Just Call Me MatPat {Natepat}

2

I grabbed his hands, pulling him gently closer, trying to comfort him the best I could without hurting him. His entire body shook as I held him, allowing him to cry into my shoulder, hugging him as best I could in the position we were in.

"Nate, can you tell me what happened?" I asked him, softly, after his cries quietened down, and he stayed, shaking in my arms.

"Mom, she, sh-she was so happy, sh-she said it was f-fine. B-But dad, s-said I'm not h-his family a-a-anymore." He choked out before breaking into another fit of sobs.

"Shh, Nate, it's okay. You're part of my family now. My mom and dad love you so much. I love you so much. You don't need him to be happy." I told him, my voice as gentle as I could make it. He pulled away once his crying stopped. Nate's eyes glistened with tears but he wiped his cheeks and stared at his hands in his lap.

"I-I knew that bandages were bad... I looked it up and it said, but I-I was s-so happy with the way th-they made my chest look, th-that I kept wearing them..." He told me, quietly.

"There are things that you can get to flatten your chest safely. Steph told me about them, she liked telling me about trans methods and 'culture' I guess would be the word." I told him and he smiled softly.

"I know, but I could never afford one." Nate replied.

"Okay..." I replied making a silent mental note to look online. I could get him one. He'd be so happy about it. I have money saved, so I could buy him one myself, then he wouldn't have to hurt himself for the sake of body image.

"Matt?" I glanced up and he was staring at me, he'd always been this confident badass person. I'd never seen him so small and scared. "I don't want to go back to school." He said and I could see the tears in his eyes again.

"I won't force you. Neither will my parents. At least for a while, you will have to go back at some point."

"What's gonna happen to me? If my parents kicked me out where am I supposed to go?"

"You dipstick, you'll live with me." I laughed and he stared at me, eyes wide.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah of cour-" I was cut off as a doctor walked in.

"Nice to see you awake Miss Smith." And I scowled at him, as I could see Nate cringe at the word. "You don't have a guardian here, no?" He asked, a dumb question, seeing as his eyes work perfectly fine.

"My parents are on their way." I told him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"And Miss Smith, where are your parents?" He asked.

"Th-They kicked me out." Nate replied continuing to stare at his hands, his fringe falling over his face.

I bit my lip, interjecting before the doctor could say anything. "He'll be in my parents custody once we get everything sorted." I said, and the doctor nodded.

"We've prescribed pain medicine, and advise that you take it easy the next few weeks." He said before walking out, leaving us, in painful silence.

It was defeating but it allowed me to think, turn thoughts over in my head, and the more I thought the angrier I got because it's that bitches fault he ended up here. "I swear I'm going to murder Zoë next time I see her. If she hadn't have done anything you'd-"

"Be closeted. Be oblivious. Be in more pain." He replied softly. "Everybody would continue to misgender me. You never would have 'fessed up to liking me still. And the lack of tolerance around us would still be there. She makes my life a living hell, yeah, but she did this and now I can be myself."

I leaned my head back against the wall, sinking down into the uncomfortable plastic chair. "Was it worth the pain?" I whispered to myself, before straightening up and taking his hand in mine, bouncing my knee up and down as the jitteriness set in and I became irritant sitting in the chair. He doesn't seem to notice the ADHD, the tapping of pencils, the finger drumming, the pen twirling, all distractions so I don't just get up and walk out of a classroom. I think it's better if he doesn't know, and I try and keep it hidden, he's gone through enough and I'd just add to his problems.

I listened to his breathing, and my own, holding it in to sync up, the different paces bothered me, and I watched as he drifted off to sleep.

My parents were coming soon and we could bring him home, and keep him safe. Was it weird of me to watch him sleep? It's the most relaxed I'd seen him in a while, and it was comforting, to see him so calm, so at peace.

I waited ten more minutes of sitting, staring at him, taking in all his features, his cheekbones, the small freckles that nobody really noticed, everything, I just wanted to look at him, maybe that makes me creepy but I don't care.

My parents came in, and I could see the red around my moms eyes, how she'd been crying, and my dad stayed stone faced, but I could see in his eyes how upset he was.

"How is he?" Mom asked, wheeling herself to face dad and I, sat on the chairs beside the bed.

I smiled weakly at her. "He cried for a bit when he woke up, but I got him calmed down. Doctor prescribed pain medicine and he's staying off school for the next week or two." I explained and they nodded.

"His own parents too..." Dad muttered, staring at the ground.

"Correction;" I replied. "His dad." I paused for a moment, before asking. "He's coming home with us, right? We're gonna take care of him?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Your dad and I are gonna take care of it. I'm sure his mother will be fine, as long as he's safe." Mom said, brushing fallen strands of her ponytail from her eyes as she spoke, allowing me to see the tears glistening.

"We'll take care of him, don't you worry, son."

"Thank you so much."