Before We Begin: I'm really sorry about taking so long to write this, I'm
still in the process of moving. ^_^; Anyhow, hope you enjoy the story!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A soft grunt emitted from the dead woman's lips as she awoke to the feeling of pain. She was laying on her stomach and something cool was being pressed to her bare back. She attempted to see who was cleaning her, but all she saw were blurs of color. Black mixed with gray and gray mixed with blue. She moaned softly and tried to get up, only to have a hand press her back down.
"Don't move."
"Hmm?" Laura knew that voice and it made her heart leap.
Royce had put a cold, wet cloth on Laura's back to numb the pain and help her relax as she slept. She had been tossing and turning as though in a nightmare that she couldn't escape from. He had tried to wake her several times. Each time she would settle for a few minutes before tossing and turning once again. The Torn Prince frowned and leaned forward, kissing the back of Laura's neck to comfort her a bit more. It was then that she had woken up.
"You've been out for some time, ya know. Had me throwin' a fit."
The young woman-child muttered something that Royce couldn't make out, but he didn't care, anything as long as she was showing signs of being okay was good enough for him. He absently began to stroke her healing arms gently, making her shiver. The man at her side just chuckled and let his fingers leave her arms to stroke her hair instead. Slowly, Laura rolled onto her back so that she could lean on Royce with a soft hiss of pain. He frowned and wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her neck, listening to her gentle breathing.
"Laura, are you okay?"
"Mmmhmm, sure am." Laura's voice was rough.
Laura sighed softly and closed her eyes. She was still tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep just quite yet. Reaching up and groping at the air for a few minutes, she found Royce's cheek and brushed the back of her knuckles over it. She heard what she believed to be his "heart beat" do a skip and she couldn't help but laugh. Royce glanced down at her and smirked.
"What's so funny?" Royce raised a brow.
"Nothing, nothing.." Laura grinned. With one last smile, the woman-child fell to sleep in her guardian's arms.
*~*~*
Hours had past and Laura still wasn't awake. Royce sighed and was still watching her sleep, a faint smile tracing over his lips. She had barely moved though her cuts and bruises had healed up. His fingers had entangled themselves in her thick locks of chocolate-brown hair as he massaged her scalp. Poor girl had gone through a lot of shit in the past couple of days.
"Nnn..." Laura shifted around slightly.
"Laura, you awake?" Whispered a curious ghost.
"Mmmhmm."
"Good to hear it. You're all better now."
Laura slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, getting the sleep out of them. Her voice had been thick with sleep, too. Royce let his fingers fall from his woman's soft hair and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling the area between her shoulder blades.
"I'm glad you're safe again..How does he keep finding us, Laura?"
Laura frowned and thought of an answer for him. She surely wouldn't tell about the connection the Jackal and she had. Coming up with nothing, she merely shrugged in reply. The Torn Prince glanced up at the back of her head and smiled, tightening his hold on her and bringing her in closer.
"I promise to take care of you, ya hear me?" Laura grinned.
"Yeah, I hear ya, Royce."
"Good."
The woman-child went into a fit of giggles and leaned back into Royce's hold, comforted by his simple acts of affection. She was in love with him; she swore to herself that nothing would change that. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head back against his chest. She could feel a chuckle rumble in his chest through her back, causing her to giggle.
"I love you, Royce."
"And I love you, Laurita." Again with the bad Mexican accent.
Laura was thrown into another giggle fit.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A soft grunt emitted from the dead woman's lips as she awoke to the feeling of pain. She was laying on her stomach and something cool was being pressed to her bare back. She attempted to see who was cleaning her, but all she saw were blurs of color. Black mixed with gray and gray mixed with blue. She moaned softly and tried to get up, only to have a hand press her back down.
"Don't move."
"Hmm?" Laura knew that voice and it made her heart leap.
Royce had put a cold, wet cloth on Laura's back to numb the pain and help her relax as she slept. She had been tossing and turning as though in a nightmare that she couldn't escape from. He had tried to wake her several times. Each time she would settle for a few minutes before tossing and turning once again. The Torn Prince frowned and leaned forward, kissing the back of Laura's neck to comfort her a bit more. It was then that she had woken up.
"You've been out for some time, ya know. Had me throwin' a fit."
The young woman-child muttered something that Royce couldn't make out, but he didn't care, anything as long as she was showing signs of being okay was good enough for him. He absently began to stroke her healing arms gently, making her shiver. The man at her side just chuckled and let his fingers leave her arms to stroke her hair instead. Slowly, Laura rolled onto her back so that she could lean on Royce with a soft hiss of pain. He frowned and wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her neck, listening to her gentle breathing.
"Laura, are you okay?"
"Mmmhmm, sure am." Laura's voice was rough.
Laura sighed softly and closed her eyes. She was still tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep just quite yet. Reaching up and groping at the air for a few minutes, she found Royce's cheek and brushed the back of her knuckles over it. She heard what she believed to be his "heart beat" do a skip and she couldn't help but laugh. Royce glanced down at her and smirked.
"What's so funny?" Royce raised a brow.
"Nothing, nothing.." Laura grinned. With one last smile, the woman-child fell to sleep in her guardian's arms.
*~*~*
Hours had past and Laura still wasn't awake. Royce sighed and was still watching her sleep, a faint smile tracing over his lips. She had barely moved though her cuts and bruises had healed up. His fingers had entangled themselves in her thick locks of chocolate-brown hair as he massaged her scalp. Poor girl had gone through a lot of shit in the past couple of days.
"Nnn..." Laura shifted around slightly.
"Laura, you awake?" Whispered a curious ghost.
"Mmmhmm."
"Good to hear it. You're all better now."
Laura slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, getting the sleep out of them. Her voice had been thick with sleep, too. Royce let his fingers fall from his woman's soft hair and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling the area between her shoulder blades.
"I'm glad you're safe again..How does he keep finding us, Laura?"
Laura frowned and thought of an answer for him. She surely wouldn't tell about the connection the Jackal and she had. Coming up with nothing, she merely shrugged in reply. The Torn Prince glanced up at the back of her head and smiled, tightening his hold on her and bringing her in closer.
"I promise to take care of you, ya hear me?" Laura grinned.
"Yeah, I hear ya, Royce."
"Good."
The woman-child went into a fit of giggles and leaned back into Royce's hold, comforted by his simple acts of affection. She was in love with him; she swore to herself that nothing would change that. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head back against his chest. She could feel a chuckle rumble in his chest through her back, causing her to giggle.
"I love you, Royce."
"And I love you, Laurita." Again with the bad Mexican accent.
Laura was thrown into another giggle fit.