Intertwined | ✓

| 17 |

Damon opened the door, walking into the room and as soon as he did, it was as if the air was knocked out of him.

Sitting up on the bed was a smiling Raina, just like he'd been hoping and dreaming for a week now.

Her complexion was back to how it usually was, her lips pink and her brown eyes had that shimmering quality to it, with a glint of mischief. Damon had missed the mischief in her eyes so much.

There was pin-drip silence in the room, which Damon was afraid to break, in case this was actually a beautiful dream.

"Hi," Raina then said, and at the sound of her voice, Damon's grip on the flowers loosened and they dropped to the floor.

He hadn't even noticed, he was frozen in place, just staring at Raina.

Raina looked amused at Damon's trance-like state.

Her eyes roamed over his form, noticing the bags under his eyes, like he hadn't slept properly or at all, in a while. His hair, which Raina knew he was so particular about, was a bit of a mess. Instead of his usual look, he wore a white shirt with blue jeans, his dog-tag chain hanging out in plain sight. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

"Really? You dropped my flowers on the floor? You truly are a romantic," she playfully said to him, which managed to snap Damon out his statuesque posture.

"You're awake," Damon breathed out. 

Raina nodded, "I'm awake."

Soon as the words left her mouth, Damon crossed the small space between the two of them and pulled Raina into hug.

She didn't even hesitate to wrap her own arms around him, wanting to feel him close, to feel his warmth against her.

When Damon tightened his hold on Raina, she couldn't help but wince a little. "Ow. A little too early to get rough."

"Shit, sorry," Damon then pulled away from her, but still holding her by her arms. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet, and she didn't want him to either.

Damon's eyes then looked all over Raina's face.

"You're awake," he said one again, still in slight disbelief, even though he was looking at her, talking to her and even holding her.

"I am," Raina smiled softly.

She understood that he still didn't quite believe that she was awake, especially with the way he was looking at her.

"I'm not dreaming?" Damon asked. 

Raina shook her head gently. "You're not."

Damon then let his hands fall from Raina's arms, but held onto her hands instead.

"When?" he asked and Raina placed her hands around Damon's.

"Last night," she said and Damon's eyes widened, before he frowned.

"Last night? No one called me, I-I..." he trailed off.

He wanted to be there the moment Raina woke up, and now he was finding out that she'd be awake for a whole night, without him even knowing.

Raina could see the frown on his face and the slight wrinkle in between his brows. She knew he was upset that he wasn't there when she woke up.

Reaching up, Raina used her fingers to turn his frown upside down. "I told them not to," she said and Damon pulled her hand away, holding it instead. "Not because I was mad or anything, so don't you dare think that," knowing exactly where his thought process would lead him.