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his eyes flickered to her eyes down the slope of her nose until they reached her lips. pink immediately painted his cheeks, the heat spreading all over his face again.
he had woken up before her, like most mornings. she was fast asleep beside him, her chest rising and lowering in time with puffs of her breath. in the morning light like this, she almost had an iridescent glow to her. how someone could look so serene and beautiful like this in their sleep he would never understand. especially given how she constantly kept him on his toes during her waking hours.
she was on her right side, her body facing his. her hair still managed to frame her face perfectly, even though he knew she would be complaining about 'bedhead' soon enough. without thinking, he had reached out, brushing his fingers over her head. he stilled when she stirred, before breathing in a sigh of relief when she didn't continue.
he wanted to enjoy this quiet moment a bit longer with her. he felt a bit shy watching her sleep, but he couldn’t pull himself to look away either. after so many tumultuous days and lonely nights, he still felt like it was all a dream. her voice, her touch, her love.
his face still warmed up when she got under the covers with him, sidling up to his chest. she’d whisper affirmations for him, the kinds she could never get him to say to himself. you are gentle. you are kind. you are loved. and yes, you deserve good things. you deserve me. she would punctuate every single sentence with her kiss on his forehead, his cheeks, his eyes, his scar, his nose, until every bit of his face was burning from her lips.
she would always run her fingers through his hair or along his arms, helping lull him to sleep. he wasn’t someone who loved physical intimacy, but he’d grown to crave hers. she realized quickly that he needed constant reassurance that she was actually here, present in this moment, and alive. so she made sure to learn all the places that made him blush and shiver. even during the day, she always made sure not to leave him alone for too long. he could always count on her to surprise him, pulling him away from his books while she climbed into his arms.
when he would come home from a long day out, she’d greet him with a grin and a quick peck on the lips. she’d always have that look in her eyes that reminded him so much of loki. at first he had worried that the younger boy had rubbed off on her but as time went on, he realized it was the opposite. she’d take his cloak for him and push him to freshen up. if you don’t go shower now, i’ll strip you and do it myself.
how in the world she said all that with a straight face (or even a smirk like she was enjoying the idea) he would never understand. but it certainly would work, him rushing into the bathroom, cheeks pinks, and heart racing at the thought of her in the bathroom with him.
some nights, she would even sing to him. he had caught her humming to herself often while working around the house but it wasn’t until one night when he had woken up with fright that he heard her singing voice. he had stared at her in awe, the fear and dread from his nightmare washed away and replaced with the soft melody of her voice. was it possible to fall in love all over again?
since then, she would sing more often. sometimes he would catch her singing while putting up laundry or baking chocolates. he couldn’t stop the smile on his face, hiding his face in his hands when she suddenly turned around and caught him staring, cheeks pink.
and sometimes, when his need to hear her voice overrode his shyness, he’d pull her closer to him and ask her to sing for him. the embarrassment was well worth it when she would start practically jumping from the giddiness, her eyes lighting up in excitement. no matter what song she sang for him, it always had the same numbing effect. like a sailor and his siren, he felt himself fall under her spell. possibly one of the few times he couldn’t stop following her gaze with his own.
he always felt the urge to shift his gaze when she stared at him expectantly after.
what did you think?
… you sing beautifully, alice.
it would be her turn to blush, earning her a chuckle from him in turn. he wasn’t very flowery when it came to giving compliments, but such direct praise still had a dizzying effect on her all the same. he would press his lips against her hair, burying his face there so she couldn’t see how red he was.
he sighed to himself as he watched her continue to sleep in the early morning light. he didn’t think he could ever be good enough for her, despite as happy as she was beside him. wouldn’t she be happier with someone else? someone more handsome, less shy. someone more like her…
he stared at her face, tracing her features mentally with his eyes. the space between her eyebrows, her closed eyelids, the tip of her nose, her cheeks. he had long since committed every last detail to memory but it seemed when he looked again, he found another one that he missed. his fingers reached out, cupping her cheek in his hand.
his eyes found her lips, and they stayed there this time. without thinking, he lowered his face towards her in an instant until he could feel her breaths on his lips. it was then that his shyness decided to kick in and suddenly he was painfully aware of how close he was to her. his cheeks burned. he wanted to kiss her, but that would wake her up. would she even like that?
while he was thinking about all the times she had woken him up with a kiss, he almost didn’t notice her eyes flutter open.
harr?
he gave a small yelp and fell backward. if his cheeks were red before, they were certainly scarlet now. he was looking absolutely anywhere but her face right now. his blush deepened when he heard her laugh.
“were you trying to wake me up with a kiss?”
“who said that?”
suddenly, he found himself pinned to the bed, her face just inches from his. then why else would you be hovering over a sleeping person like this. you weren’t trying to … take advantage of me were you?
she was only teasing him, but she couldn't help but laugh when his eyes widened underneath her as he shook his head quickly. no! of course not, I would never what do you take me for? i’m not like-
she had had enough of his nervous rambling, so she stole the rest of his sentence from him. she felt him relax underneath her, his fingers shaking slightly as he grabbed the sides of her arms. she pulled back and peppered kisses all over his face, paying special attention to his beautiful scar.
she sat up, satisfied with herself. he looked absolutely kissed, and their morning had just started.