Sorry this chapter is so late. It's what I already had written and I planned on adding more but I feel like absolute shit after this surgery, so I just decided to update now and work what was supposed to be the end of this chapter into the beginning of the next. Hope you don't mind.
Shane's neck hurt. He wasn't particularly fond of sleeping on the couch in the waiting area in the ICU unit, but that was as close to Reed as he could get so he didn't complain.
When he woke up the next day it was to see a figure standing over him. He jumped, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was instantly talking. "What is it? Did something happen? Is everything alright?"
Dr. Cole smiled in assurance. "Everything's fine. And everything will be fine so you don't have to stay here. You can go back home and get some rest. You look like you need it."
Shane shook his head, running a hand through his messy hair. "I'm not sleeping there until Reed can, too."
The doctor's smile faltered. "It must not be very comfortable sleeping here. Shane, I promise you Reed will be perfectly fine."
Shane's expression didn't change. "Yeah well he'll still be here. And as long as he's here, so am I. I'm not leaving him alone."
Dr. Cole could see there wasn't any convincing him, Shane's mind was made up. He was so stubborn, he had been since the second he woke up in the hospital and demanded to see Reed, not caring about himself. That's what made Dr. Cole like him so much.
"But I suppose I should go back for a little bit to shower and change. I want to look more presentable today, maybe I won't scare him as badly."
Sometime during the time Shane was gone, Kurt came hurdling through the door, pulling a drowsy looking Blaine behind him.
"Kurt, slow down, love. It's only nine. He might not even be awake."
Kurt kept sprinting until he reached Reed's door. He pulled it open gently, not wanting to wake him if what Blaine said was true.
Reed was awake, but his eyes were half closed. He didn't look tired though, only bored. He kept eyeing his phone, his only source for entertainment in the otherwise dreadfully boring room, and considering picking it back up. What he saw last night kept him from doing it. He wasn't exactly prepared to see anything like that again.
He looked up at the sound of Kurt rushing through the door with a large grin spread across his face. "Hey!"
"Hi." Reed returned the smile just a little softer. He noted Blaine's sleepy demeanor. "Why are you two here so early?"
Kurt turned his head to watch Blaine walk slowly into the room. "Ignore him, he's used to sleeping in."
Reed only wondered why for a second before it dawned on him Blaine must have a job that didn't require waking up early. Kurt seemed perfectly awake which probably meant he wasn't so lucky.
"Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Oh don't worry," Kurt was quick to reassure. "I have a very understanding boss." Reed didn't catch his suggestive undertone or the way he smirked that signaled there was a reason for that.
"Well at least you're here." Reed sighed and let his head fall back on the pillow. "I have been so bored."
Blaine had now managed to drag one of the chairs from against the wall over beside where Kurt was seated next to Reed's bed. Blaine fell heavily into it before letting his head rest in Kurt's lap and closing his eyes. Kurt ignored him but Reed laughed.
"Well what have you done so far? Has the doctor said anything?"
Reed let his eyes slip closed as well. "I've ate. And that's it. He did say that I was going to start learning how to walk again. So I guess I'll be falling on my face today. That's fun."
Kurt laughed. "You're not going to fall. I don't think Shane will let you."
Reed's eyes flew open and Kurt wanted to slap a hand over his mouth. He immediately tried to cover up his tracks. "I won't let you either. And I'm sure Blaine won't. You'll be fine Reed, really."
Reed was watching him with wide eyes, nodding slowly. He tried not to think anything about what Kurt said about Shane. That didn't really mean anything. It was innocent.
Blaine's eyes opened just a fraction at his brother's name. He lazily pulled out his phone and sent him a quick message.
Reed's learning how to walk today. Where the heck are you?
As it sent, he pocketed his phone and went back to trying to sleep on Kurt's lap.
Kurt tried to change the subject by asking a question he was pretty sure he already knew the answer to. "So how's your memory? Have you recalled anything yet?"
Reed shook his head sadly. "No. Still stuck in 2010." His face scrunched up as he tried to figure out the math. "Is it really 2018?"
"2017," Kurt corrected but it didn't change Reed's frown. That was still way too many years to forget. Kurt could see how upset he looked. "But my offer still stands. I'll tell you anything you want to know. You just have to ask."
Reed looked back up at him and bit his lip. He knew what he wanted to ask, but it was too embarrassing. Instead his eyes drifted down to where Blaine was lying on Kurt's lap with Kurt's hand playing idly in his hair. The sight made him smile. "How exactly did you two get together?"
Kurt started to grin again, and he sat back in content. "You know the New Year's party right?" Reed nodded. He remembered yesterday when Kurt said they had been together since the party but he didn't say how. "Well it was the twins' turn to host it, and they do this stupid game where the lights go off at midnight and you get to kiss someone." Reed rolled his eyes. He remembered that, too. It always scared him. "And we were all scared Logan was going to try to kiss yours truly. Especially after what Shane did."
Reed froze. Shane was there? He was already in the picture? When exactly did they meet then? Reed had been thinking high school graduation at least, not a mere couple of months after Reed's memory was stuck. "S-Shane?"
Kurt shook his head. "Yeah. You see he thought it'd be a good idea to slip Logan a video of Blaine and me singing a flirty duet."
Reed's eyebrows pulled together. "Why would he do that?"
Blaine answered this time, still buried in Kurt's lap. "Because he's stupid."
Kurt laughed and Reed felt his lips twitch. "He was trying to, very indiscreetly, tell Logan to back off."
"Not the best way to go about that," Blaine commented.
"He was just thinking about you." Kurt turned his attention back to Reed. "It didn't really work out how he planned." He ignored Blaine's remark of "Imagine that" and continued with the story. "Logan just got really angry and showed up to the party anyways."
"Did he kiss you?" Reed asked quietly.
"He tried. We were talking for a long time while Blaine ran around the party frantically searching for us so he could make sure he didn't. He didn't find us until right before the lights went off and it was right that second that Logan leaned down. But he didn't get very far. I stopped him and told him I was in love with Blaine, not knowing he was in ear shot."
"I heard everything," Blaine added.
Reed's face broke into a large smile. "That's cute. Did you two kiss then?"
"Nope. We would not kiss until we were watching the sun rise on the roof that morning."
"That's even cuter." Reed's smile fell just a little. He was happy for Kurt and Blaine, really. But he was so confused as to how Shane came into the story. He didn't want to ask though, especially in front of Blaine. But he couldn't help but feel queasy as he realized Shane was at the party, where all the lights turned off so you could kiss anyone you wanted, and if what Kurt said last night about Shane loving him from the beginning was true, did that mean Shane tried to kiss him? Did he kiss back? Was that even their first kiss? How long had he known Shane when that happened? It was so confusing but he didn't dare ask with Shane's brother in the room. He didn't even think he could ask Kurt alone anymore. He had been way too smug about it last night, like he wanted to try to make Reed love Shane again. And that just made him uncomfortable.
The silence was interrupted by the door banging open and someone shouting, "I'm here! Did they already start? Is Reed okay?"
Reed jumped, looking up so see Shane running into the room with dripping wet hair.
"Reed's fine." Blaine mumbled, irritated by the sudden explosion of noise.
Kurt's nose wrinkled as he took in Shane's appearance. "Why is your hair wet?"
"Can a guy take a shower?" Shane shook his hair out, making Kurt flinch and cover his head, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "Which reminds me." He started walking towards Reed, who had been sitting frozen on the bed since Shane's arrival.
Reed's heart was pounding again as Shane got closer. He wasn't really watching him though, his eyes were unintentionally trained on Shane's lips and he couldn't help remembering the picture. It was a reminder that he had kissed those lips at some point and that made his blush get darker. His eyes jerked up to Shane's before he could notice where he had been staring.
Shane was now in front of his bed and holding out a burberry carrying case. "I got some of your favorite hair products along with lotions, face creams, and other sundries like toothpaste and your toothbrush. I figured you might need it."
Reed took the case numbly, quickly looking away once he realized he was staring again. "Um, thanks." He was actually extremely grateful. His hair's frazzled feeling (he couldn't see it as he had yet to look in a mirror) was bugging him endlessly. "But you didn't have to get them. My mom could have brought them with her."
Shane small smile fell, and he realized, feeling like an idiot, that Reed didn't know they were living together. He quickly recovered and smiled at him, shrugging lightly as if it wasn't a big deal.
He sat down in a chair by the wall, wanting to give Reed some room. He still seemed uncomfortable around him. "So what have we been talking about?" He tried to shake his hair out to dry it.
Kurt had taken Reed's case and was looking through it in curiosity, mostly to check to see if what Shane brought was acceptable. "Mm, we were just talking about you actually."
Shane's eyes widened and he quickly glanced to Reed only to find him staring back. Reed looked away as soon as he was caught, but Shane studied him. Just what did they tell him? It better not have been anything embarrassing. Reed was already scared of him, and he would have to kill Kurt and Blaine if they were making it worse.
"Really?" he finally asked, drawing the word out. "And what were you saying?"
"Just the story of how we got together," Kurt answered. "With extra emphases on you being a moron and giving Logan that video."
Shane's muscles relaxed. That wasn't so bad. "Oh."
"I still don't understand what you were thinking," Blaine said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He realized that now that Shane was here, he wouldn't be getting any sleep.
"I was thinking that that jerk had already broken your heart once and I wasn't going to let him do it again." Shane defended, crossing his arms. "Kurt belonged to you, not him."
"Kurt isn't an object so he actually didn't belong to anyone," Kurt interrupted, testing out some of Reed's lotion.
"But how would showing him that video change anything? It only pissed him off," Blaine pointed out.
Shane scoffed and held his head up in gratification. "Well it just so happens that Kurt confessed his feelings for you because of that. So I guess you really have me to thank for finally getting you together. Who knows how long it would have taken if I didn't help you out."
Blaine was turned towards him, sitting up completely straight. "You have got to be kidding me."
Kurt rolled his eyes, but Reed giggled. Watching them fight was pretty amusing and wasn't that hard to see them as brothers anymore.
Shane glanced to him at the sound, but Reed had already looked away, his eyes locked on his fidgeting hands. He desperately wanted to say something, anything, to him but he had no idea what. It was clear Reed was still very skeptical about him. He had to wait for Reed to come to him so not to overwhelm or scare him, but after three weeks without him, he missed Reed so much. He wanted to talk to him, hold him, kiss him, but he couldn't. He knew he'd be fine as long as Reed was okay but it still hurt.
The door opened then and Shane was thankful for the distraction. Dr. Cole was all smiles as he walked in with a nurse and a wheelchair behind him.
"So Reed, ready to learn how to walk?"
Reed swallowed nervously but nodded. He could hardly walk before this accident, what if he only managed to make a fool out of himself in front of everyone?
He let Kurt and the nurse help him into the chair, not noticing Blaine and Shane still bickering behind him. The nurse pushed him while Dr. Cole explained what they would be doing.
"It's not going to be too hard, don't worry. We just have to let your body get your strength back up. It's usually a little strenuous for patients out of comas, but you should get it in no time."
Kurt smiled at him in agreement but Reed still felt a little nervous. It might not have been too hard for other people, but he was sure they all had coordination, something Reed seriously lacked.
Once they were in the physical therapy room, Reed was pushed over to a long walkway with two bars on either side. The nurse was already in front of him, leaning down to help him stand. As soon as he was upright, wobbling, Reed looked over to see Blaine and Shane had wordlessly followed them into the room. He had actually been hoping Shane wouldn't come. Somehow the thought of falling was only more embarrassing if Shane saw it, but he didn't know why.
The nurse helped him move to the beginning of the walkway but it was a slow process.
"All you have to do is grab each bar with your hands, and pull yourself forward. It'll get easier as you go and your body will automatically know what to do," she explained simply.
Reed hoped it was that easy. He started to move slowly. He didn't really have any upper body strength whatsoever, so his arms trembled with exertion. They could only support him so much, meaning his aching legs had to do most the work. He could only take baby steps, and even those hurt, so it took a while for him to reach the end. But when he did, his casted arm slipped off the rail and he fell right on his side.
Shane was too far away to properly catch him, but he just managed to sprint forward and catch his other hand before he landed on his bad arm.
"Areyouokay? Didyouhurtyourarm? Areyoupain?" Shane asked in a blur, placing his other hand on Reed's side, helping him stand back up.
Reed stared at him in shock, not quite catching everything he said. His mouth was hanging open, but no words came out, only a tiny, surprised squeak.
Shane steered him upright before he realized he was still touching Reed and jumped back. "Um, I'm sorry. But you're okay right? Your arm is fine?"
Reed nodded dumbly, not sure what to say when Shane seemed so concerned. His stomach was filled with butterflies but he didn't know why.
"Good." Shane coughed awkwardly and shuffled back a little, giving Reed some distance.
Reed tore his eyes away to look at Dr. Cole who was smiling at him. "Do… do I just turn around and do it again?"
He nodded. "As many times as it takes."
Reed gulped and turned around slowly. He hoped he could get it soon, he didn't want something like that to happen if he fell again.
The walk back went just as slow as the last one. It wasn't until the third time did it get better. His legs didn't hurt as much and he could take bigger steps. On the way back, his legs weren't shaking anymore.
When he reached the beginning again the doctor spoke up. "Try it without using your arms this time."
He did, but he slipped up a lot, having to grab onto to the rail to steady himself. It was the same going back. It was the seventh time he had to walk forward, but he could finally do it without shaking or the rails assistance. He couldn't walk very fast, but he still made it using his legs alone.
He smiled in triumph, but the moment was short lived for he soon jumped in surprise. Shane was clapping enthusiastically, cheering and bouncing up and down. Kurt and Blaine rolled their eyes in good humor at his antics, but started clapping along too, a lot less noisily.
"Go Reed!" Shane cupped his hands over his mouth to shout.
Reed's cheeks tingled and he could tell he was blushing. He still wasn't used to the attention, especially not from Shane. He could tell Shane cared about him but it was still too strange to think about. He couldn't imagine being in love with him.
He only had to walk a couple more times before they let him stop. He was given the option of riding back to the room in the wheelchair but he decided to walk. After lying in a bed for so long, he wanted to. He used Kurt's arm for support on the way back, just in case.
He collapsed back on the bed, feeling irrationally tried. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but with Kurt and Blaine talking in quiet voices and Shane not saying anything at all, only staring at him (which Reed pretended not to notice) it was easy to.
He woke up when his mother arrived, bringing lunch with her. She brought some for Kurt and Blaine as well, but claimed to have not realized Shane would be there too.
Shane could barely conceal his annoyed glare. It's not that he cared about the food, but it was the insinuation he wouldn't be here, as if he would be anywhere else. Where else would he be when Reed was in the hospital than right there with him? Just because Reed didn't know who he was at the moment that didn't mean Shane was going to forget about him too. Not now, not ever.
His glare only intensified when Hilde suggested he go get everyone coffee, clearly trying to get rid of him, but he did it without compliant. He could really use some.
Reed saw him glance to him briefly before he left. He felt a little bad for him. Hilde obviously didn't like him too much and she never made life easy for people she disliked.
She sat down in one of the chairs by his bed, Kurt and Blaine were by the wall, giving her some space.
"So how are you feeling today? Remember anything yet?" She instantly started pressing his hair down.
"I'm fine. And no." He frowned a little at that before grinning. "But I learned how to walk again today."
She looked puzzled as she looked him over. "You couldn't walk?"
Reed's smile fell a little. "Well no. I had been lying down for too long." When she only hummed Reed's smile fell completely. He remembered Shane jumping up and down and cheering for him. Why couldn't she be happy for him too?
He returned to his food, eating in silence as she talked about what was happening in the world of fashion. He would have to talk to Kurt about this later to see what all he'd missed out on in that department.
Shane returned shortly after he finished eating, handing out coffees to Kurt and Blaine and saying their orders as he went along. When Shane reached him, Reed was surprised he got his coffee order right. He flashed back to what felt like only a month or so to him, but was actually years ago, when Kurt was squealing about how Blaine knew his coffee order and how this was apparently very important.
He tried not to think on that and just politely accepted the cup. Shane's voice brought him out of his flashback.
"Oops. Sorry I didn't get you one, Hilde. I didn't realize you'd still be here."
Reed was glad he hadn't taken a sip of coffee yet, because it would have been spit out as he burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he had to hide his mouth behind his hand. Shane was watching him in fascination (and pride that he'd been able to make Reed laugh like that), but Reed was barely aware. He was, however, aware of Hilde scolding at him.
He quickly choked down the rest of his giggles, taking a long drink to calm down. He could see Shane grin at him before he quickly darted his eyes away.
Shane was still feeling proud, even if Reed did look away from him, as he sat next to Kurt and Blaine.
Hilde stayed the rest of the day, filling Reed in on mundane things about the world. What the trends were, where Reed went to college, who the president now was, how long he'd lived in New York, New York now allowing same sex marriage. Reed blushed quite brightly at the last one and his eyes unintentionally trailed to Shane, who was staring right back. His face got way hotter and he had to quickly look away, which Shane thought was adorable.
It was getting dark when he asked if he could take an actual shower since he was now able to stand. The nurse said it was fine and everyone was soon hugging him goodbye, making promises to return tomorrow. But once again Shane only smiled at him and said goodnight, not offering any contact, which made Reed feel relieved.
Once in the bathroom, he was feeling extremely nervous. He was about to see what he looked like at twenty-four for the first time. He could tell just from walking he had barely grown at all. And that irritated the crap out of him.
He finally took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.
To be honest, he didn't look that different. His face looked more refined, and his structure was more developed but that was about it. He wasn't looking at any of that though. He looked pretty terrible. There was a trace of a bruise underneath his left eye and a long, purple scar from his temple to his hair line, right over his left eyebrow.
He gasped and brought a hand up to touch it. He could barely make out tinier scars around it, but this was the worst.
Not only was he marred, but he looked extremely tired and his hair was bigger than he remembered. But with laying on it so much, it looked flat and frizzy. He had to fix this, never mind how he could still pass as a fourteen year old. But that fact did piss him off.
He started digging in the burberry case, seeing what was inside for the first time. He really didn't pay attention when Kurt went through it earlier.
He was pleasantly surprised. He could/already did use all of these products.
First his coffee order and now this. He was a still a little surprised to see that Shane knew him so well when he didn't know Shane at all.