Hearts Of Gold h.s

Chapter 27

H

It's not often that I'm awake before El. It only ever happens when I'm forced to get up and out the door for work. She's someone who is always up super early in the morning, so it's usually her waiting for me to wake up. It's rare that I get to lay here, facing her as she sleeps.

Soft breaths escape from between her lips and her eyes stay softly shut. The crease that is almost always in between her eyebrows is not there. Her jaw isn't clenched. Her shoulders are relaxed. This is her most relaxed state.

I wonder what she dreams about.

I wonder if we've ever shared the same dream before. I wonder if she's ever dreamt about us. About our future.

Does she even dream about a future with me in it?

I've almost asked on multiple occasions, but I don't want to scare her. I don't want to tell her that I've pictured her moving in with me or that I've imagined waking her up in the morning in our own bed for us to go sit in our own kitchen and have breakfast together.

I know she loves me, but I just don't know where she's at in regards to the future. Our future.

It's also Christmas morning.

I remember growing up both Gemma and I would be up at the crack of dawn to open gifts. Christmas was always good when I was young. By the time that everything kind of fell apart and went to shit, Gemma and I were old enough to be content with just getting each other something small and calling it a day.

I know El put a lot of thought into whatever she got for everyone. There are a few boxes in the corner of my room and everytime I even try to get close enough to see any signs of what could be in them, she's shooing me away.

I do know what she got for my mum, but that's it. She has kept everything else completely to herself.

I think I did pretty good with the gifts this year as well. She's not a very materialistic person, as in the idea of receiving gifts makes her uncomfortable. Even the idea of me paying for dinner makes her feel all of this guilt and discomfort.

We are both gift giving people. Not receiving.

It's hardly 8:00 am before El starts to stir lightly in her sleep. Small groans coming from her tell me that she'll open her eyes any second. I push a stray piece of hair behind her ear to urge her to open her eyes.

"Good morning" her voice is raspy and dry as she speaks. Her eyes open slightly as she speaks, letting me see the pretty honey shade that was hiding behind the lids of her eyes.

"Did you sleep okay?" I ask her, leaning forward, pressing an innocent kiss to her forehead.

"Mhmm, did you?" she hums out.

"I did" I say.

Mornings are my favorite time with her. Her body is so soft and loving all the time, but in the morning everything is intensified. Especially the first few minutes of us both being awake. Everything is soft, peaceful, and full of so much love.

She looks up at me with those pretty eyes and trails her hand to the side of my face rubbing soothing patterns right on my cheek bone.

"You're so pretty" she mumbles, her eyes darting all over my face to take in every feature.

Her stare is intense, but I don't find myself wanting to avoid it. I want to bask in it. I want to feel the love she holds for me in the most intense way ever.

It feels good to be loved.

She tugs lightly on my face in order to bring my face a little closer to her. My lips just hardly brush over her own. She puckers her lips to lightly touch our lips, but as soon as I pucker mine, she's pulling away with the ghost of a smile on her face. A light trail of kisses goes from the corner of my mouth, across my cheek and down to my jaw.