Heart of a Hunter

9: Eye of the Storm

                                              Blair's POV:

The warmth of Sam's lips still lingered on mine, and even though the kiss was over, the world around me felt different. He was still close—his forehead resting against mine, his hand cupping my cheek like I was something fragile, something worth holding on to. His touch was gentle but steady, like he was afraid to let me go but didn't want to push too hard.

I hadn't expected this. I didn't think I'd ever feel anything close to this again.

For so long, I'd been wrapped in my grief, in the emptiness that had taken over after losing my family. It was like a part of me had been ripped away, leaving behind a hollow space I didn't know how to fill. But now, sitting in the Impala with Sam, the rain pouring down around us, something had shifted.

I wasn't sure what it meant, but I knew I wasn't alone anymore.

Sam pulled back slightly, just enough so our foreheads weren't touching anymore, but he didn't move away. His hand lingered on my cheek, and when I finally opened my eyes, I found him watching me with those soft brown eyes of his—filled with a tenderness that made my heart ache. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. The silence between us was thick with unspoken words, but for the first time, it wasn't uncomfortable.

I wanted to say something, anything, but I couldn't find the right words. How could I explain what I was feeling when I barely understood it myself? How could I tell him that this kiss had shaken something loose in me, something I hadn't thought was possible?

I didn't know how to do this. I wasn't good at being vulnerable, at letting people see the parts of me that were still raw and broken. But with Sam... it was different. He made it feel okay to not be okay.

I swallowed hard, my fingers still clutching his shirt, as if letting go would mean losing this moment. "Sam," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the rain.

He blinked, his gaze softening even more, if that was possible. "Yeah?"

"I..." I hesitated, biting my lip as I tried to put my thoughts into words. "I don't know how to explain this."

Sam smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting in that gentle way that made my heart flutter. "You don't have to explain it," he said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere."

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting his words wash over me. He wasn't going anywhere. He kept saying that, and I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him so badly. But a part of me was still scared—scared that this wouldn't last, that the moment I let my guard down, everything would come crashing down again.

I opened my eyes, meeting his gaze again. "I'm scared," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

Sam's smile faded, his eyes softening with understanding. "I know," he said gently. "It's okay to be scared."

I nodded, though the fear still clung to me, a tight knot in my chest that wouldn't go away. But for the first time, it didn't feel as overwhelming. With Sam sitting there, his hand still warm against my skin, it didn't feel like I was drowning in it. He was here, and that made it a little easier to breathe.

"I've been through this before," Sam said softly, his voice low and steady. "Losing people, feeling like you're falling apart... I get it, Blair. More than you know."

I blinked, surprised by his words. I knew Sam and Dean had seen their share of pain, but hearing him say it like that—like he truly understood what I was feeling—made something inside me shift.

"How did you keep going?" I asked, my voice small.

He paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he thought. "I didn't, at first," he admitted, his eyes distant for a moment. "When I lost Jess... I didn't know how to move forward. I shut down. I pushed everything away. It took me a long time to figure out that it's not about getting over it. It's about learning to carry it."

His words hung in the air between us, heavy and real. I could see the pain in his eyes, the memories of everything he'd been through. He wasn't just telling me this to make me feel better—he was speaking from experience. He knew what it was like to carry grief like a weight you couldn't put down.

"You don't have to carry it alone," he added softly, his thumb brushing gently against my cheek. "You've got me. And Dean."

I looked down, blinking away the tears that were starting to form. It was hard to believe that anyone could really want to stay with me, especially after everything. But Sam's words made me want to believe it. Made me want to hold on to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to face this alone.

"I don't know what to say," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I've been so lost."

Sam leaned closer, his face inches from mine, his voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the rain. "You don't have to say anything, Blair. Just let me be here with you."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. His words were simple, but they carried a weight I wasn't used to. He wasn't asking for anything from me. He just wanted to be here, to help me through this in whatever way I needed.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself lean into that. I let myself believe that maybe it was okay to lean on someone else.

Before I could stop myself, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his again. This time, the kiss was softer, slower, like we were both feeling our way through the dark. But there was something behind it, something that made the ache in my chest ease just a little.

When we pulled away, I stayed close, my forehead resting against his, our breaths mingling in the small space between us. The rain outside continued to fall, but in that moment, it felt like we were in our own world.

"I'm here," Sam whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm not going anywhere."

I closed my eyes, letting those words settle over me like a blanket. For the first time in a long time, I believed him.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.