Chapter 85 - Am I ever going to have a proper update schedule? (no)

POV: Aiden

"Goodbye Aiden..." all of a sudden, blood started pouring out of Nero's eyes and the white of his eyes turned black. I grabbed onto him and in desperation called out his name over and over again, to make the bleeding stop.

But blood started pouring everywhere and suddenly, the entire room was red and we're swimming in a pool of blood. He was just standing there, looking lifeless while I was clawing at him, telling him to come back to me.

Nero... Nero... Nero...

"NERO!" I jolted myself awake, gasping for large amounts of air. I probably would've sat up but the immense pain in all my muscles prevented me to do any such movement. My forehead was damp and I assumed it was sweat, only to realise there was wet cloth there. Meaning it was a combination of water and sweat.

Hold on. Where'd this come from? Wait, where the fuck am I?

I test my neck out, seeing whether it was impossible to move and surprisingly, it was fine. So, I studied my surrounding, in case I was kidnapped by Brad and friends because holy hell, this place is owned by some rich fucker.

Two of the items in the room was probably the cost of Nero's entire apartment.

Oh my god, Nero!

The last memory of Nero essentially losing his mind reignited my panic and I found myself trying to get out of bed, ignoring all the pain receptors firing off in my body. I was about halfway through to sitting up when I was pushed back down my large hands out of nowhere.

My body was in full fight/flight/freeze response and I was ready to punch the fucker with my injured hands but a familiar deep voice froze me halfway.

"Unless you want to be permanently disabled, I recommend not getting out of bed after waking up from unconsciousness for the first time."

My body relaxed but only a tiny bit. I whipped my head to the side to find Erwin laying down sideways with his hands keeping his head up. I was beyond confused and it apparently showed on my face because his half ticked off, half concerned look shifted into a half amused, half concerned look.

"I... Erwin? What the hell are you doing here?" And why am I in the bed with you? This does bad things to my heart.

Erwin's amusement grew and he tutted in humour. "Tch, is that really the question you ask your caretaker for the past day and a half?"

"Caretaker? What are you on about?"

"No, I think the question you should ask is where am I and what happened. Also, how could Erwin be so handsome."

I automatically sniped back. "Don't tell me what to do and I'll ask whatever the hell I want. And you're not handsome, why would I ask that? That's a big fucking lie and we both know that.

Erwin grasped at his heart in mock hurt. "Even while severely injured, you send your saviour such hurtful words."

"Saviour?" Images flash through my head at that moment and I realised it was moments before I passed out. Erwin and Leo busting through the door. Erwin approaching me, calling out my name in sheer panic. Me saying my last words before passing out.

"Oh..." I breathed out, revelation hitting me.

Erwin's smirk turned softer into a gentler smile. "You finally recalled what I'm referring to?"

"Yeah," I breathed out. "I... thank you... for helping us out... and finding us. Wait," I tried to scramble up but pain shot up my spine, arm, torso, ribs and everywhere and I quickly gave up with a pained groan. Erwin was quickly concerned again and looked ready to scold me but talked before he could get out a word.

"How the fucking hell did you guys find us?"

A proud look rested on my boss's face. "Because we're geniuses? Before we get to that, however, you just woke up for the first time since blacking out so I'm going to call in the doctor to check you out first and then we can do the talking."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Cocky much?"

"I have the right to be."

"Are we going to the hospital then?" I never really liked the hospital so my stomach had nervous butterflies.

"No, Leo's got an in-house doctor who's actually downstairs right now so I'll go get him."

"Leo?"

"All will be explained soon." With that, Erwin got off the bed and left the room to get the doctor.

The doctor was a nice (and clumsy) man who loved to make conversation. Dr. Anne was extremely relieved to see me awake and was worried that I was actually in some coma and he wasn't doing his job right. I discovered although I can't entirely move my arm, my wrist joints were fine and my hands were free to do their own thing. My legs were kind of out of commission though. They managed to put a cast around it while I was dead to the world. Every other part of my body was mainly bruised and sore.

The final verdict was I had to rest in bed for at least another day or two before I could attempt to walk around. I could also go home, only if someone were with me for the two days, mainly so they stopped me from constantly moving up and walking around as well as taking care of me. I told her I'd organise that later.

After she left the room, Erwin informed me that Leo was supposed to come in to visit me but when Erwin to call him from the other room, Leo was found cuddled up, sleeping with Nero and he refused to wake him. I commended him for his great deed and relief washed over me at the mention of my best friend.

Erwin sat back down next to me on the bed and focussed on me. "You think you're well enough to sit up and save all our asses now?"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean? I mean like, I can't get up without my arms dying and the backboard would probably be too hard on my back. So probably not?"

"If you leaned against something softer, would it be better?"

"I- I guess? But like I said getting up-"

Winwin rudely interrupted, "Ok this is going to hurt for a bit but the pain will subside after a short while."

"What are- WOAH!"

I was being lifted by the armpits and dragged across until I found myself sitting between Erwin's legs with my back against his chest and his arms around my waist. Yes, I was in bewilderment but I was more in pain and kept yelping out ouch and "pain" every single time my muscle ached. Honestly, his chest was barely softer than the bed's headboard.

In response, Erwin apologised constantly next to my ears and kept trying to soothe me down by tracing circles on my abdomen, causing my stomach to clench. It was when his fingers slipped underneath my shirt (accidentally) and the circles were traced on my direct skin that the pain was forgotten (and subsided) and I was instead struggling to try to keep my blush (and arousal) down.

With my voice hitching initially, I pretended he was not intimately touching me and asked, "S-So now that I'm up, what do you need me to do?"

Erwin hummed. "I need you to get rid of our traces from the incident."

"Ah, you need my god level hacking skills?"

"Indeed I do."

"Isn't it too late though? It's been a day and so. I'm surprised I haven't woken up in a prison cell."

"We managed to keep the police away from the scene of the crime by giving them false information and traces. We also did the same with the Killuc family as well. So far, it's working out but it's probably going to go bust in a day."

"It's a good thing I woke up when I did then. The task won't take me more than half a day max. You got a laptop nearby." Please be nearby so we don't have to move.

And nearby it was. Erwin got it from the side table and placed it on my lap.

"Ok, I need you to open the laptop and go into an incognito browser. I'll take it from there. I'll also need you to lift my arms so my wrists are resting on the laptop. These muscles can't lift themselves," I instructed.

Erwin nodded and went through with his assigned tasks. Once done, his arms went back around my waist (my heart skipped a beat) and suggested, "If it's not too much of a distraction for you, I can answer your questions while you do all that."

I stopped typing and looked up at him with an appreciative smile. "Yeah, that'd be nice but are you sure you want to see all this boring hacking stuff?"

"Mhm, I'm curious about your line of work behind the scenes, even if I get none of it."

I laughed out loud and went back to the laptop. "Alright, first question is how's Nero doing?"

"Of course, he's the priority. Leo texted me saying he had woken up but I don't know exactly how he's doing. Leo immediately stopped replying after he notified me and so I assumed he was giving the other man his full attention. But I'm assuming he's doing better than before, considering he moved to cuddle with his boss."

I snickered. "Yeah fair enough. I guess I'll bother him later. So, where are we?"

"Leo's humble abode. It was easier to bring you both here considering John was a phone call away and both of you guys' strong reluctance against the hospital."

"Smart men. You'd also be reluctant if you lied to the government that your Oddity isn't what you said it was to be."

Erwin raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You lied about your Oddity."

"Not me, Nero did."

"Ah, yeah I can see why. He'd be under watch constantly otherwise, considering his power is one of the most powerful and feared Oddities to exist. The fact that I came in contact with such legend is still unbelievable to me." He rested his chin on top of my head and I felt my entire body heat up.

"Yeah and he'd be constantly targeted by different. Huge hindrance for our line of work. Anyway, we went completely off track there. How on earth did you guys find us?"

Erwin's proud smirk from earlier came back and he retold the entire process up until they got to do the abandoned factory.

I stopped typing and looked back at him, impressed. "I never thought I'd say that spilling our little secret was the best decision ever made. I can't even imagine what would've happened if..." I felt my mood turning sour, so I quickly shook my head and went back to clearing out our traces. "Never mind that though. I can vouch for Nero when I say we're both very impressed by your Sherlock skills and neither of us will ever underestimate you guys as much as we do now."

"Which is how much exactly?" Erwin asked with a single curious eyebrow raised.

I gave him my cheeky smile. "You don't need to know. Ok, so what happened after I fainted? Depending on your answer, I may or may not leak your involvement after electrocuting you."

Erwin sputtered at the sudden threat and moved his head away in offence. "What? We saved your asses! Why are you trying to expose us?"

"Tch, I said depending on how you went about this whole thing because I'm morally righteous."

"... Right. Well, long story short, we found you guys, I teleported you two to Leo's place but not before sending some of his lackies to some island in the middle of the ocean. After that, I called the doctor and stayed here to assist the doctor and whatnot. Leo on the other hand dealt with the bastards."

"How'd he deal with them?"

"He simply beat them up. With the addition of using a couple of flames to coat his punches here and there."

I kept typing away on his laptop as sceptically replied, "You're downplaying it. Leo isn't the coolheaded guy everyone makes him out to be, especially when my best friend is involved."

Erwin breath hitched in hesitation but ultimately gave in with a sigh. "The man can be read easier than a picture book sometimes. You're not wrong. He... did go overboard with his... payback..."

"And I'm asking you HOW overboard did he go?" I was getting impatient and irritable.

"If you're asking if he killed any of them, then no, he didn't kill them. He just... crippled them beyond repair. It was... actually a terrifying experience. I think I've never seen him that out of control before."

I stopped typing, Erwin unintentionally gaining my full attention. I turned my head to meet his eyes to be met with concerned eyes as he internally reflected what he probably saw. "What do you mean?" I whispered out softly.

Erwin sighed out again and tightened his grip around me. "After I left you two in the capable hands of the doctor, I went back to the warehouse to help out Leo. What I was met with was something I never expected in a million years. I knew Leo would be enraged but I didn't understand the extent of it. The man had fully transformed into his salamander form and was ruthlessly beating up the Killuc, who was at the time already unconscious. His body was barely recognisable with all the blood smeared all over and his limbs in positions that should not be physically possible.

I genuinely thought Leo had ended up killing the man and called out to him to get him to stop but the words just went over his head. That's when I noticed his eyes weren't the usual gold colour but a rather cruel red. I don't what that meant but I assumed it to be him losing all sane reasoning and acting purely on instinct and emotions.

I had to create a portal under his legs back to his place to snap him out of it. The feral fucker began thrashing his own lounge before I had to scream that Nero was fine and he's recovering. It'd seemed to do the job and Leo ended up slumped against the couch for who knows how long thinking about who knows what. I had to go back and make sure he didn't kill the fuckers and secure his one way ticket to jail and the trigger to thousands of unemployed citizens.

All I know is after that, he regained composure and went on to stay by your best friend's side for the rest of the night.

I went back to check on the poor fuckers and luckily, they were on the brink of death, barely missing the coma threshold. I'm sure everyone wanted the latter option though. Anyway, I spent the rest of the time making sure we don't get incriminated until you woke up. I have no clue how but they still haven't caught onto my scent. Either I'm amazing or they're just as bad as you two make them out to be."

"It's definitely the latter."

"Is me being that amazing that unbelievable?"

"Of course not. You're probably greater than amazing but in this case, it's the cops' incompetency."

"You know, I hadn't expected the entire explanation would end in you stroking my ego. I'm not complaining though." Erwin's trademark smirk came into play and the serious mood softened up.

Flustered and red, I stammer out, "I- that's not what I- you- shut up!" before painfully and weakly elbowing him from behind and went back to covering all our tracks. Erwin snickered at the reaction but didn't say anything more, opting to go back to resting his head against mine and humming an unfamiliar tune.

The entire atmosphere was disgustingly soft and I was loving it. I had completely relaxed back against him and found myself falling asleep.

The only thing stopping me from doing so was my task (which was nearly done) and a single thought that had been circling my head. A thought that should be said out loud but was having a difficult time doing so because I felt like an awkward bean and it felt too personal. It got my already thumping heart to undergo tachycardia and caused my ears to heat up to 40 degrees.

But I had to do it. So I went through with it.

I stopped typing again and without looking back at him, I softly called out to him. "Hey, Erwin?"

Erwin's humming stopped and he responded in a slight sleepy manner. "Hm?" I felt my lips curl up into a fond smile and barely held back from blurting out "cute."

"I just wanted to say... thank you." I breathed out my gratefulness and closed my eyes in an attempt to focus on calming down my heart.

Erwin stiffened up and his eyes blinked awake but before he could respond back, I rambled on. "It's just that... other than Nero, no one has ever done anything remotely... heroic or-or just extremely nice for me. A-And I- we would have really been fucked over if you guys didn't turn up when you did and the only reason you guys did turn up was that you guys noticed that we weren't there and for that, thank you. And on top of that, you guys took care of after that and even respected our wishes about hospitals. Being in prison is not a great place to recover. I guess I'm just so used to people not caring, noticing or blatantly ignoring my existence that I'm so off centred right now and rambling right now. I just... yeah, thanks. I'm also sorry about work. It's a crucial time and you're here tending to us. You should go..."

I smiled without restraint and showed my appreciation. The reaction I got out of it was not expected though. Erwin's eyes widened and his breath hitched, as if in shock. The tips of his ear began turning dark red, which resulted in my face heating up.

I whipped my head back around to the screen and hurriedly began messing with the laptop again in an attempt to forget the adorable and unexpected image that had been practically burnt into my head.

Erwin let out an awkward cough and stuttered out, "I-It's alright. W-Work's on schedule and a couple of days of working from home isn't going to delay anything." Erwin fucking Fonzo stuttering was something I accepted as not feasible. So you really couldn't blame me when I snickered out loud.

The other man told me to shut up but his fond/flustered tone and tightening of my waist gave way that he wasn't mad.

By the time I had finished completely erasing all of our involvement, Erwin had fallen asleep with his head against the backboard. His face was free from any wrinkling or creases, giving him a peaceful and childish look. You can't help but stare at it with a smile. Like a creep. Oh well.

Seeing this, I opted to just put the laptop to the side, bring up the covers to my chin and lay back on his chest. It took a record time of two minutes to knock out.