Cora pov:
"Well, that wasn't very appropriate."
I yank my hands away from Dami and my head whips to the door. I blink in surprise to see my parents at the doorway. Why are they here?! I usually go to visit them, not the other way around.
"Uh, hi?" I say lamely. My mom breaks into a smile but my dad is still scowling.
"Hey, honey. How are you feeling?" My mom asks. Damian moves out of the chair so she can sit next to me.
"Surprised, a little embarrassed, confused," I say and she laughs lightly.
"Well, if you're embarrassed to do something in front of us then maybe you shouldn't do it?" She teases. I feel my face flush with heat. This is mortifying.
"Or, you're my parents, and anything you say or do can be embarrassing. Like that comment." I say while giving my mom a meaningful look.
"Hey, don't look at me. That was your dad." She says, putting her hands up in surrender. I sigh deeply.
"Anyways, why are you guys here? Not that I'm complaining, much." I add. My father breaks his staring contest with Damian.
"Cora, you're kidding, right? You were KIDNAPPED and we only find out TODAY?" He says, both worried and angry. Oh, yay, more reminders.
"I was resting for most of the time I've been back, and I didn't have my phone until like 10 minutes ago. I thought they had already called you?" I ask. A quick glance between their faces shows a considerable amount of guilt.
"We had our phones on silent and we were in Italy. We answered the latest call less than an hour ago." My dad admits. Oh, there it is.
"Well, I'm fine now. You didn't have to come over, I could have visited when I felt up to it." I say gently and with a smile. Damian shoots me an accusing look which I brush off.
"We're here now. So tell me how you actually feel, Cora." My mom says, placing her hand on my leg.
"Sore, maybe a little thirsty? You would think the IV would help with that more." I say, more to myself than to her.
"That would be your body recovery from major blood loss and recurring dehydration, Mrs. Sanchez." I hear Alfred speak before I see him.
"That makes sense," I say casually. My dad freezes and my mom pales.
"Cora, sweetheart, honey, dear, what does he mean by MAJOR BLOOD LOSS and RECURRING DEHYDRATION?" My mom says in a honey-sweet voice that cracks into anger.
"Uuuummmmm." I stall. "I got, hurt, and then I cried, just a little bit," I say, trying my best to downplay this. My mom stands quickly, rage on her face, before her eyes roll back and she starts careening to the floor. Damian catches her quickly because he was closer than my dad.
He easily picks her up and lays her on the cot beside mine. Alfred makes his way over to her as Dami makes his way over to me. He picks up my empty cup and offers me a kind smile. It's much smaller than usual, which is saying something.
"I'll go get you some more water. While I'm gone, I would explain as much as you can about the past couple of days," he says quietly. I nod in resignation. My dad glares at him on the way out but Damian doesn't flinch or return it.
"I don't like him." My dad says when he thinks Dami is out of earshot. He's probably not, but I can hope.
"You have no reason to not like him, dad. He's been nothing but a perfect gentleman and he treats me with the utmost respect and care." I state firmly. My dad grumbles as he sits in the chair my mom recently vacated.
"Oh, right, care. Like the way, he tried to eat your face off earlier. I can feel the respect." He says sarcastically. I roll my eyes.
"It was just a kiss, and I have seen you and mom do much worse," I reply, crossing my arms. He huffs and does the same.
"Doesn't mean I like him." He says childishly.
"Alright, you want proof he cares. Look around. After rescuing me from getting kidnapped and tortured, he brought me all of my favourite things and has done everything in his power to make sure that I am comfortable and recovering." I rant. My dad's face pales.
"You were tortured?" He asks hoarsely. My anger withers as my own words come crashing back at me.
"Yes." I state in a whisper. It feels as though the wind has been knocked out of me.
"How bad?" he asks hesitantly. I feel my eyes water again. This has got to stop happening.
"Major blood loss and a lot of bandages bad," I say, the words feel like someone else is speaking them.
"Jesus Cora." That is his only response. He looks down at the floor. I find myself doing the same. I fiddle quietly with the blanket. I hear my mom take a gasping breath. She sits up quickly, pausing for a long moment before turning to me.
"Cora Marie Sanchez you had better learn to like ramen because we are moving to China and you are never coming back here!" She yells in a hiss. I blink at her slowly.
"WHAT?! No! What?! That's not happening! You can't do that!" I shout back. Her face is entirely red.
"Oh I can and I will! I let you move here because it was better for you! You were kidnapped!" She bites, the sting of it feels like a physical blow.
"And tortured. Kidnapped and tortured." My dad states unhelpfully. I shoot him a glare.
"Tor-Tortured?! You were TORTURED?!" She screams. I flinch, which sends a spike of pain through me.
"Well, I'm not sitting here because I like the mattress!" I fire back for lack of other things to say. I think she might faint again. Maybe if she does I can convince my dad to let me stay.
"Oh don't get smart with me! You're hurt! Badly! And none of them could have helped you!" She screeches. Now I'm actually pissed.
"Helped me? HELPED ME?! THEY RISKED THEIR LIVES TO SAVE ME FROM MY OWN MISTAKE WHILE YOU WERE OFF EATING LINGUINI! I OWE EACH OF THEM MY LIFE AND THE ONLY REASON I GOT KIDNAPPED IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS THAT I DIRECTLY DISOBEYED THEM AND I ACTED STUPID!" I snap back. I am so sick of them insulting my family.
My mom stares at me speechless. My dad looks entirely shocked. Good. Now they're at least not bad-mouthing our hosts and the only people, besides Charlotte, who genuinely care about me. They deserve every word I just spat and they tasted like honey in my mouth.
"Bad time?" I hear awkwardly. Dick and Damian are standing in the doorway. I blink at them. I shake my head and force a small smile onto my face.
"Nope." "Yes," My dad and I speak. I send him a small glare and he glares back.
"Alfred just wanted us to tell you that the guest rooms are prepared if you two wanted to stay overnight," Dick says simply, trying his best to ease the tension. I commend him for the effort.
"I think I need to sit down." My mom says wearily. She sits on the cot she just sprang out of. Did I break her? Her face is pale and she's staring off into the distance.
"I need a drink." My dad says, running his hand through his hair.
"Standard reactions. I have bourbon and wine in my office. Join me?" I hear from the man who just stepped out of the shadows. My mom jumps and my dad looks just as startled.
"They do that. Go on, drink, talk, I'd like to rest." I say tiredly to my parents. They regain some semblance of their composure.
"We will finish our conversation later." My mom says to me as they walk out, leaving two very awkward vigilantes standing beside the doorway.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." I start. Richy breaks into a huge shit-eating grin.
"Never apologize for perfection. How did that feel? Because it looked really cathartic." He says happily. My smile is real now.
"It was. I just got so fed up with the way keep blaming and talking down to you all. And then there was their lame excuse, I just snapped." I explain. Dami hands me the glass of water silently.
"Thank you," I say as I start to gulp it down. He bites his lip and I pause to raise an eyebrow at him. "Dami?" I prompt.
"Is that, how you really feel?" He asks hesitantly. My heart tugs and my face softens.
"Of course. I owe you guys a lot. My life is included." I say gently. He smirks.
"I can live with that, I think you should spend it with me." He says cheesily. I laugh out loud.
"That was so cheesy. I love it!" I say in between laughter. He smiles at me, his full smile this time. I love that smile too.
"You two are adorable." I hear from the doorway. I see Jason and Tim with smiles of their own.
"I know." Damian and I say in sync. I giggle quietly to myself.
"Awww, I'm gonna puke," Tim says sarcastically. I roll my eyes at him.
"Oh please, you're a romantic and you know it." I shot back knowingly.
"Being forced to sit through Rom-coms with you doesn't mean I'm a romantic." He says pointedly. I grin.
"No, but crying at them does," I say cheekily.
"Nicholas Sparks was put on this earth to rip out anyone's heart with a little rain and some sad music." He pouts. Jason leans his arm on his shoulder.
"It's okay to like romance Timbo." He says teasingly. Dick scoffs.
"Like you're any better ya big softy. You've read Romeo and Juliet like a million times!" He prods.
"Why are you picking on me? Demon spawn is the biggest softy here." Jasey accuses. I look towards Dami and he just scowls.
"I am soft for exactly one person. I will still kick your ass, Todd." He threatens. I smile, I've missed this.
I like seeing their banter, Dami is always very soft and gentle with me. It's oddly nice to know that I haven't changed him that much. I know he's got an acid tongue and a razor wit, he's just also a huge cuddle bug who likes having his hair played with. I love him so much.
"You can try pipsqueak." Jason challenges.
"Okay, okay, before the blood bath starts. Cora, how are you doing?" Tim asks gently.
"I just yelled at my parents for the first time since I was 7. I feel great." I say happily. He lets out a laugh.
"That does not surprise me. You hold things in too often around them." He says matter-of-factly. I shrug. He's not wrong but I'm not admitting it.
"What even started that?" Jasey asks, obviously amused. I sigh.
"They want me to go with them and never come back, and that was before I told them exactly how I got hurt," I say with a huff. They all stiffen. The mood has shifted once again.
"Do you want to go with them?" Richy asks. I squint at him, trying to find any signs he's joking.
"Not in the slightest. They will never care about me like you all do." I say firmly.
"Oh thank god!" Tim says dramatically. I let my smile fall back into place.
"I could never leave you guys. You're my family." I state. They all blink at me slowly, as if comprehending what I just said.
"Does that make it weird for you to be dating Damian?"