𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

selfish- aaron

Aaron was tired, exhausted, to be frank, with the whole team around him already asleep, he was confused why he couldn't convince his mind to rest, to give in. With his head laid back against the jet, he watched the ceiling, counting the lights, sighing in frustration, and once again when his phone vibrated on the table daring to disturb his already fleeting peace, that was until he saw your name pop up on the screen and it was shameful how quickly in prompted a smile.

"Hi, bear," you breathed as soon as he picked up, your voice was sleepy, quiet, yet laced with the same level of excitement it usually held when you spoke to him, and his heart soared.

"Hi, honey," his voice mimicked yours, although you were sure it had a completely different reaction than it did for him, a shiver running down your spine. He checked his watch, a brow furrowing when he saw the time. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" it was a familiar reprimand, one he'd give you a thousand times over but you could hardly be blamed for your own insomnia. "Is everything okay?"

You were at his place, habitually stopping by Jack's room to check on him after walking down to grab a glass of water, you paused at his door, smiling as he clutched a stuffed animal- yours, actually, he'd stolen it a few months after you'd moved in but you weren't all that bothered by the crime.

"We're fine, I just can't sleep," you were whispering, he knew why, another smile finding his lips at the thought, he could picture it so clearly. "That bed is awfully big without you," you yawned, padding back to the very bed you were dreading to be in, the covers a right mess from all the twisting and turning you'd been doing while trying to fall asleep.

"I'm sorry," and he was, terribly so, you were always eager to cuddle, a sort of fiend for it, much more since you began living together so he could only imagine how unhappy a big lonely bed made you feel. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm having terrible luck trying to sleep without you too."

"I can tell, can hear it in your voice," you pulled his pillow against you, breathing in his scent, letting it surround you, careful with the phone still against your ear. "And it doesn't help, at all," he scoffed, it was a soft sound and you wouldn't know but he could feel himself growing even more tired as if the very sound of your voice was lulling him to sleep, and now, despite himself, he had to will himself to stay awake.

"You can hear it, huh?" he was teasing, sinking back even further against the seat, looking over to find the blanket you'd insisted he take along on every trip, just in case.

"I can," you nuzzled further into his pillow, balling up around it, looking out at the window through the curtain which you'd left open despite his constant reminder not to. "Your voice gets so low, it's always low, but when you're tired it's slow too like you're taking a little breath between each word- and your lips drag a little, can't hear that but I know it's happening."

"Smart girl," he breathed and then he heard it, your little profile of him being far too on point. He pulled the blanket onto his lap, hesitantly, but he then realized why you were so persistent to have him take it, you'd sprayed it with your perfume, very generously, not enough to overwhelm him but just enough to trick his mind into thinking you were there next to him. Not next to him, no, if you were with him you'd have already maneuvered yourself onto his lap, as impossible as the act might seem with the little space provided, you'd find a way.

"You still there?" you were whispering again, for his benefit this time, though you'd very selfishly prefer that he stay up talking you to sleep, you knew he needed the rest probably more than you did but just maybe he needed to hear your voice more- you definitely needed his.

"Always," he didn't sound very convincing, but you grasped at the reply, smiling into his pillowcase as you checked the time on the clock next to his bed. "Did you have dinner?" silly question, of course, you did, Jack needed to eat so you would too, he checked anyway.

"We did," he was right. "We had some pasta concoction Jack helped me make- I saved you a plate, didn't even realize until I put it into the microwave."

"Oh, you did? Did I get a note too?"

"Obviously," you giggled, maybe you hadn't realized how hopelessly you'd been missing him until the little admission. "We miss you, you know," you informed him and his heart soared again, we miss you, his people, his family, it was enough to make an overtired man wish he could make time fly faster just so he could get to you sooner. "Oh, I bought you a shirt," you backpedaled, shy at the comment, very lovesick of you to tell him that in the middle of the night, sickeningly sweet- he lived for it. "Maroon, think it'll look very handsome, very dreamy," you were digging your grave deeper, his little laugh made it worth it.

"I'm not usually handsome, am I?" another stupid question, you scoffed at him. "Was that a scoff?"

"A small one. You know you're very handsome, always," you were getting drowsy, wiping at your eyes, begging them to not betray you now, you had more to say, you hoped he had too. "Don't let me fall asleep," you begged him.

"You should fall asleep, it's late," hypocrite, he couldn't lie to himself, he wanted you to stay awake too, talking with you was comfort, a guilty pleasure, he'd never get enough, always greedy. "You'll be tired tomorrow if you don't."

"It'll be worth it," you quipped and he couldn't agree more. "Did I tell you that I miss you?"

"You did. I miss you too," a second passed, and you yawned, it somehow broke through the phone to him, he brought his hand up to hide it, smiling as Spencer rolled over in his sleep, nearly falling off the couch. "Why maroon?"

"It'll make your eyes pop and it'll make it impossible not to stare at you," you knew what he'd say, thought you'd beat him to it. "I always do that anyway."

"I haven't noticed," he definitely did, his smile gave him away, you could hear it, knew it well enough to picture it. "Bet it'll look good on you too," he conjured the idea, he was very right.

"You think?" your cheeks burned, very rude of him to be charming you all the way from another city, over the phone no less. "Because it's maroon?'

"Because it's you," you giggled again, he was drowning in the sound, and he subtly brought the blanket higher, breathing you in, heaven, he thought. "We're talking in circles," he informed you, but you knew, couldn't care less because at least you were talking.

"I don't care," you paused, another yawn and you could tell you weren't going to be able to keep up this fight for much longer. "I love you- in case I fall asleep, I wanted to tell you."

"I love you too," he decided to be selfish, he'd make up for it tomorrow. "But I'm not going to let you fall asleep."