The Beast Next Door

Night 5

-Christian's P.O.V-

When I wake up I don't open my eyes instantly; I enjoy the sensation of a good rest. I can still feel Kaydan's warmth as he sleeps in my arms. His body rising and falling, slowly and gently. The faintest of smiles creeps onto my face. This is definitely the best way to sleep.

I finally open my eyes. The sun isn't fully up yet, but a small amount of sunshine is peeking through my window. When my vision clears I see his face, slightly illuminated by the sun. I'm a little shocked at first. He wasn't facing me when I drifted to sleep. For as long as I could remember, I've never woken up to see my partner's face. I close my eyes to calm myself, then reopen them when I feel relaxed. I move the arm that isn't underneath him and use my hand to brush his bangs to the side, out of his face. I pause.

He doesn't move.

I observe that he has some stubble growing around the out skirts of his face. His nose is wide, and his lips are a light shade of pink. After scanning his facial features, I begin to look at his expression. He doesn't look tense in the slightest. I reach out again to touch his face. I rest my palm on his cheek and lightly press my thumb against his lips.

...Soft...

He begins to stir and I quickly withdraw my hand, catching my breath. He lets out a quiet groan and turns to his side, showing me his back. I exhale and clear my mind.

What the hell am I doing?

I take a deep breath in, and the smell of roses enters my nostrils. As I start to shut my eyes, I hear a squeaking dulled my wall. I knew it was impossible to ignore it because it was going to annoy me for however long it continued. I carefully slide my hand out from under Kaydan and roll off of my bed. I take a quick glance at my clock to discover that it was 4: 55 in the morning. As I travel down the stairs I realize the sounds are coming from next door.

It's probably Kaydan's alarm.

I leave my room and walk over to his. I place my hand on his doorknob and test my luck by turning it. Lucky for me it wasn't locked.

I don't think this counts as breaking and entering...

I step over the threshold and enter his room. The first thing I notice is that his smell dominates the area. It's small and stuffy but carries a comfortable, lax feel. There are clothes covering spots on the floor, and a couple of plates are piled in his sink. I walk into his living room to see his couch cushions scattered around with a comforter draped over his couch.

That's probably from previous times. His room is right against the wall.

I don't spend too much time in there and hurry up into his room. To my surprise, it is the cleanest part of his apartment. His sheets are blue-green, and his pillowcases are black. His blanket is tossed over the side as though he got under them and changed his mind. In the spot where the mattress isn't covered lies his phone.

The puppies are back on the screen yelping and licking. The caption on it reads: IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS UP YOU'RE SCREWED.

I pick it up and return to my apartment, making sure to close his door behind me. I walked back up my stairs and into my room. I crouch beside him and hold his phone up to his ear.

He doesn't move.

"Hey," I call poking him in the face with it. "I think you need to get up."