Heart of a Hunter

5: New Wounds

Blair's POV

Sam's jacket was still draped over my shoulders when I woke up. The fabric smelled like him- clean, woodsy, and something I couldn't quite place. It was comforting, in a way that I hadn't expected. I held it close, pulling the material tighter around me as I blinked away the morning light.

The motel room was quiet. Too quiet.

I sat up slowly, my body stiff and sore from the night before. My side ached where Sam had bandaged me, but the pain was a dull throb now, nothing like the searing agony it had been. I didn't move at first, just sat there, trying to shake the fog from my mind. Last night was a blur- standing outside with Sam, talking about things I didn't think I'd ever be able to say out loud. I hadn't realized how much I'd needed that.

But it scared me too. How easily I'd let him in.

I glanced over at the other bed. It was empty, the sheets rumpled but no sign of Sam. For a second, panic flared in my chest. Had they left? Did they realize I wasn't worth the trouble?

No. They wouldn't do that. Sam wouldn't do that.

I forced myself to breathe, closing my eyes for a moment as I tried to calm the storm inside me. Sam had said he wasn't going anywhere. I had to believe that.

The door creaked open, and I stiffened, heart racing until I saw him - Sam, carrying two cups of coffee, his shaggy hair falling into his eyes like it always did. He gave me a small smile, soft and easy, like he was trying not to startle me.

"Hey," he said, his voice low and warm. "I didn't want to wake you."

I exhaled, relief washing over me. "It's ok" I murmured, glancing down at the jacket still wrapped around me. "I didn't mean to steal your jacket.

Sam shook his head, stepping further into the room and handing me one of the coffees. "Keep it as long as you need."

I wrapped my hands around the cup, letting the warmth seep into my fingers. It felt good - solid. Real. "Thanks" I said softly, taking a small sip. The coffee was strong, bitter, but I didn't care. It was grounding, something to hold onto.

Sam sat down on the edge of his bed, his long legs stretching out. He didn't say anything for a moment, just watched me like he was waiting to see if I'd speak first. I wasn't sure I wanted to. I didn't know how to explain what I was feeling, not in a way that would make sense.

"I thought you'd left" I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. It felt stupid to say out loud but there it was. The truth.

Sam's brow furrowed, his face softening with concern "We wouldn't do that, Blair. You're not alone in this."

I nodded, but it didn't completely chase away the fear. I'd heard those words before, from people who swore they'd never leave. But they always did in the end.

"I guess I'm just not used to...this." I waved my hand vaguely around the room, trying to find the right words. "People staying."

Sam leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees. His brown eyes met mine, and there was something in them- something quiet, something steady- that made me feel like he was telling the truth. He wasn't going to abandon me, not like the others had.

"You don't have to get used to it all at once." he said gently. "One step at a time, right?"

I smiled faintly, remembering those words from last night. One step at a time. I wasn't sure if I believed in it yet, but I wanted to. 
God I wanted to.

Dean finally stirred from his chair in the corner,  stretching and yawning loudly, startling me, I hadn't realized he was still there. 
"Morning sunshine" He grumbled, rubbing his face. His green eyes flicked over to me, then to Sam. "You guys look like you've been up for hours. We hittin' the road, or what?"

Sam shot his brother a look, something unreadable passing between them. Dean always seemed like he was on edge, like he had somewhere to be or something to kill, but Sam was calmer. More patient. Like he could sit here forever if I needed him to.

"We've got time," Sam said, his voice a little firmer than before, like he was making a point. "No rush."

Dean raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. 
"Sure Sammy. Whatever you say." He stood up and grabbed his duffel bag, rummaging around for something. "Just let me know when you're ready to get moving."

I glanced at Sam, feeling a pang of guilt. I was slowing them down wasn't I? They probably had other people to help, other monsters to hunt. I was just in the way.

"I don't want to keep you guys" I said quietly, looking down at my coffee. "You've already done more than enough for me."

Sam frowned, his eyes locking onto mine. "Blair, you're not keeping us. We're here because we want to be."

Dean scoffed, but not in a mean way. 
"Yeah, besides, its not like we've got a nine-to-five to get to. We've got time."

The way Sam was looking at me made my chest tighten again, like there was something between us that I didn't fully understand yet. It wasn't just about kindness. It was deeper than that. And it scared me because I didn't know what to do with it.

I wasn't used to people wanting to help, let alone stick around when things got hard. But Sam... he wasn't backing down. He was here, and for some reason, that made me feel like I wasn't completely lost. Like maybe I could figure out how to keep going.

"I'm sorry" I blurted out before I could stop myself. My voice cracked, the words catching in my throat. "For being such a mess."

Sam's expression softened even more, if that was possible. He shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. You've been through enough. It's ok to not be ok."

The way he said it, like he actually believed it, made something inside me break. I wanted to argue, to tell him that I was a mess, that I wasn't worth the trouble. But I couldn't find the words. All I could do was look at him, feeling a lump form in my throat.

Sam moved closer, like he could see the storm brewing inside me. He didn't touch me, but he was close enough that I could feel his presence- steady, grounding.

"You're stronger than you think." He said quietly. "You've already survived more than most people ever will."

Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I swallowed them down, refusing to let them spill. I didn't want to cry in front of him, didn't want him to see just how broken I was. But his words... they stuck with me. Stronger than I think. Was that really true?

I wasn't sure. But for the first time, I wanted to believe it.

Dean, sensing the shift. clapped his hands together. "Alright, lovebirds." He said with a smirk, clearly amused by the moment. "Let's hit the road. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can figure out what the hell we're up against."

Sam rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He stood up, glancing at me one last time before heading to the door. "Take your time," he said softly "We're not in a rush."

As he walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts, I felt the weight of his words settle over me. 

Maybe I was stronger than I thought. But with Sam nearby, I didn't have to be strong on my own.

And for the first time in a long while, that didn't feel like such a bad thing.

To be continued...