"You know what? I'm going to keep the zipper after the surgery," Glitch decided out loud with a firm nod.
Cain paused in his fidgeting with the blankets on Glitch's bed. "Any particular reason?"
"I'm not sure, to be honest," Glitch shrugged, settling back against the pillows he had piled up against his headboard. "When I figure it out, I'll tell you."
"All right," the Tin Man replied. He was careful to keep his tone light, his answers vague. The doctors had instructed him to make sure Glitch remained as relaxed as possible the evening before they would attempt the life-changing surgery. As if Glitch were an incompetent child, unaware of what was going to happen in the morning. Cain was insulted on the other man's behalf but did as he was told.
Glitch sighed softly, his hand unconsciously moving up to rub at the metal teeth. "Maybe I've just gotten use to it."
"Maybe," Cain said. He had no idea what to do with himself. It was making him twitchy.
"You don't have to stay here, you know," Glitch told him after a while. He drew a sharp breath, giving his friend a wobbly grin. "I'll be perfectly fine on my own tonight."
"Trying to get rid of me?" Wyatt glanced up, noticing for the first time how very close Glitch was to breaking. "Hey, take it easy," he scooted closer, rubbing his hand gently down Glitch's arm.
Glitch pulled his legs up to hug his knees, the blanket wrapping tight around them. "I know, I know. I'm fine," he started down at his feet, flustered. "It's not that I'm scared of the doctors and I know Raw will be there to make sure I'm safe."
"Tell me," Wyatt prompted softly. "What's got you so worked up?"
"What am I going to remember?" Glitch rasped.
Cain frowned, his hand not stilling as he considered this. "Whatever it is, you know we'll be there to help you work it all out. No matter what happens."
Glitch gathered the courage to ask what he feared the most. "What if I change into someone you hate?"
"That's not going to happen," Cain told him firmly.
"How can you know for sure? I don't even know that for sure."
Wyatt leaned forward, gathering the trembling advisor into his arms. "I could never hate you," he whispered as he tucked Glitch's head under his chin. "You're my best friend and even if I have to follow you around and remind you of this every day, you will always be that."
Glitch gave a watery chuckle into Cain's shoulder. "I thought that was my job."
"Nah, you've already done your job, reminding me of what it means to have someone special to take care of," Cain smoothed his hands over Glitch's back slowly.
Giving a soft sniff, Glitch pulled back just a bit. "Hey, I think I figured out why I want to keep the zipper."
"And why is that?" Cain asked, bringing his hand up to cup Glitch's cheek, rubbing his thumb across a sharp cheekbone.
"When I look in the mirror, I don't want to forget who I am now," Glitch reached up and ran his fingers down the metal. "If I only see Ambrose, that's all I'm ever going to be."
**
Wyatt was there when Glitch finally woke up. It had taken days of surgery, healing and magic to ensure the best result. Cain had been there to make sure the none of the doctors tried to remove the zipper, as Glitch had requested.
The first thing Glitch saw was Cain sitting next to his bed, watching him closely. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey yourself," Cain grinned, relieved and beyond tired. "Should I call you Ambrose now?"
Glitch cleared his throat, wincing at the dryness. "Not yet. For now, I'm still Glitch. I'm still me," he managed quietly. "Zipper?"
"Still there, like you wanted," Wyatt assured him, reaching up to touch the end very gently.
http://surranndie.livejournal.com/31824.html
But I'll give it another go for you as well!
**
"You know what? I'm going to keep the zipper after the surgery," Glitch decided out loud with a firm nod.
Cain paused in his fidgeting with the blankets on Glitch's bed. "Any particular reason?"
"I'm not sure, to be honest," Glitch shrugged, settling back against the pillows he had piled up against his headboard. "When I figure it out, I'll tell you."
"All right," the Tin Man replied. He was careful to keep his tone light, his answers vague. The doctors had instructed him to make sure Glitch remained as relaxed as possible the evening before they would attempt the life-changing surgery. As if Glitch were an incompetent child, unaware of what was going to happen in the morning. Cain was insulted on the other man's behalf but did as he was told.
Glitch sighed softly, his hand unconsciously moving up to rub at the metal teeth. "Maybe I've just gotten use to it."
"Maybe," Cain said. He had no idea what to do with himself. It was making him twitchy.
"You don't have to stay here, you know," Glitch told him after a while. He drew a sharp breath, giving his friend a wobbly grin. "I'll be perfectly fine on my own tonight."
"Trying to get rid of me?" Wyatt glanced up, noticing for the first time how very close Glitch was to breaking. "Hey, take it easy," he scooted closer, rubbing his hand gently down Glitch's arm.
Glitch pulled his legs up to hug his knees, the blanket wrapping tight around them. "I know, I know. I'm fine," he started down at his feet, flustered. "It's not that I'm scared of the doctors and I know Raw will be there to make sure I'm safe."
"Tell me," Wyatt prompted softly. "What's got you so worked up?"
"What am I going to remember?" Glitch rasped.
Cain frowned, his hand not stilling as he considered this. "Whatever it is, you know we'll be there to help you work it all out. No matter what happens."
Glitch gathered the courage to ask what he feared the most. "What if I change into someone you hate?"
"That's not going to happen," Cain told him firmly.
"How can you know for sure? I don't even know that for sure."
Wyatt leaned forward, gathering the trembling advisor into his arms. "I could never hate you," he whispered as he tucked Glitch's head under his chin. "You're my best friend and even if I have to follow you around and remind you of this every day, you will always be that."
Glitch gave a watery chuckle into Cain's shoulder. "I thought that was my job."
"Nah, you've already done your job, reminding me of what it means to have someone special to take care of," Cain smoothed his hands over Glitch's back slowly.
Giving a soft sniff, Glitch pulled back just a bit. "Hey, I think I figured out why I want to keep the zipper."
"And why is that?" Cain asked, bringing his hand up to cup Glitch's cheek, rubbing his thumb across a sharp cheekbone.
"When I look in the mirror, I don't want to forget who I am now," Glitch reached up and ran his fingers down the metal. "If I only see Ambrose, that's all I'm ever going to be."
**
Wyatt was there when Glitch finally woke up. It had taken days of surgery, healing and magic to ensure the best result. Cain had been there to make sure the none of the doctors tried to remove the zipper, as Glitch had requested.
The first thing Glitch saw was Cain sitting next to his bed, watching him closely. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey yourself," Cain grinned, relieved and beyond tired. "Should I call you Ambrose now?"
Glitch cleared his throat, wincing at the dryness. "Not yet. For now, I'm still Glitch. I'm still me," he managed quietly. "Zipper?"
"Still there, like you wanted," Wyatt assured him, reaching up to touch the end very gently.
"Good." With that, Glitch drifted back to sleep.
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