title: breaking in reverse
summary: he was only barely conscious when she appeared; his eyelids flickered in the gloom, the dull patter of rain against glass humming at the edge of his hearing, punctuated only by the steady monotony of a heart monitor.
word count: ~450
cw: injury

a/n:

another years-old thing i wrote which i decided to edit a little and upload here because i'm too lazy to write anything new apparently? enjoy

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He was only barely conscious when she appeared; his eyelids flickered in the gloom, the dull patter of rain against glass humming at the edge of his hearing, punctuated only by the steady monotony of a heart monitor.

She must have been gliding silently, as it wasn't footsteps which roused him—he sensed her first, and then felt her hesitant weight against his bed. A light, drowsy smile played on Red X's mouth as he cracked an eye open, watching Starfire's silhouette carefully manoeuvre around his various wires and drips. She settled on his blanket, rolling onto her side, and draped her arm gently across his bandaged stomach.

A few moments of quiet, the only new noise being Starfire's breathing against Jason's shoulder. He closed his eyes again—groggy, a little disoriented, but greatly appreciative of the warmth of her body beside his bruised and complaining one.

"Kinda tired f'that, cutie," he murmured. "But the enthusiasm's sweet."

Starfire started against him; there was undisguised relief in her whisper. "Red X! You are awake."

"Hm." Again, he opened his eyes and glanced around. He found himself unable to shift his head with any speed—like it'd been stuffed with cotton, or maybe bricks wrapped in cotton—but despite the lack of light, he could discern a few familiar features. Beds, monitoring equipment "'M I in the Tower?"

"The infirmary. Your injuries were extensive—I had no choice." Starfire pressed her face into the crook of his neck, almost bashfully. "I could not sleep. I was worried…"

Were he more lucid, he might have reacted with greater extremity, but in his current state he could only manage a dull edge of irritation. He expelled a sigh of resignation, turning his face so that his cheek brushed hers. It wasn't entirely a conscious movement; his inhibitions were forgotten in the haze of exhaustion (and drugs), and the concern and warmth she radiated was like a balm. "Can't keep me down. Thought y'knew that by now."

"Nevertheless, I am glad." Her searching hand found his and gave it a light squeeze. "I—may leave you to rest, if you would like—"

At the thought, Jason automatically tightened his grip on Starfire's hand.

"Stay," he slurred. Already, he felt himself drawing back into the folds of sleep—coherent thought was increasingly difficult to grasp, dancing away like smoke—but for some reason the idea of slipping into unconsciousness without Starfire guarding him made his stomach roll. "Stay."

After this, his memory seemed to waver; when he stirred in the morning, Starfire's vibrant hair still tickling his neck and her fingers still interlaced with his (oh, but the Boy Wonder's ensuing reaction was delicious), all that remained was a crooning alien lullaby and an impression, an echo, of lips brushing his cheek.

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a/n:

title credit: seven a.m. saudade by arlen c.