Chapter dedicated to The One You Never Suspected. Thank you for being such a loyal reviewer. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

I don't care if I lost everything that I have known
It don't matter where I lay my head tonight
Your arms feel like home, feel like home

~Your Arms Feel Like Home, 3 Doors Down (song)

Prompt: Pillow (submitted by Gigglegirl) Thanks!

Hale's POV

After Kat threw up in the club Gabrielle—along with Angus and Hamish—quickly exited the club. Kat was giggling and swaying drunkenly while we got a cab back to my mansion. We didn't want to risk leaving her alone in a state like this.

It was about 1:00 o'clock in the morning when I finally dragged her into the mansion. She had fallen asleep in the cab, and so I carried her easily up the staircase bridal style. Ironic considering she refused my marriage proposal...

I carried her into my room because I didn't want to risk her throwing up in my mom's bedroom. I would be fine in a guest bedroom.

"Hale?" Kat stirred as I gently laid her down on my bed. Her wide blue eyes blinked blearily at me.

"Yeah?" I whispered, as I pulled her heels off.

"Are you undressing me?" she giggled as I tugged her jacket off.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and instead grumbled defensively, "Well, you'll feel uncomfortable if you sleep in your jacket and shoes."

"Could you unzip me then? My dress will get crumpled..." Kat replied, while turning so her back was facing me. I quickly walked to my dresser and retrieved an old T-shirt and shorts and placed them on the bed near her. She then swept her dark ebony locks to the side—the very action was seductive and for a moment I just stared at her back.

Finally, I gathered my senses and pulled down the zipper—my knuckles purposefully skimming the length of her spine. Her skin was soft like satin, and I pulled away reluctantly.

"There," I whispered—my voice didn't sound quite right to my own ears, and I quickly faced away to give her some privacy to change.

I also changed into my pajamas and when I faced her she was sitting on my bed—trailing her fingers over the silky material of the dress, clad only in my clothes.

"You should get to sleep. It's late Kitty Kat," I murmured, approaching her.

"Mmkay," she sighed and sank into my fluffy pillows. It was slightly weird to see her so comfortable in my bed. At last I pulled the comforter over her small body and tucked her in. Just as I was about to exit the room, she grabbed onto my arm, and pulled me towards the bed with surprising strength.

"Where are you going?" Kat questioned almost worriedly. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and I looked at her exasperatedly.

"I'll be sleeping in the guest room. Don't worry its next door; I'll be there if you need me," I reassured as I tried to escape her grip.

"Stay," she whispered, while tightening her grasp on my arm.

My eyes widened in surprise, and I reflexively shook my head. There was no way I was sharing a bed with her on the same night. There were still so many things left unsaid—unresolved.

"Please stay," Kat pleaded adamantly, while she lifted the covers with her other hand—inviting me inside. Her eyes were still clouded with the effects of alcohol, but I could see the underlying vulnerability. She was scared of rejection...like me.

I sighed, "Okay."

A ghost of a smile touched her lips and she scooted over as I climbed into bed. Warmth and a sense of comfort enveloped me, and I suddenly realized how small the bed was for two people. Kat's very presence seemed overpowering. She was so close to me, and I didn't know how to feel.

Did she really miss me? How did she actually feel? And why why why did she refuse my marriage proposal?

Sharing a pillow with her after that just seemed like... cheating. Were we even technically together anymore?

But just like in the club, I ignored the doubts flooding my mind, and I faced Kat. She gave me a sleepy smile and scooted closer to me. We were only a breath away from each other. Being this close to her but not able to touch her physically ached. Not to mention she looked utterly adorable in my old T-shirt. I wanted to wrap my arm around her body and keep her close to me. I wanted to protect and her and feel her bundled up in my arms.

It was then that she slung an arm around my chest and buried her face into my chest. I automatically draped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. My hand accidentally slipped beneath the worn material of her shirt and I froze in horror when I felt her soft silky skin beneath my fingertips.

She didn't say anything about the placement of my hand and so I tentatively rubbed my thumb across the crest of her hip. She just hummed in response, and despite everything I smiled. Maybe—just maybe—she just needed time to warm up to the idea of being married to me...

My hand traveled higher and rubbed circles along the small of her back while she tightened her grip on my abdomen. Her skin felt heavenly and a part of me was thrilled that I could stay like this for the entire night—just wrapped in each other.

Suddenly Kat raised her head to look at me with half-lidded eyes. She gave me a goofy sort of smile before slipping her own hand underneath my shirt. Her small hands danced along the dips and ridges of my body before settling on my stomach.

"I love you're abs," she breathed so quietly that I almost didn't hear. I chuckled in the darkness, and tucked her head under my chin. The smell of her perfume luscious and familiar and I sank into the fragrance of her.

Her fingers glided towards my back and slipped under my arm, and I shivered involuntarily at her touch. It felt so intimate to be with her like this; sharing a bed, and exploring each other's bodies. Didn't she want this as much as me? It felt so right to have her beside me. I wouldn't want it any other way. For as long as I could remember it had always been her. It would always be her.

She was everything to me, and I didn't want to let that go. She couldn't just refuse my marriage proposal, because deep down I knew she wanted me to.

With that comforting thought in my mind I gently placed a kiss on her forehead and closed my heavy eyelids.

Eventually we both drifted off to sleep—still in each other's arms.

A/N: Hello lovelies! Sorry for another late update XD I'm terrible aren't I? I'm so sorry, but I've just been caught up with finishing my summer class. Now that's done and I have two weeks until Band Camp! Hooray! (er..sort of since I'm not looking forward to Band Camp).

So the above is a continuation of the previous chapter. Let me know what you think! I was having a particularly hard time with this chapter. My inspiration has been a little low recently :/ I didn't particularly like it (I thought it was a bit...forced). But hey, I'll get over it eventually.

Review Challenge: Who is your biggest role model and why (No relatives)? Got any questions for me? Oh and please include your Kat/Hale song. I was disappointed with the turnout last time, so the playlist will be pushed back to my next update!

Thanks for reading as always!
Pickles

P.S I finally finished Sherlock and watched The Amazing Spiderman. Both were amazing XD