A/N; Hello! Only one more chapter to go after this (then the QnA chapter) and we've finished this story! Then I'll be moving onto a highschool story but I'll be taking a bit of a break first. Not necessarily a huge one - and it might just mean that I don't upload as often. I'm also writing a book(!) right now, a podcast and a script for something else. I'm also a student so I have a lot to do rn (not that I'm complaining- I genuinely do love writing!) so yeah - if I disappearfor a bit y'all know why. 100k words as well - that's absolutely mental that I've done that! As always, support is always appreciated in the form of reviews, etc. (Sorry for this chapter taking so long - I've genuinely never gone back and read through and edited something so many times. As a lesbian myself, it means a lot that I get this right. Anyway)
:D


'Aunt Cass says she's outside.' Tadashi said, glancing up from his phone. 'Only she can't remember where the room is.'

Rena and Hiro were sat opposite one another in the plastic hospital chairs. Rena was tuning Tadashi's guitar and Hiro was playing a game on his phone. It was the morning after they'd all seen each other for the first time since the warehouse, and Tadashi was due to be discharged later on in the day.

'I'm not surprised, to be fair.' Rena said, picking the B string with her index finger.

'Should I just text her the directions?'

'Nah. This hellhole is a maze.' Hiro said, standing up and stretching, 'I'll go meet her. Is she in the car park?'

'Yeah, she says she's in the multi-storey.'

'Right, I'll be back in a minute then.' He replied, saluting them sarcastically and turning for the door.

'Wait!' Rena called, 'do you want me to go with you?'

'Nah! I'm good.'

'Good.' She muttered under her breath, turning the tuners for the lower E string, 'I can't be arsed to go anyway.'

Tadashi laughed, 'then why'd you offer?'

'Because I'm a nice person Tadashi! Duh.' She picked up the pick from next to her and played a few chords, 'not bad, eh?'

'Not bad at all, I gotta admit.'

'Any requests?' She said, grinning. 'I can do you- oh wait hang on.'

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, squinting at the small text on the screen. The guitar slipped out of her hand and landed on the floor at her feet.

'Be careful! That was expensive! …Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?'

Rena didn't reply, she only stared at the message displayed on her screen.

Clara: Hi! Sorry I haven't replied, I've been busy. What's up? Omg it's literally been ages haha

Just when she thought things couldn't get any more confusing and weird. Really? She was texting her back NOW? It had been days! Weeks! How busy could she possibly have been? Did she have the right to be annoyed? It had been years since she'd last seen her, and they'd technically never even dated. Knowing Rena's luck, Clara probably had a super hot girlfriend. Or, even worse, she didn't even like girls and had a super hot boyfriend.

Did Rena still even like her? She could barely remember what she looked like; the only thing that remained was the fluttery feeling in her chest. Her vanilla mixed with French toast scent. Her poetry and the way she always made Rena feel at home.

Shit. Maybe she did still like her.

'You okay there?' Tadashi asked, leaning over as far as he could and waving a hand in her face. 'Ow. Shit, shouldn't have done that.'

'Dumbass,' Rena said, her voice trembling. Her eyes darted back down to the phone screen, already trying to formulate the perfect response. Should she not just leave it? Surely that would be better for the both of them? She was hoping for something she knew full well she couldn't have; pining for a person that might as well not exist in her world.

She looked up at Tadashi and felt a hundred different emotions at once. It was a horrible combination of shame, fear, sadness, awkwardness and guilt. She still hadn't told him. She was supposed to tell them everything - that's how they had always operated. And she'd learnt the hard way that straying away from that wouldn't end well for anyone. Rena had almost died and there was only one person in the world that would know. The idea of that made her feel ill - almost as ill as the thought of coming out.

'What's going on?'

She slowly picked up the guitar and rested it on her knee, gently plucking at the strings. Hiro would probably be gone for a while. Maybe this was her chance to tell him. 'I have something to tell you.' She said finally.

Tadashi blinked, 'okay? Fire away.'

Rena didn't look at him, her gaze was fixed on the guitar strings. 'I meant to tell you ages ago, but I was never able to find the words. And I was scared. I am scared.' She said quietly, still not looking at him, 'but I think we're past the point of secrets now. I mean, we used to tell each other everything. I don't know what happened - but everything's fucked up now.'

Tadashi laughed, 'well, that's an eloquent way of putting it.'

Rena smiled, 'I just... I didn't want to tell you this because I thought everything would change. That you'd look at me differently or... Or something. There's been a lot of unwelcome change these past few years and I don't want anymore, and I know you don't either. But... I've thought about this long and hard. I have, I really have. And having a gun pointed at your head really changes your perspective on life.'

Tadashi winced, 'again, sorry about that.'

She waved him off, 'yeah… Whatever. I just... Don't want to shy away from it anymore.' She added softly.

Tadashi leaned over and pulled the guitar out of her hands, setting it on the bed beside him. 'Well… What is it?'

Rena didn't speak for a while. She stared at her hands, tears in her eyes. She didn't quite realise how nerve wracking this would be.

'I'm gay.'

For a second, she thought he hadn't heard him. There was a roaring in her ears and tears in her eyes. 'And I'm sorry for not telling, alright? I just was so... So afraid of things changing and not going well and I don't want anyone to change their perceptions of me I'm fine as I am and what if you actually are secretly homophobic and I've made a huge mistake and-'

'Woah! Slow down.' Tadashi said, 'slow down, okay?'

She nodded, wiping away the tears, 'this is stupid. I'm making it into such a big deal. I'm sorry, I-'

'Rena. Will you let me speak?' He asked quietly. She nodded and he continued. 'It is a big deal. It's a huge deal! And I'm not mad for you not telling me, you needed time to figure things out and that's fine. Okay? I'm not mad. Jesus, I could never be mad.'

Rena was not attempting to cover the fact she was crying - the tears were coming thick and fast. Every emotion she'd repressed since high school was coming out all at once, leaving her emotional and dizzy.

Tadashi leaned forwards as far as he could and grabbed her arm, 'now pull your chair in closer, idiot.'

She did as she was told, dragging the chair closer so she was able to collapse into his arms. 'Thank you.' She whispered between sobs, 'for everything.'

'You're such an idiot. You don't have to thank me,' Tadashi replied, his voice shaking with suppressed sobs, 'I just want the best for you, for both of you. No secrets from now on, yeah?'

'Okay. No secrets.'

'Good. And... Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me, it means a lot. And… Y'know, thanks for saving my life and stuff.'

Rena pulled away from him and wiped her eyes on her sleeves, 'let's just hope I never have to do it again. Because if I do, I'll kill you.'

Tadashi laughed and settled back into his cushions, 'believe me, I've had enough danger for a lifetime.'

'You can fucking say that again.' Rena replied tiredly. She grabbed the guitar and grinned at him, 'okay, now that's out the way with. How do you feel about Tenacious D?'


'Alright Mr Hamada, you're free to go. Remember what we told you, and if you have any concerns whatsoever you're to come right back here. Am I clear?'

Rena had the guitar bag on her back, lingering behind Tadashi and Cass as they were talking to the doctor. Tadashi was free to go, but because his prosthetic had burnt away in the fire he was stuck in a wheelchair. He had tried to argue for his rights to crutches but the doctors said he was still too weak to use them.

'You're working on another prosthetic, right?' Rena asked Hiro quietly.

He nodded, 'I have all the designs and plans still saved, it shouldn't take me long at all.'

'Good. I'd feel even worse if he was stuck in that wheelchair for any longer than necessary.'

'Alright, are we ready to go?' Cass said cheerily, grabbing onto the handles of Tadashi's wheelchair.

'Can we get pizza for dinner?' Hiro said, hurrying to catch up with them.

Rena walked just behind them, staring at her shoes as she walked. She hadn't texted Clara back, and was trying to come up with the perfect response in her head that didn't scream I'M STILL HOPELESSLY IN LOVE WITH YOU EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN YEARS AND YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME!

She stumbled slightly and sighed when she realised her shoelace was untied, 'I'll catch up in a second!' She called down the corridor, crouching down outside a door and adjusting the guitar slightly before tying the lace in a quick double bow.

As she straightened out, her eyes rested on the name plaque just under the door handle.

Caine Newlin

Huh. It was funny. All this time of knowing him, and she never even bothered to ask for his last name. Caine Newlin.

Her hand rested on the door, about to push it open. What was she doing? This guy had almost killed her and her brothers. She'd saved his life. There was no need for any more contact - he was in debt to her and she could live with that just fine.

Her hand was still resting there when a kind looking nurse walked over to her, 'oh, are you going in dearie?'

'Uh… No… I don't…'

'Do you know him?'

'I think I do, yeah.'

'The poor laddie,' she said sadly, 'he was involved with the big fire down at that old warehouse by the river. Did you hear about that on the news?'

'Uh… Yes. Yes, I did actually.'

'Bless him. He's had no visitors at all. No family or friends. I feel awfully sad for the young man, I have to say.'

Rena felt a wave of sadness crash over her. No matter what Caine had done, she still felt awful at the idea that he had no visitors. Then again, he'd never told her about anyone in his life that would care enough to visit. It was horrible to think that he had awoken to an empty room. 'Yes, that is sad.'

The nurse patted her on the arm, 'well, you have a nice day now, dearie.'

'And you!' Rena called as she walked back over to the nurse's station.

Her hand released the handle and she turned to follow her family, but something stopped her before she took even one step. She sighed softly and opened the door, quickly slipping inside the room.

He was asleep. Funny how he still look troubled despite being unconscious.

Rena edged towards him slowly, as though he was a dangerous animal about to pounce. His skin was almost entirely covered in bandages - what little skin she could see was burnt red raw. Looking at it made her own injuries itch. His left leg was suspended in the air, wrapped in a cast.

There was a breathing tube in his mouth and he was hooked up to at least three different machines. The soft beeping was the only sound in the room. Rena stood there, staring at the sad sight in front of her. There were no cards or flowers that had decorated her bedside when she was sick. The table next to him was sickeningly empty.

In that moment, Rena couldn't find the strength to be angry at him. She just felt terribly sad for him. Which was crazy considering how he has be treated her, and she knew that anger would come eventually.

But for now? It was just sadness. Sadness for herself and sadness for the boy with no visitors.

She glanced out the window and noticed a small flower bush just outside. She cautiously stepped past the machines and cranked the window open, taking in a huge gulp of air as she did so. Gently, she plucked a flower from the bush and placed it on the table next to him.

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come. Had she forgiven him? No. Did she feel sorry for him? Yes. Did she still care for him? Deep down, she knew she did.

'Get better soon.' She whispered to the almost silent room, softly shutting the door on her way out.

She took her time making it back to the car. She didn't want the rest of them to see her crying.