Meliora - Extricate - 42

[lady_mab]

Jun Zhou

Glen groans through his coughing fit, doubling over to bury his face in his hands. “Oh my God,” he wheezes once he’s able to catch his breath. “I fucking hate this.”

I rub his back, fussing with his jacket and his scarf to ensure that he’s completely wrapped up. “I thought you were getting better.”

“You and me both.” His lungs rattle with the effort of breathing. His eyelashes are dark against pale, flushed cheeks, and he winces when he moves. “It’s like pneumonia from hell or something.”

My arm shifts as he leans against me, curling around his shoulders, practically holding him upright. “You should go home after we are done here.”

“I’ve been home and resting.”

“Yes, but you still are not fine. So you should rest more.”

Glen sighs, clears his throat, and props his head up with one hand, elbow on his knee. “You and Zoné should come over to play video games then when we’re done here.”

“Zoné has to go to work.”

He tilts his head a degree so that he can look up at me. I shift so my elbow can rest against his shoulder and I put some weight against him in return. “Then you can come over.”

I fiddle with the ends of his hair that hang above his scarf. His eyes close again against the touch, but at least he looks relaxed. “We will see how you’re feeling.”

"I'm feeling spry enough if that's what the correct answer is."

I allow myself a smile and lean in so now I can rest my chin on his shoulder instead. The idea of this closeness is new and different for me. He hooks his arm around my waist and presses his forehead to mine. "We will see," I repeat and he grins in response.

Zoné is running late to meet up with us for the shots, but in this small pocket of warmth, I don't really mind waiting.

Which only serves as a reminder that we haven't explicitly told Zoné what had happened.

Glen must sense my sudden hesitation because he pulls away and sits up straighter to give me a concerned look. "Is something wrong?"

"I..." My gaze drops for a moment, but I quickly pick it back up to meet his. "Should we tell Zoné?"

He pauses, giving the question serious consideration. "Is there... I mean, are we dating?"

"I... think so?" Despite my desire to remain serious about this conversation, I can't help the giggles threatening to overcome me. "I do not know. I have never dated before."

"Me neither," he says, ears going pink. "Uh."

"Uh," I echo, and this time I can't stop the laughter.

Glen lets out a groan of mock anguish, tightening his grip around my waist so I can't escape as he leans dramatically against me. "Shut up. Don't make fun of me."

"I am not. Really, I am not." My protest does very little to get him to release his grip, and in the end all I can do is hold myself upright against his jacket as he continuously leans over until he's practically squishing me against the bench. "I will die here and it will be your fault."

"It will be easier to explain to Zoné why you are now a pancake."

I smack his shoulder playfully. "He is our friend. I am sure he will understand."

Glen sits upright and tugs me along with him. He seems to be feeling better despite the earlier coughing fit, but I still don't want him to push himself. "We'll tell him. I don't want to not tell him. We got enough secrets with this game after all. Don't need to add more to it." He takes my hand in his, and I watch as he winds our fingers together. It's a simple motion, but all at once comforting and fascinating to me. "You know that mission at the end of January? When you went off to go find Lia?"

I'm distracted by the way his thumb presses into my palm. My hands, which have been increasingly difficult to manage since the start of the year, relax against his touch. "Hm?"

"That's when Zoné realized I had a crush on you. He told me to ask you out, but it took me another two weeks before I could muster the courage. I kept trying to talk myself out of it."

I arc an eyebrow and he gives a sheepish grin. "Are you that intimidated by me?"

"No, though you being the niece of a mob boss definitely has me watching my every move."

"Oh my God."

"I'm kidding." He lifts a hand and brushes the backs of his fingers against my cheek. "I'm really glad that I did."

I wonder how long it has been for him since he realized that he did have a crush on me. I can't ask, because I don't know how I would answer if the question was posed to me. He's always stood out from the others. He was always easier to be around -- not always the most level-headed or the quietest, but the most accepting of me.

Reaching for his hand has always felt so natural.

Voices and footsteps reach my ears, and I twist to see who is approaching. Glen and I are sitting outside the hospital, on one of the low stone walls on the sidewalk level, waiting for Zoné to arrive so we can go in to get our monthly shots. People passing us by is not unusual.

It’s just that I recognize these voices.

Rounding the corner, stylish and poised, comes Jonas, Catoir, and Ayn.

Glen and I both freeze as we spot them, and I hope that Zoné doesn’t pick this moment to show up. Not until they’re gone.

Sure enough, the three of them notice us at the same time. A smile and something that might be relief crosses over Ayn’s face. Catoir’s eyebrows do some interesting movement between lifted, furrowed, and then indifferent.

Jonas, however, like I knew he would, immediately skips towards us. “Doll face!! Oh, and the kid!” He leans over to give my cheek a kiss and then sits down.

Right in between me and Glen.

With an awkward squawk, Glen is forced to scoot to the side to make room for Jonas.

“You’re looking much better,” Jonas says, turning his full attention to me.

I’m so caught off guard by his sudden arrival that I’m struggling to catch up. “I… yes. I feel much better, too.”

“Oh good.” He shifts to look at Glen. “And how are you? I didn’t realize that you and Jun were so close.” His eyebrows waggle teasingly, and Glen goes red in response.

Catoir cuts in before either of us can say anything. “Jonas, leave them alone.”

Jonas pouts, crossing his arms over his chest and one leg draping over his knee. “But I haven’t seen Jun since the hospital and she keeps promising that we’ll get dinner together and it never happens.”

“I have had a lot of things on my plate recently,” I try to defend, but Jonas’ eyebrows only lift higher as he gives a very pointed look in Glen’s direction.

“Oh?”

“No--I mean, sort of--I mean, that is a very recent development.” My face is warm, and my hands fidget awkwardly in my lap. I still haven’t properly explained to him the result of my trip to the hospital, even though he went out of his way to visit me -- even though he was the one who helped find me that night.

Ayn saves me from further embarrassment at Jonas’ expense. “Are you here to get your shots?”

“Yes!” Glen cuts in, voice a little too loud, eager to shift the conversation. “We were just, uh--” He hesitates, glances at Catoir, and falls silent.

Everyone seems to understand anyway.

“I see.” Catoir has his hands buried in his coat pockets, but I can see the tense lines of his shoulders. “Come on, Jonas. Don’t pester them.”

Jonas purses his lips, foot bouncing in idle thought. “What if we just wait with them?”

“Oh boy,” Ayn mutters, running her hand back through hair.

“That would be a terrible decision,” Catoir adds. “Fine, you can wait here. I’m going inside.” He turns without further hesitation. I can recognize echoes of Zoné in the way he moves, completely sure of himself, even stubbornly so.

Before he can get to the base of the stairs, however, he stops and turns to look at me. “I know that it has been almost two months, and I know you have likely heard this a lot… but I am glad to see that you are okay.”

My hands rest stiff and awkward in my lap, and even now I can feel the first shooting aches through my forearms from being in this position. I no longer have to wear the bandages, but sometimes, I can still see the silver lines of the scars.

But I know it could have been worse.

“Thank you for being there for him,” I reply, and again, everyone seems to understand.

Ayn kneels down in front of me, ignoring Jonas’ sigh of distress. When she speaks, her voice is low enough that Catoir can’t hear -- but his expression lets me know that he has an idea of what she’s about to say. Still, he waits for her, patiently, staring at his phone.

“These two stubborn assholes are going to continue to be very difficult,” she says, hands folded on her knees, thin-lipped smile in place. “I know you worry about him, and so do I.”

“I do not think their relationship is something that can be easily repaired.”

Ayn sighs and shakes her head. “It isn’t.”

I lean in closer to her so I can meet her eyes. “You are going to keep trying?”

“In little ways.” She smiles, a simple but refined gesture. I know next to nothing about her, because Zoné doesn’t know anything about her and Jonas very clearly refuses to acknowledge her -- if the way he’s trying to engage Glen in conversation and turning his back to her is any indication. “But beyond that. If there is anything I can do to help, you let me know, alright?”

“I will,” I answer without hesitation. There’s something about her that makes it hard to turn her away. I want to know more about her relationship to the Altair brothers, and the only way to figure that out would be to ask her directly. “Thank you.”

“We’ll make it through this.” With a wink, Ayn pushes herself to her feet. “Alright, c’mon Jonas. Some of us have better things to do than harass people.”

Catoir takes this as his cue to start walking again, Ayn close on his heels. Jonas groans and stretches his legs and arms out before him before rocking to his feet.

“Don’t think this is giving either of you a free pass.” Jonas points at Glen in a manner that might be trying to be threatening. Then he blows a kiss in my direction and flounces off after Ayn and Catoir.

Glen sits, shell-shocked. Then he turns and looks at me in surprise. “Is he always like that?”

“Jonas? I don’t know. We talk a lot over text, but this is only the third or so time I’ve seen him in person.”

“He’s an Informant. How did you meet him?”

I scoot over to close the distance caused by Jonas’ interruption. I take his hand in mine and lean against his shoulder. “He was invited to be a Participant, but elected on an Informant position instead. He started talking to me because he liked my hair.”

Glen coughs into his elbow, but it doesn’t worsen into a fit. “I don’t know why he seems so interested in me.”

I decide that perhaps telling him that I asked Jonas to look out for him when we realized that he was an Informant might not be such a good idea. In the end, Glen opened up to us on his own and Zoné and I were able to keep an eye on him ourselves.

We sit side by side, waiting for Zoné to arrive. I try to make sense of Ayn’s request, and wonder if it is truly a good idea to get the two brothers to start talking again.

I know it still weighs heavy on Zoné’s heart, but from what I understand of their relationship, perhaps this break is exactly what they need.

Only it’s not a decision for me to make.

The sound of Jonas’ bright chatter has just barely faded from earshot when a new voice calls awkwardly from behind us. “Are they gone?”

Glen and I jump, leaning around to look at who the new person is.

Zoné pokes his head out from around the stone wall, a strange frown on his face. It’s somewhere between a frown of frustration and disappointment. “I saw them approaching and just.” He makes a vague gesture with his hand as he comes to join us.

“Hid?” Glen offers, and Zoné aims a playful kick at his feet.

“How long do you think we have to wait so that we don’t run into them inside the hospital? Because I’ve only got an hour.” Zoné drops down onto my other side, hands shoved into his pockets and sighs.

Then, a second later, jumps back to his feet and points a finger at the two of us. I jump again. “Wait!!” His finger swivels between the two of us and then he shouts excitedly. “I knew it!!”

“Oh,” I say, realizing that Glen and I are still holding hands. “Yes.”

Zoné surprises me by throwing his arms around both of our shoulders and pulling us into an awkward hug. “I am glad. Okay, all my previous ugh-ness from seeing Catoir is gone. I am refreshed. I am ready to take on the world.”

I can’t see Glen’s face with Zoné in between us, but I can hear him laughing and his hand tightens around mine. “Are you ready to take on your shots?”

“I will fight through my fear of needles for the two of you.” He pulls back and ruffles our heads with his hands. “Alright, okay. Let’s go before I lose my nerve.” Zoné moves with his usual buoyancy as he steps back, giving Glen and I room to rise to our feet as well. He places himself on the other side of me.

As we walk up the stairs, the two boys carrying on a conversation over my head, I’m overwhelmed and beyond thankful for their presence during this year.

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