>Mallory
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was how quiet the room was. It's been days since I was admitted, and my back already felt stiff from lying down too much.
It wasn't the sterile hospital quiet that woke me. It was the kind that comes from someone sitting very still beside you. Like they're afraid that even breathing too loudly might disturb you.
His hand was warm. The clasp around mine had loosened, resting against my palm instead of gripping it.
I pried my eyes open, blinking slowly as the light settled.
His fingers were laced with mine, loose but steady at the same time, like he'd been holding on for hours without tightening his grip once. I followed the line of his arm up to his face. His breathing was slow, chest rising gently, his cheek pressed against his bicep. He looked peaceful like that, especially with the sunlight slipping through the window and hitting his face, catching in his slightly messy hair.
