☆ ┊ baby, you’re my shelter.
all that riley felt in that moment was confusion and fear. even what discomfort he felt from the soggy clothes and chill in his bones was drowned out for the time. he wasn’t sure what was happening, where he was, when he was. it’s almost like his mind was trying to make its way back to reality, but the bad memories had their hooks in him. this wasn’t a frequent occurrence for him, which is likely why he wasn’t sure how to cope or work through it on his own. he was lost and scared and he just wanted to be home. “i want to go home…” is whimpered from chapped lips as his head remains buried in his hands, though he’s tightly squeezing his eyes closed. he just wants everything to stop, he wants the rain to stop, the thunder to stop, the world to stop, if that were at all possible. he was in need of a single moment of peace and quiet so he could focus and make sense of everything, though he had no such luck.
he wasn’t sure how long he was sitting there like that, silently praying that he could have a moment to think. he’s so preoccupied trying to block everything out that he doesn’t entirely notice when shay calls out for him. subconsciously, however, the sound of her voice alerts him. it was like a trigger, but a good one, because suddenly he wasn’t convinced that this was going to last forever. he felt like he would be able to breathe soon, that his prayers will be answered.
within moments, he feels the way that she wraps around him, feels her warm breath as she whispers into his ear. he struggles to breathe much from his nose, though he still sniffles and shakily inhales. he feels entirely drained, but it’s insane the way that his body melts against hers, like he was able to feel perfectly safe and at ease the moment that he felt her pressed in close, without even realizing what was going on. she grabs him and begins softly petting him, fingers running through his hair. she begins to rock him softly, though he still hasn’t managed to face her. his eyes are cast down, almost like he’s a timid, abandoned, untrusting creature.
her voice and words are heard by him, but he doesn’t process much right away. she’s asking him to breathe, and he does his best to, then he finds himself compelled to obey when she says he needs to look at her. carefully, he brings his gaze up to meet hers, which causes him to freeze. he continues staring at her, fixated, focused, entranced. he watches as she moves closer, feels her nose brush against his, then he presses in to meet her lips as she kisses him. he kisses her like she was his oxygen, like it’s all that he needed to survive. it finally serves the purpose of grounding him, of making him aware of his surroundings, who he’s with, where he is, how he got here… suddenly, he feels a hint of embarrassment and guilt. his cheeks are dusted with a pink tinge as he presses his forehead to hers, reaching out and wrapping his arms around her, hugging her closely against his soaking wet body. “shay… i’m so sorry. i-i don’t know what happened…”
it didn’t go unnoticed he still listened to her, even in the state he was. that when she told him to look at her he did. such a good boy. her boy who was letting her in. shay would never know how to fully explain what kissing riley felt like. a drug seemed too tame for it, everything did. the experience was all new, awaking her and warming her from the inside out. all consuming and beautiful. like he was breathing life into her. although, now her breath was stolen as he presses in closer. kissing her like it was the last thing he did on this earth. if the end ever did come to all of humanity, shay already knew where she would be. who she would spend it all with. there wasn’t even a question. colliding with chapped lips and rain, soaked to the bone. home. even in the middle of a storm.
air finally reaching her lungs as their lips broke apart, breathing all of riley in as their foreheads rested together. droplets of water pattering on her skin. feeling his arms wrap around her and hug her in close to his wet clothing. her body relaxed feeling him around her, her fingers caressing his cheek became softer. dropping the umbrella so that she wrap her other arm around his middle. tightly. doing her best to make everything in her calm, not showing how horribly worried she was. finding him out here like this. what if she hadn’t? what if something worse had happened to him? fresh tears had started to prick at her irritated eyes. her eyes searched his again, noting his change. the pinkening of his cheeks. “riley, no.” she replies immediately, trying to stop this right in it’s tracks. her resolve quickly crumbling as the pain seeps into her heart. it hurt for him, for her love. “don’t you dare apologize to me. you didn’t do anything wrong.” her thumb slowly started to stroke at the skin of his cheek. there was no hiding her tears, relief and sadness. anger. at everyone who had failed him, them. for every single nightmare and bad memory. that such a precious person had ever had to feel unsafe.
“i’m just so happy i found you. i looked — looked everywhere. i wasn’t going to go back until i had you with me. i wouldn’t.” she crumbles in his arms, pressing more firmly at their foreheads. “are you okay?” her voice cracks softly. “you weren’t answering and i just, need to know you’re okay.” she kissed him again, chaste and reassuring. like she was making sure he was actually there. then again, then little trails of kisses all over his face. his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, eyelids. chin. then his lips once more. “you can’t not come home.” she almost whimpered. “i don’t know what i’d do if i lost you.” she felt so little then, exposed. but, she didn’t care. not with him. “you. you are the most important thing — “ her fingers digging into his back, the hold on his face almost desperate. “i’m so sorry i didn’t find you sooner.”
dededos
romaincrisis
kianamaiart
blakekathryn
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