Super Crush (BxB)

Between a Rock and a Hot Place (S2)

I put my mind to work getting my things together for packing. Finding my sock pairs, getting my souvenirs wrapped up, and separating my dirty and clean clothes. Mom and I leave tomorrow evening to fly back to New York, and too many feelings and thoughts are rushing through me. So, I ignore them all and pretend folding my underwear into little squares is a more important task.

Fold in, fold in. Add it to the stack.

Abe told me to come back to the lair tonight to train a bit with him and Clay. He told me that Dad was traveling to talk to a secret ally of his and wouldn't be back until morning. There was a flicker of mischief in his blue eyes, but I just smiled and told him I would try to come by.

He could hear the apprehension in my voice. He told me I had to. He and Clay have to wait for Dad to put the finishing touches on his latest disguise tech before they can head back to the States. It will be at least a week and tonight is the last time to hang out before then.

Maybe I thought it would be easier to leave Italy without seeing them again.

I hear the hotel room door creak open. A minute later, Mom steps into my room.

"Noah," she says, stopping me in my tracks.

I don't look up. "Mom. I don't want to talk about it."

"Honey, I think we need to," she replies.

She's right, but I can't. I'm not ready to unpack the last four years of our lives. Not here. Not now.

Mom takes my silence as consent and decides to bulldoze me.

"Noah. I knew you would eventually figure out that you have a gift. Even after your father went into hiding, he and I discussed what we should do about it for a long time. We wanted you to feel as normal as possible until the time came. We wanted to keep you out of the fight as long as possible. He kept your secret from his employer to keep you safe. He faked his death and cut ties for you."

My head is swirling, My mind is shutting down. This talk of me and my "luckiness" being a power. Her confession that she has been in conversation with him. The fact that she is side-stepping her involvement in lying to me for years.

"Fuck, Mom. I need you to stop," I bark, meeting eyes with her for the first time.

The tears in her eyes match the tears in mine.

"I can't right now. I physically can't," I plead with her. I feel the bile rising in my throat as I bite my bottom lip. "This is all so messed up. I'm not saying we can't come back from this, but I don't have the headspace or capability or maturity to handle a heart-to-heart right now."

The two people I should be able to trust the most in my life have devastated me. And tomorrow I have to say goodbye to the only other two people I have.

I grab my coat and head toward the door.

"Where are you going?" The sadness is heavy in her voice.

"I need to clear my head." My back remains to her.

"Noah, I love you," she says quietly.

"I know, Mom," I say as the door closes behind me.

***

On the floor of the training room, I wipe the sweat from my forehead with my arm. Since getting back to the bunker an hour ago, Clay, Abe, and I have done nothing but run training drills on sparing bots. When I showed up unannounced, they didn't ask me any questions, they didn't make me talk about anything, they were just here. Like they were waiting for me. Clay with his half grin and Abe with his cute wink. This was exactly what I needed. They were exactly what I needed.