From Mine to Ours

9: Startling Day Off

Asher POV

"NO!" We all sit up with a start and Sebastian's arm is already wrapping around my waist as he glances around the room with major bed head. He whispers something to Julian after glancing back and forth for a while and the latter gets up while tying his hair back loosely.

"I think that was Noah," he whispers after peeking through the crack of the door and the tallest of us joins him by the door before pushing him back gently and leaving the room first.

Before we know it, we're all standing in front of the white wooden door. Julian nudges him to open it and he does so after leaving a soft knock first. After no response, the door swings open and we're all somehow staring at a frazzled Noah sitting in the middle of the bed with wide, teary eyes.

I'm the first to run up to him and he watches me carefully. I think for a moment by the side of the bed, looking back at my boyfriends as they whisper to each other by the threshold. I notice his shaking figure and his crossed arms as they wrap around himself in a protective manner.

He looks absolutely terrified...

"I- um, I'm gonna try something, if you want, that might help a bit?"  I barely manage a nod at him, but he seems to understand my silent consent. Once I end up ignoring the initial confusion in my head, simply wanting his help right now, I focus back on trying to stop my shaking. He softly grabs my hand in his, starting to create what I think is a circle on the palm of my hand.

"Guess the shape I'm drawing," I feel my breathing already start to slow and my vision clearing at his adorably concentrated expression. "If you don't feel like talking, just think it in your head and nod when you know the shape," he adds, as an after thought. I almost forgot how I've barely spoken a word to him since he got here and internally appreciate his attention to detail.

I nod at him and he immediately smiles down at our hands, "okay, next,"

His bout of laughter completely brings me back down to a state of calm. It's the sweetest sound and I can't help but wonder what else could make him laugh like that with us.

I think back to his kindness and the help he's given me despite us not exactly being close, already in position of kneeling beside the bed to do the same to him. "Would you mind giving me your hand?"

His shiny eyes wander around the room, his gaze pausing at the two men still watching us carefully, until he eventually finds me and he shakily holds his trembling hand out to me with a bob of his head. I don't even think about hesitating to repeat the same actions he taught me not too long ago and after a few shapes, the cloudiness in his eyes clear up and the other two are quickly kneeling by the bed beside me as well.

"I-" his voice comes out hoarse, "I'm sorry..." his head dips, a visible growing frown is seen on the bottom half of his face that isn't covered by his hair.

"Please, don't be sorry," I should be the last person to apologize to anyways after last time. Not that I feel like I owe him for that or anything, it was definitely an experience that solidified a friendship between us in my opinion, or at least I hope so...

"Would you like some tea?" He nods slowly, seemingly lost in his own head now, but he's still somewhat excited at the prospect of tea from what I can tell.

"Come on, Julian can make us some pancakes," Seb holds out his large hand for the smaller one to hold onto as he steps out of the rustled sheets with a few sniffles. My eyes drag down to his exposed shoulder and I physically feel like I have to force my eyes to not wander any further down than that.

"Um excuse me, why am I making the pancakes," the teasing man's already halfway out the door as he turns back around with a hand on his hip, a playful grin pulling at his lips.