Goodbye to a World | shane walsh

14 | the silence between people

As dawn's early light filtered through the window, Nola slowly stirred awake, her body still cocooned in Shane's warm embrace. Her first awareness was the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her cheek and the gentle rhythm of his breathing. Blinking open her eyes, she registered the familiar but unexpected sensation of being wrapped in his arms.

Nola carefully shifted to disentangle herself, but Shane's arms tightened around her reflexively, pulling her closer. She froze for a moment, her mind racing as she recalled the events of the previous night. 

Nola's cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and warmth. She cleared her throat softly, trying to sound casual. "Morning, Shane."

Shane opened his eyes slowly, squinting at the early light, grumbling as his hangover hit him. His gaze softened as he fully woke up and realized their position. He blinked a few times, then let out a low, surprised chuckle. "Well, this is a new way to wake up."

Nola chuckled softly, trying to hide her embarrassment with a teasing tone. "Yeah, not exactly how I planned on starting the day."

Shane's expression shifted to one of sincere warmth as he looked at her. "I guess it's not the worst way to wake up." He offered a sheepish grin, his voice laced with a hint of humor.

Nola met his gaze, her embarrassment slowly giving way to a smile. "Not the worst, no. But definitely unexpected."

Shane nodded, his eyes lingering on her with a mix of affection and amusement. "I'm glad you stayed. Last night was... well, it was a good kind of chaos."

Nola's smile softened as she met his gaze. "Yeah, it was."

They both took a moment to just be in the moment, the awkwardness slowly dissipating as they settled into their proximity. Shane's hand gently brushed a strand of hair from Nola's face, and she leaned into his touch, finding comfort in the gesture.

"How's the hangover?" Nola questioned with a soft smile.

"Like a freight train ran over my head. But it's worth it if I get to wake up next to you." He cooed, his grasp around her loosening slightly. Nola chuckled softly, stretching and disentangling herself from his arms.

"You know, you're a lot more charming when you're not tipsy." She grinned, looking down at him as he lay close to her. 

"Yeah, well, I'm sure I was a real delight last night. Thanks for taking care of me." He murmured, his eyes looking up at her.

She chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "No problem. You're not so bad when you're not being a complete goof."

Shane grinned, though it was more of a wince due to the headache. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

Nola helped him out of bed, and they both move to the bathroom slowly, in a little haze Shane leaned on the bathroom counter, wincing as he looked at himself in the mirror, while Nola fetched some water and painkillers for him.

"Here, take these. And drink lots of water. You're a mess." She chuckled.

"Thanks, pipsqueak."

Nola gives him a playful punch before leaving him to recover, her smile lingering as she shook her head and walked to her room to get ready for the day. 

As she had a moment alone to think, she nearly freaked out. Did that really just happen? She rubbed her face, questioning her senses. And then she remembered.

Her eyes went wide. "I kissed him on the damn cheek," She whispered to herself. She began to question how much she drank for that to only come back to her now. Did he remember that? She prayed not.