Title: Rox
Author: SneetchesToo
Rating: Teen(language)
Pairing: Ethan/Rox
Summary: The five times Ethan wake up and Rox wasn't there. And then the one time she was.
Author's Note: This is a companion piece to "Ethan". There will also be a sequel coming shortly.
Ethan woke up expecting the past 24 hours to have been some horrible nightmare. Hell, at this point, he was praying the past week had all been a bad dream. One that he couldn't wait to wake up from.
He knew he was going to snap eventually. The pressure of Angels. The ride alongs with Rox. The presence of his dad who all of a sudden wanted back into his life. He knew it would all lead to chaos and destruction eventually.
He hadn't expected it to end like this though.
He hadn't expected that almost losing Rox would lead to him finally cracking.
"Rox." He whispered her name softly, his eyes working to focus on his surroundings.
He wasn't by her bedside anymore though. No, instead he was behind bars. In a psych hold. Because some douche bag with a star on his shoulder thought he knew what was best for Rox. What was best for him.
That guy didn't know a damn thing.
"Rox." He said her name a little louder this time, his aching body pushing its way into a sitting position.
He heard a soft chuckle from within the confines of his cell and he rolled his eyes. He knew that chuckle. Knew it better than anyone. And he let out a sigh.
"What the hell do you want Robert?" He knew he had officially lost it. Seeing his dead brother sitting across from him was surely the final straw in his mental well-being.
He had thought the kid looked familiar when he had showed up 24 hours ago. And then he had followed him around like a lost puppy. He thought it was odd that no one else seemed to acknowledge his existence.
"Thought you didn't love her?" The kid had a cocky smile plastered on his face and Ethan wanted to wipe the smirk away.
"I don't." He didn't know who he was trying to convince. He knew damn well that he loved that woman more than he had ever loved anyone. But he didn't need the whole world to know it.
Especially when she surely didn't return the feeling.
"Liar." Robert's voice sounded so real and he wanted to believe that his brother was actually with him. More than anything, he wanted the kid back in his life.
"Where is she?" Like he expected the man to have any answers.
"Still in her room." He let out a breath of relief. He was afraid they would move her somewhere else. Somewhere that he wouldn't be able to get a hold of her.
"Is she awake?" Again, he didn't know why he was talking to a ghost. He surely needed to be evaluated at this point.
"Don't know." Robert shrugged his shoulders, raising an eyebrow in his direction. "I'm a figment of your imagination brother. Not hers."
"I need to know if she's okay." He choked out. His throat was on fire and he could feel tears in his eyes. He didn't want to fall apart. Not here. Not with all eyes on him. Not while in uniform and under the Army's watchful glare.
"I'm sure she is dude." He hadn't missed Robert's sarcasm. "She seems like a tough girl."
Rox was the definition of tough. Of that he was sure. If she had made it this far she could make it through anything.
"She's the toughest." He didn't need to justify the woman to anyone. Especially not his dead brother.
"You're in Love E. Face it." He rolled his eyes once more. For someone who was a figment of his imagination he felt awfully real. And so did this conversation.
"I'm not in love Robbie." He leaned his head back against the cool metal of the bars, his eyes closing as he tried his best to hold back the tears he felt threatening to fall.
He wasn't in love with her. Was he? He knew he loved her. But loving her, and being in love with her, were two totally different things.
"Liar." His brother's voice was barely a whisper and he opened his eyes to glare at him.
Except when he opened them. His brother was gone. Instead, he was alone, yet again.
"I'm so sorry Rox." He whispered to himself.
He felt his eyes growing heavy as he finally let the tears fall down his cheeks. He knew how badly she must be feeling right now. If she was even awake. He wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly in his arms and kiss away her pain.
"I'm so sorry." He sobbed out. He felt himself starting to fade off again. The room starting to spin around him as he forced his body to lay down. He wrapped his arms around himself tightly. Praying that he would be with her again soon.
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