Setting Fire to the Stars (mxm)

Chapter 26: Lucy

**Please note: this chapter contains profanity, mentions of past bullying, and a dash of physical violence.**

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Peter
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"...Lucy?"

My heart slammed away in my chest as the petite brunette slowly came into my view. She was just how I remembered her, from the splash of freckles scattered across her cheeks to her doe eyes.

Yet at the same time, this Lucy was a complete stranger. Gone were the chubby cheeks and messy fingers full of play-dough and in their place was a young girl on the cusp of womanhood.

Dark lashes batted as she examined us. "It really is you," she beamed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Peter, oh my God, I can't believe it."

It took some effort on my part to shutter my expression against the wild whirlwind of complex emotions that passed through me.

Lucy was the younger sister I'd never had, sticking to me like butter on toast every time I came over to their house. She was a kid who loved bugs and insisted that the entire rainbow was her favorite color. I could barely believe how much she had changed since the last time we'd seen one another. How she looked so much like Lauren. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Well," Lucy's voice jolted me from my inner torrent, holding her arms out to me. "Aren't you going to give me a hug?"

A beat of silence followed before I forced a shaky smile. "...Sure."

Awkwardly, I shuffled forward to bend down and envelope her in a hug. As her small hands met my back, I couldn't help but notice how fragile she felt in my arms. A few moments into our embrace, I tentatively drew back.

"It's...really good to see you, Lucy. How are you?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I couldn't help but look down at her feet. "Your legs..."

Lucy smiled as she regarded her lower extremities with a light pat. "Oh, they're not too bad. It hurts some days more than others, but I'm doing fine. I can still walk most days."

Rather than reassuring me, an uncomfortable ache pulsed through my chest and I pitched my gaze to the ground.

My last visit was the day before Lauren had come out to me. She had recently been diagnosed with MS and started a new treatment earlier that week. Even though Lucy had looked so small and exhausted, she was a fighter. She went as far as to greet me at the door with one of her usual rib-crushing hugs. At the time, I was positive that her sunny demeanor reflected that she was feeling better.

I had left without knowing that it would be the last time I would visit her. Hadn't even bothered to say a proper goodbye.

"Hey, um," Lucy's nervous tone snatched back my attention as she anxiously wrung out her hands in her lap. "Have you heard from Lauren at all? We haven't been able to contact him since the day of the attack. I figured you might know where he is since you guys are such good friends."

My stomach plummeted, her words like a punch to the gut. I was reminded of Lauren's absence and how useless I was during his abduction. How could I tell her that her brother was missing?