Insecure reader with velvet revolver era slash?🤭🤭
You’re the only real thing
summary: You’re on the road with Velvet Revolver and your boyfriend. At one of the afterparties everything becomes too much and you run away from the noise. You don’t feel like you fit into his world and don't understand why in the world he would choose to be with you, when he has girls throwing themself at him every night. Though he wants to make sure you understand why he chose you.
paring: VR Slash x Reader
warnings: Insecurity, not feeling good enough, fluff
word count: 5.5k words
a/n: Im finally back! I hope this fic lives up to the request. I'm so tired and haven't proofread this, so please point it out if you find an error. There's a lot of conversation in this, and I hope it makes sense :)
You had been dating Slash for half a year now. He had released the first album with Velvet Revolver not long ago, and they were now on their first big tour. You had joined him to see what his life on the road was like, but you quickly found out that it was so far away from your life and comfort zone. You had never been the biggest party girl, but never minded him going crazy. Normally you would just join him or stay at home, but after a couple of afterparties on the tour, you really started doubting yourself. You couldn't see yourself in this, and you began feeling overwhelmed by every party. Though you didn't want to mention it to Slash and have him dealing with your anxiety, you wanted him to enjoy his life and not get in the way. You knew about his wild past, and you knew about the rockstar lifestyle. You just loved him too much to let go.
The show had finished around two hours ago and the afterpart was in full swing. You had come to the realization that you didn't really want to be there anymore.
You didn’t make it obvious. You just stayed there.
The noise was loud and constant. Music bleeding into laughter, voices overlapping and glass clinking and falling over. The room smelled like alcohol, smoke, sweat and something sweet underneath it all, something chemical you didn’t want to think too hard about. You stood with your own drink in hand, one that had been handed to you a long time ago. You just took it without thinking because that’s what everyone else seemed to be doing.
Because that’s what you were supposed to do.
People moved around you like you weren’t really there, brushing past your shoulders, laughing, talking over each other in voices that blurred together in the background.. You smiled when someone looked at you. Nodded when it felt expected. Held onto the drink that you’d been giving like it gave you a reason to stay.
Like it made you belong.
It didn’t.
Your eyes found him almost automatically. Slash was across the room, he was easy to find without trying. Sitting there surrounded by people. Someone was talking to him, two people, maybe three, and he was listening in that way he did, head tilted just slightly, like he was giving them more attention than they deserved.
Guitar long gone now, hair still damp and puffy, shirt half open, sleeves pushed up like he hadn’t bothered fixing it after the set. A drink in one hand, the other moving when he talked, expressive without him even noticing it. He looked comfortable. Like this was where he belonged. He fitted right in. This was his element. But not yours..
You watched him for a moment longer than you meant to, something warm and aching settling in your chest. You loved him. You really did. And that was the problem.
A girl slipped in beside him, close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm without hesitation. Blonde, pretty in that effortless way, like she knew exactly how to exist in a room like this. She said something near his ear, too close to be casual. He tilted his head slightly to hear her better. He didn’t pull away. Didn’t seem to notice anything wrong with it.
Your fingers tightened slightly around your drink. It didn’t mean anything, you told yourself. It was just how these things worked. You weren’t jealous, you told yourself. This was just the industry. How things had always been.
Another girl moved in from the other side, her hand landing briefly against his chest as she said something, smiling up at him like she already knew what his reaction would be.
He smiled back quick, and polite.
“-God, he hasn’t changed at all.”
The voice came from somewhere to your left. Not meant for you. You turned your head slightly to hear the conversation. Two girls stood a few feet away, watching him the same way you had been.
“I met him back in ‘93” One of them went on, laughing softly. “Same thing. Girls all over him, and he just.. lets it happen.”
The other one grinned. “Why wouldn’t he? Look at him.”
Your stomach turned slightly. You looked down at your drink, then back up again before you could stop yourself. Across the room, someone else had his attention now. Another laugh. Another hand on his arm. Another easy smile like it didn’t matter who it was.
“I bet he’s not the settling type” The second girl added. “Guys like that never are.”
The first one snorted softly. “Please. Give it a few weeks. Maybe a month if he’s bored. Then it’s onto the next one.” They laughed.
Something in your chest dropped. Hard. You told yourself not to listen. Not to take it seriously. They didn’t know him. They didn’t know anything. But then. They knew his past. They had known him before you did.
Your grip tightened around the glass again. You hadn’t taken a sip. You didn’t think you could if you tried. Across the room, someone said his name louder this time. He turned, smiling again, shifting effortlessly into another conversation.
Another girl touched his arm. Another leaned in too close. He didn’t move. Didn’t seem bothered. Didn’t seem to notice. Because why would he? It was normal. It had probably always been normal.
You swallowed, your throat dry. Stay, you told yourself. Don’t be dramatic. This is his life.
You forced yourself to stay where you were, even as the noise pressed in tighter, even as the room started to feel smaller than it actually was.
You exhaled slowly, trying to steady yourself. You could do this, but your eyes flickered back to him. A different girl now sitting beside him. He was talking with Scott while her hand crawled up his arm. He didn’t shake it off. Didn’t even look down at it.
Something in you twisted. Not jealousy. Just kinda a realization. This wasn’t new for him. You knew that. You knew how wild his past had been, and how his life with his new band also seemed to be.
He knew the rodeo. He knew how to navigate in all of this. He belonged here.
But you? You didn’t fit. Not here. And maybe not with him either…
You swallowed again, your grip loosening on the glass. It wasn’t his fault. That was the worst part. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. You just… couldn’t stand in it.
You stayed another minute. Maybe two. Long enough to convince yourself you could handle it. Then you set your drink down somewhere behind you without looking. You slipped through the room, past bodies and loud voices and laughter that you weren't included in.
For a second you hesitated. Your eyes flickered back to him one last time. He was still there. Still laughing. Still surrounded. Still completely relaxed in this loud environment that he fitted into so perfectly.
You loved him. You loved him enough not to ruin this. Not to pull him away. Not to make him choose between you and something that had always been part of his life.
So you turned around and left. No one stopped you. No one noticed. The hallway outside was cooler, quieter, the door muffling the chaos behind you as it shut. You kept walking, not really thinking about where you were going until the night air hit you and the tour bus came into view.
You climbed inside, closing the door gently behind you. It was empty, dark and quiet. You let out a breath, your shoulders dropping for the first time all night. For a second, you just stood there. Then you moved further in, sitting down in the corner of one of the couches, your hands coming together in your lap like they didn’t know where else to go.
And then you felt it beginning to catch up on you. Everything you had been holding back. All your build up emotions. Your hands twisting in your lap. Your shoulders tightening. Your breathing going uneven in a way you couldn’t quite control.
You pressed your lips together, hard. This was stupid. It was just a party. He’d been doing this for years, decades. Of course people talked to him like that. Touched him like that. Of course he didn’t react. Why would he? It didn’t mean anything. It didn’t. This was his life.
The thought landed heavier than it should have. You squeezed your eyes shut, leaning forward slightly, elbows on your knees, face in hands. “Get over it” You muttered under your breath, barely audible even to yourself.
Your voice sounded small. Your chest felt tight now, the kind of tight that didn’t go away no matter how steady you tried to breathe. You weren’t angry. That was the worst part. You weren’t even jealous, not really. Just… out of place. Like you were the only thing that didn’t quite belong.
It was fine. You were fine. But the thought wouldn’t go away.
Give it a month.
Your vision blurred before you could stop it. You wiped at your eyes quickly, frustrated more than anything.
“Stop..” You whispered to yourself in irritation.
The first tear rolled down your cheek before you could stop it, followed by another, quiet and frustrating. You didn’t even know why you were crying. You were just overwhelmed by your own thoughts. You sat like that without really moving for some time.
The door creaked. You sucked in a breath, dropping your hands quickly, wiping at your face before whoever it was could see you in this state.
“-where the fuck did I leave that-”
There was a pause.
“…oh.”
Duff stood halfway inside the bus, one foot still on the step like he hadn’t decided if he was coming in or backing out. His eyes adjusted fast, landing on you, and whatever he’d been about to say clearly didn’t matter anymore. You looked away almost immediately.
“I didn’t think anyone was in here” He said in a low voice. “You okay?” He asked a little hesitant as he saw you.
“I’m fine.” You answered too quickly.
He didn’t move right away. Then the door shut softly behind him with a soft click.
“Yeah..?” He said. “You don’t look fine.”
You let out a small breath, shaking your head, fingers brushing under your eyes again even though you knew it was obvious.
“It’s just-” Your voice caught slightly, and you cleared it, trying again. “It’s loud in there.”
“That’s kind of the point.” He replied, with a faint huff of something that might’ve been a laugh left him, but it didn’t carry any humor.
Silence settled for a moment. You could feel him still there, still looking, even without turning your head.
“I didn’t think anyone would come out here.” You added, quieter now.
“Wasn’t planning to.” He said. “Forgot something.”
You nodded faintly. “Sorry.”
“For what?”
You shrugged, shoulders lifting slightly.
“I don’t know. Being… here.”
That made him pause. “…right.” He said after a second, like he wasn’t sure what to do with that.
You pressed your lips together again, staring down at your hands. “I’ll go in a minute.” You added quickly. “I just needed-”
“A minute?” He finished your sentence.
“Yeah.” You mumbled.
Silence.
“You hate it in there?”
The question caught you off guard. You hesitated, fingers tightening together. “I don’t hate it…” You said slowly. “I just… don’t really fit, I guess.”
He shifted slightly, leaning back against the counter across from you. “Yeah.” he said. “It’s a lot, even if you’re used to it.”
You let out a small, humorless breath. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“It should.”
You glanced up at him briefly. “Why?”
“Because you’re not doing anything wrong by not liking it.”
You didn’t respond to that. Your throat tightened again, and you looked back down, blinking a little harder than necessary. “I don’t want to mess anything up.” You admitted after a second, your words was quieter now. “He’s just-” You stopped yourself.
Duff didn’t. “He’s what?”
You swallowed. “He’s used to that.” You said, shrugging while looking down at your hands in your lap. “All of it. I’m not.”
“Yeah.” Duff said. “No shit.”
You almost smiled at that. Almost. “I just don’t want to be the reason he has to stop. You know, being some obsessive girlfriend who drags him away.” You said. “Or change anything. Or-”
“Or having to pick you over it?” He cut in, not harsh, just direct.
Your silence answered for you. Duff watched you for a second, something unreadable settling in his expression. Then he pushed off the counter. “You’re not that important.” He said.
Your head snapped up, hurt flashing across your face before you could stop it. He held up a hand fast.
“Not like that!” He added with a defensive laugh. “I mean, you’re not something he has to weigh against a room like that.”
You blinked, a little confused.
“That room doesn’t mean anything, really” He went on. “You think it does because it’s loud and there’s a lot of people and they all act like it matters.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It doesn’t.”
You stared at him, unsure what to say to that. “I don’t want to make it worse…” You said instead, softer now. “If I can’t handle it, that’s on me.”
Duff tilted his head slightly. “Or…” He said. “You could stop deciding what he thinks before he gets a say.”
You opened your mouth, but then closed it again. Because you didn’t have an answer for that. He watched you for another second, then nodded once, like he’d made up his mind about something.
“I’m gonna grab something.” He said casually, stepping back toward the door.
You nodded faintly. “Okay.”
He paused with his hand on the handle. “You want me to tell him you’re out here?”
Your stomach dropped slightly. “No.” You said immediately. “He’s busy.”
Duff looked at you for a second longer than you expected. Then he opened the door.
“Yeah.” He said lightly. “Looks like it.”
And then he was gone. The door shut behind him. Leaving you alone again, or at least, that’s what you thought.
The noise was loud when he stepped back inside.
Duff moved through the crowd easily, slipping between people, ignoring the conversations that tried to pull him in. It didn’t take long to find Slash again. He was in the same place, same orbit of people around him.
A girl had her hand on his arm again. The same blond from when you left. Slash was laughing at something, head tipped back slightly, drink in his hand. Totally unaware of the world around him.
Duff pushed himself to Slash’s side.
“Hey.”
Slash glanced over at him with a big grin on his face. “Where’d you go?”
“Bus.”
“Yeah?” He said distracted. “Did you find something-”
“You might wanna go check it.”
That got a bit more of his attention. Slash frowned slightly. “Why?”
Duff tilted his head, like he was deciding how to say it.
“Because your girl’s sitting in the dark trying not to cry.”
That hit him. Hard apparently. You could see it, the exact second it did. The ease dropped out of Slash’s expression, like something snapped back into place behind his eyes. His posture shifted, attention sharpening instantly.
“What?”
“She said she’s fine.” Duff added. “But you know how that goes.”
Slash was already moving. The drink in his hand got shoved into someone else’s without a word. Someone called after him, but he didn’t slow down, didn’t look back. By the time he hit the hallway, the loud voices had just become muffled noise in the background. He dragged a hand over his face, jaw tight, something sharp cutting through whatever buzz he’d had.
You hadn’t said anything. He’d seen you earlier. You’d been there. He should’ve-
“Fuck…” He muttered, already picking up his pace. The night air hit him hard when he pushed outside, cooler, clearer. He sucked in a breath, running a hand back through his hair as he headed straight for the bus. He sobered up pretty quickly in the cool air, with the thought of you.
It was quiet and dark outside. He took quick steps as he approached the bus. He opened the door and stepped in, slowing down.
The light was dim and he could barely see anything. Then he spotted you.
Curled slightly into yourself on the couch beside the window, shoulders drawn in, like you were trying to disappear into it. Your head turned at the sound, eyes catching his for half a second before you looked away again.
Something in his chest tightened. “Hey…”
Of course it was him.
You wiped at your face quickly, dragging your sleeve under your eyes before you finally looked up. It didn’t help much. “I’m fine.” You said immediately.
He stepped closer, shutting the door gently behind him. “Doesn’t look like it.”
“Did Duff send you? I told him not to-” You muttered irritated.
“What’s wrong baby?” He cut you off, ignoring your question.
“It’s just loud in there..” You muttered. “I needed a break.”
He stopped a few feet in front of you, just watching.
“That’s it?”
You shrugged. “Yeah.”
He didn’t move. Didn’t look away. “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”
You hesitated. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
His brows pulled together. “Interrupt what?”
You exhaled softly. “You were busy.”
“With what?”
You didn’t answer right away. “You know.”
He shook his head slightly. “No. I don’t.”
Your hands twisted together. “There were people..” You said. “Talking to you.”
“It’s a party.”
“I know.”
Silence stretched.
“They all know how to be there…” You added quietly.
He sat down on the couch in front of you, only a small table separating you.
“They know how to talk to you. Touch you. Laugh at the right things. They never hesitate.” Your voice trembled slightly, but you kept going. “I just stand there and feel like I’m in the wrong place.”
“…hey.”
You shook your head. “I didn’t want to make it weird.” You cut him off. “Or make you leave or anything. I know that’s part of it, I just-”
“Part of what?”
You let out a small, humorless breath. “This. All of it.”
“I heard some girls talk about you… They said you haven’t changed. That girls just… line up around you and you let it happen. That it’s always been like that.” You laughed softly, but there was nothing behind it. “That your relationship would never last. That you’re already onto the next girl.”
His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.
“And I was just standing there.” You went on, your voice dropping. “Listening to that, and watching it happen at the same time, and I just-”
You shook your head, like you couldn’t even explain it properly.
“It didn’t feel like I belonged there.” You finished.
“It’s so fucking stupid.” You mumbled in a low frustrated voice. “I just don't feel like I belong with you.” You said in a low voice. One that hit him right in the heart.
“I don’t fit into your world. I don’t know how to stand next to you in a room like that without feeling like people are wondering what I'm doing there.” You explained with a trembling voice.
“I can’t even stay by your side without getting overwhelmed and leaving.” You continued. “What kind of girlfriend does that?” You asked a little more frustrated.
His expression shifted, but you continued before he could speak.
“Someone you probably shouldn’t be seen with. Someone who so obviously doesn't belong there.” Your breath caught in your throat.
“I just keep thinking….” You swallowed. “Why would you want that, when you could have someone who actually fits into your life? Someone who can fucking stand up for herself.”
You felt your voice break and you couldn't even look in his direction anymore. You felt so embarrassed and useless. You felt like such an attention seeker who just wanted sympathy and pity.
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything you’d said. For a second, none of you moved.
“…is that really what you think?” He asked.
There was complete silence for a minute. None of you moved or made any sound.
“That room..” He said, quieter now. “It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s… people trying to get something out if a moment that doesn’t last longer than the night.”
You looked over at him, a little unsure.
“I’ve been around long enough to know exactly what it is, and what it isn’t.”
There was a pause again where you just looked at him.
“It's not something I hold onto. It's not something that means anything to me. It's just a party like any other.”
“But they-” You started, your voice smaller now. “They act like-”
“Yeah.” He cut in gently. “They act like it matters.”
He leaned forward a little, taking your hands in his. His thumbs brushed lightly over your hands, slow, grounding.
“It doesn’t. Not to me.”
Your fingers shifted slightly in his, like you didn’t quite know what to do with that. He didn’t look away from you.
“I know what that looks like from the outside.” He added. “I get why it feels like something bigger than it is.” He shook his head faintly. “But it’s not something I go home thinking about. It’s not something I remember tomorrow.”
His grip on your hands tightened slightly. “You are.”
That made your breath catch. You blinked, your vision blurring again before you could stop it. This time you didn’t look away.
He noticed immediately. “Hey.” He said softly.
One of his hands slipped free, coming up to brush gently under your eye, catching the tear before it could fall. His touch was slower now, more careful than anything else about him had been all night.
“You think I’d leave that room for anyone?” He asked quietly.
You hesitated, then shook your head faintly. “I didn’t want you to have to.” You admitted in a low voice.
“You didn’t make me do anything.” He said. “I came because I wanted to.”
A short pause. “Because you weren’t there.”
Your chest tightened again, but it didn’t hurt the same way this time.
He let his hand linger against your cheek for a second before letting it fall back in your hand.
“I’m not picking that over you.” He added. “There’s nothing there to pick.”
You let out a shaky breath, your shoulders dropping just a little.
“I don’t care if you don’t fit in there.” He said. “I don’t need you to.”
“I’m not looking at you in that room thinking you should be like them.” He went on. “I’m looking at you and wondering why you’re so far away from me.”
That caught you off guard.
“I don’t want someone who acts like any other chick in there.” He added. “I’ve seen that a hundred times. It doesn’t mean anything.”
His thumbs brushed lightly over your hands, grounding.
“You not fitting in there?” He said. “That’s not a problem to me. You’re the only real thing in that room.”
You swallowed your breath hardly at his words.
“I don’t need you to fit into that world, into my world” He continued softly. “I just need you next to me. That’s it.”
You blinked, your vision starting to blur again.
“But I couldn’t even stay.” You whispered.
“You left because it was too much.” He said. “Not because you don’t belong.”
“That’s not how it feels.”
“I know.” He said quietly. “But that doesn’t make it true.”
“You think I care what anyone in that room thinks about who I’m with?” He asked.
You hesitated.
“…don’t you?”
He huffed softly, almost disbelieving.
“No.”
“I care about you being okay.” He said. “And you weren’t.”
That hit deeper than anything else. “You don’t have to prove anything to stand next to me.” He added, softer now. “You’re already there.”
He watched you for a second longer, like he was making sure you were really there with him now. Then he shifted slightly, glancing toward the door, then back at you.
“…you wanna stay out here?” He asked.
You hesitated. The thought of going back in made your chest tighten again almost immediately. You shook your head.
“Not really.”
“Yeah.” He said quietly. “Didn’t think so.”
Another small pause.
“Come on.”
You frowned slightly. “What?”
“We’re leaving.”
Your eyes flickered up to his.
“Slash, you don’t have to-”
“I know I don’t have to.” He cut in. “I want to.”
You searched his face again, like you were still waiting for him to take it back. He didn’t.
“I’ll grab a taxi.” He went on. “We’ll get out of here. Find somewhere quiet.”
Your fingers tightened slightly around his without you realizing it.
“Somewhere you don’t have to think about any of that.” he nodded faintly toward the party.
Your throat tightened again.
“You sure?” You asked softly.
He huffed a quiet breath, almost like a small laugh. “Yeah.” He said. “I’m sure.”
“I’d rather be with you than in there anyway.”
Then he got up, without letting go of your hands, and pulled you up from the couch. He then tugged you into his chest and held you to him tightly.
“Give me a minute. I’ll sort it out.” He mumbled into your hair.
The night air felt different when you stepped out this time. It didn’t feel like it was strangling you. It felt more freeing.
He stayed close to you. His hand brushed against yours once or twice, before properly lacing together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The taxi ride was quiet. Not awkward, just still. His thumb moved absently against your hand the whole time, small, repetitive motions that kept you anchored without him needing to say anything else. By the time you reached the hotel, the noise from earlier felt far away.
Inside, it was warm. Soft lighting. Carpeted floors that muted every step. No music. No loud voices. No one watching.
You exhaled slowly without meaning to. He noticed that.
“Better?” He asked caringly.
You nodded. “Yeah.”
He gave a small, satisfied hum, guiding you a little further inside. Once the door to the room shut behind you, the silence settled properly this time. You stood there for a second, unsure what to do with it. With him. With everything that had happened.
He didn’t rush you. Didn’t fill the space with words. He just stepped closer, slower this time, like he was giving you time to meet him halfway if you wanted to.
When you didn’t pull back, his hand came up again, gently brushing your hair back from your face, tucking it behind your ear.
“You’re okay.” He said quietly.
You nodded, even if it wasn’t completely true yet.
His hand lingered for a second, then slid down, fingers tracing lightly along your jaw before settling at the side of your neck, warm and steady.
“I meant what I said.” He added softly. “About all of it.”
“I know.” You whispered.
He pulled you in then, slow and careful, like he was giving you every chance to stop him.
You didn’t. Your hands found his shirt without thinking, gripping lightly as you leaned into him, your face pressing into his shoulder like you needed something solid to hold onto.
He wrapped his arms around you immediately. One hand resting at the back of your head, the other at your waist, holding you close like he wasn’t going anywhere.
You let out a shaky breath against him, your shoulders relaxing properly for the first time that night. His hand moved slowly through your hair, steady, repetitive, calming.
You shifted slightly against him, your grip on his shirt loosening just enough to breathe, but not enough to let go. He noticed, of course he did, and his arm tightened around you in response, pulling you closer like it was instinct.
“Hey…” He said gently. You tilted your head up just enough to look at him, your cheek still brushing his chest. His expression had softened completely now.
“You’re thinking again.” He murmured. You huffed quietly, a little embarrassed. “I can’t really turn that off.”
“I know.” he said affectionately. His thumb brushed lightly under your eye again, slower this time, like he was taking his time with you.
“But listen to me, alright?”
You nodded faintly. He leaned down slightly, his forehead against yours before he spoke again.
“I don’t want someone like them.” He said quietly.
You blinked. “Slash-”
“I mean it.” He interrupted you. “All that loud, trying too hard, needing attention every second…”Hhe shook his head faintly. “It’s exhausting.”
Your breath caught a little.
“I’ve been around that my whole life.” He continued. “People putting on a show, trying to be seen, trying to be something they’re not.”
His hand slid from your hair to your cheek, holding you there gently so you couldn’t look away. “You’re the only one in that room who wasn’t doing that.”
You swallowed. “I wasn’t doing anything.” You said quietly.
“Exactly.”
That made your chest tighten in a different way.
“You were just… you.” He said. “And that's the only thing I want from you.”
Your eyes burned again, but softer this time. He noticed immediately, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss just under your eye, catching the tear before it could fall.
“You don’t have to compete with anyone.” He murmured against your skin. “You’ve already got me.”
Your fingers tightened slightly in his shirt again. “I just feel like I don’t belong sometimes.” You admitted.
He shook his head, brushing his nose lightly against yours. “You belong with me.” He said simply. No hesitation. No doubt.
“You being a little overwhelmed doesn’t change that.” He added. “If anything, it just makes me wanna take you somewhere quiet and keep you all to myself.”
A small, shy smile tugged at your lips before you could stop it. “There it is.” He exclaimed in a low voice, like he’d been waiting for that.
His thumb traced along your cheek again, softer now. “That’s my girl.”
The words made your heart beat a little faster. Before you could overthink it, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. A deep gentle one. Filled with emotions.
You melted into it without thinking, your hand sliding up slightly against his chest. When he pulled back, it wasn’t far. Just enough to look at you again.
“See?” He murmured. “You’re perfect like this.”
You let out a small breath, your forehead resting lightly against his. “I don’t feel perfect.”
“Don’t have to.” He said. “I do.”
He shifted then, guiding you down onto the bed properly. The blankets were soft, warm, and he pulled you right back into him the moment you were settled.
You curled into his side instinctively, one leg sliding slightly over his as your arm wrapped around him. He let out a quiet laugh.
“Yeah.” He murmured. “That’s better.” His hand slipped under your shirt just slightly, not in a rushed way, just enough to rest warm against your side, thumb tracing slow, absent patterns against your skin.
You relaxed almost immediately. “Comfy?” He asked softly. You nodded against him. “Mmm.”
He smiled faintly, pressing another soft kiss to your hairline. “Good. Stay right there.”
As if you were going anywhere. Your fingers traced lightly over his chest now, slower, calmer, like your body had finally begun to relax. After a moment, he tilted your chin up again, just enough to steal another kiss, this one a little softer, a little more lingering.
Then another, lighter one at the corner of your mouth. Then your cheek. Then your forehead.
“You’re gonna get spoiled.” He murmured.
You huffed a small, sleepy laugh. “I don’t mind.”
“Good.” He said quietly. “Because I’m not stopping.”
His arm tightened around you again, pulling you closer until there was barely any space left between you.
You could feel his breathing now, slow and even, his chest rising under your cheek.
His hand returned to your hair, fingers threading through it again in that same steady rhythm as before. “You’re not going anywhere.” He murmured, softer now, half against your hair. “Not in my world. Not with me.”
Your eyes slipped closed. This time, there was no tightness in your chest. No noise. No overthinking. Just him. And the way he held you like you were exactly where you were supposed to be.
And you stayed like that, curled into him, wrapped up in quiet touches and soft kisses. Not long after, sleep fell over you and you stayed safely tucked in his arms the entire night.
