If You Love Me

40

a v e r y

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT WAKING up next to your favourite person that never gets old. Something about having them be the first thing that you see, first thing that you touch, and be on the receiving end your first word of the day, that will never go without fail.

Dean lays across the sheets, his brown curls sprawled against the pillowcase, his mouth slightly ajar, and his black eyelashes resting low on his cheeks. The two freckles that I had spotted months ago on the bridge of his nose are lighter in colour, seeming to have faded slightly due to the winter season that was upon us.

I cannot myself from reaching towards him and running my hand along the side of his face, feeling the light stubble beneath my fingertips.

At my touch, his eyes begin to twitch beneath the lids, his eyebrows pull together and furrow, and pink lips shut together. His eyes are slow to open to find me, making me hope he is even a fraction as happy to see me, have me be the first time that he touches, and the first thing that person that he speaks to.

"Hi." He says.

His green eyes are kissed with a smile as he peers down at me. The hand of mine that continues to rest against him he takes him to and brings it up to meet his lips. He places a kiss on to the inside of my palm; a soft and gentle kiss that causes my cheeks up to heat up, an action that doesn't go unnoticed by him.

"Hi."

"How long have you been awake?" He asks.

"Not long."

"Just admiring the view?" he teases, causing me to look away as the flames beneath my skin heat up even more. "No need to be shy, Avy. I'm yours to admire."

My eyes come back to meet his and he greets me with the biggest smile, teeth completely barred for me to see.

He moves my hand away from where he has it hovering over his lips and places on it on his bare chest, playing with my fingertips; counting them forwards and then backwards, his lips slightly moving a recites numbers one through five.

When he reaches five for the third time, his lips part completely. "Was last night okay?"

His voice is so quiet, words coming out just above a mere whisper that I was almost unsure if he had been asking me or thinking aloud. It's only when his eyes crawl to meet mine that I realize who he had meant to be on the receiving end of his question.

I don't fight the smile that breaks across my lips. "More than okay," I say. "The whole beach, remember?"

He releases a laugh followed by a nod.

Just beyond where he lays against the pillows, I glance over at the alarm clock to see that it is just past eight thirty.

A sigh escapes my lips seeing as the both of us have to get up if we want to make it for the perspective classes we have in less than an hour.

Dean is quick to tighten his grip around my waist when I move to crawl over top of him in order to slide out of bed.

"Not yet." He whines into the crook of my neck, wrapping his arms all the way around my back.

"We have class and need to get ready," he doesn't budge, if anything he pulls me in closer. "I will wash your back."

He laughs into my neck, giving it a small peck before pulling back. "Deal."

He lets me go and lets me slide out from the blankets, welcoming the cold as it hits both of us like a ton of bricks. His cheeks redden at my lack of clothes, reaching for my hand as I hold it out for him to take.