This Winter

Chapter 34

Trigger Warning: homophobia and verbal anger.

Senior Year

I eventually woke up, a little groggy. In a mind fog I was a bit confused by my surroundings but then my eyes landed on Noah's sleeping face.

He laid on his stomach, with his cheek pressed to the bed, facing me. His lips were plump and his curls wild as he slept softly.

The sheets just barely covered his lower half and as much as it was tempting to stare I decided to pull the sheets further on him.

I rolled to my side, staring at his face as he slept. My mind was racing as I realized how lucky I was to be with him. Never would I had fathomed this a year ago.

Tucking a curl behind his ear I watched as he stirred in his sleep. His face scrunching up slightly as his eyes slowly opened.

I would have slept with him all day, but the fact was- we didn't have all day and I didn't want to leave with him asleep.

"Hey," I whispered to him.

He smiled widely when he saw my face, his dimple prominent on his boyish face. "Hey," he hushed back.

"How are you feeling?" I questioned as my fingers combed through his locks of hair.

"Good," he answered and then a beat later he confessed, "Sore.. a little sore."

"I'm sorry," I whispered and my hand fell to the side of his face, caressing his cheek.

"No no. It's fine," he smiled, "I'm good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." And I grinned when a giddy laugh escaped his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I pressed my lips softly to his, as my hand delicately held his face.

When I pulled away from his lips he snuggled into my body. Our legs tangling as he rested his head in the crook of my neck.

"Your eyes are pretty," he whispered.

"They're just brown," I shrugged nonchalantly.

"But they're warm and lighter around your pupils," he said and with his finger he pointed towards my eyes, "They have specks of gold."

"Your eyes are prettier, Noah," I tell him and he smiles. "It's like an ocean."

His eyes drop from my heated gaze and he rests his hand on my chest. He changes the subject and asks, "How long will you stay?"

"What time is it?" I asked him as my hand rubbed circles over his bare shoulder.

His eyes lifted up to the clock I knew rested on his nightstand. "Nine."

I sighed even though I should've been pleased we woke up this early, considering... well those were details for ourselves.

"Probably thirty more minutes." He groaned softly and laid his head back down. "Someday we will spend all day in bed," I promise.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Ethan, where are you going to school?"

I pause for a moment, my hand laying flat on his arm. "I don't know. Where are you going?"

"I want to get away from here, Ethan... I want us to get away from here."

"We can do that. I'll go wherever you go, Noah," I tell him, "We can be together, get a dorm together, and spend a day in bed together."

"We can push our beds together and have one giant one," he concludes and I laugh.