//TW: swearing\\

Alexander

I'm not quite sure which I heard first upon waking up the next morning: the gentle pattering of soft rain droplets against the window or the fluttering, melodic song of Thomas's gentle breathing.

Oh.

Wow.

Thomas. Thomas and everything he stood for. Thomas and his soft, gentle smile. Thomas and his pretty, tinkling laugh. Thomas and his warmth spreading through my veins like the sweetest of poisons as he pressed himself up into my chest, never close enough. Thomas and his sweet, soft-spoken song drifting through a world that would never deserve to hear it, the only thing responsible for making it a better, brighter place.

I soaked in every last detail I could pick out in that moment forever lost in time, overwhelmed by the pure essence of Thomas and the simple truth that he was all mine.

I laid there, frozen in place as I drank in the sight of him, pressed so close to the point where there was no space between us. My heart leaped high into my throat as the memories of the night before came fluttering back slowly, filling me with their wonderful bliss. I let out a breath, feeling finally returning to my fingers.

I couldn't really take my eyes away from him. He was the only thing that mattered in this world, and everything else fell away when dwarfed by the beauty of his glow. So I watched him as he slept, as he clung tightly to me, knowing that there would never be a place for us that wasn't as perfect as the one we were in right now. This was our sanctuary, our safety away from the rest of the world. Already, I could feel it trying to pry in, to rip us apart, but I pulled him tighter and buried my face in his hair, clutching at his shoulders in hopes I could forever keep him from flying away. I drank in the simple nearness of him, getting high off of it as though it was the worst of drugs. 

I blinked, taking in the sights and the feelings and the sounds greeting me on such a perfect morning, allowed myself a smile, and slid my arms down to wrap around his waist. He shifted against me, pushing himself closer. And God it felt good. Never had anything felt so right before. Never had something fit so well together as his body did in my arms. Like we were meant for each other, like destiny had decided since the dawn of time that this was how it had always been meant to play out.

His warm breath fanned against my neck like gently dancing butterflies fluttering through the air; his body fit against mine rather perfectly, leaving no space wasted between us; his arms stayed wrapped around the back of my neck, clinging to me as though he was afraid to let go. I cradled him as softly as I could, terrified of what would happen should I squeeze too tightly. But it was impossible not to look down at him and feel that utter and complete swell of happiness rise through my chest as I slid one hand up to brush the curls of his messy hair out of his face. I was flying, gliding easily through the air without a single care left in the world.

Thomas was amazing. There was no other word for it. He was gorgeous and sweet and he had felt so right in such a variety of ways. The taste of his lips against mine still lingered, the scent of his rosy perfume still filled the air, though now accompanied by the rest of his plants placed in every open spot throughout the room.

I took in the moment for everything it was. I basked in the feeling and delighted in the warmth, knowing that Thomas was mine and I was his.

And soon, I found myself laughing. It was impossible to do any different, especially with him so close and so sweet and everything I had ever wanted. And he was in my arms. I kept it as quiet as I could in fear of waking him up, but some things just never can be contained.

Gray light pooled in from the window, dancing across his face and casting the room in a different glow from the night before. I glanced around, delighting in the flowers and the greenery that draped down the walls and bookshelves, like his own little garden, a reservation meant for him and, now, me. The tendrils of ivy swayed in the wind drifting in from the open window, pooling down from the window ledge in time with the rain.

If I closed my eyes, it was easy to picture the two of us sitting amongst the rich, fantastical flowers and the vines, letting them grow up around us and keeping us hidden from a perverse world. It was easy to lose myself to the ideals of a garden that didn't yet exist, to imagine the most vibrant, emerald greens and softened hues of golds and pinks and purples and blues cascading as far as the eye could see. It was easy to imagine the sound of wind chimes tinkling in the distance, stirred by an easy morning breeze. It was easy to imagine the feel of the grass against the bare skin of my hands, and even easier to picture Thomas's smile especially when he was pressed against me so close and so tightly. It was easy to imagine the sight of us, together on a bench as the garden crept around us and the sunlight slowly faded, lost in the feeling of one another and leaving no space left to indecision and doubt.

Yes, it was easy to imagine a garden full of life and happiness and something a bit more. Our garden was more than just a garden, it was otherworldly, it was abstract, and it was ours.

I watched the simplicity of the dance of the ivy vines against the dull, gray paint for a moment, then turned back to Thomas and forgot all about the plants adding that splash of life and color to the room. How could anything else matter when the single most wonderful person in the entire world was laying in my arms?

I kissed his forehead softly, simply because I could. Simply because it's what felt right. His permanent smile glimmered in the lazy morning sunlight drifting down through the blanket of heavy clouds. I slid my thumb against that smile, memorizing the feeling and the shape of it and doing my best to properly worship such a gorgeous thing.

This was perfect. There was no other word for it that would ever be close enough.

I let out a stunned breath and closed my eyes, inches away from drifting back into a sleep filled with dreams of the single most beautiful person ever, before the alarm went off, disrupting the gorgeous nature of the song of the morning.

I groaned to myself, the annoyance and feeling of being cheated only growing as a frown swept across the still-sleeping Thomas's face. He began to twitch, drawing backwards and reaching for something behind me. Not yet fully awake, but no longer held in sleep's tender grasp. I grinned to myself and brushed the backs of my knuckles softly against his cheek, before reaching behind me and switching off the alarm.

"I got it, Thomas," I whispered as soothingly as I could, but my voice didn't sound quite right. It sounded human, plain, and certainly not good enough to belong in our garden of paradise.

Thomas sighed, a soft sound even if a little mournful, and his hands began to drift down from around my neck. I caught one of them as it fell, and he relaxed once more. Smiling to myself, I watched as my fingers intertwined with his as perfectly as if they had been meant to fit together. I kept one arm firmly around his waist, the other embracing his hand. It occurred to me a few moments later that we could have been frozen in a position similar to that of the beginning of a dance.

A dance with music only the two of us would ever hear. A dance that nobody else in the world had any right to watch.

But, of course, blissful paradise doesn't last forever. Thomas shifted away from me a few moments later, whatever dreams he was having fading fast. And soon, his eyes fluttered open, whether at my touch or at some other external factor, I'll never know. I offered him a warm smile in greeting and pulled him against my body to make up for the space he had put between us as he had shifted away while waking up. A look of confusion crossed his eyes, then, all at once, his head shot backward as if to drink in the sight of me.

"Good morning, beautiful," I said, pulling his hand to my mouth and softly kissing his knuckles.

Thomas flushed, eyes widening as he drank the sight of me in. "You're...you're still here."

The floating sensation in my stomach crash-landed. Hard. Hitting the floor and immediately shattering into a thousand broken pieces. "Uh, yeah! Is that okay? I—"

Thomas blinked, as if considering, than glanced up at me and offered me the biggest smile I'd ever seen before, from him or anybody else. He set his head against my chest once more and let out a soft sigh, slightly muffled by the fabric of my shirt. I grinned to myself and slid my arms around him just where they belonged. "I just thought... I don't know. I thought—"

"You thought I'd change my mind," I said softly, understanding all at once with a pang of abject horror at the concept of leaving him.

Thomas nodded, gazing down at his hands, which he moved firmly to rest against his legs. Smiling to myself, I gathered them together and brought them back up to my lips, kissing them as lightly as I could. God, if he was blushing before—

"You don't have to worry, Thomas," I whispered, letting his hands return to his side. "It's gonna take a lot to get rid of me, let me tell you."

Thomas laughed, a ripe, full laugh. I soaked it in, wishing I could bottle it all up and save it for later. That way, I'd never have to go very long without the sound of it, without the smile of his gorgeous laugh both in his eyes and spread across his lips. But it was his eyes that got to me the most. Such wonderful people always have such beautiful eyes, and of course, Thomas was no exception. Especially when he fixed me under that look of longing and something sweet and kind.

"Wow," I said, still slightly breathless.

"What?" Thomas asked, tilting his head. "Is something wr-wrong? Did I—"

"No! I've just never realized how gorgeous your eyes are before. That's all."

His eyes widened, and he pressed his hands against my chest, letting out a soft, shaky laugh of surprise. I grinned to myself, reaching forwards to run my fingers through his hair like they so longed to do, but all of a sudden...

He pushed himself away from me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, worming out of my grasp. He shifted backwards and pressed himself against the wall, as far away from me as he could get. "I'm so sorry. I am so stupid. I—"

"Hey, no, no," I murmured, reaching forwards and taking his hands in mine, the feeling in my chest plummeting at his sudden doubt. "You are not stupid."

"But J-John and you...he's going to be so upset when he finds out and it's all my fault. Oh, God, Alexander, I'm so sorry. I'm such a wh—"

"Whatever you're about to say, don't," I managed out, cutting him off before that one terrible word could escape his lips. I softened, letting my hands drift up his arm and clutching him softly but firmly. "John and I are friends. That's it. What I feel for him is nowhere near the same as how I feel about you, okay?" I cast him the warmest smile I could manage, and it seemed to be good enough for him.

"A-are you sure about this?" he asked, caution pooling in his voice, but he relaxed in my grip. "I'm not...I won't be very, umm..."

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. You are wonderful in every way, and I'm not letting go of you until you understand that." I sat up, pulling our bodies closer together. The fragrance of his perfume overwhelmed my senses, drowning out everything else and, frankly, I was okay with that. The scent of him brought me back to that distant yet ever-present garden, both a figment of my imagination and more real than anything else in the world. Oh, how I longed to lay in its grass and breathe in the scent of a warm summer evening, staring up at a sky of twinkling stars and a smiling moon. Oh, how I longed to bask in its euphoria and allow it to consume me like the brightest of fires. Oh, how I longed to hold Thomas for eternity, to never be separated from his warmth and his affection washing over me.

"Please, just stay with me," I said, gaze matching his. He did have gorgeous eyes. Pools of a rich umber flecked by a lighter shade akin to honey—almost but not quite gold. They were as deep as twin abysses, yet soft like two night skies dotted by seas of stars. "Tell me you want this the way I want you."

"I do," he said.

"Tell me you'll stay."

"I will."

God. I wanted Thomas. I wanted him more than anything else in the world. And now, he was mine and I was his and we were one. I didn't know much but I knew that. Thomas was a bird. A beautiful, rare bird that had once and for all escaped a cage of fear and iron. And he had finally stopped trying to fly away, to put the world behind him and cower in darkness in fear of what would happen should the light shine on him. Now, he embraced it as he always should have, once more letting his trilling song be heard by those lucky enough to be graced by it.

I intertwined my fingers with his and pulled him back down so we were once more laying side by side. "Kiss?" I murmured into the soft skin of his neck, which was almost a kiss of its own.

"You know you don't have to ask," he returned, just as quietly but in a different way.

I considered before responding. "I like asking, actually. Because when you say yes, it means you actually want it. And plus, I want you to know that I want you to be comfortable and happy through every last part of whatever this is, okay? I'm happy to go at whatever pace you feel most comfortable with." I paused, cupping his face in my hands. "I'm happy just as long as I can be with you."

Thomas blushed, but nonetheless whispered his consent, and just like I had done twice the night before, I leaned forward and allowed my lips to fall against his. Instantly, I soared high into the air, anchors falling away with nothing to hold to but Thomas. And there was nothing else I would ever need. I pressed my mouth against his and poured every last word I could never utter into the kiss, hoping it was enough, hoping it could express what words never could. He was fragile and delicate and beautiful, just like the roses he loved so much. He was sweet and he was soft and he was mine.

The rain continued to fall outside and I smiled at the thought of how much Thomas loved the rain. Maybe, in our garden, we would dance in the light storm together, letting it fall around us as we lost ourselves to our own music.

"You're gorgeous," I whispered, lips centimeters away from his, which upturned into the softest of smiles. "I'm serious! You're undeniably gorgeous. It's not even something that can be argued."

"You're going to be the end of me, I think."

"If this is enough to fluster you, Thomas, then I should think so."

Thomas sighed and shifted so his hands were resting against my chest once more, his body curling up. I slid my fingers through his hair and wrapped my other arm firmly around his waist, cradling him close and listening to the sound of his gentle breathing combined with the raindrops sliding down the glass.

"Hey, umm, Alexander?" he asked after a moment of the rain consuming our thoughts. His heart beat in time with its soft pattering. "I want you to know that if I ever do something that makes you uncomfortable, you have to tell me, okay? I don't...I'm not really...I'm not good at this whole r-romance thing. I kinda, umm, I kinda ruin it. And the last thing in the world that I want is to accidentally hurt you. And I don't deserve you, and I feel like you don't realize that but I want to do everything I can to make you happy. I—I don't know, I—"

"Thomas," I whispered, tightening my grip on him and pulling him even closer. "You are amazing. You are wonderful and kind and the sweetest boy ever. And I need you to know that you are enough for me. What happened to you was not your fault, okay? It could never be your fault. You did nothing to deserve what James did to you and you certainly did not ruin that relationship. But I'm going to show you what it really is like to be cared for, to be cherished and adored and worshipped. I'm never going to let anybody hurt you ever again, okay?"

I had to pause to gasp for air; the thought of all the things that monster had done to Thomas never failed to knock the wind out of me. How could somebody truly be so evil? So horrendous? It takes a different breed to devote all of one's energy and time into making somebody hurt just for the sake of it.

But the rage festering inside of me all disappeared the second Thomas shifted against me, curling up to get even closer. His warmth trickled through me, consuming half-acknowledged grief and fully-formed hatred, and there would never be anywhere else in the world I'd rather be than right where I was, having him in my arms.

"We should stay right here, forever."

"I think you'd get bored rather quickly."

"Uh, I beg to fucking differ."

Thomas sighed in content and closed his eyes, and for a long moment I was sure he would fall asleep against me again. But a moment later and he shifted, gazing up at me. "I should probably go shower."

"No."

"Alexander—?"

"Showers are a social construct created to keep you away from me," I mumbled, too overcome by the moment to make any sense of what I was saying. All that mattered anyway was the sound of Thomas's breezy laugh, whispering through the room and sinking into the ivy and the flowers. It truly was our garden.

"Alexander, we have to leave for class in half an hour."

"Ugh. Class. We should create a time machine and kill all historical people. That way, there's no history."

"Why not just keep going back to, like, this moment or something?" he asked. "And I'm pretty sure there'd still be history, just a different version of it."

"Shh. Your logic will not work on me."

"Oh, sorry." But he was smiling, gazing up at me with an affection I didn't feel like I fully deserved. I pulled him close, kissed his cheek, and let my grip around his waist falter. "Go shower," I mock-pouted. "But you're going to let me buy you breakfast, yeah?"

"You don't have to—"

"Oh, no, I want to." I softened, shifting backwards at the sound of my words. "That is, of course, if you feel comfortable with that kind of stuff."

Thomas smiled and stood. All at once, my warmth fled me, just as he did. He stepped over to his dresser, pulling out a simple outfit and throwing it over his arms. "It sounds wonderful, Alexander."

"It does, doesn't it?" I grinned, watching as he retreated into the bathroom, and threw myself back against the pillow, suddenly overcome by a sense of awe and wonder. I don't know what I had done to ever deserve somebody like Thomas, but I swear, I am never going to let him fall again.

~•~

I stepped into the room cautiously, and my senses were immediately bombarded by the smell of something quite delicious. A smile slid across my face as my eyes found the boy sitting at the table, leaning over his sketchbook and thoroughly invested in another one of his drawings. I watched from the doorway; the last thing I wanted to do was intrude and shatter the peaceful moment. I enjoyed watching him, anyway. Especially with the determination that coaxed his lips into a tight frown as he worked away, lost to the rest of the world.

My chest tightened in the best of ways.

I closed the door behind me quietly and inched forwards, setting my bag down once I reached the table. Thomas looked up after a long moment, and a sheepish laugh wormed its way from his mouth. He scrambled to cover the sketchbook, but I managed to catch a quick glimpse of the page he was working on and smiled to myself.

"Uh, hi," he said softly.

"Hi," I returned, kissing his forehead softly before falling into the chair next to him. He folded inwards, smiling to himself as if it was a joke only the two of us could ever understand. "Something smells wonderful."

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, and I found myself quite delighted by the easiness of his excitement. "Umm, I, uh, I wanted to cook tonight. You don't mind, do you?"

I let my hand find his. It was so remarkably easy, to hold his hand. "Not in the slightest."

Thomas smiled, ducking his head in embarrassment.

"Oh! Uh, these are for you," I said, offering him the bouquet of flowers still clutched tightly in my hands wrapped up in old newspaper. They weren't the prettiest nor the most delicate, but His expression morphed into one of wonder as he accepted them nonetheless. His fingers gently brushed the petals as he considered them.

"Roses," he said softly, eyes fixated on the pink petals flecked by dots of white similar to stars. They would be the first flowers we'd plant in our garden. "You remembered."

I slid one of the roses out of the bouquet, taking my time to make sure it wasn't marred by thorns, and reached over to slide it behind Thomas's ear. "Of course I remembered. They're your favorites."

He considered this for a long time. As if the idea of somebody drinking in every word he said was one foreign to him. As if he couldn't understand that somebody cared enough about him to remember the simplest details.

And why is it that such a simple thing as his smile could halt the world around me, throwing everything else out of focus? Everything existed in relation to Thomas, and when that gorgeous beam lit up the world around him, what hope did anything else have of ever shining?

"I better put these in a vase," he said, rising to his feet all of a sudden.

"Can I help with dinner?"

He paused, watching me with something akin to confusion. "If you want to. I'd, uh, I'd really appreciate it."

"I'd love to," I said softly.

Thomas slid his free hand into mine and pulled me along to the kitchen, where he set me to work mincing garlic or some shit. I don't know. I was just happy to be in his presence. He put the roses in a simple vase, lingered over them for a long second with a thoughtful smile, then turned back to the stove where the steaks continued to sizzle.

We talked as we worked, speaking of nothing and everything at the same time. I clung to every word he said, committing every inflection and swell of his voice to memory as if I would never get the chance to hear him again. The rain continued to fall outside, setting the world in a state of peace only fitting. And I reveled in every moment I got to spend then and there, with Thomas and nothing else to disrupt us. And once we sat at the table to eat, I kept my hand on his the entire time, afraid of what I would lose should I let go.

He was my everything, and no matter what, I could not lose him.

"What?" he asked, long after the last bite of the most delicious steak I'd ever had in my entire life had been devoured.

"Hmm?" I returned, hardly aware of the world around us when Thomas was right in front of me. It all seemed dull compared to him.

"You're staring at me."

"Oh. Sorry. I guess I just can't keep my eyes off of you. Especially considering how beautiful you are and everything."

Thomas blushed, lowering his gaze. If it had been easy to fluster him before, it should take absolutely nothing now. The thought saddened me for a moment: the idea of Thomas never once receiving any sense of the appreciation or adoration that he so deserved. How many times had he been told that he was beautiful before today? He was somebody to be cherished and treasured, so how could—

Relax.

I suppose I'll just have to make up for it then, yeah? It won't be hard at all. But then again, all the words in the world couldn't describe how absolutely amazing Thomas was. And once again, I found myself at a complete loss when it came to him. He was an angel, a being from another world. And I was undeserving.

I rubbed my thumb against his palm, smiling at the thought, and allowed myself to relax. "You wanna watch a movie?"

Thomas nodded. He started to rise to take the plates, but I folded my hands around his and pulled him away.

"I'll clean," I murmured softly. "You get the movie going."

"O-okay."

It wasn't long before we were sitting on the couch together, listening once again to the opening theme to the Princess Bride. I should have paid attention to the movie, but how could I when Thomas was right there, warm and sweet and gentle? I hooked my arm around his waist and pulled him a little bit closer to me, but of course it wasn't enough. I opened my mouth, closed it again, and did my best not to sigh. He was right here. Everything I had ever wanted.

I don't think I've ever been this happy before, and I can't explain it. I can't explain the skipped heartbeats every time he so much as glances my way. I can't explain the warmth gliding through me every time he so much as shifts. I can't explain this feeling of utter affection and desire, sitting heavily in my throat and blocking all fragments of sentences and words from escaping. All I know is that there is him and there is me, like two lost souls in a garden, basking in the faint moonlight shining down on us.

"Can I hold you?" I asked after a moment, to which he laughed softly in something a bit like disbelief.

"Aren't you doing that already?"

"Oh, this isn't holding." And before Thomas could say anything else, my hands shot forwards, wrapped around his waist, and pulled him back so there was very little room left between us. I shifted so I could place his back against my chest and feel the pulse of his heart in rhythm with mine. "This is holding."

"Oh," he said after a moment, so softly I wasn't sure he had even spoken. "This is nice."

"Yeah?"

"Very much so." Thomas whispered the words as if he was confused by them, as if they made no sense to him. I let my grip around his waist soften, just in case he found it uncomfortable, but instead, Thomas settled against me and laid his head against my chest, turned so he could watch the movie. I smiled. Because what could one do in my situation but smile?

"You're not gonna fall asleep on me, are you?"

"S-sorry," he said with a slightly breathless laugh, as if he was still fully expecting to wake up any moment and find that this had all been a dream.

"Hey, I'm only kidding. You're adorable when you're asleep."

Thomas laughed, and the sound drowned out every other thing in the universe until there was just it. It was the only thing I knew to be true, the only song I could rely on. It was the only thing I'd ever need. "Thank you. You're cute all the time."

God he's so pretty and it isn't fair at all.

I smiled, adjusting my grip on him a little bit, painfully aware of every little slip and touch and fleeting brush of skin against skin that existed between us. I could never fully get enough of him, not in the words he whispered and not in the warmth he left tingling up my body, chasing away the coldness that doubt and worry left in their wakes.

"Hey, umm, can I ask you a question?" I asked after a minute of trying and failing to immerse myself in the movie and forgetting about everything else.

"Of course," he said, tilting his head back to gaze up at me. The white glow of the screen reflected in his eyes as they caught the light just perfectly, illuminating an affection I had never seen before, especially not shown for me. He smiled similarly to me, lost in the tenderness of our embrace.

"So, uh, can I call you my...my boyfriend? Or is it too soon?! Is that weird? I'm so sorry that's probably so weird I didn't mean to be weird or anything I just—"

I fell silent as his laugh once more filled the room. My body relaxed all on its own, just at the sound of that laugh. "I would love nothing more than to be your boyfriend," Thomas said, a whisper in the darkness and the most gorgeous one I'd ever heard before.

"Oh! Awesome."

And then I mentally slapped myself for the most idiotic response in the world.

"Th-Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"About last night."

"Yeah?"

"You said you didn't deserve me. And I want you to know that that isn't true, okay? I want you to know that you're the most amazing person in the world, and if anything, I probably don't deserve you. I don't think I ever have, and I doubt I ever will. And...I don't know much, but I do know that you make me happy in every way possible. And I'm so incredibly lucky that you came into my life."

He was silent for a while, then he shifted upwards until his lips were barely brushing against mine. I closed the space between us, kissing him once more simply because it was my right and my privilege. I cupped his cheek and pulled him closer in hopes that could ever be good enough to explain every unspeakable, inexplicable emotion that bloomed in my chest whenever he was near. I kissed him and I held him close long after he fell away and returned to his earlier position, this time one of his hands clinging onto one of mine. And even as the movie played on around us, it didn't matter. I had eyes for Thomas and Thomas only.

And out of nowhere, the realization fully sank in.

"You're my boyfriend," I whispered, the thought making me feel warm inside. "You're my boyfriend!"

Thomas smiled, squeezing my hand.

"You're my boyfriend!" I repeated.

"Alexander, are you okay?"

"Better than okay! You're my boyfriend, and I'm your boyfriend!" I wrapped my arms around him tighter and placed a soft kiss to his lips once again. I closed my eyes, relishing in the warm feeling that he radiated.

"You're weird," he murmured.

"Is it a good weird?"

"It's a wonderful weird."

Thomas was mine.

It wasn't long before the rising and falling of his chest steadied out into an even, melodic beat, becoming just another instrument in the song of the night. I grinned down at him, slid my fingers through his hair, and turned off the TV even in the middle of the best scene of sword fighting and clever word-play.

I watched Thomas sleep, holding him as though if I didn't, he would fade right through my hands. That was the problem with moments like these. They seemed to good to be true. And it made you wonder if you ever closed your eyes, would you open them again to see a bleaker reality and a fading dream chased off by the waking world? Nothing this wonderful could be real, and yet, it was. By some miracle of fate, by some extremely good luck, the boy sleeping in my arms was real and solid and perfect. And he was mine. Mine to hold and mine to adore. Mine to sit in that garden with, worlds away, letting time pass us by without a single thought of everything we had left behind.

I kissed his forehead softly, tightened my grip on him, and finally allowed myself to close my eyes once more. That tingling feeling of euphoria rippled through my chest as though I was flying through the air. I let out a breath as sleep washed over me, pulling down on my eyelids and threatening to consume me.

Somehow, despite it all, I knew that I'd have no nightmares tonight.

And just as I was falling asleep, three words whispered through my mind as softly as if they had been there the whole time. Three words I knew to be truth just as much as I doubted them, but all I could do was trust and hope and keep him in my arms for as long as I could.

You're mine, Thomas.