Expectations
Fourteen | Hold Your Breath Now It's Stacking Up
Tom’s POV
I could tell from the gleam in Annette’s eyes that the holiday season never usually brought her any joy as I handed her the gift I’d wrapped myself, and she handed me mine. I was much faster than her, and found myself beaming at the scarf I was presented with as she told me she made it herself. I’d bought her perfume, because I hadn’t spied any in her bathroom a few weeks ago when I’d stayed over out of convenience.
“I can’t express how thankful I am,” she began, and I tried to shush her by shaking my head. “I mean, for everything. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“And what way is that?”
“Happy.” My heart warmed at her words and I may have smiled like a madman as she turned around to place her new perfume on the little shelf above her mirror in the bathroom. I followed her, mainly because I wasn’t sure what else to do. It was only the second time I’d stayed over at her place, and I was still a little uncomfortable. It was important to note, however, that I did not feel unwelcome. I knew my feelings were something personal and something I would have to deal with on my own though in saying that, I wasn’t exactly in a hurry to begin.
“Shall we watch those movies?” she exclaimed as she turned around, slightly startled as she saw me right behind her. I caught her as she ran into me and tried not to think much of her glowing cheeks.
Annette had the brilliant idea of a quiet night in together watching a few movies we’d picked at random from the video store. It was Christmas Eve and much to my surprise, I wasn’t stressed at all. I had no family occasion I had to be at come morning, and there was no one I wanted to be sitting beside more at that moment. She wiggled about for a moment as she got comfortable before sitting still with her arm lightly touching mine. It served to be the most wonderful distraction throughout what was a rather dull movie, save for a few giggles every now and then.
“Do you want to give the second movie a go? I haven’t seen it… maybe it’ll be better than the last?” I nodded, and tried to suppress the yawn that wanted to escape my lips. Then I remembered what movie we’d picked, and that I had seen it before. I wondered what she was like with horror and psychological twists.
Half way through the movie, and I was no longer wondering. Annette was clinging to my arm where she had only just been slightly touching before, and I found myself cuddling her back when the particularly gruesome parts were on. It wasn’t a movie I’d otherwise enjoy were it not for the reactions of those around me.
“Tom, I’m going to have nightmares,” she whispered as the credits rolled, and I smiled just a little. Laura would have walked off ages ago to find sleep with no worries. Sometimes, it was nice just to witness a girl being a girl. There was something very beautiful about how fragile they could be.
“It’s not real. And besides, they trapped her back down the well. She’s not getting out in a hurry!” I tried to comfort Annette a little but she wasn’t having any of it as her eyes darted back to the TV in horror. “Maybe we can sleep with the lights on?” Annette nodded her head just slightly, before she seemed to attempt to shake it from her mind. She got up and turned on the kitchen light and began to pour two mugs of milk. I helped her reach the Milo tin she’d been struggling to reach at the very back of the shelf, and we enjoyed a late night hot chocolate together sitting at her dining table. We were silent but it was late, and I could see that she was still going over the events of the movie in her mind. I ran my fingers over hers as her hand rested on the table before getting up to rinse our mugs, then making it a point to yawn. It was past one in the morning and I didn’t want to sleep through the entirety of Christmas Day.
“Are you tired?” she asked, and I nodded. Though if she wasn’t, I was prepared to stay up.
“So am I. Uhh… can I ask you something?”
“Anything, darling.”
“Can we both sleep in my room tonight?” She was blushing, which I again tried to ignore. I realised she was just scared, and probably highly embarrassed of showing so. I stood behind her and lifted her up from her place on the chair, pushing her very lightly into the bathroom to brush her teeth. I’d done mine before leaving my hotel.
I was again following her around awkwardly as she made her way into her room and closed the door behind her. I took off my shoes and then my shirt, before diving beneath the covers. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed, it was just an odd kind of situation. I wasn’t sure why. I knew Annette, but I knew her in a particular way. I felt a little dirty sleeping in the same room as her, let alone the same bed. She turned off the light and I heard as she got changed into her pyjamas in the dark, then felt as she sat down and gently made her way beneath the covers. We said our goodnights and rolled over to face separate ways, but for the life of me, I couldn’t sleep.
I’d been tossing and turning as I fell in and out of sleep, and I guess I’d woken up Annette. She turned onto her other side, and I realised she was facing me. Her face was so close to mine that I could feel her breathe as it hit my neck, but I couldn’t find it in me to turn back around.
“Can’t you sleep?” she whispered, but I couldn’t find any words. Instead, I placed my forehead gently against hers in the dark and slowly, I started to control the beating of my heart.
I could tell from the gleam in Annette’s eyes that the holiday season never usually brought her any joy as I handed her the gift I’d wrapped myself, and she handed me mine. I was much faster than her, and found myself beaming at the scarf I was presented with as she told me she made it herself. I’d bought her perfume, because I hadn’t spied any in her bathroom a few weeks ago when I’d stayed over out of convenience.
“I can’t express how thankful I am,” she began, and I tried to shush her by shaking my head. “I mean, for everything. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“And what way is that?”
“Happy.” My heart warmed at her words and I may have smiled like a madman as she turned around to place her new perfume on the little shelf above her mirror in the bathroom. I followed her, mainly because I wasn’t sure what else to do. It was only the second time I’d stayed over at her place, and I was still a little uncomfortable. It was important to note, however, that I did not feel unwelcome. I knew my feelings were something personal and something I would have to deal with on my own though in saying that, I wasn’t exactly in a hurry to begin.
“Shall we watch those movies?” she exclaimed as she turned around, slightly startled as she saw me right behind her. I caught her as she ran into me and tried not to think much of her glowing cheeks.
Annette had the brilliant idea of a quiet night in together watching a few movies we’d picked at random from the video store. It was Christmas Eve and much to my surprise, I wasn’t stressed at all. I had no family occasion I had to be at come morning, and there was no one I wanted to be sitting beside more at that moment. She wiggled about for a moment as she got comfortable before sitting still with her arm lightly touching mine. It served to be the most wonderful distraction throughout what was a rather dull movie, save for a few giggles every now and then.
“Do you want to give the second movie a go? I haven’t seen it… maybe it’ll be better than the last?” I nodded, and tried to suppress the yawn that wanted to escape my lips. Then I remembered what movie we’d picked, and that I had seen it before. I wondered what she was like with horror and psychological twists.
Half way through the movie, and I was no longer wondering. Annette was clinging to my arm where she had only just been slightly touching before, and I found myself cuddling her back when the particularly gruesome parts were on. It wasn’t a movie I’d otherwise enjoy were it not for the reactions of those around me.
“Tom, I’m going to have nightmares,” she whispered as the credits rolled, and I smiled just a little. Laura would have walked off ages ago to find sleep with no worries. Sometimes, it was nice just to witness a girl being a girl. There was something very beautiful about how fragile they could be.
“It’s not real. And besides, they trapped her back down the well. She’s not getting out in a hurry!” I tried to comfort Annette a little but she wasn’t having any of it as her eyes darted back to the TV in horror. “Maybe we can sleep with the lights on?” Annette nodded her head just slightly, before she seemed to attempt to shake it from her mind. She got up and turned on the kitchen light and began to pour two mugs of milk. I helped her reach the Milo tin she’d been struggling to reach at the very back of the shelf, and we enjoyed a late night hot chocolate together sitting at her dining table. We were silent but it was late, and I could see that she was still going over the events of the movie in her mind. I ran my fingers over hers as her hand rested on the table before getting up to rinse our mugs, then making it a point to yawn. It was past one in the morning and I didn’t want to sleep through the entirety of Christmas Day.
“Are you tired?” she asked, and I nodded. Though if she wasn’t, I was prepared to stay up.
“So am I. Uhh… can I ask you something?”
“Anything, darling.”
“Can we both sleep in my room tonight?” She was blushing, which I again tried to ignore. I realised she was just scared, and probably highly embarrassed of showing so. I stood behind her and lifted her up from her place on the chair, pushing her very lightly into the bathroom to brush her teeth. I’d done mine before leaving my hotel.
I was again following her around awkwardly as she made her way into her room and closed the door behind her. I took off my shoes and then my shirt, before diving beneath the covers. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed, it was just an odd kind of situation. I wasn’t sure why. I knew Annette, but I knew her in a particular way. I felt a little dirty sleeping in the same room as her, let alone the same bed. She turned off the light and I heard as she got changed into her pyjamas in the dark, then felt as she sat down and gently made her way beneath the covers. We said our goodnights and rolled over to face separate ways, but for the life of me, I couldn’t sleep.
I’d been tossing and turning as I fell in and out of sleep, and I guess I’d woken up Annette. She turned onto her other side, and I realised she was facing me. Her face was so close to mine that I could feel her breathe as it hit my neck, but I couldn’t find it in me to turn back around.
“Can’t you sleep?” she whispered, but I couldn’t find any words. Instead, I placed my forehead gently against hers in the dark and slowly, I started to control the beating of my heart.
♠ ♠ ♠
I don't know why, but I found myself watching Youtube videos of Tom (again) and felt the urge to update this. Sorry it's been a while.Chapter title credited to Straightjacket Feeling by The All-American Rejects.