Misc.

the hunchback of notre dame 14

there was a loud smack and phoebus' eyes shot open, finding the ruler flat across his desk, his hand having been pulled away slightly too slow, the ruler nicking his fingers, and it stung. frollo stared at him, a hard expression on his face. the noise echoed in phoebus' ears and he used every cell in his body to control his breathing, don't panic, ground himself, he wasn't there he was here. he was in class. 

"i'm so sorry-" he got out, alarmed.

"you'd think you would take this course more seriously, considering it took you three weeks to convince me to make room in my schedule to teach you. i expect you to at the very least pay attention."

"yes, professor." he said, his voice quiet.

---

he'd gone straight back to his dorm after frollo's class. his head swam with thoughts, echoes of words inside his head, and his hands shook, and his heart raced. he scolded himself to not fall asleep, he had too many essays to write, but drifted off nevertheless.

phoebus woke shouting and kicking and panicking an hour and a half later, waking in a cold sweat.

the fear from the nightmare didn't taper off, it only got worse as reality crashed back down on him. panic flooded his senses and he didn't know what to do. he couldn't think, couldn't think of the people that he could call or speak to. in a rush of fear and anxiety he had one clear thought, a destination and shoved his keys and phone into his pocket, and left the dorm, chest heaving; hyperventilating.

---

clopin trouillefou didn't have much better circumstances than the others but at least he was managing. albeit with a lot of drinks and cigarettes, but he was still passing so it could definitely be worse. he sat at the help desk, rubbing his eye and writing down just a few more words, so close to finally being done an assignment. he would go smoke again and get some food for lunch, absolutely starved. the student services room was quiet and deserted and he sighed in the silence, taking in the peace for a minute.

the door crashed open and a gangly 6ft dude came in in shambles. 

"shit- what happened?" clopin asked, kicking himself into a standing position off of his chair and went over to phoebus, gently guiding him to a chair. "phoebus, hey, look at me? breathe. just breathe."

"i think i'm dying." the student gasped, gripping the arm rests of the seat.

"you're not dying, you're here, with me."

"no- clopin i think im dying, oh my god the world is gonna end."

"no, babe it's not, look at me. just, look up, look at me, you don't have to look me in the eye, just look at me, take my hand." clopin said, holding out his palm and letting phoebus take it. he rubbed circles onto the back of it with his thumb. "breathe with me." 

he guided phoebus until he'd calmed down slightly before speaking again.

"you're just having a panic attack. it's going to be okay, this will pass. you're here, with me in the student service room. tell me what you ate for breakfast."

"what?" phoebus choked out.

"tell me what you ate for breakfast, honey."

"breakfast..coffee, and toast." he explained, catching his breath.

"coffee and toast, is that the only thing you've eaten?"

"mhm."

"alright, i'm off in twenty minutes. we can get something to eat together if you want."

"sure." phoebus nodded, chest still heaving.

"okay. can you tell me...tell me about the mall. you said you went with..."

"fredrich. i went to the mall yesterday with him...he needed shoes."

"okay, did you find some?"

"yeah, he got these black ones. for the cross country team. he really likes them." phoebus explained, coming back down to earth.

the two spoke for a little longer about subjects clopin could only describe as "distraction" until phoebus was once more...phoebus.

"hey, are you back with us?" clopin asked, teasing slightly. there was a hint of a smile on phoebus' face.

"yeah, thank you. i'm sorry." he shrugged.

"god no, don't apologize. i'm glad you came here."

"it's just..god, frollo gave me another assignment, he slammed the ruler on my desk, clipped my fingers. i'm so tired of him." phoebus relayed, showing clopin the red welt on his hand. the other man shook his head, rubbing his face, his own conflict as a result of the professor still physically visible on his face. healing injuries that would leave scars, internally if not externally.

"i am too." he said softly.