I groggily opened my eyes with much effort. The pain in my side had lessened a trendous amount from the last ti I had been awake and my eyes had been open. I was glad about that. I blinked for a few monts before deciding against opening my eyes.
The bright sun was too blinding. My eyes couldn’t adjust as quickly to the light as I wanted them to, so I kept them shut. A laugh sounded from beside that made slam them open. When I ca to, I saw Hannah.
Beautiful, gorgeous Hannah was staring down at with a wide smile on her face and teary eyes.
"Were you crying?" That was the first thing I asked her as I took note of her face. She had two long parallel scratches on her cheeks, and her eyes, nose, and cheeks were red and puffy. But damn did she not look like a sight for sore eyes. Literally.
"Well, when your husband ends up with a gunshot wound at the beginning of the week and back in the sa hospital bed two weeks later from almost bleeding out, I think a little crying is deserved."
Her eyebrows were raised. Her features were challenging to argue with her, but there was a look in her eyes that told she had barely slept or eaten, by the looks of it, while I was sleeping.
I could only grab her hand and give it a tight squeeze.
"How long was I out for?" I didn’t really want to know the answer, but I wanted to keep talking to her and let her know that I was alright. Besides feeling sowhat sleepy, there were no negative feelings attached to .
I was just glad she was safe. I was glad she was with now, and I was glad that nothing bad had happened to her. My own pain and injuries I could deal with. I could heal from those. I didn’t know what would beco of if anything bad happened to her.
"A few days," she said as I pulled her down onto the bed next to . She took a seat there. "You’ve been in and out of consciousness throughout all of them. The doctor said you might still be and that it will take so ti for you to heal properly."
I nodded along as she was speaking. I was listening to what she was saying and sohow not listening either. I could only stare at her and tell myself that this was real. She was with , and she was safe.
My hand lifted up involuntarily. It ran along the scratch lines on her cheek.
I watched as Hannah closed her eyes automatically. Tears began falling from her eyes as she eyebrows knitted together.
There was frustration clear on her face. I wasn’t sure what to say that would make her believe that I really was okay. Well, maybe not okay, okay, but I was safe. I was safer knowing that she was safe and Bernard and Jared had been dealt with accordingly.
My mind flashed with images of Bernard’s lifeless eyes staring up at , and a shiver ran through my spine. I then thought about Jared and Jessica and wondered, for a brief mont, what had happened to the two of them after I left them with Marcus.
Hannah must have noticed the concerned and concentrated look on my face because she began talking about the situation as soon as she did.
"Ed ca by with backup after you–" She was cut off with a hug of air she let out when I pulled her down next to and buried her face into her neck.
"I don’t want to talk about that just right now," I told her as I breathed in and out slowly. "Can we just... live for right now? I just want to live right now without any talk about the Auction House or Bernard or Jared. Please?"
I wasn’t sure if it was a reasonable request or a selfish one, but at that mont I didn’t care what it was. I needed to just hold Hannah and breathe.
I felt her nod into my neck as her arms ca up to hold cautiously, being mindful of the bruises and wound on my body.
"Okay," she whispered lightly. I felt her warm breath on my neck. It made the hairs on my neck stand up. "Okay, we can just live for a mont."
My skin tingled when she placed a kiss directly on that spot of my neck. I groaned lightly at the sensation, both wanting more and not wanting to do anything all at once. The frustration of not being able to move my body properly for the past few days slowly began to build up inside of again.
Hannah giggled at my reaction and moved her lips away from ghosting over the skin of my neck so she was now looking down on my bare chest.
The weather was sowhat warm with a hint of a cool breeze. I felt it through the open window. Being shirtless wasn’t at all discomforting to especially with the thick bandage around my waist.
I watched as Hannah carefully ran her hand over the bandage and over the bruises that were left uncovered over my skin. She pulled her hand away and searched for mine on the other side of my body where she entangled our fingers together.
"What’s the first thing you want to do when you get out of here?" I heard her soft voice ask . I smiled down at her. It was a suggestive sort of smile. I hoped she could understand the aning through my eyes.
Evidentially she did when she rolled her own eyes and slapped my chest lightly. "I’m serious Roman," she chastised through her light laughing.
"Oh, so am I Hannah dearest." I pulled her closer to . She gasped at the strength I used on her. "I’ve missed you."
A slight pout ford on her lips as she thought about all the ways we had been apart from one another. I knew this because those were the exact thoughts that were racing through my head at the ti, and I knew the look on her face mirrored mine.
She nodded slowly as she stared down at . She rested on her arm and leaned down to give a soft kiss. I gratefully accepted her. Before I could deepen it in any sort of way, she pulled away from . I frowned.
"You’re still injured, Mister," she told as though she were scolding a child. "Don’t start getting any funny ideas."
I smirked down at her. "I always have funny ideas when I’m with you." I squeezed her hip and laughed when she squeaked in turn from the shock that ran through her.
"I for one would really like so ice cream," she said after a long pause.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Ice cream?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "good, proper ice cream. Not from the tub but directly from the pipes of the ice cream shop. Maybe even frozen yogurt. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to properly go out in public without..."
I turned to see a considering look wash over her face and knew what she was thinking. I was grateful that she had stopped herself from going into that topic of discussion and tightened my jaw before continuing her sentence for her.
"We can go get ice cream." I thought over the idea. The realization dawned on that I had never truly taken Hannah out for a proper date. We had done just about everything else together, but good old-fashioned dosticity was sorely lacking in our relationship.
I realized then with a shock to my system that I never really did many couple things with Hannah besides... Well...
A sudden urge washed over to do those sorts of things—cooking and baking together, having lunch at the park, going out for ice cream, or watching a movie—things normal couples did that I never truly had any mind for before I t her.
"I want to take you out on a date," I said to the surprise of both of us.
Hannah laughed lightly as she sat up on her elbow and stared down at with a raised eyebrow.
"A date?"
I nodded slowly first and then fast all at once as I thought over the idea out loud. "Yeah. I want to take you to dinner and drop you off at ho, then have you invite inside where we watch a movie with so good wine."
She smiled down at . "That sounds awfully dostic of you, Roman."
I shrugged as I stared up at her. "Well, what do you say?" I was sowhat nervous about her response. "Will you be dostic with , Hannah?"
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