Page 69 of The Not So Super Hero

P resent

A deafening silence lingered in the room. Zane’s trembling hands itched at his arms that were crossed defensively over his chest. Tears welled in his eyes.

Bailey sat motionless and speechless with his hands twisted together in his lap.

His cheeks were damp from his own tears, while his lips couldn’t seem to decide whether they wished to stay open or closed.

What could Bailey say that didn’t sound like something straight out of a self-help book he skimmed in the library and didn’t understand?

Hearing the truth was far worse than he ever imagined.

What would he have done in Zane’s place? Would he have survived that?

And Bailey realized perhaps that was the best place to start. The others had to have told Zane it wasn’t his fault, but he didn’t believe them. His guilt wouldn’t let him forgive himself. Bailey probably wouldn’t forgive himself either, but there were even more issues than forgiveness.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” he said.

“Enough credit?” Zane whispered, sounding almost offended. “Credit for what? Credit for hurting the woman I viewed as a mother? Credit for beating my best friend to death?”

Zane bit his lip, drawing blood. “It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t painless. He was scared and I didn’t stop.”

“Don’t,” Bailey interrupted, reaching out to touch his cheek. Zane pushed him away, eyes narrowing almost fearfully. Bailey’s fingers felt stiff as he withdrew them, slowly resting his hand at his side. “Don’t relive it.”

“It’s impossible not to.”

“You know what I really mean,” he countered. “What you went through, most wouldn’t be here today after that. I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t, and I never will because nothing in my life could possibly compare to that. All I can say is that you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

Zane stared with a blank expression that soon distorted into one of confusion and pain. “Strong? Did you not li—”

“I listened.” Bailey gripped Zane’s hand.

He refused to let go as pieces slipped into place of the puzzle that had been Zane.

The dream, the nightmare he had at Zane’s apartment.

Zane’s reaction after Sasha. His desire for the mediocre life.

Bailey saw the picture clear as day. He held tight to Zane’s hands, so tight he feared he caused harm, but he refused to let go.

“I listened to every word,” he whispered. “And I know you’re going to bring up how you didn’t help your friends get out.”

Zane twisted his neck to the side, the mere mention of it causing him to physically shiver.

“But you did help. Who always fought back? Who stood up for the kids who couldn’t stand up for themselves? Who did something so difficult, heart wrenching and terrifying in order to save others, some he probably never even met?”

Zane wasn’t sure if he was meant to answer, so he didn’t.

“You did,” Bailey said. “You gave those kids hope, so when the time came that they had a chance to run, they took it. Natalia and Nate fought because they knew what you would have done and it’s why they have never actually been mad at you.

There’s no doubt in my mind that everyone was thinking of you.

You may not see yourself as a hero, but most true heroes don’t. ”

Zane shook, incapable of keeping his attention on anything in the room. The look was unusual and unnatural on his pale features. Though Bailey was happy that Zane had opened up, he didn’t want to see him like this again.

“I know a few words will not help the pain that you’re still feeling, the pain we’re both feeling. However, when it gets too rough or you need to talk, I’m here,” Bailey added.

Zane knew that. He knew it for a long time, but hearing it made something shatter in his mind. The barrier had been there so long he didn’t know how to handle the feelings pouring out afterwards. There weren’t any words, none that he could form.

He pulled Bailey in for a hug, burying his face in the boy’s shoulder.

Bailey smiled and held tight to the warm and comforting embrace.

Warm tears dropped against his neck that he spoke nothing of.

No words were exchanged because none were needed.

Zane’s thanks and worries and sorrows were all shown in a single action that he desperately needed.

Funny how the simplest of things could mean so much.

And when Zane pulled away, Bailey saw pure relief.

An almost new found light to him, his eyes brighter than they once were.

His lips had a natural upward tilt. While Bailey knew the nightmares would never go away, the guilt and the pain would always linger, at least Zane knew there was to help him through it.

Just like Zane was there to help Bailey through his.

Resting his palm against Bailey’s cheek, Zane leaned in for a tender kiss that had both their hearts racing.

He twisted his fingers into Zane’s hair, easing into a kiss that made his toes curl.

They remained like that, gingerly kissing in a tender moment that let the world slip away and bury their reality for a moment so they could breathe again.

When Zane retreated, the air felt warmer.

The tension had dissipated. A weight had been lifted from their shoulders, shackles broken at their feet.

For once, they could both breathe. It was a feeling they would have to get used to, but neither felt it would take all that long to get used to honestly.

Then a soft sniffle echoed through the room.

They snapped their heads to the side to find a snotty Nate, and barely keeping-a-straight face Natalia standing in the doorway.

Zane’s eyes widened. Bailey blushed and shifted closer to him.

Like a toddler, Nate wiped at his eyes and nose with the back of his arm.

Natalia’s lips shook in a desperate attempt to scowl. It wasn’t working.

“You assholes having a moment and being all.” Nate waved his hand. “Open. You couldn’t have waited? I wasn’t in the mood to cry today! Fuck, are there any tissues?”

Bailey would have answered, but Nate and Natalia ran over for an extra large group hug Zane struggled against, and Bailey eagerly accepted.

He had on idea who he was hugging with Natalia’s hair tickling his face, but it was nice!

Eventually, Zane caved and let the hug happen.

Deep down, everyone knew he secretly enjoyed it.

Bailey was about to mention that their perfect moment would be even better if Chris arrived, but, hey, that already happened.

“Hey!” Chris shouted from the entryway. “Why was I not invited?”

No one needed to invite him because he was already making his way over to join the hug. Bailey wished someone could have gotten a picture, their one big happy family all cuddled together on a hospital bed. At least this memory would never fade.

“Why are we cuddling, by the way?” Chris asked, staring at the still sniffling Nate who had yet to find tissues.

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.”

Zane snapped his lips shut. Smiling, Chris said goodnight while explaining he’d be in the hotel across the street.

A relieving thing to hear for Bailey, who felt much better knowing Chris was nearby.

And with that, the two were left alone. Bailey tried to angle himself better so that he faced Zane.

Zane was already looking at him, which made the boy blush.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Chris took you in after Raiffel, right?”

Zane nodded. “He was undercover at Raiffel for a while. When everything went down, he dragged me out and,” Zane hesitated, like he felt he couldn’t say the rest. Bailey tilted his head, waiting for Zane, who eventually spit out, “He, along with some others, forged documents for me, hoping I could live a somewhat normal life.”

“What kind of documents?” Bailey asked.

“The tests, my level, my... relatives,” he murmured. “Chris worried that I’d end up as another lab rat. He cared too much about a kid he barely knew.”

“That’s because Chris is a good person and an even better father.”

“Yeah, he is.”

Bailey smiled. Zane looked away, feigning ignorance to that wide grin. One day, he would blurt that out in front of Chris, and Bailey prayed to be there to see the reaction. It would be a moment to never forget, much like earlier.

“You have a great family,” Bailey said.

“Don’t you mean we?” Zane responded, looking at Bailey with an almost hopeful expression that caused his heart to skip.

“Yeah.” He held Zane’s hand. “We have a great family.”