Bad Boy And The Emo Fall In-Love (remake)

32

Zane groaned as the Doctor pushed the needle into the swollen skin around the knuckle, injecting Zane with the numbing treatment. Shane held his hand the whole time, except when they did his X-Rays.

"My trainer- no. My coach wants to know if there's a chance I'm gonna need surgery or something. He's very nervous about this because "It could end my career as a boxer"," Zane mocked Gavin, who was on the phone after he dropped Jason off at the hospital. 

"I have every reason to be worried," Gavin yelled into the phone. "What you did was stupid! I know you lost your cool, but you broke that kid's nose and your knuckle! You know how important it is to keep your hands in good shape when you box, you dumbass. What happened to all of those breathing things your therapist teaches you, huh?" Gavin ranted, pacing back and forth as he spoke to his phone in the hospital's parking lot. "And, this Jason kid didn't tell his parents about the fight, so now I'm going to have to deal with them up my ass."

"Gavin, I already got that shit together, it's alright. I know how to work my card. Anyways, back to the doctor. Is this going to ruin my boxing career?"

The doctor laughed but shook his head. "No, this is common in boxers and easily recoverable. You might develop a sunken knuckle, but keep up with some physical therapy after it's healed and I'll say you'll be just fine. I can tell by your build you're not new to this. Are you?" He said rubbing the skin around the knuckle as he waited for the numbness to settle in. "Normally I'm the one talking to patients through this whole ordeal because they're nervous, but you don't seem nervous at all."

"I've been through worse," Zane shrugged, already feeling the pain seeping away from his knuckle. "I'm just not excited for more physical therapy, I've had enough of that shit."

"Zane," His mom warned. "We are not in that type of setting to be cursing."

"Sorry ma," He smiled at her.

The doctor laughed, then turned to grab his gauze wrap. "It's alright, I've had my fair share of cursing. No one is ever really excited about physical therapy, actually a lot end up not going to physical therapy. I always say they should consider it deeply, even though it is time-consuming and repetitive. It's very important."

"Damn right," Gavin says through the speaker. "You may be tired of physical therapy, but we're doing it anyway."

"Gav-" Zane tried to argue, but he stopped when he noticed Shane muffling his laugh. "Are you laughing at me?" He tried to hold back his grin but evidently failed.

"No, well, yes- but no," Shane laughed, leaning forward to point at Zane's hand. "You're so busy arguing with Gavin you don't even realize what's going on."

Zane looked over to see the doctor readjusting Zane's knuckle. The doctor laughed, saying it was normal, and actually better for him to work if his patient wasn't the type of struggle and be overly concerned about what was going on. Zane just rolled his eyes and pulled Shane's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the hospital bed, a smile on his face.

"So, drum lessons are on pause," Shane played with Zane's fingers. Zane groaned in irritation. "What? Just realize you can't play until you're healed?"

"Yup. No guitar. No drums," his eyes opened and he frowned.

"And no working out or boxing either," Gavin interjects with the final blow. "How long until he's healed, Doc?" 

"I usually say 3 to 4 weeks, but that all depends on if my patients treat themselves knuckle and listen to instruction. You don't need surgery for this, it's a normal break I see in boxers. Physical therapy on the other hand will need to be consulted by a specialist. You're coach," He motions to the phone on speaker, "can help you with the physical therapies as time goes on."

Zane sighed, cursing at himself for "being stupid". Shane squeezed his hand in comfort, telling him that he wasn't stupid but made a stupid decision. 

"Thanks, babe, but I know I'm stupid, and you know it too," he jokes, but Shane slaps his arm in disapproval. "Hey, way to kick me while I'm down."

"I'm serious though. The only stupid thing about you is running into- oh whatever," Shane brushed it off, assuming Zane's parents still don't know what Zane did at his old job. "Fine, you're not stupid, but you're not the brightest bunch out there. And that's okay, 'cause I love you anyways and I'll be here to pull you back together."

Zane's heart sank hearing Shane say "I love you". His mouth dropped, then his heart quickened and he felt his face heat. Love. That crazy word playing with his heart, now makes him question everything he's ever known about the word. 

"Hey, slow down there," Shane says with a laugh. "You're brain is gonna fizz out at this rate," Shane squeezed Zane's hand again, reassuringly and lovingly.

Chance and his parents laughed behind the couple, Zane looked at them as if it were confirmation he had heard Shane correctly. Love. Shane loved him, of all people to love. Zane was sure of it at that point, he would spend the rest of his life protecting his savior, his angel, his lover.

"I love you too," Zane said. "I love you too, S."

Shane laughed, then sat on the bed beside him and snuggled into his side. They sat in silence while holding each other, as Gavin made his way to the hospital to go out with the family for dinner. Zane dozed off while hugging his lover, and he left the fate of his knuckle in the hands of the doctor. Shane held Zane's arm up to help the doctor as Zane slept. The words played like a broken record in his head. 

"I love you too, Z."