~~Young~~

Chapter Twenty Three

   Woke…up…

   “Beauty I…I’m having the same problem,” he touched a hand to his eyelids and frowned.

   That’s why she missed when she kissed him the first time. She was just as blind as he was, but…why? He couldn’t think of a reason for it. Her body would not have made it to this realm so there would be no need to hide her burns, unless someone was trying to keep her from seeing his burns. But that didn’t fit either, he was already healed. And why would the one out to make him suffer offer him a sliver of pity like that?

   Pity didn’t exist in hell…

   “How long have you been awake?” maybe she had experienced something that could give him a clue to what the fuck was happening.

   “I…I don’t know,” he had the sense she was shaking her head, “It hasn’t felt like that long.”

   “Well what was the last thing you remember before you came around?”

   She hesitated and he heard her sigh heavily, “being taken away from my body,” she said softly.

   Gage ran a hand over his face uneasily. If she could remember that then that meant he and Death hadn’t succeeded in bringing her back. Her mortal body and her immortal soul could not see the same things, would not remember the same things, and that was why he was so shocked to know she could see Death, because it was her soul that could see her. They had reunited the two obviously, her body and her soul, but something had gone wrong in the process.

   Moot point now…

   He fumbled aimlessly for her, finding her leg-her thigh he assumed- and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her response was to take his hand in both of hers and hold on tight. Odd, her hands seemed to be much warmer than his. It was the first change in temperature he had perceived since waking.

   “And after that, you were here?” he kept prompting her. There had to be an answer in this somewhere.

   “Yeah, I was sitting in a chair I think, like I had fallen asleep there. I was curled up sideways in it and had my head under my hands and everything. I…I was facing you too even if I couldn’t see you. Your voice came from right in front of me. Actually…” she paused, “I think you woke me up.”

   So then what woke him up?

   “Gage,” she began hesitantly, cutting into his thoughts, “I’m sorry I got so mad at you, I’m…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt, that I love you. If I had then you probably would have said it back, then I would have known whatever happened with Joey wasn’t your fault. But I didn’t, and I’m sorry that I thought you would try to hurt me like that. But…you’re a demon, I thought it was all a game for you, that I was a game. But after seeing that monster, I could never put you two in the same category, and…”

   Why did this rambling feel oddly familiar? It made him grin despite their circumstance… wait; he was on the other side of this the last time wasn’t he? Yes, and Sera had kissed him to shut him up.

   Worked for him.

   It wasn’t as smooth as he hoped but he found her lips easily enough, quieting Sera and reveling how she melted beneath his touch.

   So if this wasn’t hell, then what kind of sick torture was this?

   “I love you too beauty,” he chuckled as he pulled away, giving in to this mess, “and its okay. None of that matters anymore but to clear the air, I did send your sister away. She was suffering too much and the only reason she agreed to go home was because I promised to watch over you for her.”