The Love of a Crow - Wesper/Crows Fanfiction/AU

39. Jesper

A/N: Surprise! A certain someone is not dead, yet. Just kidding, or am I?  Either way, I think we all need a bit of a cool down, so enjoy emotional pain rather than... well... Enjoy! :)

Bright white light glared louder than fire when Jesper finally had the strength to open his eyes. The world was a massive blur of odd shapes and colours that he couldn't make sense of, but one thing he did know was that he was alive. Somehow. Because if he was dead he definitely would be seeing red light instead of white.

Slowly Jesper shifted on the soft sheets he was lying on, and groaned as his shoulder shrieked in protest. Yes, he remembered... they had been at a warehouse, and someone had shot him in the shoulder, but they were busy saving-

Wylan sat curled up in an armchair next to Jesper's bed, knees tucked to his chest, a pale hand rested on the bedclothes as he breathed deeply. As gently as he could Jesper took Wylan's hand into his own; the boy didn't stir. It didn't matter either way; they were safe, they had made it back, and he had kept his promise. If Jesper didn't feel like crap he would have been dancing on top of his dirty mattress.

Suddenly the door burst open, and Jesper grinned as his best friend stalked through the door. When Inej saw him she smiled widely, and opened her mouth to yell for the others.

"Sh! Wylan's asleep." Hushed Jesper. Inej took the hint and instead delicately sat on the end of the bed.

"Saints Jes, I knew you liked to make dramatic entrances, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to make dramatic exits as well!" Huffed Inej as she playfully punched him in the other shoulder.

"What can I say, Nej, I am a man with many talents!" Jesper said proudly. "How is everyone else? Did we all make it back?"

"Well, after you dropped out on us we carried you and chucked a lady out of her carriage so we could use it. Nina did what she could for you, but we needed a Healer, and Kaz spent hours finding one. But we got one eventually, and you've been asleep ever since." Inej glanced over at Wylan and smiled softly. "He hasn't left your side once. Actually, this is the first time I've seen him sleep."

"How long has it been?"

"Four days."

"Saints, no wonder he needs his beauty sleep." Jesper chuckled, but he stroked Wylan's hand fondly. It had all worked out, minus the part where his shoulder felt like a giant rock was pressing on it.

"I'm going to get the others, then you're going to get more sleep." Inej ordered, much to Jesper's complaints.

"I'm fine now! You said it yourself, a Healer already checked on me."

"You got shot, Jesper. It's not the type of thing you walk off." Inej said firmly as she left. Jesper sighed, already feeling the restlessness of not moving seeping into his skin. If Wylan wasn't next to him he would be on his feet already, and was just debating it when the door opened again, and he smiled at the familiar faces of his friends. Well, most of his friends.

"I hate you so much," Nina muttered as she hugged him. "Thanks to you everyone blames me for knowing and not doing anything."

"Well I don't, and we all know my opinion's the most important." Jesper smirked as he hugged Nina the best he could with one arm, and nodded at Matthias, who stood next to her. "Is the allusive Dirtyhands going to make an appearance?"

Nina shifted awkwardly. "He's been busy, none of us have really seen him much. He was watching the Healer work on you like a hawk, though-"

She cut off when Jesper stopped looking; his eyes had instead landed on Wylan, who was staring right back. Jesper felt his heart speed up.