Work Text:
“I told you you need to stay in bed,” Gray said, and Nick whined.
“I feel like dead weight, Gray, can’t I do something? Paperwork!” Nick sat up, only for Xavier to gently push him back down. “I can do paperwork for you!”
“You don’t have to do anything, you were shot,” Gray huffed, giving Xavier a look, which the professor shook his head at.
Nick looked between them. “It was a misunderstanding. Ghetto and I have—”
“He knows, we know,” Xavier reassured, whacking Gray’s arm. “Anyone can be subject to manipulation, I’ve seen many intelligent minds fall victim. Ghetto’s a nice man, I see it in his eyes. The way he looks at you—”
Gray sighed and tapped Xavier’s back, noticing the blush that had come across Nick’s face and ears. “Let’s go, ‘kay? Let Nick rest,” Gray said, and Xavier waved his hand.
“Yeah, I just wanted to ask Nick a few things about Ghetto actually—”
“Professor, I insist.” Gray raised his eyebrows at Xavier, who shut his eyes and nodded.
“Alright then, some other time,” Xavier said, resting a delicate hand on Nick’s hurt shoulder for a moment before walking towards the door. Gray walked up to ruffle Nick’s hair, and then followed suit. Nick waved at them both, and Gray let Xavier leave first, hesitating and turning around.
Gray mouthed a ‘You’re welcome,’ and then left, shutting the door behind him. Nick scoffed and shook his head. He covered his face with his hands and groaned, staring idly up at the ceiling. He’d missed three days in a deep sleep, and another two sitting in bed recovering, and despite Xavier and Gray’s doting being admittedly nice, he felt bad that he wasn’t helping out with getting the CDC back into shape.
A soft knock on his door shook him out of his thoughts. He recognized it and smiled, sitting up. “Come in,” he said, and Ghetto poked his head through the door with two plates of food. He grinned at Nick and shut the door gently behind him.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Ghetto hummed, setting a plate on the nightstand by the bed. “Got you lunch, since you were just busted.”
Nick pouted. “I was not busted, I was... I was noticed, out of bed,” he said, putting the plate in his lap. Ghetto laughed and sat by Nick’s side, holding his own plate.
“Noticed,” Ghetto repeated, nodding. “They’re right, y’know, you should be resting, man, not going around asking marines if they need help with anything.”
“I just want things to get back to normal, alright?” Nick huffed, picking at his meal. “Or— better than normal, because now you’re here, and you weren’t before— I’m saying, man, I want this place to feel like home for you too.”
Ghetto blinked, then smiled in that wonderfully contagious way that always made Nick smile back. “Man, you’re so sweet, look, home is wherever my buddies are, right, well it’s— it’s wherever you are. So don’t worry about— about my feelings and stuff,” Ghetto explained, waving his fork and taking a bite of his food. Nick raised his shoulders and blushed again, avoiding eye contact as they both paused their conversation to get a few bites of food in.
“Has um,” Ghetto cleared his throat and looked towards the door, almost shrinking a bit, “has Xavier said anything? Are you healing right?”
Nick sensed the change in atmosphere and reached for Ghetto’s hand. Ghetto tensed at first, then relaxed, intertwining their fingers. “He said I’m gonna be just fine if I don’t put any strain on my shoulder. No irreversible damage, or anything, okay? It wasn’t your fault,” Nick reassured, and Ghetto sighed.
“Right, um, I’m glad you’re gonna end up okay. That’s what’s um, important,” Ghetto said, squeezing Nick’s hand before letting go. Nick reached out again, this time for Ghetto’s shoulder.
“Hey, are you alright, man? How’re you feeling?” Nick asked, and Ghetto scoffed and shook his head.
“Nick, don’t worry about me, I’m okay, you just, rest up,” Ghetto said, patting Nick’s hand. “Eat your food.”
Nick nodded and obliged. “What’s up with Shark and AK, they haven’t been in to visit much,” he asked, fake-pouting. Ghetto shrugged.
“Gray keeps them busy with stuff, I don’t think he wants people bugging you all the time. You’re popular, mister Lynx,” Ghetto chuckled, and Nick waved him off.
“Am not.”
“Are too,” Ghetto mocked, leaning towards Nick and poking his nose. Nick swatted his hands away and scrunched up his nose jokingly.
“Am not—”
The door opened, and Ghetto leaned away from Nick and sat up straight, almost burying his nose in his food. Xavier was holding a cup of water in one hand and two pills in the other, and after a moment of silence he gasped. “Oh, I’m interrupting! Terribly sorry,” he said, suppressing a laugh and setting the items in his hands on the nightstand hurriedly. “Painkillers, you better take them!”
“I— thanks, Xavier,” Nick said, half smiling and half wincing.
“Hey, doc,” Ghetto said, coughing. Xavier patted him on the back and retreated back to the door.
“I’ll leave you two alone, ah, sorry again,” he said, winking. Nick and Ghetto both blushed furiously and opened their mouths to protest the implication, but Xavier had gone, shutting the door behind him.
“Wow,” Ghetto breathed. “So he uh—”
“SO—” Nick cleared his throat. “So— so this is some good lunch!”
“Sure is!” Ghetto exclaimed, stabbing at the food with his fork. “Sooo good, man!”
“Yep!” Nick pressed his head to the headboard and grimaced while Ghetto wasn’t looking.
——
“Here are the morning’s painkillers, and a glass of water, how’s the pain.” Xavier knelt by Nick’s bed and placed a hand on his forehead. “You’re not warm.”
“I feel fine, just, a dull ache, like always,” Nick said, taking the glass of water.
“I’m sorry, dear, well, take these, you’ll feel a bit better, and oh! Gray sent Ghetto and some others out on a quick mission, he’ll be back in an hour or two, you’ll see him for your little lunch dates,” Xavier explained, smiling and standing back up. Nick choked on his water, and Xavier opened the door, but hesitated. “Nick?”
“They’re not— Ghetto and I aren’t— we’re not dating,” Nick coughed out, and Xavier’s eyes widened. He shut the door again.
“That’s— oh!” It set in, and his shoulders slumped. “Oh. Oh, about yesterday, I’m sorry, I could’ve sworn— well you were just so sad while he was gone, and everyone was telling me how close you had been, how you were together since the beginning, I guess I—”
Xavier paused, and looked at Nick’s bright red face. “Oh. I see. You’ve... you’ve got it bad!”
Nick gasped and held out a hand. “No, I don’t!”
“Young love!” Xavier clapped. “Crushes and all! I need to go, but if you ever need any help—”
“I— I got it, don’t—” Nick groaned. “Don’t tell him.”
Xavier held up his right hand. “Swear on my college textbooks! I’ll see you later, like I said, Ghetto will be back in time for lunch,” he said, grinning and leaving the room.
“Bye— Xavier,” Nick sighed, putting his head in his hands.
——
It was around midnight when Nick, awake and staring up at the ceiling, heard the familiar soft knock on his door. He frowned and propped himself up on his elbows. “Come in,” he said, and Ghetto stepped inside. “What are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t really sleep,” Ghetto admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh, maybe I’m not as fine as I said.”
Nick nodded and scooted over, patting a space beside him in bed. Ghetto sighed and walked over, sitting down and leaning on the headboard. It was quiet for a little while, Ghetto watching the door and Nick watching him. Nick knew.
“It’s Jordan, right?” Nick asked, and Ghetto huffed, laying down next to Nick and shoving his hand under his head. Nick turned his head to look at Ghetto. “I miss him too, I miss him so much.”
“I cannot believe he was used like that. To drive a rift between us, or, whatever,” Ghetto mumbled. “Nick, I loved that kid. We— we loved him. And Red used him like that, after Seaport, after we became his family? That’s not fair. None of this is fucking fair and—” He covered his face with his hands. “I’m— my thoughts are— they’re going fucking crazy about it, I can’t stop thinking about him, and— and you, and I just want to sleep, y’know? I need someone to ground me right now.”
Nick blushed and nodded. “You can stay here. I probably need someone to ground me a bit too, if I’m being honest,” he said, reaching for the covers and pulling them over them both. “You can sleep here. Let’s both try to— try to sleep, now.”
“‘Kay,” Ghetto whispered, rubbing his eyes and laying his hands on his chest.
Nick let out a deep breath. “We’re gonna turn out okay, y’know. This place. Us. It’ll all be okay here, because we’re together again.”
“God, I missed you,” Ghetto scoffed, shaking his head. “I missed you so goddamn much.”
“I missed you too,” Nick said. “I’m so glad you’re okay, I know I say that all the time.”
“You’re so funny, you have the bullet hole in you and you always say you’re glad I’m okay,” Ghetto said, cracking a smile. “I appreciate it. I’m glad you’re okay too. Or— you know.”
“I know. Thanks.” Nick shut his eyes and smiled. “We should sleep.”
“Yeah. Night, man.”
“Night.”
——
“Nick,” Xavier whispered, opening the door. “Nick are you—”
Nick was laying on his back, as instructed, and Ghetto was on his side, an arm wrapped around Nick, holding him close. They were both asleep, chests rising and falling peacefully. Xavier smiled and backed out, shutting the door and leaving them be.