Children of Fire (Complete)

forty-seven

Emerson

After what felt like forever, I woke up again in Gideon's bed. I didn't see him anywhere, but the sound of the shower running told me that he was near, and that made me feel safe. I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, but the way my muscles ached to be stretched told me it was the longest I had slept in a while. I stretched my legs and did my best to ignore the searing pain in my stomach, and when I lifted my arms above my head I let out a sharp gasp, cursing under my breath. Fuck, this hurt. But, I couldn't lay here any longer. My stomach was growling and I was almost positive I was developing bed sores after being here for so long.

I did my best to swing my legs over the side of the bed without making much noise, not wanting to alarm Gideon, but I failed miserably. I let out a loud groan and within seconds, Gideon was bounding out of the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a towel-- I could still hear the water running.

"What's wrong, baby? You alright?" He asked, grabbing my legs and preventing me from moving. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how over-dramatic he was being. Sure, I may have almost died, but that didn't mean I couldn't take care of myself. But, who was I kidding? It hurt like hell to move, and I wasn't sure how anybody could function after being mortally injured like that.

"I'm fine, I just can't lay here any longer. And I'm starving." I told him, trying to scoot off of the edge of the bed. Gideon smiled and pulled me up, gripping my hands tightly so I wouldn't fall. My knees wobbled and I had to know the answer. "How long have I been sleeping?"

He made sure I was steady on my feet before taking a step back and looking me up and down, making sure I would be okay to stand on my own. "Well, you slept for a day and a half before you woke up the first time, then you've been out for another day. Your bodies way of helping you heal." He said, as though he had experienced this more than once.

"You say that like you've been stabbed before." I told him with a wry laugh, it hurt, but not as bad as I expected it to.

"I have." He said nonchalantly. Of course he had. Being a badass biker certainly came with risks, I would be naive to think he had never been hurt before. It still didn't make me feel any less uneasy. I knew it would be difficult to accept this lifestyle, but I didn't even think about how difficult it would be to love a man whose life was constantly on the line. It scared me, but I was in too deep now, and I didn't plan on abandoning him now that I had him.

"Of course." I mumbled, stretching my limbs again. I gasped slightly when I reached towards the ceiling, but the pain was better now that I was standing up. Sleeping may have been my bodies way of healing, but damnit it didn't help the pain. I knew I needed to move around to help it hurt less.

"What are you hungry for?" Gideon asked, returning from the bathroom. He crossed his bedroom and rummaged through his drawers, pulling out boxers and a shirt. Of course, I'd rather he not get dressed and we stay behind closed doors for the rest of the day, but I knew my body wouldn't allow anything exciting to happen for a few days at least. I thought for a moment about what I wanted to eat, and I had too many cravings to settle on just one.

"Taco Bell and burgers." I said, my stomach speaking for me. He chuckled as he pulled his jeans up and shrugged on his cut, and I devoured him with my eyes, suddenly not quite as hungry for food but quite ravenous for the man in front of me.

"Taco Bell and burgers sounds good to me, babe. Let's get you dressed first, then we'll go out. I'll take the SUV, I don't exactly think you should be out on the bike just yet." He said, placing a hand gently on the small of my back and guiding me towards his closet. Shit, my clothes were all at Kya's place, and I had made sure not to leave any of my things behind when I grabbed them just a few days ago.