Logan

19. There With You

SOTD: 'There With You' by The Brevet

"Hey I got here as fast as..." Alex trailed off as his eyes took in the sight of Natalie as she lay quietly in the hospital bed, the sweater he'd been gripping in his hand falling silently to the floor, his eyes immediately filling with tears "No... no. Is she..." He held the back of his hand up to his mouth, stifling any noise as I stood up from the seat next to her bed and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his back.

Neither of us said anything, as Alex's sobs overtook his entire body and he melted into me. I couldn't stop myself from moving my hands further up, bringing us even closer together. We both needed this...

And we stayed in that embrace, until he pulled away, wiping his eyes with the top of his shirt as he mumbled an apology under his breath. He wavered on his feet as he walked closer to the bed, and I did the only thing that felt right.

"Thanks..." Alex gripped tightly to my hand, until he settled into the chair right next to the hospital bed.

"They managed to stabilize her..." I ran my hands through my hair, wincing when my fingers brushed against the small line of stitches on the side of my face. It was the only thing that had happened to me, and I would have done anything to trade places with Natalie "I uh... I'm sorry. Maybe if I'd slowed down..."

"Don't you dare blame yourself." Scarlet moved away from the far wall, where she'd quietly been observing everything "The guy that hit you was drunk. All of this is his fault." She pursed her lips as she glanced at Natalie's still form, giving me a quick hug and then mumbling something under her breath about going to get coffee "I need to call Logan too...".

I looked over at Alex as he laid his hand on top of Natalie's, tears still welling in his eyes. The room was silent, save for the occasional beep from the machines she was attached to, and the sounds of the ventilator that was helping her breathe.

We were both eventually shooed out of her room and into one of the private ICU waiting areas, and I fidgeted with my hands in my lap as Alex paced the short length of the room.

"I thought... I thought I'd scared you away for good." He leaned against the doorway, his eyes locking with mine briefly before his cheeks flushed and he glanced away "That night I tried to kiss you at the bar." I motioned for him to take a seat next to me on the small couch, and he reluctantly sat down after a few moments of awkward silence "I was drunk, and I thought you liked me..."

"Never said I didn't like you..." I moved my hand to his, sighing in relief when he let our fingers intertwine "You were drunk. I wanted more than anything to take you out behind the bar... but I didn't want you to regret doing anything so I acted mad." Alex leaned his head against my shoulder and I took in a shaky breath before I continued speaking "I wasn't. I've liked you since that first night you guys came into the studio."

"Yeah?" Alex lifted himself up after a few minutes, his hand leaving mine and moving up to my chin, his fingers teasing at my beard until they brush against my stitches and I can't stop myself from wincing "Sorry..."

"Yeah..." I moved my hand onto his knee, holding back a smirk at the sharp intake of breath I heard him take when my fingers moved further up his leg "Thought I would never have a chance with someone like you..." I trailed off, my hand still resting against him "Alex... I want to go down this road with you. I really do. But I have fears just like anyone else..."
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We had talked for hours, until Alex had finally passed out, his head resting in my lap as I softly ran my fingers through his hair.

I knew I'd fallen asleep myself as well, because when Scarlet had entered the room holding a small drink carrier with coffee and a brown bag my eyes had snapped open "Hey... everything alright with Nat?" She nodded, handing me a cup of coffee and I carefully took a sip, trying not to shift too much. With how broken up Alex had been last night... I wanted him to sleep as long as possible.

"She still hasn't woken up..." Scarlet gripped the steaming cup of coffee tightly in her trembling hand, a small smile crossing over her face when she looked up to see my hand softly teasing with Alex's hair again "Logan was uh... he was really broken up when I called him. Can't get him to answer his phone now..."