^^^***Nate concept art included***^^^
Nate gently placed Nyx into the back seat of his mother's van as Danny and Nerissa got in on the other side. Rhys was sitting in the passenger seat after he had already placed an unconscious Soul into another seat in the back, he was leaning his head against the head rest and breathing deeply to combat the burning pain all over his body.
"Keep an eye on her." Nate said quietly as he buckled Nyx's seatbelt and looked at Danny.
"Of course." Danny responded as he placed a hand on Nyx's forehead, Danny got slightly worried when he noticed that she felt warm. "She's warm, probably a side effect of that psycho's mind control. Who the hell was that guy?" Danny asked Nate as he got into the driver's seat and turned on the van. Nate and Rhys exchanged a look before Nate exhaled deeply.
"That was my dad." He said quietly. Danny looked at Nate with a shocked expression.
"That was your father?" Danny asked in disbelief. "What is with everyone's parents being crazy?" Danny asked rhetorically before he placed a hand on Nyx's arm. It was cold, contrasted with her fever that was not good. "Uh... Nyx's body temperature is all over the place. What do we do?"
"Why are you asking us? You're the smart one." Rhys chimed in as he tilted his head backwards slightly.
"Well excuse me if I don't know what to do when someone is unconscious after being mind controlled. They didn't teach us that at school." Danny said with extreme sarcasm to hide his genuine worry. He didn't want to risk losing another friend.
Nate sighed as he glanced at Nyx through the rearview mirror and turned the key in the ignition. "I'm sorry, Danny. We didn't mean to pressure you like that...let's just...get her back to the house and put her in bed. You know, keep her comfortable until she wakes up." Nate pressed on the gas and they all started driving away from the Estate.
"You really wanna go back to the lake?" Rhys chimed in and he adjusted his posture. "Kuroi knows where that place is, it's not safe as long as he's alive."
"You mean you didn't kill him?" Nate glanced at Rhys in disbelief.
"No, he ran away like a coward. Besides, what are you so shocked about? You didn't kill your old man!" Rhys shot back at him with a bit of attitude.
"Can you really blame me, Rhys? Yeah, he's a psycho and does horrible things just for a paycheck...but he's my dad. Besides, I just wanted to get Nyx out of there." Nate said quietly as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"Hey, I get it dude. Let's just be glad that we all got out alive." Rhys responded as he turned his head to look out the window.
"It's unlikely that Kuroi will attack again so soon anyway. Rhys messed him up pretty good." Danny added as he felt Nyx's forehead again, still warm.
As Nate and Rhys continued talking, Danny turned over to Nerissa and placed a hand on hers. "You okay?" He asked her softly enough so the others didn't hear.
Nerissa turned her head to look him in the eyes. "I will be...I just...I thought you were gunna die..." Nerissa's voice broke as she whispered back to him.
Danny leaned over and hugged her tightly. "I know...I thought so too...but hey, I'm alive, you're alive. We're all alive, it's okay..." Danny's voice was calm and smooth and it put Nerissa's mind at ease slightly. However, she knew that the things she saw tonight wouldn't leave her mind for a long time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door to the lake house swung open and Rhys entered first, carrying Soul princess style as she was still unconscious. Nate entered next, carrying Nyx. Rhys started climbing the staircase with Soul as Danny and Nerissa entered after them.
"I'm gunna put her to bed, then probably go to bed myself....I'm over tonight." Rhys said casually as he climbed higher up the stairs.
"Actually..." Nerissa piped up and all eyes landed on her. "If you all would meet me in the bathroom, I'll heal your wounds. Nate, you can put Nyx to bed since she isn't physically injured...she needs rest." Nerissa said solemnly before she released Danny's hand for the first time since exiting the van and headed upstairs. The group looked at each other before beginning to move upstairs, one after the other.
Nate entered Nyx's room with her cradled in his arms, his favorite place for her to be. He gently placed her down on her bed before he moved down to her feet and removed her shoes so she would be more comfortable. He gently placed the shoes on the ground before he pulled up the covers up to her chin so she wouldn't get cold. Nate then stopped and looked at her for a moment, his heart beginning to hurt.
I'm such a chicken shit. He thought to himself and he clutched his fists. I just froze up...and Gabriel almost made her kill all of us...what would've happened to her then? Nate sighed as he closed his eyes and breathed for a moment before he turned around to go to the bathroom to get healed up.
When he entered the bathroom, Rhys was already finished up and gone, he assumed he went to bed already. Nate watched as Nerissa brought a glowing ball of water into Danny's chest. It soaked through his shirt and into his skin as Danny sighed in relief, his wounds closing and fading away.
"Thank you, Neri." Danny said quietly with a small smile. Nerissa only responded with a weak smile and a nod. Danny stood up and turned around to see Nate standing in the doorway.
Nate smirked at him faintly before bringing up his hand and patting his shoulder twice. "Thanks for coming back safely." He said before Danny nodded with a faint smile before he walked past him.
Danny was exhausted as he walked slowly down the hall with his hand on his head. He had almost died in that fight, he was expecting to die in that fight. He cursed under his breath when he thought about how it would affect Nerissa. His last words to her would've been look away. Not exactly profound...
Danny's body told him to stop when he came to Nyx's door. The door itself was slightly ajar and he could see her, sleeping soundly in her bed. He peeked down the hall towards the bathroom before he slowly opened the door and walked inside. He just wanted to check on her fever again. He walked up to her bedside and placed the back of his hand on her forehead. It was still warm, not any worse or better than before. He took a deep breath as his gaze softened on her face. Danny lifted his hand off of her forehead before he clutched it into a fist next to his own head, expressing his frustration with himself.
God dammit...why are these feelings not going away? Danny dropped his hand as he leaned his head back with a deep sigh. He suddenly heard movement at the door and looked to see Nate standing there with a washcloth in his hand.
"Hey...what're you doing here?" Nate asked in a whisper as he walked past him and placed the washcloth on Nyx's forehead.
"I just came to check on her fever again, it hasn't gotten any better but it also hasn't gotten any worse." Danny whispered in response as he rubbed the back of his own neck. "Where's Neri?"
"She went to bed. I assume she is pretty exhausted." Nate responded as he lifted Nyx's desk chair off the ground slightly and moved it next to her bed, making as little noise as possible. He didn't sit down though. "Danny, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me." Danny's heart fluttered slightly with anxiety. There was an infinite number of things that Nate could ask him, but Danny feared the worst.
"Okay, sure." Danny responded, not letting on how scared he was.
Nate took a deep breath before he spoke. "Did something happen between you and Nyx the other night?" Danny's heart slammed against his ribs. There it was, the worst possible question.
"What are you talking about?" Danny asked him as he put on his best confused voice. Nyx had made him promise not to tell anyone about what she did, or more like what she almost did. He didn't want to betray that trust.
"I saw you guys coming back from the woods the night of that big thunderstorm. Your arm was around her and she was wearing your jacket." Danny's eyes widened slightly when Nate looked at him with a stern gaze. "I saw you through the window. I just want the truth, Danny."
Danny was speechless for a moment, his mind racing for some sort of excuse. He had no idea how Nate would react if he found out the truth, but he was honestly afraid to find out. "Nothing happened, Nate. She was having a hard time after what happened at our first visit to the Erebus Estate and I was the only one who was awake to talk to. We went for a walk in the woods, she got cold so I gave her my jacket. That's all that happened." Danny's hands trembled as he lied through his teeth. He never was a very good liar.
Of course, Nate saw right through it. "I can tell when you're lying, Danny. Besides, if that was all that happened, Nyx would've told me. She tells me a lot more than you think." Nate said sternly as he locked eyes with Danny, who stiffened at his gaze.
Shit.
"Danny..." Nate whispered as he locked eyes with Danny, his eyes flashing red as he activated his newly figured out ability. Danny's eyes widened as they turned red to match Nate's. "What happened between you and Nyx that night?"
Danny's breath hitched in his throat and it felt like his mouth was moving all on its own and the truth came pouring out. "I couldn't sleep and I heard the front door shut...so I looked out the window and saw Nyx going into the woods alone, so I followed her...I followed her to a cliff where she was sitting and looking at the view before I got a disturbing vision...in the vision I saw her step off the ledge...to end her life..." Nate's eyes widened in horror as he listened, while Danny kept speaking as he stared back. "When I came out of the vision I saw her about to do it...so I did the only thing that came to mind and dove after her...I clutched her tightly enough that she couldn't pry me off, instead she used her ability to lift us back up to the safety of the ledge...she told me that she wanted her life to end because of her ability...and she was afraid that your feelings for her had changed...I didn't tell you because she made me promise not to." Danny finished his explanation before he just stared at Nate with an empty, red eyed gaze. Nate blinked a few times in quick succession as he released his ability. Danny took in a sharp breath as he stumbled slightly, using the bed as leverage to stay standing.
Danny quickly looked at Nate with fear in his eyes. "Nate...I'm sorry, I know I should've told you but I-" Danny was interrupted when Nate rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "Nate?" Danny asked softly, confused as to why Nate was hugging him right now after what he had just said.
"I don't care that you didn't tell me. I'm sorry I used my ability like that to drag it out of you. You were there when I wasn't...you saved her life...I can't even begin to thank you enough for that." Nate's voice broke slightly as he spoke, his hands trembling as he thought of the disturbingly small variable that was whether or not Danny had been awake that night.
Nate released Danny before the two stood there awkwardly for a moment. Danny could tell that Nate was shaken up, most likely from being forced to fight off Nyx and losing. Also, the new information he had just received probably didn't help. "You don't have to thank me. I couldn't let her die like that while I could do something about it. Like I said, I'm sick of people dying while I can't do anything, and losing her? That would be a huge loss." Danny whispered with a determined tone.
"I know...I just...can't imagine my life without her." Nate whispered as he looked at her still sleeping soundly in her bed. He leaned down and moved a strand of hair off her face. "When my dad took control of her like that...it instilled a kind of fear in me that I never thought I'd feel. I just....froze up. I couldn't do what needed to be done to ensure everyone's safety....I couldn't hurt her." Nate whispered as he continued to look at Nyx's face, her calm and peaceful presence made him feel a bit better...but still guilty.
"Nate, you do understand that's why Gabriel chose to control her, right? He knew that you wouldn't be able to hurt her, and it's possible that he knew that Nyx is easily the most powerful out of all of us." Danny responded quietly, he had accidentally entered brainiac mode. "Sorry...thinking out loud helps me cope." Danny whispered with a small chuckle.
"It's okay, you're right. That sadist found the one weakness I have that he could easily exploit." Nate chuckled as well, he knew his weakness, but there was nothing he could do about it. Danny smiled as he watched Nate reach down and gently pet Nyx's hair to smooth it down. These feelings about her that Danny had were definitely complicated, but that didn't necessarily mean they were bad. Danny wanted nothing but happiness for her, even if he couldn't be the one to give her the happiness she deserved. Danny took a deep breath, he could still be there for her whenever Nate couldn't be. Just like the night he saved her life. He could be a friend, an extra set of eyes to watch over her and keep her safe...and maybe that's enough. Even though it hurt sometimes, the pain was worth it.
"I'm heading to bed." Danny whispered as he turned to leave the room. "You coming?"
"Nah." Nate whispered in response as he glanced at him before looking back at Nyx and sitting in the chair he'd brought over. "I'm gunna stay in here for a bit longer."
Danny smiled. "Okay, man." He whispered sincerely before he left the room, leaving Nate alone with her as she slept soundly. Understanding that Nate probably didn't want to leave her alone until she woke up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, Nyx's eyes fluttered open, but it felt like she hadn't slept very much at all. She stared at the ceiling for a while as she searched her memory for answers. The most disturbing thing about the events of the previous night was that she remembered being mind controlled. It wasn't like she had fallen asleep and suddenly woke up in her bed the next day. She could still see through her eyes and was conscious about what she was doing, but she literally couldn't control her body. Like she was trapped in a cage that looked just like her.
Nyx took a deep breath before she turned her head to look around her room, a small smile crept onto her face when she saw Nate next to her. He was asleep sitting in her desk chair next to the bed, sitting lazily with his head down and his arms crossed. It seemed like he wasn't fully asleep, just stuck in that strange limbo between consciousness and drifting to sleep. She moved her arm out from under the blanket and lightly placed her hand on his knee. This was enough to break him out of the sleepy limbo and he lifted his head with sudden clarity.
"Nyx, you're awake..." He whispered with an exhausted sigh of relief before he leaned forward and took her hand in his. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"
Nyx smiled at him, taking a moment before she responded. "I feel...strange. I know that I slept all night, but I'm still so exhausted."
"I know." Nate said in a kind tone as he reached forward with his free hand and placed it on her cheek. "You can rest all day if you want."
Nyx closed her eyes and smiled as she leaned into his comforting touch, but overwhelming guilt started to creep its way into her mind. "Nate...I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked slightly as her eyes began to mist.
"Don't do that. You had no control of your actions, you have no reason to apologize, Hermosa." Nate whispered at her with a small smile, trying to show his sincerity.
Nyx smiled softly at the nickname before her smile faded just as fast. "That doesn't make me any less remorseful. I hurt you...I hurt Soul...he used me like a weapon...I just-" Nyx was interrupted when Nate quickly leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Nyx was shocked at first before she relaxed and closed her eyes, feeling every worry of the outside world fade away.
Nate pulled away from the kiss with his eyes still closed, savoring the intoxicating feeling. He opened his heart-stopping green eyes and looked at her, "I don't know what I was thinking before....I don't want to waste another second without you being mine. My feelings for you have never changed, never wavered, never halted. What happened last night definitely didn't make me love you any less." Nate sounded so genuine that it makes Nyx smile brightly. She suddenly felt so warm and...complete. She closed her eyes as she sighed deeply, still exhausted and wanting to sleep more.
Nate gently rubbed her cheek with this thumb, "Get some sleep, Hermosa. You need it." He asked before he stood up to leave the room. He halted in place when he felt a tug on his shirt, he looked down to see Nyx holding his shirt in her hand.
"Stay with me...please." Nyx whispered with her eyes still closed, she released his shirt and scooted over in bed, making space for him to lie next to her.
"Of course." Nate smiled warmly as he got in bed next to her. His chest felt warm when she scooted closer to him and rested her head on his chest. He could feel the tension leaving her body as he pulled her closer, finally having her in his arms where she belonged. "Has anyone told you how comfortable you are?" Nate whispered quietly before he realized she was sleeping soundly in his arms.
Nate leaned down and kissed her head before he leaned his head back. It wasn't long before he fell asleep himself, feeling more at peace than he had in a long time. Both of them felt more at peace than they had since the day that they were just innocent high school seniors.
However, they weren't just innocent high school seniors anymore. Their world had changed drastically over the past year. Not everything had changed for the worse however. They made new friends, they had realized just how strong they really were. They had gone through hardships that people as young as them shouldn't even have to imagine, but they came out on top. They found strength, resolve, adaptation, and most importantly, they found a new family that had proven, time and time again, that they would always be there for them. No matter what.