Pessimist

38 - Tenacious

Something glints in the somewhat dark and my eyes fall to his neck, seeing the chain he gave me there along with the ring strung on. I want to reach out and touch it, caress it, because for a second I didn't think I would be alive to see it again though for now I stay motionless, simply watching his every action and savoring it like I haven't ever before.

I don't say anything when he refills the cup after making me drown the first one, making me finish the second one as well. I don't say anything when he sets it down after he's satisfied, rubbing at his cheeks to remove the tears that fell. And I don't say anything when he crouches beside my bed, hands clutching the sheets and his forehead pressing against my blanket covered thighs.

He's processing this entire situation in his own way and all I want to do is litter him with apologies and hold him so close to me that we both lose the ability to breathe.

I rub a soothing hand down his back and minutes into it, his shoulders start shaking as he collapses to his knees, burying further into my body. I shift again, turning so he has better access to me and he shifts too, wrapping his hands around my waist and holding me as close as he can from our positions.

His small sobs have me crying silently as well, my body bending in half so I'm as close to him as possible and I shut my eyes in relief, in grief and freedom and sustenance because I am here and I survived.

"Dean..." I whisper and he only shakes his head, melting into me like I am a part of him. His hands tighten around my body, his face pressed further into my thighs, and his shoulders continue to move as his cries become so loud that they escape him in intervals.

I stay quiet for the remainder of however long he needs me, my hand resuming their stroking motion along his back as he cries out his love for me, the sound echoing softly against the walls of the hospital room.

- - -

"Almost dying, Sophia? Really? You sure know how to say you miss me."

I look up from my book, my smile overtaking my face as I make grabby hands at the basket in Zayn's arms. Dean hasn't been letting me eat anything edible, reducing me down to soft foods like oatmeal, soup, and applesauce and I am in dire need of the chocolate sticking out of the basket. Standing beside him are Ayesha and Vanessa, Alyan and Brandon most likely outside with Dean in the cafeteria and Alex—who came here an hour earlier—stands up from the chair beside my bed and walks over to him, taking the basket for me.

It's sudden motion after that, everyone racing towards me to hug as tightly as they can.

"Sophia!" Zayn cries out, getting to me first so his arms are wrapped securely around me. His face is pressed against my shoulder and I can feel the sudden tears that soak my shirt. I wrap my arms around him too, following his lead and smile so wide it hurts.

While I still have the overwhelming urge to cry, I want to laugh and be happier. Ayesha shoves Zayn off of me, taking over and soon, both her and Vanessa are climbing on my bed and sitting on either side of me while Zayn takes the empty seat next to Alex.

Vanessa grabs my hand, turning her body towards me as her eyes take a quick scan of me. Her eyes fill with tears that I quickly shake my head at, not wanting them to cry anymore. She brushes back the hair away from my face to look at the damage there, her bottom lip quivering.

"Is he in jail?" She whispers. "Is the bastard who hurt my darling in jail? I am going to kill him. I am going to fuck him up..." She trails off on a sob, shaking her head to which Ayesha takes over, also looking weepy.

"Stupid fucking fucker. I am going to castrate his body and chop off all of his ligaments and feed them to horses who will chew on his leftovers so slowly that he'll pray that he was eaten by a faster animal."