Dreamcatcher

Chapter Twenty-Eight: How Can I Help You Say Goodbye?

After a long night's sleep, in spite of his current thoughts, Clark woke up refreshed and well rested from his long nap. He stretched and moaned in delight of feeling rejuvenated for the time being until reality hit him which would remind him that he had to attend school still. When Clark finished stretching, his arms stretched out across the bed when one arm fell onto something lumpy. It took him a minute to register the fact that his reality consisted of dating and sleeping with the most amazing girl in Arcadia Bay, in the world, even. How he got so lucky, Clark would never know.

Beside him laid Rachel Amber. The brunette was still in slumber but not even half awake when Clark found out it was only nine in the morning. Since he didn't have classes until later that morning, he relaxed and let out a sigh and prepared himself for getting out of bed.

Clark rotated his body so that he was now facing Rachel. Her soft features were caressed by the warmth of the sun that broke through the window due to Clark not shutting it last night. Her chest slowly rose and deflated in a very calm rhythm to show that she was still undisturbed from her slumber. While Clark intended to leave her that way, he admired her features and took in every detail; every inch, every curvature.

Slowly, Clark rotated his body so his feet could slide over the bed. The coldness of the floor pricked his feet, causing him to flinch immediately at the contact but resisted the sensitivity pain and knelt down before peeking underneath his bed in order to reach for something lying underneath the bed. It took Clark a minute to grab ahold of the item he sought before he withdrew it from its hiding spot and rejoiced privately.

"Yes!" Clark cheered in a soft whisper.

As he sat up, out of the corner of his eye did he notice Rachel just awakening and turning her attention to him. She was befuddled to wake up to find him relocated in the room as she was certain that he had not simply fallen out of bed. Therefore she established the situation as her boyfriend failing miserably to hide something from her.

"Honey... what, what are you doing?" Rachel yawned, her brows furrowed together to knit a confused expression as she used her good arm to sit up.

"Umm... n-nothin'." Clark replied nervously. He knew there was no point in lying so he gave in and confessed, but doing so shyly. "Just looking... for my... this."

Bashfully, he held up a stuffed animal in the form of a penguin with red earmuffs on its head. As soon as Rachel drifted her eyes onto the toy, a grin formed on her perfect, porcelain face. The brunette rested her head on her hand as she smiled brightly at her significant other.

"So this is Mushroom?" Rachel asked with an amused expression.

By handing the stuffed animal over to his girlfriend, Clark watched her observe the penguin and admire it with the gentle smile on her face.

"He's kind of cute." Rachel commented teasingly.

"Oh my God... just stop teasing me already." Clark groaned.

"Oh, come on, babe. It's kinda funny."

"No, it's not!"

Rachel rolled her eyes at him and gave the penguin a hug by holding it loosely against her body.

"But it's not the cutest thing in the room. It smells like you. Wait, how long had it been under there?"

Clark shrugged his shoulders and scratched the back of his head. "Just a couple days. I was... thinking of giving Mushroom to you, but I thought you'd see me as a kind of a wimp."

"Honey, you are not a wimp. You're a brave, incredible, compassionate person. All you've done for me is love me and appreciate me for being me, for supporting me when I needed you the most - even for giving you shit for it."