it felt like running full speed down a dark tunnel.. but only for a split second. before you know it, you're stumbling headfirst into the light again. you're surrounded by all these noises and it's too bright to make sense of anything. only, it's not really all that loud and the light isn't all that bright. in fact, what you're waking up to is probably ten times better than whatever you were dreaming about.
"say you promise"
down the tunnel, into the light. reality. jeremy growled in response and buried his head into the warm body in his arms, closing his eyes tight. the sun was coming up. he didn't have to open his eyes to know that much. he could feel it shedding through the blinds, creeping across the hardwood floor, slowly edging towards the bed in the center of the room. what day was it? sunday? sunday. no reason to be up this early. no class or work until tomorrow. good night out with friends the night before. music, alcohol, noise... what time had they finally gotten to bed? today was a day to sleep until noon and wake in time for lunch. maybe cora was talking her sleep again...
she moved again in his arms, nudging him awake. he rubbed his head against her back and breathed deeply. the familiar scent filled his nose, lulling him back to sleep. too early to be awake, but waking up to that voice was priceless.
"say it," she whispered firmly.
"what am i promising? why are you even awake..."
"promise you'll never be... afraid of me"
even in his sleepy state, the thought made him giggle. what brought this on? how could he ever be afraid of cora, of all people? the girl who yelled out, "SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA" when she stubbed her toe on the couch every other day. the girl who fed and nursed the stray cats who wandered through the alley. he could remember her throwing a fit once when a bird flew into the windshield as they drove down the interstate. she cried the whole way home.
he laughed sleepily as she turned in his arms, bringing her heart shaped face down to his. delicate fingers traced the outline of his face. across his closed eye lids, down the bridge of his nose, across his lips. jeremy wrinkled his face.
"that's easy. i promise. unless you're cramping. you can be pretty lethal at that time--"
"i love you"
her voice was shaky. jeremy opened his eyes but she was already burrowing her head beneath his chin, entwining her long limps around him in a familiar pattern. soft skin pressed against him and he wondered if there was anything in the world that could possibly compare to this feeling. he could feel her heart thumping against him. maybe a nightmare had prompted the strange conversation.
"i love you, too"
his fingers made the familiar trek up and down her soft, slender shoulder until her breathing was slow and steady again.
