skinny love | solangelo

Apology

~Will

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Keep your hands still, make sure the stitches align perfectly. This is a piece of cake. Piece of cake, piece of cake, piece of cake.

I sighed in relief as I finished the stitching on a Ares camper. Smiling, reassured, I said, "Good as new. It'll be completely healed soon." The camper thanked me and hopped off the medical table and went out the door.

I took the plastic gloves off my hands, and begun to clean the equipment. The action is sort of cathartic. It's as if I'm cleaning off my regrets, mistakes..

Unfortunately, during such activity was when I was interrupted. "Will." Austin appeared in the doorway, panting, "I need your help." His eyes were blown wide, and he was sucking in deep breaths through his chapped lips.

I cocked my eyebrow but quickly obliged, putting down the needle I was sanitizing. I raced down the hallway, following Austin's lead. It was hard not to laugh at the swishing noise of our scrubs, even in dreadful situations like these.

We got to the very last few rooms, and my half-brother muttered, "Last one on the left." I walked into the room, and there was only one person, their back facing mine.

Hold the fuck up.

I would know the body stature, the almost-mullet, those nervous habits anywhere.

Nico.

I turned around, but it was too late. Hazel and Austin were standing outside the doorway, Hazel looking innocent, Austin, guilty.

"Wai-" Then the door shut. The lock clicked. It sounded like a coffin. My words were lost to the noise.

I looked back towards the small boy. It was the usual attire. Black tee, black jeans, black shoes. Who let this kid pick out his clothes in the morning?

He was shaking and it looked like he was debating turning around. Nico's shoulders were rigid, his hands were balled. There was no way he didn't want to rip my guts out and I'm somewhat sure the feeling is mutual.

He was standing in front of the hospital-like bed. Everything in the room was pristine, exact, but my emotions were not following the trend.

I felt red-hot anger, then fear, then a flurry of something I didn't feel like deciphering.

I heard Nico suck in a breath through his teeth. He nodded. Without turning around, he mused, "Déjà vu, do you feel it?"

I let out a breathy sort of laugh, "Y-yeah." Nico turned around, but there was nothing sincere in his eyes. They weren't cold or warm, just staring. The smile on his lips though, was bone-chilling.

"Don't happen to have your lock picks, do you?" My hand quickly found its way to the back of my neck, and I stared down at my feet. Every time I moved, the scrubs make noise, really throwing off the tense atmosphere.

Nico scuffed the ground with his shoe, and muttered, "Sadly, no. It's not like that would be something I carried around, you know?"

Relaxing slightly at the usual banter, I grinned. "Well, apparently it was last time. Who carries around lock picks in a pencil case?"