delicate ~ L.W

Chapter 7: Invisable String

I slowly begin to stir awake, my neck feeling as though I'm being tickled. The more I awaken, the more I become aware of other parts of my body like my arm wrapped around something? Maybe a pillow or something... but it feels warm. I feel something cold touching my calf, a stark contrast to the heat that usually radiates off of me. I only begin to link everything together and open my eyes when I remember last night.

As I open my eyes, I notice Leah's head tucked into my neck as she breathes softly. That's what was tickling me. But what about my arm being wrapped around something? I glance down and notice Leah sleeping on top of my arm, which is securely wrapped around her midsection. I slowly begin to realise that the cold feeling in my calf must be Leah's foot. Our legs must have intertwined during the night. Her body seems to be unusually cold (but that might be because I'm usually really hot, being compared to a radiator once).

The more I think back on the previous night, analysing all my previous actions, my heart begins to beat faster. It wasn't noticeable at first, the beats increasing gradually the longer I'm awake with Leah curled into my side. My throat begins to tighten, and my chest begins to hurt with a sharp pain. The more I think about everything, what I have done, and what I should have done, I feel my chest getting tighter. Once again, I've fallen into a trap of my own thoughts. As my mind races, I can feel a slight movement, my body getting colder, some kind of pressure on my side, a gentle movement against my neck.

After a few moments, I realise it's Leah starting to wake up, and this is proved further when I feel something graze my neck ever so slightly, so I chance a glance down. Leah's eyes are open. That's what I must have felt, her eyelashes touching my neck slightly. My eyes lock with hers, and at that moment, my heart slows, my breathing starts to calm as my heartbeat decreases.

I freeze.

I'm lost in her eyes, strings of different shades of blues and lighter greys all connected by a dark abyss. The more I observe, the more I think about how her eyes look like a storm. A raging, wild hurricane. However, the deeper I look, I notice a calm wash over me. Perhaps there's a deeper meaning to the common phrase "the calm before the storm," a new definition, and that is Leah Williamson's eyes. I take notice of the difference between her eyes and my own. A deeper comparison than simply the difference between blue and green, a primary and secondary colour. I take notice of the hard, clear lines within her irises, which is a contrast to the soft lines within mine, different shades of green blending into one. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe I always have been. Maybe, at some point, opposites will attract given the right circumstance because, from a glance, Leah Williamson and I couldn't be any more different. Or maybe that's just down to appearances, from a glance of an outsider. Perhaps there's a deeper connection, a soul binding one. An invisible string.

After a few moments, I pull myself out of my thoughts and speak for the first time in the morning "morning Leah," I mumble, my voice fairly rough.

I smile down at her slightly and move slightly, going to move away from her touch and get up. I feel her arm wrap around my side as she pulls me even closer than before. A soft smile makes its way onto her face and she mumbles back "morning," she nestles her head into the crook of my neck, "don't move please, I'm freezing and you're really warm" she laughs softly.

I smile down at her in response before turning my head to rest my chin on top of her head. I relax into her touch before moving my head slightly and placing a gentle kiss on her hairline without thinking. Before I get a chance to overthink my actions, she hums softly, and I feel her smile widen slightly on my neck.

"Can we just stay here for the rest of the day?" She whispers softly.

"I'm sure you're busy today Leah, you did win the euros in the summer in case you forgot," I tease with a soft tone.