After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch21 - Two of Them

A/N

happy new years!!!!!!!!

END A/N

"Do you want the long or short version?" the voice asks. There's an impression in Paige's mind that they don't really want to do the long version, but...

"Long..?" Paige mumbles aloud.

"In your head, Paige," they remind.

"Oh," Paige thinks. "Right."

"There you go." Paige can almost see a slight smile blossom in his mind's eye, but it disappears as soon as a sigh rings in his head. "I guess we should start with basics, huh?" the voice chuckles a bit.

"That would be nice," Paige nods.

"Okay." Another sigh. "Well, hi. I'm Leaf," they introduce.

"Um." Paige thinks smartly. "Hi? I-I'm Paige?"

"I think I already knew that," the voice-Leaf laughs. It's a little weird having someone else laugh in his head.

"Oh." Paige doesn't know what else to say.

"Alright. Let's see, then." If Paige thinks hard enough, he can see Leaf holding a finger to his chin, though the whole image is a bit fuzzy. He doesn't even know how he knows it's Leaf, but he does. "I guess I start with who I am?"

"Sure," Paige nods again. "It would... definitely help me understand what you're... doing in my head?" He feels awkward as he says it, unsure. He doesn't know what's happening at all, let alone what Leaf really was. But if they were willing to explain...

"I'm... I guess the best way to explain it would be I'm part of you. A... different part. I'm someone you're not, because you needed me during hard times when being you just wasn't enough."

"...Being me wasn't enough...?" Paige echos. "What does that mean...?"

"...Let's do it this way," Leaf says. "How much do you remember about your dad?"

Immediately Paige frowns, body posture tightening. "I... I don't want to think about him," Paige replies, a bit shaky.

"You don't have to," Leaf soothes. "Just give me an estimate. A little? A lot?"

Paige is silent for a long moment, combing through his memories. All he gets is flashes of this and that, shouting, things shattering... but nothing concrete.

"...A little," he finally says. "Why?"

"You have me to thank for that," Leaf huffs with a smirk. Paige doesn't know how he knows they're smirking, but he does. "I remember those things. A whole lot more than you do. A whole lot clearer."

"...Why?" Paige asks again, confused. "Why would you do that?"

Leaf shrugs. "It's what I'm here for."

+++

True to James' word, Paige is discharged the next day. Thick bandages are still wrapped around his arm. He's been instructed to sink bathe for the rest of the week, careful of his wrappings. Replace them on Thursday. Remove them on Saturday.

It's all great and dandy, but Paige is barely listening to the doctor as he lists the instructions off. Instead, he's stuck in his own head, face blank.

"There's a lot of stuff I don't remember a lot of the time," Paige is saying. "Is that your fault too?"

"Ouch," Leaf chuckles. "My fault huh?"