Work Text:
I stared at the sleeping figure next to me, feeling my cheeks warm with the beginnings of a blush. Carefully, I played with my companion’s hair, weaving makeshift braids into his short, auburn hair. However, I froze at the start of a muffled murmur from him, biting my tongue. When David rolled over to face me, however, I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face.
“Good morning,” I whispered. Honestly, neither of them had any reason to keep quiet, they were alone in this cabin, but there was just something.. special about whispering. Maybe it was the illusion of a secret, something just the two of you could share; maybe it was the feeling of intimacy it brought about.
“How long was I out?” David grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes slowly.
“Dunno.” I checked my phone for the time. “Just a few hours. Not long.”
I sat up, but not before receiving a soft noise of protest from David, who quickly wrapped his arms around my torso, tugging me back down and closer to him. “Don’t go yet.” He mumbled into my hoodie as I friend rolled my eyes. However, I did hesitate, looking down at David, my brows furrowing.
“Oh, come on now,” David pleaded, his voice muffled, he paused before adding, “Y/n?”
I exhaled slowly before leaning back against his chest. What could I say? David was my weakness. Carefully, David wrapped an arm around me, turning me so I was facing his chest. As he did so, I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck, uncurling to lay beside him.
"We have a little time before the campers start to wake up." He mumbled thoughtfully, drumming his fingers gently on the back of my neck.
It his turn to play with my hair now, his fingers running through my tangled locks. David focused on each section with care, combing his fingers through the patches until it was smooth once again. I noticed he was humming softly, the vibrations in his throat tickling my ear. That's not to say I minded it, though.
Sunlight began to filter through the window as I shifted to rest my head on his chest, my eyes fluttering close as David began to run his hand down my spine. I could hear the smile in his voice as he murmured something about the sun having finished rising.
I was conscious of all my movements, breathing in slow, short bursts out of fear of ruining the moment. This was nice, a peaceful way to start our day- that is, if either of us could muster the strength to get out of bed. I tipped my head upwards to watch his face, my eyes tracing all his beautiful features.
1.. 2.. 3.. I began to count the faint, almost unnoticeable freckles speckled across his light skin, pausing my count only when he dipped his head down to kiss my forehead then nose. Ismiled at the contact, the tips of his ears blushing a gentle pink.
“This is nice.” David commented in a low voice, not quite a whisper, but not quite his normal energetic volume. “We should do this more often.” His body shook in a silent, breathy laugh. The red-head spoke aloud what I had just been thinking moments earlier.
“We do it often enough,” I huffed teasingly, “You’re needy.” Though I liked to think I played hard to get with my coworker, I was truly a sucker for David’s early morning cuddles. I really did enjoy our cuddle sessions; which were becoming more and more frequent these days with the end of the summer looming over us.
“I know you like it too.” He murmured with a playful dismission, looking down at me with heavy-lidded green eyes. With one hand, he brushed a few stray strands of hair out of my face. “There, much better.” David nodded, a giddy, almost childlike, smile remaining on his lips. Slowly, he rested his head on my back again, staring out the window with a content sigh. “You know I love you, right?” He punctuated his statement with a soft, blissful kiss to each cheekbone, tipping his head to the right.
“Oh, please.” His words left my stomach in knots, but I wasn’t eager to make a fool out of himself if David was just joking around.
“No, really,” The counselor persisted before sitting up at the lack of response from my end. I bit back a whine of protest as my body was hit with a rush of cool air. Gently, he placed his hands around my chin, cupping my face and turning it up and towards himself. “I’m being serious. I love you, Y/n.”
The words sent chills down my spine, the serious intensity in David’s gaze lighting something in my chest. Butterflies flew in loopy circles, leaving me flustered and breathless. After a moment to mentally collect myself, I replied in a soft, almost timid voice as I moved so that I could bury my head in the crook of his neck once more, his bandana tickling my nose.
“I love you too, David.”