Why does this ship not have a name? I know it'll be hard, but name this ship guys lmao!
Chapter 28 <> Her Favourite
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The clock on the phone on the bedside table read specifically 2:18am the first time CJ woke up, struggling to breathe in a way that was similar to that of when he'd been stuck underground in the sadistic box. The first thing he did was grab the gun from under his pillow and hug it close as he sat up on the bed, folded over in a poor effort to control the intake of air. As CJ's breathing slowed and shallowed to become more tolerable on his lungs, he pressed the gun up against his dampened forehead and sighed.
"Fuckin' hell." He growled under his breath, turning to see that Cheryl had (thankfully) managed to sleep through his entire panicked ordeal. It was almost pitch black in the apartment, but CJ could still make out the curved pout on her lips as she slept silently, as well as the outlines of where her fiery mane of hair edged across all directions of the pillow. She looked utterly at peace - as if the world couldn't do so much as touch her with a single desperate fingertip - and CJ had to look away in annoyance, jealous of her uninterrupted rest.
As he lay down on his back, CJ placed the top of his forearm across his eyes to block out the nonexistent light, hoping the technique would work with blocking other things as well. It was a constant, irritating battle for CJ, trying not to think back to the moment he'd come to inside a coffin underground. Even though he'd managed to pass some time playing on his phone, it was still a daunting experience that had risen to haunt his late night thoughts and dreams.
It was unfair. Late night thoughts were only useful when they were about positive things that CJ could fall asleep to, not when they were the type to keep him wide awake as he tried to stave off the natural overthinking and unearthed anxiety. He turned on his side trying to find a more comfortable position, and ended up coming face to face with Cheryl - who's face was now a little clearer, as his eyes were gradually adjusting to the foreboding dark.
No matter how CJ tried to justify it to himself, it still felt weird that he was basically lying face to face with Cheryl while simply staring at her sleeping expression... and people think this type of shit's romantic, CJ thought, silently scoffing at himself.
Unfortunately, by exactly 2:45am CJ was still awake and wondering if he'd actually be able to sleep again before the morning. In a last ditch effort to calm himself down, he began routing through the drawer of his bedside table with the help of his phone's flashlight. He didn't care about the small bouts of incessant noise caused by the useless clutter, and completely missed the fact that it had woken Cheryl from her calm slumber.
Cheryl watched silently - her eyes still hooded due to the rude awakening - as CJ breathed a sigh of relief, sticking a cigarette between his teeth before flicking at the lighter. It took a few attempts but a flame was finally produced, momentarily giving the shrouded blackness a glow of warmth and fierce security. CJ took multiple drags before he climbed out of the bed, leaving Cheryl alone wrapped up in the duvet while he dumped the remains of his cigarette in the ashtray on the nearby coffee table.
