Stuck with the enemy

Chapter 21: Between Reason and Desire

After a week since the attack.

A week had passed, and today was the big day—Tommy was finally going home. In the meantime, Alpha had woken up and was doing much better, almost ready to return to his own life. But today, it was all about Tommy.

"Thank you so much," I said to the nurse who was helping us tidy up the room.

"Oh, it's my pleasure," she replied with a warm smile. She turned to Tommy, patting his head affectionately. "Now, you make sure to be good, Tommy! No causing trouble for your brothers, okay?"

Tommy puffed out his chest, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Cause trouble? Me? Never! I'm the most obedient one in their family!" he declared, his expression comically serious.

Alya snorted, trying to suppress her laughter. "Really, Tommy? You? Obedient? That's a stretch!"

Tommy folded his arms and adopted a mock-serious face. "Absolutely! I mean, the last time I 'accidentally' spilled juice all over Aras' laptop was totally just a coincidence."

"Or like that time you set off a car alarm in the middle of the night because you were practicing your ninja skills," I added, smirking at the memory.

Tommy's eyes lit up. "Exactly! How else am I supposed to protect myself from potential intruders? A good ninja has to be ready at all times!"

The nurse chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "Well, I can see you're going to keep everyone on their toes at home. Sounds like you'll be quite the handful, but in the best way."

Tommy grinned proudly. "That's what I'm here for! Life would be too boring if I were too obedient."

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage for what I needed to say next. "Hey, Tommy," I began, my voice a bit more serious. "I know you are going to stay with us for a while, right? Or at least until you're fully recovered."

Tommy's smile faded, and he looked uncertain. "But I don't want to be a burden, Deniz."

"Tommy, you could never be a burden," I insisted, placing my hand on his shoulder. "You're our little brother, and we want to make sure you're okay. Besides, you know how much Aras and Jacob will love knowing you are safe at our place. I don't take a NO."

He thought about it, his brow furrowed. "Fine... I guess that could be fun. But what if I accidentally break something again? Or set off another fire alarm?"

Alya jumped in, grinning. "Then we'll just have to get you a helmet and some bubble wrap! Safety first, right?"

Tommy chuckled, clearly warming up to the idea. "Okay, I can see the fun in that."

"Plus," I added, "you will be under my supervision, we will also talk about this hero thing."

Tommy felt a twinge of embarrassment creeping in, knowing our situation with Alpha. He could understand our concern and it made him uncomfortable.

A few hours later.

Finally, we made it home. Tommy settled into my room for more comfort. I had grabbed a mattress for the living room, and Jacob moved in with Tommy to keep an eye on him.

Now, we all sat around his bed, the atmosphere thick with tension as we prepared for the serious talk ahead.

"Tommy," Aras began, his voice steady but laced with frustration, "I hope you know how much we care about you..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But what the hell were you thinking, risking your life for someone who clearly doesn't give a damn about you?"

The words hung in the air like a storm cloud, and I could see the hurt flash across Tommy's face. Aras's voice trembled, a mixture of anger and concern surfacing. "We could have lost you , and for what? For someone who wouldn't lift a finger to save you?"

"I..." Tommy started, looking down at his hands, guilt flooding his features. "I know it was reckless. But I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

I felt my own frustration boiling over. "No one's saying you shouldn't have helped Alpha! Regardless of the mess between us, we're not bad people. But there's a difference between lending a hand and putting your life on the line. It's stupid!"

Tommy's eyes widened as he prepared to protest again, but I cut him off. "You could have died, Tommy! And it wouldn't have mattered to him. Sometimes, it's better to stay out of things."

Jacob shifted in his seat, his gaze serious but more composed. "Look, brother, we get that you wanted to help, but there was nothing you could do. You should have thought about us, too. We care about you, and seeing you in danger like that—it scares the hell out of us."

Tommy glanced up at Jacob, his eyes filled with remorse. "I didn't think it through. I thought I could make it. I thought maybe I could save him..."

"But you can't face death for it, Tommy," Aras interjected, his tone softening slightly. "We want you safe, and putting yourself in harm's way doesn't help anyone."

"I understand," Tommy murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I really do. I just felt like I had to do something."

I watched him, torn between frustration and empathy. "But we need you here. We are your family, you have to think about us too."

Tommy nodded slowly, the weight of our words sinking in. "I get it. I promise I'll think twice before doing something that stupid again. I just—"

"No more just," I said firmly. " Focus on getting better. We'll handle the rest."

Jacob leaned back, a slight smile breaking through his serious demeanor. "Yeah, just focus on healing. Maybe you can even help me cook a little while you're recovering. We can't let Aras burn down the kitchen again."

Tommy chuckled softly, the tension in the room easing a bit. "Okay, deal. But I think I'll stick to toast for now."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, finally feeling a glimmer of hope. "Just remember, we're all in this together."

With that, we settled into a lighter conversation, the earlier tension fading as we focused on the road ahead—together.