Alley [Interactive]

Chapter Seventeen

'What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.'- Brené Brown

I wake up late with an unsurprising headache. What does surprise me however is the fact that Gabriel is still here. I look up at him, my head still on his chest. His eyes are closed and his mouth is slightly open. He looks so deep in sleep; it is so peaceful to see. He looked so tired, to see him get the sleep he deserves even makes me happy, which is not an emotion I thought I would feel today.

I watch him for a while, his eyelashes are really dark, or they are from this angle at least. His hair is probably the lightest of all of ours, his is a medium to light brown where the rest of us have dark brown, apart from Peter, his is unnaturally black. I never noticed all of the freckles he has, they are faint but in great number across his skin. Even down onto his tattooed arms, he has little free space but what he does have is also lightly speckled.

After a while of creepily watching Gabriel sleep, I get up and have a hot shower, the hot water soothing me and my sore head. I am still relatively tired, but I could just be sad. I get dressed and walk out, Gabriel still sleeping in my bed. I check the time and see we have missed breakfast. The boys haven't messaged the group chat or me privately so I assume they are giving me space or need space themselves. I wrap a towel around my damp hair and I lay with Gabriel once more, not wanting to get his top wet again I rest my head next to him and only put an arm and leg back on him. He shuffles slightly and rests his arm on me.

"I love you." He mumbles, making me smile. I rest my eyes again and he rubs my shoulder with his thumb for a second before lightly snoring again. I giggle slightly and soon follow his lead.

We sleep for a good few more hours. The sun is about to begin to set when we wake up. I rub my eyes and watch as Gabriel stretches. He has this strangely happy face, like dazed euphoria. It makes me giggle softly.

"You look so happy." I say.

"I haven't slept that well in honestly at least a year." He says. "Thank you." He says sincerely.

"Thank me?" I ask. "Gabriel, you were the one who helped me." I say, sitting with crossed legs on the bed. He sits in the same way in front of me and holds my hands, kissing them.

"I suppose we helped each other." He says, smiling happily at me. "How are you feeling?" He asks, obviously concerned about me. I smile to say I'm okay and I look down, stroking his hands slightly to distract myself a little and to comfort him.

"Of course, I am sad, especially today. At the end of the day he knew I loved him and he knows it now so that gets me through. It's only the memories that make me fall back to what you saw last night." I explain with slight shrug, accepting it.

"He did know." Gabriel says, lifting his hand and pushing some hair behind my right ear. I look up and into his light eyes; the honestly in them is striking so when I nod, I nod slowly. He plays with my hair, his eyes traveling from where his hand is on my head down to the ends of my hair and back up to my eyes. "He never doubted it for a second." He adds, his eyes flickering to my lips for less than a nanosecond before he moves back, getting off of the bed. 

"Are you hungry?" I ask him, sitting up, not wanting him to leave. He looks at me strangely for a moment before nodding. "The others have probably eaten by now. I was thinking we could use the fire pit tonight. I have to ask if we are allowed. Why don't you go ask them what to get then we can go buy some snacks? Maybe get something to eat sooner while we are there." I say.

"Sure, I'll just go to mine; you know, get changed and stuff." He says. I smile and he walks out.  

I get ready myself and pack a bag after finally doing my hair and a little makeup. I walk downstairs and see Gabriel talking to the boys outside who are playing with Roary, it makes me smile as I walk past the window. He sees me and smiles which I return.