paper rings (l.h.)

32

We spent the rest of the night in his home, tucked into his couch with old horror movies playing back-to-back. His arm wrapped around my shoulder, he couldn't help but chuckle when he realized that I knew almost every word of The Silence Of The Lambs.

We ordered Chinese take out after our activities leading up to this evening drained us both of our energy. My headache came back, and Luke's eyes were growing heavier by the second. He fell asleep at the first movie, The Birds, but was awake during the second - of course, I was blurting out quotes the entire three hours.

But as evening came and went, and we accidentally slept in until 9 when we were planning on being up at 7,  I knew as soon as his phone alarm woke me up that I could have slept until noon if I was allowed. I heard a grown behind me, almost in my ear, as his arm removed itself from around me to his side of the bed. The bed was soft, and big enough for both of us. I felt him climb back into bed.

"Mary?" He whispers, his fingertips reaching up to pull my messy hair out of my face. I felt his warm breath before a soft kiss to my temple. For someone who used to be such a hard-ass in TMZ Articles and Rolling Stones Interviews, he didn't seem that way to me. "Are you awake?"

"Mhm," I nod, laying on my back as his body approaches mine. I raise my hand over my head to cover my eyes from the bright morning sun.

"Happy birthday, my love," He lays his gentle kisses down my jawline to my chest, and I felt my eyes become less heavy with every inch he traveled. I was wearing nothing but a pair of undies and a white tank top I had stuffed into my suitcase. I felt my lips curl into a smile as I realize I wasn't so tired after all. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I say under my breath, his head lifting to look into my sleepy eyes. "I think I just needed sleep. And thank you."

My eyes finally begin adjusting to the bright sunlight already pouring out of his windows. It falls across his bed, as he sends shivers down my spine. I didn't think about all the opportunities we had available to us these next few weeks. "I was hoping you'd not answer, so that I could sneak out for breakfast."

I grin up at him, sleepily looking down at the stubble across his face. I run my hand across his cheek, and through his hair. "I can get dressed," I couldn't help but giggle. "I'll go with you."

"I have rehearsal today, 10-6," he lays back down beside me, his hands raising above his head. "Then back again at the stadium at five-thirty for sound check."

"Jeez," I couldn't help but nervously let out a gentle sigh, "how do you feel?"

"Terrified," he whispers. "Absolutely, utterly terrified."

"You never told me you were that nervous," I turn to lay on my side, directly facing him. He turns to face me, feeling my hand as it grabs onto his. "What are you nervous about?"

"Fucking up somehow. Singing the wrong song, or choking up or something..." he trails off, and I watch as his eyes sleepily flutter shut. He is just as tired as I was, in no shape to peel himself out of bed and drive to whatever brunch spot is closest. Did we travel all the way here just to rot away in our house the same way we did back home? "I don't want it to end up like my last show."

"So, besides the seven month hiatus from the music industry, what else is different?" I sit up, on my back, to try and get some energy flowing. As of right now, I cannot keep my eyes open. But we have already threw off our plans just to get more sleep, and I wasn't about to waste another minute. I don't mind laying in bed all day, but I'd be ashamed of myself if I got the chance to finally travel farther than my Grandma's just to spend it locked in all day.