Heart of a Hunter

18: Where Love Lives

Blair's POV

The world outside seemed impossibly still. The rain had stopped, leaving the air heavy with that familiar, post-storm calm. But inside the room, everything felt different- charged, alive. I was wrapped in Sam's arms, his warmth surrounding me, and for the first time in a long time, the fear that had been gnawing at the edges of my mind had faded.

It wasn't gone- not completely. The truth about my family, the mysterious letter, and everything else hung in the air like a shadow I couldn't escape. But right now, in this moment, with Sam's steady heartbeat beneath my cheek and his arms wrapped around me, those things felt distant. Manageable. Like they weren't pressing down on me the way they had been before.

And then there was the other truth. The one that had changed everything between us in an instant.

I love you.

The words had slipped out before I could stop them, but I didn't regret it. Not for a second. When Sam had kissed me, when he'd said it back, it was like a weight I hadn't even realized I was carrying had been lifted off my chest. 

I wasn't alone in this, I was loved.

I closed my eyes, sinking further into his embrace, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent of him- something earthy, safe, and completely Sam. I could've stayed like that forever, wrapped up in him, forgetting the rest of the world existed. But even in this quiet moment, I knew that wouldn't last. The world would creep back in, as it always did. 

But for now? For now, I didn't care.

Sam shifted slightly, his hand brushing up and down my arm in soothing strokes, and I could feel the way his muscles tensed beneath my touch. He was always so strong- physically, emotionally- but there was something vulnerable about the way he was holding me now. Like he needed me just as much as I needed him. 

I pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. His face was soft in the low light, his features more relaxed than I'd seen them in a long time. He wasn't the Sam who was always ready for the next fight, the next monster, the next danger lurking around the corner. He was just...Sam. The man that I had fallen in love with.

"Hey," I whispered, my voice soft and uncertain. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say- if there was anything more to say-  but i needed to see him, needed him to know I was here, with him, just as much as he was with me.

Sam's eyes fluttered open, and the way he looked at me, like I was the only thing that mattered, made my heart ache in the best way. He gave me a small smile, the corners of his mouth lifting in that shy, sweet way that always seemed so at odds with how strong he was. "Hey," he whispered back, his voice low and filled with emotion. 

I stared at him for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest, and I realized I was still afraid. Not of the danger, not of the mystery that hung over us, but of this- of how much I felt for him. How deep our connection went. It terrified me how much I cared about him, how much I needed him.

But I wasn't scared of the love itself, I was scared of losing it. 

"I don't want this to go away" I  admitted, my voice trembling slightly. "I don't want to lose this... or you."

Sam's face softened, and his hand came up to caress my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across my skin. "You won't lose me." He said firmly, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity and fire that made me believe him. "I'm not going anywhere, Blair. I love you."

Those words sent a rush of warmth though me, and I felt secure, steady. Like the ground beneath me wasn't crumbling after all. I leaned into his touch, my eyes closing as I let the comfort of his words settle over me.

"I love you too." I whispered, and the words felt right, like they'd always been there waiting for me to say them.

We stayed like that for quite a while, our breaths mingling in the quiet, our bodies pressed close together as if we could hold off the rest of  the world just by being in each other's arms. There was no rush, no need to fill the silence with words. Everything that mattered had already been said.

Eventually, Sam shifted, pulling me closer as we lay back against the pillows, his arm still wrapped protectively around me. I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was calming, like it had the power to chase away every doubt and fear that had been swirling in my head.

But as much as I wanted to stay wrapped in this cocoon of safety forever, I knew we couldn't avoid reality forever. The man who had shown up at the motel, the letter with its cryptic warnings- it was all still there, waiting for us.

"Sam?" I asked softly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" His voice rumbled against my ear, deep and steady.

I hesitated, not sure how to ask what had been weighing on my mind. "What do you think the letter meant? The part about me not being 'meant to be found'? I still don't understand any of it."

Sam tensed slightly beneath me, and I felt his arm tighten around me protectively. "I don't know." He admitted after a long pause. "But we'll figure it out. We'll talk to Dean, we'll dig into Arcani, and we'll figure out what the hell's going on."

His voice was steady, sure, but I could hear the underlying tension there- the fear that we might not be able to untangle the mystery as easily as we hoped. The fear that we were in way over our heads.

But even so, I trusted him. I trusted us.

I shifted in his arms, propping myself up slightly so I could look down at him. His eyes were darker now, more serious, but they were filled with love and determination. He was ready to fight for me- for us. And I would fight too.

"I'm scared" I whispered. "But I know that whatever happens, we'll get through it. Together. Like you said."

Sam smiled up at me, and the tenderness in his gaze made my heart flutter. "We will." he said softly, his hand coming up to brush my hair behind my ear. "We always will."

I leaned down, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that was slow and full of everything I felt for him. It wasn't rushed, wasn't frantic. It was a promise- a promise that no matter what happened next, we would face it together.

When we finally pulled apart, Sam's eyes searched mine, his hand gently resting on my cheek. "We've got this" he whispered , his voice full of strength "I love you Blair. I'm not letting anything take that away from us."

I smiled, feeling a warmth bloom in my chest. "I love you too" I whispered back, and I meant it with everything I had.

In that moment, wrapped up in Sam's arms, I felt like I could face anything. The fear, the uncertainty, the shadows looming over us- it all felt smaller when we were together.

And that was enough.