What am I

20: Rip your heart out!

The sound of her musical laughter pulled me out of my depressive thoughts. Her small shaking hand gently cupped my cheek.

"Harry, I'm not going to die." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice but I couldn't be bothered by it. I was too focused on her silent promise to live.

"B-but...look at you!" I nearly screamed while eyeing the large wound. It looked like it had stopped bleeding though I knew it hadn't. There was no way it could have. It was as if that dammed demon had ripped out half her stomach.

Her annoyed sigh angered me, did she think this was ok? This was just a game and her life wasn't in danger? That I wasn't afraid of losing her? That without her I'd let whatever wanted me, have me?

"So help me God, Harry! If you ever let me hear you think that again I will rip your heart out!" she raised her voice as she scrambled to her feet. I reached out to help her but she slapped my hand away.

"Better yet, you ever think that again and I'll rip my own heart out. Right. In. Front. Of. You!" she stated slowly but mercilessly.

"Go run the shower, I need to clean up." Was all she said to me when she realized I wasn't going to speak anytime soon. The mental image of her carrying out such a violent act in spite of me, was burned into my brain. I could think of nothing else as I walked in the bathroom and turned on the water.

I was so lost in thought I hadn't bothered to listen to the conversation taking place just outside. It wasn't until my name was said I snapped out of it and walked over to the door and listened closely.

"You need to tell, Harry. He was wrecked at the thought of losing you, ready to tear down the forest to try and protect you. Stop pushing him away now, he needs you and you need him." Zee said, I could picture Seri standing there scowling at him, the cute way her brows furrowed and her nose twitched slightly or the way her top lip curled as if to show the fangs she only had when she was a wolf.

"Seri, he loves you." A soft voice spoke, Kale. "You two are more alike than you realize," she chuckled, "you both deny your feelings and suffer for it."

I blocked out the rest, I didn't want to listen anymore. I don't love her! I yelled in my head. Yes, I had feelings for her, I wasn't going to deny that but love...that was something entirely different.

Are you not afraid of losing her? Zee voice sounded in my mind. I rolled my eyes, not only because the question was stupid, of course I was worried! But also at the fact that he couldn't be bothered to take the few steps to come and actually speak to me.

Do you wish her there, when she's away? Do you think of her features constantly when you lay awake at night and only push yourself to sleep in hopes she will be there? When you think of your future, is she there with you?

I could easily answer all this questions with one word, but being as stubborn as Seri was, I refused to admit it, to her at least anyway, that yes...I was very much in love her.

"I need your help..." Seri sighed as she interrupted my mental confession. I knew she wasn't 'peaking' in my head so my feelings for her were safe, I just needed to think of something else before she got too curious and went poking round.

"Y-yea...what uhh do you need me to do?" I stuttered, the fact that she had even asked for help astounded me. It was so unlike her.

"I may not be dying but this," she says as she lifts her blood stained shirt and points to the now healing wound, "does still hurt rather bad." She winced when I ran over to her and touched the red flesh.

"H-how the hell?" I couldn't wrap my head around that fact that a few moments ago she was laying on the floor bleeding and now she nearly good as new.

"Not really, I won't be 'good as new' for a while longer. The outside has closed itself up but inside...I'll need a few days for it to heal properly." She looked at me, waiting for me to speak.

"O-oh." Was all I could say. Too taken back to care that my thoughts weren't as guarded as I had hoped.

"Help me undress...you can leave my knickers on if that makes you more comfortable." My head snapped up when she said that, she looked almost shy and I defiantly noted the slight reddening of her cheeks.

With some new found confidence I quickly gripped the hem of her shirt, "can you lift your arms?" I asked before pulling her shirt up. "If you could cut it off, I'd appreciate that. The tugging stings worse than a bath in holy water." She laughed.

I lifted my brows, was she serious? Her giggle told me perhaps not. "It's a joke. Though, yes, holy water does affect me. Not as bad as it would a demon but...I am a creature of Hell." She looked down, the same look of embarrassment and shame graced her features as it had done any other time she made reference of where she came from.

"How did you end up there? You're not an evil person, so I really can't image what you did to become..." I trailed off at the end.

"A hound." She sighed and I thought that was the end of the conversation until she spoke again. "We'll discuss it later, there are things you need to know about me. Things that will you make you think differently of me but I can't keep them hidden any longer." She turned away from me, walking over to the small window.

I wished I could take away whatever bad feelings she had against herself, against what she was. I could see the guilt and shame she held on to and it pissed me off that she couldn't see what I did. She couldn't see the goodness I could.

Protecting me, watching out for me...it wasn't just because I may or may not be able to redeem her soul. Everything she had done was for me, so I could walk away and live some kind of normal life when all this was over. She cared enough to try and give me that.

"Let's get you cleaned up, yea?" I said, changing the subject and stepping in behind her. Wrapping my arms around her small waist, my chin resting softly on her head, chuckling a little when she tensed up. We had never really been affectionate with each but the need to be close to her, to touch her was overwhelming at that moment.

"Harry...y-you know you have to let go so I can move." The little giggles she let out were amazing, a warm feeling spread throughout me. She had never giggled as much as she had over the last day and a part of my prayed it wouldn't ever stop.

"I don't know if I can, I kind of love this feeling of having you right where you are now." I smiled as tightened my hold on her. Even if I couldn't admit my love for her to her, I was determined to try and show it.

"What if I said you could join me in the shower?" she softly purred as she turned around, fisting a handful of my shirt, she pulled me down and crashing her lips to mine.