Oooo, lastest ever chapter! Thank you to all the people who have reviewed this- you make my day every time! And now, here you go...the cheerful ending:
Rei paced nervously, his braid swishing behind him. It was a few hours after Judith had dropped her bombshell, and they had each dealt with it in their own way. The other White Tigers, not having been remotely close to Tala, were trying to comfort the Russian team, or what was left of it. Bryan had simply sat in shocked silence since he'd been told, settled in Lee's lap. Spencer had cried, slept and gotten angry, but still in no way dislodged Mariah from his side. And Ian had just cried. Sobbed and choked out tears that soaked Kevin's shoulder until he thought Ian must be drying out inside.
And Rei was pacing. Pacing to try and take his mind off the horrible thought in the back of his mind. Tala might -die-...
He was still in theatre, they were still trying to do...well, Rei would never pretend to know anything about medical matters, but they were doing -something-. It seemed so unfair...that Tala had never been awake to know how diligently Rei had stayed by his side, how long he'd spent just sitting with him, holding his hand and combing his hair, talking to him...pining over him, giving up all his time for him...maybe even falling in love with him...
After another ten minutes' pacing, Judith appeared at the door of the ward again. Everyone stopped dead and turned to face her. The tension was palpable, each of them desperate to hear what she had to say. "Well..." She sighed. "There were complications."
"No..." Rei whispered, before he could stop himself. Judith shook her head and continued.
"He's alive," A sharp intake of breath sounded all around the ward. "But...he'll never be able to drink or smoke, and he'll have to watch his diet. And he may end up with a weak heart. But he'll live. And-uff!" Judith was knocked off balance as Rei hugged her tightly, ecstatic. After a second of confusion, she hugged him back, smiling. "He'll need a lot of looking after...he'll be very delicate..."
"I don't care!" Rei exclaimed. And Judith could tell that he meant it.
Tala was soon replaced to the ward, and Rei took up his vigil beside him. Judith and James had assured him that Tala would wake up before the day was out, and Rei didn't care if he had to stay till midnight to be there for him waking up.
"Oh...that reminds me..." Lee smiled as he suddenly remembered something he had been meaning to say all day. "I sort of forgot with the whole Tala thing, but...well...here." He rifled in his bag and handed Bryan a box.
"What is it?"
"Open it and find out." Doubtfully, Bryan did.
"Oh!"
"Do you like them?" Bryan nodded, pulling out a pair of black jeans and a purple shirt. His fingers lingered over the jeans, smiling.
"I've never had jeans before..." He glanced back down at the box and blushed slightly. "Are those for me as well?"
"Yeah."
"They're...-red-..." Bryan said helplessly, picking up the boxers that had been hiding under the jeans.
"They're not illegal. Sexy, but not illegal." Bryan blushed a little more, then smiled.
"Shut the curtains a minute. I want to change!" Lee obliged, casting a careful eye over Rei, who was still hovering over Tala like a nervous hen. The clock on the wall read eight o clock, and-
"There!" Bryan appeared beside him, looking down at his new clothes happily.
"Bryan?" Spencer sounded shocked. "Where did you get those from?" He asked wistfully. Lee pulled a face.
"He sent me to get them for him. I'm sure Mariah wouldn't mind, of course...so long as she knows your size. And don't worry, she's got a much better sense of style than me..." Mariah giggled.
"I got the brains -and- the looks!" Lee made a show of offence, turning away in mock anger. Bryan touched his shoulder. Which, it had to be said, was forward for Bryan. The Russian didn't seem to dislike being touched, but he didn't usually make the first move. "I don't agree." He said happily. "You -definitely- have the looks..." Lee laughed, turning. He would never have thought it, but Bryan could be quite a flirt if he wanted to be.
"Bryan?" Bryan turned to Ian, smiling happily. "Clothes?" Bryan signed something back and Ian laughed.
"What did you say to him?" Asked Lee, one eyebrow raised.
"I-" A groan made Bryan stop short. "Tala..." He went to walk over, but Lee held him back.
"Just give Rei a little time."
Rei felt his heart soar as Tala groaned, shifting and opening his eyes. "Uhh?"
"Tala!"
"Mm...what?" Tala blinked, looking greatly confused. "What's...going on?" Rei smiled down at him.
"We rescued you. And it's taken you so long to wake up..." He stroked Tala's cheek lovingly. "How do you feel?"
"...Like I've been hit by a brick wall..." Tala shifted, closing his eyes again. "I ache all over...what the hell happened?"
"Don't you remember Boris drugging you?"
"Oh God...what about-"
"The others are fine, Tala." Tala seemed to relax slightly at that.
"So...why are you here?" He snorted. "Where's here?"
"Hospital. And I'm here because...because...I love you..." Tala opened his eyes, raising one eyebrow.
"Just how long have I been out?"
"A-About three weeks..." Rei felt his chest go tight. Tala didn't like him. He should have known.
"I could hear you, you know." Rei blushed. "Not properly. But it was your voice." Tala shifted again, sitting up only to find his arms giving way beneath him. "What the hell -happened- to me?" Rei fussed over him, settling him back onto his pillows.
"I don't know. It was whatever Boris gave you." He sniffed. "We thought you were going to die..."
"And you care so much why?"
"Because I...because..." Rei sighed. "Because I carried you. And I've sat with you ever since. And I've brushed your hair and held your hand and talked to you...and stayed up late hoping you would wake up..." Tala smiled.
"You did?" Rei nodded, tears stinging his eyes and leaned down, snuggling into Tala's shoulder and smiling. "What-? Are you -purring-?" Rei nodded. "Weird."
"He did practically starve himself for you, Tala..."
"-Bryan-?" Tala laughed as he saw his friend's new clothes. "Purple suits you...and how come you get such fancy clothes when I'm stuck with this...sexy thing?" He plucked at his hospital gown, pulling a face. "And what about-"
"You haven't gotten rid of me yet, Tala."
"Spencer!" Tala cried, peering over the ward. "Come here, you big git!" Spencer shook his head ruefully, leaning his head on Mariah's shoulder.
"Can't. They haven't sorted my medication yet, I'm no good on my feet at the minute..." Tala's smile dropped a little.
"And...Ian?" There was a silence. "What?"
"Tala..." Rei whispered. "He's deaf."
"-What-?" Rei sat up, looking sad.
"The drug Boris gave you...kind of screwed you all up a little. Ian's deaf...Spencer...can't get up and move without being sick. Bryan kind of got off lightly with mouth ulcers, and you..." He sighed. "You would have died if they hadn't noticed in time."
Glowering slightly, Tala sat up. "Tala-" Tala shoved his blankets away and stood up. His legs collapsed under him, making Rei shoot up to catch him. "Tala...give yourself a while to get yourself together..." But by now Ian had noticed the commotion going on. He had been sitting with Kevin, stroking the neko-jin's hair as he slept, but now his eyes were fixed on Tala. "You're...awake!"
Tala leaned on Rei, signing awkwardly, a big grin on his face. Ian laughed, waking Kevin. "Mhn?" He sat up, yawning. Then, sleepily, snuggled up against Ian again.
"Kevin...it's Tala..." Kevin blinked a couple of times and looked up. His face split into a grin.
"Good. Rei can stop pining over him." Rei blushed slightly, still supporting Tala heavily. Tala snorted.
"My legs feel like -jelly-..."
There was a bit more light-hearted confusion while Rei fussed Tala back into bed again and tucked him in so tightly he couldn't move. "You need to rest."
"I've been resting. I've been resting for a fortnight already." Tala replied, not appreciating being babied.
"You have to rest -more-. Why don't you try sleeping for a little bit?"
"Eh. I'll just sit for a bit." Rei blinked.
"I'll be in the cafe if you want me then..." And then he disappeared a little too quickly. Tala swivelled his eyes onto Bryan, one eyebrow raised.
"What's with him?" Bryan glanced at Lee, who was snoozing on his bed.
"He wants to look after you. They're all like that. They really...care."
"Care? Looks like it's a little more than that..." Tala nodded over at Spencer, who was snuggled up with Mariah, arms around her tightly. Bryan shrugged, flopping down next to Tala.
"Rei's been so worried about you...Lee had to force him to -eat-. He'd been forgetting to eat because he was so worried..."
"So you and Lee-?" Bryan blushed slightly.
"I don't know. Sort of. We all are." Tala sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
"So...he's really been sitting next to my bed and everything?" Bryan nodded. "And I suppose he really -cares-, does he?" Bryan was not stupid; he caught the sarcastic spin of Tala's voice and frowned.
"They do care. All of them."
"You've changed your tune. It wasn't that long ago that you were saying no-one could be trusted."
"It's not illegal to change your opinion, Tala, and it isn't abnormal for someone to care about you!" Bryan snapped back, not wanting to hear Tala disparage Lee and his friends in any way.
Tala snorted. "Yeah. People have a thing about -caring- about me, don't they?"
"Tala..."
"And what makes you think they're any different? How do you know Lee isn't going to turn round and-"
"Because they're not like that!"
"He...He's right, Tala..." Tala turned his head and found Rei hovering behind him. "I don't want to hurt you..." Tala glared.
"How do I know that?"
"But...why would I want to hurt you? Why would I want to hurt anyone?" Bryan chose that moment to vacate the area.
"Because I'm beautiful." If anyone else had said that it would sound like hopeless narcissism, but Tala said it as if it was something dirty, a shameful insult. "That's fucking -why-. It's always why."
"But...I don't want to hurt you. That's not how we work." Tala turned away, folding his arms across his chest forbiddingly. "Tala...I just want to help..."
"You want to help? Then leave me alone!" Rei blinked.
And that blink made him see a couple of things he hadn't noticed before. The jealous look on Tala's face as he watched Kevin hugging Ian tightly. And the way his arms were...not folded, but as if he was holding himself in... So he sat down beside Tala and leaned against him. "I told you to leave me alone." Rei ignored him, nuzzling at him and slipping a hand round his waist. "Do you ever give up?"
"No." Tala looked at him briefly, then looked away again.
"So what, I'm stuck with Mr. Perfect even if I don't want to be?"
"I'm not perfect." Tala looked at him for slightly longer this time.
"You know what? I'd rather you sat in the chair." Rei looked at him enquiringly. "It's nothing personal. Just don't like being touched that much." Rei stood up, pulling the visitor's chair closer. "Seeing as I've been under for three weeks...well you probably know all about the abbey right? All about me. How much Boris...liked me." He was staring at the end of the bed, deliberately not looking at anyone. "Well don't you dare pity me for it. If you want to pity me, then just get out now."
"There's a difference between pity and help, Tala..."
"I know there's a difference. I'm asking if you know what it is."
"Yeah. I do." There was a long silence. Then...
"Did you really...sit by my bed?"
"Every day. And most of the nights as well. Lee had to practically force feed me."
"How can you care that much about someone who never did anything but hurt you?" Tala looked straight at him. Rei met the sapphire glare unflinchingly.
"Like I said...no-one's perfect, by any means...but they can change."
"What makes you think I'll ever change? What makes you think I'd want to?"
"Because you can't stay the same." Rei replied, resolute. Tala held his gaze, unblinking. Rei blinked deliberately. It wasn't a competition of who could stare the longest, not to him. Tala blinked back, eyes glittering.
"Maybe I could use some help." Rei nodded, knowing at that moment that everything would turn out okay in the end...
Well, the end of another fic...
Guess I'll have to start another one now!
R&R please!