Aura's Undoing (After Death Chronicles)

Chapter 11

"I'll just go change then. I'll be right back," he promised and left me to get changed too.

What the hell did I have to wear?! I had slept in big t-shirts my entire life, so I had gotten some of Frej's to sleep in, but I highly doubted Dawid wanted to see me in these ugly, over-washed, oversized t-shirts!

I found a top and a pair of soft cotton shorts instead and hurried to change. I jumped into bed, the moment Dawid knocked on the door and poked his head in. He smiled when he saw me all snuggled in and closed the door behind him. He padded over the floor and crawled under the covers with me.

He was only dressed in a pair of pyjama bottoms. Nothing else and well... He was in shape. Definitely. Not in a bodybuilder way, but he definitely got enough exercise.

We sat next to each other for a little bit before he turned to me and kissed me again. I guess he had been building up some confidence before doing that. That's what I had been trying anyways.

He slowly opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. My stomach really took a tumble and I grabbed his arms as he slowly guided me down on my back. And I felt so safe because I knew he wouldn't try and move it further. We were both perfectly content doing just this.

He pulled back a bit, softly trailing his thumb over my cheek. "You're amazing," he murmured.

I felt heat creep up in my face and I bit down on my lip to not blurt out something stupidly awkward.

"Thank you for letting me sleep here. I like cuddling too," he said and laughed a little.

I nodded instead of answering. I had no idea what to say.

Dawid held up a finger and sat back up. He took the sound processors and the hearing aids out and put it all on the bedside table. And then he turned back and I was the one initiating the kiss this time. He smiled against my lips and I couldn't help but smile too.

He lied down and lifted his arm, inviting me to lie down on his chest. I did, revelling in how soft his skin was but how hard his chest was at the same time. And that's how we fell asleep, bodies flush to each other.

I expected it to be a little awkward when we woke up, but it wasn't. At all. Dawid yawned and pressed me to him and I clenched my arm around him. Neither of us had moved all night and my neck should totally be aching right now, but I was in no discomfort at all.

He slowly slid his fingers in my hair, guiding my mouth up to his.

"I'll never get tired of that," he murmured against my lips.

I snorted and was happy he couldn't hear it because I sounded like a pig.

He kissed me again, slowly moving his fingers over my scalp. I placed my hand on his chest and he pulled back a bit. I raised my hand to the side of his head, slowly running my fingers over his scalp, feeling the little magnets under his skin. He closed his eyes and let me. I soon moved on my fingers to the top of his head. He had short hair and it felt really nice to run my fingers over it.

I then cupped his cheek and he opened his eyes. "Your hair feels nice."

He snorted and placed a kiss on my forehead, before sitting up. He put the hearing aids back in and then the sound processor on the side of his head.

"Say it again. I like the sound of your voice," he murmured and smiled at me.

"Your hair feels nice," I said a little louder this time.

"So does yours." He grabbed a curl and pulled on it, chuckling as he let go and watched it bounce back. "I could do this all night." He did it once and twice again and then he caught my gaze. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can without asking permission at this point. I think you've earned that right."

He snorted and nodded, but he sobered up fast. "How did you figure out you are... What we are?"

I swallowed something and sat up, smoothing my hair down. I knew what he meant, but I didn't know how to start.

"I tried having relationships but... I never liked it, you know? I didn't understand why they did. Why the very few friends I had back then liked it so much. They talked about it constantly and I was just never interested. I liked the closeness of being in a relationship but the whole physical part never spoke to me." I shrugged a shoulder and tipped my head to the side. "What about you?"

"I tried too. When it didn't work with girls, I tried with guys. And that didn't work either. I don't think I'd ever have tried with guys if it hadn't been for Tec and Frej. It was Frej who suggested I tried out guys so... I did." He shrugged a bit. "It was the same problem. So I kind of gave up."

"Huh," I murmured. 

"Who?" he asked. "You wanna know who I slept with?"

"No no." The corners of my mouth tipped upwards as I shook my head. "It's just a sound I make in lack of something better to say." Dawid snorted and smiled another heart melting smile. "I never considered being with a girl. But I always knew I wanted a boyfriend, you know?"

He shrugged a bit. "I think if I could find a guy who was like me, I'd be equally as happy as I would've with a girl." He hesitated and then shook his head. "But I haven't met anyone like you before though."

I couldn't contain a laugh and it brought a very wide smile to Dawid's lips. He tugged me closer and softly placed his lips on my forehead again.

"I mean it. Most... Well, all of them didn't want to deal with someone who's deaf. I'm effort to be around."

I leaned forward and kissed him, my fingers running over his cheeks. It broke my heart that he thought he was effort because people used to say the same thing about me. I knew how it felt. Maybe the circumstances weren't the same, but the feelings were. I felt outside too. I'd be outside with Dawid.

I didn't mind his deafness. I didn't mind any part of him.

I crawled into his lap and he put his hands on my hips, looking expectantly up at me.

"I like you, Dawid." I didn't know what else to say. I didn't know how to tell him I didn't care as long as he just liked me back. I could deal with whatever as long as he just kept liking me too. As long as we had each other, we didn't have to be alone anymore. I said that to him. That we weren't alone.

And he kissed me.