Catfish and the Bottlemen Imagines

Soothe

You're having one of those tough days, and although you can't specifically pinpoint what's wrong or what's making you feel this way, you're at a low ebb. It could simply be tiredness or the pressures of a busy day or hormones but the reasoning doesn't matter much, it still doesn't change the way that you feel. All you want to do is get home and put on some comfy clothes, maybe curl up in bed with a book or take a nap, switch off your brain and just be. It's not that you like prolonging your gloomy mood or wallowing in self-pity, it's more that sometimes when life feels like it's getting too much you just want to shut out the rest of the world for a little while and be alone.

As soon as you arrive home however, you know that it won't be as simple as that. You see Van up ahead in the kitchen stirring a cup of tea as you close the front door behind you. He looks up as he hears you in the hallway, his lips immediately curling up into a grin.

"Alright love? You're just in time, the kettle's just boiled. Want a cuppa? I've been waiting all afternoon for you to come home. I've missed ya."

You smile at him weakly as you hang up your coat. He's such a positive force in your life and his sunshine optimism is boundless. He never lets things get him down, no matter what happens he'll always pick himself up and brush himself down, shrug and move on. He's of the firm opinion that life's too short to spend time feeling sad. It's one of the many things you love about him and you envy his carefree attitude at times. You also hate the thought of bringing him down when you're feeling like this. So instead of launching yourself into his arms and sobbing like you really want to, you swap your muted smile for a million watt grin as you approach, leaning in to give him a small kiss on his cheek before you pull back to speak.

"Missed you too. Maybe later on the cuppa though? I was actually thinking I might head up to bed and take a nap. It's been a long day and I'm really tired. You don't mind do you?"

If he notices the tightness in your features and your forced grin and the tension in your stance then he doesn't mention it, he just smiles back at you, warm and genuine in a way that makes your heart glow despite your melancholy mood.

"'Course not babe, you go on up. I'll come and wake you when it's time for dinner shall I? Thought maybe we could get a takeaway tonight. Both relax since you've been working so hard?"

"That sounds nice," you murmur, already backing away, fretful that if you linger for too long you'll crumple into an emotional heap on the kitchen floor.

You sigh with relief as you kick off your shoes and sink down on to your bed, turning your head towards the windows. It's already getting dark outside. Autumn's gloom matches your mood, heavy rain-swollen clouds ready to burst hanging low in the sky. You wonder if a nap will help. Sinking into sweet oblivion sounds welcome right now. You're hopeful that you'll wake up refreshed and revitalised, but when you nestle into your pillow and close your eyes an almighty rumbling thunderclap sounds out, the heavens suddenly opening. The comfort of sleep's sure to be unattainable now with fat rain-drops thrashing down on the window panes, so you curl yourself into a ball instead, pulling the covers up over your head to drown out the outside world.