Here's Chapter 5. Keep giving me suggestions! I plan on keeping this story going for quite awhile, so throw some ideas by me! Also, thanks for all the nice reviews :)
Sleeping
The movie had been going for about half an hour before I realized that I hadn't been paying any attention to it. I hated to admit it to myself, but I was really, really tired.
I had been working almost 24 hours a day for the past month-getting beaten up on all sorts of insane missions. My body physically hurt, I noticed as I shifted positions in the movie theatre chair.
When I had gotten the chance to sleep, I couldn't, because my mind was too busy worrying about my work and my family and my friends to realize that my body needed to rest. Now I was realizing how tired I really was, as the darkness of the theatre and the music from the movie slowly lulled me to sleep.
I shook my head slightly to clear it, and glanced over at Vaughn, who was watching the movie with interest, his legs still propped up in front of him. He had slouched further down in his chair, and I noticed that he had cocked his head in order to see around his feet. I chuckled to myself.
His arm was draped across the empty seat next to him, and I found myself wishing that his arm was around my shoulders instead.
I watched him a few moments more, before turning my attention back to the glowing screen in front of us. I tried watching the movie again for awhile, confused, since I hadn't been paying attention to it from the beginning. Slowly, my eyes began to droop. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but feel guilty for falling asleep. What could it hurt, though, to close my eyes for just a little while?
Eventually, I gave in, my eyes drifted shut, and my world went black.
* * * *
I woke up to the sound of Vaughn's voice. My eyes opened slowly, and I became aware of the pleasant pressure of his hand on my arm.
"Hey," he said as I smiled up at him, my mind still hazy. "You were dead to the world." I pushed myself up in my chair, a frown replacing the smile as I realized what I had done.
"I'm so sorry, Vau- Michael." I shook my head, trying to shake off some of the fuzziness. "I was just resting my eyes for a minute..." I glanced around the room, noticing for the first time that the movie had ended. "I slept through it," I muttered, angry with myself.
"Syd," Vaughn said. "Don't worry about it. You've been working 24/7 for months. I understand.
"Still," I muttered, pouting. "We hardly ever-" I corrected myself quickly. "We NEVER get to spend time together like this. Never. And I slept through it." He smiled at me.
"You need the rest, Syd. That's why they gave you this time off."
"You sound like my mother," I grumbled, then sighed as I realized the irony of the phrase. I stared intently at my hands, feeling guilty. After a moment I sensed Vaughn shifting in his seat, and I jumped slightly, startled as his hand touched my chin and turned my face toward him.
"Sydney, listen to me. I know you haven't been sleeping well. I can see it in your eyes every day when we meet. I understand that you're tired. But being here with you, whether you're awake or not, has meant so much to me." He shifted his eyes away from mine, self-conscious. "We talk all the time, mostly about things that end up hurting you. I don't want you to hurt anymore, Syd. And I want you to be yourself around me." He looked back up at me and chuckled. "Tonight, being yourself involved falling asleep in the movie theatre. And I love that."
He reached up to my face and brushed away a hair that had fallen loose. I paused at his words, my heart contracting slightly in my chest.
"You're sweet," I said softly, smiling at him. "But I still feel bad about falling asleep."
He chuckled. "I knew you would. Tell you what." I looked at him questioningly. "You can make it up to me later in the week."
"How much vacation did you take, Michael?" I asked, curiously.
"A few days."
"How many days is a few?" I asked, a smile growing on my face.
"Two weeks," he said softly, glancing away. I laughed.
"Good." He glanced up at my response. "Hey," I said, defensively. "I'd be pretty bored, otherwise."
He smiled and stood up, reaching his hand out to pull me up as well. "Come on, time to go."
I grabbed his outstretched hand and he gave me a tug, pulling me to my feet. He headed down the aisle, pulling me along behind him. He continued holding my hand, squeezing it more tightly, pulling me closer to him as we headed towards the exit.
"Are you cold?" He asked, wrapping his arm around me lightly.
"No," I said, looking up at him.
"Me neither," he replied. He kept his arm wrapped around me anyways, until we reached his car.
Sleeping
The movie had been going for about half an hour before I realized that I hadn't been paying any attention to it. I hated to admit it to myself, but I was really, really tired.
I had been working almost 24 hours a day for the past month-getting beaten up on all sorts of insane missions. My body physically hurt, I noticed as I shifted positions in the movie theatre chair.
When I had gotten the chance to sleep, I couldn't, because my mind was too busy worrying about my work and my family and my friends to realize that my body needed to rest. Now I was realizing how tired I really was, as the darkness of the theatre and the music from the movie slowly lulled me to sleep.
I shook my head slightly to clear it, and glanced over at Vaughn, who was watching the movie with interest, his legs still propped up in front of him. He had slouched further down in his chair, and I noticed that he had cocked his head in order to see around his feet. I chuckled to myself.
His arm was draped across the empty seat next to him, and I found myself wishing that his arm was around my shoulders instead.
I watched him a few moments more, before turning my attention back to the glowing screen in front of us. I tried watching the movie again for awhile, confused, since I hadn't been paying attention to it from the beginning. Slowly, my eyes began to droop. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but feel guilty for falling asleep. What could it hurt, though, to close my eyes for just a little while?
Eventually, I gave in, my eyes drifted shut, and my world went black.
* * * *
I woke up to the sound of Vaughn's voice. My eyes opened slowly, and I became aware of the pleasant pressure of his hand on my arm.
"Hey," he said as I smiled up at him, my mind still hazy. "You were dead to the world." I pushed myself up in my chair, a frown replacing the smile as I realized what I had done.
"I'm so sorry, Vau- Michael." I shook my head, trying to shake off some of the fuzziness. "I was just resting my eyes for a minute..." I glanced around the room, noticing for the first time that the movie had ended. "I slept through it," I muttered, angry with myself.
"Syd," Vaughn said. "Don't worry about it. You've been working 24/7 for months. I understand.
"Still," I muttered, pouting. "We hardly ever-" I corrected myself quickly. "We NEVER get to spend time together like this. Never. And I slept through it." He smiled at me.
"You need the rest, Syd. That's why they gave you this time off."
"You sound like my mother," I grumbled, then sighed as I realized the irony of the phrase. I stared intently at my hands, feeling guilty. After a moment I sensed Vaughn shifting in his seat, and I jumped slightly, startled as his hand touched my chin and turned my face toward him.
"Sydney, listen to me. I know you haven't been sleeping well. I can see it in your eyes every day when we meet. I understand that you're tired. But being here with you, whether you're awake or not, has meant so much to me." He shifted his eyes away from mine, self-conscious. "We talk all the time, mostly about things that end up hurting you. I don't want you to hurt anymore, Syd. And I want you to be yourself around me." He looked back up at me and chuckled. "Tonight, being yourself involved falling asleep in the movie theatre. And I love that."
He reached up to my face and brushed away a hair that had fallen loose. I paused at his words, my heart contracting slightly in my chest.
"You're sweet," I said softly, smiling at him. "But I still feel bad about falling asleep."
He chuckled. "I knew you would. Tell you what." I looked at him questioningly. "You can make it up to me later in the week."
"How much vacation did you take, Michael?" I asked, curiously.
"A few days."
"How many days is a few?" I asked, a smile growing on my face.
"Two weeks," he said softly, glancing away. I laughed.
"Good." He glanced up at my response. "Hey," I said, defensively. "I'd be pretty bored, otherwise."
He smiled and stood up, reaching his hand out to pull me up as well. "Come on, time to go."
I grabbed his outstretched hand and he gave me a tug, pulling me to my feet. He headed down the aisle, pulling me along behind him. He continued holding my hand, squeezing it more tightly, pulling me closer to him as we headed towards the exit.
"Are you cold?" He asked, wrapping his arm around me lightly.
"No," I said, looking up at him.
"Me neither," he replied. He kept his arm wrapped around me anyways, until we reached his car.