She could see that he was going to argue about staying here. While she wasn't totally sold on the idea either, she didn't think he had anywhere to go. If he was going to stay in her room, she would be more cautious about the way they touched each other. "I know it's not the best idea, but you don't have anywhere to go. I don't want you getting hurt, because you didn't stay here. I know it doesn't fix everything, but one of us can sleep in the floor," she told him. She knew it would look really bad if they ever got caught, but Eric didn't have anywhere else to go.

At this point it was probably the time, when she should have told her parents. They wouldn't have been able to get mad at her now, but she didn't go tell them. At least she wouldn't have gotten in trouble. At least her mother would understand that Eric had a rough home life, and that he needed a safe place to stay. They both turned frightened toward the door, when it moved open. They were dead meat. She could see them being roasted now. Polly! Her limbs were shaky as she got up to bring Polly over.

She smiled amused as Eric held a cat. Did most people look that awkward when they held an animal they didn't have much experience with. She giggled with him. She leaned against him, when he reassured her that Daniel wouldn't bother her. "What would I do without my brave protector?" she smiled at him. She was a little teasing, and a little serious. If he asked either way she could always deny it. "But...what exactly caused you to beat him up? It seems a bit belated," she remarked wondering if she really wanted to know.

When she said the next thing, she felt her heart drop. She had ruined something by mentioning that she just knew it. The cat was disturbed and fell into the floor. She couldn't look at his face full of shock. "Oh," she snuck a glance at him to see what he was thinking. She noticed that he was nervous too, so she straightened up a bit. She nodded her head. It had made sense, and it was probably the right thing to do. She didn't say yay or nay about it, because she was afraid that she would make him feel bad or push him away accidentally. "I'm happy to know that you were going to ask. I probably would have said yes regardless of whether that was a good idea," she smiled at him, after deciding that she had something she could say, "But you made the right decision."

She sighed looking at him sadly. They had been so close to being in a relationship. However she wasn't sure how it would really change things other than you could do more physical affection. "Momma didn't talk to Daddy before she talked to me. That's why she didn't know. You don't mind that I asked do you?" She looked down and realized that they were holding hands, and looked back up at him. After all of this, she felt like she should remind him. He didn't have parents who told him that he was loved, so she had to do it.

"You know that I love you," she just said it as a statement. "Whatever happens I love you, and I want to help you." She thought he could use some extra encouragment. It didn't have the tone that she was meaning romantic love. It was just love. She giggled with him. She was beginning to get tired, and she wanted to lay down and continue to talk or go to sleep. She flopped onto her pillow. "Ahhhhhhh." She moved her blankets so that she was covered and yawned.

"I'm not going to sleep yet, but I am sleepy. Anything else you wanted to say?" She gave him her most annoying smirk, "Yup. Yup. I gift you.....the floor to sleep on. I may love you, but you aren't getting my warm bed. I also rob you of your chance to be gallant." She moved over so he could lie down beside her. It would be awkward trying to talk to him if he was on the floor and she was up on the bed. If he didn't want to lie down beside her, he could sit there. While she had found cuddling relaxing the last time she had been crying, for some reason she felt like it would be a bad idea to do here.

They had been just as lone and unsupervised at prom as here, so it was probably about the same amount of temptation. She was too innocent to know if beds or cars would make it harder to resist. The car had been more cosy, but a bedroom was normally more private. Frankly, the thought of her parents walking in on them was chilling enough to wipe out any real chance of that happening. She could feel sleep weighing heavily on her eyes. She checked the clock and realized that she would normally be fast asleep. How long would they plan on staying up? She wondered if Gunner was okay, but she knew Eric couldn't do anything to help, and she didn't want to worry him.

She leaned up against him, teasing him lightly with her words, saying that he was her brave protector. He scoffed a little at how it sounded, giggling quietly. "I just don't know," he responded, the teasing obvious in his voice. He was making it sound over dramatic and helpless. "What would you do without me, your brave knight in shining armour." He smiled at her, and for the first time tonight his bright blue eyes were mostly happy.

She asked him why he had beaten Daniel up, and why so late. He paused, unsure if he should tell her. She was already nervous about facing him again, and if he knew that he had still been talking about her and still thinking about trying it again....he wasn't sure how she would take that. "Well I was still furious at him for what he did, and I kept thinking to myself that there was no way I was going to let him get away home free after what he did to you." he said quietly. "The more I thought about it...the more I reasoned with myself. Just let it go." He swallowed.

"I went to the school to do weights over break, and some other guys went too. Daniel was one of them. Everything went pretty well until we left the building and then..." He trailed off, shrugging. "He and a couple guys started talking about you and what happened, and they were encouraging him to do it again. He didn't back down or argue with them, which in my mind meant that he was more than willing to try again." He looked at her. "That was enough to light my fuse." He shrugged. "He's got a broken nose and a lot to think about now."

He gave her a small smile as she said she probably would have said yes to being his girlfriend regardless of what had happened. "I figured." he said quietly. "Which is why I chose not to. It's better to wait and figure out emotions before thrusting yourself into a new experience where lots of emotions will be present and thrown in your face."

She clarified that her mother hadn't talked to Michael before saying any of that, and it really cleared the picture up. He nodded. "That makes a lot more sense." he said. "Of course I don't mind," he told her softly, dipping his head at her with a playful look on his face that said, You should have known that by now. He smiled calmly at her as she said that she loved him, a good reminder that he really needed. He knew she wasn't implying romantic love, not in this instance, and he was okay with that. Because at least someone loved him in some way, and he was glad she did.

"I know." he whispered to her, his expression unknowingly becoming child-like again, making him look a lot more innocent and young. "I love you, too. I'll always be here for you." After a brief moment, she dramatically flopped back onto her pillow, letting out a long breath, and then yawning. She shifted so her body was wrapped in her blankets, and he grinned at her, still sitting in the same spot.

He had a feeling that he should go. He should just crawl out of the window and leave. A quick flash of lightning reminded him of the storm outside, but he was sure that he could make it home safely. He glanced over at where she'd set his clothes to dry, and for a moment he was really considering getting up and leaving. He didn't want her to get in any trouble, and more importantly....he didn't want to make a mistake that they both would regret.

He shook his head as she asked him if there was anything more he needed to say, and he smirked right back at her. Two could play at this game. "My chance to be gallant has been robbed," he stated, and then promptly fell forward, landing with a soft thump in the spot that she'd made for him. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and started to tickle her sides playfully, orneriness lighting up his eyes.

He was tired, too, but for once he was actually happy. And if she really thought it best and wanted him to stay...he would risk that for her. But he wasn't going down without a fight. Since he knew her parents were in bed and asleep, he didn't want to get too rowdy or rambunctious, but...she'd started it. Right? He laid one leg across hers so she couldn't accidentally kick him in a place he would really rather not be kicked, and rolled over a bit on top of her.

Not in a sexual manner, but in a playful way that you could almost see a young child doing with an older sibling while playing. "Your brave shining knight in armour is choosing not to be so gallant tonight," he said a little flirtatiously at her, looking down at her face. "A challenge is a challenge m'lady...and I accept." He grinned at her and rolled back over, wrapping his arms around her tightly and bringing her with him.

If she'd thought in any way that he was going to be his typical, gallant, do the right thing kinda guy...he would oppose that just to prove her wrong. He would never do anything to hurt her or take advantage of her, but she also did need to see this playful ornery side of him too, because he had a feeling that if they got together as an official couple someday....he would be showing this side a lot. He wouldn't want to be all quiet and nice and shy and then pull a complete 180 on her. So here he was! He had different sides to him, and this was one he hardly ever had the chance to show. Because he hardly ever was this happy.

Even though he was tired, even though he was still internally upset at his father and what had happened...Kailey always, always made things better. She didn't even realize how fast she could do it, too. He hadn't been here more than an hour, and already he was done crying and his depressed and high anxiety mood had switched to this.

She didn't realize how special she was.

He was glad that she was going to be more cautious around guys like Daniel. It could be hard to spot, and intentions could be hard to figure out, but with an ability like she had it shouldn't be too hard for her. Especially if she really started paying attention and being aware of those around her. He felt a lot of pressure suddenly be added to his shoulders as she began saying that she could freak out and cry without him there. What if he couldn't make it to school one day? What would happen once he graduated and went off to college? She would definitely be on her own then.

But he felt a surge of protectiveness, and that pressure on his shoulders vanished. As long as he was here, as long as he was able, he would do his best to be here for her, watch out for her, and protect her from dangers like these. It was then that he realized just how long he'd been protective of her. From the first day he'd met her, when she showed up in a cast, everything he did since then revolved around that and trying to avoid hurting her anymore in any way.

Then it had just been a crush, but even still he'd felt this unnatural sense of protectiveness around her, like it was his job. She started to point out reasons why he shouldn't leave, and he just smiled, shaking his head. He found himself wondering yet again...

Why is she so cute?

At first, after he'd grabbed her, she laughed. She joked around a little, using her best Gollum voice, and he almost flinched, hoping that her volume hadn't woken her parents. He'd felt her body begin to tense just before she spoke, and he instantly felt a huge wave of guilt. Maybe he shouldn't have done this...

But she hadn't been scared of him before, had she? The night of prom they sat in the car together and she had been fine. At least, he thought she had been. She'd kissed him, and he had never once felt her tense up or try to get away during that. She spoke his name, and his hold on her loosened even more. He knew his expression probably looked nervous and confused, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't hide that he really was scared that he'd done something wrong, that he'd blew it, that he'd done the one thing he never wanted to do. He didn't want to scare her, he never ever would want to hurt her, and he sure as heck didn't want to lose her as a friend. What if he just did?

He felt awful, and he could hear the quavering in her voice. He just nodded, sliding slowly and gently off of her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He was still overwhelmed and confused, and now he was starting to get scared. Was there going to be another whole new wave of rules and boundaries that he wasn't allowed to cross now? Because she would be scared of him? He hoped not. How was he supposed to know now whether or not he should still be considering asking her to be his girlfriend if she was scared of him?

If she didn't want him touching her, or getting close, should he even be planning on asking her such an important question? He knew relationships weren't all about physical touch, but physical affection was something that he really wanted and valued. He didn't really know how to show his love for her other than doing small things or writing notes. Words could mean anything, actions were what proved it.

Maybe not doing anything would show more than doing. Especially if she was scared and didn't want him too close to her. She patted his shoulder, calling him a lump, but he still couldn't find the energy or mindset to smile. He had just been being playful, but that had seriously backfired, and the more he thought about her tensing up, flinching away, he cursed Daniel for ever doing what he did.

If it wasn't for his stupid move, that stupid thing he pulled...she wouldn't be scared of her best friend. "I'm sorry," he whispered again, scared now to do anything. Now more than ever he was considering leaving. The window was right there, he could get up and leave. Maybe he could find someplace in the park to sleep. Sure, it would be cold and raining, but it wasn't worth it to keep making mistakes here and scaring her. He felt terrible. He was angry at himself, and furious at Daniel.

Never once had Eric even considered trying to take advantage of Kailey, and surely she had seen that it wasn't his intention, right? "I just...." he trailed off, his heart starting to beat frantically as anxiety began to take over. He'd ruined things.

You blew it. His mind spat nastily at him. You blew it. Leave now, before you make things worse like you always do. Leave her alone, she hates you now. Leave!

"Maybe I should go," he said, his voice wavering and breaking a little. He didn't want to cry, he'd cried enough. Enough tears had been shed, but he really felt like doing so. He'd scared her, he'd put her in a position similar to what Daniel had done, and she probably was scared of him now too. So much for being her protector.

Even though she was feeling it first hand, she found it hard to believe that one little incident could chance ones life so completely. She really hoped that this was only a phase, because the fear was exhausting, and it constantly surrounded her. Perhaps God was calling her to him, and he wanted her to trust him more. She felt a little more fear about that. How was she supposed to do that? While she trusted that God had a good plan for her, she still wanted to try to avoid having anything bad happening to her.

She was constantly alert, and it made her anxious. She wasn't sure how to trust on him and not be anxious. When she began to feel anxious pinned under Eric, she wondered why she hadn't felt like this in the car. If she remembered correctly, he had always held or so that she could get off of him fairly easily. Perhaps it was that or she had been too emotional to feel fear. Perhaps the fullness of what had happened hadn't settled in on her. Whatever it was, she was being triggered by the position she was in.

She could see that she hadn't hid her fear, because Eric looked confused. She mentally cursed herself and this new fear. She could feel him worrying, and she knew she would have to set to work. She began thinking about her fear wondering what exactly had caused it. She decided to go with her first theory. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out like that," he tone was downcast. "I..l didn't even think about the fear, I was just afraid. I think it's because I felt trapped. I couldn't get out from under you." She wanted to start crying, because of what she had did.

It felt lousy to make your friend feel terrible just because he was being playful. She didn't want to ask him if he was hurt or disappointed by her, because she knew the answer. She knew it wouldn't necessarily make him love her less, but it might make him double think a lot of things. "I know you didn't mean to scare me, and that you weren't hurting me, but I couldn't help it," she bitterly admitted. "I think we're just going to have to be more careful." She hated to say it. "I think I got scared, because I didn't feel like I could get away or have a choice. I guess people will have to make sure that I don't feel trapped and don't give me affection impulsively. I mean when they give me affection to do it slow enough so I have time to duck out of it," she ducked her head feeling a bit ashamed.

What she meant by impulsively was not doing it quickly, and give her time to duck out of it if she wanted to. She would prefer it when people asked her if they could hug her even though it would feel awkward. It would affect a lot of people, including visiting family members. She wouldn't want to have to explain to everyone of them why they needed to be gentle and careful with her. Why had she ever thought that prom was a good idea? How could she not have known?

She hadn't really given him rules, but they were guidelines that would hopefully stop her from panicking. She scooted close and gave him a hug trying to reassure him that she wasn't mad, and she wasn't scared of him. She could still feel a little nervous anxiety, but she was able to push it away and hide it for now. What if Eric decided that he didn't want her as his girlfriend, because she couldn't handle physical touch? She knew he would be there for her, but she had hoped eventually that would be an option. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I know that you weren't doing anything bad. I shouldn't have freaked out."

It was true. She shouldn't have. At least before prom night that wouldn't have been a problem. "I'm not scared of you. I was just scared during that moment, but I am not right now." It was sort of a lie. She wasn't scared that he would do anything physical to her, but she was scared that if he left there would be something missing in her heart. She wasn't sure what it would mean, but ti couldn't be good if he left. She wanted to say something else and more meaningful, but she kept on going round in circles.

She hated that she had made things tense and emotional again. She had tried to joke, but it hadn't done anything for either of them. She wondered if Eric could understand. He had anxiety. Why couldn't he understand hers? She hated that her actions had pushed him away, and it made her feel broken. It made her feel like something inside of her needed to be fixed, but she had no idea how to do that. It was harder for her to find reasons to have him stay, but she could understand why he would want him to go. She wanted to wail at him that if he left her, it would make her feel worse and more of a jerk.

However, she wasn't going to resort to crying to encourage him to stay. "Please don't go. I'm still worried about your safety, and it's still raining outside. You are going to feel even more miserable," she told him. If he was alone by himself in the rain, he would think about his dead mother, his father, and he would feel that his best friend had pushed him out. He would feel miserable, cold, and drenched, and he would be pitying himself, and it wasn't a good mixture at all. Perhaps she should give him space to think, but she was afraid that the next time she saw him there would be a gap between them.

She was afraid that they would be awkward around each other and she wouldn't know how to be close to him. What if it hurt his feelings too much and he didn't want to talk to her anymore? What if it broke their close friendship? She tried to remind herself that love was stronger than that, but she was still afraid. She continued to hug him, "I want you to stay, but if you need to leave, I won't continue to make you stay." She realized that she was forcing him as much as he had trapped her playfully.

Eric listened to her as she apologized. It made sense, and he understood her fear and anxiety, but at the same time...it was him. Did she not fully trust him? It kind of stung, but he wasn't going to let that destroy his feelings for her, or let it get in the way of their friendship. He would start having to think more in depth about whether or not he should still ask her to be his girlfriend, though. Or at least...give it a lot more time than he was hoping to give it. Obviously, Daniel had made quite the impact, and he didn't think it was going to be a fast recovery. Physical wounds healed a lot faster than emotional ones sometimes.

"I'll try and be more careful," he said quietly as she went on to explain things. More boundaries. More guidelines. Was it always this exhausting to love somebody? She scooted closer to him, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. While normally it would make him feel a lot better...this time it really didn't. Did she mean it? Or was she actually scared to hug him and just did it to try and make him feel better.

Stop trying to bring me down. He thought bitterly do the pressing anxiety that was continuing to spit nasty things at him. He half heartidly hugged her back with one arm, his other supporting him as he half laid, half sat on the bed beside her. She apologized again, and he felt the muscles in his body lose their tension, and he closed his eyes, holding her tighter. He really felt like crying. There were so many emotions swirling within him. He loved her, but she was scared of him. He loved her...but he'd hurt her. He'd scared her. She said she wasn't scared of him, but how could he ever be sure?

She asked him not to go, and he felt as if he was being tugged in two different directions. He'd done enough, hadn't he? He'd made enough mistakes, hadn't he? But he found that even though he knew it was the wise decision to leave, to get out of this, he still couldn't bring himself to actually do it. He couldn't leave her side, and even if he somehow managed to...he wouldn't get very far before turning and running right back to her.

He hesitated, really thinking on what he should do. She hugged him again, and whispered,

"I want you to stay, but if you need to leave, I won't continue to make you stay."

He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes again, his arm giving out from underneath him. He slid slowly down to fully lay on the bed beside her, all of his energy draining and all the emotions catching up to him. "I can't leave." he whispered, opening his eyes and looking up at her. "I'd just come running right back." He gave her a hesitant, questioning look, before reaching out and softly grabbing her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. He lay on his back, looking at her.

He wasn't mad at her, and he refused to stay hurt. She was going through something that wasn't easy, and it would take her time to get over it. There was fear in the back of his mind that maybe she wouldn't ever get over it, but he told himself that even if she never fully healed, he would take the responsibilty upon his shoulders to work with her. He wouldn't force her to do anything, but he found that he still loved her enough that he would still be willing to ask her to be his girlfriend. And maybe...maybe years in the future if all went well...he could ask her to be more.

He was willing to be the partner that she needed, even if it meant dialing back his wants. Not excessively so, but enough to where she would feel comfortable around him, and maybe if somehow her trust in him had been broken, maybe he could build it back up. Small steps was what it would take, but he was willing. He was patient.

"I'm sorry I scared you." he whispered, taking his other hand and running it softly up her arm. "I didn't mean to." His eyes were beginning to sting a little with tiredness, and his body felt so much heavier than it actually was. He knew now that he couldn't move. He wasn't sure if he could make it to the floor. He knew she probably wanted him to sleep down there, but his body felt so weak all of a sudden as the exhaustion of everything set it.

"I'd never do anything to hurt you, you know that." he whispered, swallowing back the lump in his throat. He was not going to cry anymore, he refused to start crying again. "You're my best friend, Kailey. I respect you a lot." He hesitated, squeezed her hand a little, and then let go, not wanting her to feel trapped or held down again even though he was laying next to her and not on top.

He felt like they needed to talk a little more about their relationship as of now, and what the future could potentially bring. At least a little more than they had been. They were friends, he knew that, and very close ones. But he also felt that as of now they were a little more. An unspoken thing. He wanted her to know what he wanted, so she would be aware of what would be coming at some point in the future.

"But...you know that I also want more with you." he said quietly. "I think that I'll be wanting that for awhile, though." He informed her. "I don't know how long or how much time you are going to need to get through all of this. But I just want you to know that no matter how long it takes, I'll be patient enough to wait. Until the right time." He breathed in slowly, getting more tired with each passing second. "Please don't push me away. I want to get closer with you, not further, and if this...whatever this fear is...if it's permanent...I'll work on doing what you need me to do."

Despite his wishes, he felt the warmth of a tear run slowly down his cheek. But he wiped it away and held back any more that were thinking about coming. "I don't want to lose you, Kailey. Not as a friend and...not as anything more, either."

He didn't know how she would take that implication, but he was hoping that she would see that he wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

Eric was glad she was listening and at least trying to take into account what he was saying, and as she reached over to hug him he felt himself relax even more. She had laid down next to him on the bed to face him, and impossibly noticed that he had started to cry. He gave her a smile, a look in his eyes that said a thousand words. He didn't want anybody else. He felt like he didn't need anybody else. He knew that they weren't a couple yet, and he knew that when they eventually did become official, that there was a high possibility of their relationship not lasting.

Maybe he was desperate, or maybe he was hopeful. Or maybe he was just a healthy combination of both, but he wasn't willing to let it fail. Not unless it absolutely had to. She was the only girl around his age that he'd ever liked, and she was the only person who seemed to really care about him. She told him that if he was willing to work with her, she would do the same for him, and that made him feel better. She started saying that she didn't know why he thought it was a good idea to do what he did, especially when they were supposed to be being quiet.

He gave her a shy and embarassed smile in the dark, lightning striking just long enough for her to really see his expression. His eyes lit up in the brief flash, and thunder rumbled overhead. The rain and storm had posed something threatening when he'd ran here earlier tonight. But now...the distant thunder, the sound of the rain against the house...it was almost peaceful. Soothing. "Yeah...I don't know either." he admitted. She leaned forward and to his surprise gave him a peck on the nose before laying back.

He kind of looked away for a second, trying to wipe the stupid childish grin off of his face, and trying to get the stupid butterflies to stop fluttering around in his stomach. She asked him how long they were staying up, and in all honesty he didn't know how to answer. He wanted to sleep, and he knew she did too. But he couldn't get up. His body was just not working. His muscles were so tired, and he felt as if he weighed a hundred more pounds than he actually was.

All of the emotions that he'd felt swirling around before, all the stress his body had been put through and building up over the past few days..it was draining the energy from his body, and now that he'd gotten most of it out by talking to her and crying so heavily....his brain was finally close to being at peace. Sure, he had a few more things to worry about with Kailey now, but those in time could be dealt with.

As he lay there trying to think of an answer besides saying he didn't know, the rain continued to patter, the thunder continued to rumble further and further into the distance. He glanced over at the clock to see that it read 4:00am, and he felt another wave of guilt wash over him for coming in so late and waking her to deal with his problems.

He had rolled over onto his back, and then onto his other side so his back was facing her, and his eyes closed as his brain still continued to try and function for an answer. But he was so tired....

"I can't.." he whispered softly, barely audible. His brain wouldn't let his mouth finish the sentence. I can't stay up any later. His thoughts finished for him, thankful to have a mind reader by his side. Please don't kick me out. He didn't think his body could handle being forced to get up and moved to the floor. Surely she knew he wouldn't dare try and do anything to her, surely....

He laid there, his muscles finally, finally relaxing fully as his mind buzzed out and started to dull. His eyes were closed, and he didn't even possess the strength anymore to open them at all. His mind was slowly slipping out of its awakened state, and his body was directly behind it. He could feel the light weight of her body in bed next to his, and could hear her soft breaths and movements of the sheets with any subtle movement she made.

In a strange way it reminded him of having Gunner on the bed with him, but much sweeter, and so much more fulfilling. He found himself wondering briefly if he would ever get this chance again, and what it would be like to have this every night for the rest of his life with her. Someday when they were both adults, mature and wiser in their ways...he couldn't help but wonder.

Goodnight. he thought to her, one of the few last things his mind could form into words. Love you...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning had come much faster than Eric would have liked. The rain had ceased, and the morning sun was now filtering through the windows, causing his closed eyes to squeeze shut tighter and beg to stay closed. He took in a deep breath through his nose, his defined chest expanding and then returning to normal as the air left his body.

He was still too tired to move, too tired to even open his eyes. His mind wasn't working quite right just yet, and just as he had the thought to wake up completely, his brain dismissed it and his entire body relaxed once again, sinking back fully into the bed. He vaguely remembered having gone to sleep on top of the covers, whilst Kailey was underneath, just for an extra barrier. But the more he lay there now, the longer his brain was getting to function, he thought he could feel his lower half being heated more so than his upper half.

He was still groggy, his eyes still having not opened, but yet another warning signal was sent to his brain. A familiar feeling in his arms....

Eric groaned quietly, still too tired to move much more or do anything else, and his brain pushed back the warnings, and his body just accepted the fact that he had an arm draped loosely over Kailey's side, his torso pressed smoothly against hers. The sun filtering through the windows was no longer an annoyance, because his mind had blocked it out, and there he was, drifting back into a deep sleep, his breathing slowing back to steady and calming, his chest rising and falling slowly with each one, and his heart pumping calmly, sending small comforting vibrations into Kailey's own.

For all he knew, he hadn't even fully realized the position they were in, and was innocent to the fact that in his sleep, he'd somehow sensed distress from her or himself, and instinctively wrapped himself closer to her, an inate protection mechanism. She could have had a bad dream and he'd sensed it, or he could have had one and instinctively rolled over closer to her for an almost motherly or lover-like comfort.

He was dead to the world as of now though, and it would take a bit more than a few small sounds or movements to wake him up.

Eric was in a deep sleep, having been up into the early hours of the morning, and the emotions from the past few days having been released like the kraken. His energy was depleated, and his body was finally recharging. He was relaxed, comfortable, somehow still unaware of the position he was in and who he was holding in his arms.

His brain sent a signal to his body, and he felt movement on his chest and arm, even down on his legs. But even still, he wasn't nearly awake enough to make much movement other than a small curl of his legs. Another signal, this time a hand touching him, nudging him. He felt his breath kind of falter, and his muscles tensed slightly as the subtle touch made him roll over onto his back, still asleep but in the process of awakening.

"Eric," Was that his name being called? He felt another nudge, this time harder, and he instinctively lifted his arm to his face, groaning quietly at the disturbance. He didn't want to wake up, he wanted to sleep. He needed to sleep. It took him a second or two to find the energy to actually open his eyes, and once he did he took in a deep satisfying breath through his nose and let it out, expanding his chest and filling his lungs with air before letting it all out.

He slid a glance over to Kailey, and was a little shocked to discover how close they were too each other. He had moved in the process of being woken up, so he had no idea how close they had been before that, but she was still pressed against him, their legs entwined under the covers. It took him a moment to even register where he was, and why Kailey was waking him up.

He took one hand to rub across his face to try and wake up a little further. "Morning," he said quietly back to her, his voice coming out a little weaker than he'd been expecting it to. He still felt exhausted, and he knew that he would not be going on a run this morning, or to weights. He nodded as she said he'd have to be going soon, knowing that he should and would, but really not wanting to. Even though it had only been a few short hours, it had been one of the best night's sleep he'd gotten in awhile.

"I don't want to," he whispered nearly silently to her, giving her a small and shy smile, his eyes filled with a buried sadness, but at the same time alight with love and affection. He purposefully made a sad pouty face at her, and ran a finger softly down the side of his face, mimicking a tear rolling down. He smiled and gently reached across, rolling back over on his side to face her, and placed a hand gently on the side of her face, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes for a brief moment.

He opened his bright blue eyes and grinned, looking like a mischievious young boy. "You know if I could...I'd start a tickle fight." he said, giggling a little. "I'd win, of course." The orneriness faded a little from his eyes, and his grin turned to a more mature one as he pulled back from her. "Thank you for everything." he whispered. "It means a lot."

His ears pricked, and his heart stopped for a second and dropped into his stomach as noises were heard down the hall. Fear rushed into his mind, and he abruptly shot up, the covers falling down softly into his lap as Kai's eyes widened and her voice hissed to hide. Her parents. Her parents were awake. They were probably coming to check on her. It took him a second to even be able to think, and he looked frantically at her, his mouth opening.

"Where do I go?" he hissed at her, panic rising in his chest as his heart finally got the message to start beating again.