NESTA & CASSIAN

They were going to be alright(Short Story The End)

It had been ages, centuries, days, hours it seemed while Cassian sat by Nesta's bedside and waited for her to heal. Get better and heal. Sometimes he held her fragile hand in his, willing her to wake with the power of his mind, with the power of his love. Other times he even dared to lay a gentle hand on her abdomen, telling unspoken stories to his unborn child. How his heart  stuttered at the thought. 

Nesta and he needed to talk about that. Well in truth he would do most of the talking since all of this is his fault but... If she would just wake up. That is all he wanted in life. Not a roof above his head or food in his belly, just Nesta. Awake and healthy and beaming at him.

One of the healers entered the room, opening his mouth in a scornful way. Cassian only needed to let an animalistic growl slip for the healer to go running. They took every chance they got to get him to leave her side but that was not going to happen. Not over his dead body.

He watched Nesta's chest rise and fall with the slow rhythm of her breathing. He watches her fluttered eyelashes against her cheeks and her pink lips.

"Nesta." he murmured, hoping his voice would be enough to bring his love back.

Cassian, damn him, he heard footsteps again. He was about to shout to whomever was by the door until she beat him to it.

"Go eat, you brute." Mor whispered as she made her way into the room. She too had been on bed rest just like Nesta but Morrigan had healed faster and she was up and about in no time. Sometimes her progress worried Cass. Yes, it was Fae strength that had Morrigan healed and well but Nesta was now Fae as well, so why wasn't she awake?

"Am I talking to a brick wall?" Mor queried, "Go eat."

Cassian sighed through his nose and shook his head no. He didn't have any strength in him left to argue verbally with Mor.

"You won't do her any good by starving yourself."

"I can't leave her. I just can't."

Morrigan sighed.

Cassian swore. He loosened the grip he had on Nesta's fingers and retreated his hands, dropping them in his lap. He didn't even startle when Mor placed a delicate hand on his broad shoulder. He didn't even blink as she squeezed in comfort.

"She is pregnant with my child." he said.

"I know."

"I was a jerk when she told me."

"I know that too."

Cassian shut his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall over the edge and roll down his cheeks. It burned him. Nothing had ever hurt as much as this. He took a shuddering breath.

"She's my mate."

Mor's hand on his shoulder was a lifeline keeping him to the present. Without it he'd be lost in the darkest thoughts of himself.

"I know, Cass."

Cassian shook his head as he bowed forward, supporting his elbows on his knees. A strangled sob escaped his burning throat and then another and another as at last the dike he had build shattered and all his emotion took over.

He cried for his mate, for his unborn child and for the slightest chance that existed that he could lose them both...

***

Nesta's throat was dry and her eyes burned but she kept as still as she could.

She's my mate.

By the mother, she was his mate.

She heard him stiffen and then bow forward and then the sobs that...

Her heart felt heavy as it laid in her chest. His tears were the one thing that Nesta could not survive and as she fought against her own the darkness that had claimed her for days returned and yanked on her once more.

Nesta was gone again.

***

When she woke for the second time she could open her eyes. The room was dark but not as dark as her cell in Hybern had been. The sheets were cool against her skin but not as cold as the wall against her back had been. She dared to move her head, following the scent of him. Her eyes landed on Cassian, asleep in an uncomfortable angle in the chair next to her bed.

His black hair fell in front of his shut eyes, Nesta wanted to reach over and drag her fingers through it. The hairs on his face had grown into a stubble and the circles under his eyes were as dark as the time his wings were ruined. Just like back then he stayed awake all through the night because of the pain in his back.

Nesta turned to lay on her side and winced as pain shot through her like a lighting bolt. They had stabbed her. She remembered and then she thought she was going to die and then Cassian had come to save her.

To save them.

She watched him sleep. She watched his broad chest as he breathed in peace. She watched him until he opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. She watched him as he saw her, took in her form. She watched him as the realisation sunk in that she was awake, she watched the tears that formed in his eyes as he fell on his knees next to her bed. She watched him as he run a gentle hand through her hair. She watched him until he leaned down and captured her lips with his.

The fire he had always awakened in her was still there as they kissed, still steadily burning no matter what had happened between them.

He whispered his apologies in her ear, again and again as he cried in the crook of her neck. Nesta couldn't trust herself to speak so she run her fingers through his hair and then scooted over so that he could lay with her.

She stiffened when his broad hand travelled to her stomach, it rested there ever so gently.

Nesta's heart could burst with happiness right there and then.

She tipped her head back so that she could meet his hazel eyes.

"So," she started, her voice hoarse from sleep and tears, "I am your mate." 

Cassian searched her eyes. He then smirked his most insufferable smirk and leaned down to kiss her again. Again and again and again as his heart whispered mate, my mate, my mate, my mate, my mate, my mate.

They were going to be alright.

Together they were going to be just fine.