Open [boyxboy] ✓

twenty-five:: when he comforts you.

(Gold Rush by Ed Sheeran; Three thousand words of pure fluff, enjoy.)

TWENTY-FIVE: when he comforts you

It was late in the afternoon when I woke up... there was a constant thump in my ears and my head rested on something firm. I wasn't sure when exactly I'd dozed off in between Paul running his hand through my hair and whispering things but I felt comfortable.

I felt serene as I counted Paul's heartbeats, wrapping my arms tighter around him and pulling myself closer. I felt a change in his breathing and that was when I was aware of Paul waking up. I felt his shift around before reaching over to his bedside table and when I looked up, his glasses were on his face and there was a lazy smile accompanying it.

His eyes were adjusting to the light in the room as he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, a few of his curls flattened to his forehead and suddenly, I wanted to fix my appearance. I felt his hand in my hair again as he spoke, voice groggy and so attractive it made my knees weak, "Good morning."

I felt a smile spreading across my face and cleared my throat before speaking, laying my head back down on his chest and welcoming the comfort, "it's not morning."

"Feels like it." His hand combed through my hair as he shifted slightly and I just knew his eyes were on me, "Feel any better?"

I'd momentarily forgotten about my problems but with that question, they came swarming back and I sighed. I did feel better, I felt less weak but it still upset me, "Yeah. Thank you for that, Paul."

"No problem, you seemed really tired..."

I tried to relax to the beat of his heart, his hand stroking through my hair once more before resting on the back of my neck and drawing circles there. I could hear the hesitancy in his voice as if he didn't want me to snap as he spoke, "Wanna tell me what happened?"

I had to tell him though, I couldn't keep everything bottled up only for my to resort to violence or take my anger out on Paul later. Placing a kiss on his collarbone, I say up straight, Paul resting higher on his headboard and I could feel his eyes on me.

Rilee wasn't in the room which seemed to be a reoccurring thing these days and I was thankful. I don't think I'd be able to open up around Paul if she were there. I concentrated my eyes on her empty bed and wrinkled sheets, my voice coming out soft, "Ben got really mad and tried to fight him... they didn't though because, you know, teachers."

I felt Paul's hand on my back before it shifted to clutch my bare shoulder, "He got pulled out and it was just me and Calum."

It was stupid and I felt completely and utterly lame as I thought over how my day had went. Sighing, I felt Paul lean forward, pulling me back by my hips until I was laying back on him and his lips were on my neck.

He wrapped his slightly-defined arms around me, "Did he say anything?"

I felt dumb as he placed a soft, comforting kiss on my neck, "He tried to talk to me but I ignored that... um, we had to be silent afterwards but he kept staring at me. He acted as if he cared about me again, Paul and that just freaked me out..."

And I attempted to laugh it off, "I sound stupid for being freaked out over it, don't I?"

Paul didn't take kindly of my talking down to myself as he shook his head, talking softly onto my skin and a shiver ran up my spine, "Hey, it's not stupid. You're just a little scared and that's okay. But I'm not letting you get hurt again."

I recalled how many times someone had told me that and broke it. I'm not letting you get hurt. I'm not letting you get hurt. I'll always be there for you. It all sounded like a lie.