The Neighbor (a mini fic)

Part 6

Dan really needs to see his family again after that race today, but I know he can't so atleast he'll get to see them in this chapter 😭
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October 2021- 4 months in Monaco

I woke up the next morning a few seconds before my alarm went off. 7am. I had set the alarm last night so I could get up early to clean my apartment before Dan's family came. The guest bedroom was all done, aside from just needing bedding put on the bed, but the rest of my apartment was in dire need of a good clean.

It took me a minute to fully wake up before reaching for my phone. I felt an arm tighten around me and heard a low groan as I turned the alarm off. For a split second I forgot Dan had spent the night.

"10 more minutes" he mumbled into my shoulder, making his stubble scratch gently against my skin, tickling me.

"You can sleep as long as you want but I have to get up" I whispered back as I tried to pull the covers off myself. But Daniel just tightened his grip around me so I couldn't move. Man he wasn't lying, he really was super cuddly when he was sleepy.

"No, stay" he whined sleepily, burying his face into the back of my shoulder, causing his stubble to brush against my skin more firmly, making me laugh harder. I could feel him smile as he now purposely rubbed his face against my skin.

"Hey stop it, that tickles!" I spoke in between laughs. Eventually I managed to turn around in his arms. His face was now a lot closer to mine, something I hadn't prepared for.

"Good morning" he said sleepily, smiling slightly with his eyes only half open.

"Good morning" I whispered, smiling back at him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well" he grinned wider at me, his voice still hushed. Because we had been spooning when I turned over, he was now basically holding me flush against him. It was only now that I realized the intimacy of our proximity as I felt his hand gently rub small circles on my lower back. Clearly the closeness wasn't bothering him, I didn't really mind it either to be honest. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby" I whispered back, trying not to enjoy the little massage too much but dammit if he didn't have just the right amount of pressure.

"Good" he smiled down at me as he brought his hand up to brush a strand of hair off my face. I took a second to study him. His hair was an adorable curly mess, his voice was still a little groggy from the sleep, and his eyes glanced briefly down to my lips. I thought I felt my heart stop right then.

His hand was still cradling my face as he started to lean in. I was just about to close my eyes and close the gap between us when my alarm blared suddenly, startling both of us. Shit, I must've hit snooze by mistake. I quickly shut it off and turned back around to face Dan again.

"Sorry" I apologized, blushing, trying to hide my embarrassment in the covers.

He just chuckled "It's ok". He closed his eyes and leaned forward, gently kissing my forehead. I could tell the moment had passed. He still had his arm around me and pulled me tighter into him as he rolled onto his back.

"Dan I really do have to get up" I said sheepishly as he pushed my head back down onto his chest.

"What for? My family doesn't get here until this afternoon" he furrowed his brows as I propped myself onto my elbow next to him.

"Have you seen my apartment? It's a mess" I scoffed at him. He just groaned and pulled the covers up over his head. How old was this man child? I just laughed at his antic and pulled the covers off his face. "Just go back to sleep. I'll wake you up later" I leaned down and kissed his cheek. I've never done that but it just kind of... happened? It felt like the right thing to do at that moment I guess.