You're not alone

Part 25

"Mom? I'm home!" Andrew yelled, dropping his bag onto the floor and taking off his shoes. "Living room!" Jolene shouted back as she was working on her laptop. "Hey, where's Mer?" Andrew asked as he walked over into the open kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. "She went to bed already." Jolene replied, continuing to go through her notes about a patient who would have their second therapy session with her tomorrow.

"What? It's 7pm. Is she sick?" Andrew asked concerned, drinking the whole glass of water in less then ten seconds. "No, she just had a rough day." She answered, closing her laptop since she was too tired to work anymore anyways. And she was still too concerned about Meredith to think straight so that it had no use.

"Did something happen?" Andrew asked, downing another glass of water. "All that matters is that she's here now, she's safe and she'll be okay again." She gave back, smiling at Andrew reassuringly but then raising a brow as he drank a third glass. "Did you forget to pack water again?" she asked amused, grinning even brighter as Andrew nodded.

"I'm going to take a shower." He then said after a fourth glass, sprinting upstairs. He tried to get ready as quickly as possible since he and some friends had decided to do an online game evening and play the whole night since tomorrow was Saturday and they wouldn't have to get up early again. As he was almost done and now walked past Meredith's room towards his own he heard a noise. Stopping in his tracks he waited, listening to the silence. There it was again. Slowly, he turned to his right, laying an ear against the door to Meredith's room. Was she crying? Hir heart ached as he was now able to hear her cries a little better. Carefully he opened the door, spotting her on the bed, curled up in foetal position, her body being wracked by muffled sobs.

"Mer?" he asked, walking over to her and sitting down on the bed next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine." She mumbled, immediately forcing herself to stop crying by holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut. "Do you want to cuddle a little? I'm going to play some videogames with some friends, if you want to you can sit on my lap again, you know? Like we always did." He said, hoping that she would agree because this always had been his favourite game nights.

Every time Meredith hadn't been feeling well the past two years she had just come to his room, sat on his lap and had fallen asleep. He loved when she did that, he loved when she would come to him when she wasn't feeling well because it showed him that she felt safe with him.

"Yeah." She mumbled, slowly sitting up, smiling at him a little as he took her hand and helped her up, taking her heavy blanket with him and leading her over into his room. Quickly he got everything ready and sat down in his massive beanbag, helping Meredith sit down on his lap, making her lean back against his chest and covered her with her blanket before putting on his headset and turning on his ps4, joining the call his friends were already waiting in.

It was amazing, having Meredith's small body so close to him, being able to smell her wonderful and familiar scent and just being able to enjoy having her here without having to think or talk about all those complicated things between them. In those few hours everything was perfect and he didn't have to worry about their relationship.

___________

Two hours later Meredith was fast asleep on Andrew's lap. He hadn't really been able to focus on the game really well since she worried him a little. He was still thinking about what his mother had said because it had been obvious that something had happened. Something that had made Meredith feel so miserable that she had cried.

"Andrew are you still there?" he suddenly heard a voice in his ear. "Yeah I'm here." He replied quietly, not wanting to wake Meredith. "Guys I think I'm gonna go offline now." He then added, confusing his friends a little. "What? It's Friday and it's just 9pm! You can't go already!" Jasper exclaimed shocked. "I know I'm sorry, we can play tomorrow again but there's something I have to take care off." He said before taking off his headset and disconnecting from their server. He looked down at the little body curled into his, still covered by her heavy blanket, snoring slightly as she was asleep. He smiled slightly. He wasn't tired at all but he wasn't sure if it wouldn't be better to lay her down in a real bed. And since he had noticed how unwell she had been feeling earlier he wouldn't leave her alone. So, very carefully he lifted her into his arms, carrying her over to the bed before placing her down and starting to take off her prothesis which she was still wearing what of course woke her up. Slowly she opened her heavy eyelids, looking up at him. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying so much while they still seemed watery at the same time. "I'm sorry I didn't want to wake you." He said before laying the prosthetic leg down onto the floor and joying her in bed, letting her cuddle into his arms. "It's okay." She mumbled, hiding her face in his neck.

"I love you Andrew, please don't let them take me away from you." She whispered before immediately falling asleep again. What? What did she just say? She loved him? But- did she mean that in a friendly way or- or did his biggest dream just come true? And what was she talking about? Who was trying to take her away from him? 

Still thinking about what she had said he continued to just hold her, making sure that she was feeling safe while he was there. He was there for her and no matter what had happened today he wouldn't let anyone take his little Meri away from him.