Enjoy!
~Hunter~ Hunter Quinn stood alone in the night, contemplating whether or not to attend the ball. He was already dressed, thanks to his sister, who was dancing with some dark-haired stranger. On the other hand, he had no one to go with, unless he counted himself, which he didn't. Sighing, he turned, about to leave, when he heard a voice. "Hunter! Where are you going?". He whirled around, peering into the night, catching sight of a beautiful woman. Alina Starkov. She was tall, though a few inches shorter than him. Her caramel-chocolate brown hair flowed a well past her waist, and those chestnut brown eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Her gown was a simple, stunning creation of honey and warm gold tones, and in the hollow of her throat, a tiny sunburst pendant hung on a gold chain. She smiled at him, and his breath caught. He tried to deny himself the small blossom of love that threatened to bloom whenever he saw her. He was her friend, and that is what he would be unless she wanted something more or less. "Hello, Alina. Why aren't you at the ball?", he asked. "You didn't think that I'd attend the ball without a date?", she said, her brown eyes glinting with amusement.
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Well, you could start by being my date."
Hunter's eyes widened in shock, but he hid his excitement and smiled as if this was what he'd been expecting. Offering her his arm, he grinned. "As the lady wishes." They walked hand in hand to the ball, and Hunter was ridiculously happy about the situation. When they arrived, there was barely a spot for them to dance as the music changed to a waltz. He held her, swaying and they danced in one place, Hunter humming all the while.
~Alina~ Alina was glowing with happiness as she danced with Hunter. She smiled up at him as they swayed. He looked terrific, with a stark white suit that paired well with his pale complexion and his icy blue eyes. His light golden-blonde hair was tousled from the warm night breeze. He was humming an unfamiliar tune, she wondered what it was. Suddenly, a loud bang sounded, and the ballroom dissolved into chaos. What was that? Hunter's hand shot out, grabbing her and slinging her into a bridal carry, and he ran to the exit, Alina in tow. He seemed to run forever, as Alina clung to him, terrified. Finally, they reached a safe distance. Hunter put her down, breathing hard. Adrenaline still pumping, Alina laughed. "By God, I love you, Hunter." Hunter looked up in surprise.
"You…You do?"
"Of course, Hunter! I…I've loved you since we met…"
"I…I love you too, Alina."
"What…What happened?" Alina asked, the recent events sinking in. "I…don't know…" Hunter replied, wrapping his overcoat tighter around him. Alina couldn't help but be bothered by the sudden change in him. Hunter was always confident, at least in front of her. But now he seemed more vulnerable, scared. "Hey…" Alina said soothingly, cupping Hunter's face and smiling softly. "I'm here, and I'll protect you…don't worry," Hunter smirks. "That's my job, Alina." Suddenly, he doubled over, coughing violently. When the fit had passed, he wiped his mouth and sat up, his breathing ragged. Worried, Alina placed her hand on his arm. She should take him to the Academy they were both attending and have him rest. "Hunter," She began softly. "You seem like you need to get some rest…let's go back to the Academy." "N...no…I'm fine." Hunter said, tripping over his words a bit. "Hunter, you clearly are not." She replied. "You need to rest, let me take you back to the academy." Hunter did not look good. The world seemed to slow down around Alina as she looked at him, his face flushed and him trying to catch his breath. Worried, she put her hand on his arm. "Hunter…please. You don't seem well." Hunter didn't reply, and she gave up waiting for a response. She took his hand, hauling him to his feet. Starting to walk, she tugged Hunter behind her. He took two steps, then collapsed, his overcoat falling away. Alina gasped. In the absence of his coat, a spreading dark stain of blood covered the chest of his white dress shirt. His breath was rattling in his chest, and blood was pumping out of the wound. She then realized that the gunshot they'd heard….The bullet had hit him. She took note of all of this information in a split second, and then she was on her knees, next to Hunter. She frantically tugged the coat off, wincing as he groaned in pain. "Hunter, I need to see the wound." She said, with the calm that she had learned in the Acadamy's medic program. Hunter didn't reply, panting for breath. Panicked, she realized the bullet could've grazed, or even punctured his lung. He coughed a horrible lung-racking cough that shook his whole body. Blood flecked his lips, and she inhaled sharply at the sight of it. "Hunter, can you hear me?" she asked him desperately, all memory of her lessons on how to treat bullet wounds gone. "We're going back to the Academy right now." She tried to be calm, for his sake. She tried to ignore the blood pooling under him and placed her hand on his. Hunter smiled weakly. "It…It's okay, Alina…" Alina's heart ached. No…That sounded too much like a goodbye…please..no….he's my whole world…I can't lose him… Tears started to fall down her cheeks. "No... No, Hunter, this isn't okay!" She protested, her voice cracking.
~Hunter~ "I…I love you…" Hunter rasped, the blood still pumping from his chest as he started to become light-headed.
~Alina~ Alina saw his eyes starting to become distant, and she panicked, shaking his shoulders frantically. He groaned in pain as the movement jostled his wound. "M…maybe get…help?" Hunter grinned faintly, humorous to the last. The ghostly blood-flecked smile shook Alina more than she wanted to admit. She set her face in grim determination as she took off her shoes, and with a strength she didn't even know she had, picked up Hunter, mirroring the way he had carried her not thirty minutes before. She stood, and started off, as fast as she could towards the Academy. No sooner than they had arrived, Hunter passed out, his blood soaked into her gown. Panic clouded her mind, and she rushed through the doors and was sobbing by the time she reached the Infirmary. She burst into the room, placing Hunter's limp body on the bed. Frantically, she explained what had happened to him as they gathered the necessary materials and started treating him, carefully extracting the bullet and sealing his punctured lung. One of the nurses came up to her, eyes shining with sympathy. "Dear, why don't you go change out of that gown and into something more comfortable?" Seeing the hesitation in Alina's eyes, the nurse smiled at her. "It's fine dear, he'll make it. Worrying won't do either of you any good." Alina smiled at the nurse uncertainly and then turned to go to her room. She quickly changed into a pair of trousers and a white dress shirt that her brother had given her. It was a men's outfit, but it was fine. The nurse had said to change into something comfortable, after all. She hurried back to the infirmary, to find that Hunter was stable, but they had decided that he hadn't had any significant blood loss. She wasn't sure, but she trusted them to do what was best for Hunter. After about thirty minutes of waiting, his icy blue eyes fluttered open. "Hunter!" Her eyes filled with tears, and she wiped her cheeks, kissing him gently on the forehead.
~Hunter~ Hunter took a shuddering breath, a jolt of pain going through his chest. His lung was sealed now, though, and he could actually breathe. He smiled at Alina through the pain.
~Alina~ Hunter looked pale, and the pain that flashed across his face with each breath tore Alina's heart. She knew he was hurting, she wanted to take away the pain he was feeling right at that moment. But she couldn't. She was powerless, at least in this aspect. She just wanted to support Hunter as much as she could.
~Hunter~ Hunter managed to focus his gaze on Alina. She looked beautiful, even in her brother's shirt and trousers. He grinned. "...Why, you look lovely darling."
~Alina~ Alina's cheeks turned pink as Hunter complimented her appearance. She grinned, trying to hide her embarrassment. "You don't look too bad yourself, Hunter." He was shirtless, the bandage wrapped around his torso bright white against his pale skin. They hadn't bothered to change him. She paused. "I…I'm glad you're okay."
~Hunter~ Gently, he took Alina by the chin and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I…I'm glad I'm alive."
~Alina~ Alina melted when Hunter kissed her. Her heart soared, and she was speechless. "I am too, Hunter. I am so happy you're here with me and safe," She replied, her eyes glowing. "I am too, Hunter. I am so happy you're here with me and safe," She replied, her eyes glowing.
~Hunter~ Hunter smiled, but he was starting to get a bit restless. "Now…how do I get out of this infernal hospital bed..?" He swung his legs down, the blanket falling away, exposing the bandage wrapped around his bare chest. Standing up, he swayed, the blood rushing to his head, and he struggled to keep his balance. Worry flashed across Alina's face, and she took his hand.
~Alina~ "Hunter, you need to stay in bed a bit longer to get your strength back…" She knew he could be quite stubborn, but she didn't want him to push himself beyond his limits like he was prone to do. "Please…" She asked him, her tone softer. Hunter's reluctance was plain to see, but he sat back down with a sigh. "The lady insists!" He said to no one in particular. Alina giggled at Hunter's expression. Then she sombered. Even if he tried to act brave, she was always going to worry about Hunter. She didn't want to see him hurting again, and she knew he would push himself to not be 'inconvenient'.
~Hunter~ Hunter gazes at Alina, studying her beautiful features and the concerned expression on her face. I may not get another chance. He takes a deep breath, ignoring the flash of pain that jabs his chest. "I…was hoping that I would be able to do this properly…but…" With a little difficulty, he took a small object out of his pants pocket and presented it to Alina, his hands shaking slightly. "Will you marry me?"
~Alina~ "Will you marry me?" Alina's heart jolted at the words that came out of Hunter's mouth. "Yes…", she breathes, joyous beyond words. Hunter's eyes lit up with what looked like relief, and he leaned a little closer, a thread of hope lacing his expression. "...Alina.." Alina, unable to contain herself anymore, leans in and closes the distance between them, pressing their lips together. Hunter tasted of winter, of fresh snow and bitter black coffee that he had a habit of drinking. His lips were a little chapped, and there were traces of blood on his tongue from when he was coughing.
~Hunter~ Hunter leans in, deepinging the kiss. He loves the taste of her soft, full mouth, traces of vanilla, summer, and warmth lacing her lips. He brings his hand up, caressing her soft cinnamon hair, losing himself in her. When they finally pull away from each other and catch their breath, joy and excitement searing their veins, Hunter smiles faintly. "I think I'm ready to be discharged.". Alina, still reeling from the kiss, nods and calls the nurse.
~Alina~ Alina gets Hunter discharged, and they walk around the vast medical wing, exploring it's halls and talking. Alina noticed the strage melody fringing every breath that Hunter took, as he constantly hummed it. They walked and walked, until they were in a part of the Infirmary that they had never seen before. Hunter seemed a bit pale and out of breath, so they took a break, sitting against a wall.
~Hunter~ Hunter leans into Alina's warmth, trying his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his side, the cold that was starting to seep into his fingertips. He kissed her on the cheek, surprising her. She laughed happily. "Hunter!" Alina kissed him back, on the lips, her touch chaste and sweet. He smiled. If these are going to be my last minutes, at least they will be happy. He stood, trying to banish the thought from his head. "Shall we?" He asked Alina, holding out his hand. She took it, and he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. They were in a bare room that was absolutely deserted, obviously very old, and forgotten. Alina's eyes were warm, the color of toasted chestnuts in the summer, and they were looking at him lovingly. There was a chill in the air-a window was open somewhere. And all the while, that terrible cold that was still spreading throughout his body. He continued to hum that melody, the one of the song that his mother had sung to him when he was just a baby, in the cradle, sleeping. All of this came to him in flashes as the throbbing pain in his side intensified and he staggered, holding himself up against the wall. Alina cried out in surprise and worry. "Hunter!" she rushed towards him. "Are you alright?" Hunter gave a gruesome approximation of a smile. "Never better."
~Alina~ Alina watched as Hunter's legs started to shake, and he slid down the wall into a sitting position, his chest heaving. Spotting the growing red blotch on his shirt, she gasped, and lifted the hem on instinct, needing to check the wound. The stitches had torn, probably somewhere along their walk, and his side and chest was drenched in blood, as well as the thick bandage that had been tied around his torso. Alina tried to staunch the bleeding with her hands, to do anything, anything, to save Hunter. He stopped her, laying a shaking hand on her bloodstained ones. "It's okay." he rasped. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "No it's not! Hunter…it's not okay…" Alina was terrified that Hunter was giving in to the pain, saw it in the way that his eyes started to glaze over, and his hands started to tremble even more violently. She closed her eyes, despair threatening to overwhelm her. Then she heard it. Hunter's beautiful voice. Singing. He words were broken, and Hunter's breathing was ragged, but he was still singing. SHe looked at him in wonder and amazement, listening to his voice, the way it kept her fear at bay. "I met you in the dark…you lit me up….you made me…feel as though…I was enough…" He coughed, blood flecking his lips and the hand he covered his mouth with. "Hunter….please…no…" Alina could see him fading, and knew this song was a goodbye. "I knew I loved you then….but you'd never know…'cause…I played it cool….when I was scared….of letting go…." He shuddered, pain written all over his face. "I wanna…live with you….even when we're ghosts….you were always there…for me…when I needed...you the most...I'm gonna love you…till my lungs give out…" His eyes had closed now, he hadn't even the strength to keep them open, but he managed to sing a few more broken lines. "I promised…till death we part…like in our vows….so i wrote this song….for you….now everybody knows….that it's just you and me….till we're grey and…old….just say you won't let go….just say you won't let….go…". As the last of the life faded from his eyes, he squeezed her hand, a secret message passed on to her that she would never get to decipher. "No." Alina sobbed. "Hunter….don't leave me…please..no…" As she sobbed, a single memory surfaced in her mind.
"Sing for me, Alina." 14 year old Hunter pleaded, as 13 year old Alina shook her head, her nose turned up primly. Sing for me.
Alina complied. "I met you-" her voice broke, but she continued, squeezing her eyes closed. "In the dark, you lit me up. You made me feel as though I was enough. I knew I loved you then, but you'd never know, 'cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go. I wanna live with you, even when we're ghosts. You were always there for me, when I needed you the most. I'm gonna love you till my lungs give out. I promise till death we part, like in our vows. So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows that it's just you and me, till we're grey and old. Just say you won't let go, just say you won't let go…"
When she opened her eyes, she gasped. A soft golden glow had surrounded Hunter's body, and as it fades, he opens his beautiful eyes. "Alina?" He rasped. "Hunter…" Alina cried, embracing him tightly. He stands. She does as well. "May I have this dance?" She smiled. Of course. Dies, comes back to life, asks to dance. Only Hunter. "Of course."
So this is my first fanfic. I think I did okay. Pls review. Would appreciate any tips.