𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚝 | 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟷

𝙱𝚘𝚗𝚞𝚜 𝚂𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎 𝟸

𝚂𝚘𝚏𝚒𝚊

𝚃𝚠𝚘 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝙰𝚐𝚘

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I watched the crackle of the lights above me as I laid in my hospital bed.

I hadn't talked to anyone, I didn't want to see the police, and I didn't share what happened with my mother, who was currently watching me from the corner of the room. She wouldn't understand, no one would. I had a nasal cannula, the one that goes in your nose and you breathe oxygen in, yeah that was going to be with me for a few doors according to the doctor. Steve saved my life, again. Seemed to be a constant theme.

I don't remember much, I remember collapsing to the floor and letting my eyes close, there was searing heat on all sides of me, and blood ran down my forearm pooling in my palm, the doctor said if Steve didn't break down the door when he did, I would've had a lot more going on with my health than I did now.

They didn't tell me what I was going to be facing, mom didn't want to stress me out.

I think the most shocking outcome of tonight was that Steve stayed, he gave up the rest of his Phantoms Eve to bring me here, Mom said he wouldn't leave until he knew I was awake, and even now, after he kissed me like he was scared I would go away, I hardly believed this was happening. Not only did he offer to stay with me overnight so my parents could go back to whatever charity event they had tonight, he was adamant when he left that he wouldn't be gone for more than forty-five minutes.

"I'm here to relieve you, Mrs. Moor," Steve spoke from the doorway, a pair of black sweats hung low on his hips, and a tight white tank top formed to his skin. Steve was a gorgeous human, his muscles were defined but didn't bulge, and he wore confidence like a second skin, walking over to lean down and kiss my mother's cheek, dropping a bag of stuff by the chair before he started walking towards my bed. Normally I would squirm, try and put some distance between us because being this close to Steve made me nervous, but tonight I needed comfort, the comfort he's only capable of giving me.

He placed a hand on my forehead, his thumb rubbing soothingly over my hairline, eyes holding mine. "How you feeling little devil?"

I tried not to let my smile show how I was feeling, rolling my eyes playfully, "Like a million bucks." We both knew that was fake, I couldn't even breathe on my own, well I could, but the doctors were running tests on my lungs and they said the oxygen would just help remove any sort of smoke I inhaled. "Tired and cold and hungry though."

Steve smiled, nudging me over in the bed before he sat down on the edge, taking my hand in his, "I got you those god-awful chicken wraps you love," his thumb traced the length of each one of my fingers, before he brought the back of my hand up to his mouth, pressing just the gentlest of kisses to the back of my hand, "I wasn't able to go to Jade Lake and raid your closet, but I stopped by my apartment and got you a hoodie, there are sweats in the bag as well if you want."

A knock on the door had both of us looking over, one of the doctors on the round coming in, he smiled softly at me before looking at Steve and holding his hand out, "Boyfriend?"

"Something like that," Steve replied shaking his hand, and I had to focus on not letting my heart speed up so the monitor didn't give away how that made me feel, "how'd everything come out?"

"She's going to be okay, just requires a lot of rest, the only concern is that gash on her arm, she'll get a tetanus shot in case it was a rusty nail, we'll keep her overnight just to monitor her lung function then she'll be able to go home tomorrow."

"That's great news," Steve smiled over at me and I felt like my whole world stopped, the boy I was in love with was here, holding my hand, showing me affection. He broke down the door to get into the church and he drove me to the hospital himself. I know I don't get to have a life with him, but if tonight is all I have, then I'll take every inch of it I could get. "Can she change into something other than the gown? She said she's cold, I ran home to get a sweatshirt for her."

"Yeah, I'll remove the IV for the moment, you can help her get dressed and just get a nurse to reattach everything." The doctor explained, walking over to me and carefully removing all the tubes attached to me, pulling the oxygen away for a moment. And if I'm being honest, I understood why they had me on it the second he took it away, it felt like I was breathing through lead in order to get some oxygen into my system. A wheezing sound came out as I looked over at Steve.

"Easy princess," Steve was gentle as he walked behind me, the hoodie being placed in my lap before he was untying the two ribbons that kept the gown up. If I wasn't so desperate to get oxygen back in me, I would've been embarrassed that this was the first time he even got a glimpse of my body. Instead, I pulled the sweatshirt over my head, pulling it down and letting him play the oxygen back in my nose.

The food was placed in my lap before he went and got a nurse, the kind woman immediately came in and reattached the monitors and IV.

I didn't eat a lot of the wrap, and I don't think anyone expected me to, I just know Steve wanted to get a little bit of something in my system. When I finished one of the wraps he took the food from me, helping me lay back down. "Will," I looked up at him, the question nearly dying on my tongue, "will you please lay with me."

Steve didn't chastise me, he just shifted me over in the bed, crawled in beside me, and wrapped an arm around my body, keeping me close to him. "I'm sorry," I felt the need to apologize, I know that I didn't really do anything wrong, but Phantom's night was always his one night to let loose, and part of me felt awful that something happened to me and he was laying in bed here instead of having a night to party.

"What for?"

Steve shifted us so one of my legs was thrown over his, the thin sheet laying on top of us, one of his hands wrapped around my shoulder, the other squeezing my thigh as he rubbed the sore muscles, "I just feel like I ruined your night, this was the Phantom's Eve you guys came back for, and instead of partying you're laying in a hospital with me."

Steve's hand left my hip, his forefinger crooking under my chin to make me put all my attention on him, "Sofia, there will always be another Phantoms Eve," he pushed some of my hair behind my ear, lips pressing to my forehead, "there's only one of you. I'd rather be right here, right now, with you alive, than partying at a church that nearly killed you."

I smiled, closing my eyes again when he pressed his lips to my forehead, rubbing my thighs and sending me into a soothing sleep.

Because if I was with Steve, I knew I was safe. Always.

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