Perception

Part 39

Nathan POV

Blech! If there's anything grosser than soggy paper napkins, I don't want to know. Why do people feel the need to shove their used napkins in their water glasses when they're done eating? I don't care if they're full of mouth and food juices! Crumple them, and leave them on the plate, people!  Just these last dishes, and I'm out of here. I wipe down the table then take the dish tub into the kitchen making quick work of loading the sink, and scrubbing the food residue off plates and a couple pans I had soaking, then sanitizing the dish station. I want to get back to Peanut, even knowing Kota is there with her, she didn't react like I thought she would when Mr. B. told her that McCoy is hanging around again. I expected full-body shivers, and a hand to her neck at least!

I say goodnight to Uncle and head out the side door with the bag of garbage that needs to be taken out. I see North's Jeep parked in the lot, and figure whoever is driving it parked it there to keep it off my street. The watchers are back—mostly teachers that only halfheartedly watch, and follow only until we take a couple corners.

"Nate, got a minute?" my brother surprises me from the shadow of the building that the safety light created.

"Sure, what's up?" I ask, pretending he didn't scare the shit out of me.

"Remember that text you sent us all that day Sang helped get those kids washed up for Doc?" he asks.

"Yeah," I respond slowly, and I'm feeling uneasy about where this is going, "why?"

"Do you think she does? Love us all with her whole heart, I mean?" he asks in a hushed, desperate voice.

"She can't lie, remember? However she meant it, she loves us," I can't keep the shit-eating grin from my face. He gives me a slow nod, and a small, pained smile.

"Hey, are you coming over?" I ask.

"No, I have to head out. There's a job Mr. B, and Kota want me on in a while," he says.

"Alright. Be safe, bro," I swat his shoulder then lope off toward home, and Sang through the path in the woods.

There is a faint glow coming through the patio doors when I come through the fence, so Kota must still be in the living room. I know it's late, but I selfishly hope Sang is still awake too. Once I'm through the door, I lock it, then head to the living room wanting to know how everything went. Instead of them sitting on the opposite sides of the room, or Sang already locked in my room like I expected after Kota's behavior earlier, they're cuddled on the couch with the end credits of a movie playing—both are asleep.

I quietly walk up to the couch and tap gently on the top of Kota's head with one finger.  When his eyes slowly blink into focus, and he shoved his glasses back into alignment, I place my finger over my lips to indicate he should be quiet. I gently remove the blanket from them, and pry my arm between his chest and Sang's back, then reach to grab her behind her knees. Easily lifting her, I smoothly stride to my room. Kota follows me in, and opens up the bedding so I can lay her down. He pulls the sheet and blanket back up over her, and I smooth it over her from my side of the bed. I give her a tiny kiss on her cheek, then watch as Kota leans over the bed to do the same across her eyebrow. I nod my head toward the door, then lead us out of my room.

He gently closes the door after himself, and we sink down simultaneously on opposite sides of the couch.

"I had to tell her my reasons for not wanting her to know about her ghost status. That...kind of sucked," he gives a rueful grin. I nod my understanding, but do not say anything aloud. Logically I can see why it was a shit thing to do to keep her in the dark about such huge parts of who she is. Look at all of the fancy footwork we did to keep her from digging into why Uncle is paying her under the table. Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately I can also see why Kota would want to keep her from knowing about the shitty parts of her life.

"I got the feeling that you guys didn't give her a chance to really absorb what her dad's actions meant. I can see how that idiot's behavior could affect her. It ticks me off worse than anything since Volto drove off with her has. She just kept getting more and more tense as I spoke. I'm just glad she hasn't held it against us. Yet," he qualifies.

"Mr. B presented everything pretty clinically. Aside from her spacing out for a while, she didn't really react. She said she needs time to think about everything," I pause when his eyes go huge behind his frames. I feel kinda bad for not clarifying right away, and say, "but that she doesn't need us to stay away while she does it,". Once I reassure him, his shoulders lower slightly and I see his chest compress as he exhales.

"I better get home. I don't know if Mom or Jessica let Max out. I'll see you both in the morning, okay?" Kota says as he puts his shoes back on. He gives a smile, then walks out the door with a bounce in his step.

I go around the house turning off lights and checking locks before stripping down to my boxers and laying down on the couch. I can smell Sang a little bit on the blanket and pillows, and I hug one of the pillows to my chest as I drift off to sleep pretending that it was indeed my Peanut I was hugging to me. At some point, the pillow shifts, and I almost—in my most sleep befuddled state—believe the pillow's scent becomes stronger, and my Peanut is there with me. A deep sigh, and I let myself believe we were snuggled together in my bed like it was a week ago—a week before I had a small sampling of what life would be like without the girl I love—a week ago before I saw what it was like to have a broken family for the first time since I joined the Academy.