A/N: I'm really, really, really, really, REALLY sorry this took so long. This chapter just didn't want to work with me. I must've tried starting it a hundred different ways. This was the only way I could get it to work.
~*~
After The Applause Dies Down
by Wolfie
~*50,000 Tears, I've Cried*~
Sapphire eyes fluttered open slowly- then closed tightly again as the bright white of the room struck them. An arm came up to sheild them, the feeling of gauze strange against his forehead, and the bridge of his nose.
"You're awake."
A noncommital grunt.
"Pietro. Look at me."
Reluctantly, the snowy haired teen opened his eyes again and looked over at Lance. Not half a second later, his jaw was throbbing from the impact of the older boy's fist.
"Lance! What the hell, yo?"
Todd and Fred were already pulling Lance away, but it was unnecessary. He'd gotten his punch in. He was satisfied. Pietro stared at him, gaze unreadable. And he stared back, gaze *burning*.
"Why..." Pietro paused, his voice was hoarse and weak... He didn't like it at all, "Why did you save me?"
Immediately, Lance was ready to hit him again, and he realized that it was probably good that Fred was still holding him back. His amber eyes darkened noticably, and he growled, low in the back of his throat.
"Why?!" He repeated, "Are you a fucking *idiot*?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Pietro looked away, hoping to hide the tears that streamed down his cheeks. He didn't cry in front of anyone.
He didn't.
"Lance, stop!" Todd sounded more scared than anything, and one couldn't really blame him. He'd nearly lost one of his best friends earlier that afternoon- one of his *brothers*- and he wasn't so sure Lance wouldn't finish the job, now.
"You should've let me die..."
The noise that escaped Lance's throat next was an odd combination of another growl, and a shriek of fury. He struggled idly against Fred's strong grip to get to Pietro again, wanting nothing more than to beat some sense into the speed demon.
"I wanted to die... You should've fucking let me die!"
At this outburst, Lance stopped fighting and stared at the younger mutant in shock. Realization hadn't actually hit him until that moment. Pietro's intent was death. Pietro slit his wrists in that shower, *hoping* to bleed himself dry. He was able to tell himself otherwise before, but now it was right there, in his face.
Pietro wanted to die.
"I finally got the pain to stop, and you took that away from me. Why couldn't you just let me die? Why'd you have to save me?" His voice had fallen back down to a soft murmur. He turned his eyes back to Lance once more, "Why?"
The next hour was spent in silence. Fred released Lance, but stayed near enough to grab the rock tumbler if he decided to try and attack Pietro again. And Todd seated himself between the older boys and the bed, just in case Fred wasn't quite quick enough. Pietro turned his back on his teammates, feigning sleep, though it was obvious he was still conscious. His shoulders were trembling ever so slightly, and if the others listened carefully enough, they could hear the soft sound of his muffled sobs.
But, of course, Pietro didn't cry in front of anyone...
"Um... Excuse me..." A nurse peeked in at the four boys, her face sweet and gentle, "Visiting hours are over. You three will have to leave. Mr. Maximoff can go home tomorrow."
Fred nodded and pushed Lance toward the door before the brown haired teen could protest, and Todd gave Pietro a final, hesitant glance, before following them. He'd be fine there, right? After all, it *was* a hospital.
~*~
"Fuck!" The bathroom door flew off the hinges and Lance rushed inside, throwing the shower door open as well. He froze at the sight before him.
"Oh God..." Todd breathed from behind him.
"Is he... alive?" Fred asked, from the other side.
Lance couldn't make himself answer, because he was afraid of what he might say. His eyes ran over the limp body on the floor of the shower stall. It was faint, but it was there- the gentle rise and fall of Pietro's pale chest. He was still breathing. There was still hope.
Suddenly, his body jerked into motion and he found himself snatching a towel from off the rack and scooping Pietro up, into his arms. He wrapped the towel around the bleeding wrist, not bothering to shut off the shower as he turned to the other two.
"Todd, start the Jeep. Fred, grab a pair of his jeans. Go!"
He looked back down at the body in his arms. The blood was already beginning to soak through the cream coloured towel, staining it a stomach churning crimson. And as he looked, he saw the vague movement of Pietro's chest... stop.
~*~
Lance gasped, sitting straight up in his bed. A cool sweat covered his skin, chills tearing through his body as he stared with wide, fear filled eyes, out into the darkness. His heart was pounding in his ears as well as his chest, his breathing harsh and slightly labored.
He shook his head, bringing a hand up to brush his sweat soaked bangs back, out of his eyes.
"That's not how it happened," He told himself in a soft whisper, "He never stopped breathing. He was alive when we got to the hospital," His pulse refused to slow down, "And he's fine now. A little fucked up, but fine... He's fine..."
For some reason, he couldn't convince himself. His body working on autopilot, he got up and padded across his room, to the door, and then down the hall, to knock lightly on Todd's door. It wasn't long before the younger mutant responded. He'd obviously been awake, probably hadn't even tried to sleep.
"Pietro's fine... right?"
Todd stared at him strangely.
"Yeah... I mean, unless the hospital called," He paused, "The hopsital didn't call, did they?"
Lance shook his head.
"No... No, I just..." He shook it again, "Nothing. Never mind. I guess it was just a dream..."
"I didn't go to sleep... Cause I didn't want to have that dream..." Todd admitted, looking a bit distant. A small smile played over Lance's lips, and he gave a vague nod.
"I don't blame you..." He sighed heavily, "I'm... I'm gonna go downstairs and watch TV..." He started to walk away, not surprised to find a slender hand on his arm.
"I'm coming too," The younger teen said softly, following Lance down the hell. In essence, Todd was the baby of the Brotherhood, and though he didn't like being treated so, sometimes he just needed someone to be an older brother for him.
"Cool... I think I saw something about Snatch playing on HBO tonight. Maybe we can still catch it..."
~tbc~
::tilts head:: The good shit will start next chapter. ::points:: Did you see the hints, though? ^_^ There's Lance/Pietro to come! Now review, because the more reviews I get, the quicker I'll be with the next chapter!
~*~
After The Applause Dies Down
by Wolfie
~*50,000 Tears, I've Cried*~
Sapphire eyes fluttered open slowly- then closed tightly again as the bright white of the room struck them. An arm came up to sheild them, the feeling of gauze strange against his forehead, and the bridge of his nose.
"You're awake."
A noncommital grunt.
"Pietro. Look at me."
Reluctantly, the snowy haired teen opened his eyes again and looked over at Lance. Not half a second later, his jaw was throbbing from the impact of the older boy's fist.
"Lance! What the hell, yo?"
Todd and Fred were already pulling Lance away, but it was unnecessary. He'd gotten his punch in. He was satisfied. Pietro stared at him, gaze unreadable. And he stared back, gaze *burning*.
"Why..." Pietro paused, his voice was hoarse and weak... He didn't like it at all, "Why did you save me?"
Immediately, Lance was ready to hit him again, and he realized that it was probably good that Fred was still holding him back. His amber eyes darkened noticably, and he growled, low in the back of his throat.
"Why?!" He repeated, "Are you a fucking *idiot*?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Pietro looked away, hoping to hide the tears that streamed down his cheeks. He didn't cry in front of anyone.
He didn't.
"Lance, stop!" Todd sounded more scared than anything, and one couldn't really blame him. He'd nearly lost one of his best friends earlier that afternoon- one of his *brothers*- and he wasn't so sure Lance wouldn't finish the job, now.
"You should've let me die..."
The noise that escaped Lance's throat next was an odd combination of another growl, and a shriek of fury. He struggled idly against Fred's strong grip to get to Pietro again, wanting nothing more than to beat some sense into the speed demon.
"I wanted to die... You should've fucking let me die!"
At this outburst, Lance stopped fighting and stared at the younger mutant in shock. Realization hadn't actually hit him until that moment. Pietro's intent was death. Pietro slit his wrists in that shower, *hoping* to bleed himself dry. He was able to tell himself otherwise before, but now it was right there, in his face.
Pietro wanted to die.
"I finally got the pain to stop, and you took that away from me. Why couldn't you just let me die? Why'd you have to save me?" His voice had fallen back down to a soft murmur. He turned his eyes back to Lance once more, "Why?"
The next hour was spent in silence. Fred released Lance, but stayed near enough to grab the rock tumbler if he decided to try and attack Pietro again. And Todd seated himself between the older boys and the bed, just in case Fred wasn't quite quick enough. Pietro turned his back on his teammates, feigning sleep, though it was obvious he was still conscious. His shoulders were trembling ever so slightly, and if the others listened carefully enough, they could hear the soft sound of his muffled sobs.
But, of course, Pietro didn't cry in front of anyone...
"Um... Excuse me..." A nurse peeked in at the four boys, her face sweet and gentle, "Visiting hours are over. You three will have to leave. Mr. Maximoff can go home tomorrow."
Fred nodded and pushed Lance toward the door before the brown haired teen could protest, and Todd gave Pietro a final, hesitant glance, before following them. He'd be fine there, right? After all, it *was* a hospital.
~*~
"Fuck!" The bathroom door flew off the hinges and Lance rushed inside, throwing the shower door open as well. He froze at the sight before him.
"Oh God..." Todd breathed from behind him.
"Is he... alive?" Fred asked, from the other side.
Lance couldn't make himself answer, because he was afraid of what he might say. His eyes ran over the limp body on the floor of the shower stall. It was faint, but it was there- the gentle rise and fall of Pietro's pale chest. He was still breathing. There was still hope.
Suddenly, his body jerked into motion and he found himself snatching a towel from off the rack and scooping Pietro up, into his arms. He wrapped the towel around the bleeding wrist, not bothering to shut off the shower as he turned to the other two.
"Todd, start the Jeep. Fred, grab a pair of his jeans. Go!"
He looked back down at the body in his arms. The blood was already beginning to soak through the cream coloured towel, staining it a stomach churning crimson. And as he looked, he saw the vague movement of Pietro's chest... stop.
~*~
Lance gasped, sitting straight up in his bed. A cool sweat covered his skin, chills tearing through his body as he stared with wide, fear filled eyes, out into the darkness. His heart was pounding in his ears as well as his chest, his breathing harsh and slightly labored.
He shook his head, bringing a hand up to brush his sweat soaked bangs back, out of his eyes.
"That's not how it happened," He told himself in a soft whisper, "He never stopped breathing. He was alive when we got to the hospital," His pulse refused to slow down, "And he's fine now. A little fucked up, but fine... He's fine..."
For some reason, he couldn't convince himself. His body working on autopilot, he got up and padded across his room, to the door, and then down the hall, to knock lightly on Todd's door. It wasn't long before the younger mutant responded. He'd obviously been awake, probably hadn't even tried to sleep.
"Pietro's fine... right?"
Todd stared at him strangely.
"Yeah... I mean, unless the hospital called," He paused, "The hopsital didn't call, did they?"
Lance shook his head.
"No... No, I just..." He shook it again, "Nothing. Never mind. I guess it was just a dream..."
"I didn't go to sleep... Cause I didn't want to have that dream..." Todd admitted, looking a bit distant. A small smile played over Lance's lips, and he gave a vague nod.
"I don't blame you..." He sighed heavily, "I'm... I'm gonna go downstairs and watch TV..." He started to walk away, not surprised to find a slender hand on his arm.
"I'm coming too," The younger teen said softly, following Lance down the hell. In essence, Todd was the baby of the Brotherhood, and though he didn't like being treated so, sometimes he just needed someone to be an older brother for him.
"Cool... I think I saw something about Snatch playing on HBO tonight. Maybe we can still catch it..."
~tbc~
::tilts head:: The good shit will start next chapter. ::points:: Did you see the hints, though? ^_^ There's Lance/Pietro to come! Now review, because the more reviews I get, the quicker I'll be with the next chapter!