Lucas's Pov
The hospital room had never felt quieter.
Machines hummed, monitors blinked softly, but the only thing I really noticed was her hand in mine. Warm. Solid. There.
I kept my eyes on Ivey, even though everything still felt kind of tilted. My head ached in, pounding in a way that made it hard to keep thoughts straight. But she was here. That was enough.
She hadn't let go.
I shifted slightly. My ribs, arm, head, everything hurt.
"Stop moving," Ivey whispered, but her voice was so gentle it didn't sound like scolding.
"I'm trying to be heroic," I said, mostly to make her smile. "Can't do that lying down."
She did smile, but it was faint, sad around the edges. "You already were. Before the fight. Before everything."
That hit harder than any punch Josh threw.
I watched her for a second. She looked tired. But even now, she was here. Still showing up for people. For me.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like this," I muttered.
"Why? Because you're hurt?"
"No. Because I'm not used to needing help."
She leaned in a little, her thumb tracing across the back of my hand. "You don't have to be the strong one all the time."
I stared up at the ceiling. "It's easier."
"Maybe. But that's not the same as better."
For a while, neither of us said anything. The rain tapping the windows filled the space between us.
Then she got up, and I panicked for a second I thought she was leaving.
But instead, she walked around the bed, carefully lowering the side rail before climbing in next to me, gingerly, like she wasn't sure it was allowed.
My heart stopped, then started again.
Her head came to rest against my shoulder, her hand still wrapped around mine. The warmth of her body next to mine settled the shaking inside me that pain meds couldn't touch.
"You don't have to stay," I said quietly, even though part of me was praying she would.
"I know," she whispered. "That's why I want to."
Silence again. This time it felt full, not empty.
I closed my eyes. I could feel her breathing, it was soft, steady, syncing up with mine. Every time I inhaled, she exhaled. Every time she moved, I relaxed just a little more.
"Lucas?" she said, just when I thought she'd fallen asleep.
"Yeah?"
"I meant it. When I said I wasn't going anywhere."
My throat tightened. I couldn't find words, so I turned slightly, carefully and kissed her on the forehead.
She sighed. Not sad. Not tired. Just… safe.
And finally, for the first time in a long time, so did I.
The next morning
Ivey's Pov
The beeping was the first thing I heard. Not loud, not alarming, just the steady rhythm of a heart monitor. Then the soft rustle of sheets. Then the warmth.
Lucas.
I blinked slowly, sunlight creeping in through the half-closed blinds. His shoulder was still beneath my cheek, warm and real and solid. His chest rose and fell, slower than mine. Still sleeping.
I didn't move.
It felt like if I did, the whole thing might disappear. Like the night we shared — quiet words and quiet breathing and his lips pressed to my forehead — would float away with the morning.
But it didn't.
I tilted my head just enough to see his face. Bruised. Tired. But peaceful, too. His lashes cast shadows on his cheek. I reached out and traced my thumb lightly along the back of his hand again, the way I had the night before. He didn't stir, but his fingers curled slightly, instinctively, like he knew I was there even in sleep.
He stayed.
I stayed.
I thought I'd feel heavy waking up here. Drowned in everything that had happened. But instead, I felt… lighter. Like maybe, for once, I didn't have to carry it all alone.
The door creaked gently, and I looked up to see Kayla peeking in, eyes widening when she saw us tangled together in the hospital bed.
I pressed a finger to my lips. She raised her brows but didn't say anything. Just mouthed okay, and quietly shut the door again.
I looked back at Lucas. He stirred, just a little, brow pinching like something was chasing him in his dreams. I touched his cheek, whispering his name.
"Lucas?"
He inhaled sharply, then blinked up at me, confused for a second. Then he saw me and his whole face softened.
"Still here?" he asked, voice rough with sleep.
I nodded. "Still here."
He didn't smile, not really. But his eyes did.
"You sleep okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." I hesitated. "You?"
He gave a tiny shrug. "Better than I expected."
A pause.
"Hey," he said, like he'd been thinking about it all night and couldn't hold it in anymore. "You don't have to figure this out today. Us, I mean. I don't need an answer. Just… being with you right now, like this… it's enough."
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "Thank you for saying that."
The room was quiet again, but it felt different in the daylight. Less heavy. Less haunted.
Lucas was still watching me, eyes soft, like he was afraid I'd disappear. Like he wasn't sure if this was still real.
"I'm not going anywhere," I said again, firmer this time. "Even if it gets messy. Even if we're both still figuring things out."
His jaw flexed slightly like he was holding back words that might crack him open too wide. "I don't want to rush you."
"I'm not rushing," I said. "I just… want us to be honest. About what we want."
He nodded slowly, then looked down at our hands still intertwined. "Then let's start there."
A quiet passed between us again not awkward, not tense. Just two people trying to meet in the middle of everything that came before.
"I think I want to be with someone who makes me feel like this," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Safe. Seen. Worth it."
His thumb brushed mine. "Then I'm gonna do everything I can to be that person."
I smiled. "You already are."
He winced a little as he shifted again. "Well, maybe once I can walk without limping and breathe without wincing, I'll really prove it."
A laugh slipped out of me soft, a little shaky, but real. "Deal."
There was a knock on the door, and this time it didn't creak open. A nurse's voice followed, chipper and oblivious to the emotional storm happening just inside.
"Vitals check in five minutes!"
"Guess that's my cue to crawl out before I get kicked out," I said, starting to slide off the bed carefully.
Lucas caught my hand gently. "You don't have to go far."
I nodded "I'll be right here."
As I settled back into the chair beside his bed, the room wasn't just a hospital room anymore.
It was the place where something began.
Not a love story with fireworks and sweeping declarations.
But something quieter.
Stronger.
Ours.