Love Is in the air.

6. A simple night

Clark cleared her throat and shook her head aggressively,
"This does NOT mean you can you know, be a guy about it, you know?"

Pierce held up his hand, pinkie raised, and gave the most genuine smile she had probably ever seen someone give her.

"I swear, I won't be a guy about it and I will ask before doing anything at all and do my best to make you comfortable. Pinkie swear."
Clark felt her chest rise slowly as her pinkie wrapped around his, feeling childish but also reassured as she slowly leaned back into his shoulder. Just above his chest, she could feel and hear his heart beating intensely in a quick rhythm and all along her arms were goosebumps.

The soft blanket she had been using to keep warm at night was pulled around her shoulders as her eyes half opened, Clark hadn't even registered that she had fallen asleep in his arms until he started to get up from the sofa. Only freezing when she had caught the sleeve of his t-shirt and met her drowsy eyes.
She couldn't remember the last time she had spoken these words, they had danced along her tongue every night in her dreams and nightmares but never left her breath until this night.

"Please, Stay."

If anything could be undoing it was those words, they left Pierce vulnerable and at her mercy as he kept his eyes on Clark. There was something about this half-asleep girl that was bringing his heart to waver, she didn't say those words easily he could tell.

So Pierce went to lift her and walk towards the bedroom, stopping in his tracks as Clark looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. Her legs quivering and her hands gripping his t-shift so fiercely he thought it would rip, he tilted his head at her.
"I'm not going to do anything, I promise I'm just putting you to bed."
"NO."

He stood there, unsure of what to do. He did not want to make her uncomfortable in any way and she had said no, so he held her in the doorway unmoving despite his arms starting to grow numb.
"What do you want me to do?"

She was silent but as her eyes wandered to the bedroom he could see a fear within, it wasn't any of his business but he had an idea of why. When her voice came out it was barely above a whisper,

"Please, don't put me in there...alone..."
"You're not alone, I promise."

Clark didn't speak again, she just buried her face into his chest nodding slightly when he asked if she wanted to go into the room. As he started to lower her onto the bedsheets her whole body trembled and Pierce stopped, not letting go.
She didn't speak but her fingers clawing into his chest made him lay beside her, feeling her tense body curl into his. Taking a moment before she spoke once more,
"TV please, I can't stand the silence..."

He turned her TV on and felt her ease the tiniest bit in his arms, the covers over them keeping the warmth trapped. Her breath tickled his chest as he unconsciously stroked her hair, asking softly.
"Is this okay? Do you want me to sleep on the sofa?"
"No! Don't leave me here!"

Pierce hugged her a little tighter in response, assuring her he wouldn't leave unless she asked him to. The panic that had risen in Clark's throat like bile slowly faded until all she could feel was the soft rise and fall of his chest, the light beating against her ears, and the way his hands brushed her hair soothingly.
Eventually, her body eased into his, almost not caring that he was just barely a friend holding her like something more. It seemed almost natural as if they had been fit for each other.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay."

He didn't push her, instead, he just kept stroking her hair and closed his eyes until they both fell into a soothing sleep. Dr. Edison slept comfortably on the sofa that night, with all of it to himself. He hadn't tried to stop Pierce, he hadn't even come in to check on his owner.
It was that which made Clark relax, Edie completely trusted this man he had just met that night.
It took a few hours but the more she relaxed and allowed herself to focus on him, on his breathing. On his long hands carefully stroked her hair, trying not to tangle it. On how warm he made the entire bed feel and the way his heart thrummed loudly in her ears, it wasn't long until she slept to the beat.

It was the first night in years that she had slept on her bed again, she had mostly forgotten what it was like to sleep on a mattress. There were no nightmares or completely dreamless like it had been since sleeping on the sofa, for the first time in forever she had a good dream, a good sleep.
Like she used to.

She was at complete peace that night, a simple night.