Mio Amore Rosso

Lunch and confessions

Jason's POV

After Tim fell asleep, I just laid there, letting our conversation run over and over like a loop in my head.

I didn't understand how he felt so comfortable around me. He just spoke his mind, not caring at all what my reaction would be. Not that I'd ever react badly to anything he told me.

Maybe that was it though. Maybe he knew that. He saw me in a way no one else did.

He saw the good.

In just a matter of hours, he had started pouring his heart out to me. He still barely knew who I was, yet, he didn't care. Or was it that he did? He'd obviously had a bruised past and had trauma to go along with it, but, he welcomed me in so readily.

I wanted to give him everything. All that I was. I wanted him to know my past. Know that it didn't define who I am now. Even though it still lurked in dark corners, waiting to strike.

He had become one of very few people in my life that I wanted to protect. That I wanted and almost needed to have around me. To have in my life.

Somehow, he kept me calm. I'd never felt so relaxed before. With his body on mine, cuddled in close, it was like a weighted blanket, created specifically for me.

Without even saying a word, he calmed my mind. Made me feel at ease, even when my thoughts are all jumbled together like this.

I wasn't sure exactly when I fell asleep. I had been focused on Tim's warmth and the feel of his breath on my neck that it just happened.

I felt a soft poke on my cheek and twitched, but stayed still, hoping to slip back into my dreams. Then, I felt it again. A little harder this time, followed by Tim's voice. "Jason...hey Jason...um...i'm kinda hungry."

Another poke.

Stretching out, I blinked the sleep from my eyes, catching sight of Tim smiling sheepishly above me.

He was leaning over me, the blanket wrapped snugly around him. His eyes were wide and almost had a sparkle to them. Completely different from hours ago, when I had watched them grow dim and empty. His hand was in front of my face, his index finger still pressed into my cheek.

Sighing out softly, I turned my head, gently capturing his hand in mine and kissed it. "What time is it?" I was leaning up to look and pulled Tim close, cuddling him into me.

My eyes were still shrouded with sleep, but I managed to make out 6:03.

Wow, we slept for a while.

"What would you like to eat?" I started to pepper his face with kisses, making his blush darken more as he tangled his hands in my hair.

He hummed for a minute in thought and I kissed the corner of his mouth, making his lip twitch up into a smile. "Ill cook whatever you want."

"You cook?" His face was twisted in confusion with an eyebrow raised when I sat back to look at him. Sighing softly, I ran my fingers through his hair, stopping once I was at his neck.

"Four years of culinary school says I can." Both his eyebrows raised and I laughed. "My mother thought it was essential to know at least the basics. Turns out I was a natural and decided to get a degree."

I kissed his cheek, grinning when he smiled thoughtfully. "Your mother sounds smart." Feeling my chest tighten, I moved him off me and stood up, grabbing something to put on. "Um yeah...she was."

When I turned back, extending my arm to give him some sweatpants, he was looking at me sorrowfully. "I'm sorry."

My chest tightened further and my breath hitched. He looked pitiful with that pout on his face and I felt guilty for reacting the way I did. He had no way of knowing and I didn't hold it against him. "Tim, baby, don't apologize."