Chapter 24 part 1

Matias

"I couldn't prevent this" Matias mumbled, looking deep into Samuels eyes.

Samuel shook his head slightly. He had tears running down his face and his hair was clearly unwashed and unbrushed. He was very obviously in pain, but had been pretending like he wasn't.

"What?" Samuel whispered.

"This" Matias gestured, both down at Samuels beaten up body and the tears streaking his face.

Matias knew that he himself was also crying profusely, warm tears still falling out of his eyes, but wasn't the least bit concerned about it.

"Matias this.. this isn't.." Samuel breathed, struggling to get the words out.

Matias watched as Samuel took a deep breath, breaking the eye contact between them while doing so.

"This isn't your fault" he spoke slowly, his voice cracking. "You're the only reason the new villain didn't kill me"

Matias shook his head.

He should've stepped in sooner. He should've fought harder. He should've made it to Samuel quicker. He had run through that day over and over in his head, reviewing what he did wrong and how it hurt Samuel.

"I could've prevented it" he muttered, "if I would've just went to you sooner"

His voice was cracking and his hands had begun to shake, still on Samuels shoulders.

The two locked eyes for a moment, neither of them talking. Samuel sniffled and they each continued letting their tears fall from their eyes.

Matias observed Samuel's eyes, realizing how much he had missed them. The light from the window shined through the room, turning his chocolate brown eyes into a mix of beautiful browns and golds. His thick eyelashes were coated in water, many chunks sticking together making them look even thicker.

Samuel sighed and closed his eyes.

Matias began to think he was angry at him. He blinked a few time and felt nervousness run down his spine.

"I don't want to argue with you about something so silly right now" Samuel explained calmly, "I'm just happy we're both okay" he finished, his voice cracking.

Samuel wrapped his arms back around Matias, and it didn't take Matias long to return the favor. Be buried his nose in Samuels hair, holding onto him tight.

The two were knotted together in a warm and comforting embrace, something neither of them had felt in a long time.

Matias could feel his heart pattering hard in his chest, and he was sure Samuel could feel it too.

"I love you" he muttered without thinking.

He felt Samuel tense, and realized what he had said. His heart sped up to a speed he didn't know was possible and the room felt suddenly warm.

He began looking for words, searching for something to cover up what he had said, but had nothing. His arms loosened their grip around Samuels back and his hands started to sweat.

The silence in the room was like daggers. The whirring of machines and beeping of equipment seemed like a distant sound, like a fly buzzing across the room.

"Matias" Samuel whispered, his voice low and breathy.

Matias felt his heart jump.

"I love you, too" he murmured.

He felt Samuels grip tighten around his back and his hands grab onto the thin hospital gown.

His heart rate was still fast, but it no longer bothered him. His body still felt abnormally warm, considering the coldness of the hospital, but it was now a new, welcoming kind of warm.

His arms returned to their place around Samuel and his hands still shook, but more with excitement than fear.

His mind flashed back to when Samuel kissed him. When they were both covered in blood and in a dirty alley. When neither of them were sure if Samuel was going to make it.

Suddenly their current position felt like a miracle. They might both be hurt, and clueless about the new villain, and have no idea what to do about anything, but they're alive. They're both here, and that was what mattered.

A knock at the door interrupted the two after what must've been an eternity, but still didn't feel like long enough.

They simultaneously pulled away from one another, each looking over at the door.

The door creaked open and a buff officer with a neat uniform and a bald head walked in.

He allowed the door to shut behind him, and he walked to the middle of the room where he stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

His face was hard, so hard, actually, that Matias scoot himself over off the bed, distancing himself from Samuel.

Suddenly though, a close lipped smile formed on his face, his cheeks rising and his eyes squinting slightly.

"As much as I had to talk about you two to one another, I still am shocked seeing the two of you together" he chuckled.

Matias couldn't help but smile with both relief and irony.

He looked over at Samuel, the hero, who was sitting in a hospital bed beside him, the villain.

Samuel began to laugh lightly, and it wasn't long before Matias joined in.

The laughing made his head ache as it had been doing since he woke up, but he ignored it.

"Alright then, as much fun as this is I do have to ask questions about what happened to the two of you" Officer Hinton declared, his face becoming harder, but still with a tad of softness.

Matias looked at Samuel and found Samuels eyes already looking back at him. Their gazes locked for a moment before they each turned back to Officer Hinton.

"Do we have to do this right now?" Samuel asked.

The pout in his tone almost made Matias laugh, but he didn't.

The officer sighed.

"As long as you are awake and doing well, then yes" he lectured in response.

By now Matias's head was pounding. He tried to remain unbothered, not wanting to ruin the happy moment, but was struggling.

Samuel sighed, looking back at Matias once more.

A look of concern took over his expression. Matias hadn't realized it before, but he had begun to sweat, and his hands were shaking slightly. The headache only grew worse and worse, so bad a grimace had formed on his face.

"He has a concussion." Officer Hinton interrupted, seeing both Matias's condition and Samuels reaction. "It's pretty bad. Doctors said the main symptoms would be severe headaches, drastic rise and drops in body temperature, and nausea"

Matias watched as Samuel turned quickly back at the officer.

"I'm fine" Matias spoke up before anyone else could "just a headache"

Samuels head darted back to look at Matias then back at Officer Hinton.

"The symptoms are only the few I heard from the doctors. They could be different and there is probably more of them" the officer explained.

Samuel nodded slowly, his gaze finally settling on the officer.

"He doesn't need to answer anything right now. Whenever this headache fades, possibly" Officer Hinton continued.

Matias almost spoke up, saying that he was perfectly fine to answer questions, but didn't. His head was pounding like it never had before and he didn't want to think about having to answer questions right then.

"Alright" Samuel said hesitantly.

"When can we leave?" Matias asked suddenly.

The officer looked slightly taken aback, but held his face firm.

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well, I'm no doctor, but according to them it's about a week for him" he gestured to Samuel, "and a bit more for you, maybe add a few days?"

Matias nodded slowly. He felt like if he moved his head too much too fast it would explode.

His sweating stayed the same, his forehead having small droplets on it and his back having beads of sweat rolling down it.

"Anyways, we need to get you back to your room. For safety and for questioning" the officer said pointedly at Samuel.

Samuel looked back at Matias sadly, but shifted his weight off the bed anyways.

Officer Hinton retrieved the walker for Samuel and he hobbled before grabbing it. His legs looked wobbly, Matias noticed, and started to wonder if he'd be the same way when he got out of this bed.

He wasted no time getting rid of the thought though.

He watched Samuel limp to the door, Officer Hinton opening it wide for him.

He didn't, however, watch Samuel walk away. His eyes closed, and the headache took over all his thoughts. It was no time before he had passed out into a deep sleep.

-----------------------------------------

Reunion chapter part 2 !!