Silently Falling

Chapter Thirty Three (Edited 1/30/2021)

1/30/2021 - Just a reminder that the rest of the book is going to be rather different from the original! I told you guys before that I didn't plan on relying so heavily on the Tyler vs. West jealousy arc. The major plot point I was leading up to has clearly already happened (West knowing Raine's secret), but I have a few small things I want to alter as well. I will be posting the OG story soon.

Silently Falling: Chapter Thirty Three

Fortunately, I was able to drift to sleep. I would say Mr. Buttons did the trick, but I think it was more so the fact I mentally projected the warmth from West's arms into Mr. Buttons and imagined that the stuffed toy was truly West. 

My lips are still buzzing from his kiss. The second his lips touched mine, I felt it all the way to my toes. His lips were so soft, so smooth, and they warmed my entire body despite the coldness that stuck to them from his walk here. My senses were overtaken by him; the delicious yet faint scent of firewood that was stuck to his clothes. Everything about it was perfect. Even the feel of his tattered Spongebob pajama pants against my legs had me melting. 

My eyes snap open. Why am I laying here in my bed when West Love is downstairs alone on my couch? I throw my covers away from my legs and goosebumps dot my skin as the cold air hits me, so I drape a blanket over my shoulders and quietly tiptoe out of my room and down the steps, Mr. Buttons clutched between my hands. Despite how quiet I tried to be, West stirs as soon as I step foot into the living room and sits up, running a hand through his hair as his eyes adjust to the darkness.

"Sunshine?"

Oh God, his sleepy voice is so deep and coarse that it makes my knees shake. I shuffle closer, pulling the blanket tighter around me since it's much colder downstairs. I wonder if the one blanket I gave West was enough.

"Are you okay?" He asks, leaning up on one arm as he faces me. When I don't instantly respond, his concerned expression flits to one of amusement as he eyes the stuffed toy in my hands. "You always sleep with a stuffed Narwhal, Sunshine?" 

I bite my lip sheepishly. "Do you always sleep in Spongebob pajama pants?" 

He grins, "Now I will, since they brought me enough luck to have you kiss me and sneak downstairs to sleep by my side."

My eyes zero in on his exposed arms, freed from his leather jacket that's draped over the back of the couch. Now he's wearing a wrinkled, white V-neck. I squeeze Mr. Buttons a little tighter and drag my gaze back to West's amused eyes, fumbling in my mind for some excuse to use as to why I'm standing in front of him in the dead of the night so that I can wipe that smirk off his face.

"Or did you have a nightmare?" 

Ah. That's a good, believable excuse. 

I quickly nod. Too quickly I suppose, from the knowing glint in West's eye. He shifts so that his back is flush against the cushions of the couch, leaving enough room for me to come lay with him. His blanket is only covering his legs at this point, but he makes no motion to lift it back up. 

I shuffle toward his open arm, settling into my half of the shared cushions and resting my head on half of the pillow. I lay facing West and shyly snuggle into his chest so that my butt doesn't hang off of the couch. His arm tentatively rests around my waist, over the blanket, only relaxing when I've fully cuddled into his warmth. I drink in his familiar scent; woody, like a warm, burning campfire that keeps you safely hidden from the cold air. It's amazing how secure he makes me feel.