My memory faded somewhere during the second bottle, and all I could remember was putting the glass down on the sofa, a glimpse of him laying be down on the bed and helping me change my clothes, and then... nothing.
Suddenly, it was the next morning and I was being woken up to the sound of Henry stubbing his toe on the door. He was almost on the verge of cursing up a storm when he noticed my eyes were staring at him.
"Good morning Beautiful..." He winced as he rubbed his toe.
"Good morning..." I said back to him, my voice gravel-like from the morning drowsiness.
"Are you ready... for today?"
I didn't answer, instead I buried myself further into my blankets, thinking for a moment before popping up to see his face suddenly right in front of mine. His eyes met mine for a moment and he smiled that same comforting smile and kissed me on the forehead, his way of reassuring me that it would all be okay.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I think you were just trying to keep me naked, I do remember you putting me here... you could have thrown a shirt and some pants on me..." I pouted. "Why cover up all this...?" He asked, flicking back the blankets, exposing me in just my underwear.
Before I could throw my blankets on, he climbed atop me, straddling my hips and pinning my arms beside me. Henry pressed his head against mine, letting it drop to the side and I could feel his breath against my neck as he moved down and smiled at me. He always had the look that he was going to eat me alive when he pinned me down, I learned quickly though, that the ravenous look in his eyes gave way to something much... gentler.
"I've missed you so much..." He said.
"Henry... "
Just as his lips reached the center of my chest, setting the rest of my body alight, his phone rang.
"You'd better get that..." I sighed, the sharp ringtone bringing us back to reality.
"I don't want to...." He whined, letting his body drop on mine, burying his face into the crook of my neck.
After taking care of the call, he "helped" me get dressed by oogling me as I threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a black polo shirt. After much internal protesting, it was finally time to face the music and that realization made me shiver. I knew though, that I would never be able to show how scared I was to Henry. I didn't want him to back out again... and I didn't want to wait any longer.
We had called the police ahead of time, in case anything happened, but had requested that they wait outside in unmarked cars. The drive to Landon's was quiet and when we arrived, Henry made sure to hold my hand for just a moment, giving it a squeeze to reassure me. I held his hand still when we walked up to the door and rung the doorbell. Landon's maids had come to answer and let us into the foyer.
"I knew you'd come sooner or later..." A chilling voice said, and a shiver so strong ran up my spine my legs nearly buckled.
Landon stood at the entrance to the hallway and lazily gestured to the living room beyond the alcove. We sat awkwardly as he took the spot opposite us. Behind Henry's placid façade boiled with seething pure hatred, and I could tell by how white his knuckles where, he was aching for a reason to throw a punch.
"Lando-"
"Aiden, where have you been? Where did you go? Why did you leave?" He cut me off.
"You don't have the right to ask him that! YOU who took him away FROM his home from his loved ones."
Henry bolted up, shouting so loudly I thought I heard the roof rattle.
Again, Landon ignored him, giving him a "I'll deal with you later" sort of gaze.
"I-..." My mouth felt dry, and my heart began pounding so... so fast.... I could barely form the words. A strong hand gripped mine and squeezed... HARD.
"Landon, What the hell did you think you were doing?"
"Taking what is rightfully MINE!"
"He doesn't belong to you! He NEVER has, and he NEVER will!"
"Because of YOU! Because you took him from me... because he's so brainwashed by you, but he doesn't see what a pathetic excuse of a man you are! Do you think if you were strong enough for him you would have let him escape?"
"If you were where he belonged do you think he would have run away from you?! Do you know where he's been? What he's been doing? How completely terrifying it was for him to have to leave and be by himself!?"
The two men in front of me started shouting louder and louder and I felt... suddenly so small... I felt like a little kid again, watching two giants fight.
"How DARE you insinuate that I don't love him!? I've loved him longer than you!" "How DARE you even think that you can even lay a hand on him?"
Their voices drowned together as all the echoes in the room overlapped and it seemed for a moment that there was nothing but pure noise.
Stop.
Nothing came out of my mouth, but I clasped my hands over my ears.
Stop please.
I wasn't sure who threw the first punch but the sound of someone hitting the floor made me look up. Henry was on the floor, rubbing his cheek, and I could tell that Landon was nursing a hit of his own.
"H-Henry..." I crawled over to him and he held my hand for a moment before turning his attention back and charging up again. The sound of glass breaking followed and I jerked back as the pieces of what was probably a porcelain vase scattered across the floor. The head maid was busy with a broom urgently sweeping away the pieces she could get to while dodging the two boys.
Another crash.
More pieces, smaller, with a face painted on out sputtered across the floor, it was probably once a figurine of some sort.
"STOP! I shouted at them, but was drowned out by their own anger.
Landon shoved Henry against a wall, and began to storm back at him. At this point, the police officers outside had come in to see the source of the commotion inside. The first two had come to try and hold the two back, but to no avail.
"You manipulative little bi-" Henry was cut off as Landon broke free of the officer holding him and landed a punch to his gut. The blow was strong enough to nearly knock the two of them over and Henry sprung up to charge Landon into the wall behind him. I could see the indentions in the wall behind him, and it was scary to think that the same gentle hands that could hold me so tightly were also the instruments of such... destruction.
Another charge and the two of them ended up on the floor, with Landon atop Henry, landing blow after blow, before being kicked off. Henry got up and threw himself onto the other, bringing them both stumbling back to the floor.
"STOP! Please! STOP!" I shouted again, my voice somehow seemingly smaller.
They paid me no mind and I winced as the sound of yet another thing crashing onto the floor rang out. The two of them looked like bloody messes and I couldn't sit there any longer.
"STOP!" I shouted again, running to the two of them now. I grabbed Henry's fist and he paused to look at me before Landon shoved him away, knocking me back onto the ground. Now, Landon charged forward and I caught his arm in mid swing. He shrugged me off and resumed his attack. I ran after him, wrapping my arms around his waist, firmly standing my ground, anchoring him to the spot.
"Let me go!" He yelled before twisting himself free. The officers were shouting at them now too but too afraid to lay any hands on them. My frustration grew and the pounding sensation of what seemed to be almost all my blood in my head grew with it. I ran forward in time for me to catch Henry as Landon kicked him in the gut, sending him sprawling into me. I slammed into the wall and felt all the air get knocked out of me. My head slammed into the wall and my headache worsened. It wasn't until Henry got up and I attempted to follow that...
"S-Something's not right.." I whispered quietly, the entire lower half of my body felt weak and I winced as a sharp pain struck me.
"H-Henry.. I'm..." I could just barely summon the strength to push myself off the wall and fall into his arms. The light was draining away quickly from my vision and his warm arms suddenly disappeared.
"B-Blood! His! CALL THE AMBULANCE" I heard someone shout before my eyes closed, and everything was silent.
My mouth is so dry...
Why cant I move my hands?
It's so hard...to move... to open my eyes...
It's cold...
My eyes wouldn't focus enough for me to see the people around me. I saw a blur standing on my right, I could hear Henry's voice somewhere, but I didn't know what he was saying...
I wanted him to hold my hand... where was he?
Why can't I move? Why cant I see...?
Breathing is hard now... and I'm so tired...
So tired.
My mouth is still so dry..
It's so hard to move still...
My eyes fluttered open and instantly closed again, the fluorescent lights above were so bright. I tried to talk but only soft sounds made their way through my throat.
"Aiden? Aiden?! Can you hear me? Are you awake?" A panicked voice asked, and I turned and the soft smell of Henry's soap wafted to my nose, and I smiled weakly. He was here...
"Aiden..." His voice went quivered slightly at the end as I felt a pressure squeeze my hand.
"Water.." I said in barely a whisper, and without opening my eyes I felt the straw come to my lips and took a sip.
Gently he put the cup on some table beside me, and I could hear him rustle the sheets on the bed as he moved to hold my hand again.
"What.. happ-" I was interrupted by the sudden feeling of a warm and wet drop of... something on my hand. It was only then that I worked up the nerve to slowly open my eyes, letting them adjust to the brightness finally. Looking at the boy beside me, he was crying, the deep-set circles around his eyes told me he had been for quite a while now. I winced a little as some pain in my heart seemed to manifest in reality.
"I was s-so scared... s-so scared that you weren't going to wake up, that you weren't going to be able to hear me calling your name, that you were going somewhere all by yourself..." he blubbered in between sobs.
"Henry... stop... I'm okay... I'm okay... I'm okay.."
"But you weren't for a long time... it's been four days... you haven't woken up in four days... and they were the longest days of my life.... They said that you had lost a lot of blood when that thing, the statue's spear... p-pierc-... when it ..." I suddenly remembered, the feeling of something.. in my back... how I felt as if it had gotten so hard to breathe, and the pain in my chest was real.
"Henry... it's okay..." I whispered again, but he seemed not to hear me, still going on as if on his own dialog to himself.
"-and then they said that while they had repaired most of the damage that you... you were out and hemorrhaging blood for so long they didn't know if you would...wake up...a-and I.." What little strength I had left in me, came coursing down my arm now as I squeezed his hand tightly. He stopped for a moment, and his eyes finally looked up at me from our clasped hands and his eyes released the last few tears that had been welling in his eyes.
"Stop... crying... I'm awake... I want to see you be happy... because I'm awake... and I'm fine... I promise you.. I won't leave you that easily... not again... not ev...er..." I felt a sudden wave of tiredness hit me again as my eyes refused to stay open again and I felt my hand slacken against his.
"AIDEN!?" Henry's voice echoed in my head again as the darkness came, and I slept again.
It must have been another day again since I woke up and the sun was shining now, from the view outside my window, I gathered I must have been on the 5th floor of the hospital, the private rooms that were reserved for those VIP patients we all hated to treat. The scent of flowers came to me as the rest of my senses returned, and I turned to look at the room that had been filled with floral arrangements. The smallest motion I made to at least sit up made me wince as an intense pain hit me and I let out a small stifled cry, trying so hard not to wake Henry who was sitting in a chair by my side, his head resting on my bed. I made another move, this time a little gentler and barely got myself up before another twinge came and I cried again.
Almost instantly, a pair of eyes flickered open to meet mine and his hands flew to help me and Henry stood up, as if on high alert.
"Honey!"
I looked at him and nodded slightly, gazing now at the water pitcher beside him. He understood and quickly poured a glass for me with a straw. Gratefully I gulped the water down and slowly made to sit up. The small motions made me wince when the sharp pain in my stomach struck all at once. Sitting for a moment, there wasn't much processing in my mind to understand where we were, or what had happened. Something about a spear, a statue and a strong blow swam around in my head but none of it made any sense. I assume whatever painkillers they had given me was making things a little hazy.
"Aiden... " Henry held my hand now. He looked at me, with those big puppy brown eyes, the same ones that held the thousand words he wanted to let come pouring out his mouth but held back.
"You know... when you look at me like that, I always feel weak at the knees, and now... I guess all of me is kind of weak..." I managed a soft chuckle, wincing again.
"Stop trying to be funny, you just survived a serious injury" He whispered, and I nodded apologetically.
He was so scared... and worried.
"Aiden.... Marry me."
"What?"
"Marry me. Right now."
"Henry... you're not thinking straight, you're just panicked an-"
"No! I'm not! I- Yes, I was worried I was so scared when we brought you here and I had all of your....yo- your blood in my hands... and I cried myself half to death when they told me they needed to take you into a surgery you may not survive. But you know what happened after that? As I sat here beside you, waiting for you to wake up, waiting to see if I could ever hear you speak to me again? I realized something, I love you so much, and I don't want to never have had the chance to let everyone know, I don't want you to leave me never knowing how much I love you, and I don't want you to leave me in this world without.... Being mine. I want to have something... that is ours."
His rambling was... cute, despite the worried and panic in his voice. There was a fear in his voice, one that showed just how long all these things had been swirling in his head, even if they didn't make sense.
"Henry...."
"Without... being mine.... You're everything to me Aiden. I need you to be here for me, and If I lost you... I already know what that was like... and it was so hard. It was so... hard." The tears welled in his eyes now.
"Henr-"
"Everyone thinks that I have all this.... Power or whatever it is. Everyone says that I have this or that and that with my family, my money, that I can do anything I want... but no matter what I do... I'm powerless when it comes to you... because you mean that much to me. You say that I'm the strong one but... I need you..." He knelt beside my bed now, putting his arms on the bed and burying his head. I could tell he was about to launch into another stream of words.
Gingerly, I commanded my hand to reach over to his, and slowly, weakly, I pried the box from his whitening grip. Inside sat a platinum band, with delicate threads weaving around a flawless diamond in a subtle woven design. It was just enough to look plain, but upon closer inspection, anyone would realize it was worth a fortune. Without a word, in front of his tear stricken eyes, I took the ring out of the box and quietly placed it on my finger, smiling at him. Almost instantly the wave of relief was visible on his face.
"D-Does that mean you-?"
I nodded.
"We're going to have a grand wedding! Everyone's invited, anyone you want! A-And when we get back from our honeymoon, I'll have our house ready, remade, remodeled anyway you want!" He sputtered Placing a hand on his, I nodded again, my exhaustion was creeping up on me again. He smiled so brightly and his eyes that were red with tears just moments ago were shining again.
I had made him so happy...
Sleep... now...
A week of observation later, the doctor finally cleared me to be discharged. I feel that part of it was pressure from Henry to be allowed to take me home, but said nothing of it. We sat down in the car and I wondered why Elise was driving us around when Henry was perfectly capable of driving us home.
"I just... wanted to take care of you." He said, helping me buckle in.
"Lets go home boys." Elise said in his mock-motherly tone, and we drove off.
I leaned on Henry's shoulder as we sped down the highway towards our house. He gently put his head on mine and I could feel his hand on mine, gently squeezing mine. During the last week in the hospital, he had been imagining the ring on my finger, taking it back to have it resized and cleaned. During its absence, he was always imagining it around my finger and I smiled whenever he'd hold my hand up to his eyes and dream about it.
We pulled up to the house now, and gingerly he helped me out of the car, placing his hand in mine and his other hand hovering around my waist in case he needed to catch me. Gratefully, I made it to the front door without much incident, and Elise appeared behind us, toting the small overnight bag that we had brought during the last week.
The minute we opened the door-
"Surprise!!!!" A chorus of voices shouted and I nearly stumbled back in shock.
Everyone was gathered here, Henry's parents, my father, Jason, my colleagues from the hospital, some of the other people from his company that I'd met in passing. When I turned to Henry to ask what was going on, I noticed he was down on one knee.
"I didn't get to properly ask you at the hospital, and I know it wasn't the most romantic way so I have to do it right."
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the velvet box again. Opening it, the ring that had so far spent less than a day on my finger, sat nestled inside, the newly polished surface gleamed brightly.
"Aiden Park, will you marry me?"
Gazing at the ring, I looked up at him now. This time was different, a million and one thoughts and memories ran through me, my own eyes starting to tear up and I could only nod, pushing a single word out of my throat.
"Yes!"
--- Author:
Thanks for reading another chapter with me! Again, as this is my first time writing a narrative, any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated! A great big thanks to those who have given me some great feedback! Please stay tuned as Im already in the middle of the next Chapter!
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Thanks!