Page 70 of Pippin & Nacho

Stone tapped on his ear, and I removed the sound-canceling with a tap. “Don’t look at her. She doesn’t matter. She won’t touch you,” he said.

With several deep breaths, I nodded and turned my earbuds back on, bathing me in lo-fi music. Stix and Stone led me toward a closed door, and I stood in front of it, not moving.

Step three was done. I did it. I fucking did it. The hardest part was over, and happiness was on the other side. My Nate. My Polaris. My fucking galaxy.

Fourth step.

The last step was to walk inside Nate’s room. With more confidence than I had earlier, I rested my hand on the doorknob, turned it, and gently pushed it open.

When I walked inside, I found Nate sleeping in the hospital bed, full of wires, bruises, bandages, and a cast on his leg. All my fears washed away with this growing need to be by his side. Closing the door behind me, leaving Stix and Stone to wait outside as sentinels, I grabbed the only chair in the room and pulled it next to Nate’s bed.

He looked so bad and broken… so injured. My eyes watered at the sight, and I took a shuttered breath.

I popped off my earbuds and shoved them into the pocket of my jacket. My ears were filled with some beeping, and Nate was breathing steadily.

I did it. I finally got to be next to my soul mate without running out of there. It hurt, and I was still slightly terrified and a bit ill, but I was strangely proud of myself, too—a rare sensation. My eyes watered from the relief of seeing my Nate alive. He didn’t look so good, but he was alive. If he died, I’d gladly leave this world with him. Who knew if there was an afterlife, but I’d take the risk to be with him for eternity, even if we just turned to dust.

I took his wired hand in mine as I pushed back some matted curls from his face. Home. I was home. Wherever we were, we’d always have a home in each other, no matter what. I became whole again.

Nate’s dark eyes fluttered open, slowly focusing on me. “Am… am I dreaming? Sam?”

“Not a dream. I’m here. It took a lot to get me here, but I did it, Star. It hurt, and I was scared. I’m still scared, but I tried. Stix and Stone helped me, but I made it. I pushed through my fear. I still feel like I’m going to be sick, but…”

He pulled his hand from mine and touched my face. “I’m so fucking proud of you, baby.”

Nate grabbed the hood of my hoodie over my head and pulled me close. “Get in with me.”

“I won’t hurt you?”

He shook his head and bit his trembling lip as his eyes watered.

I climbed in, careful of his wires and injuries. He nuzzled his face next to mine as I gently wrapped an arm around his middle. “I’m so proud of you,” he said again, taking a shuddered breath. “You’re so fucking brave, and I’m so glad you’re here.”

He said nothing else as his body trembled from quiet crying, making my eyes water, too. I kissed his head. “I’m so glad you’re okay. It was so scary when I got that text.”

“I know, baby. I’m so, so sorry I betrayed your trust. Do you forgive me? Please forgive me.”

“Shit, Nate… I’d forgive you for anything. You’re my shining star. My soul mate. Nothing will ever change that.”

After my hospital visit to see Nate, he refused to let me come back, not wanting me to be more stressed out. He explained he’d be home in a couple of days, anyway. It didn’t matter. It stressed me out when I couldn’t visit him, and it stressed me out when I had to. Either way, until Nate came home and back in my arms, I wouldn’t be happy.

Because Alpha was the only one of us who owned a car, he picked up Nate two days later, and I rode with him, but I didn’t go inside the hospital this time. Instead, I stood outside, smoking a cigarette, pacing and chewing on a fingernail as I waited.

It felt like forever by the time they came out with a nurse pushing Nate in a wheelchair as Alpha rushed to the parked car out front to open the door since I just stood there, frozen at the sight of the nurse.

Alpha rushed back to the nurse and took control of Nate’s wheelchair.

“Help me get Nacho in the car, Pip.”

As soon as she left, I put out my cigarette and leaned down to kiss Nate. “Thank fuck, you’re coming home.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Sam.”

Once we got back to our apartment building, Alpha helped me get Nate upstairs, which was slow-going because Nate had to use crutches, and he had to protect his head and wrist. My Star was a mess.

We finally made it and got Nate into his own bed, already exhausted. I sat on the edge, holding his hand and watching him fall asleep.

A gentle tapping on Nate’s door yanked my attention away.

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