ignoring the protest from the blond teen he'd already endured for far too long and his accomplice.

"Techno it is." Clark finalised. "Alright, Techno, Tommy and Tubbo-"

"Actually it's Big T and Big Law."

"Alright, Techno, Big T and Big Law-"

"Phil's still here-"

"Please let me finish a sentence, talking hurts." Clark begged pitifully. Once certain that he had silence, Clark began once more. It took a lot of willpower for no one to interrupt again.

"Alright, Techno, Big T and Big Law, are you ready to hear the wackiest shit story you'll likely ever have the burden of defending?" He finally managed to ask. Phil glanced nervously to the five year old perched on Selene's knee as Darryl chastised Clark with a sharp 'language'.

"Yes."

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[Technoblade has joined the game]

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Yours, Dandelion