Hard To Get

Keep Fighting (For You)

-Damien-

The ambulance came. Then there were police officers, even a fire truck. Not sure what we needed the fire truck for, but either way, Jacob was loaded onto the ambulance and carted away, while I was questioned.

I explained everything I knew, including the accounts about his constant drinking. The officers seemed to accept this and move on.

Mr. Anderson had died when he fell from the roof, leaving Jacob as the only surviving member of his family. He was already eighteen, however, and legally an adult.

I sighed softly, leaning my head on my hand. Jacob was asleep in the hospital, his skin pale and an IV in his arm. I hadn't left his side.

I laid my head down, wishing I could have somehow saved him from all of this. I loved him more than I ever thought I could, yet here he was in the hospital, a bullet wound in his leg, glass shards dug out of his shoulder, and bruises covering his skin. I nearly bawled my eyes out when I saw him like this. But I had to be strong. For Jacob.

It was a solid twelve hours before he woke up. The drugs they'd given him had been hard stuff, no doubt having to do with the bullet wound in his leg. He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze drifting languidly over to rest on me. I smiled faintly, taking his hand.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," I whispered, kissing his knuckles.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his brow furrowing and a small groan escaping his lips. "What happened? I feel like I got hit by a bus."

"Well, it's a long story," I admitted, offering him a glass of water. He took it, sealing his eyes shut again. I sighed softly, "What do you remember?"

He thought for a moment, his eyes becoming distant and serious. They finally drifted back to me, his face suddenly appearing so much older, "You saved me."

"Eh," I shrugged it off. Moving closer to him, I sighed again, "Jacob, there's something I have to tell you."

"I think I know what it is," he whispered. His eyes were dead serious, but completely devoid of emotion.

"When Mr. Anderson fell out of the window... He didn't make it," I murmured, my face suddenly flushing. I didn't want to have to be the one to tell him, even if it was sort of a relief for me. I was glad his father would never be able to hurt him again, as horrible as that sounded.

Jacob just stared at me, his face blank. It started slowly, but I noticed after a second that tears were beginning to pool in his gaze. I sat on the bed next to him, folding him into my arms.

"I don't know why I'm upset..." He sobbed into my shoulder, "I shouldn't be. He hurt me, Dame. He hurt me over and over again, took advantage of me... Assaulted me. I should be glad he's gone. I should be glad it's all over but..." He stopped, and I held him until he finally continued, "He was still my father."

My grip on him tightened, but I was careful not to hurt him. I didn't fully understand, but some parts of me did. Even after all of this, he still mourned his father. Simply because he was his father.

"Remember the person you knew before all this," I whispered, "Remember when he acted like your father."

Jacob seemed to calm down a bit at that, nodding slowly. I held him for as long as he needed me to, never wanting to let go.

***

"I love you," I kissed his cheek. We were sitting in the hospital bed together, my arms draped around his small frame. He would be able to go home in the morning. My family was kind enough to agree to let him stay at my house.

He chuckled softly, "I love you too, Damien."

"Will you still move into an apartment with me?" I raised my eyebrows.

He bit his lip shyly, an action I found a little too attractive, and nodded. "Yes. If that's what you want."

I nodded eagerly, glad I had my Jacob. I had just finished explaining to him about the bet. He hadn't been upset, especially when I told him that the result had been me falling in love with him. I told him about the hundred dollars, and he laughed, saying I should take it and use it to buy something for my motorcycle. I knew, however, that I wanted to spend it on him.

As I held him in the hospital, I knew that I had found my home. That even through all of this, I had my Jacob. Yes, there would be problems, but I would hold on. I wanted to protect him no matter what. To stay by his side and be his shoulder to cry on, to love him unconditionally and to hold him when he needed to be held... Among other things.

That was another matter I wanted to discuss with him at some point. Every word from those beautiful lips made me want to kiss him for hours, every touch from his hands made me want to lay him out and caress every inch of his body. Especially after Jacob had been abused and raped by his father, I wanted to show him what it could be like, what it could feel like. I wanted to make him feel good, not make him hurt.

But that was exactly the problem. What if in the process of making him forget, I was drawing up old memories? That day he had told me what was going on, when I'd kissed him, he'd looked so scared. I never wanted to cause his fear, only erase it. I knew that even though I wanted him so badly, I would wait as long as he needed, even if that was until the end of time.

We would have to discuss this eventually, but until then, I simply held onto him, loving him shamelessly and endlessly for the person he was.