Chapter Three-Hundred and Twenty-Two
Claire curled tighter against John's abdomen, her fingers traced over the scars on his back and her lips brushed over his collarbones. She smiled as a sleepy moan vibrated in his larynx, pleased that even when he was utterly exhausted, he was still aware of her touch.
She closed her eyes, focusing on the steady rhythm of his heart against her chest. She breathed his scent, his sweat mixing beautifully with the fresh linens of the bed, and the hint of metal on his skin. She could feel every scar on his body, and each one reminded her of how strong he really was.
She paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that he hadn't had a flashback for a while. Was he really getting better? Or was he just becoming more skilled at hiding them?
His arms tightened around her, the muscles in his shoulders and back flexing with the strength that was hidden under his thin build. His body still showed the signs of malnourishment as a child, even with the gained weight his bones still stuck out at odd angles in some spots and his legs would never be quite right either. His knees had bowed as a child from not getting enough calcium, and that was another reason he still walked a little odd at times. Ryan had also discovered a small muscular disorder in his hips that caused his left leg to be weaker than it should have been. But none of that really mattered. After all, this was her John.
Phoebe held John's hand as they walked through the pet store they'd found, pulling him over to the fish tanks and watching the little Tetras and Danios dart around the tanks. "They're cute." She whispered, touching the glass with gentle hands as to not scare the little fish.
John watched her for a moment, his features softening as he noticed her longing look. "You like fish, don't you?"
She nodded, moving on to the Betta containers that held mistreated and abused fish who were in far too small of housing. "I like the Betta's best." She glanced over them, frowning at the sickliest looking one in a tiny cup. He was suffering a slight case of fin-rot and he was obviously depressed as he just rested on the bottom. "But I don't like how they keep them in stores." She picked the little fish up, biting her lip as he gave her a forlorn look.
John nodded, his heart aching as he looked at the little pet. "Yeah…" He thought back to his days as a child, when Jacob would lock him in closets, or stuff him into a pet carrier for days on end. "It's not right…" He glanced over to where the five and ten-gallon aquarium kits were, an idea starting to form in his mind —though he couldn't carry it out until they were back in LA.
Phoebe put the fish back on the shelf, letting John lead her away and pay for the treats he'd gotten for Chance. "I used to read a lot of fish books when I was little… I learned a lot about bettas."
He nodded, remembering what Clarissa and Thomas had talked about with getting Phoebe's adoption into the Standish family finalized by her birthday. He'd known for a while that they were adopting her, but he could only think of one thing to make her birthday even better. Since he and Claire were getting married soon, and going to Europe for their honeymoon, Phoebe would need someone to keep her company, and she was obviously knowledgeable about fish. He gave a little smile, knowing that he'd found the perfect gift for her.