Smoke And Steel

• Twenty Eight - Kiss Me Slowly •

*Gracias for reading, you guys are amazing*

Avery

"It was me."

"WHAT?" I roared, unable to the word from flying out.

The heart monitor that I was hooked to started beeping like crazy.

"Avery, you need to calm down. If you can't then everyone is going to have to leave," Fran said, scolding me. This wasn't normal Fran, shes was in full-on nurse mode.

"Yes, everyone go but Princess. I'll talk to you guys later," I said, trying to get rid of them all.

"But you just woke up!" Tate argued. "What if we want to see you too?"

"I just need to talk to her alone. You can talk to me after."

"I'm not happy about it," he said, crossing his arms and storming out. Shit, I'd been awake for fifteen minutes and I'd already managed to piss off the one person who never gets pissed off at me.

"Fine," Fran said quietly, turning to leave with everyone else. "But you must stay calm or she'll have to go too." She turned to Princess, "Ebony, try to make sure he keeps a level head please."

She nodded, and the pair of us were silent until everyone was long gone.

"So, what did you mean by that?" I asked, turning slightly so I could look at her.

"I found you, Ave," She finally said, her voice as quiet as a mouse. She was still by the door, looking as if she wanted to make a run for it.

"No... but... how?" I was fumbling over my words. I just didn't understand.

"You were missing and we were worried -"

"Who's 'we'?" I asked, interrupting her.

"Tate, Tash, Daryl, me. So, um, we went to your house and no one was home except one person but they left while we were there. Since I'm the smallest I scaled the rose trellis and got in through an open window. The others were keeping watch outside. I heard footsteps and then I hid under a massive bed until they faded." God, why did they put themselves at risk for me?

"And when I finally got out I sort of just checked every door in that room and that's when I, uh, that's when, um, yeah."

"What?" I asked as she finally came and sat by the bed. I took her hand in mine, just because I wanted to, and I hope she didn't hear my heartbeat betray me when the beeping became more rapid.

Her eyes were pricking with tears as she looked at our clasped hands. "That's when I found you. There was... blood... oh god, so much blood, everywhere, and vomit. I almost couldn't handle the smell, I just wanted to bolt. And then I saw you, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I dropped to the ground and I just couldn't help but cry." She looked at my face, tears actually falling now. I reached up, even though it hurt so much to do it, and wiped her tears away with my thumb. "You were just so, so bad, Ave. It hurts to even think about what might of happened if we didn't come get you."

"Don't cry, Princess. Look, I'm fine now."

"Barely," she sobbed. "When we called the ambulance I didn't know if it was to retrieve a dead body or not. I kept trying to feel for your pulse but I couldn't feel anything and when I tried waking you you just wouldn't respond. I thought I'd lost you, Ave, and I never want to have to go through that again. It was the worst feeling ever."

She rested her head on my chest, and let me tell you that after having no human contact in a week that was one of the best feelings in the world. "It's alright, Princess," I said as I smoothed her hair down. "You won't ever have to lose me."