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Ginger was sound asleep when he felt movement on the bed beside him. Something warm cuddled against his chest with a small, whimpering noise as something soft brushed against his chin. He cracked his eyes open, letting them adjust to the darkness of the Paris flat. He brought a hand out from under the silk blanket and rubbed his eyes. The weight on his chest pressed closer with another soft noise.
"Miles?" Ginger asked.
The weight on his chest moved again as his lover raised his head, chin resting against Ginger's sternum. Miles looked at him with blue eyes that looked slightly scared and alert. His curls were mussed from sleep and other activities. His face was clean of make-up but still looked sweet and angelic, if kind of distressed.
"What's wrong, love?" Ginger asked, caressing Miles's cheek.
"It's nothing, darling," Miles replied, leaning into the gentle touch.
Ginger quirked an eyebrow. "You were whimpering. Did you have a bad dream?"
He felt Miles blush, his cheek warming against the cradle of Ginger's palm. He bit his lip, still tinted red from his lipstick. Ginger shifted under the blankets, feeling just how close Miles had molded himself to him. They were naked, skin warm from being huddled under the covers.
"You stopped holding me," Miles finally said quietly.
"What?" Ginger asked.
"You stopped holding me," Miles repeated. "You held me close to you, but then you rolled away." A tear slipped down his cheek.
"I'm sorry, love," Ginger murmured, brushing the tear away. "I didn't mean to."
"It's not your fault," Miles said. "It's mine."
Now Ginger was even more confused. He sat up against the pillows and stared at Miles. His husband licked his lips and shifted to sit beside him. Ginger switched on the soft lamp on the bedside table, bathing the room in gentle light. He looked at Miles seriously.
"Miles, you know you can tell me anything," he said softly. "I love you. If something's wrong, I want to help."
Miles took a deep, shaky breath and took one of Ginger's hands in his, interlacing their fingers.
"It's just that, many of my old suitors didn't like to be touched or held after we were intimate," he explained. "They would either roll away immediately afterward or push me away if I tried to get closer."
Ginger felt his heart break. Of course Miles would crave that kind of touch after years of being dismissed. He remembered how often he would wake up in the morning and find Miles plastered to his side or snuggled against his chest. He never realized how touch-starved his lover was until now.
"I'm sorry, Miles," Ginger said. "I didn't realize how much being held meant to you."
"It's alright, my darling," Miles said. "I know that you're different from my past suitors."
"I'll hold you every night for as long as you need me to," Ginger promised.
He laid back down and held his arms open. Miles smiled and cuddled against him again, tucking his head under Ginger's chin. Ginger kissed the top of his head, but Miles raised his head and captured his lips. Ginger smiled into the kiss as he reached over and switched off the light again. They laid under the silk blanket, sharing each other's warmth. Miles had his head directly over Ginger's heart.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I adore you," Ginger whispered back.
They fell asleep just like that, and Ginger made a mental note to make sure that he held Miles every chance he got.