LEGACY ─ marvel

XVIII. Complications

Chapter Eighteen
Olivia

Having the Savage here is making it hard for any of us to focus. Dad, Uncle Sam, and Aunt Jade are watching her around the clock while Analiese works on the serum. The others and I don't have much to do other than sit here near the supplies and try not to think about the full out battle we're about to enter into in less than thirty six hours. We're trying to keep the conversation on other topics, but there's a weight to every word we say, because no matter what we do, we can't stop thinking about what's to come.

"If Jo is D'Artagnan," Stevie begins, his head lying on one of the backpacks. "Which musketeers are we? I personally think I'm Porthos."

Jo nods, wincing as I begin taking off her bandage to change it. "I agree, though Porthos is very fashionable and your idea of style are graphic t-shirts from horror movies. Don't even get me started on Livy's never ending collection of flannel shirts. Zy and I have more style, but Zy beats me by a hair."

"I think I beat you by more than a hair." Zy says with a playful smirk.

Despite the physical and emotional trauma Jo has been through the past few hours, she can't pass up an opportunity to mess with Zy and me. The next thing out of her mouth is: "I think you're Athos, Zy. Athos is the mature one of the musketeers, the most put together, which is definitely you. He's also never gotten over his love for Milady, no matter how much time goes on or what happens. I think you know something about that. And Livy, you're Aramis. Aramis spent the whole book caught between his love of women and his religion, I think you know something about being caught between two sides, especially one of those sides being love."

Zy and I lock eyes with each other for a moment before we both dart them away, both of us trying to hide our discomfort the best we can, but it's impossible with Jo right there. She can read us like one of her books.

Zy and I haven't talked since our conversation on the ship, and I think it's time that we do, no matter how uncomfortable or painful it might be. Zy understands what I want with just a look, without having to say anything out loud. With a small glare towards Jo, he and I make our way outside, shouting to the others that we'll be back in a few moments. No one objects, the only reply we get are several okays and a snicker from Jo and Stevie.

Bruce's lab is in the middle of the woods in upstate New York, away from any prying eyes or unwanted attention. Zy and I put some distance between us and the lab, enough so Stevie will have a hard time hearing our conversation. We stop at a small creek, where a large rock resides. Zy sits on top of said rock while I stand in front of him, and he waits patiently for me to talk first, because I definitely need to be the one to talk first. I have a lot to apologize for.

"I'm so sorry, Zy," I tell him, placing my hands on my hips and looking down at his feet. "You're right, I have been selfish, most of my life I've been selfish. All I cared about was how I felt, not how you felt. I should have talked to you about all of this, what I was thinking and how I was feeling. You deserve better than that."

I glance back up at his face and see him nod, his eyes still locked onto me. The intensity of his gaze makes me glance away again.

"I'm sorry, too. I should have been open about how I felt as well. I was a coward, I was too afraid to admit how I felt, so instead I jumped from relationship to relationship with people that I was basically using to avoid my feelings for you or erase them all together. A lot of those people were incredible, they deserved a partner who could truly offer their heart to them. That was never going to be me. My heart has always been yours."