The Dreaming Smile Above the Skin

First thing in the morning, I follow Brendon around like a hopeless puppy. I don't have the guts to tell him he shouldn't go into work, not yet, anyway. I know he loves his job but he should realize it shouldn't be much of a priority in his condition.
By the time we start to eat breakfast, he starts looking at me; I mean really looking. Maybe he figured it out. I hope not. It starts to get awkward so I bring it up.
"So about work-"
"You don't want me to go in."
My jaw almost drops to the floor.
"How... how did you know?"
"I can read you like a book, Ry." He smiles before taking a sip of water, "Plus the added fact that, well." He swings out his hand, rotating it trying to pick out the right words. He sighs in defeat, "You know."
"Yeah." I look down at the piece of toast that I haven't really touched yet.
"I'm still going in today."
My head shoots up fast, but I display no emotion. I pick at the toast again, "Okay, but don't think I'll let you out of my sight." I say under my breath.
"I wouldn't mind." I can feel his hand snake over the table and take mine.
I look at him again. There's that smile. My lips rise.
"There's my Ry." He says in a gentle voice. I look away and smile even wider.
"C'mon, hun." He says as he lets go of my hand to get up from the table. I do as well as we put the dishes away and head to work.

---

I help him put away CD's. It's settling, really. He gives me these cute little smiles every once and a while and it brings back that fuzzy feeling in my stomach. In the end, I just really wish he could stick around.
By the time it's break, he pulls me back into that closet. That same one where he first kissed me. The only one in the whole store. But this storage room was the spark of something beautiful. He puts his hands around my waist.
"I missed this." He says softly.
"Me too."
He brings me in for a soft kiss. My arms swing around his neck. My chest digging into his. Don't let me go...
When his lips release from mine, I cup his face with my hands. Our foreheads press together.
I whisper, so soft, that I pray he doesn't hear me, "Don't you dare let me go."
He brings his lips close to my ear. His breath, it tingles; it's warm, "As long as I'm here on this earth with you."
And in that moment, I wanted to break down. Not here, not now.
"I wanna go home." I say, slightly buried in the crook of his neck.
He takes my hand, "Let's go." He gives off that smile and my lips rise.
The manager already knows about... it, so we speed all the way home.

---

I lay in bed with him. It's only 6 in the afternoon but I'm not going to let him go. My head is on his chest as his fingers dance along my back.
"Ry..."
"Hm.." I look up at him.
His hand cups the side of my face as he brings me in for a sweet kiss. The kiss gets deeper as he pulls closer to me. His hand finds a way up my shirt as his fingers glide across my stomach. As much as I want him, we can't. Not now. Then he stops kissing me and it's very abrupt. He takes a breath and almost struggles for the next one.
"Damn, sorry." He whispers.
Shortness of breath. Goddamn. I hold it back as much as I can and say, "We shouldn't. Not now, anyway."
"Ry, I'm fine-"
"Not tonight." My hand goes to the side of his face as my thumb smooths out his cheek.
"Okay. You're right." He says with a light smile.
I give him a quick tender kiss on the lips. He then pulls me back onto his chest.
He starts to hum gently. I can't quite make it out, but it's soft. I can feel the vibrations and it soothes me.
Then he starts to sing quietly, "Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."
It gives me chills. I used to love this song so much.
"You are only waiting for this moment to arise..."
I close my eyes and he goes back to humming.
I feel myself drift off in the beautiful sound of his voice.