Two hospital doors stood still across from each other. They were an ugly purple color, with dents and scratches ruining the paint job.
Room 236 was marked, 'D Oldbrooke.' Inside were two sisters. Only one was conscious, and the other was breathing out of a machine. The younger one, the conscious one, had dark purple bags drooping down from her eyes. Her face was pale and her lips were blueish purple. She looked worse than her sick sister, but sleep was the only thing she needed. She didn't need to breath out of a machine, or get stuck with needles, or wear a revealing hospital gown. She needed to sleep for the first time in four days. Her shirt was light gray, and a dark red metal name tag was clipped onto it, it was engraved with, 'Angelica'. She was completely bent over in a fetal position, with her head in her hands on her lap. Her fingers were playing with loose fabric that strayed from the unintentional rip on her knee.
Room 242 was marked, 'M Parker.' Inside was a single old woman. Her face was wrinkled and saggy, and the hair on her head was thinning and graying. She hadn't been alone for long, her nephew had been there not even ten minutes ago. MJ had been there, too. But she left earlier in the day.
Angelica took her face out of her hands and stood up slowly, her bones and joints cracking with every movement. She yawned and stretched her hands above her head, making her shirt lift and reveal the bottom of her stomach. Two more joints cracked, her shoulder and her back. She exhaled loudly and trotted towards the door, pulling it open and yanking herself through.
She crossed the hall and tapped her knuckles on the door softly, waiting for a response. She heard Aunt May's sweet voice, "come in."
Angelica obeyed, slipping into the room. She looked at the older woman kindly, "how are you feeling?"
"Homesick," Aunt May sighed.
Angelica nodded, understandingly, "you'll be home soon."
May glanced at the empty seat next to her and gestured at it, "sit, dear. I have to talk to you."
Jolie obeyed, sitting in the purple-ish blue-ish loveseat chair. Brought her right knee up to her chest and hugged it, "everything okay?"
"Of course," May assured. She sighed deeply, "this is about Thanksgiving."
A blush dusted Angelica's cheeks- Aunt May was the last person she wanted to hear Norman's rant, "I'm sorry-"
"For nothing. You have nothing to be sorry about. Your exit was justified."
"So..." Angelica trailed off, waiting for Aunt May to say something.
May sighed deeply, fixing the covers that were on top of her before looking Jolie in the eyes, "it's none of my business, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way... but I think you'd be a fool if you let that boy get away."
Angelica's eyes widened at May's words, "wha- Harry?"
"Yes," she chuckled, as if it were so obvious, "if only you'd seen him after you left.. I mean it, that boy was a mess. Peter and Mary Jane went on a walk to break the tension, he and I stayed behind to clean up... a mess, Jolie, a real mess."
Angelica looked down, an image of the brown haired boy flashing in her mind.
May waited for her to say something, but she didn't, "I see a lot of Ben and I when I look at you two. Ben had his own world aside from the one I was in with him, he never let me in on it. Harry... told me about what happened between you two in the staircase. He asked for my advice. I told him that if what he said was true, he needed to prove it."
The blush hadn't left Angelica's cheeks, "what if he changes his mind? What if he decides that Norman's opinion is more important? I couldn't handle that, May."
She smiled, "you never know what something could be unless you try."
"But-"
"No buts," May interrupted. "Harry loves you... very much. It would be such a shame if you let something, especially Norman Osborn, ruin that."
"I don't want to be the reason Harry and his father don't have a relationship," Angelica confessed. There it was, the reason behind it all, the reason she was so afraid. "I want him to be happy. And if I'm getting in the way of that, I'd leave in a heartbeat."
"Harry's relationship with his father was never ideal. You know that," May reasoned. "From what he told me, he'd choose you over him every time."
"Maybe he shouldn't," Angelica was staring in the distance, but still listening intently.
"You need to think about yourself for once," May scolded.
"It's hard when all I ever think about is him."
That one slipped.
May smiled and crossed her arms in an 'I called it' way. She seemed to open her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by a knock at the door.
They both turned towards the entrance, expecting a fifty year old doctor to walk in. Instead, a sleep deprived eighteen year old did.
"May," he shot her a smile before he noticed Angelica sitting across from her. His expression seemed to lift, his eyes widening, "Jolie." There was a bouquet of tulips in his hands.
"Hello," both of the women said at the same time.
He set the flowers down on the table and walked over to May, "how're you feeling?" He kissed her cheek.
"I'm doing just fine," May yawned. "I am feeling particularly tired, though."
"I'll get out of your hair," Angelica assured, standing up awkwardly.
"Feel better soon, May," Harry smiled, backtracking his steps from the door.
"Go enjoy your Saturday, sweethearts," the door closed with a thud.
Angelica looked back at Harry, who was already looking at her. It was awkward for a second, but then he spoke, "I went to your house earlier."
Angelica nodded, "I went to yours too."
"I wasn't home," he stated.
"I saw that."
"I was out," he started walking with Jolie as they walked down the hall.
"I figured," Jolie chuckled, and Harry looked at her from the corner of his eye.
She stopped abruptly at the elevator door, despite the doors being open. Harry continued to walk, oblivious to her sudden stop. He turned to face her as he positioned himself in the elevator, confusion washing over his face as he saw her not following. She glanced over at Dylan's room, then back at him.
He sighed, "please come take a walk with me. I just want to talk to you."
She glanced once more at the purple door marked 236, and shuffled next to him in the elevator. He pressed the 'lobby' button and Angelica watched as the doors closed them in.
"I've missed you", she whispered.
A light smile lifted onto his face, "I've missed you too."
"I'm sorry I've been... not around. I've been pretty busy."
"I figured. Where's Sammy?" He seemed genuinely interested. But Harry was always interested in everything having to do with Angelica.
"With Nate's parents," Jolie answered. "They came to get her as soon as I got here with Pete."
"Oh... you came with Peter?"
"I caught him as he was leaving your place, I offered him a ride," she remembered. He smiled, and looked down at her.
"You're a good friend."
I wish my dad would see that.
She smiled and stared at the elevator numbers that were gradually getting smaller, "how've you been?"
"I could've been better," he shrugged. She looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed and he gave her a cheeky smile, "I've been missing you."
"Have you talked to..."
"I was going to. After I visited May. This is going to sound really dumb, but I've-"
"Been asking for her advice," she finished. He looked shocked. "It slipped. She wanted to talk about it."
"I can't blame her. We really put on a show," he shrugged with a guilty expression written on his face. "How've you been?"
"I've been... hanging in there."
"Dylan... is she getting better?" They finally landed on the first floor, and the elevator doors opened with a ping.
"I wish I could say yes, but her brain activity is getting lower and lower..." she trailed off as they found themselves in front of a crowd of people waiting to get into the elevator.
"It's not a coma, right?" He put his hand on her back, leading her through the large crowd, and kept it there.
"It's getting there," she sighed, walking out of the automatic doors.
"How is Nate holding up?" They started walking along the sidewalk.
"Horribly. He's a fucking mess," he took his hand off of her back to flatten a piece of hair that was sticking up in her bun.
"You think he can handle watching Sammy?" Harry's hand fell to his side, and Angelica grabbed it with hers. She didn't even realized she did it.
"No. He hasn't been, either," she shook her head.
"Who's been watching her? His parents?"
"No, I have."
"What about your work schedule?" There was a hint of concern in his voice.
"I've been juggling it. I went part time, and when I am at work she's at the daycare across from Johnny's," she shrugged. "I make it work."
"You went part time? And enrolled her in Miracles?" Even more concern laced through his voice. It was no secret that Mircacles was expensive and entirely out of Angelica's price range.
"I had to. But like i said, I'm making it work."
If 'making it work' includes selling half of your belongings, I'm basically the best at it right now.
"How about-"
"No," Angelica said sternly. She knew that he was about to ask if he could help in some type of way.
"Just-"
"No!" She crossed her arms stubbornly.
"But I can-"
"Harold Theopolis Osborn, drop it," she pointed a finger at him. "I'm serious, I have everything under control."
"Angelica June Oldbrooke how dare you use my government name," he dramatically gasped. "Seriously, Jolie, let me help you. I can watch her, I work from home."
"No, Harry. This is my family's problems, you shouldn't have to deal with them," she tried to convince.
"Tell me when you get her next, i'll come over-"
"You can't," she interrupted again.
"I'm banned?" he laughed, and she chuckled with him.
"I-" had to sell almost everything I own and I don't want you to know, "no, you're not banned, dummy. I don't want to inconvenience you."
"You're not inconveniencing me, Jolie. I want to help," he scolded.
Angelica rolled her eyes, "fine, you stubborn little shit." He smiled, and it went back to silence. Their steps were in sync, and their hands were still intertwined. They wound up in the back of the hospital, still following the concrete trail.
A minute went by of just the sound of birds chirping, wind whizzing and shoes hitting the concrete pavement, then Harry finally spoke, "I'm talking to my father today. Because I meant what I said, and what I wrote." His words began to cluster together when he said, "I'm sorry you had to get mixed up with that, and I'm sorry you had to hear what he said. But you're the most amazing-person-I've-ever-met-and-it's-killing-me-not-being-around-you. Everything he said about you was wrong, and I know that there's something between us, and I know you feel it too. I know you felt those sparks when we kissed in your apartment, and it has to be impossible for only one person to feel so damn infatuated with someone while the other feels nothing." He ran out of breath after his confession, and they both seemed to stop walking and face each other.
"Harry-"
"And I'm usually not one of those guys that girls should trust in a relationship, but I've never felt this way for anyone other than you. I don't know how a real relationship is supposed to look, and I didn't grow up surrounded by good ones, but I feel like it would be so easy to be with you. It would be right," he was rambling super fast again as soon as he caught his breath.
"Harry!" Jolie calmed him down by grabbing his face and making him look directly in her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before Angelica smiled and breathed out, "I love you too."
{January 30, 2022. 3:30 p.m. 2191 words.)
Dokie updated! It's about time.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. There's going to be two more chapter of this act, and then onto Act Two!
I love these two idiots so much tbh
comment and let me know how you felt about this chapter! I would love you guys' input.
Have a good day/night/evening/morning :)
And if you haven't heard it yet: you're doing awesome, and I love you <3
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