SHATTERED

sixty-four

saylor

the next morning, i slowly woke up. immediately, i could feel arms wrapped around me. i didn't have to look at the time to know that it was very early in the morning.

we went to sleep before nine o'clock last night though, so i wasn't expecting to wake up late today.

i slowly opened my eyes. the first thing i noticed was that the back couch cushions were no longer on the couch. i guess alex had needed more room at some point during the night and had tossed them to the floor.

the second thing i noticed was that my face wasn't buried into alex's neck, like it was when i had fell asleep. instead, alex's face was buried into my chest as they hugged my waist. we were both laying on our sides. i had an arm around them, while my other one was supporting my head.

i wasn't expecting this. every other time i've woken up to us cuddling, i had been snuggled into or on top of them, not the other way around.

i like this though. this is nice.

i looked down at alex. their face was buried completely into my chest. if it weren't for the fact that i could feel the slow rise and fall of their chest, i'd be concerned on if they were even able to breathe or not. they seemed so comfortable and relaxed as they laid there.

i glanced further down. we weren't even covered up during the night, since alex had suggested we went to sleep so unexpectedly and didn't exactly give me a choice; not that i would've said no, but still. i'm surprised we were able to stay warm. alex always seems to shiver throughout the night if they don't have a blanket.

though, considering that they're always warm to the touch, i could see how i stayed warm.

i looked back to alex. i pursed my lips as i looked at them.

would it be too much if i held their face and rubbed their cheek until they woke up?

definitely, right?

that wouldn't exactly be very "we're just friends" of me.

i sighed. it was probably best that i let them wake up on their own.

i looked down at their arms around my waist. i tried to slowly peel them off without waking them up. my eyes widened a bit as they unexpectedly pulled me closer. they let out a sleepy whine as they did so.

"stay," they mumbled in a pleading tone.

i froze.

are they awake?

they were completely relaxed now, and their head hadn't moved from my chest.

they were still asleep.

i relaxed too with a small smile on my lips. i settled back into their arms, and i put mine back around them. i knew i wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, but that didn't mean i couldn't lay here and enjoy this.

i rested my chin on their head, but not before placing the faintest kiss there.

•

"lemme cook you breakfast," i requested as i looked up at alex with big eyes.

it's a while later. when alex woke up, i had pretended to be asleep, at least until they got off the couch. after we were both up, they gave me a spare toothbrush, and i did my usual morning routine. now, we're both standing in the kitchen.

"as much as i would love that, there's not really— there's nothing here for you to actually be able to cook something," they told me, almost seeming... embarrassed.