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As your internal clock coerced you out of sleep, you became increasingly aware of your surroundings until you remembered that you were in Vernon’s bed in Vernon’s room in Vernon’s apartment. You turned over to greet his bare back, the memory of the previous night returning in bits and pieces. There was a friendly gathering and creative cocktails and marijuana. You had fallen asleep on Vernon’s lap.
He sat up and looked down at you fondly while you regained your senses. He was scrolling through his phone but took a break to smile at you.
“You’re up earlier than I expected,” he said.
“Did I embarrass you last night?” you asked, the subtle light from the windows further aggravating your sore temples.
“No, you were really cute. Loved the part where you passed out on my lap. And when you threw up in the bushes.”
“I threw up?”
“I’m kidding.”
“Fuck you.”
“But I’m glad you asked me to go with you. Who knows where you would have ended up.”
“And you said you didn’t wanna go. It all worked out.”
You gathered the strength to pull yourself up and maneuver your way into Vernon’s chest. He didn’t think twice about wrapping his free arm around you while his other hand typed away on his phone. He adjusted accordingly.
“There’s a really cool exhibit at the museum downtown if you wanna go. It’s free,” he said. His voice sounded so deep with your ear over his heart. “How hungover are you?”
“Thirty more minutes here, a shower, and some coffee and I’m okay.”
“I have medicine too. Just let me know if you need any.”
“I can’t believe I passed out, that’s so embarrassing. I’m too old to pass out like that.”
“But not too old to throw up in the bushes?”
“Did I really throw up, yes or no?”
“I’m fucking with you, babe,” he laughed.
“Stop fucking saying I threw up!” You gave him a chastising slap on the chest.
“I’m sorry.” The laughter spilling out of his mouth said otherwise. He put his phone away to focus on holding you. “You should fall asleep in my lap more often, though. I liked that a lot. Really cute, seriously.”
“I’m never going anywhere with you ever again.” You sank into his embrace and fell back asleep surrounded by his secure hold and sweet butterfly kisses.
The two of you were out the door on your way for a coffee run after your quick snooze and shower. You slipped back into last night’s jeans and borrowed a shirt and outerwear from Vernon. You asked for a hat to hide your glowing no makeup face which really wasn’t a no makeup face because you had mascara and lip gloss in your purse but this was as bare as you could be for an outing like this. Vernon found you the hat he normally wore with the jacket he lent you, kissing your forehead before fitting it onto your head.
You arrived early at the train stop so you found a bench to sit on while you waited, your head resting gently on his shoulder. Once on the train, you shared a pole and made fun of each other whenever you lost balance. You even convinced him to let you steal some kisses with all the people around. He seemed mildly embarrassed but not regretful.
The exhibit featured glass blowing sculptures by a local artist. Vernon couldn’t wait to take photos and debated with you about the process and the meaning behind it all. You snapped candids of him lost in thought before asking him for one selfie of the two of you.
“Please smile a little bit so it doesn’t look like I’m holding you hostage,” you requested, leaning into him for your one shot at the perfect photo.
“I would ask if you wanna get drinks later but I don’t think that’s a good idea for you,” Vernon said over lunch. “I can’t play babysitter again.”
“You know you love babysitting me,” you said.
“It’s more of an obligation as your boyfriend.”
“Whatever,” you scoffed. “Plus I’m not dressed for a bar.”
“When you’re dressed for it and not hungover, we’ll go to one. We haven’t had a nice date in a while.”
It always surprised you when he mentioned things like that. Vernon wasn’t necessarily anti-romantic but he also wasn’t one to wine and dine. Not because he didn’t want to—he just wasn’t the type.
“That could be fun. I have some pretty dresses that haven’t been worn.”
Vernon shook his cup around for the last bit of soda between the ice. “And I’d love to see them.”
You spent the rest of the day roaming aimlessly around the city, hopping on and off the train to new and familiar places for the hell of it. Before you knew it the sun was setting and you were full on street food and ice cream in a rideshare back home.
Something always shifted in him as soon as the two of you were behind closed doors. He backed you into the kitchen counter, finally liberating the suppressed passion from today. Vernon let his hands roam, forcing you to imagine the possibilities before anything happened.
“Thanks for hanging out today,” he said. He touched his forehead to yours as he massaged your waist, his eyes oozing seductiveness. “I love you.”
The only time Vernon made you nervous was when he was honest with you like this. You knew he loved you but it gave you butterflies to hear him say it.
“I love you too.” Your voice came out like a whimper under the pressure of his gaze.
He swept you into a kiss much different than the one you shared on the train. Vernon wasn’t embarrassed when it was just the two of you. He probably could have benefited from some shame.
When you were kissing Vernon it felt like you were floating. Your feet hovered above ground and you flew to another planet in another universe in another dimension. He was all that mattered to you and you were all that mattered to him.
Vernon caught himself every time his passion bordered on aggression. He helped you out of the shirt and jacket he lent to you, tossing them out of the way so he could lay you down on the bed. He still made you gasp when he touched you and you cherished the feeling of his hands and lips on your body as if it was the last time you would ever experience it. You wrapped your arms around him and held on for the ride toward mutual euphoria. The two of you were glued together for the remainder of the night.
In the morning, you woke to his back, immediately prompting a wave of deja vu. Vernon clutched your hand over his chest and you could feel his steading breathing as you rode the wave of his inhales and exhales. You kissed his skin, desperately wishing you could absorb his love and warmth and wake up to his back until the end of time.