After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch36 - It's Getting Kind of Hazy

A/N

sorry if the rapid updates are a bit overwhelming! i just got soooo excited to write these parts out!! so i kept going!

END A/N

"Honey...? Honey, wake up...!"

Paige yawns as he's gently rocked awake feeling completely drained. "Mm... hi?" he asks, rubbing an eye.

He's then suddenly being held in a crushing hug by none other than his mom. "Oh my god, you're alright," they breathe. "Oh, I was so worried..." They run a hand down the back of his head and keep it there, holding Paige impossibly tighter. "Oh, sweetie..."

"M-Mom...?" Paige struggles out. "What's—what's wrong...?"

Quinn loosens their grip a bit, enough for Paige to be able to breathe again. "Baby," they warble, tears in their eyes. "Promise me you'll never do anything like this again, okay? Please."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Paige questions, worried. "You're starting to scare me..."

"You?" Quinn gasps, pulling back and looking their son in the eyes. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" They rub at their eyes. "I come home and my brand new box of razors is open and all over the sink. Then I come into your room to check on you, and you're passed out on the floor!"

Paige furrows his eyebrows, trying to remember what he was doing on the floor in the first place. And why his mom was worried over a box of razors that he didn't even—

Oh.

It all comes flooding back.

Everything that happened after he had come home, everything that was said since he had come home. And...

He looks within himself to see Leaf still caged, on the floor and breathing evenly, asleep.

Paige remembers everything that had been done after he came home.

"Baby?" Quinn asks, moving a hand to hold his cheek. "Promise me if things ever get that bad again, you'll tell me first, okay? You'll tell me and we'll work it out, okay?" They hold him close again. "You never have to do anything like that again."

"Mom, Mom, calm down..." He pushes away from them lightly. "I'm okay, I'm okay. I didn't—I didn't do anything." He pulls away enough to take his hoodie off and roll up his sleeves. "Look, see? I didn't—I wouldn't..."

"Then... why were all my razors scattered everywhere in my bathroom? And why were you on the floor in a heap?"

"I..." Paige bites his lip. How the heck was he supposed to explain his way out of this one? "I-I...."

"Paige, honey," Quinn smiles, water still in their eyes, "If you even have ideas of doing that, you come and tell me first. Okay? You can tell me anything."

"But..." That's not...

"No but's!" Quinn swallows their child in another hug. "Please, baby. I don't know what I'd do if I came home and I had lost you."

"I..." Paige sighs. Maybe he ought to just let this go for now. He could try and explain properly another time. "Okay, Mom. I-I'm sorry I..."

"No, it's okay honey," Quinn is quick to shush. "It's okay. I'll clean them up and then we can have dinner together and you can get to sleep on your actual bed, alright?"

"Alright..."

Quinn nods and smiles a watery smile before lifting up and holding out a hand for Paige. He grabs it and his mom lifts him up as well. "I'll start making something," his mom starts. "And you can do your nightly routine. By the time you're done, maybe there'll still be some stuff to do and we can cook together, okay?"