Darkest Shadows

7) Sheets

"I love you, Rhett, now and always babe."--Ace

♡

"That was beautiful, yeah?"

"It was. I'm glad they're happy."

Jax and Ambrose are in their bed after the reception finished an hour ago, now around one in the morning, the couple still couldn't fall asleep. Jax was constantly worrying about Ambrose even though he told him not to, he is so reluctant to be away from him and while it is endearing he can see it's tiring Jax out. After a few minutes of silence, Ambrose thinks Jax is asleep, then he speaks. "What happened?"

Ambrose sighs, knowing Jax was going to ask him eventually, he did offer up the information too. "I was waiting for you to come back, I got worried because it was taking you so long and I couldn't reach you. The door was barricaded from the outside and I couldn't open it, I was calling everyone, and no one answered, Gemini, Rhea, Rhett, Tracy, Ascelin, you...I called everyone, and no one answered, it freaked me out. Ace picked up, finally, and said he was coming over, a few minutes later he went silent and hung up on me, I really started to get worried. I couldn't see anything outside or hear anything, I didn't k-know if something happened and if that would be the last time I saw you. I was going to jump out the window to come find you and when I opened it they all flooded in."

"The scorpions?"

Ambrose nods. "They just crawled all over me, I can feel their legs poking my skin, but they didn't bite me. I tucked myself in a ball hoping they'd go away; I reached over and got your slipper to start squishing them and my neck got exposed and it stung me. I was paralyzed immediately, and just like that they were all gone but I couldn't move, my airway was closing, and I couldn't breathe. The next thing I know I'm in the hospital with you crying and screaming, I don't remember anything else or how long I was gone. It was just this white landscape, nothing but white and I tried to find you, call out for you but then the land turned black, and I don't remember anything else. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing Amby? It's not like you wanted that and I'm just glad I have you back, as long as I have you everything is fine. Did you see him though? The Scorpion Man?" Jax says, laying his head back against Ambrose's chest and playing with his fingers as Ambrose draws shapes on Jax's stomach.

"No, I haven't seen him in a while, not since Rhea came back from Hell, I still have dreams sometimes, but they aren't as bad as they used to be because I have you. You know I'd never blame you if you left."

Now Jax turns in his arms. "That doesn't matter because I'm not leaving, not a snowball's chance in Hell am I leaving you. It's not an option."

"Promise me something please."

"What?"

"If it gets to be too much then walk away, it's gonna hurt like hell but I'd rather be in pain than you, I'm used to it, but I don't want to watch you get hurt because of me."

"No."

"Jax—"

"No. Even if it gets too much I will never leave you, staying with you could wear me to the bone and take all that I have but I will never walk away from you, so get that through your head. It will hurt me much more to walk away from you than to stay. I'm not a coward and I'm not going to be a coward when stuff gets tough, we get through it as a couple because that is who we are, we are strong. Get used to it Ambrose because once we get married you will forever be stuck with me."