Luminescence

Thirty-three.

Double update, because you guys are awesome :) aaand this sort of serves as a part two to the previous chapter. ❤️

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"Good lord," is all Hudson could say as he collapses into our bedroom after keeping a two-hour conversation with Connor about his abilities. It went throughout dinner and beyond, and I used the 'I need to take a shower' excuse to get him out of it. "Thanks for getting me out of that one."

"No problem," I happily say to him softly. He watches me as I come sit next to him on the bed, except I sat up as he laid flat on his stomach. Using the knuckles of my hands, I began to massage his upper back as he shivers in pleasure.

"Would it be bad if—" he winces again as I hit a sensitive spot. "Would it be bad if I married you only for your back rubs?"

The question makes us both burst out laughing simultaneously, as I begin moving my hands lower down his back.

"No Hudson," I say smiling. "One day I'm going to marry a man I love, not to just give him back rubs."

I loved him. I truly did. But I kept that thought in the back of my head so that he wouldn't be able to read it with his powers. I seriously didn't know where I would be without him. Hudson has given me a whole new perspective on what it's like to be a mutant. And I could never thank him enough for that.

My hands went lower, massaging the knots until he suddenly jerks away from me in... pain? His face is scrunched as he seems to avoid laying on one of his sides.

"Hudson..." my voice trails off. "Did Ryan hurt you?"

He nods softly, and my heart drops. Then it hits me. Ryan had struck Hudson on his left side earlier when he was distracted from his injured wrist. I begin peeling off his gray shirt from training, and he raises an eyebrow.

"Eager, are we?" A smirk was evident on his face.

I roll my eyes and slap him on the leg lightly. "Sit up, doofus. I'm going to heal you."

He gives me a ridiculed look as he refuses to get up from his position on the bed. "No Mara, the wound will heal sooner or later and I do not want you to waste your energy on me."

I cross my arms. "Fine, if I can't heal you, I'm going to sleep on the couch across from Lucy for the next week."

That got him to immediately sit up and peel off his shirt slowly, letting me examine the injury on his waist. And holy moly, as I inspected it Ryan had done some serious damage to him. I didn't realize it before, but a small gasp had escaped my lips. An angry purple and red bruise covered almost his entire left side, making me wonder how Hudson didn't break a few ribs in the process.

"Are there any other spots I should be worried about?" I say softly, hating to see him injured like this.

Hudson moves so that he is sitting criss-cross applesauce across from me as our kneecaps just barely touched. His head nods, as he puts his hand in mine.

"My wrist may or may not be broken," he smiles sheepishly, trying to lighten the mood a bit. I look down to it, and it sure as hell was. "Punching a literal boulder isn't the easiest thing ever. But he's going to be an absolute beast in the big battle with the Plague."

I shake my head and smile at him softly, before beginning to summon my abilities. My fingertips begin to glow the familiar shade of gold, as two of my fingers place themselves on Hudson's bruise. The other hand holds onto his wrist, healing the fractured bones inside it.

I didn't realize it before, but Hudson's bright green eyes were staring directly into my face the entire time with so many emotions flying throughout him. For some reason, I felt his heart rate increase as I was just halfway done with the process.