A Little Bit Married

Safe

Gray was now sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, his eyes low, while I stood close to him, my eyes taking him in. He has been quiet for the past half hour, his eyes holding the same blank stare, his breaths slow.

I sighed, then slowly leaned close, knowing that he probably felt awful about what had just happened. He had been at his most vulnerable, and it made me wonder if she had ever done something like this, probably when she still had his favour and he had let it slide because he was in love with her.

"Gray?"

He took in a deep breath and slowly looked up. His eyes looked like hollow storms, his lips slowly parting. "Yes?"

I forced a small smile. "Do you want ice cream?"

He shook his head slowly and turned away. "You should lie down. I will go down and..."

"No," I said, holding his hand. "No. You don't know if she is down there or..."

"I am a grown man, Evangeline," he said, pulling his hand away from me. The force with which he moved his hand caused me to I voluntarily grab on harder, and I ended up tearing through and breaking his skin with my nails.

I yelped as I felt the damage I had done, and blood quickly came rushing out. I gave a small gasp and turned around, frantically looking for something to clean it up with.

He didn't so much as move, his eyes holding the blood that was trickling down through the small wound in small droplets, his breaths going even slower.

"Gray, I am sorry. I will go down and get something since I can't find anything here. Just wait. Okay?"

He didn't reply, and I started to walk away. I didn't get to take more than two steps away from him when he grabbed my hand, stopping me from going.

"Gray."

He shook his head, then gently pulled me back, his head resting on my stomach, his hands loosely wrapping around my waist.

"Gray," I said, my hands slowly caressing his arm and gently pushing through his hair.

"I am sorry," he whispered, his voice low, his hands tightening around me as he pulled me even closer, his face burying in my stomach. "I am sorry for disrupting your life and dragging you into my issues. I am sorry for..."

"Have I ever complained? Have I ever..."

"Do you have to?" He asked, moving away as he raised his eyes to me. He looked conflicted, tired, and done with it all. "Is this ideal? You ending up in the hospital, having to leave home, and then watching her touch me. Do you think this is ideal?"

I shook my head. "It's not. It's not ideal. But I have seen worse. I have never had an ideal life, and this is the best of it all. This is the nicest anyone has treated me, including the man I was engaged to, so yes, Gray. Thank you for upsetting my life and dragging me into this. I wouldn't know what the hell to do with the baggage that bastard left me if I didn't find solace right here."

He went quiet, and I sighed, caressing his scalp, knowing how much he loved it. We were quiet for a while, his face still buried in my stomach, his chest lightly heaving.

"Have I ever told you that you talk too much?"

I chuckled, scratching his nape lightly. "There isn't anything that you haven't accused me of yet."

He chuckled, then tightened his grip on me, pulling me closer. It was impossible for me to go closer, and he leaned, spread my legs, and brought me to sit on his lap.

This was very new and different, and I let his face bury in the crook of my neck, but I could tell he wasn't very comfortable since he was having to sit up when all he wanted was to lean into me.

"Are you comfortable?"

He slowly shook his head. "I will manage. You shouldn't have to stand."

"I don't have to," I said, adjusting to him, then fixing my robe. "You can go lower."

He looked up, then down. "You do realize what's lower, right?"

"I am your wife. We can do this every single day, as long as I get to help you walk through the fears in your head. As long as I get to only listen to you, accuse me of things I know I didn't do."

His eyes darted slowly across both of mine, his chest heaving. He reached his hand up to push my hair back, his eyes solemn, filled with so many emotions, and vortices that seemed to overlap with each other.

It was such a beautiful sight.

I slowly cupped his neck, then ran my fingers down his arm, and then moved to his stomach before moving upwards to his chest.

"See? I can touch you too, and it won't hurt. I promise."

He gave a small smile, then leaned forward, his eyes darting across both of mine. "You make it feel so easy."

"Easy?"

"Don't you want to ask me questions?" He asked, playing with my hair. "Don't you want to ask me what I really am? Who I really am? I know of all the rumours out there. Why are you here, so extremely comfortable and unworried about your safety?"

"I know about the rumours," I whispered, my hand resting on the side of his face. "But does it matter? I see who you are. I see what you are. Right now. I am comfortable because you make me comfortable. I am safe because you make me safe. Because you are safe. Because you can't hurt anyone. That's why."

He bit down on his lips, then slowly held my hand. He brought it to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back of my hand, his eyes meeting mine as he leaned away.

I leaned to him, my forehead resting on his, my lips parting. He let out a shaky sigh, but he did not resist, his hands running up and down my back, his breaths slow.

"Do you feel any better?"

He nodded. "So much better. Thank you, Angeline."

I smiled, my cheeks heating up. "That will be dinner and a big smile, sir. How are you paying?"

He broke into a laugh, then shook his head. "Fine. I will go and grab dinner. What do you want?"

I shrugged. "Lots of meant and vegetables and..."

He smiled, then shook his head and grabbed a shirt. He wore it, then grabbed his wallet and phone.

"I will be back."

I nodded. "Be safe."

He stopped, then nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I will," he said, then walked back to me. He let out a small sigh before kissing my forehead.

My eyes widened as he moved away, and he gave a small shrug.

"It just seemed appropriate."

I laughed, then nodded, and I watched his back as he walked away, closing the door behind him. I let out a small sigh and sat on the edge of the bed, my heart pounding in my chest.