Jude extricated himself enough to flop onto the bed beside him, albeit without putting much distance between them; both because the bed was quite small and because he wasn’t ready to give up the closeness.
And because Kieran wanted him to stay. Jude hadn’t planned on leaving: he had lapsed into a blissfully relaxed calm, and felt no urge to move. Earlier he had been certain he wouldn’t sleep until the election results were in – but now, with Kieran warm beside him, he could feel the lure of it slowly creeping into his limbs. But there was a burst of fondness that came in hearing it asked of him, all the same.
“As long as I can,” he agreed, shifting onto his side to get more comfortable. He didn’t know what the morning would bring, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to think about it anymore – but he meant more than tomorrow by his answer. As long as you’ll let me, he could have said. Haven’t I always been here with you?
He wasn’t even sure how much this would really change between them.
So Jude offered him a smile, soft at the edges, and just drank in the sight of him for a minute – until something Kieran had suggested to him once came back to him, absurdly, and almost made him snort. “Eye contact,” he echoed, deadpan.
And because Kieran wanted him to stay. Jude hadn’t planned on leaving: he had lapsed into a blissfully relaxed calm, and felt no urge to move. Earlier he had been certain he wouldn’t sleep until the election results were in – but now, with Kieran warm beside him, he could feel the lure of it slowly creeping into his limbs. But there was a burst of fondness that came in hearing it asked of him, all the same.
“As long as I can,” he agreed, shifting onto his side to get more comfortable. He didn’t know what the morning would bring, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to think about it anymore – but he meant more than tomorrow by his answer. As long as you’ll let me, he could have said. Haven’t I always been here with you?
He wasn’t even sure how much this would really change between them.
So Jude offered him a smile, soft at the edges, and just drank in the sight of him for a minute – until something Kieran had suggested to him once came back to him, absurdly, and almost made him snort. “Eye contact,” he echoed, deadpan.
