Page 104 of The Not So Super Hero
Although the hug ended, no one left the room.Natalia just scurried to the bathroom to get Nate tissues before he got shot on everyone.
“Zane was spilling his guts out to Bailey.We overheard then Nate got emotional,” Natalia explained, glancing at said emotional brother.
“Fuck off.”Nate blew his nose louder than a trumpet.“You were too!”
Natalia smiled and Nate kept blinking away tears.Zane snickered.Not that Nate cared.He blew his nose a few more times and tossed the tissues in the trash.
“What are you all doing here?”Bailey asked.Being with everyone was a relief.Hearing Nate and Natalia were alright was good, but seeing that they were alright was better.“I thought you two were going after Rebirth,” he added.
“We were,” Nate replied.“But when we heard both of you were awake, we wanted to drop in.We can catch up with everyone later.”
“How are you feeling?”Natalia asked, looking between Zane and Bailey.Her gaze drifted between Bailey’s leg and Zane’s bruised complexion.“You had us worried.”
“You should be more worried about Bailey,” Zane said, smirking at the glare Bailey immediately sent him because he already knew where it was headed.“He’s a train wreck.”
“And he hit Antoine over the head with a rock, so he’s probably still pissed about that,” Chris said, which had Nate in hysterics.That time, he cried for a different reason.
“I can’t believe you hit him with a rock!A rock!”Nate held out his hand like somehow that explained what a rock was or something.“You’re insane.No wonder Zane likes you.”
Bailey flushed.Zane smirked and said nothing.
“You certainly are a troublemaker,” Natalia teased, elbowing Bailey playfully.He chuckled nervously.No one needed to remind him of the travesty that was his life.No matter what he did, something crazy happened and Zane certainly didn’t help with that!
The teasing continued for some time afterwards, too.The twins stayed for a while, chatting.Everything felt normal and peaceful.After everything that happened, they all needed that.Being able to sit around and bullshit, crack jokes, tell stories and enjoy each other’s company, it was the refresher everyone needed.The energy they needed to move forward was saved up in those moments.
Later that evening, Nate and Natalia had to take their leave.Both wished to stay on top of Rebirth as much as they could.There was more work to be done, so they said their goodbyes, leaving Zane, Bailey, and Chris in the hospital room.
Before they left, Nate spun on his heel, causing all eyes to turn to him.Natalia stood in the hall, curiously watching.Nate’s attention landed on Zane.
“Zane, about what happened at Raiffel,” Nate swallowed hard.His hands continuously clenched and spread at his sides.
“What about it?”Zane encouraged.He sounded like he spoke to a child, easing them to say what was really on their mind.
“I didn’t…we didn’t mean to make you think we hated you or blamed you.It was, um, it was hard.On all of us.What I said, what I continued to say, I—we were always scared we’d lose you and, I don’t know…”
Natalia pressed her hand against Nate’s shoulder.She wore a smile when she stepped back into the room and looked at Zane with the same caring expression Nate wore.
“He’s trying to say that all these years all we’ve wanted is for you to be happy and realize that Raiffel was hard on all of us.We’ve all done and said terrible things, but you’re still family, Zane.Nothing will ever change that,” she said.
“And we love you!”Nate blurted out and the result of his words was instantaneous.Zane smiled.It was soft and warm and everything Bailey wished he could see every day.The whole room was smiling afterwards, but it was Zane’s that somehow lit up the room.
With an almost embarrassed nod, Zane mustered out a quiet, “I love you, too.”
Where was Bailey’s phone when he needed it?Someone needed to record this!Either way, Zane got his proof; proof that he had a family.A real one made up of people who loved him, who would always be there for him.After what they went through and what they would go through, it was a thought they all needed to have.
“Bailey, you’re included in this,” Natalia said, pointing at the wide-eyed klutz.
“Yeah, we love you too, Future Brother-In-Law.”Nate winked, then gave Zane a thumbs up.Zane shook his head and released a very fitting, exhausted sigh.Bailey had ceased to function.
“I’ll buy the ring if that’s what you’re waiting on,” Chris said, raising his hand as an eager volunteer.Chuckles rang through the room, save for Zane.He pinched the bridge of his nose like he hated everyone when it was proven seconds ago that wasn’t the case.
After another wave goodbye, Natalia and Nate left, having kept the room warm and comforting.Chris stuck around for a while too, but ended up leaving because apparently Zane and Bailey deserved more alone time.He gave a wink after saying it too, which had Zane commenting, “We’re both seriously injured.What do you think is going to happen?”
“I don’t know.Some intense cuddling?”Chris waved his arms through the air.“Do what you kids do these days!”
“Have sex, but that is actually impossible right now.”
“Boy, don’t get smart with me.I will smack an injured child.”
