More than a muse 🎨

So, this was aftercare 🎨

Ed held you close to his body, leaning down and releasing the tension in his arm to place the glasses of water down on the small table by the sink. Your hazy eyes flickered open and closed, nuzzling his bare chest and nudging at his collarbone. He responded to your weak plea for more affection, kissing your forehead.
"So you can read minds." you muttered, softly smiling.

You enjoyed the contact, although you felt uneasy knowing how vulnerable you were in this moment.

You spiralled.

With anyone else at this point, you were left alone to feel regret sink in, the emotion taking over your body and robbing you of the short lived euphoric buzz. You thought back to the times you sat alone, contemplating braving the cold streets, blindly navigating your way home in the early hours. You'd snap back when the sound of the water trickling from the shower head stopped. Only to be met with a half naked man in a towell strutting out of his bathroom, downing a glass of water and chugging a few headache pills, side-eyeing you without a word. Pressuring you to make your next move. You always left, but didn't get far, sleeping in the same spot just outside the apartment building for a few hours until it was light. That was your normal, until Ed found out about your situation and offered the keys to his car as a safer alternative when he wasn't home, his sofa when he was. You protested but he insisted he never drove it anyway and preferred to walk, after getting to know him this turned out to be accurate and fitting to his personality.

You opened your eyes to see that Ed was gone. You panicked, alone. You waited anxiously for his return, hearing him opening doors and rifling through cupboards in the next room.

He poked his head round the bathroom doorway, eyebrows raised and peering in to see if you were awake, he wouldn't dream of disturbing you. But after seeing the terrified look on your face, he wished he hadn't left. He placed the various objects down on the floor and knelt down in front of you.
"Hey, what's wrong, you look... troubled" he asked curiously, furrowing his brows, his heart sunk.
"I only went into the kitchen, I thought you'd need some..." he glanced over to the pile of sugary snacks, pack of paracetamol and mug of frozen grapes.
"Sorry, that can wait." He looked back into your glazed eyes.
"Forgive me for asking, but... regret?" his voice broke, wishing he hadn't asked as he wasn't prepared for the answer.
"No." you said quickly, he sighed in relief and stopped himself, still confused.
"Then, what? Bad dreams?" he teased referring to your dissociated state. He observed the dejected look on your face, you seemed distant. He conjured the conclusion on his own.

Reaching out to hold your hands as he sat cross legged on the cold floor, now wearing a baggy t-shirt and boxers. He regained your focus with his touch, his fingers wrapping around your hands, thumbs stroking circles on the backs of them. He observed your longing look, clearly wanting him to talk and for you to just sit and listen, until you were ready.
"You have a truly wonderful mind, it's a shame it's clouded by negative pictures... not worthy of their position in your head." he stated, slightly angered by the influence the men had on your mental state.
"They didn't deserve your attention... even for a second." he continued, reassuring you. He made you feel safe.
"They didn't." you repeated under your breath.
"But you do, Eddie." He smiled at your comment, glad you felt able to speak openly again.

You looked past him, back over to the pile of snacks and tablets, cocking your head in curiosity.
"My aftercare kit, personalised of course... " He said proudly, he pointed out the mug of frozen grapes. Your favorite mug and your favorite snack. He nudged the mug and slid it across the floor, stopping when it was in your reach. You shivered suddenly, realising you were still naked. Ed leant back and blindly reached behind him into the next room, his eyes playfully wide and still fixed on yours, refusing to leave you again. His arm swung back into the room, his hand clutching a fleece blanket. You took it and wrapped it around yourself, feeling comforted by all of his efforts to relax you.

"Headache?" he asked softly.
"Very much so..." you answered honestly. He grabbed the tablets and reached for your untouched glass of water next to his empty one.
He raised his eyebrows and gave you an almost stern look, passing you the water and two tablets.
"Well I'm hardly surprised..." he murmured, "Ever heard of dehydration?" he asked, sarcasm lining his words. "It can happen after sex, especially when you-" he stopped himself, your expression showing that he didn't need to explain further.
"Drink it, all." he said, waiting. You gulped the cold water and took both tablets, instantly feeling slightly better.
"Okay the snacks are mainly for me..." he admitted, unwrapping a chocolate bar and swallowing it almost whole. You laughed, rolling your eyes. As if you hadn't figured that out already.

A few moments passed and Ed crammed the remains of his third packet of skittles into his mouth. He got up and encouraged you to stand with him, dropping the blanket as you did. His eyes didn't flinch, locked onto yours. His arm was wrapped around your waist, his fingers stroking along the small of your bare back. He swayed you a few times, left to right, teasing at a dance. His free hand reached up to the nape of your neck, pulling you closer to his lips, kissing you gently and letting your head fall onto his chest. You continued swaying for a few minutes as he hummed a tune into your ear.

"Bath?" he suggested, "Soothes the muscles... are you sore?" You nodded, realising just how much your body ached after your time together. He understood, kissing your cheek briefly and turning to run the bath.
"Together or alone?" He asked, his back turned away from you, selecting which candles to light. You watched him in awe, studying the muscles that flexed in his arms as he reached out and picked out your favorite scent.
"I mean, or I could just sit and watch." He continued, glancing back at you, assuming his humour would grab your attention as he failed to gain an answer the first time. You smiled and thought for a moment.
"Together." you answered, confidently.
"You sure?" he questioned, turning back to face you fully.
"Always." you said suggestively.
he raised his eyebrows, enjoying your-self assured disposition. His mind wandered as he stepped back, fixated on that word.
"Alright then." he smiled softly, undressing again and gesturing for you to get in first. You climbed in and sank down until the water was level with your shoulders, releasing a deep sigh and closing your eyes once more. Ed watched, truly infatuated with you.