Work Text:
morning
you feel it hit your chest hard the moment your eyes open, and with a muffled groan you consciously shut them again. The weight that is Josh's arm draped across your waist moves against your skin as he shifts behind you and is slowly lifted out of sleep. The early sunlight plays across the ivory sheets as you bury your face further into your pillow, trying to rid yourself of the inexplicable regret you feel upon waking.
Your mind races through yesterday's failures as he places a soft kiss to your shoulder. You can tell he's hovering over you, shirtless, taking in your scrunched up face, hands in fists, and understanding more than you want him to. He murmurs a quick apology as he gets up groggily and you curl up further. It's significantly colder without his heat behind you.
alone
It's unclear how long you're lying there, methodically mentally going through all your past regrets, failed efforts, before he finally returns with an oversized mug of hot tea that you probably won't drink but he brings anyway. He fumbles with his phone for a second as he places the well worn mug down on the nightstand, turning on the blanketing white noise that he knows calms you before he makes his way back to bed. On both hands and knees, he moves the sheets and resumes his previous position, filling in the chills he left you with, and pulls you back towards him by wrapping his arms around you and nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.
warm
He starts to speak lowly then, his voice raspy with morning's edge but familiar all the same. He talks about anything and everything there is, about new songs and space and NASA and how his mom doesn't believe they'll find aliens soon but he's convinced she's wrong, and he isn't bothered by how you don't say a single word in return. He's been in your position more times than he'd admit, and you in his, and comforting the other is second nature.
The words are soon punctuated by soft kisses to the side of your neck, in just the spot that he knows makes you shiver and he's doing it on purpose. Your back is still turned to him, but you resolve to stay that way crumbles with every contact of his lips.
With an exhale that relieves some of the pressure on your chest you turn towards your boy with the permanent bed head, the radiant tattoos and even brighter heart and tuck your head into his chest where its safe. You know that there's times when he's the one who is weak and needs you to be strong, but it's rather nice to be the one held. He squeezes you closer and you feel an exhaled 'I love you' against your hair, sending shivers that never fail to stay through your scalp and down the curve of your back.
you could stay in this home forever.