Aesop woke up with a start, looking around his room wildly. It was still dark, and he could see the rhythmic rise and fall of Eli's chest beside him. He sat still, taking long breaths to calm himself. His clothes were sticking to him from all the sweat. His hair was also sticking to his neck, prickling his skin.
It was just a dream... A nightmare maybe...
He slowly got up, not wanting to accidentally wake the other sleeping male. He went out into the dimly lit corridor and into the bathroom, where he turned on the tap and splashed cold water all over his face. He stared into the mirror, water dripping from his hair and chin. His heart was still racing from the nightmare that was still fresh in his memory. He could almost still smell the hospital ward, the rush of wind in his ears, the feeling of plunging from the window...
It's just a nightmare.
He thought to himself as he leaned against the sink. Amber eyes stared back at him in the dark, He turned off the tap and went back to the bedroom. As he slipped in, Eli let out a small huff and wrapped his arms around Aesop's waist.
"Where did you go..."
"Nowhere, just the bathroom..."
"Mn..."
He shifted closer to Aesop. The other male chuckled and kissed the top of his head.
"Go back to sleep..."
Eli huffed. Aesop closed his eyes, falling back to sleep. This time, he wasn't disturbed by any nightmares. When he woke up again, he was lying on Eli's lap. The other male was stroking his hair lovingly. It felt nice, so he let Eli continue, although he couldn't help but chuckle when he felt the other jolt as he reached up to cup his cheeks.
"When did you get up?"
"Only a few moments ago, don't worry."
Eli hummed, still running his fingers through Aesop's hair. They stayed that way for a few moments before getting up to shower. This time Eli insisted on washing Aesop's body, and the other agreed. Since the maids hadn't come to work and there was no breakfast at home, the two went out to a cafe to have some. Aesop had to spend all his willpower to not kiss Eli and hold him close as he sat across him in the cafe. The nightmare was still disturbing him somewhere in the depths of his mind.
"Aesop what's wrong? You keep spacing out."
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing-"
"That's a lie. I know something is. Why is it that I can't lie to you but you can lie to me?"
"I-"
"You know the consequences well. Even if I can't do anything to you it's not fair Aesop."
The male sighed and put down his cup of coffee. He looked at his watch before launching into a detailed explanation about his nightmare. Eli listened as he slowly chewed on the waffles. At one point of the explanation he dropped his fork and after that just stared at Aesop.
"And then I woke up and... Yea."
"Wow that..."
"Just eat, your waffles and coffee are getting cold."
Aesop continued drinking his coffee. Eli, on the other hand, couldn't find any appetite to eat more. He pushed the plate to Aesop and watched the other male finish the rest of the waffles. As the other went to pay for the bill, Eli pondered for a moment.
Was this probably why Aesop gets so possessive sometimes?
"Eli, let's go. I'm taking you somewhere nice."
Eli nodded, getting up and following Aesop out to his car. He wanted to ask more about the dream, but he didn't know whether he should. Swallowing his curiosity, he stared ahead at the road as Aesop drove on, the radio playing soft music.
"Alright, we're here."
Aesop parked outside a small wooden arch. There weren't any people around, but Aesop seemed certain about where to go as he took Eli's hand.
His grip is much firmer than usual...
Eli thought as he was pulled through the arch. They went through a small tunnel with abandoned stalls on the sides, which eventually opened up to a large field of blooming flowers. Eli gaped at the sight as Aesop's grip on his hand softened. There were large buds on the green stems, plump and ready to burst into bloom.
"This was where my dad would take mom out on dates or something."
"It is a very nice place indeed..."
"Mhm. He always brought her here for the roses, and she loved it. I don't know I thought maybe you'd like it so I brought you here. But if you don't I can- What are you doing?"
Eli tucked a small flower behind his ear and shoved some flowers into his hands. Eli smiled radiantly.
"A bit of colour looks better on you."
Eli said as he plucked a few more red blossoms. Aesop followed after him into the maze of bushes, absentmindedly picking some flowers. The dry leaves and petals crunched under their shoes as the two walked around, gathering more flowers. Aesop made up his mind to get someone to put them in some resin and send it to his parents as he stared at Eli.
I will never let you separate from me ever again...
