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We stood, my back against the wall,Gavin pinning me to it without really trying, I was playful and Gavin responded in kind. We were close enough that not only could I feel his breath on my lips, but I could see the mischief playing in his eyes, feel the heat from his body.
He chuckles, but doesn’t move in the way I expect him to. Instead of kissing me, he leans in whispering in my ear.
“Do you want to say that again?”
“Say what?” I ask a smile threatening to break out across my face.
“What you just called me. Don’t think I didn’t hear it, the question is do you have the balls to say it again.” It’s a challenge, a taunt.
And I fall for it hook line and sinker. “Oh that you’re a bird bitch or is it bitch bird?”
His smile spreads, the moment I realize what just came out of my mouth, as well as I’m essentially trapped.
“Ah there it is.. I knew you could say it again.” He moves his arm slightly and I take that chance, slipping free and running.
I laugh the moment I feel his evol playfully wrap around my legs, nothing to trip me or stop me, just enough to remind me he can catch me with no effort on his part.
He doesn’t move, not yet anyway, I can see him calculating everything in his head, finally he does move, off towards my left so I dart to my right, we keep this up until I get sassy and open my mouth again.
“I didn’t think it would be hard for you to catch one little girl.”
He smiles just a moment before he vaults over the sofa, making me squeak before I try to take off again, only this time I am too slow, ending up in his arms as he lifts me up, I laugh, kicking out as I do.
“Gotcha.” He says, laughing along with me, spinning us around until I’m begging him to stop, due to needing to catch my breath.
Once I do, he wipes the tears of mirth that have gathered under my eyes away, smiling as he does.
“I love you.”
I blink at first before wrapping my arms around him, burying my face in his chest, saying loud enough for him to hear “I love you too Gavin.”
“Just be careful calling me that again. Next time, I can’t say what will happen and I know you’re ticklish.”
I swallow, before looking up at him, blinking innocently as possible. “That isn’t fair.”
Leaning down to rub his nose against mine “You can tickle me back. It will be fun to find out if you can find a ticklish spot.”
I want to pout but I can’t because it is a fair trade off.
“But for now, bed.” Gavin scoops me back up, carrying me to the bedroom.
I think he is going to lay me down but instead he sits me down in the middle, before going to my dresser and picking up my hair brush, coming back, siting down with his back against my headboard, pulling me onto his lap, pulling my hair over my shoulder, carefully brushing it,
“There is a song I heard that reminds me of you. Eli was listening to it, the other day.” Gavin’s tone is soft and very soothing.
“Oh?” I say trying to keep my eyes open.
Smiling a soft smile I can’t see, Gavin places my brush on the nightstand, maneuvering us until we are laying under the blankets, running his fingers softly through my hair, only stopping to rub or stroke the lingering tension out of my body.
“It’s called My Wish.”
“I know that song it is by Rascal Flatts.” I murmur as my eyes start to droop under his gentle petting.
“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘔𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰
𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰
𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰
𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩”
He softly sings before adding.
“This is the part that reminded me the most of you. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦.”
I mumble, my eyes closed completely now, “How?”
“You always give much more than you take. Your love, your kindness, your strength, the beauty of your soul. You give it all, and expect nothing in return.”
Even though I am almost asleep I still try to swallow back tears.
“I mean it. You are a beautiful person, and I want you to know, I am here, even when I’m on a mission, I’m here.” He rubs the tension that is back between my shoulder out again. “As long as there is wind, I’m here.”
We both know at this point I am crying, and I do something I haven’t done in years. I sob, I don’t know what it was about what he said that got me crying, maybe it was all of it, but I sobbed.
Holding me close, Gavin holds me close, rocking me as much as he can in this position. Eventually I calm down, beginning to yawn in the process.
“Sleep. I’m here, I’ll chase the monsters away.”
He continues to hum while stroking my hair and back.
Once asleep, he sighs, smiling ruefully at the thoughts running through his head. He watched her go through so many emotions in a span of just a few hours. He knew brushing her hair was the trigger that set the whole crying fit off, it had relaxed her as much as it made her tense. He knew she was hurt, insecure and scared to fuck up.
To him none of that mattered, she was here now, she was his. His to take care of, to make sure her needs are met the best to his ability, to love and cherish.
He loves her just as she is. A love that won’t diminish, not with time, not with space, not with anything.
She was trying her hardest, and that was all he wanted. He would circle as much as he needed to, to get her to understand what he saw.
Looking at her sleeping peacefully in his arms, he says in barely above a hushed whisper “You are mine, and while the burden you carry is great, I’m here as a friend, as someone to confide in, to ask to meet the needs you need time to say. I’m here, everyday, and my wish for you is that eventually no longer need to carry more than you can hold. My wish for you is that you ask for what you need and realize that you can be selfish and it is okay to be selfish. This will pass, it always will and I’ll be here with you.”
Hugging her close again, he closes his eyes, and begins to doze for a while before falling asleep.
When I wake up, Gavin is still here like he promised, still holding me close, so I ended up falling asleep again, wrapped up in safety I needed, and wanted.
Needs I never knew I had were being met.