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GUS

 

One of the things my dad always reinforced in my head was that living out and proud wasn’t always going to be accepted. No matter how much progress the world was making, there were still people in the world who hated anything different. It’s not like I didn’t expect that one day I’d get an example of it in my face, I just really didn’t need Al having to do anything but heal. 

 

It started innocently. A girl around my age came in asking if we needed anything. She stopped when she realized Al was sleeping, but didn’t leave right away. Instead she smiled at me, looking me up and down. I’d been zoned out thinking about what we were going to do after Al left the hospital, not really paying attention, but I could feel her looking at me. 

 

“It’s nice having family close, it staves off the boredom.” She tells me, flirting.

 

“Boredom is nice right now, it means nothing more to worry about.” I tell her, happy to be bored with Al.

 

“You don’t look like brothers, so close cousins or something? The girls have all been trying to figure it out. In case you missed it we’ve all sort of liked having the wall of hot guys around.” She tells me, winking at me.

 

“He’s my everything. But if you need to label it, my boyfriend.” Al said, staring a hole in the back of her head.

 

“Hey sleepy head.” I tell him, ignoring her.

 

She looked and him and me, barely concealing how she felt about that. Then left without saying a word. Al watched her walk out, not hiding his feelings about her flirting with me.

 

“Like I cared. Even if I wanted someone other than you, airheads aren’t it.” I tell him, leaning over and kissing his pout. Which he only does to get me to kiss him.

 

“I’ll reign it in. But you know, I was dreaming about us and woke up to see the wrong ass in front of me.” He tells me, pulling me down again.

 

The door opened and there stood my dad and Alice. Alice rolled her eyes at Dad’s scowling.

 

“I’m sure he learned it from having to watch you and Justin forget people were around. Payback is only fair.” She tells him.

 

“Al shouldn’t be straining anything.” Dad smirked at her.

 

“Honey, my baby boy has been without yours for a few weeks, I think it’s called relieving the back up. Which I’m sure you did the minute you took Justin home.” Alice tells him.

 

“Good point, it was a most satisfying couple of days.” Dad tells her.

 

‘If it wasn’t, you weren’t doing it right.” She answers him.

 

“It’s one thing I’ve always been accused of doing right.” he tells her, before turning to us. “Emmett is bringing you real food. He’s convinced the food here keeps the patients sick.” Dad tells us, nodding to the plate Al barely touched.

 

It was really the wrong time for the hospital administrator to come in the door, especially when Emmett, Drew, and Jus were following, carrying bags. She said she just wanted to apologize if the girl from earlier said anything to offend us, confusing Al and I, since she didn’t. The administrator noticed our confusion and said she must of been mistaken, and tried to get out of the room, only to be stopped by Aunt Daphne. 

 

“Maya, why don’t you tell everyone why you’re here.” Aunt Daphne tells her.

 

“Yes. Tell us.” Dad said, pulling Jus in front of him wrapping his arms around him tightly, watching her face.

 

“Is there some problem?” Alice asked, waiting when Maya wasn’t answering.

 

“Justin Taylor?” She asked, ignoring everyone.

 

“I am. But my husband asked you a question, and would like to know what the problem is.” Justin tells her.

 

“Daph?” Dad asked when there was still no answer.

 

“A few of the hospital aides were fighting for a chance to offer assistance to Al or Gus. The winner didn’t like hearing Al announce Gus was his boyfriend. Then she thought her aunt should enforce the hospital policy about only family being allowed in critical rooms.” Aunt Daphne tells us.

 

“I told you she’s an airhead. You aren’t in critical anymore.” I tell Al.

 

“What would her aunt have done if I was?” Al asks.

 

“Yes Maya, what would you have done?” Aunt Daphne asks.

 

“Asked her why she was in the room, and then explained that it was none of her business. You know me better than that.” Maya tells Daphne.

 

“I do. But you can’t just brush away what she said in front of other associates. She’s here to get credit for college. Part of that is showing that she does her job correctly. The private lives of the patients are not anyone’s business.” Aunt Daphne tells her.

 

“I’ll make sure this wing is off limits to her.” Maya tries.

 

“I can make sure the whole hospital is off limits.” Dad tells her.

 

“Daddy, I’m sick. Can you go kick ass outside while Gus kisses my boo boos?” Al smirks while my dad huffs a breath at the idea his life would include Al the smart ass.

 

Jus understood and got everyone to drop off everything and file out. Dad and Daphne walking off with the administrator.

 

“Cameron, Anna, and Jenny are planning to stop by later, call if you need us.” Jus tells me, following after Dad.

 

“Does it upset you?” I ask.

 

“It’s nothing we won’t deal with for the rest of our life anyway. Someone bitching because I got you is their problem, not mine.” He tells me.

 

“We need to talk about what we’re going to do after you leave here.” I tell him.

 

“It’s going to be a while before I can be back on active duty… I got lucky this time.” He tells me, whispering the last words. 

 

“Al?” I ask, since he’s never let me see that what he was doing scared him.

 

“If I’d stopped running even for a second… Dying doesn’t scare me, but leaving you does.” He tells me.

 

“Do you want to quit?” I ask. It’s something I couldn’t ask him to do, wouldn’t ask.

 

“I love what I do. But laying there, all I could think was that our last conversation was me having to cancel our plans. While I was laying under the debris, I remembered the first time we talked, saying to you that I wanted to be like Jus and be able to walk away from anything that would take me from the person I love.” He tells me.

 

“I wanted you for who you are, this is part of it. If I told you to choose between me or the team, I know what you’d do. Do you want to know why I don’t?” I ask.

 

“I think I do.” He tells me.

 

“I love you enough to accept everything that comes with being with you. I never enjoy the waiting around, and I hate knowing the only reason I know anything is through other people. The airhead is right, in most cases I wouldn’t have been allowed in the room with you, but it’s the same for a girlfriend.” I tell him.

 

“Yeah, but my parents wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.” He tells me.

 

“If I got hurt would you want to wait around until my dad’s got here to find out anything?” I ask.

 

“What are you really asking me?” He smiles.

 

“What I wanted to ask you before a building blew up around you. Marry me?” I ask.

 

“Just don’t use his last name. Does this mean we’ll all finally know what Al is really short for?” Jenny says, giggling as she comes in with Cameron and Anna.

 

“Should I tell them?” I joke.

 

“Do you know how long it took for me to make people forget it? Hey, I’ve got an idea, we can just get married and then tell everyone.” He says, nodding at me. For some reason he didn’t like his full name.

 

“I will so tell everyone, so forget it frogboy.” Jenny tells him.

 

Anna came to me to put her up next to Al, Cameron ignored Jenny and Al acting like two year olds together.

 

“You finally asked Gus?” Cameron asks him.

 

“What? But you were going to ask Al.” Jenny says, looking at me.

 

“Was that a yes?” I ask him.

 

“What other answer would there be?” He answers me.

 

“Dude, I just realized your last name is going to sound funny. Gus Speaks.” Cameron laughs.

 

“See, this is why I don’t talk about my first name. Al Speaks at least I could work with, since I love to talk.” Al tells me.

 

“Wait, did either of you say yes?” Jenny asks.

 

“Did we?” I ask.

 

“You know I’m the one with the head injury.” he tells me, leaning over to Anna and whispering in her ear.

 

“Gussy, he said bad word yes.” Anna says, rubbing noses with Al.  

 

“Lovely. Teaching my princess to be all I don’t want her to be, Algernon?” Dad says at the door.

 

“Thanks, Daddy.” Al says, just because my Dad hates it and it annoyed him that Dad always used the other arm forces slogans since he said they should have come to him when the Navy could have gone all sorts of sexy but picked ‘A global force for good.’ Dad like to snark they should be paying Yoda some royalties just to pick at him and Nick.

 

“Al, that’s Dada.” Anna tells him seriously.

 

“Anything for the princess, right Dada.” Al tells her, ignoring Jenny and Cameron snickering at his real name.

 

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