Cody learns to love

The one chapter where Wooley finds his color

  When Cody emerged from the bathroom, Fox was waiting behind the door. Cody quickly pressed his left wrist to his abdomen to hide the blood. He had to bandage it and change into something with long sleeves as soon as possible.

  "Cody... I heard what Fives and Echo said I- I'm so sorry, Cody."

  "It's fine, Fox, it's not your fault."

  "It's not fine, they made you cry."

  They made Cody do things much worse than crying but hopefully Fox didn't notice the way Cody was hiding the inside of his wrist in the fabric of his t-shirt. "Kids do that sometimes. They don't even realize they are being hurtful most of the time."

 "Even Fives realizes that calling you gross is mean."

  "Those ideas didn't come from their own heads. I will talk to them about it later. I need to finish cleaning the living room now."

  "Rex made the twins help him clean as a punishment. They are working on it."

  "I'm gonna go help them."

  "Cody, wait!" Fox grabbed Cody's arm then immediately dropped it as if the touch burned. "I just- I wanted to tell you that we support you."

  "I know, Fox."

  Fox hesitated for a moment but then he stepped forward and embraced Cody. That was everything that Cody needed. He didn't know what he would do if it weren't the twins but Fox who hated him now.

  "Thank you, Fox, this means a lot." I don't know what I would do with myself if you stopped loving me too, Cody didn't say. That would be against every single one of the three parenting manuals he's read in his life. Besides, he would be overreacting, he was fairly sure Echo and Fives still loved him, in the way that all kids love their legal guardians, they just needed to solve things out in their minds.

  "Well, you better go dress up for your boyfriend."

  Of course Fox couldn't leave out some playful teasing. "He's not my-"

  "He will be if you go and dress nicely. You look like shit."

  "Why thank you, Fox." Cody shook his head fondly. He was glad that Fox was back to being an asshole as he wasn't quite as depressed as just a few days ago anymore, even if he wasn't in the mood for teasing.

  "You are welcome." Cody saw Fox snicker before making his tactical retreat. It was a miracle that Fox hasn't noticed there was something wrong with Cody's arm. It was sheer luck that he didn't run into anyone on his way to his bedroom.

  Cody ended up changing in the bathroom. Omega and Boba were asleep in his bedroom, just where he left them before everything happened. He didn't feel comfortable tending to his wounds with the babies in the room, even if he knew that they couldn't see him.

  Treating cuts was something Cody could do with his eyes closed. He had to tend to his own wounds since he was a child, there was no one who would do it for him. Then there were the many little brothers and countless scraped knees, cut fingers from clumsy attempts at using a knife... Cody was pretty experienced. Without issues, he gently applied disinfection, even if the paper thin cuts were almost closed already, and then wrapped a bandage around his forearm. Lastly, he covered it all with a baggy sweater.

  Cody looked into the mirror. He knew that objectively, he looked just like any other day. In the privacy of his mind, he thought he looked awful. He felt so gross. He couldn't even look his reflection in the eyes.

  He rolled up his sleeve, looking at the carefully wrapped bandage. He imagined the cuts underneath. He felt so fucking awful.

  "Cody!" a loud shout interrupted the train of Cody's thoughts. Cody took a deep breath before unlocking the door of the bathroom.