The Hunter's Angel

Sleepless Nights

I checked my phone for the tenth time that night, the worrying pulse in my temple only worsening as I was met with a blank screen.

It was 1:00 AM, and I still hadn't heard a word from Hunter.

Bruce had dropped me off at my place right after Hunter had left to...take care of business. I had instantly sent Hunter a message to let him know I was safe, hoping he would do the same.

I knew he was more than capable of defending himself, but I still worried for his safety regardless.

My concern was manageable at first, but after almost six hours with no response, I was starting to freak out.

I sent text after text to see if he was okay, all met with no reply. Sleep was forgotten at this point, as there was no way I could calm my mind when I felt this anxious.

This feeling was so alien to me - I had never felt anything quite like it before. It was as if a weight was sitting on my chest and it would only be lifted once I could see Hunter's face again, once I could know that he was okay.

My chest tightened at the mere idea of Hunter not coming back. Of never seeing him again.

I forced out a sharp breath. I wasn't going there.

I shifted around in my bed, sparing a glance at the clock on my bedside table. It read 1:05 AM. Only five minutes had passed? It felt like an hour.

The rest of my night went just like this, volleying between checking my phone and checking the time until it reached well past 3:00 AM.

I was finally beginning to drift into sleep, my internal alarm taking over my anxiety when two gentle raps against the door shook me awake.

Scrambling out of bed, my heartbeat thumped against my chest as I made my way to the door.

Please be him. Please be him. Please be him.

Peeking through the peephole, I let out a small cry of relief as I saw Hunter standing in the doorway in one piece.

I swung the door open, and before he could even open his mouth, I launched myself into his arms, suffocating him with the tightest embrace as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

I didn't even pay mind to the sharp pain flashing down my abdomen at the contact. My happiness to see him far outweighed the ache of my blossoming bruise.

Without hesitation, he enclosed his arms snugly around me, holding me strongly against him.

"To what do I owe this friendliness," he murmured softly, though there was a funny note to his voice that I couldn't place. Happiness? Relief? Desire?

I quivered a breath and mumbled into the crook of his neck, "You weren't responding. I've been texting you all night. I thought...I thought something had happened."

He smiled against my shoulder. "I'm okay, Angel, I'm okay. Don't tell me you're actually starting to care about me?" he tantalized.

I leaned back from him and dropped to my feet, holding my breath as our bodies brushed together. I didn't meet his eyes as his words rang through my head. I wasn't ready to admit it, but I would be a fool to think otherwise.

I would never feel that kind of fear for a stranger's safety, and I sure as hell wouldn't be afraid like that for someone I didn't like. Someone I didn't care about deeply.

What was Hunter doing to me? I had never felt like this before. Like, the world would have ceased to exist if he didn't walk through that door and into my arms.