Paragon

Chapter 32

"I don't think this is safe, Stellan," I murmur disapprovingly as he manages to stand up from the bed with the nurses help, the early morning light brightly lighting the room. He gives me a look of annoyance and shakes his head.

"I'm fine. I'll be better once I'm out of this bed."

"You could get an infection. I don't know what to do if that happens at home, Stellan."

"Stop worrying, Iris," he utters, taking the clothes from my hands. The nurse goes behind him to help him out of the hospital gown and I almost choke on my own saliva.

"I've got it," I blurt out, rushing to his side. I hear a chuckle from him as she nods, looking down at the ground, leaving the room as quickly as she can. I grab the strings on the back, undoing them.

"You do know half of this building has already seen my naked body, right?"

Despite myself, I smirk, blushing. "Yes, well, they wouldn't have if they would have let me into the room."

"Is that so? I seem to remember you trying to turn me into a model- you didn't seem to mind the nudity then?"

"Yeah, well, things were different then."

He turns his head to look at me as I get down the sleeves, careful of the stitches on his stomach and back. "Were they?"

"Yes, I didn't know I loved you then," I whisper softly. I usually would squirm under his intense scrutiny but I'm unable to look away as he turns to look at me. I'm so transfixed by his face that I'm almost completely unaware of anything below it. He hums warmly and lifts his hand to touch my face.

"But you did?"

His thumb drifts over my bottom lip gently and my mouth parts. I'm breathing heavy, even in this environment. He can enchant me anywhere. "Yes."

"I loved you too," he finally says, splaying his hand over the back of my throat, pulling me in. I close my eyes, releasing a sigh as his lips hover over mine.

A loud knock sounds on the door and I actually yelp, pulling back with an amused grin. "Uh, hold on!"

I grab the clothes from his hand, laughing to myself. "He's not decent!"

"Will you stop?" He laughs as I bend down trying to get his feet into his jeans. I guess he's going commando today. 

"No, this foot first."

"Oh god, they're going to think we're fooling around in here."

I laugh loudly as I fall onto my backside, unable to stay balanced.

His voice is amused. "I'd bend down to help you but I can't."

"Don't you dare. I'm fine. Just let's get these damn pants on before someone walks in and sees you in all your glory."

"Glory?" he answers slyly as I manage to stand back up, buttoning his jeans although he can very well do it. I glance down from his eyes to the lower part of him, smirking.

There's a loud knock again and Stellan calls out, "Alright!"

I unfold his shirt, facing him and suddenly, as the recent events swarm my mind once more, I feel a pang of guilt. Guilt that I can even laugh at a time like this... Trying to push the thought from my head, I clear my throat, not even noticing that the room is quiet until Stellan reaches for the shirt, quickly taking it from my hands like lightning. What the hell?

I turn fast, hearing the door click shut. My heart goes wild.

"Constantine," I utter, awed for a split second. She's wearing a pair of tight jeans and a brown blouse, her hair styled in a bun. She looks beautiful- as I expect a demon would. Stellan pulls the shirt over his head swiftly, not really mindful of his wound. I can't even imagine his vulnerability.