We Are Bulletproof

Ey, I can get you a little more time but you better hurry.
I can only cover for you so long, mate!

Not yet but I covered for you.

Seriously, dude?

@Levi Yoon @Rholy

Dude, where you been?
I've been trying to call you for the last hour and a half.

@Levi Yoon

Sully had no chance at sleep. It didn't matter how tired his body might have felt. As he lay in bed, he could only remember the events of the day. It was like some kind of dream turned to a nightmare. Everything bled together and then it shattered apart, a look from Levi here, a sound of a cry there, a flirty smile, tears. Swallowing hard, Sully shifted in his bed for the millionth time that night. His eyes felt dry and baggy but he couldn't really sleep so all he did was stare at the ceiling. Every now and again, he looked over at Levi and he ruminated over his position.

Although he was certain the Bennetts would take him in, he knew Levi was in a place where he just wanted what he used to have back. The Bennetts also weren't guaranteed anything. Levi could have family out there that wanted custody (doubtful, but still) or there could be a push to place them in separate homes. Especially Eli. he was a baby and babies were in high demand. Somebody would snap him up.

But the Bennetts would never let them split up, not if they could help it.

Still, it meant everything was in the air for Levi.

So when Levi started moving around and it was clear he was awake, Sully slowly turned his head toward him and watched him. He watched in silence, not sure if Levi was in the mood for talking. It was only when he asked him if he was up that he slowly lifted his head and rubbed his dry eyes.

"Yeah. Haven't really slept after... well, you know." He sat fully up and crossed his legs under his blankets. "How are you doing? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Of course! They've known you as long as I have, right?" Sully smiled and he did his best to continue soothing Levi with a light back rub. At this point, everything else that happened before the accident felt effectively erased. Now they were facing a very different kind of future, full of mines and pits they hadn't anticipated. Sully's tiredness couldn't be described in words--the once bouncy and happily positive force was muted.

Not gone, though. It hadn't disappeared.

For a long moment, they just sat in silence, or as silent as they could in a hospital setting. Sully knew there was a time for words and a time for just being there. Now was the latter. He lightly bumped his head against Levi's and pulled him closer. It wasn't okay and it wouldn't be for a while but on the bright side, Levi still had his little brother. There was that.

A nurse came in with a clipboard for Levi to sign.

"For the evening, you will be released to the Bennetts. They're on their way now."

"No, but he has me and my family," Sully said with a frown. He didn't like that people were so easily pushed into the foster care system. He knew from experience, from seeing the other kids, that it didn't help. Eli needed to be with somebody he already knew, like his brother. More importantly, Levi didn't need to be subjected to the horror of some shitty foster family that only wanted him for extra income.

"Call my parents," Sully said to the nurse, giving her his home phone number while he lightly rubbed Levi's back to calm him down. He didn't want to tell Levi that the next time he went home, it would likely be to gather his things and pack. "They'll take him and they've fostered and adopted before. They'll know what to do."

"Hey..." It'll be all right, he was going to say but that wasn't true. Maybe one day but not any time soon. Sully knew a little about losing people. He had been adopted into the Bennett family because things weren't great in his first trial at life. But when it came to being on the other side of tragedy, he'd learned it was best to be there, for whatever the other person needed. Any time a new kid was welcomed into the family, Sully waited it out, he waited for them to feel strong enough to open up to him. He didn't push it.

At the same time, he made sure he was there. A presence that was stationed close enough for that new sibling to come to whenever he or she felt like it. Sully was that way because he didn't appreciate it when people pushed themselves on him for answers. So... yeah, he tried to extend the same courtesies that he could.

This was different, though. This was Levi. His best friend. Not only had he lost his mother, it was a very real possibility that he'd lose his kid brother and on top of that, he'd be placed into some foster home. Some were okay. Some weren't. And Levi wouldn't even have much of a choice when they did. They'd just place him where there was an opening. What if it wasn't here? What if it wasn't in Hazleton? In Portland? Even in Oregon?

"What do you need with us?" Sully asked, looking over at the doctor with a frown as he continued to hug his best friend. He was partly annoyed that the doctor was lingering and talking about people needing to talk to them. Couldn't she see now wasn't the time?

Oh, shit. It was true. Levi was a minor; they weren't going to just give him his little brother. And what about his mom? Were they going to ask Levi to go look at her? To... identify her? If it were Sully, he'd want to at least say goodbye. But that was because he saw his family in a different light. Right now, Levi was focused on the baby because the baby was alive and he was vulnerable, Sully was willing to bet. And the shock of his mom, that hadn't set in yet.

Sully was about to argue or beg that they be allowed to at least see Eli (he had to be all alone and scared, right?) but the doctor seemed to understand. It wasn't going to hurt to let Levi go in and see his little brother. After all, why would they call them here if they were just going to shit bad news at them and nothing else?

But the minor thing was still ringing in Sully's head. Levi and Eli, they were both minors... Without parents. They would be thrust into the foster system. Chewing his lower lip, Sully thought of his parents. They had adopted so many kids. What were two more?

He followed Levi in silence, the thought still blooming in his mind.

He let go of Levi as he ran for his brother and he stayed back--giving the two their moment together while he watched. He felt a bit like he was privy to something he shouldn't be seeing, though. After a moment, he crossed his arms and turned his head away, looking at the machinery and the walls of the hospital. Damn. Everything about this was depressing.

It felt like something bad was in the air. From the way the people behind the desks were looking at each other to the way the doctor spoke Levi's name. Also, when somebody said they wanted to see you privately regarding health stuff, it usually meant bad stuff. Sully bit his lower lip and fidgeted with the hoodie he'd exchanged for his boa before entering the hospital with Levi. It felt like a disrespectful move to enter the somber mood of a hospital in a colorful feather boa.

Now he toyed with the strings hanging from his hood while he followed the doctor and Levi into a private room. Even though everything was supposed to be calm and cool, to Sully, it felt too clinical. There was something throwing him off. There they sat and all Sully wanted to do was reach out and hold Levi's hand while they waited. His hand twitched, unsure. That would probably be bad form, too. He swallowed hard and sat too straight in his chair, watching the doctor check over the charts like she hoped something new would pop up.

Then the words came.

Sully was too shocked to hold back his gasp and he felt like he'd been pushed. He sat back heavily, head swimming. Accident? Eli was fine but... Sully looked over at Levi, who seemed blank faced. Probably still in denial.

"Holy shit, Levi," Sully blurted out as he reached out to take his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"It is not your fault," Sully said vehemently, rubbing a hand over Levi's shoulder and his arm. What, a kid his age couldn't go out and have fun with friends for a few hours without being blamed for whatever happened to his baby brother? Levi's mom never should have hung such a weight on her son in the first place. Sully didn't want to be mean about it but it was her kid, not Levi's. But it was Levi that was the parent.

At the hospital, Sully kept an arm around Levi in case he got light-headed. The nurse at the front counter was good at her poker face when they asked about Levi's mother. Whatever happened to her, it was impossible to get a read off the woman. She just told them to take a seat while she checked on the patient's status.

It felt like a hundred years before somebody finally came into the lobby for them and it was a white-faced older doctor with a concerned look on her face.

"Levi Yoon?"

"You're kinda slow, you know that?" Sully said, regarding Levi with a grin. If he'd known that Levi would take it so personally that he liked him "once" then he would have just outright confessed at the start. But you know, baby steps and all that. Plus, he didn't want to step in the dookie without an ability to backstep into safer territory.

"Anyway," he started. "You got it wrong--"

He wasn't able to finish the sentence because of Levi's evil phone. Sully made a face and swung away, running a hand through his hair and then walking in a semi circle while Levi answered it. It was probably a good thing he didn't shout into it, thinking it was one of their mutual friends like Kinley. He could tell immediately when he looked up and saw Levi's grey face.

Shit.

"In 10?" Sully asked. "Where? Where are they?" Sully was already taking off down to the street so he could try and flag down a taxi or some shit. "Where the crap is a car when you need one? I'll call an uber."

"Uh well..."

Taken aback by Levi's response, Sully had no idea how to reply back. Alcohol made Sully a goof but it seemed to really dampen Levi's spirits. Maybe he shouldn't have filched so many mini bottles between the two of them. Sully fiddled with one of the cute little bottles, flipping it back and forth between his fingers. He thought Levi didn't want him to like him forever or be some moony-eyed romantic that never let go of a childish, childhood crush. Maybe he was wrong. Hard to tell what fueled the burst of emotion from Levi.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't you dare cry, he thought, because he could see that Upset Expression on Levi's face--the one that could very well lead to tears if he wasn't careful. Luckily, Sully's smile seemed to disarm him and Levi smiled back. Relief swarmed Sully and he gladly squeezed Levi closer into a hearty half hug.

"I so didn't say you were my personal eye candy, weirdo. I can't tell if you want me looking at you or not. You, my friend," Sully said with a gentle poke to Levi's chest, "are the king of mixed signals."

"Dude, who isn't a mess?"

Yeah, sure, Levi had a messy life but they all had their own messes to contend with. Some were more vocal about theirs, some liked to manufacture shit where there was none, and there were people who reached out but kept getting burned. Levi didn't get a fair shake at life--being considered almost a father at his age was no fun. But it was Sully's job to make sure that Levi still lived like a kid. If it weren't for him, Sully was pretty sure that Levi would just be holed up at his place all day, taking care of Eli and sadly leaving behind all his carefree childhood days.

Not like Sully liked to claim the title of child at his age but, you know. Come on. They still had some time before they were expected to shed away those carefree years!

Also, the laugh. That was. Yikes. Sully could feel his ears starting to burn and he lifted his boa higher around his face as if that would help disguise the rising color.

"It was just once," Sully said defensively. "Besides, throw away all the drama for five seconds, Levi. You're good-looking." He sent Levi a teasing grin. "You at least got that going for you."

Sully laughed, partly from nerves and partly because Levi looked like a squirrel getting ready for the winter. Raising a brow, Sully went for another fry and tried to buy a little extra time by swirling it around in some horsey sauce. Not a good idea, really, because Sully didn't even like it. He made a face as he bit into it. Hey, who brought the horsey sauce to the table, anyway? (It might have been him--Sully kept thinking it would eventually "grow" on him.)

"Okay, so it's not exactly FUNNY..."

The way Levi was looking at him, it seemed like he was expecting an actual joke. Sully meant funny in a different way. Like how it was funny when somebody asked somebody else out right after they moved on and got a boyfriend. That kind of funny. Not that Sully was that worried about that in regards to Levi. Slanting his gaze aside, Sully cleared his throat and then darted another look back at Levi.

"I had a crush on you once," he finally said, a wry half smile forming on his lips. Ah yes. That whole thing. So funny. Haha.