Thump, thump, thump, thump.
One, two, three, four. My favourite rhythm. It's so nice to wake up to it. It's almost like today was meant for greatness.
I hum in content, stretching myself out. Today feels different. Something about this morning is completely new. I can quite put my finger on it...
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
I feel a little rumble in the back of my throat, a smile creeping to my lips. That rhythm. That must be what's different. I've never woken up to it before. Never had my comfort beat on hand as I wake. I should wake up like this more often. I nuzzle further into my pillow, pressing my ear against the source of the sound...
“Hmm."
Numbness floods through my veins as the realisation crashes into me. This isn't a pillow. This is Mark.
My eyes shoot open as I push myself up, intent on getting as far away as possible from him. But something holds me back. I glance down, seeing his hand still resting on my hip. The way it was when we fell asleep. It hasn't moved at all. In fact, it seems to have tightened it's grip ever so slightly.
I swallow the lump of panic in my throat, slowly moving my eyes up to look at his face. I've never looked at another person sleeping before. Why would I? It's not a habit I've regularly gotten myself into. I sleep alone. That's my golden rule. Well...until now, that is.
The sight I see isn't really what I'm expecting. I mean, I don't know what that was. It's not something I've ever really thought about. Mark sleeping. Not the first thought in my head. But now that I'm looking at him...
He's calm. Even though I can only see half of his face, I can tell that he is completely at peace in the world of his dreams. Not plagued by nightmares as I always am. Not haunted by screaming from an unknown child. Just...calm. His chest rises and falls under my palms, his heart a gentle beat on my fingertips. One, two, three, four. My rhythm...his heart is my rhythm.
My stomach butterflies start their routine of wiggling around inside me. I can't take my eyes off of him. They won't let me. The butterflies insist that I keep staring at the sleeping form of my best friend, trying to send me some sort of signal. At least, I think they are. Battering against my ribcage certainly seems like a message from them. But I don't know what it could be. And, to be fair, I don't care. I'm happy watching him like this. It makes a nice change to see him so...
He sniffs sleepily, turning his face back towards the centre. His eyes flutter open and land on my face. I can see his sleep-ridden brain try to register the identity of the girl sat on his chest at this ungodly hour, eyes glazed as they scan my face. It clearly doesn't matter that much, though. He sniffs again, eyes closing once more as the hand on my hip moves to my back. I didn't know that a sleeping person could have so much strength, but he manages to pull me straight back onto his chest, arms wrapping around me like a vice.
As he sighs in dreamy content, I realise that I should be panicking. I'm essentially trapped in a prison of skin and bones, crushed against the body of the opposite sex. My idea of a nightmare. But I'm not panicking, not one bit. In fact, I find myself trying to readjust to find a more comfortable position. My arm seems to be going a bit dead weight between our ribs...
But a sleeping man is a bit more tricky to navigate around. I try to stealthily slide my arm from between us, but his solid grip is proving quite difficult to loosen. I take my eyes off his face and try to concentrate on freeing my dying limb, biting my lip to hold back the sounds of my strain. I will free this stupid thing. Even if it means...
My arm flies out of his grasp at full force, knocking my completely off balance. I squeak in surprise as I feel myself topple over, grappling at the back of the settee for dear life. But it's all in vain. My nails dig into his shirt as I plummet to the ground, dragging him right along with me. His eyes open with confusion at the shift in position. And the last thing I see before he crashes into me with a yelp is those dark eyes widen in fear.
