Logan is sitting propped up against the pillows on the hospital bed with a white blanket draped across his lap. I'm settled on a chair next to him, my thumb tracing gentle circles over the tiny pierced dot on his arm where the doctor had injected him earlier.
"It's done.", I remark softly, breaking the silence. "That was the last dosage of monkshood they needed to administer. It should dispel the remaining effects of the vampire venom from your system." The silver-haired male remains silent, his expression distant as he stares at an invisible spec on the blanket. "You've already aced the vision test.", I continue, my voice filled with reassurance. "And I'm confident you'll clear the other sensory assessments as well. After they discharge you, we can return home together."
Still, he doesn't respond, bringing a frown to my face. "Logan?", I call out with concern evident in my voice.
Logan finally shifts his gaze towards me, his eyes searching mine intensely. "Is that really the extent of your injuries from that monster—a dislocated shoulder and a bite?", he begins, "Because I could have sworn I saw—", but then bites back his words, as if reluctant to voice such ominous things out loud. He shakes his head, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in a clear attempt to push those images out of his mind. "If you need medical attention, please go get it, Collen.", he murmurs, his voice thick with worry.
In a swift motion, I reach out and grab his wrist, pulling his hand away from his face and pressing its palm against my cheek. "Hey, look at me.", I implore. "I'm fine. I've told you, it was merely a figment of your hallucination. You saved me, Logan."
But my love shakes his head once again, his features clouded with self-doubt and regret. "I should've done better...", he murmurs barely above a whisper. "Protected you better."
Clenching my jaws, I watch him. 'The burden already accompanying him on every hunt.' "I shouldn't be the focal point of your focus out there.", I assert aloud, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "I'm not 'the protected.'"
Logan's brow furrows with slight confusion as he looks at me. I'm your partner, Logan.", I continue in frustration, "I'm supposed to have your back in the hunts; not be the fucking burden that I am!"
"You're not a burden!", he interjects immediately with conviction.
"Am I not, though?!" I counter sharply, my tone raw with emotion. "Rather than assisting you, I compelled you to divert your attention to me! You even felt obliged to give me your jacket, leaving yourself vulnerable! Coupled with being useless, I couldn't even provide you with my ammo when you ran out of yours!"
"That's not what happened!", he snaps sharply. "It was a terrifying moment and you panicked! It was a natural response!"
I chew on my lip, averting my gaze at the sting of tears threatening to spill over, "But you weren't... You braved it out..."
"Who said I wasn't?? I was fucking terrified!", Logan reveals, compelling me to meet his gaze once more. My heart clenches at the vulnerability his eyes display. "I was terrified when that creature took you away. I thought I had lost you forever, fearing it would kill you. And when I saw you mutilated and bleeding out underneath him..."
With words trailing off, his eyes become distant as he recalls the nightmarish hallucinations that haunted him in those agonizing moments. Feeling the weight of his anguish, I reach out and grasp his hand, urging him to return to me. His leaden-blue irises roll back toward me but the chilly glint in them sends a shiver down my spine.
His fingers tighten around mine. "—I wanted to strip his pale flesh from his bones and watch him drown in his own blood.", Logan concludes, his voice dropping an octave, causing me to swallow thickly.
I force my lips to stretch into a soft smile as I press kisses to Logan's knuckles reassuringly. "Hey... It wasn't real.", I murmur softly, "I'm here."
The silver-haired male watches me with a mixture of yearning and lingering anguish. He gently caresses my cheek, his touch warm and welcomed against my skin, before trailing the back of his finger along my jawline. "But I heard you scream.", he whispers. "I heard you cry out my name... It tore my heart out. I wanted nothing more than to switch places with you at that moment, if only to ensure you'd come out of there alive."
My smile falters at his words, replaced by a frown of concern. "You do realize that you're in a worse state than me, right...?", I murmur.
The corner of Logan's lips curls up in a ghost of a smile. "It does bring me relief, yes.", he admits.
My eyes sting with unshed tears as I stare at Logan in disbelief. My heart constricts painfully within my chest, a flush of heat in my cheeks turning them crimson. "Why are you like this??", I demand, my voice trembling with emotion. "Why do you prioritize me over yourself, over your own safety?? William told me how you even denied code zero!"
A subtle flinch twitches across the hunter's features at the mention of William's revelation. "Why would he even disclose something like that?", he murmurs, his tone tinged with irritation.
"Why didn't you accept it?!", I snap, my patience wearing thin as I struggle to comprehend his selflessness. "Even that monster offered you an escape, so why didn't you take it?! You could've died in there, Logan! Why would you risk your life for a hunting partner?!"
"Because you're more than my partn—", he presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth, halting himself mid-sentence.
Instantly propelled forth with a surge of passion, I capture his lips in a frenzied, passionate kiss. Logan reciprocates, his hand threading into my hair, tugging me closer to him with a desperate pull that I can't resist. I yield to his silent plea, my body moving instinctively to meet his, every touch igniting a flame of emotions within me.
At this point, words have become irrelevant. It's not necessary for him to verbalize his feelings because his actions speak volumes. The intensity of his embrace, the fervor in his touch – they all convey the depth of his yearning that words could never capture.
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A low groan rumbles from Logan's chest, his discomfort evident as he shifts on the mattress. "My back aches...", he complains, drawing my attention away from my phone.
Setting aside my device, I rise from the chair and approach him, "Would you like to sit up instead? I can prop you up with pillows."
The silver-haired male turns his head in my direction, a mischievous smirk tugging on his lips, "Why not prop me up with yourself?" I pause, raising an eyebrow at his suggestion. He only shrugs, "I've assured you there's plenty of room beside me, yet you always opt for the chair." Unable to suppress my chuckle, I shake my head in amusement as I comply with his request. Nestling beside him, I help Logan sit up, offering my frame for him to lean against. He settles against me, his head finding a comfortable spot on my shoulder as he buries his face in my neck.
"Feeling better now?", I tease lightly.
He hums softly in response, drawing in a long breath, "You smell nice. When did you take a shower?"
"I managed to sneak in a quick one in the bathroom while the nurse wipe-cleaned you.", I reply while intertwining my fingers with his.
"I don't like it...", he emits a grumble, prompting me to wrap my arm across his shoulders and draw him closer in a protective embrace.
"I could always ask them not to and instead bathe you myself when we're alone like this.", I propose and the male responds with a thoughtful hum. "Would you like that?", I inquire, seeking his approval.
"Yeah...", he mutters before encircling my torso with his arm, cuddling me, "I don't want anyone other than you touching me beneath my clothes."
I press a tender kiss to his head, "Rest assured, I won't allow anyone to touch you anymore."
YOU ARE READING
Hunters Don't Cry
Fantasy'Hunters Don't Cry' Throughout my life, I've heard this hard-bitten expression. It was like a taunt, as if implying that hunters didn't have the heart to feel such extreme emotions or reasons sufficient enough to shed tears. But for me, this lingere...
