rose on his sleeve

The room was quiet as you sat up and stretched your arms slowly, groaning a little. You forced your shoulders to lower and relax. Your eyes slowly adjusted to being open, focusing on the pictures that Niall had of the two out you around his bedroom. At first, you thought they were a little cheesy, but during quarantine, you’d grown to love them. It was a reminder of something normal.

Staying with Niall had truly become a little pocket of peace and rest in the world for you. Part of you felt guilty sometimes, that you were somehow privileged enough to be here, to have your food delivered every day and your laundry sent away for you. Inside the walls of Niall’s apartment, nothing could get to you.

You walk over to the bathroom ensuite, and as soon as you open the door you can tell that Niall’s recently been in here. The room smells of his shower soap and shampoo. The smell calms your muscles as you breathe it in, looking into the mirror. You pick your hair up into a ponytail and brush your teeth, the morning routine relaxing you slowly. It was helpful to do something mundane, something that’s never changed. 

Finally, it was time to go out and locate him. You slipped on a large sweater, welcoming the colder weather that was arriving the closer it got to Fall. With bare feet you walked across the living room, eyes adjusting once again to the sunlight streaming in the big bay windows. You instantly heard his voice. 

Dear Patience, can we share a drink and let go of the pressure?

You smiled. It wasn’t the first time that you’d heard that song in the morning. You could tell that it had taken on a whole new meaning with the world changing around him. It sounded a lot different than the original demo he had played for you, and it changed every time he picked up his guitar.

You opened the sliding door out onto the balcony where he was sitting on a patio chair, closing it shut behind you. His back was facing you, his brown hair tousled and semi-tangled from bed. He was wearing a pair of boxers and a loose-fitting t-shirt, something he must have slipped on before coming outside. It amazed you how he could literally wake up with you all night and still be awake before you, maybe even before the sunrise. He continued singing, and you pictured him playing with his eyes closed, really hearing every word. There was a cup of coffee on the table beside him. You could still see the steam coming off of it. 

Hey, can you show me your face? Can you see that I’m anxious?

You walked over and sat behind him on the chair, wrapping your arms around his tummy, trying your best not to disturb his playing. He paused for a second to shuffle slightly and make you more comfortable, and then continued. You could see the corner of his mouth upturn into a smile. You smiled as well, nuzzling your nose into the back of his neck, closing your eyes as you matched his breathing and listened.

Dear Patience, if I pour my heart out, can you keep a promise?

You inhaled his smell and listened to the velvety goodness of his voice. You could truly sit there and be relaxed forever. It was a moment of normalcy, one moment in your day where you felt like nothing was wrong, and it was just the two of you. Planets in rotation, business as usual. 

“Good morning.” You eventually murmured as the song ended, nuzzling closer into his shoulder. He put his guitar beside him and set his hands atop of yours, thumbs tracing your own, causing a tickling sensation. 

“Morning,” his voice rumbled against your chest. Both of you stayed there for a long time, completely quiet, eyes closed. You took in the day together, the sun slowly heating up as it finished rising fully into the sky, lighting up the rest of the buildings around you. You could hear the eerie quiet of the world underneath you, a city that on a normal day should have been bustling, almost completely silent.