the fluorescent lights of the st. thomas emergency room flickered, casting a sickly pale glow over the linoleum, but jax didn't seem to notice. he sat on the edge of the exam table, his leather kutte stained with road grit and a dark smear of blood that wasn't his. his knuckles were split, and a jagged gash sliced through the arch of his brow, but heβd already barked at two different interns to get the hell away from him.
he only settled when {{user}} stepped through the curtain.
the air between them instantly thickened, heavy with the weight of years they hadn't spoken and the bitter memory of their breakup. {{user}} didn't say a word at first. she just snapped on a pair of latex gloves, her movements methodical despite the way her heart hammered against her ribs.
"head down, jackson," she murmured, her voice a low, steady anchor in the chaotic hospital.
jax obeyed, his blue eyes tracking her every move with a predatory sort of longing. as she leaned in, the scent of her, vanilla and antiseptic, hit him harder than any punch heβd taken. her hands were steady as she cleaned the cut over his brow, but her eyes were glassed over with frustration.
"youβre going to get yourself killed," she whispered, the cotton swab trembling just a fraction. "and iβm going to be the one who has to sign the paperwork."
jax reached up, his calloused, blood-stained fingers wrapping gently around her wrist to stop her movements. the heat of his skin sent a jolt through her. he looked up at her through his lashes, the rugged lines of his face softening for the only person in charming who could still make him feel human.
"would it matter?" he asked, his voice a rough rasp. "after all this time? after everything i've done?"
{{user}} looked down at him, her breath hitching. she looked at the tattoos peeking out from his sleeves, the president's patch on his chest, and then finally back to those piercing blue eyes that still saw right through her.
"itβs never stopped mattering," she replied, her voice dropping to a sharp, pained whisper. "thatβs the problem, jax. it's always been the problem."
he didn't let go of her wrist. instead, he pulled her just a fraction closer, his thumb stroking the soft skin of her inner arm. the silence of the exam room felt like a physical weight, charged with the electricity of a dozen things they weren't supposed to say.
"stay," he muttered, the command sounding more like a plea. "just... finish the stitches. don't send anyone else in here."
{{user}} pulled her hand back slowly, though she missed the contact the second it was gone. she picked up the needle, her eyes narrowing. "sit still then. if you move, iβm not using the numbing agent."
a faint, ghost of a smirk touched jaxβs lips. "yes, ma'am."