Deacon lay awake in his bed. He was being released in the morning, but for now he was just taking in the silence of the hospital ward. It's always so busy with people rushing around all over the place during the day, but the deafening silence of the nighttime left time for him to think. Not that he wanted that time. No matter how hard he tried his thoughts inevitably turned to her. Sometimes it was anger, sometimes hurt, and sometimes longing so strong that he thought he'd pass out if he didn't hold her in his arms right at that moment.
He was somewhere between the first and the last when he heard the distinctive sound of her crutches in the hallway. He looked at the clock. 1:23am. He was concentrating on the click clack of the metal on the tile floor when she appeared in his doorway, backlit so her strawberry blond hair glowed as if she was an angel. She didn't say anything, and he was kind of glad for this. He wasn't sure what he'd say to her now if he was forced to speak. Instead he watched her as she made her way over to his bedside, put the crutches against the chair and very slowly climbed into bed with him.
Deacon didn't try to stop her. Maybe if he'd let himself think for a second he would have, but the quiet and small glow of light peaking in the door and the scent of her hair put him in a trance he was unable to break. She reached around his body holding him, and tucked her head under his chin. His arms wrapped around her gently in an automatic reaction to the nearness of her body. The contact was almost too much for him. It had been so long, and the last time he'd held her like this they were in a field next to his totaled SUV and she was dying in his arms. The feeling of her breath on his neck was both reassuring and titillating. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and let one hand slide down her back and under her gown until it rested on her bottom. Rayna slid one of her legs on top of his pulling his lower body closer to hers. "I guess her legs aren't too badly hurt," he thought as he felt the power of her muscles drag him into her body.
He tilted her head up and stared into her eyes for a moment. They were filled with sadness, but most of all longing, and he knew if he could see his own eyes they would have matched hers. He hesitated a moment moving his lips just a millimeter away from hers before hungrily grabbing her mouth with his, and then he was lost in her. Their tongues touched and electricity shot through his body. He rolled her onto her back being careful to avoid crushing her legs. He had never been so glad that both of them were wearing nothing but hospital gowns. He lifted hers up and entered her in one quick move. He stopped for a minute just to take in the feeling of being inside her again like he did when they'd made love for the first time in over a decade. She reached down sliding her hands over his ass and pulled him deeper into her. Deacon moaned and started to move as he deepened their kisses. Hands moved in a seductive fury over each other's bodies as each one ached to pull the other one closer. She may be his addiction, but she was the best one he had. As he made his way to her neck he heard her whisper "Oh babe, I've missed you so much," and it was enough to send him over the edge and take her with him.
After it was over he lay there inside of her for a moment, not yet ready to break the contact. She stroked his hair, and the feeling of relief at being home in her arms was so strong that he started to cry silently. He could feel her doing the same as salty tears dripped off of the strands of his hair.
He must have fallen asleep like that because when he lifted his head up the clock said 4:30. He rolled over and took Rayna's sleeping body with him, pulling her into the crook of his arm. She made a soft little moan and buried her head in his chest. Then he let his head fall to the pillow again as sleep once again overtook him.
When the light from the window hit his eyes for the first time at 7:00 he reached for her but she was gone. The room once again seemed so silent and stark that part of him wasn't 100% sure it hadn't been a dream. Just as he found a stray red hair on his pillow the doctor came in.
"So, time for you to get out of here."
"It's about time doc."
"Just a little paperwork to fill out and you're good to go. You can get dressed though."
Deacon got up and put on the button down that Scarlett had brought him and an old pair of faded jeans. He pulled on his boots and looked in the mirror staring at the scruff that surrounded a prominent row of stitches on his right cheek, lightly touching it before heading out of the room. He walked by Rayna's room to look in but she wasn't there.
"Miss Jaymes is in physical therapy this morning," the doctor said.
"Oh, tell her I said…well tell her…"
Deacon wasn't sure what to say after last night. Should he say he loved her, he didn't want to do that through the doctor. A simple I'll call you didn't seem right either.
"Tell her I'll be seeing her. "
With that he picked up his overnight bag, and walked back into the light of a sunny Nashville summer morning.