"Hey…"
It was Zayn who spoke first. The silence had been too awkward for him, and he needed to break it somehow.
"Hi," Damian returned shyly. "Are you lost or something?"
Zayn's lips curved into a slow, easy smile, one that reached his dark eyes and made something unfamiliar flutter in Damian's chest. He stepped farther into the room, and approached the bed steadily. In his hand he held a single red rose, its petals still dewy, and its stem wrapped in a small strip of tissue.
Without a word, he placed it gently on the blanket near Damian's bandaged arm.
Damian's gaze followed the flower, then lifted slowly to take in every detail of the boy standing over him. Zayn Hale was tall and well toned, the kind of build earned from miles of running rather than hours in a gym. His skin was a warm brown, black hair falling in soft waves that brushed his forehead. Sharp jawline, full lips, and blue eyes that made sure you drowned in them.
Beautiful, Damian thought. The old Damian's memories supplied the rest: Zayn was senior class vice-president, captain of the track team, and, most importantly, president of the Run A Marathon club that Damian had quietly joined last fall with Amanda, hoping they'd get noticed by its president. That obviously never happened, so they both quietly stopped showing up to the club activities. Besides, it wasn't like either of them could run more than a hundred metres without feeling like death was nearby.
"I came to see Damian Grant," Zayn said. He pulled the visitor's chair closer and sat, elbows resting on his knees, leaning in just enough to close the distance without crowding. "It's my duty, as president of the Run A Marathon club, to make sure every member is doing okay."
Damian lowered his head shyly. He guessed he was still a member, after all he and Amanda never officially quit the club, they just decided to stop showing up.
"You're… the only member who hasn't shown up to practice in weeks," Zayn continued. "I noticed. And then I heard what happened." He glanced at the bandages, then back to Damian's face. "I needed to see for myself that you were still here."
He raised his head to get another good look at Zayn Hale. Never in his life did he imagine that one day he would have the hottest boy in school paying him a personal hospital visit. He understood that this was probably what Zayn would do for every other member of the Run A Marathon club, but it still felt special to Damian.
"I'm here," he managed, voice barely above a whisper.
Zayn's smile returned, smaller this time, but warmer. "Good. Because the club still needs you, especially me. I can't run all the races by myself, you know?"
Damian mirrored the smile on his visitor's face before reaching for the rose he'd left by the side. "Thank you for visiting…and for the rose too."
Zayn's smile deepened, soft and genuine, the kind that crinkled the corners of his blue eyes. He stood slowly, pushing the chair back into place with a quiet scrape.
"Thanks for letting me stay," he said, hand already on the door handle. He paused, half-turned, looking back over his shoulder. "Hey… stay safe, okay, Damian?"
Damian felt warmth bloom in his chest. He was fighting the urge to blush like a teenage girl, and he was clearly doing a terrible job at it. He nodded, managing a small, real smile. "I'll try."
Zayn gave a little nod in return, then slipped out, the door closing softly behind him.
For the first time since waking up in this body, Damian felt something lighter than dread. Someone had noticed he was gone. Maybe the world still held pockets of good after all.
The feeling lasted exactly thirty seconds.
The door opened again, this time Laura Grant hurried in, arms full with a woven basket overflowing with cards, chocolates, and small stuffed animals. She set it on the rolling tray table with a tired sigh, then reached into her large tote and pulled out a crisp manila folder.
"Here, honey," she said as she placed the folder in his hands. "I've been thinking… and I made some calls."
Damian opened it. Inside was a full admission packet, letterhead bold and official from Westbridge Academy, a private high school clear across town. Tuition scholarship included. New student orientation dates circled in red.
Laura sat on the edge of the bed, taking his uninjured hand in both of hers. "We could move, Damian. A fresh start. New people, new place. No one would know what happened. You could make real friends, find clubs you actually enjoy, be… happy. You deserve that."
Her eyes were pleading, glistening with tears that threatened to fall with the slightest provocation.
Damian stared at the papers, then at the rose still resting beside him. Redwood High hadn't exactly been the best place for him, but there was no guarantee this new place would be any better. He wasn't good at making friends, so that definitely wouldn't help him over there. And there was the task of getting adapted to completely new rules and regulations.
And what about Amanda? He couldn't just leave her alone now, she would never forgive him again. Then there was Gregory too. He needed to be taught a lesson, and this new Damian had promised himself that he wasn't going to let anybody play with him anymore.
He closed the folder and handed it back.
"No, Mom."
Laura blinked. "Sweetheart—"
"I want to go back to Redwood." The words came out steadier than he expected. "I'm not leaving."
"But after everything—" Her voice cracked. "They hurt you. I can't watch you go through that again."
Damian squeezed her hand. The old Alpha in him stirring with resolve. He had spent one lifetime running toward every battle, shielding everyone but himself. This time, he wouldn't run away.
"I'm not running from my fears anymore," he said quietly. "I want to face them. Conquer them. I need to prove to myself that I can get through all of this, that I want to live."
Laura stared at her son for a full minute, unsure if she should be worried or proud. She knew Damian wasn't the bravest, so to be this bold and steadfast in his decision to stay made her feel a bit worried. The last thing she wanted was for her son to fight a losing battle, she wouldn't be able to live if anything happened to him again.
"I'll be careful," he added. "I promise. And this time… I think things might be different."
She didn't look convinced, but after a long moment she exhaled, defeated for now. "We'll talk more when you're home. I just… I love you too much to lose you again."
"I know." He pulled her into a careful hug. "I love you too."
When she finally left to speak with the nurses, Damian picked up the rose again, twirling the stem between his fingers. He felt like running wasn't an option anymore. He would be letting his bullies win if he did that. They would probably just move on to making life miserable for another person. He didn't exactly know how, but Damain had promised himself that he was going back to Redwood high, and he was going back a changed man.