Sempiterno VI (AlanxJeff)

Timestamp

Jeff

I timidly sat on the edge of the bed, hesitating over which side to choose. Which side would Alan prefer? I'd never shared a bed with anyone before, and my mind began to fill with questions and worries. What if I snored? Or moved too much while I slept? I felt a small relief at noticing the bed was truly massive. Maybe that meant Alan also moved around a lot in his sleep.

The sound of running water in the shower was the only thing breaking the heavy silence of the room, each drop almost amplifying the wild beat of my heart. I lowered my gaze, glancing at my pajamas: loose, long, oversized... nothing special, definitely not something one would wear on a wedding night. I swallowed, nervously playing with my hands, trying to stop the slight tremor in them. "Everything... everything will be fine," I told myself in silence as my eyes scanned every corner of the room, looking for some distraction.

Finally, Alan stepped out of the bathroom. His fresh, enveloping scent flooded the air, filling the space between us. My heart pounded harder, caught between fear and an inexplicable attraction he awakened in me. He was wearing something simple: long pants and a loose T-shirt, similar to mine, and his presence seemed to fill the entire room even before he looked at me.

"Still haven't decided which side you like better?" he asked in a playful tone as he finished drying his hair. His voice had that warm, gentle touch that made my chest tighten. Blushing, I responded in almost a whisper.

"Which side... which side do you like better?" I asked, not daring to look him directly in the eyes, my hands nervously fiddling with the blanket's fabric.

Alan smiled, and in that smile was a sweetness that seemed meant only for me, a tenderness so comforting that it eased some of my nervousness.

"Then let me take the left side, so if you want to sleep in, the sunlight won't bother you," he said, his voice a gentle caress.

I nodded and lay on the right side, feeling the warmth rise to my cheeks as I noticed how close he was. Alan turned off the lights, leaving only a lamp in the corner, its soft glow casting a gentle light over his face that I couldn't resist watching. My heart was beating so fast, I feared he might hear it. I pulled the blanket up, covering myself so only my eyes and nose were exposed, as if that small shield could protect me from what I was feeling.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by his deep, calm voice.

"Tonight..." Alan said, and I could see a slight smile on his lips, "tonight, I won't ask you for a goodnight kiss, because I know you're grappling with something new." His voice dropped to a whisper, his words caressing the room's silence. "But starting tomorrow... I will."

Heat flooded from my cheeks to my chest, and, not knowing how to respond, I could only look up at the ceiling, trying to steady my unsteady breath. How could he just... say something like that?

"Your bed... it's huge... do you move around a lot?" I asked in a timid murmur, almost as a distraction. Though we were on the same bed, a pillow lay between us, the only barrier preventing our hands, our bodies, from accidentally touching.

A soft, almost musical laugh escaped his lips before he responded.

"No, that's not why. I had it made this big... two years ago." There was a slight note of nostalgia in his voice. "Thinking of the future."

Two years ago. That date echoed in my mind, reminding me there was something I couldn't remember, something that seemed so important and painful, like a word on the tip of my tongue. The weight of my frustration overwhelmed me, and I felt my eyes grow misty, unable to grasp that lost connection.

"Sweet dreams, Jeff," Alan whispered suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. His gentle words were almost a murmur, a promise of safety amid the confusion.

"Sweet... sweet dreams," I replied, trying to keep my voice from trembling too much.