Strings of Fate

96- Cosy and close Back in Bellamy’s room | keep my towel tight around my chest as | sort through my packed bag looking for the pyjamas | shoved in underneath all the other stuff. | find a pair of underwear easily enough. | drop the pyjama pants on the bed as | search for the top. Bellamy is looking at them with a funny look on his face. Somewhere between confusion and embarrassment.

“What?” | ask, looking back between him and the pyjamas. | know they're childish fuzzy flannel ones, but it’s not like the unicorn ones he’s seenin before were particularly impressive. What's so weird about these ones? “It's nothing, just... | don’t know. You're going to think I'm creepy if | ask...” He trails off. | tilt my head and raise an eyebrow.

“Ask what?” | prompt.

“Would you wear my t-shirt?” He blurts out. Okay, not what | was expecting.

“Why?” | ask.

“Well, you wore one the last tyou slept here. It's weird, but it madefeel... secure, having you all wrapped up in my scent. | could use that feeling right now.” He admits.

“I can’t pretend | understand that. But | don’t particularly mind.” | tell him and drop the top. | had just found back into the bag. | loop my pyjama pants over one arm and grab my underwear then wait for Bellamy to dig around in his stuff and finda top to wear. He drops a blue t-shirt over my arm and | step into his ensuite to get dressed. His top is so big onit falls off my right shoulder leaving it uncovered. But it is comfortable. The moment | step out of the bathroom, Bellamy scoopsup in his arms, a little like his did earlier when he first foundhiding in my kitchen. He hugstight and buries his face against my shoulder, apparently unbothered by my wet hair which is currently dripping down my back.

“Thankyou.” He murmurs against my shoulder. He eventually releasesand steps back to look at me, letting out a heavy sigh.

1/4 96- Cosy and close “What's wrong?” | ask him “The fact that you're askingwhat's wrong is what's wrong. I'm feeling kind of like a jerk. You've had an awful traumatic night and somehow you're still the one comforting me. It should be able to hold it together well enough to take care of you without pushing my issues onto you.” His tone is apologetic.

“It's okay. I'm really fine. A little stressed, but nothing really happened. Worrying about other people is always more scary than actually being at risk yourself. When Megan was about to marry Tristan | was waaay more upset than | am tonight. Besides, I'm just learning more about you. Also you HAVE been taking care ofYou've been here, you lethave my first bubble bath in as long as | can remember and you've taken care of everything. Without you | would probably still be sitting behind the kitchen bench hoping whoever it was wouldn't cback. Or maybe a police station being ignored while | complain about vandalism and property damage done by sunknown person. Instead, I'm here with you, I'm safe and | don’t have to worry about cleaning up glass and blocking up my window before | can sleep.” Bellam doesn’t seem convinced.

“You're still doing it. Trying to makefeel better. But | failed, you got hurt. | didn’t keep you safe.” He looks completely devastated and | have no idea how to help anymore. What tis it anyway? It feels late. Or early. I'm not sure. But | am starting to feel lethargic. I'm physically relaxed from my bath and Bellamy’s ministrations. | don’t know if my mind is going to be sleepy but it’s worth a try.

“What tis it?” | look around for my phone and find it on the bed next to my bag. | try to check the time, but the screen stays dark. Shoot, it must be flat. | probably forgot to charge it in the evening before | went to bed.

I'm not surprised, | didn’t even check my messages. | guess | won't be catching up on the group chat tonight. I'll have to wait to find out what Harry has done next in his attempts to rile (seduce?) the cute bartender. Bellamy glances at his own phone.

“It's around quarter past four in the morning.” He answers, then he takes my bag from the bed in front ofand moves it to the ground at the end of the bed.

“Hop in, I'm just going to change into a dry shirt and I'll join you.” He gestures down to the grey top he’s wearing. It has a large damp spot down his chest and stomach. Partially from washing my hair and apparently getting water everywhere, and partially because he huggedand all my wet hair. | clumsily climb into the bed straight to the back corner closest to 2/4 96- Cosy and close the wall. Bellamy has done the sthing | have and keeps his bed pushed up against a wall. | guess people who normally sleep alone don’t have to worry about making sure the bed is accessible from multiple sides.

There's no one else to disturb. In his fresh clothes, Bellamy climbs into bed besideand his brow furrows a little.

“You're so far away.” He complains. He then reaches out and dragstowards him until | am about as close to him as | can be without lying on top of him. He moves around until he can scoopup and slide his arm under my neck and rollstowards himself a little so now | really am lying half on top of him. He reaches out and turns off the lamp, stretching to reach without pushingoff. In the dark, he wraps his free arm around my waist tightly. Very tightly actually, it's a little uncomfortable.

“Bellamy... you're holding on a little tight...” | whisper. His arm on my waist loosens a little.

“I didn’t realise.” he sounds oddly anxious for a guy lying in bed with his (okay this feels weird but) girlfriend.

With his grip onloosened, | move around a bit to get more. comfortable. | face away from him because it feels weird to be basically breathing in his face, then scoot in close against him. | quickly use my arm that isn’t pinned belowto grab my long hair and pull it over my shoulder so that it isn’t sticking in his face.

“Is this better?” | ask nervously. Usually he’s the one to grab ontoand pullcloser, or if it isbeing clingy I'm asleep and don’t remember doing it.

“Almost perfect.” He responds before draping his arm over my waist again. He snuggles into me. Finally we're both comfortable except... I'm not sure exactly how... relaxed Bellamy is really feeling. He might be calmer now but his situation from the bathroom earlier does not seem to have settled. In this position I can feel him pressed up againstand | don’t quite know how I'm supposed to react. Since I'm not ready to do anything about it, do | just ignore his obvious arousal? What is the protocol here? Is there protocol for this? I'm pretty sure by the tmost couples are living and sleeping together they're usually also... sleeping together. Ugh | am so awkward. | can feel my heart rate increasing as | work myself up into a nervous wreck.