To Protect Each Other ~ A Haleb Story

I Don't Care About Me

CALEB'S POV...

"I don't know if we should be together anymore." She said. My breath immediately got caught in my throat as soon as the words left her mouth. Did I hear her correctly? Yeah, I did. She wants to break up.

"W-What?" I managed to say after a few moments of complete silence. She didn't say anything. I reached forward and tried to grab her hand that was resting on the counter but she almost instantly pulled it away. Almost instantly. There was definitely some hesitation. And if Hanna's absolutely sure about something, her mind sticks to it and her body follows. But that's not what happened. "What did you just say?" I choked out. She turned her head away from me, her eyes clearly filled with tears and walked out of the bathroom. I soon followed, my eyes also following the state of hers when they filled with tears, even if there was still doubt in me of her certainty.

"I... I just, um, we haven't been as close as we used to and I feel like... like we're drifting apart." She said and sat on the sofa, careful not to hurt herself. I almost laughed at that statement.

"Okay, Hanna, you and I both know that's complete bullshit. We've been closer than ever these past few weeks and you know it." I said as a matter of fact. It was true, though. Ever since the Dollhouse... well after our little blip a couple days after she got home, we've been inseparable.

"It's not." She then said, never looking up.

"Look at me. Look at me when you say that or I won't believe you." I sat on the coffee table in front of her to definitely see whether she was telling the truth. Reluctantly, she lifted her head up and finally looked me in the eye. "Say it." I pushed. I knew she couldn't do it so when she didn't, I was left totally confused. She looked back down again and began fiddling with her thumbs. I grabbed both her hands and when she tried to pull them away, this time I didn't let go and after struggling for a good ten seconds to free herself, she finally gave up. "What's going on, Han? Because I've never known you to want to ever say that to me, even when you've thought about it – and I know you have – you still don't. So what's so different now?"

She let out a small whimper which made my heart break just a little bit, "-A's not gonna stop trying to hurt you. S-So I don't want you to be around me if it's going to keep happening." Her voice could only be described a tiny and vulnerable and by now; my tears were on the edge of escaping my eyes as hers were already falling down her cheeks.

"Princess... Please, don't worry about me. All I want to do is keep you safe." I quickly repositioned myself so I was on the sofa, right next to her. Letting go of her hands, I gently wiped away her tears with my thumb.

"But when you got shot, again, because of me, all I felt is guilt. And I still do because I didn't want to bring you into this whole mess. It just happened. We just happened. And I know this is so unfair of me to say but... if I could go back to when we first met, knowing that this was what was gonna happen, I don't think I would have went there with you. I don't think we would be together because I wouldn't have wanted this to happen to you." She explained. I could tell for sure she was telling the truth. She wouldn't lie about something like that.

"I don't care about me. Like I said, all I want to do is be with you to keep you safe and if that means me getting shot in the spleen like the lighthouse or in the foot like the other week, then I'm more than okay with that."

"But I 'm not, Caleb! I'm not!" She exclaimed, raising her voice slightly to get the point across.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere, whether you like or not. Even though this is my apartment." I smirked at the last part and she smiled slightly too, clearly getting the double meaning. "I'm serious though, I'm not leaving you, even if you want me to. You're kind of stuck with me for good." I finished and put my hand on the back of her neck, ensuring we remain eye contact.

"I still feel really guilty about you getting shot, though." She said and glanced at my foot, still in a bandage but not nearly as bad as a couple of weeks earlier.

"Please, don't. It was clear –A was aiming at me, Toby and Ezra so either way, it would have happened, in that classroom or not." I said softly and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry. I overreacted and it was stupid." She admitted, looking me in the eyes again.

"Don't worry about it, sí?"

"Sí." She agreed and giggled. I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms firmly around her waist but extremely careful not to put pressure on her stomach. "Speaking of Toby, Spence texted me earlier; he's getting discharged next week."

"Oh really? I think I'll go see him tomorrow then, if you'll be okay?"

"Yeah it's fine. I'll go to see Emily or something." She said.

"On your own?" I asked, suddenly concerned and worried.

"Well yeah, you'll be at the hospital and my mom's in Washington. I'll manage." She explained.

"No, you will not. I don't want you doing anything if you might hurt yourself."

"I'll walk slow."

"No way. I'm staying here with you."

"No! Please don't cancel because of me." She whined.

"Too late. It's already done." I decided and she sighed in defeat. She leant on my chest, in between my legs. I laid my head on hers and inhaled her coconut shampoo. "There is no way in hell you're doing anything alone until I think you're fit enough." She shuffled her bum on the couch a little and then looked up at me.

"Thank you for looking after me." She smiled and I did too.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

"CALEB!" I heard an 'almost yell' coming from the bathroom. Confused, I picked up my phone from the bedside table and read the time: 3:26. Immediately becoming worried about what was wrong, I shot up from the bed, feeling surprised as I was now fully awake, and strode over the bathroom as quick as I could.

Entering, I saw Hanna on her very tippy toes trying to reach for something in the medicine cabinet, groaning quietly.

"Hey hey hey, I got it." I said quickly and held her by the waist to make sure she didn't fall. "What do you need?"

"My cream and tablets please." She said, rubbing her eyes out of tiredness. I figured she must be quite cold too, considering she was only in short-shorts and a bra. With one arm still firmly around her, I reached up and grabbed the things she asked for. She sat down on the toilet and took the pill bottle out of my hand, grabbed the cup from the side of the sink and filled it with water. "Here." I began gently rubbing it along her stiches. "Tell me if it hurts."

"It won't stop." She muttered, but I heard her.

"What do you mean?" I asked and she winced slightly when my thumb glazed over the middle of her scar. "Sorry." I whispered.

"My whole body's been aching the past three hours." She said and set the cup down after swallowing two pills.

"You haven't slept?" I asked, annoyed with myself that I didn't realise she wasn't sleeping.

"Not one bit." She sighed. I finished applying the white cream and screwed the top back on and set it down on the counter, along with the pill bottle so she didn't have to struggle to get them again. Standing up from a kneeling position, I held my hand out for her take and she did so.

"Put this on." I took one of my burgundy sweaters from the wardrobe and helped her into it. It was oversized but at the same time, it fit perfectly. We climbed into the bed and I instinctively wrapped my arm around her waist, the other hand holding hers across my bare chest. "You feel any better?"

"A bit. Thank you." She whispered.

"Don't thank me. It's the least I can do." I whispered back, rubbing up and down her arm and when I looked down, she was already fast asleep. "Night, princess. I love you."

A/N: Next chapter won't be as sad, I promise. Hope you enjoyed! I wrote this on Lucy Hale's birthday and I tried to publish then but it took so long so sorry! I celebrated by listening to her album 'Road Between' ON LOOP which I loved. Bye guyssss xoxo