Shadows of Identity

---

The sterile scent of the hospital clung to everything—skin, breath, memories. The gunfire had stopped, but its echoes still rang in their ears.

Hours had passed since the chaos.

Tee was out of surgery. He was stable.

But the room had never felt heavier.

---

The moment Tee opened his eyes, Dew was asleep on the chair beside him, his injured arm wrapped, his cheek pressed against the bed.

Tee blinked slowly, throat dry, pain blooming in his gut. “...Dew?”

Dew jolted awake. “Tee?!”

He nearly knocked over the IV stand in his panic.

“You’re awake, oh my god— Tee—don’t move—don’t—!”

But Tee did move. Weakly, instinctively. He reached out with a trembling hand, fingers brushing Dew’s.

“You’re okay,” Dew whispered. “You're really okay.”

Tee smiled faintly. “You... look like crap.”

Dew choked on a laugh, tears flooding his eyes. “You asshole.”

“Did we get the keys?” Tee asked, voice hoarse.

Dew nodded. “I got them. We got them out.”

“Good.”

Then Tee looked around, his brow furrowing. “Where are the others?”

---

In another room,

Sky sat on the edge of his bed, shoulder tightly strapped, refusing to lie down. He didn’t need to. He could walk. He would walk.

But what worried him wasn’t his own pain.

It was the one sitting in the hallway.

Nani hadn’t moved for hours.

His hands were still trembling.

He hadn’t spoken to anyone except a nurse who tried to get him to eat. He barely responded to Junior, who kept pacing between Mark and Nani, glancing worriedly between them both.

Mark was recovering slowly. The hit to his head had caused swelling. Junior never once let go of him.

But Nani—

He didn’t cry. He didn’t scream.

He simply shut down.

His hands were clenched in his lap, knuckles white.

When Dew finally wheeled Tee—yes, wheeled, because the nurses refused to let Tee walk yet—into the hallway, the reunion was quiet.

Dew called out to the others gently.

Junior came first, pulling Mark along.

Sky followed, a little slower, arm cradled in a sling.

Nani just sat there.

And when the others reached for him—he flinched.

---

That night, when they were moved back to the HQ’s shared apartment to recover, things didn’t feel like home.

Sky noticed immediately.

Nani wouldn’t sit near anyone.

He didn’t eat unless forced. Didn’t speak unless spoken to.

And even then, he answered with clipped apologies.

Sky had caught him washing his hands over and over at one point—scrubbing them raw.

When Sky finally went looking for him, he found the rooftop door open.

Wind tugged at Nani’s hoodie, his head bowed low, lips moving.

He was apologizing. Again. And again.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”

Sky walked up silently. “You’re not alone, Nani.”

Nani jumped slightly, wiping his eyes. “I-I didn’t hear you—sorry—”

“Stop.”

Sky stepped closer, kneeling slightly to catch Nani’s eye.

“You didn’t hurt anyone. You didn’t shoot anyone. You didn’t cause any of this.”

“But if I wasn’t—”

“If you weren’t here,” Sky said quietly, “we wouldn’t have gotten the keys. We wouldn’t have gotten out. Tee might have died. And Dew—Dew wouldn’t have made it in time.”

“But they’re all in pain. Because of me.”

“No,” Sky said. “Because they love you.”

And then—finally—Nani broke.

He sobbed.

Ugly, raw, aching sobs, curling into himself, apologizing through it all.

Sky reached out his good hand, placed it on the back of Nani’s neck, and pulled him close.

“I’ve got you.”

---

One by one, the others arrived.

Junior came first, followed by Mark—who immediately walked up to Nani and hugged him without a word.

Then came Dew, his arm in a sling, struggling but determined.

He sat beside Sky and watched Nani cry.

“I saw you crying alone that night too,” Dew said softly. “By MJ’s bed.”

Nani looked up, startled.

“You think you hide it well, but we see you. We know you.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

Mark smacked his shoulder lightly. “Idiot.”

Junior smirked. “You’re ours to worry about.”

Nani sniffled. “Where’s Tee?”

“He’s resting,” Dew said. “His painkillers kicked in again.”

“I should go see him.”

“You will. When you’re ready.”

They sat in silence for a while.

Then Nani asked quietly, “...Can I touch you? Just once? To know you’re real?”

Dew held out his hand.

Nani hesitated—and then slowly placed his trembling fingers over Dew’s.

Mark leaned into his other side.

Junior patted his back.

And Sky, still holding Nani close, kissed the side of his head softly.

“You’re real, Nani. You’re here. And so are we.”

---