Chapter 9

It couldn't have been more than thirty minutes since Noah was last in the busy halls of the hospital wing, but now they were practically deserted. Where he had expected to see staff clotting the halls as service agents submitting themselves for their post-mission checkups there were only a few hospital staff at computers no doubt completing their mission reports. It was crazy how much of a difference half an hour could make. The lack of people allowed them to arrive at Six's room quickly. Noah misjudged how fast he was going and collided with Rex at the door. Rex automatically reached out to hold onto him, solidly absorbing the impact of Noah's body.

"Whoa, I got ya, Noe."

Noah chuckled breathlessly feeling each point of their contact. "I know."

Rex let him go with a strained smile. The tension from the last time he held Noah close hadn't left either of them. Rex looked like he wanted to say something, but Beverly's voice interrupted him.

"Where have you been?" her hushed anger jolted both boys out of their moment. "What happened to you?"

"What happened to me? What happened to you?" Noah asked indignantly.

"Back off, Nixon," Shawn gently warned stepping in front of Noah.

"How about you back off?" Rex growled, instantly coming to Noah's defense.

"All of you, quit it," Beverly said. Annoyed, she elbowed past her partner and gave Rex a look that promised he wouldn't like how things went if he messed with her. "Why did you leave?" she asked, turning her attention back to Noah. "Why is your earpiece off? Why weren't you answering your phone?"

"'Cause I have it," Rex said. His hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out Noah's phone to prove that Noah wasn't to blame. "Sorry, Bev. Sorry, Noe," he said to Noah as he handed it back.

Beverly noted the exchange eagerly but remained silent as Rex returned the phone. She sighed. "I know that you have your habits. I mean, you've been here longer than either of us have so you have your own ways of doing things, but I need you to realize that we are in charge of your safety. That means knowing your whereabouts. That means you can't just do whatever you want without being accountable to someone. You aren't a part of Providence. You're a guest. Please don't take advantage of the fact we know each other. Think about the impact of your actions on the rest of us."

She was right, of course.

"I'm truly sorry," Noah insisted.

"I know. Just make sure there's a way to contact you."

"I will," he promised.

"Thank you. That's all I ask." To Rex, she said, "You can go in. He waiting for you."

Noah stayed at the door. He didn't want to overcrowd the space unless he was asked for and Rex hadn't-

"Noe?"

Oh.

"Go," Beverly encouraged.

He slowly approached Rex, a calm presence behind him. Rex stopped at the foot of the bed again, his hands gripping the railing as if it were a lifeline. It was possible Rex couldn't bear to be any closer. He felt Rex flinch in surprise when touched his back. Noah added a bit of pressure, just to make sure Rex could feel his silent support before he lowered his arm.

Six's bed was inclined so he could sit up without tiring out his body. Noah was pleased to see his oxygen mask had been replaced with a nasal cannula tube. However small, it was progress.

Six's eyes were open and staring at his partner. He was doing his best to focus on Rex. With a flick of his wrist, he motioned Rex near. Rex squeezed the railing, his bare hands making the metal squeak at the pressure before he let go and walked to the left of Six's bed.

"Hey, old man," Rex greeted.

The corner of Six's mouth twitched up in a half-smile as he hummed in return. His lips moved as he tried to speak, whatever he said was too faint for Noah to catch, but the effect on Rex was immediate. The tension was building in Rex at Six's words. He grabbed Six's hand, bringing it to his forehead as he sank onto the chair beside the bed so heavily Noah feared it would break under him.

"Not your fault," Six was saying. His voice was scratchy with misuse, but his words were clear.

Noah suppressed his gasp of surprise. What did that mean? He hated not knowing and wished someone would tell him how Six had been hurt. Noah might be feeling like an interloper but he was pleased to have witnessed this moment between partners.

Six's gaze shifted to him as he came to Rex's side and the other corner of Six's mouth ticked up. "Mr. Nixon."

"Hello, sir. It's nice to see you awake," Noah responded politely.

Six hummed his agreement. He may have wanted to say something but a coughing fit overcame him. Doctor Holiday was there putting a cup of water under his chin, the straw perfectly centered at his mouth. He covered her hand with his, taking the cup from her and drinking gratefully.

"Thank you," he sighed. When he had drunk his fill he leaned back into the mattress, his energy spent. Rebecca managed to take the water back before Six dropped it as he closed his eyes.

"I think that's it for now. He still needs a lot of rest."

"Right," Noah nodded his understanding. Rex jumped at the light touch of Noah's fingers on Rex's shoulder. "Come on."

"Rex," Rebecca called. "Six is right. You're not to blame. And I want you to know how proud he is of you stepping up and becoming the leader he always knew you'd be."

"Uh, sure." Rex had trouble accepting the praise. He reached up and scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks darkening.

"What about you?" Noah asked Rebecca. The question had Rex perking up just as much as it seemed to confuse Holiday. "When are you going to rest?"

"Later."

"I see. It's uh, getting late, and I'll be heading home soon, but I wanted to see if would it be okay for me to watch Six so you could get some sleep when I come back tomorrow. I don't want to overstep or anything, but you could use some R&R yourself, Rebecca."

The reverence in the way Rex was looking at him had Noah wishing he'd asked sooner. If by doing this he would lighten the many burdens on his friend's shoulders he would gladly lift his share for as long as he was allowed.

"Oh, I couldn't ask that of you."

"You're not, I'm offering," Noah interrupted. "Rex isn't the only one people are looking to for leadership. As I'm sure you're aware, you're the heart of this little operation, and the brain, and at times, the muscle." Noah was rewarded with an agreeing chuckle from Rebecca that made him feel good about his decision. "Which means this place isn't the same without you. So, we need you to take care of yourself, too."

"Noah-"

He could see her trying to come up with ways to dismiss his offer.

"I'll make sure I stay the night. You can show me those projects you mentioned earlier," he added hoping the idea of being able to show off her newest work was the better argument. "Okay?"

"I guess we'll find out."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Noah promised.

"I have no doubt you will. Now get out of here so you can come back."

"Thank you, doctor." Even after all this time, Noah never knew how to end conversations with the bigwigs of Providence, he felt like he ought to bow or something to show his gratitude and respect. He settled on a quick nod. "See you tomorrow."

Rex tore his gaze away from Six at the sound of Noah's farewell.

"You're leaving now?"

Noah frowned. He didn't know what he was going to do with this guy. "Yeah, did you not just hear me say goodnight to Doctor Holiday?" What did Rex think was going to happen next?

"Yeah, but- you're not staying for dinner?"

"I thought about it, but no. I gotta head home," was all the explanation he was willing to give. He didn't want to admit to how exhausted he was. He knew himself well enough to know that he would continue to make the same mistakes if he stayed any longer tonight. It was amazing to know that Rex still wanted him in his life, but they were far from mending things between them. "But just because I'm not staying doesn't mean you can skip dinner. You better eat something better than a protein bar before you crash tonight."

Rex snorted. "You said better twice."

"'Cause I mean it. It's dinnertime so there's gonna be plenty of food in the Mess Hall. Bobo, you're in charge." He might have lost sight of the ape when he entered Six's hospital room, but there was no mistaking his importance in helping Rex take care of himself.

"How fun," Bobo said near him.

"Now hold on-"

Noah rounded on Rex and stabbed a finger into Rex's chest. "You gonna eat a decent meal?"

Rex rolled his eyes and then shouted in annoyed pain when Noah started to poke his chest hard.

"Ow, stop that."

"Well, Salazar? Are you? Are you going to eat a decent meal?" He asked poking him on every other word.

"Yes, damn, stop," Rex batted his hand away, laughing.

"Okay then, in that case, Bobo you're only in charge if he doesn't."

"Well, that's not as fun, but okay."

"Thanks, man."

"Yeah, yeah." They solidified their arrangement with a gentlemen's handshake, including lots of bowing and continuous handshaking, much to Rex's feigned annoyance.

Rebecca snickered, reminding Noah that they were still in a patient's room in a hospital and perhaps it wasn't the best time to be so loud and joke around.

"Sorry."

"No, no, this is what I meant when I said it's lovely to see you two together again."

"In that case, is it okay if Rex goes with me? Not home, just to the garage," he hastily clarified.

"You don't have to ask me that," Rebecca stated but then she permitted it anyway. "If he wants to, he may."

"I do," Rex interjected springing to his feet.

The strong stink of rubber and motor oil, and the pounding hiss of compressed air pumps invaded his senses as they entered the garage. It was by far the biggest indoor area in the whole of Providence HQ. It had to be to house the myriad of machinery they used. After a mission, it was crowded with techs and mechanics as they rushed around completing whatever fine-tuning was required and thoroughly detailing the vehicles in time for the next mission.

The usual amount of stares followed their progress through the base. Noah focused less on that and more on how Rex walked so close to him that their pinky fingers lightly brushed past. Rex didn't have his gloves on and the lack of blue lines of light over his skin meant the little zings of lightning at each touch weren't from Rex activating his nanites, just the pure excitement of being near each other.

"Do you want me to take you home? I could build my bike," Rex proffered as Shawn led their little group to an area where vehicles that looked similar to the one from that afternoon awaited them.

That was too tempting. He knew it would be a blast to speed into the night with his arms around his best friend, but that was also such a dangerous move for them right now. Being near Rex wasn't good for him. He knew Rex would keep his hands and lips to himself, but Noah couldn't trust himself not to try to test his resolve. He needed to go home and reset himself. It was a blessing news of Six waking up had come when it had, otherwise, things might have progressed between them.

"You gonna make room for Bev and Shawn, too?"

Rex made a face at the idea. "No."

"Well, they're my escorts. They gotta be with me."

"I've already tried to clear you to come with us," Beverly piped in. "Cap denied my request. I guess you're grounded for now."

Noah blinked at that bit of information. He didn't know Beverly had done that. She returned his look and raised her brow as if to say "See, you play by the rules and I'll try to help you out."

"He did mention wanting me near at hand, whatever that means," Rex mused.

"It means being at his beck and call," Bobo supplied helpfully.

"It means being the responsible person you are," Noah corrected.

Rex shoved his hands into his pockets and pouted. "What part of taking you home isn't?"

"Don't worry, Rex," Shawn started. He had stopped at the trunk of one of the identical vehicles and took out a carabiner with a key fob on it. With a simple press of a button, all the lights flashed and Noah heard the unmistakable click of doors unlocking. "I'll make sure Noah gets home in one piece," he promised and opened the right passenger's door for Noah before moving around to the driver's side.

Rex's smile was more of a grimace. He wasn't happy about entrusting Noah's safe return home to another guy and preferred to do it himself. It was insufferably possessive and Noah hated how incredibly endearing he found it all, especially since Rex was powerless to act on those feelings. "Thanks," was all Rex said.

Noah had to hide his smile as he took his seat. It looked like Rex still held a small grudge against Shawn for defending Beverly earlier. And while he was only backing up his partner, Noah felt an undefined gratification at how Rex had come to his defense. It made him want to reach out and link his fingers with Rex's, and maybe hug him goodbye, and then kiss him goodnight, confirming that he needed to leave as soon as possible.

Rex must have noticed his reaction because he copied Noah's bemused smile. His eyes moved over him and then lifted over Noah's shoulder. It was all the warning he had before the door on the other side opened and Beverly climbed into the back seat with him.

Rex stepped up to crowd against Noah's door, an arm resting on the top of the door's frame as he leaned in. "I guess visiting hours are officially over."

"Just for the day."

"When will you be back?"

Noah looked to Beverly who shrugged. "Whenever he wants. There was a delay today only cause we had to get his credentials sorted. Technically, he could be back as soon as midnight."

"I'm not doing that," Noah stated cutting off Rex's attempt to ask him to do just that, even if it was a joke. "I'll text you. Now, go. Eat. And if you don't shovel your dinner into that huge mouth of yours I'll be home by the time you've finished eating."

"Okay." Rex seemed to expect something more from Noah, even now he wanted to reach out and touch him in reassurance, but Noah didn't move or say anything he stood straight and out of the door's way. With a firm push, he closed the door. He hit the roof twice, alerting Shawn that he was cleared to move, and only slightly winced at the roar of the engine as Shawn turned the vehicle on.

Waiting until he had to twist in his seat to keep Rex in his sight Noah raised his hand and waved lamely, pleased when Rex immediately returned the gesture. It didn't occur to Noah that Rex had been hoping Noah would change his mind and stay until they were rumbling out of the garage and well on the way to his parent's house.