1. Inhale
She's a warm weight at his side, the soft puffs of her breath caressing his skin. The sheets are rough and abused and threadbare, but in the early morning sunlight, they still make the caramel tones of her skin glow. Here, there are no lines furrowing her brow, no defensive glares, no sarcastic eye-rolls. There's no one to fight, nothing to prove, and it makes his heart both hurt and soar to know that he's probably the only person in the whole world who's ever seen her so unguarded. Because there's nothing here in this room but peace, and she knows it even in her sleep. Maybe only in her sleep.
Alec watches Max, the even rise and fall of her chest, and wonders that she trusts him that much.
He wraps his arms around her waist, and she snuggles her face into the crook of his neck.
Inhale. Exhale. Just breathe.