My Father's Beta

Breath of Life

PLEASE LISTEN TO THE SONG ON THE SIDE, IT HAS BEEN MY SOUNDTRACK TO THIS CHAPTER,  I LOVE IT AND THE MUSIC AND LYRICS ARE BETH TO A T IN THIS CHAPTER

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Beth

I’d fallen asleep again, sat on the floor next to Jim’s bed, my head on the edge of it. I’m so damn tired, in a weird way I was comfortable despite sitting up and I didn’t plan on moving anywhere. So I tried my best to go back to sleep. I buried my nose in the sheets for the comfort of Jim’s scent and shuffled my body closer to the bed to take my weight, my ass was dead anyway from being sat on the wooden floor for so long.

I felt my eyes clamping shut when something warm settled on my head, I jumped up to my feet in a second and shifted, snarling at the door, my eyes flickering in the darker corners of the small room for any threat.

“Beth”? I spun around at the voice, at my name and shrieked. There he was, lifting his head from the pillows and staring at me. I scurried over, feeling my tail trying to break away from my body with how hard it was wagging. Jim smiled at me and ran his fingers through my fur, making me purr loudly. I just started to lick him, his face, his neck, his hands. He laughed and took my head in his hands.

“Shift”. I froze at his request; he does know that I’d be naked right? I shook my big furry head. “I need to see you, please shift for me”. So I did and then I cried. I was huddled against the side of the bed again on the floor, staring at him or at least trying to through my tears; I’m so scared that this is a dream.

“Jim”.

His arms cradled my head to his chest. “Shhh, I’m so sorry –“

“You should be, you – you – you’re an idiot – shut up”. I gently pressed my lips against his, still too afraid that he’s fragile but he didn’t want gentle. Jim grabbed the back of my head, forcing our lips to meet harder, then his hands travelled down and gripped my waist, trying to pull me up and under the sheets with him but I resisted and pulled away.

“Baby? Come here”. I shook my head, smiling sadly at his hurt expression.

I tried to push his chest back down so that he would lay back but Jim just grabbed my hands in his. “No, you need rest”.

“What I need is you, come here”. I couldn't say no to him, not now not after I thought I might lose him, not after days and hours of wishing I could hold him.

Slowly and carefully I slid into bed next to him, sighing in bliss at the feel of his warm body pressed against mine again, it was like the breath of life to starved lungs. My hands cupped the nape of Jim’s neck as I rest my forehead against his, his green eyes meeting my chocolate ones for the first time after too long.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again, I thought I was going to lose you, you can’t do that to me, ever –“ he cut me off  with his lips tenderly, I could feel his apology, taste it on his tongue before gently he pulled away.

“I know, I’m so sorry, I should’ve been more careful – I will be more careful”.

“You’re damn right you will be, you have no idea what’s been going through my mind Jim, I kept thinking about what would happen if I, if you –“ my eyes watered and my throat closed just thinking about it, seeing him like he was again. Jim cuddled me closer to his side.

“Shh shh, it’s ok I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere ever again”.

“Promise me”.