"Just love her... Love will always win."
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the...
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{a/n; this chapter happens at the same time that the Hope-Alice dressing scene in previous one is happening give or take a few minutes}
LAWRENCE DESCENDS the stairs quietly in his running gear. The room is dark, with only the thin and little streaks of light signaling an approaching dawn coloring the living room. He would have woken Collins up but judging by how late he slept last night, he's better off left to his beauty sleep if Lawrence desires to keep his nose straight.
Shards of cold stab through him the moment he opens the front door causing a shudder to cut though him, despite the layer of hoodie he's wearing over a shirt. He releases a breath, the breath mingling with the cool air to form a snowy mist infront of him and then he takes off running past the blocks of houses.
He's not the only one awake at this time of day here in Pipeline though. He meets unfamiliar faces, some doing a morning jog like him, others preparing for work and others leaving to attend to their endeavors.
Lawrence pushes, exerting his strength into every thrust of his muscles and every landing of his feet. His mother's words from last night keep ringing in his head like a church bell with such ferocity and loudness that he cannot ignore.
You do look alike, but you are not the same person. So don't strive to be. Embrace those differences that make you Collins...and those that make you Lawrence.
Lawrence knows he's never tried to be like Collins but has he ever tried not to be like him? If they were separated, Collins to go his own way and him his own, who would he be? Would he be able to stand in his identity like a tree rooted in the desert or would his identity fly away like wisps of smoke to be forgotten in the wind's wake?
Thrust after thrust, plunge after plunge, Lawrence runs. Inhaling only through his nose and exhaling through his mouth until his face feels hot.
Made in His image and likeness. A silent stray thought makes it's way into his mind but He ignores it.
Is he the guy who does his brother's bidding —the faithful sidekick? Is he the guy who can't say no to his brother no matter how hard and insane his requests are sometimes? Maybe he's the only one feeling lost.
Maybe Collins does know who he is outside the shadow of twinhood. Maybe Collins would be able to make his own decisions, after all, he's not the one who does everything Lawrence asks.
His breathing starts to come in swift movements and he feels his momentum increase.
Maybe, the first step to embracing who he really is; the empathising, understanding, kind and patient guy he is at the core of his being is to start by righting a wrong.
And the only wrong huge enough to atone for his fail of action before includes Hope.
Sure, he doesn't know what to do with her or what to tell her for that matter but being kind sometimes helps, doesn't it?
