Dents

[+] Sleeping Powder

I woke to the sound of 2D's shallow breathing. My hand rested on his chest, guided by the steady rise and fall of it. I traced the outlines of his ribcage beneath the surface of his pale skin. His eyes were slightly open, phantom slits of obsidian darkness out of line with his otherwise subtle features.

I nuzzled closer to him. Our legs were tangled snugly beneath the blankets. The scent of him and his sheets collided to create a warm, sweet aroma like coffee or caramel. It smelled like home.

Lying my head on his chest, I listened to the gentle thudding of his heart. It evoked an odd feeling in me. It was as if I'd only now realized that our hearts would not beat on ceaselessly, that our lives would not continue indefinitely. Eventually, everything would end and we would both once again meld with the stardust of the universe.

But it wouldn't be today.

Last night was another labor of sweat, blood and tears invested into our 'secret' album. Our evening ventures over the last three months were at last starting to bear fruit.

We were so devoted to our progress that we'd been sleeping less and less often. 

I tried to roll over in bed to get a look at the digital alarm clock to the side. Before I could, 2D's arms grasped firmly around me. One hand held my head to his chest, keeping me still. The other traced uneven circular patterns into the small of my back.

"Stay," he whispered.

I wanted to stay so terribly. Despite the fact we'd likely slept less than three or four hours, we had obligations to attend to. Probably immediately, too. I wasn't certain because I couldn't check the time. I squirmed a little, turning my neck to get a look.

"Stay," he repeated.

He spoke with a tinge of impatience, reaffirming his grip securely around me. The urgency in his tone was unexpected. It was provocative. I hadn't imagined that him being stubborn with me would be so distracting.

I'm ashamed to admit that his dominating presence and the way he kept me unable to stray from his clutches stirred up some lewd thoughts within me.

However, our prior commitments didn't vanish just because I was hot and bothered.

I tried to wiggle free. He was bigger and stronger than me. My efforts were laughably pointless.

"I told yew to stay," he growled. A wave of heat cascaded down my spine.

There was no hostility in his words. I suspected that he realized the effect he was having on me and was playing it up for his own enjoyment. Unfortunately for me, this only served to make me even more excitable.

"We don't hafta get up yet. I let Fatha Merrin know I won't be makin' it t'day. Gave 'im a call befo' we went to bed." 

A nervous pang disrupted my stomach.

"Why'd you cancel?"

I resisted the urge to chastise him over it. He knew how important those appointments were.

"Et's only fo' t'day. We 'aven't been sleepin' righ' 'n I 'aven't been able to stay in bed wifth yew til the aftanoon in weeks," he explained, "Only fo' t'day."

His voice lowered to nothing more than a hushed breath.

"Let me rememba wha' et's like to be normal, jus' fo' t'day."

I obeyed. I shut my eyes.

We slept well into the afternoon. If he needed it, we would stay there indefinitely. I would do anything to satisfy that humble wish.

As it stood, 2D had been doing tremendously well over the last several weeks. Were he not attending appointments daily, there would be no indication that there was anything bothering him at all. He hadn't had an episode since before their first meeting and he no longer mentioned any loss of time, which used to be a relatively frequent occurrence. The breakfasts he served for me were as repulsive as ever. I couldn't be more tickled about it.

I started to wonder whether or not he was ever truly possessed to begin with. Our lives had been hectic at the best of times, which was already an understatement in itself. It would have been possible, perhaps even reasonable, for him to have experienced a mental break.

Regardless, by all accounts, 2D was fine. The anxious pit in my stomach that I was once accustomed to had disappeared entirely.

As three o'clock rolled around, we fumbled to shower and get dressed. 2D's room was one of the only ones with an attached bathroom, unlike my own. He went first. His distorted cries from the freezing water periodically leaked out from the crack of the doorjamb. I was not looking forward to my turn.

The bathroom door creaked open. 2D was wrapped in several towels. He was shaking like a leaf. Even though he hadn't gotten dressed yet, nearly every inch of his skin was hidden in the bundle he'd created.

My shower was, in all respects, equally dreadful.

The only remaining towel that 2D hadn't used wasn't very absorbent, so I made quite a mess of the place. I couldn't dry off in the stall either considering there wasn't room to swing a cat in there. Just as I was about to dress myself in the bare essentials, I noticed a small note stuffed under the door.

The hand writing was atrocious. I recognized it immediately.

When you're ready, put on that dress and meet me downstairs.

I was sure not to make him wait.