"She can stay with us." Ruin says it like it's obvious. "We've got the space. I'm gone half the time anyway for work. She takes my room, I'll crash on the couch when I'm home."
"I can't—" Nora starts.
"You can." Ruin looks at her directly. "You're important to my brother. That makes you family. And family takes care of each other."
Nora's eyes are wet. "Thank you. Both of you. I don't… I don't know how to—"
"Don't thank us." I move to sit beside her on the bed. "Just be here. That's enough."
She leans against me. Ruin watches with that knowing grin.
"I'm going to head out," he says. "Let you two talk. Or whatever." The grin gets wider. "I'll text you tomorrow about the apartment repairs."
"Ruin—"
"Be happy, brother." He says it seriously now. "You've earned it."
He leaves.
The door closes.
And it's just me and Nora again.
"Your brother is nice," she says quietly.
"He's a pain in the ass." But I'm smiling again. "But yeah. He's good people."
"He called me family."
"Yeah."
"We just met."
"Doesn't matter to him." I pull her closer. "Doesn't matter to me either. You're it, Nora. I don't know how to explain it. But you are."
She tilts her head up. Kisses me. Soft and sweet and perfect. When she pulls back, she's smiling too.
"So, what now?" she asks.
"Now?" I think about it. About the apartment that needs fixing. About Castellano who might or might not try again. About the fights I still have scheduled in the Pit. About all the normal, mundane things that make up a life.
And about Nora. About waking up next to her. About making her smile. About building something real with someone who sees me, all of me, and doesn't run.
"Now we live," I say simply. "Together. Whatever that looks like."
"Together," she repeats. "I like the sound of that."
"Yeah." I kiss her forehead. "Me too."
For the first time since I came back from war, since the buzzing started, since I stopped being able to feel pain properly—
I feel whole.
Not fixed. Probably never fixed.
But whole.
And that's enough.
