Seeing You

Missing the bones

I woke up the next day and I braced myself, waiting for the barrage of voices to begin. I rolled onto my side and tucked the blankets under my chin. Gabe had dropped me off around 11.30 after we drove..well, nowhere. We talked and stopped for burgers and milkshakes, he made me laugh so hard that I snorted it out of my nose and he had to stop the car because he was laughing so much he couldn't see the road. He'd kissed me softly on the lips before I closed the door and I knew I could be happy with him. If I let myself. 

A gentle knock on the front door had me groaning and dragging myself downstairs. I had the day off and even though I was awake, I had been forming solid plans to wrap myself up in a blanket cocoon and binge watch something for the whole day. I opened the door a crack and peeked out.

"Morning," Gabe grinned at me. 

Balls, I'd looked better. I glanced down at my loose tartan bottoms and teal vest top. I knew my hair was a birds nest because it was like that every day until I managed to drag a brush through it. 

"Uh, hi," I smiled at him, smoothing my hair down with one hand.

Gabe raised an eyebrow, "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I backed away, opening the door wider and let Gabe walk through and head towards the kitchen.

"I brought breakfast," he called over his shoulder and I breathed in the enticing smell of bacon.

I trailed after him, sitting down at the table as he busied himself opening containers, getting plates and cutlery. Soon a plate of pancakes, bacon and maple syrup was placed in front of me. 

"What's this in aid of?" I asked taking a huge bite and closing my eyes in delight.

"I wanted to see you again," he said, reaching over a catching a drop of syrup from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. I watched him as he licked it off. 

Fuck, that was bloody hot. 

I cleared my throat and continued to eat, "That's sweet of you. Thanks."

"Can I talk to you about something?" Gabe asked, fidgeting with his fork.

I glanced up at him, his tone serious. His hair was jammed under a black beanie and he wore a grey checked shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. He was chewing his lower lip in worry.

I placed my fork down, "Sure. What is it?"

"I'm not going back to study medicine. I want to move back here. I want to be with you, Pete."

The words fell out of his mouth in a rush and I blinked as I tried to focus on all of them.

"What?"

Gabe leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. "Pete, I've spent the last three years missing the bones of you. I'm at a Uni I don't want to be at, studying a course that I don't want to do."

Ok, take this step by step. Just break it down into little pieces and that way you can deal with this raising level of anxiety that's forming in your chest. 

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to write. I want to be an author. I've sent manuscripts to a few agents and received good feedback. It's something I need to pursue, you were right, medicine isn't for me. It's what my parents want."

I nodded, "That's great, Gabe. I'm glad you are following your dream."

Gabe scrubbed his face with his hand and leaned forward holding onto my hand.

"Pete, you're my dream."

I swallowed hard. 

"I love you. I want to be with you. I want to make you coffee in the morning and have breakfast in bed. I want to make love to you and make you realise how much you are everything to me."