go down, soft sound

the weather had been miserable all day, which, honestly, felt like the only thing working in your favour.

rain had been tapping against the windows since you’d woken up, grey clouds hanging so low over the houses that it looked like evening even though it wasn’t quite time for it yet. normally you’d have complained about it, but today you were grateful. you didn’t have to go anywhere, didn’t have to make conversation with anyone, didn’t have to pretend you weren’t one mildly irritating noise away from losing your mind.

you’d slept terribly the night before, too. cramps had kept dragging you awake, your thoughts had refused to shut up, and every time you’d finally started drifting off, you’d become uncomfortably aware of something else. by the time morning came, you’d felt like you’d barely slept at all.

and then the entire day had just been too much.

too many sounds, too many notifications, too many little things going wrong for absolutely no reason. even the kettle boiling had somehow felt offensive.

ross had noticed, of course. he always did.

by the time evening rolled around, he’d somehow managed to get you into your pyjama pants, one of his shirts, brush your teeth, put your phone on charge across the room, and settle you onto the sofa beneath the softest blanket you owned. he’d even dimmed the lights without being asked, muttering something about you being “like a startled little bat” when you’d squinted at the lamp.

and this all by 8pm.

now you are curled against him, your head resting against his chest, his arm wrapped securely around you while his other hand cradles your cheek.

his thumb moves slowly beneath your eye, brushing over the warmth there before sweeping gently across your cheekbone. every few seconds he’s doing again, unhurried and patient, like he has nowhere else in the world he needed to be.

“you’re absolutely shattered, love,” he murmurs, looking down at you with that soft little frown he’s been wearing all evening. “and before you say you’re fine, i don’t believe you, because you’ve been staring at the same bit of the wall for about ten minutes.”

you make a tiny sound of protest, though even that feels like too much effort, and tucks your face further into his palm.

“mm, don’t give me that,” he says, the corner of his mouth lifting. “i know that face. that’s your ‘i’m perfectly alright and definitely not about to fall asleep sitting up’ face.”

your eyes flutter as his thumb strokes over your cheek again, and you manage to mumble that you aren’t tired.

ross gives a quiet laugh, his chest moving beneath your head. “course you’re not.“

you smile faintly at that, though your eyes have already fallen shut again.

“exactly,” he whispers, brushing his thumb gently beneath your cheek. “i’m wondering how you’re still awake, love.”

“dunno,” you hum.

“you’ve had a rotten day, haven’t you?” he asks softly, and you give another little hum in response because you can’t quite find the energy to explain it all. “yeah. thought so.”

his hand moves from your cheek to your hair, carefully smoothing it away from your forehead before returning to cradle your face.

“and you don’t have to tell me about it, either,” he continues, voice dropping into that soothing murmur that has been making your eyelids heavier by the second. “you’ve done enough today. you don’t need to sit there and give me a full bloody report.”

another sleepy hum escapes you.

“right,” he says, as though you’d given him a perfectly reasonable answer. “couldn’t have put it better myself.”

you feel his lips press gently against your forehead, lingering there for a moment before he settles back against the sofa.

the rain continues outside, steady against the glass, and somehow everything inside the room seems to have become quieter with it.

“you know what i think?” ross murmurs, his thumb tracing slow little circles against your cheek. “i think you should sleep.”

you shake your head weakly without opening your eyes, which only makes him smile.

“oh, don’t be stubborn now.”

“don’t wanna go to bed yet,” ross immediately understands what you mean despite the words barely making sense.

“you don’t have to,” he assures you, smoothing his thumb over your cheek again. “you can sleep here. i’m not moving.”

that seems to satisfy you for all of three seconds before you shift closer, practically folding yourself into him.

ross adjusts the blanket around your shoulders, tucking it beneath your chin with ridiculous care. “there we are. nice and cosy.”

your fingers loosely curl into the front of his shirt.

“you can sleep, love,” he whispers, “s’why i made you brush your teeth already and hop in your pjs, so i can carry you to bed and you can sleep all night.”

your eyes open just enough to look at him.

“carry me?” you mumble, sounding unconvinced.

“yes, carry you,” he says, looking almost offended that you questioned it. “what do you think i’ve been doing all this preparation for? i’m not sending you upstairs yourself in this state.”

you gave him the faintest smile.

“you’re ridiculous.”

“probably,” he agrees easily, pressing another kiss to your forehead. “but i’m also right.”

your eyes close again.

“and you’re going to sleep,” he continues, his voice getting quieter as he feels you relax against him. “properly sleep, too. no waking up every hour, no checking your phone, no deciding at two in the morning that you suddenly need to reorganise our bedroom.”

you make a sleepy noise that might have been a laugh.

“you don’t need to do a single thing tonight,” he whispers against your cheek, “don’t argue with me, alright?”

his fingers slip gently through your hair, combing it back again and again while his thumb continues its slow path across your cheek.

you aren’t even sure when you’d stopped hearing the rain properly.

all you can really focus on is the warmth of him beneath you, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and the gentle movement of his hand against your face.

“you’ve been so overstimulated all day,” ross whispers, almost like he is talking to himself now. “so we’re doing absolutely nothing. no telly, no music, no talking. just you and me laying here until you’re asleep.”

you hum.

“my girl,” he says softly, “just rest.”

you try to keep your eyes open because you want to stay awake with him, want to hear him talk, want to soak up the feeling of being looked after without having to ask for it.

but your eyelids are getting heavier.

“ross,” you murmur.

“yeah, love?”

“don’t go.”

his expression softens immediately.

“not going anywhere,” he promises, wrapping his arm more securely around you. “i’m right here.”

you breathe out slowly, your body finally beginning to unclench against him.

“promise?”

“promise,” he whispers, kissing your temple. “now stop worrying.”

your cheek is still nestled in his palm.

“just sleep,” he murmurs. “i’ve got you.”

you hum one last time, too tired to say anything else, and ross smiles when your fingers loosen their hold on his shirt.

“there you go,” he whispers, watching your eyes finally close. “knew you could do it.”

for a while, he doesn’t move at all.

he just lays there with you tucked against his chest, listening to the rain and feeling your breathing gradually settle into a deeper, slower rhythm.

when he is certain you are properly asleep, he brushes one final kiss against your forehead and quietly adjusts the blanket around you.

“sleep all night, love,” he murmurs, his thumb giving your cheek one last gentle stroke before he carefully slips an arm beneath your knees. “i’ll get you tucked into bed in a minute.”