He needs me...

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~~~(POV: Hannah Fiona)~~~

~~~(Date: November 4th, 2025)~~~

~~~(Time: 7:52 AM)~~~

~~~(Location: Outside Ulysses and Ellie's Home, Holden)~~~

I gently close the door to my car and walk up the driveway to Ulysses's home... Yesterday... It's been the worst day of both of our lives... Seeing so many people I knew from school... Dead... Ulysses could've... I can't even think that... We're both lucky that he decided to ride with me instead of the team... I can't imagine my life without him...

My knuckles gently collide with the wooden door, and I hear soft footsteps approach. Ellie meets me at the door as it opens, and her eyes are red and puffy from crying... Even though Ulysses wasn't hurt and wasn't in the accident, she still knew all the kids on that bus... They were Ulysses's friends, and they came over to hand out.

She's in her pajamas, and I'm in the same state. I came over in my flannel pajamas, and I'm sleep-deprived... "Hey, sweetie..." Ellie steps from the door and wraps me in a hug... I didn't know how much I needed this until now... She lets me in, and I follow her to the living room. She takes a seat and has the TV playing some of the team's highlights over the last few years...

It's hard seeing that... The real reason I'm here is to be with Ulysses... He's probably in his room... All alone and replaying that moment, he saw them over and over. Ellie can see my look, and she turns off the TV. "Ulysses hasn't come out of his room since he got home last night... I was so worried when I heard the news, but thank god for you, Hannah..." She dries some forming tears.

I walk over and take a seat next to her, and I hug her this time. She gives a small laugh as she has a slight sniffle. "I'm glad that I was there too... He convinced Coach Rodgers to let me take him home after the game... I never imagined..." She knows where I'm going with this, and I don't need to say anything else... She looks towards the stairs and then me.

She has a knowing smile and lets me go. "He'll be glad to see you... Be there for him... He's going to have a hard time after this..." Her having so much trust in me makes me feel a bit better. I nod my head with a smile and get up. No sense in waiting any longer. I make my way towards the stairs, and I climb them. Every step, I feel more and more pain for Ulysses.

My eyes land on Ulysses's door as I slowly approach, and I place my hand on the knob. It opens with a quick twist, and I slowly push it open. "Hey..." That's the only thing I can really say as my eyes look at Ulysses... He's on the edge of his bed, and he's got his face buried in his hands, and his hair is strewn about. He doesn't respond to me...

Asking him how he's doing or feeling would be pointless since I can see that he's going through hell... I make my way over to him, and I sit next to him on his bed... Even now, he's towering over me... I lay my hand on the middle of his back, and as soon as I do, he turns his body and head. He leans them into my stomach as he wraps his arms around me...

It breaks my heart seeing him so vulnerable, and I hug him tighter and kiss the side of his head. I hear no sounds coming from him, but I know that he's broken on the inside... "It hurts so much... Hannah... It feels like the pain will never go away..." My tears fall harder as his dry voice comes from below me... I let go and lay down behind him and higher up on the bed.

He uses my stomach as a pillow, and I just run my fingers through his hair... Trying anything to comfort him... "I'm here, Ulysses... And you're here too... Just stay like this for a while... Let the pain out any way you can... I'll be here..." Despite how much he weighs, he's laying on me in a way that doesn't put that much on me.

He looks up at me, and my heart breaks... His eyes are red and dryer than I've ever seen eyes get... His nose is red, and his hair is in a wavy mess... "I need you right now... Hannah... You don't make it hurt as much..." His words echo in my soul and heart a million times. I pull him up, and he lays next to me, and we share the small pillow. I give him a gentle kiss and wrap him in my arms.

He does the same, and his long arms capture my smaller body... He lays his forehead against mine as he closes his eyes... We both haven't slept at all since what happened last night... The accident will keep everyone in Holden awake... My eyes close after a few seconds, and being in Ulysses's arms makes me feel like he isn't going anywhere either... I'm asleep a minute later, along with Ulysses.