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Right Brain has never liked sneaking around. It makes him feel bad and his heart goes way too fast. But sometimes it’s important. Like now, in Lefty’s room.
Righty would have expected it to be a lot neater, but while it was clearly a big room, the organization system left (heh) a lot to be desired.
Every surface was covered in something new. There were terrariums full of different plants and animals Thomas had seen, cool rocks weighing down official-looking sketches of nature and architecture. There was an entire observatory decorated with constellations and model spacecraft.
Next to that, however, was what he had come here for. It was the only place with clear counter space, the lab. Around that counter were shelves stacked with books, boxes, and, most importantly, jars, full of every science thing you could think of.
Ever so carefully, Right Brain drew out the jar he had smuggled in. Its contents glowed like neon burning, roiling in protest of being contained. His hands shook slightly as he shifted the other jars out of the way, pushing it far back to sit in the shadows.
Breathing got easier as he pulled away, placing more jars in front to conceal it. They had to be arranged just so, or Left Brain would notice. Still, the whole operation was going better than expected. He brushed a hand gently over the cover of one of the many journals and sketchbooks nearby. Curiosity tugged at him, wondering what sorts of things Lefty wrote about, but he really needed to leave before he got caught. Being caught would mean getting questioned, and Right Brain didn’t have an answer that would satisfy them.
He closed the door quietly behind himself, breathing a sigh of relief at the hallway being empty. The couch felt even more comforting as he sank into it. That vanished as he heard footsteps tapping across the floor behind him. Right Brain turned to see Left Brain standing there, face impassive and giving no hints of what his internal thoughts may have been. Righty held himself tense, waiting for the others to make a move. Left Brain squirmed, tapping up and down his arms as he worked up the nerve to speak. “Are you alright?”
So he didn’t know. Right Brain let out the breath he was holding, significantly calmer now. Left Brain misinterpreted it, speaking faster.
“It’s just that you’ve been a lot more tense lately, and we wanted to check in on you and it seems like you’ve been avoiding me specifically-”
Righty caught one of the hands Lefty had been gesturing with, effectively cutting him off. He tapped a breathing pattern on the back of it, which they both followed for a moment. In… out… again, until they were calm, and Right Brain could speak.
“Of course I’m alright, buddy. I’m always Right.”
Left Brain’s exasperated sigh at the pun was enough of a sign that the statement was true.