Love, Emma

Chapter Twenty-Three:

On the brink of sleep, I snuggle further into the bed, pulling the covers up to my shoulders and sinking my chin into the silky smooth softness of it. My fingers glide over the surface of the mattress, fascinated by the thickness of it. I swear last night it wasn't as soft, as warm. Beneath me, the mattress sighs, pulling me closer into it's warm embrace.

My hand ventures further, tracing patterns against the sheets, finding comfort in the soft rise and fall of it, of the warmth it's breath sends over my face...

And suddenly I'm very aware of the heartbeat beneath my cheek, and the feeling of skin under my fingertips as I reach the neckline of his shirt. Knowing who it is before I open my eyes, I smile, pleased to know I'm right.

His eyes are fluttered closed, lips slightly parted, his breaths long and low. The fabric of his t-shirt beneath me is wrinkled, the sleeves taught over the muscles in his arms as they unconsciously constrict, hugging me a little closer to his chest. Basking in his warmth, I let my fingers continue their lazy trails along his chest and shoulders, loving the feel of his heartbeat beneath my palms.

I let my eyes travel over his face, taking in all the features I don't see up close as often, seeing as the height difference makes it so much more difficult.

His chin is squared, giving way to angular, high cheekbones and a finely drawn jaw. I follow the slope of his nose to his eyebrows, admiring how they frame the almond shape of his eyes, highlighting the length of his dark lashes.

Without really thinking of it, I hesitantly reach out a hand, gently tracing my finger over his bottom lip. Working my way up, I trace his upper lip, and then the bone of his nose. His eyebrows crinkle slightly at my touch, giving him this cute pouty look that makes me want to giggle.

Gently, I rub at the crease there, smiling to myself when his forehead smooth's out, his face back to it's angelic state of peace. Laying my ear down over his heart, I listen to it's beats, counting them in my head.

Sunlight filters in from the windows in the wall behind us, highlighting the bones of his face, and casting shadows against the areas left untouched. It gives him an oddly angelic appearance, making his features seem sharper, more finely drawn and less boyish. His dark hair falls messily over his forehead, defining the shape of his eyebrows and his eyelashes, so long they brush his cheekbones as his eyelids flutter, awakened by the sunlight.

I move to cover the light from hitting his face, but that only makes him hug me tighter, his biceps flexing against me.

As if sensing my gaze, his eyelids flutter open, slowly, almost hypnotically, zoning in on me above him, a smile gracing my lips. Nathan smiles back easily, his blue eyes soft and affectionate as they scan our positions.

He frowns, moving to slide his arms off of me. "S-sorry, I di-di-didn't mean t-to."

I reach out a hand to stop his arms, gently guiding them back over me. "It's okay Nathan, I'm comfy." A mortifying thought dawns on me, and I awkwardly shuffle my position against him, prepared to jump off at the first sign of agreement from him.

"Unless you don't want-" He effectively shuts me up, pulling me closer again, so my arms are effectively caged between me and him.

We go silent for a while, just listening to the sounds of our mingled breathing, relaxing further into each other in the peace of the early morning. I shimmy my arms free, trying not to jostle Nathan too much, and bring my hands to his throat, weaving my fingers in to short hairs at the nape of his neck.

He closes his eyes, sighing softly, hugging me tight for a few moments before his arms go slack again.

"Sh-should we g-ge-get up?" Wide blue eyes stare up at mine, deep and dark in my shadow, like little pools of sapphire.