Early Morning
Early Morning
I blinked slowly, waiting as the world came into focus. I brought a hand up and rubbed my eyes as I rolled onto my side and into the warmth next to me, a smile instantly coming to my face.
Ethan was sprawled on his stomach asleep, the same way he had slept since we had met. He had one of his pillows pulled up under his head, his arms wrapped around it. His dark hair was in its usual disarray and his stubble was more prominent than it had been last night when we had fallen asleep.
I loved watching him when he was asleep, his face relaxed and stress free, something it hadn't been the last few times we had been able to meet. It was drawing close to the end of university for both of us and, as a result, our workload seemed to have doubled over night. So, whenever we did have the opportunity to meet we did, but seeing Ethan looking more and more stressed each time I saw him took its toll, and made my own workload seem larger than it was. I found myself waking earlier than he did when we were together, just to watch him as he slept.
I liked watching as he smiled in his sleep or when he frowned. I liked watching his back rise and fall softly as he breathed and I often found myself synchronizing my breathing with his. I liked listening to the quiet noises he made as he slept, the soft murmurs and the snuffles. I liked tracing my fingers down the curve of his nose, watching as it crinkled lightly under the touch. I liked the feel of his skin on his back. Soft and warm with sleep and the weight of the covers over us. I liked watching as he shifted into my touches as I traced the tattoo on his side I knew by heart, a small smile stretching across his face as he did so. I liked watching as the early morning sun worked its way up into the sky and turned his skin a brighter shade.
I liked waking early and watching him sleep as I very rarely got to see him so relaxed and vulnerable. It was something he hated showing but something I adored, so I took every chance I could. Besides, seeing him lately was becoming more and more difficult so why would I waste the time we had sleeping when I could be watching him.
I absently trailed my fingers over his skin as I watched him. Over the ridge of his eyebrows, down his nose, along his bottom lip, along his jaw line and around the shell of his ear before repeating the motions. I smiled as he wrinkled his nose every time my finger swept over the skin there. I stopped my fingers reluctantly and pressed a kiss to his forehead, slowly allowing my bottom lip to drag down to the small scar above his eyebrow I had spotted watching him sleep another time.
When I pulled away Ethan's grey eyes were half open and he smiled up at me. “Morning,” he whispered, his voice slightly hoarse and cracking due to sleep.
“Morning,” I replied leaning down to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Ethan let out a sleepy hum of contentment as he shifted, replacing his pillow with my chest, his legs tangling with mine. “Were you watching again?” he asked as he let his eyes drift shut.
“When don’t I watch you?” I answered and smiled again as he let out a small chuckle.
“Why do you do it?” he asked me and I could her the curiosity in his voice.
“Because I like watching you sleep. It keeps me calm, reminds me why we’re doing this.” I told him, shifting my fingers through his hair.
“Hmmm. Only four months left. Then you won’t have to be up stupidly early to watch.” He told me.
“I’ll probably always watch you sleep,” I pointed out to him.
“ True. What times is your train back?” Ethan asked.
“Not till eleven, I got a couple of hours left before I have to leave.”
“Well in that case I’m going back to sleep for a little bit.” I watched as Ethan curled further into me and tightened his hold around my waist.
“And I’ll go back to watching you,” I said chuckling.
“Mmm, okay then. Love you.” Ethan murmured already half asleep.
“Love you to,” I told him pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
I watched as he slowly drifted back to sleep, his breathing slowing and deepening, his eyelids flickering softly against his cheek bones. I watched as he shifted so his head was buried in my neck, his warm breath fanning out against the skin on my neck when he exhaled.
Ethan was sprawled on his stomach asleep, the same way he had slept since we had met. He had one of his pillows pulled up under his head, his arms wrapped around it. His dark hair was in its usual disarray and his stubble was more prominent than it had been last night when we had fallen asleep.
I loved watching him when he was asleep, his face relaxed and stress free, something it hadn't been the last few times we had been able to meet. It was drawing close to the end of university for both of us and, as a result, our workload seemed to have doubled over night. So, whenever we did have the opportunity to meet we did, but seeing Ethan looking more and more stressed each time I saw him took its toll, and made my own workload seem larger than it was. I found myself waking earlier than he did when we were together, just to watch him as he slept.
I liked watching as he smiled in his sleep or when he frowned. I liked watching his back rise and fall softly as he breathed and I often found myself synchronizing my breathing with his. I liked listening to the quiet noises he made as he slept, the soft murmurs and the snuffles. I liked tracing my fingers down the curve of his nose, watching as it crinkled lightly under the touch. I liked the feel of his skin on his back. Soft and warm with sleep and the weight of the covers over us. I liked watching as he shifted into my touches as I traced the tattoo on his side I knew by heart, a small smile stretching across his face as he did so. I liked watching as the early morning sun worked its way up into the sky and turned his skin a brighter shade.
I liked waking early and watching him sleep as I very rarely got to see him so relaxed and vulnerable. It was something he hated showing but something I adored, so I took every chance I could. Besides, seeing him lately was becoming more and more difficult so why would I waste the time we had sleeping when I could be watching him.
I absently trailed my fingers over his skin as I watched him. Over the ridge of his eyebrows, down his nose, along his bottom lip, along his jaw line and around the shell of his ear before repeating the motions. I smiled as he wrinkled his nose every time my finger swept over the skin there. I stopped my fingers reluctantly and pressed a kiss to his forehead, slowly allowing my bottom lip to drag down to the small scar above his eyebrow I had spotted watching him sleep another time.
When I pulled away Ethan's grey eyes were half open and he smiled up at me. “Morning,” he whispered, his voice slightly hoarse and cracking due to sleep.
“Morning,” I replied leaning down to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Ethan let out a sleepy hum of contentment as he shifted, replacing his pillow with my chest, his legs tangling with mine. “Were you watching again?” he asked as he let his eyes drift shut.
“When don’t I watch you?” I answered and smiled again as he let out a small chuckle.
“Why do you do it?” he asked me and I could her the curiosity in his voice.
“Because I like watching you sleep. It keeps me calm, reminds me why we’re doing this.” I told him, shifting my fingers through his hair.
“Hmmm. Only four months left. Then you won’t have to be up stupidly early to watch.” He told me.
“I’ll probably always watch you sleep,” I pointed out to him.
“ True. What times is your train back?” Ethan asked.
“Not till eleven, I got a couple of hours left before I have to leave.”
“Well in that case I’m going back to sleep for a little bit.” I watched as Ethan curled further into me and tightened his hold around my waist.
“And I’ll go back to watching you,” I said chuckling.
“Mmm, okay then. Love you.” Ethan murmured already half asleep.
“Love you to,” I told him pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
I watched as he slowly drifted back to sleep, his breathing slowing and deepening, his eyelids flickering softly against his cheek bones. I watched as he shifted so his head was buried in my neck, his warm breath fanning out against the skin on my neck when he exhaled.