Belong - an adopted by Hamilton fanfic [Hamilton]

23. To find: out

I had to put my hoodie on and off 23 times the next day. To be honest, it was Lin's rather oversized hoodie I'd mistaken for my own since it'd been laying right next to my suitcase after the coffee incident.
You took the wrong hoodie. Now he'll get hurt, if you don't...
But, I was already up to it.

A few texts from Lin & Vanessa, per usual. I quickly replied to them, with my left hand.
My right arm had turned purple and yellow overnight, and was in such a weird position so I immediately hid it in the oversized hoodie's arm - I couldn't stand the sight of it.
The adrenaline kick I'd gotten after the heavy chair had hit me occupied my body, it was firstly now it really started to hurt in such a numbing way.
I'd been going in and out of consciousness before sleeping yesterday, scared to death of what the hell was going on.

The time was about 12, and I still hadn't left my room. Therefore, my grandma was shouting at me.
"RUTH LEIGHTON-", she began, but got cut off by me - jumping up from the small bed and rushing out of the room. My arm, still hidden under the big hoodie, just hanging there - hurting constantly.
"Good. Your uncle still hasn't come back, so you need to do his chores"
I nodded, feeling guilty.
Logically, he'd probably gone and gotten drunk.
But what if?
A madness of tapping began, my grandma shouting at me about how I did everything wrongly.
I just couldn't wait to the knock on the door later that day, that were to reveal a human to take me home.
And yet, I was scared by home.
You know, if you don't do that, something will happen. You've got so much work to do.

By 5 I stood in the hallway, holding my lilac arm, convincing myself that it was nothing.
I was right on time, why was no one knocking on the door?
If you walk to the living room and then back here again 23 times, maybe he'll never take you away.

And so I did, and by the time I was on the seventeenth round, mr Chang was already talking with my grandma, as the excuses had slipped out of my mouth.

"I just need to get one more thing", I exclaimed on the 23rd round, making sure it felt right.
Then, I took my bag, my grandmother pathetically waving her hand after acting fake happy with mr Chang.
I was hiding my arm for him, carrying the bag with my left one.
As I sat down in the old car, I could see my grandma smashing the door behind her as she walked back inside again.
Another year, and I was still a disappointment.
Tap on the glass, Rue.

After an undecided matter of time, we pulled up outside the apartment. I tried to open the door with my right arm, only to feel a flash of pain race through my body as I let out a squeak.
Still, it opened and I placed my foot in a puddle by the rain that had been pouring down all day, draining my shoes.
My suitcase getting dragged on the road.
Mr Chang walking behind me, just because it was his job to look after me.
I assured myself that I'd done everything that had to be done perfectly, so I could go inside and step up all the stairs.
But before I could do that, I was met by Lin in the doorway, slightly out of breath as he'd just ran down the many stairs, who easily told mr Chang that he could take over, which I left him a shy smile for doing. The Usnavi hat on his head, his long hair out and about as it curled a tiny bit at the ends.
Lin grabbed my suitcase, grinning at me.
"You good?", I nodded, as he passed on his signature Usnavi hat to my head, making me giggle. The pain in my arm hurt like never before after my weak attempt at opening the car door, as I bit my lip, trying to get my mind off if it. "Rue, good. Let's have a hide and seek marathon with Seb, he's missed you a bit too much...", Lin chuckled, swinging the bag over his shoulder as we steadily walked up the stairs to their, my, our, apartment. He turned the key, opening up the door with a jumping Tobi.
She, licking my face, was all I needed to feel safe again. The lock on the door might've helped a bit too, so I went back to relock it 7 times.
"Tobi, good, you looked after Seb while I was gone for 2 minutes, collecting Rue", Lin said.
I laughed.
"You literally just let your dog look after your son?", I ironically asked.
Lin nodded proudly.
"V had to head out, we didn't think you'd come til later, that's why. And I trust lil Tobillo", he said, as Sebastian came running from the living room.
He happily hugged my leg, mumbling all kinds of words from two different languages. Sebastian ran off, favourite train in his hand.
"SEEK", he shouted, pointing at me, making my mouth form a grin.
I closed my eyes, seemingly counting to twenty.
At the same time, the fingers on my left hand turned the light switch on and off 7 times.
"Oh, that's my hoodie!", Lin exclaimed, excited.
"Yep. I had it mistaken for my own, sorry", I apologised almost directly.
In the darkness, I opened up my eyes and switched the light again.
"I don't care, niñ, I just noticed it and got happy", he replied, placing his hand on my panicking one. "Can you stop doing that?", Lin asked kindly, genuinely wondering.
I desperately looked around the hallway, which we were still standing in, searching for a suitable lie in my head.
"Um. It's just a thing, um", words slipping out of my mouth as I went to look for Seb.
I could hear Lin sigh behind me, but I had to brush it off.
I had to hide it.