Post by Robb (Owner) on Nov 26, 2024 23:54:06 GMT -8
Levi Hall was no stranger to a hospital waiting room. The quiet frantic atmosphere they held was almost like home to her; she spent so much of her time sitting with a brother or two whilst another was checked out by a doctor that it was a comfortable unease that hospitals brought her.
She kept thinking about the things that had passed that night. She usually would be frustrated and disappointed in the way her match ended, dreading another angry phone call. But she didn’t care about it; she knew they deserved the win and had faith things would sort themselves out. No, her worries and frustrations were instead focused on what had happened to Zxavier.
When she first saw the look on Zxavier’s face, her heart broke for him. He looked so panicked and afraid, the blood of his father quite literally on his hands. He hadn’t calmed down any in the hours that followed, either, which was why Levi hadn’t left his side. She was going to stay here with him until they knew what was happening and the nurses sent them both home.
Zxavier sat slouched in the uncomfortable hospital chair, his elbows braced on his knees and his head hung low. The smell of antiseptic and the faint hum of fluorescent lights above felt oppressive, and the sterile atmosphere did little to calm the storm raging inside him. His hands trembled as he rubbed them together, as if trying to scrub away a stain he could still feel on his skin.
He couldn’t stop replaying the night in his head—the moment he found his dad bleeding and broken. The image of crimson on his hands, the panic in his chest, it all came flooding back over and over again. His breath came shallow and uneven as he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to block it all out.
“This is my fault,” he said, his voice hoarse and barely audible. “I should’ve been there. I should’ve stopped this.”
He pulled his hands away from his face, staring at the faint red tinge under his nails despite having scrubbed them raw earlier. His jaw clenched, his leg bouncing anxiously as he tried to hold himself together. The hospital waiting room was too quiet, and yet, the silence felt deafening.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if he…” He cut himself off, unable to finish the thought. His throat felt tight, and his chest ached as he leaned forward, resting his forehead on his fists. A long, shaky breath escaped him as the weight of everything threatened to crush him.
Zxavier didn’t look at Levi, but her steady presence beside him was the only thing tethering him to reality. She didn’t try to speak, didn’t try to tell him it would be okay. And maybe that was exactly what he needed—someone who would sit in the silence and bear the weight with him, even if she couldn’t take it away.
She lifted her hand, resting it gently on his knee as it bounced. She didn’t know what to say; she supposed that really there wasn’t anything to say. She couldn’t promise it would be alright because they didn’t know if it would. Her hand squeezed his knee softly, a reminder that she was there and she was with him.
Her presence, quiet and calming, was the best she could offer him. She thought about what she would want, what she would need if the roles were reversed. The mere idea of it caused her chest to ache. She and her father had their differences just like Zxavier and his father did, but they loved each other. Maybe what he needed was a reminder of that love?
“Heavenly Father, giver of life and health.” Her tone was quiet, a hushed whisper almost, as she moved her hand to cover one of his, anchoring him to her. “Comfort and relieve your sick servant, and give your power of healing to those who minister to his needs, that he may be strengthened in his weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
As she spoke the prayer, her head bowed, and her eyes even then remained on Zxavier, never once letting him feel like he was alone.
Zxavier’s knee slowed under her touch, her calm presence cutting through the storm of emotions swirling in his chest. As Levi’s quiet prayer filled the air, he let out a shaky exhale, his head lowering slightly. He wasn’t the type to pray, hadn’t really done so since he was a kid, but something about the way her words floated between them made it easier to breathe.
“I’m not super religious, Levi… but I appreciate it. More than I can even say.”
His hand shifted beneath hers, flipping over so their fingers could interlace. He squeezed her hand gently, grounding himself in the simple connection. “It’s just… this whole thing. I don’t know how to sit with it, you know? Waiting around, not knowing if he’s gonna be okay, and it’s killing me.”
He glanced at her then, his eyes full of gratitude and something softer, something vulnerable. “But having you here? It helps. I don’t feel so… alone. You always know how to make things feel a little less heavy.”
She returned the squeeze of his hand, her eyes on his face as she watched him struggle with the weight of everything. A small nod of her head as she kept her tone soft and relaxed. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever found that can ground me. Even in the darkest moments, it’s important you’re able to find your light.”
Her other hand covered the one she was holding, both of her hands wrapped around his. She brought his hand up to her face and kissed the back of his hand, something her mother always did when she was a child. It was something unspoken and genuine; an expression of offering comfort even without words.
“I don’t think anyone knows how to sit with something like this, Zxa.” Still her tone was soft and steady as she rested her hands, still holding his, back on his knee with a small shake of her head. “He knows you love him. No matter what happened in the past, he knows that. I promise.”
She squeezed his hand again, trying to make sure he felt her words and didn’t just hear them. “And I’m here as long as you need me. No matter what.”
Zxavier’s breathing hitched for a moment, her words settling into the cracks of his resolve. He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to their joined hands as she kissed the back of his. It was such a simple, genuine gesture, but it hit him harder than he expected. Without warning, he let go of her hand, only to reach out and pull her into a tight hug.
His arms wrapped around her with a sense of urgency, as if he was afraid to let go. His head rested against her shoulder, his voice quiet and trembling with emotion. “Thank you, Levi. I… I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”
The vulnerability in his words was unguarded, raw. He clung to her for a few more moments, letting the hug speak what he couldn’t fully articulate. Finally, he pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his grip still firm on her shoulders.
“I don’t know how I’d be handling any of this without you. You’ve been here, through all of it. That means more to me than I can ever say.” His lips twitched into the faintest smile, a flicker of light in the heavy moment. “I just… I needed you to know that.”
She leaned into the hug, her arms wrapping tightly around him as if she knew he needed it, soothing him with a hand against his back, stroking it gently for a moment. She could feel the tremble in his voice, the way he was trying so hard to hold on and stay strong. She pressed her face to the top of his head, a soothing sound leaving her lips as she pulled him into the hug he initiated.
She met his eyes with hers, nodding quietly at his words. She knew how much it meant to him because she knew how much it would mean to her. The academy was an all-encompassing chaos that saw students treating each other like they were disposable. Meaningless. She didn’t want that for her friends; she wouldn’t let that happen to them.
“You don’t have to think about what you’d do without me here, because it’s not going to happen.” Her words were as soft as always, her tone quiet but sincere. “This right here? This is more important than a match or winning some online war with someone who won’t remember what they said a week from now. This is life, this is your life, and I meant it when I said I was in it for good.”
She lifted a hand to touch his cheek, her palm to his jaw as she shook her head just a little, her smile appearing when she saw his. “Whatever happens, we’ve got each other. It’s part of the deal, right?”
Zxavier let her words wash over him, her calm and steady tone grounding him more than she probably realized. He leaned into her touch as her hand rested on his cheek, her warmth chasing away the lingering chill of doubt and fear that had gripped him since the night began. His smile softened, genuine this time, as he looked into her eyes and nodded.
“Yeah… it’s part of the deal,” he said quietly, his voice steadier now. “I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you, but I’m not gonna question it anymore. I’m just… I’m grateful.”
He held her gaze for a moment longer before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering for a brief second as if to seal the promise she had made to him. When he pulled back, his smile remained, soft but full of gratitude.
“Thank you, Levi. For everything.”
She kept thinking about the things that had passed that night. She usually would be frustrated and disappointed in the way her match ended, dreading another angry phone call. But she didn’t care about it; she knew they deserved the win and had faith things would sort themselves out. No, her worries and frustrations were instead focused on what had happened to Zxavier.
When she first saw the look on Zxavier’s face, her heart broke for him. He looked so panicked and afraid, the blood of his father quite literally on his hands. He hadn’t calmed down any in the hours that followed, either, which was why Levi hadn’t left his side. She was going to stay here with him until they knew what was happening and the nurses sent them both home.
Zxavier sat slouched in the uncomfortable hospital chair, his elbows braced on his knees and his head hung low. The smell of antiseptic and the faint hum of fluorescent lights above felt oppressive, and the sterile atmosphere did little to calm the storm raging inside him. His hands trembled as he rubbed them together, as if trying to scrub away a stain he could still feel on his skin.
He couldn’t stop replaying the night in his head—the moment he found his dad bleeding and broken. The image of crimson on his hands, the panic in his chest, it all came flooding back over and over again. His breath came shallow and uneven as he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to block it all out.
“This is my fault,” he said, his voice hoarse and barely audible. “I should’ve been there. I should’ve stopped this.”
He pulled his hands away from his face, staring at the faint red tinge under his nails despite having scrubbed them raw earlier. His jaw clenched, his leg bouncing anxiously as he tried to hold himself together. The hospital waiting room was too quiet, and yet, the silence felt deafening.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if he…” He cut himself off, unable to finish the thought. His throat felt tight, and his chest ached as he leaned forward, resting his forehead on his fists. A long, shaky breath escaped him as the weight of everything threatened to crush him.
Zxavier didn’t look at Levi, but her steady presence beside him was the only thing tethering him to reality. She didn’t try to speak, didn’t try to tell him it would be okay. And maybe that was exactly what he needed—someone who would sit in the silence and bear the weight with him, even if she couldn’t take it away.
She lifted her hand, resting it gently on his knee as it bounced. She didn’t know what to say; she supposed that really there wasn’t anything to say. She couldn’t promise it would be alright because they didn’t know if it would. Her hand squeezed his knee softly, a reminder that she was there and she was with him.
Her presence, quiet and calming, was the best she could offer him. She thought about what she would want, what she would need if the roles were reversed. The mere idea of it caused her chest to ache. She and her father had their differences just like Zxavier and his father did, but they loved each other. Maybe what he needed was a reminder of that love?
“Heavenly Father, giver of life and health.” Her tone was quiet, a hushed whisper almost, as she moved her hand to cover one of his, anchoring him to her. “Comfort and relieve your sick servant, and give your power of healing to those who minister to his needs, that he may be strengthened in his weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
As she spoke the prayer, her head bowed, and her eyes even then remained on Zxavier, never once letting him feel like he was alone.
Zxavier’s knee slowed under her touch, her calm presence cutting through the storm of emotions swirling in his chest. As Levi’s quiet prayer filled the air, he let out a shaky exhale, his head lowering slightly. He wasn’t the type to pray, hadn’t really done so since he was a kid, but something about the way her words floated between them made it easier to breathe.
“I’m not super religious, Levi… but I appreciate it. More than I can even say.”
His hand shifted beneath hers, flipping over so their fingers could interlace. He squeezed her hand gently, grounding himself in the simple connection. “It’s just… this whole thing. I don’t know how to sit with it, you know? Waiting around, not knowing if he’s gonna be okay, and it’s killing me.”
He glanced at her then, his eyes full of gratitude and something softer, something vulnerable. “But having you here? It helps. I don’t feel so… alone. You always know how to make things feel a little less heavy.”
She returned the squeeze of his hand, her eyes on his face as she watched him struggle with the weight of everything. A small nod of her head as she kept her tone soft and relaxed. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever found that can ground me. Even in the darkest moments, it’s important you’re able to find your light.”
Her other hand covered the one she was holding, both of her hands wrapped around his. She brought his hand up to her face and kissed the back of his hand, something her mother always did when she was a child. It was something unspoken and genuine; an expression of offering comfort even without words.
“I don’t think anyone knows how to sit with something like this, Zxa.” Still her tone was soft and steady as she rested her hands, still holding his, back on his knee with a small shake of her head. “He knows you love him. No matter what happened in the past, he knows that. I promise.”
She squeezed his hand again, trying to make sure he felt her words and didn’t just hear them. “And I’m here as long as you need me. No matter what.”
Zxavier’s breathing hitched for a moment, her words settling into the cracks of his resolve. He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to their joined hands as she kissed the back of his. It was such a simple, genuine gesture, but it hit him harder than he expected. Without warning, he let go of her hand, only to reach out and pull her into a tight hug.
His arms wrapped around her with a sense of urgency, as if he was afraid to let go. His head rested against her shoulder, his voice quiet and trembling with emotion. “Thank you, Levi. I… I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”
The vulnerability in his words was unguarded, raw. He clung to her for a few more moments, letting the hug speak what he couldn’t fully articulate. Finally, he pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his grip still firm on her shoulders.
“I don’t know how I’d be handling any of this without you. You’ve been here, through all of it. That means more to me than I can ever say.” His lips twitched into the faintest smile, a flicker of light in the heavy moment. “I just… I needed you to know that.”
She leaned into the hug, her arms wrapping tightly around him as if she knew he needed it, soothing him with a hand against his back, stroking it gently for a moment. She could feel the tremble in his voice, the way he was trying so hard to hold on and stay strong. She pressed her face to the top of his head, a soothing sound leaving her lips as she pulled him into the hug he initiated.
She met his eyes with hers, nodding quietly at his words. She knew how much it meant to him because she knew how much it would mean to her. The academy was an all-encompassing chaos that saw students treating each other like they were disposable. Meaningless. She didn’t want that for her friends; she wouldn’t let that happen to them.
“You don’t have to think about what you’d do without me here, because it’s not going to happen.” Her words were as soft as always, her tone quiet but sincere. “This right here? This is more important than a match or winning some online war with someone who won’t remember what they said a week from now. This is life, this is your life, and I meant it when I said I was in it for good.”
She lifted a hand to touch his cheek, her palm to his jaw as she shook her head just a little, her smile appearing when she saw his. “Whatever happens, we’ve got each other. It’s part of the deal, right?”
Zxavier let her words wash over him, her calm and steady tone grounding him more than she probably realized. He leaned into her touch as her hand rested on his cheek, her warmth chasing away the lingering chill of doubt and fear that had gripped him since the night began. His smile softened, genuine this time, as he looked into her eyes and nodded.
“Yeah… it’s part of the deal,” he said quietly, his voice steadier now. “I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you, but I’m not gonna question it anymore. I’m just… I’m grateful.”
He held her gaze for a moment longer before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering for a brief second as if to seal the promise she had made to him. When he pulled back, his smile remained, soft but full of gratitude.
“Thank you, Levi. For everything.”