Per Aspera Ad Inferi - Ghost x fem reader

IX. Heart-to-Heart

The light emitted from the window by the bed shined on my eyes, waking me up. I opened my eyes to see Phantom lying next to me, sleeping soundly. His breath was heavy, and he looked so peaceful. That's when I noticed his hand was draped over my waist. I smiled while taking in the sight of his sleeping figure as the warmth of the morning sun embraced us both. I was so happy that he was comfortable enough to spend the night here. His hand draped over me, felt protective in a sense, and I couldn't help but wonder what it actually meant. Was it just out of reflex, or was it something more?

I allowed myself to let those thoughts go as I lingered in this moment of tranquillity. I had subconsciously synced my breaths with the rise and fall of Phantom's chest. I couldn't deny that I felt a flutter in my chest, my heart racing. The thought that something might happen between us was an exciting one, and I can't say that I hadn't thought about it at least once before.

As much as I wanted to stay in the moment, I knew that we would have to face the reality of the day ahead. Soon, the other ghouls would be up, and we'd resume our busy touring life. I also knew that if they found us like this, we would never hear the end of it. With a soft sigh of discontent, I shifted slightly. I was trying to get up as quietly as possible so as to not disturb Phantom. Before I could move further, I felt his arm tightening around me, as if he was sensing my hesitation. He mumbled something in his sleep, a faint smile curving his lips.

My breath hitched, and I couldn't help but wonder if this meant what I thought it did.

My voice of reason told me that he was probably just dreaming, but I didn't want to listen. Impulsively, I buried my face into his chest. He smelled like vanilla and firecrackers. A combination of smells I didn't know could be so good. In response to my action, he pulled me even closer to him, sighing contently. I wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not at this point, but I enjoyed it either way. Soon enough, I felt myself drift off to sleep in his arms once more.

*

"Devil?" I heard a faint voice whisper, pulling me out the tunnel of sleep. I groaned, not happy about waking up. Phantom smiled at my disoriented state, finding it amusing. "The others are waking up. I think we should, too." He chuckled, seeing my messy hair. I looked up at him. He was looking all handsome in his mask. "Mhm." Was all the sound I could produce. He brought his hand up to my face and moved my hair out of the way, studying the features on my face.

His gentle touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I found myself suppressing a blush. I yawned to wake myself more before starting to get out of the covers. "Okay, let's get up." I mumbled, unhappy about leaving the bed's warmth and comfort. Phantom stood by as I fumbled with my bag, looking for an outfit to wear. When I was content with the clothes I'd picked, I excused myself to the bathroom to get changed.

When I entered back into the room, Phantom was gone. I assumed he'd gone to get breakfast, so I wasn't worried. I decided to take advantage of this moment to myself, so I started sketching on my drawing pad. I drew mostly what I felt like, anything that inspired me. As I drew, I got lost in my thoughts. Did Phantom really like me that way? To a person on the outside, the answer might seem simple - yes or no, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself by assuming anything. I had to know for sure.

After a while, I got bored and put my drawing stuff back in my bag. My stomach growled that it was hungry, so I went outside to eat. As I stepped out of the tour bus, I felt the warmth of the morning sun on my face. I squinted, waiting for my eyesight to adjust to the bright light. The bus was parked by a gas station on the side of the road, and Papa and the ghouls were scattered around the area on different benches.

"Y/n!" I turned toward the voice and met Mountain's warm smile. He was sat on one of two benches, Rain occupying the other, with a table between them. "You're welcome to come over here." He offered politely, patting the space next to him. I grinned in response to his gesture and sat down. Rain was happily munching on a sandwich and gave me a welcoming wave.