Being Different (Young Justice FF)

Chapter 23: Breathe

Natillie lands on the fire escape right outside her bedroom window, her legs giving out from under her almost instantly as she crashes into the cold hard metal. She was pretty sure she cried herself dry last week which was why she settled for just staring into oblivion.

Pulling her legs to her chest she buries her head in her hands trying to get a grip on who she was. Although when she catches sight of her hands her throat constricts as she struggles to allow herself the decency to breath.

Gasping for air she reaches for her window which she easily pushes up considering she almost never locked it. Natillie stumbles through the window before crashing into the floor as she sucks in deep breaths in hopes of filling her lung only to come up short as tears sting her eyes.

Her nails dig into the carpet as she tells herself she's ok but it proves less than helpful as she's reminded of all the reasons she's not.

She doesn't know how long she lays on the floor but by the time she's breathing properly it's six and she's officially missing movie night. Not like she could face everyone, at least not right now. She wasn't in the right head space.

So she trudges towards her bathroom yanking her jacket off before furiously pulling her shirt off and stumbling out of her shoes and jeans. 

Turning on the shower after she's completely undress she stands under the warm water washing the blood off her hands and face only to notice she was nicked by a bullet in the arm which she failed to notice.

Emotionally drained and physically tired she leaves the shower feeling slightly better as she dresses in familiar pink and white striped pajamas. She combs through her tangled hair before leaving her bathroom in search of the first aid kit only to find Diana sitting on the edge of her bed holding her silver bracelets in her hands. 

Natillie stands there rather awkwardly shifting her weight before sighing as she walks over to her sister who looks up at her with bright blue eyes. She hesitantly puts her hands over Diana's who gives her a grim smile.

"If the offer is still available" Natillie begins while looking up at her "I would like to talk now" she finishes with a soft smile.

Diana slowly rests a hand on Natillie's cheek before pulling her into a hug that's so bone crushingly tight the air leaves her lungs in a huff. Burying her head in her sister's neck she sighs deeply into her taking in the familiar scent of lavender and pine the she didn't know she missed until now. 

Her fingers dig into her back as she squeezes Diana tightly afraid that she would leave her.

"I will always be here for you Natillie" the older woman states while pulling away from her carding her fingers through her wet hair as Natillie stares at her with soft eyes.

"I know" Natillie exclaims her voice hoarse from lack of use as she feels a weight she didn't even know was there lift off her shoulders.

"These will help" Diana states while handing her, her silver bracelets "Like mine they will help contain your true power"

Slipping them on rather easily she examines them as if they were any different from her regular silver wrist bands but they're exactly the same.

"My true power?" she questions while looking up at her sister who nods before standing to her full height pulling Natillie up with her in the process. 

"We have a lot to talk about"

And that's how she found herself siting in their living room with a tub of cookies and cream ice cream between them while Diana dives into everything that Natillie was too stubborn to listen to before today.