SLVR

The introductions seemed to be going cordially enough. The couple had been about to respond, to thank them for their support when a new presence interrupted them. Both Vance and Flint tensed at the familiar man strutting his way through the room. Vance nearly started to growl as Ethan went off on a new tangent insulting and demeaning Lev as he gave him some liquid that clearly seemed to be medicine Lev needed. Flint could feel his hands clenching and unclenching, his brows furrowed and eyes wide as he stared down the man. Taking a deep breath, Flint watched the man leave and took a step to follow. "Hun." His wife immediately interjected, moving to stop her husband. "He's not worth it. There's more important things to worry about." She tried to reason, looking over at how Lev was curling and cowering.

"Sweetheart, I can't let this go. He's acted like this before to that poor boy! He slapped Lev. He hit him. That is completely and utterly unacceptable and he needs to be put in his place!" Flint argued, turning to his wife. "Please, I need to do this." He didn't need to argue further, Galena's face morphing from disgust into determination. With a quick nod, the couple pecked each other before Flint ran off to deal with the scum that dared to call itself Lev's father.

It didn't take long for Flint to catch up to Ethan. Grabbing his shoulder, Flint forced the other man around before going into his tirade. "How dare you act that way to your own child! How dare you!" He hissed. The hunter's nose scrunched up as his brows furrowed. With his teeth bared, the man stood tall and wide, ready to cut off Ethan if he tried to escape. "If we weren't in the middle of a hospital I would have beat some sense into you! Lev is your son, your own flesh and blood! How dare you treat him as if he's some object, some asset only there to further your own goals! He has feelings, he has his own goals, he's a person! Yet here you are treating him as if he's some machine! It's sickening! You are the worst scum out there! The lowest of the goddamn low, and you better believe that one day this is all going to come back and bite you in the ass!" Flint was practically heaving now, his eyes burning with the need to drag this man through the ground and make him realize just how horrible he was.

"Lev's a bright kid, and I bet to all that is good and holy that any sane person would love to have a kid like that! Yet here you are talking about contracts?! Who the hell makes a contract with their child? That is absolutely insane and I pity any other children or family members you might have. It is a miracle someone hasn't taken Lev away from you yet considering the abuse you are putting him through! I don't know how the hell anyone didn't notice it since you're so confident in yourself that you feel you can hit him in front of strangers! How would you like it if someone hit you? Well guess what, if you don't seem to want this awesome kid you've been blessed with then I'll sure as hell take him off of your hands since you seem to treat him with such disrespect! Hell, any sane person would snatch him up in a second if given the chance! You've lost one of the best things in your pitiful life so I hope you're happy! You should be in jail for the kind of abuse you're slinging and the absolutely horrible way you treat your family. One day you are going to get the justice you deserve and Lev will be living his dream as a successful hunter while you waste away wondering why you ever decided to give up one of the best gifts you ever had!" Flint's face had gone red long ago as he continued to go off on this stranger.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Flint continued in a hiss, "Your son could have died and you didn't give a single damn. I wonder if you even have a heart in that cold cynical shell you call a body. You probably don't considering all of the shit you put your own child through. I am absolutely disgusted. You're the scum of the earth, and I know one day everyone will know it. Now, I need to go back and make sure that Lev is okay. If I never see you again it will be too soon. Now I hope you have a wonderful day since obviously your life is so miserable you feel the need to take it out on those who don't deserve it." With that the silver haired man turned around and started marching back to SLVR's room. While he was sure Ethan wouldn't care at all about this random man nor would he learn anything it felt cathartic to take all of his frustrations and worries and fears out on someone who actually deserved it.

~~~

Galena sighed as she watched her husband go, walking over to sit by Lev's bed. Taking a deep breath, Galena started to speak to the raven haired boy. "That man had no right to speak to you that way. I may not know you well, Lev, but I know that everyone deserves to be spoken to in at least a semi-decent way. None of those things he said were true. I know you've got a fair amount of people who care about you. I know Sylvia was asking about you this morning. She's really worried. She wanted to make sure you were okay and that you were safe. Took us forever to convince her that you were healing and you were in good hands." She was about to continue when she noticed Vance struggling to sit up. "Vance, what are you doing?" She asked, concerned for the wolf boy.

"Lev needs me." Vance said, his tired arms shaking as his body screamed at him not to move too much. "He's my teammate and he needs me." The wolf boy's eyes shone in determination, not backing down as he managed to swing his feet over the side of the bed, getting ready to try and make the trek to Lev's bed and try to comfort him as he had done for Vance. He didn't get the chance to try to stand up as Galena rushed over to him, about to try and urge him back into bed.

Really, the wolf boy should have been sleeping, but Galena paused at the fire in the boy's eyes. Sighing, she slowly helped the wolf boy up. "All right, you can stay by Lev for fifteen minutes, but no more and no less! You'll wear yourself out too much if you stay longer." With her firm and motherly tone received, she helped Vance over to the raven haired boy's bed and settled him down into a chair. She fussed for a few moments more before going back to her own chair, sighing as she ran a hand through her Mohawk.

It took Vance a moment to get comfortable enough that he could properly talk to Lev, but he managed to get into a good position as he started to talk. "Your dad doesn't know what he's talking about. I think you're a really cool! And you're my teammate so that automatically makes you a great person! Plus, I know you, Lev. You're super smart and you always do your homework on time and you even made that weapon with Sylvia! A-and you don't have to worry about your mom and dad not liking you because you've got us instead! I like you, and Sylvia likes you, and Reyna likes you even though she doesn't really show it sometimes. We can be your new family! And if you don't have a place to go anymore then... then maybe you can come with me or Sylvia or maybe even Reyna! We'll be your new home and we'll have fun and you can show everyone how super smart you are and it'll be great! Because we care about you, you know?" The wolf boy rambled, wishing he could pull Lev into a hug to properly show how much he cared for him. That would probably end up with both boys hurting though so Vance restrained, simply continuing to chat to the older teammate and let him know just how much he cared for him.

Galena smiled watching the two, the freckles splattered across her face coming to life as she looked them over before turning to the Raleigh couple. "I'm so sorry I didn't say this before, but thank you for your kind words about our daughter. It's been... It's been tough seeing her in the hospital again. It's hard as parents seeing them like this, you know? I had hoped we would've only had to worry about her like this once in her life, but I guess Flint and I should have known with her wanting to be a huntress that she would've ended up here eventually, but we still had a hope, ya know?" Realizing she had just been dumping her problems on the other set of parents, Galena blushed and quickly rushed to apologize. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to just go ahead and dump all of that on ya especially since you have your own daughter to worry about." Relaxing into a smile, Galena continued chatting. "I wish I could say something nice about your own daughter, but I'm afraid Sylvia never talks to us about anything. Heck, we didn't even know her team member's names until a week ago! Ah, that girl always has her head in the clouds... Anyway, I hope your daughter keeps getting better and going strong. From the little I heard from Sylvia's ramblings yesterday is that she's quite the firecracker. It's hard to keep people like her down from my experience."
 
Ethan listened to Flint spatter and rage at him. Ranting, just like they all did. They didn't understand. They didn't have to deal with some mongrel parading around an upstanding family name like a war-flag being torn to shreds. They didn't have to jump through so many hoops to provide for his success, just to see him fall short. Castors don't invest in things that don't work. Lev no longer worked. They just didn't get it. Unfazed by the bigger, buffer man's show of "parental superiority," Ethan placed a hand on Flint's shoulder before he could get too far.

"Let me make something clear, Slater." Ethan stated coldly, pushing his glasses up yet again. "That kid in there isn't a part of me. He doesn't have a father, or a mother, or a sister. His last name is NOT Castor. I'm loath to consider him blood-kin, and anyone with eyes to see would agree that he is, above all else, a means to an end; a joke. Frankly, I thought you were a man of better taste, Flint. If you want him so bad, then you can make his medicine for him. I don't have time for liabilities anymore...a word of warning though. Don't pretend to know more about Lev than I do. I can hate him all I want, but that doesn't change the fact that I spent sixteen years knowing everything in his broken little head. Face the facts, Slater. You haven't got a clue about him. Don't make a decision you'll regret."

With that, Ethan walked off, talking to himself. "...Treating him like an object? Heh, ironic, considering the state his daughter is in..." His voice trailed off as he left the hospital halls, never to return.

-

Lev continued to react negatively to stimulation after Ethan left. Galena's voice caused his muscles to tense, and though he was already curled as tight as could be, it seemed as if he wasn't prepared to stop trying until he broke something. Then Vance made all the effort to walk over and sit at his side, but it just wasn't working. Vance has a home. Vance has parents who clearly love him, for better or for worse. He has so many siblings! They look like they'd go any distance for him! I'll never have something that real...I'll never trust something that real. Not after this...he doesn't know anything about me anymore. Honestly, all Lev wanted to do was throw up and sleep. The pressure of all the people in the room paying attention to him was nauseating and terrifying. That, along with the lines of self-deprication that continued to run through his head, continued to eat at him as time went on. Were his joints not locked and his muscles not tense, he would have just run. Run from the room, from the hospital, from Beacon, from Vale...he would have gotten away from it all in an instant...but Sylvia was his last loose end. As long as he could stand it, Lev wanted to live out the childhood he had missed with her, from bouts of infatuation, to all-nighters, to talking about fashion, piercings, tattoos, and all sorts of other stuff, teasing her about Seymour, nitpicking her quirks and ticks... As long as she was alive, he'd never be able to run away, and that was a good thing. That's a good thing...That's a good thing...

As Lev went through his crisis in private, Reyner and Marie did their best to put the whole Ethan-situation behind them, smiling at Galena's rambling. "Oh please, it's no trouble!" Marie chimed at the huntress's apology. "We both know how you feel. I suppose it's a little unfair, coming here without knowing much about your daughter's friends. Lucky for me, I taught Reyna how to be a proper mama's girl. Why, you wouldn't believe-"

But Reyner cut his wife off with a jab of the elbow, and she immediately waved the statement she was making off. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I can be a terrible gossip sometimes...but yes, both of our daughters seem to be quite the troopers. It's terrible to see them all like this, but this is why we parents don't drop off the earth once they go off. My baby can have as much muscle and brain as she wants, but I'll still be there for her in a heartbeat..."
 
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Flint bristled as Ethan just had to get in the last word. "I never said I know more about him." Flint gritted out. "I'm just observing an obvious fact of abuse that should be punished. You will go to jail one day. I can promise you that." With that final comment, the silver haired man headed back to his wife and team SLVR. Luckily for the man, Flint didn't hear his last comment. The man knew that the medicine was certainly an issue, but he'd find a way around it. He knew he would. For now, he needed to get back to his wife and check on Lev. Hopefully the boy wasn't doing worse, though he didn't doubt having a man who was supposed to care for and love him insult him and hurt him like that would make anybody do worse.

Back in SLVR's room, Galena chuckled as Reyner stopped his wife from gossiping too much. "That's the life of a parent." She sighed in response to the woman's last comment. Soon enough Vance was brought back to his bed and the day seemed to pass slowly with the parents wandering in and out of the room at various times, hoping to keep the children and each other company while they healed. As night fell, the room felt strangely calm as SLVR slept on. Everyone seemed to be resting just fine for the most part, getting the rest they so desperately needed. Hopefully, the night would be a calm one.

Whimpering broke the air. It didn't sound like Vance as he slumbered on in his own bed. Taking a closer look in between Lev and Reyna a new bed had been placed. An iv drip stood tall next to the bed, offering important fluids and medicine to the patient it was attached. Trailing down the IV tube led to a familiar silverette currently trying to hide her eyes with her good arm. Her other arm was covered generously in what looked like a type of cast, though it seemed easily removable for doctors to check on the wound and any possible infection. Tear stains and new tears trailed down Sylvia's face as she seemed to be trying to stifle her whimpers and gasps. Her good hand clenched and unclenched periodically, as if trying to grasp something invisible and always just barely missing. She kept her eyes covered, pressing into them as if that would distract her from whatever was making her react so strongly. While her teammates seemed to be sleeping and resting the leader laid wide awake, biting her lip to try and stifle the whimpers and whines trying to leave.
 
The day passed slowly for everyone. Reyna had woken up for her parents, though she was quick to sleep again, Lev eventually pulled himself together enough to sleep properly, and the room cleared out for the most part. It felt like an eternity of resting and restlessness for everyone, patients and parents alike. The Raleighs always brought something along for SLVR, whether it was a small snack or something for them to fiddle with to pass the time. Ethan never showed up again, but a second case of medicine was delivered to Lev's bedside per his request, along with a get well card; entirely superficial. Lev tore it in two when he saw it, then went right back to sleep.

Then Sylvia was just...there. Lev woke to the noises coming from his leader, and honestly couldn't think of how he should respond. After all the waiting, shouting, crying...there she was, his lifeline. Guilt caught in the ravenette's throat as he picked himself up noiselessly. I shouldn't be putting all this pressure on her... He struggled with the thought, along with the return of wishes that he could have done more to help her during the fight that put them all there in the first place. It didn't help that he felt perfectly able. His wounds had started healing nicely after taking the medicine Ethan provided, much as he hated to admit it. The only thing that had held him back was his own headspace; weights of regret and sorrow stirred up by Ethan, and Sylvia, and Flint, and Vance... He just wanted to be left alone, but he had spent this long waiting in fear of his leader's fate. Now he could finally move with purpose again.

Easing out of his sheets, Lev stepped lightly, bare foot across the cold hospital floor. The chill brought a jolt up his leg, and he nearly tripped, but his reflexes were active. After the near-spill, he took it slower, pressing his entire foot down to get used to the temperature change. Eventually he was acclimated, standing at Sylvia's side more like a visitor than a patient himself. The only difference were the scrubs he was dressed in. Lev looked at the silverette's good hand, clenching and releasing the air, and swallowed. Reaching out, he hesitated to give her something to grasp, afraid of her reaction...no, mortified. His head was doing the work for him. After Ethan, Lev didn't want to believe in anything. His hand shivered inches from Sylvia's, torn between a possible reality that the only current constant in his life was a lie that, in the stress of the moment, would bring itself to light as suddenly as Ethan's hand had come across his face, and the fact that maybe...just maybe...Sylvia would want him there.

A jealous fire caught in Lev's heart, and for once he wished that he could be someone else...that he could be Seymour of all people. That's who she'd want to see. He'd know just what to say and do to make her feel amazing. Gods, if I just had that power... Lev thought, glaring at his useless hand, shaking like a dried up leaf in the wind. But with his jealousy, there also came pride, and with some amount of determination, he waited for Sylvia's hand to open before letting his fingers glide into hers. I'm no Seymour...but I'm content with this. Even if it's just for a second. Even if I can fool you into thinking I'm half as amazing as him, then I'm content...
 
The sudden coolness of another person's hand shocked Sylvia, causing her to freeze in her ministrations. Not letting go of his hand, Sylvia moved her arm to see who had grasped her hand, her whines and whimpers stopping as she adjusted to see who had approached her. She let out a small gasp, her eyes still tearing up as tears trailed down her face. "L-Lev...?" She questioned. For a moment, Sylvia was quiet before a wide smile pulled across her face. "You're okay... I was so worried." She started to pull Lev toward her, adjusting herself. She could feel a wave of pain hit her, causing her to wince as she pulled Lev into the best hug she could manage, practically grappling at him as she cried. "I'm so happy you're all right! I re-" She had to pause in her sentence, breath hitching as she felt injuries she shouldn't have been feeling ripple through her body. "... I re-remember everyone was down a-and... I woke... I woke up and nobody was there and... a-and..." Her smile wobbled, falling as she nearly clawed at the raven haired boy.

"I-I'm sorry." She started, her voice coming out in a low whimper. "I-I can't think right and everything's fuzzy and-and..." Her face turned into a full-blown grimace. "I-it hurts." She whined, starting to systematically grab at her teammate's scrubs. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts." Her breath started to hitch more, the silverette burying her head into Lev's shoulder as tears kept coming. She practically pressed herself against the raven haired boy, doing everything she could to not try and reach for the legs that weren't there anymore. "It hurts. Make it stop, please. Make it stop. It hurts. It hurts." She started to sound like a broken record at this point, whimpering and crying against her teammate.

For the silverette, the world felt as if it were floating. Everything held a slight blur at the edges that called everything into question for her. The only hints she had that reminded her that this was most certainly real were the waves of pain riding up her body and the feeling of Lev's breath and his hair and his skin and his touch. Though a part of her knew rationally she shouldn't be able to feel anything from her legs, Sylvia could still feel the claws ripping them to shreds, the blade slicing them in half, and the saw that took off the torn shreds. It isn't real! She tried to remind herself, but gods did it feel real. Sylvia practically radiated heat, her fever still going strong as it distorted her mind.
 
And there she was. Lev froze right with his partner, unsure whether he did something wrong or not, but after seeing her smile, he felt a relaxation that he lacked since being admitted to the hospital. "Y-Yeah Syv...it's me." He bit down hard at the admittance, ingraining it into his mind as an anchor. It's me. Not anybody else. I'm good enough. I'm good enough. Then she pulled at him, as though he was a stuffed animal in the grasp of an adult, and his heart broke. He moved as close as he could to meet the silverette's demands without hurting her, and in doing so, Lev felt the gap that his father left behind begin to fill again.

It didn't take long after Sylvia started tugging him close for Lev to feel the effects of the fever. After catching the clamminess of her palm and the shakiness of her movements, his free hand immediately went to her forehead. "Relax, Syv. Relax." He chided, but the more she spoke, the worse Lev felt. It wouldn't be that easy. He knew well enough. It wasn't just that though; Lev's relief soured as his partner began to whimper and cry in pain. There was so much wrong with the picture Lev saw. His partner shouldn't be the one bedridden with a fever, barely lucid and struggling to remain strong in any sense. I should. If I had done more, then I would've been here and not her. As she asked for the impossible, to make the pain stop, Lev only provided the possible, offering his body to her clinging and clawing. Keeping his hand firmly in Sylvia's, he began to say the only thing on his mind.

"We're alright, Syv. We're gonna be alright." Lev matched her broken record with one of his own. It wasn't original. She'd probably heard the same thing from Flint and Galena a million times over, but that's all the ravenette knew to say. If there was one thing he didn't have experience in, it was words of comfort. Though every once in a while he'd warble, and a stray, "I love you, Syv" would fall from his lips. Where it came from, Lev wasn't too sure, but it felt good to say at the very least.
 
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Lev's reassurances served as a comforting buzz as Sylvia cried and whimpered, trying to find something to overshadow the pains crashing over her. It took a good hour before Sylvia finally started to calm some, her whines dying down as the phantom pains finally passed. Panting, the silverette started to slump as she tried to keep her hold on Lev. "... I just wanna protect you." She admitted, not quite all there as she felt sleep start to come to try and claim her once again. Her body felt achy as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "I wanna protect you and Reyna and Vance, but I have no legs." She mumbled, starting to babble as she fought the blackness that edged on her vision. "It's hard to do anything with no legs, so I just made some, but then Vance's sister cut them down, so I couldn't do anything, but I tried and it made me so, so tired, but I needed to protect you and that was the only thing I could do and..." She continued on for a few moments before petering out. For a few moments, Sylvia tried to stay awake before finally succumbing to her tired body and mind. Her breathing evened out as her grip on Lev slackened. She looked peaceful, getting the rest she so desperately needed.

The next morning Vance nearly woke everyone up with his excited shout at Sylvia's presence. He had to refrain from jumping out of the bed to run to her, glad that she still had both of her arms and seemed reasonably okay. The doctors had to tell him to calm down as they gave him and the rest of the team a look over to see if they were ready for visitors outside of family yet. Finishing off with Sylvia whose fever had dropped dramatically, though it still was higher than they'd like it too be, the doctors cleared SLVR to receive more visitors. Vance brightened up further, hoping Gabe would be able to come see him. Sylvia hadn't woken up quite yet, but that was fine. She probably needed the rest anyway. Vance jittered, waiting for (hopefully new) visitors to come and see them.
 
Lev hung on to Sylvia for as long as she remained conscious, choking back tears at what she had to say. You want to protect me? He thought. Lev wanted to say it was impossible; that he wouldn't let her, but he knew that it was such protective desires that made her his leader. He couldn't fault her want to protect everyone, much less deny it, and that somehow hurt worse than living in a delusion where he could be a proxy for her life if it came down to it. It took a few minutes after Sylvia went limp in his arms for Lev to pull away, returning to his bed with a grimace affixed to his face. What am I supposed to do now? He thought as he sank into a sea of directionless thoughts, falling asleep without any idea of what would happen to SLVR next.

It felt like ages since Vance had woken the team, so Lev wasn't exactly thrilled with the wolf boy's ruckus as his eyes cracked open. Even Reyna slung her good arm to the side in a desperate attempt to hit the snooze button on her partner. Soon enough, everyone was up, or at least stable, and news came that visitors were finally allowed to see the hospitalized team. It was a surprise, though, to see Abby show up first, hoisting a gym bag on her shoulder. After catching a glimpse of Sylvia's resting form, she pulled up a chair next to Lev and began chatting quietly. It didn't seem like anyone came along with the lioness, but the arms snaking their way up Vance's torso and around his waist from behind said otherwise. Soon Gabe had the wolf faunus wrapped in a complex embrace, his chest pressed against Vance's back, and his head nestled in the crook of Vance's neck.

"...You had me worried..." Gabe whispered, clutching his boyfriend tightly. It took a moment for the panther to give up his attachment to Vance's back, but after a quick boop of the nose, he wiggled forward, remaining on the bed, but placing himself where the wolf could see him and give a proper hug.

The third arrival was none other than Uriah of AZUR. He looked around uneasily, his tall form already sticking out amongst the other patients and visitors, before pulling up a seat by a rather stunned Reyna.

"Uriah, wha-" She tried to sign as she spoke, but her wound held an arm back. She pouted for a moment, but after a few reassuring signs from Uriah, she nodded and began to speak normally. "What are you doing here? The mission...aren't you supposed to be on a mission?" More signs from the mute boy caused Reyna's gaze to shift to the doorway of the hospital room. Azule leaned on the threshold, eyes shifting between Uriah and his wristwatch. Reyna simply nodded her head in understanding, and after a moment more of talking and a brief kiss on the cheek, the pinkette let Uriah go to satisfy Azule's increasing impatience...but standing in their place was Reyner, who had been, and still was, keeping a very close eye on everyone. Reyna's face turned beet-red as her father lumbered over to her bedside. Their conversation was quiet and brief, and before long the massive man was outside once more, though his elbow could be seen from inside as he stood guard.

Once the coast was clear in terms of unfamiliar guests, Abby unzipped her bag and began handing out fancily folded napkins. Upon unwrapping, little macaroons were found inside. "Seymour and Ellie say to get well soon." Abby informed the team as she handed out the small treats. "Seymour can't be around hospitals because it's too taxing on him, and Ellie...well, she just has a few things going on with her folks, so she didn't want to risk seeing 'em here. They're both sorry, and that's why I'm here." Abby played off her reason for visiting as she placed the last of her goodies near Sylvia. After saying her piece, she returned to Lev's side to talk more, Reyna went back to sleep, and Gabe remained with Vance, easing the teams back into a state of normalcy in some sense.
 
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Seeing Abby first surprised Vance, though it made him wonder where Gabe was. He couldn't be too far behind, right? The wolf boy had started to deflate when arms snaked their way around him. Vance gasped and smiled as he snuggled into his boyfriend's hold, planting a kiss on his head. "I'm sorry. I'm okay now." He reassured, pouting when Gabe moved from his cuddles to boop his nose. He quickly pulled Gabe back into an embrace after they switched positions, wincing as his arms and shoulders ached from suddenly being pulled into a new position. Nuzzling into his boyfriend, he moved into an eskimo kiss with bright eyes. He hesitated a moment, murmuring out, "Can I...?" before ducking in for a kiss. He held it far longer than their first kiss, a simple innocent thing as he soaked in his boyfriend's warmth and presence.

Pulling away from the kiss, Vance rested his forehead against Gabe's forehead. "I missed you. I'm sorry I worried you so much. But everything's fine now!" He reassured, smiling as he moved to curl further into Gabe, unable to hide the small flinches as his body moaned and groaned at the movements. Still, the wolf boy tried his damnedest to keep close to his boyfriend and get the cuddles he so desperately wanted.
 
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Gabe relaxed in Vance's grip, wrapping his arms close to the wolf's waist to keep their distance close. The panther smiled warmly as Vance initiated the eskimo kiss, but when he asked his question, Gabe bristled out of instinct and pulled away before the kiss lasted too long. "...I'll give you one free pass." The panther spoke quietly, his warmth exchanged for a serious expression. "But you haven't earned that from me. Not yet." With careful movements, Gabe placed a thumb on Vance's bottom lip and drew him close once more, teasing him with how close their faces were as a sort of punishment.

"Everything is not fine now. You're still in the hospital, your arms are stiff, and I know you're sore as hell. I can feel it in your hug." He continued, keeping Vance's eyes locked on his own. "And you still have to explain yourself. Nothing was off about that morning. I came to breakfast expecting to see my cute, easily excitable boyfriend waiting for me. We both know that didn't happen... You knew something, Vance. It's no coincidence that the White Fang attacked. You can't tell me otherwise." Gabe's dusty eyes were wide, inches away from Vance's, and filled with all sorts of caution and concern. His grip grew a little tighter, and his face drew a little closer, as he blinked away a threat of tears. "Vance, don't break my heart like that again." He spoke in his normal tone, but by his expression, it was obvious that keeping it that way was a struggle.
 
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Vance blinked and nodded as Gabe set the boundaries, blushing as the panther boy seemed set on teasing him by bringing him all the closer and keeping his thumb on his lip. He had been content to continue cuddling away and forget the situation when Gabe quickly noted how stiff Vance was. He winced as he tried to move closer to Gabe, to prove him wrong as he hit exactly what the poor boy was physically feeling. He opened his mouth to respond, to try and change the subject when Gabe went ahead and shot an arrow of fear straight through his heart. Ice poured through Vance's veins as Gabe noted how there was too much of a coincidence that Vance had reacted strangely and the White Fang appeared that same day. Tears started to gather in his own eyes. Gabe stared straight into Vance's soul, breaking his heart.

Burying his head into Gabe's shoulder, Vance started to shake as sobs ripped from his throat. "I-I... I... I..." He stuttered, tears trailing down his cheeks. "I... I wo-on't. I-I w-wo-on-n't aga-ain, I p-p-pro-omi-ise..." he managed to spit out, having to take time to try and catch his breath as he curled himself as close to Gabe as he could. "I... I wanna tell you e-everythi-ing, but... bu-ut I don't know... I'm worried... I don't want to lose you..." The wolf boy gasped and cried. His arms were burning as the bruises decorating his body were pushed the wrong way. Winces interspersed Vance's blubbering as he nestled his head against Gabe's shoulder. "I'm so... so scared that-that you'll ha-hate me-e and st-o-op l-lik-ing me and you wo-on't want to be my boyfriend anymo-ore because you'll hate m-me and I'll lo-ose yo-ou be-because of it and-and-I l-like you so much and..." Vance clutched at his boyfriend, ears back as he waited for his boyfriend's questions, for him to question why Vance would be so nervous about explaining himself and for what exactly would be so horrible that Vance would hesitate to speak about it.
 
Vance's sobs caught Gabe off-guard, but he remained close to the wolf, intent on hearing everything. And so he did, as Vance sobbed and winced and hiccuped his way through fears of losing his boyfriend. When Vance stopped speaking, Gabe let out a breath and, with the wolf held close in his arms, began to push the wolf faunus back down to the bed. Once they were laying down, Gabe began to speak again, using a gentler tone to deal with the distraught Vance.

"Vance...if you don't tell me, then what am I supposed to do?" He chided gingerly, running a hand through Vance's hair. "Look at me, Vance. I'm smaller than you. Look at my arms. They're thinner than yours. You're stronger than me, Vance. So...If I'm not afraid of what you have to say, then you shouldn't be either, right?" Gabe stopped for a moment to nuzzle into the wolf boy's head, cuddling him closely. "If you want me..." the panther began again, speaking directly into Vance's ear with his teasingly quiet tone, "...then you have to trust me." With that, Gabe waited at his boyfriend's side, his head lifted just enough to tell Vance to speak with him face to face. The panther boy may not have come with the intent to drag answers out, but with his boyfriend sobbing about fears of being left, there was a lesson that needed to be taught. Gabe could only smile patiently as he waited for his dear little pup to pick himself up and learn.
 
Vance hiccupped and sobbed as he was slowly pushed down, secretly thankful for the new position and the support it gave his weary body. His cries slowly started to calm as Gabe ran his hand through the wolf boy's hair. Gabe's words swirled in Vance's mind. It felt strange to be called strong when he was laying injured with his teammates. Sure, Gabe was smaller than him. He might be physically stronger in some aspects. However, Vance didn't really feel strong. Gabe's last request left his mind reeling. Trust...? Of course Vance trusted Gabe! He was his boyfriend after all! Though, if he really trusted him then he should be able to tell him everything, right? Steeling himself despite the nerves jumping up and down his spine, Vance started to speak.

"... I have a really big family," he started quietly, low enough that only Gabe and himself could truly hear what he was saying. "I've got two brothers, two sisters, and my mom and dad. We lived in a pretty... bad place. We were the only faunus so a lot of people didn't really treat us well. My mom tried to tell us to just ignore it, to not sink to their level, but Dad always had a hard time accepting that. He and Mom fought all the time about it. Dad wanted to do something, prove that we were more than just animals. Mom wanted us to lay low and keep going until we could get to a better place. For a while, it seemed like things weren't going to change. They'd just keep fighting forever, but then Dad left. He took my older brother, Ferris, and my older sister, Edme, with him." As he spoke, Vance kept his gaze away from Gabe's eyes. He couldn't take seeing his boyfriend stare at him as he told his little story, possibly realizing why he should stay away from the wolf boy.

Taking a deep breath, Vance closed his eyes. He tried to keep the tears from spilling as he continued, his voice cracking, "It destroyed us. All in one day we lost Dad, Ed, and Ferris. What hurt more was why they left." His breath hitched, pausing as he tried to get past the lump in his throat. He trusted Gabe. Gabe liked him. Gabe was his boyfriend. He could tell him this, right? If Reyna and Lev didn't hate him for it then he could trust Gabe, right? He swallowed and powered on, "They left to join the White Fang." The words fell like poison off of Vance's lips, leaving a weight in his heart as he continued to explain. "Dad took Ferris and Ed and they started participating in the White Fang's protests and attacks and missions. Despite them leaving, Ed still sends me letters. She sent me a letter earlier this year telling me that Dad had become a major leader in the White Fang and that they would come to bring me home soon. I didn't know when and I didn't know how, so I just ignored it. Then the day before the attack I got another letter. Ed said they were going to attack Beacon extremely soon and to get ready since they were going to take me home. I didn't know they meant they were going to attack that morning. I... I wanted to give the letter to Headmistress Wunderland, but I was scared that I'd be expelled and I had a nightmare of them coming and my dad hurting you and I couldn't do anything about it and I tried to stop him, I really did, but I couldn't and he hurt Lev and Reyna and Sylvia and it's all my fault and now you're going to hate me and I don't want you to leave me!"

Tears trailed down Vance's face, sobs once again resurfacing as he finished explaining to his boyfriend why he had such a bad feeling that morning. It was far too much of a coincidence they attacked so soon, but Vance truly had no idea when exactly the White Fang had planned to start the attack. He started to pull away from Gabe, mentally preparing himself for the rejection, the hatred, the utter disgust that he might feel at knowing his boyfriend was connected to the White Fang in such a way.
 
Gabe listened intently, his ears twitching at the hitches in Vance's breath. The only time his expression darkened was when the wolf confirmed that at least part of his family were White Fang affiliates. Even then, his face didn't stay that way for long. It was only when Vance started to pull away from him that Gabe acknowledged the story as complete, and with a smile, he tugged the wolf faunus closer, practically forcing their eyes to meet.

"Did I ever tell you," Gabe began, a smile drawing its way onto his lips, "that you're really cute when you're desperate?" The panther touched his nose to Vance's, making sure to keep him immobile while he talked. "I wouldn't leave you for that. It sounds like you don't need anyone else walking out on you, so you can bet I won't. But..." Gabe let his eyes wander for a moment, circling Vance's face just to take him all in, "...but, I'm not sensitive, Vance. Things like family don't mean anything to me, and that includes yours, or anyone else's. I've gone long enough without worrying about stuff like that, so...so don't act like your family can do anything to change how I see you." Gabe took another moment to think, though this time his eyes were laser-focused on Vance's, taking in the tearful amber color just like he had on the day Vance confessed to him. Slowly, Gabe nudged the wolf's nose aside and pressed forward until their lips touched. He was hesitant to go further than the soft contact at first, but one final look into his boyfriends eyes seemed to give Gabe the justification he wanted.

Closing his lantern-dust eyes, the panther gave Vance a warm and close kiss. He let it linger as much for the wolf as he did for himself, then backed up when he was satisfied. "Next time, just inform Wunderland. I'll have your back." Gabe smiled, returning his nose to Vance's with a sigh.
 
A small gasp escaped Vance as he felt Gabe pull him close, effectively stopping his sobs. Gabe proceeded to light Vance's heart on fire as he affirmed how cute the wolf boy was. Vance's face lit up a bright red as Gabe spoke, relief mixing with the pounding of his heart. Gabe didn't hate him... Gabe didn't hate him! He still liked him! Vance could practically kiss the boy then and there, but refrained as he felt a smile stretch across his face. He opened his mouth, about to reply when Gabe dove in. Vance's heart stopped. This wasn't just a simple eskimo kiss. This wasn't even just Gabe teasing him. This was a kiss. This was an actual, real kiss. His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest as his mind short-circuited. His lips felt warm and soft and sweet and good. Vance wasn't sure how anything like this could actually exist. All too soon, it seemed the kiss had to stop and Vance was left, face red and eyes glazed over in a combination of leftover tears and pure bliss. He blinked as Gabe finished off with a simple "I'll have your back" causing Vance to start tearing up more, this time happy tears rolling down his face. He moved from their noses touching, kissing Gabe's shoulder as he started to mumble, "Thank you... Thank you, thank you, thank you so, so much!"

The wolf boy had been content to just sit there and keep cuddling with his boyfriend when a cough interrupted the peace. Vance jolted up, suddenly sitting as he turned to see who had come to visit. His face lost color as ice filled his veins. "M-mom..." He stuttered out, staring at the woman and his two siblings. How long had they been there? Had they seen everything? Thoughts raced through Vance's head as he waited for his mother to respond.

"Vance." Valerie's voice was unreadable. Vance shivered as he kept thinking that this was it. His mother was going to condemn him from the house forever. She was going to brand him an exile, leave him to the dust, and never let him see his siblings again. He was going to have no home just as he had gotten back. She was going to hate him and be disgusted and leave him alone forever and- "Who's your friend?" The faunus woman seemed to be feigning ignorance, her hand still on Arthur and Leyla's shoulders. Her mouth was set in a firm line while she stood tense, waiting for her son's answer.

Vance audibly swallowed, looking between his family and Gabe for a moment before taking a deep breath and diving in. "Mom, this is my boyfriend Gabe. Gabe, this is my mom and my little brother and sister, Arthur and Leyla." He waited for the judgement, for his family to revoke his recently granted privileges and leave him to the dogs.

Arthur titled his head, staring intently at his older brother and the strange boy who seemed to be cuddling Vance. "I thought boys only kissed girls?" He asked, confusion spreading across his little face. Vance could feel his heart drop already, starting to try and hide in Gabe's embrace as he waited for his family to leave him with scornful eyes.
 
Gabe's hair bristled at the audience. He had just been having a moment with his boyfriend! Why'd they have to interrupt? Then Vance answered their presence with "mom," and everything clicked. One older woman and two younger children; mom and siblings. Gabe's face became hot, coloring itself red with self-consciousness. But with that self-conciousness came something else. He had just kissed his boyfriend for the first time, for gods' sake! There was no way he'd give up so much progress to any kind of embarrassment. The panther had always been a flighty sort, his semblance giving him that freedom in spades, but something about Vance kept him anchored, and it continued to do so here.

So with a meditative breath, Gabe readjusted himself, placing his back up against Vance's chest as though snuggling into the inside of a box. Once he found an ideal position within Vance's bodily boundaries, the panther turned his head and gave his boyfriend a definitive kiss on the chin before Vance could hide away, unabashedly claiming his relation with the wolf in front of his family, then faced the audience he had gleaned with a reserved and stony expression. Even Abby, Lev, and Reyna (who had woken up somewhere along the line) were struggling to keep the heat from their faces at the panther boy's display of affection. Gabe didn't intend any offense by the brash actions, but without words to say, it was all he knew how to do.
 
Seeing the panther boy snuggle up to Vance so boldly, so proudly brought a strange sense of warmth and regret in Valerie's heart. She could see how Vance curled onto the other boy, wrapping his arms around him and cradling him almost as if he were a precious doll. They clearly cared for each other to a great extent. Sighing, the wolf woman tried to address her youngest son's question. "Not always, sweetheart." Valerie corrected gently, forcing herself to relax her stance as she saw Vance's fear and shame. "Sometimes boys kiss other boys and girls kiss other girls. It all depends on who you like." She explained, running a hand through her youngest son's hair.

The youngest boy blinked before chirping, "Oh. Okay!" He took the information smoothly and smiled up at his big brother, eager to get to know the boy who had managed to attract Vance. After all, someone had to be pretty great to be dating Arthur's big brother!

Vance raised his head at his family's words. He looked on in shock, blinking. "Y-you're not... you're okay..." He struggled to get the words out, hope shining clearly in his eyes as he waited for his mother's response.

Looking over her son and his partner, Valerie let out another sigh and walked over to kiss Vance's forehead. "Vance, sweetheart, I don't care who you date as long as they make you happy. He does make you happy, doesn't he?" She asked, casting a glance over to the panther boy. Vance's furious nodding was the only reassurance she needed as Valerie smiled at the couple. "Then there's no problem. Now, I'd love to get to know you better Gabe, but I'm afraid I have to start getting back to work and get these two little ones to school. Promise you'll take care of my Vance, won't you?" The tired mother implored Gabe. The bags under her eyes and the slump in her shoulders showed just how much these events had affected her. She searched for someone to look after her baby while she was unable to, someone to give him the love and care he deserved. Hopefully, this Gabe would be the one who could properly give Vance what he needed.

Leyla snuck in front of her mother, chirping, "You better not hurt our big brother! Otherwise we'll have to come and beat you up!" Arthur backed her up with a resounding "Yeah!" which caused Vance to turn three different shades of red as he tried to hide from the new embarrassment his family was bringing, though a wide smile stretched across his face regardless. He buried his head into Gabe's shoulder, letting out a small groan of embarrassment as his two youngest siblings seemed prepared to carry out their threat right then and there.
 
Gabe wasn't sure what to expect in reaction, but it certainly wasn't that. The moment they started walking towards the bed, the panther felt himself shrink, his air of boldness melting at the possible threat these new people could pose. Vance may have been trying to hide behind him, but that didn't stop Gabe from trying to back himself further into Vance's hold, like a cornered animal. Up close, the family intimidated him with ease. Even as Valerie spoke, he couldn't meet her eyes. His face was beet red, and his gaze darted around the visitors with urgency, trying to find something to mistrust about them. This only lasted until Valerie had his attention, speaking directly to him, imploring his help in taking care of Vance. Gabe looked up into her eyes for a long time, digging himself into the exasperated expression of Vance's mom just as he often did with his boyfriend. Once he had a feel for her, he nodded his head softly, agreeing to her terms.

Then the two children stepped up and addressed him. Their boldness caused Gabe's breath to hitch, and once again he snuggled closer to Vance. He was nervous to look the two siblings in the eye, but once again, feeling Vance smile into his shoulder made Gabe want to stick around. With all seriousness, the panther looked at each of the children and gave a heartfelt nod of agreement, wanting their approval just as much as Vance probably did. Gabe opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out, and it only made his face hotter to try, so instead he found Vance's hand and held it close, placing his fingers comfortably between the wolf's as he waited for Vance's family to leave.
 
Valerie relaxed as Gabe seemed to agree to look after her Vance. At least she knew he had a good network to fall back on when she couldn't be there. The twins had responded to Gabe's affirmations with questions upon questions, eager to know more about their big brother's boyfriend. "Why do you have ears and a tail? I thought faunus only had one animal part!" Arthur started, looking at the Gabe with bright, curious eyes.

Leyla spoke next, the twins seeming to take turns as they tried to learn more about their brother's boyfriend. "They're so cool though! What kind of faunus are you though? Are you a cat? You look like a cute cat!"

"Do you fight like Vance does? He should us how to punch things before he left! Mom made us stop though."

"Can you punch things?"

"Do you and Vance do coupley-things together?"

"Do you and Vance kiss?"

"Leyla! Arthur!" Vance barked, blushing ten shades of red and quickly trying to give his boyfriend a way to hide from his questioning siblings. "One question at a time! He can't answer them all at once." His tone was scolding, a strange twist for the excitable and almost childish wolf boy. He kept his arms wrapped protectively around his boyfriend, ready to shield him from the attention if need be.

The twins quickly looked down in shame, their ears and tail drooping as they murmured out a small "Sorry..." to Vance and Gabe. Arthur piped up once again. "We just wanna make sure he's as cool as you are, Vance!" He looked between his brother and the panther boy, eyes shining earnestly as Leyla nodded her agreement.

Vance sighed as he adjusted himself to more comfortably hold Gabe. "Well, I can tell you that he's the coolest guy around. He's pretty cute too, but don't tell him I said that." Vance fake whispered conspiratorially, winking at his siblings who both fell into a fit of giggles. Vance smiled and nuzzled himself into Gabe's hair, glad he could see his siblings and tell them about his boyfriend.

Valerie could feel her heart warm at the sight of her children bonding, not realizing how much she had missed Vance until he was right there in front of her. With a smile, she started to round up the two twins "I wish I could stay longer, Vance, but these two need to get to school and I have to go back to work. I am so, so glad you're safe. We'll visit again soon, I promise." She reached over and kissed Vance's head, offering a shoulder squeeze to Gabe. The twins whined the whole way out, wanting to learn more about the mysterious Gabe, but quickly quieted when offered the choice of writing down their questions for later on the way to school or telling them to Valerie so she could remember them for the twins.

Flint and Galena walked in a little while after the Faolan's left, holding a bag full of something heavy and settling themselves by Sylvia. Before they could properly greet the others in the room and introduce themselves to the newest visitors, Sylvia started to awaken. She blinked blearily as she looked at her parents for what felt like the first time in years. "M-mom? Dad?" She questioned, turning between her two parents as she tried to get the fog of sleep out of her mind. Her fever no longer twisted her mind, though the feeling of a cast around her arm became a new annoyance as Sylvia tried to move it, only to have her parents push her arm down gently. "When did you guys get here?" The silverette asked, still blinking the last of her sleepiness away.

"Your father found you after your big fight." Galena explained gently. "You worried us both sick! We're so glad you're doing better now." The tattooed woman ran her hand through Sylvia's hair, brushing away the sweaty locks as she looked down at her resting daughter.

"Fight... What...? ...The others!" Sylvia jerked up, looking around her for teammates as she started to fire off questions rapid fire. "Are they okay?! Did the white fang get away? What about the school? I saw Lev and Reyna get hurt and then Vance was unconscious and... and..." Her questions slowed as she looked around to see her teammates safe and sound, sighing as Flint immediately adjust her bed so the silverette could sit comfortably. "You're all okay..." She breathed, smiling.

Flint smiled as Sylvia finally seemed to go back to resting, rubbing the back of her hand. "Everyone's okay, sweetheart. Though, don't try to get up so quickly again. You had a really, really bad fever for a while there. We don't want you getting worse after you've been doing so well." He chided, poking Sylvia's nose to see her scrunch it up.
 
The twins' rapid fire questions finally caused Gabe to retreat all the way back into his shell. He quickly squirmed around until his back was towards the family, and buried his head into Vance's chest to hide from the surplus of interaction. His cheeks burned hotter than ever now that he was in such a submissive and vulnerable position, especially after he had put up such a confident front, but the closeness to the wolf calmed him down. After dealing with Valerie's shoulder squeeze, Gabe took a deep breath in the confines of Vance's protection, and finally relaxed. He brought his head up to say something, but his throat was dry from nerves, so instead he stole another kiss and whispered, "I'll be back tomorrow." before teleporting out of his boyfriend's grip and over to Abby, directing her attention to the time.

"Ah, we gotta go work on school junk. Hopefully I can drag the others here next time. See ya!" The lioness called out, waving as she ushered Gabe out. The two left just as Flint and Galena made their entrance, causing many expressions to shift from happy and reminiscent to worried and unsure. Reyna propped herself up eagerly at hearing her leader's voice, and Lev was already sitting up in his bed, hoping that she wouldn't escalate to the condition she had been in the night before. The moment she shot up, the ravenette felt his fears were coming true, but her parents calmed her down quickly enough, and he was able to see that she was, at the very least, more lucid then she had been.

"Nice to see you up, Syv." Lev croaked, not realizing how hoarse he was after whispering casually with Abby. His hand shot up to his mouth in embarrassment at the awkward sound, but his eyes gave away his relief easily enough.

"Sylvia, ohmygosh, we were so worried!" Reyna chimed in, her voice still a bit soft, but overall recovered. "You just missed Abby and Gabe. They said Seymour and Ellie couldn't come, but look, look! They brought homemade snacks!" The pinkette pointed to where Abby had set Sylvia's macaroon with a smile.
 
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