It's a relaxing atmosphere, and I know it's only a matter of time before I fall asleep. I layed on my bed; curled up in his direction who layed beside me with his knees pointed up. Lights off, all except the moonlight that shown on both of us. Gentle music plays loudly in my ears which was probably audible to him aswell. My eyes only needed to be on him. His terrifyingly flat profile is once again, clear to me. He's had too much time to get to know me, but what else do I have to know about him to come close to feeling the same? How weird. The current song comes to a stop giving a slight in between where I can hear the natural sound of my room, aswell as my parents. Once the first few notes of the next song begin I recognize it right away and get an urge for Slenderman to hear too, only to shake my head mentally. He has no ears. Who knew we'd grow even closer to eachother the day we should have been torn apart. He's made my entire life a whimsical story. But now I'm believing... Maybe it's a love story too.
Watching him, a question nudges my constant intent on knowing more.
"Do you sleep, Slenderman?" Speaking slowly I take out an earphone to catch his reply, ignoring my parents the best I could. Like I opened a door for him he didn't know how to unlock even with the key in his hand, he turns his body like mine towards me; almost mockingly. Almost like he was saying: finally.
"No, Blaye."
"Never?" Our eyes were on eachother, if he had any.
"Well, I've slept in the past but, currently, no."
"Why?" He adjusts his forearm to flatly support his head.
"I can't afford to let my guard down. Someone might... attempt to kill me in my sleep."
"You think someone would do that?" I sound concerned yet, I feel drowsy.
"Yes."
"But you've lived so long, how do you know you can even die?"
"I don't know, and I don't plan to find out." How unfair of the world. And how sad it is to have a reason for something you do yet, to have no one understand and so forth, simple pleasures are taken away out of fear. But what reason does he have to kill for no one to understand?
"You know... no one will hurt you here." He faced me even more if it was possible. "You can sleep in my bed," I gulp. "I won't let anyone hurt you." There's a sudden silence. I wonder if he's considering it?
"That's very kind of you but, I'll gladly take that offer another time." I sigh. A wave of unease sweeps over me while remembering something my mother said.
"Slender?" His name escapes my lips once more.
"Yes?"
"Would you leave? If I asked you?" The only thing my mom currently wants, and I forgot to ask. Ask a question I don't even want to happen.
"No."
"But if I was serious, and-"
"I'm not going anywhere." Of course an order from my parents won't do anything. It's kind of silly that they did think he'd leave that easily. "I admire it though, that you believe I'd leave if you asked." I hum, loosing energy to give a genuinely filled response.
"It's what my mom wants." Not something I want, but he's right. I move my head down away from his view, while closing my eyes. Just after this he takes my earphone from me and places it back in my ear with ease- yet right before:
"Guess she won't be getting what she wants." Though he said it in a way like a "Goodnight" belonged at the end. I can't help it and I lazily watch him after he does this when he lays his hand back down. No words are needed. My eyes have been drooping the entire time, he knew I was going to knock out at any minute. I daze into a light sleep as what the night had been beckoning me for. But I wouldn't fall asleep completely, my music could never let me; or Slenderman's presents.
And I don't think Slenderman will leave; at least not this time.
I wonder how much time passed for Slenderman, already to be taking my earphone out again, and then the other. How calming to take out music to hear absolutely nothing, which is so rare for me. Not a harsh comment, not a bitter comeback, and not a single cuss word. I barely open my eyes to see him sitting and rolling up my earphones around my mp3. I'm too tired to even get nervous when he reaches over me to set them on my table. And even after, he simply watches me. "It's over." He reassures.
"Hmm." I manage as he's already getting off my bed. I start to wake up. "Are you leaving?" He stops, practically flinching.
"-Yes." I've never heard him sound so unsure of himself.
"You don't have to leave." He doesn't move, maybe even realizing it himself. With his thin branches he calls arms, he rotates himself just enough to face me. My stare changes to a disappointed glance downwards. "Unless you want to of course."
"No." He disagrees. "That will never happen; I- only want you to sleep." Immediately I break into smile, nearly about to giggle. I wonder why. I think it's his selflessness that gets to me; that will always get to me. I can't help it and I shove my face into my pillow to muffle my snickering. New energy flows as I immaturely get up and boldly lean in to peck his invisible mouth.
I know being tired can put you in a gutsy state but, this was definitely something I never thought I'd do, until I did it. I bashfully go back and throw myself under my covers, making sure to face the opposite of him. Now it's his turn to translate this as either a: "Thank you," a "Goodbye," or an "I like you too." Whichever he chooses, I don't think it would matter to me. I hold the nail of my thumb on my teeth.
Regretting my every move I listen intensely as if hoping to get a sound-full trace of his leaving; that is, after he sits up from my blankets. But what happens next is neither of these.
In fact, he moves back onto my bed, back towards me. My eyes wide staring at nothing, only focused on his growing movements. He lays his skinny body pressing against my own, intimately, spooning me. I stiffen as his arms wrap around the thick blankets that embraced me the same, now making them even snugger. Of all the ways this night could have ended, this was the least expecting one. ...I'd never been held before, not like this. Not in warmth and boggling ease. Not in safety. Not in love. He presses his head on my blanketed back, probably making himself comfortable. I can only try to comprehend this feeling that ran through me. Poured, soaked, burned. Embarrassment? Nerves? Like the shy part of me is being suffocated. But somethings different. Every memory of our skins meeting replays in a few seconds. He's warm. He's not cold; in fact, his whole body is warm. And now it's warming me up. I move my hand away and bite my lip. Did I provoke this? Was this my doing? Did I reassure him with just that one kiss? Enough to change something in him that would make this happen?
This is, I think- is love. I think I'm in love. I think, "I like you too," in a whisper. And right before I fall asleep, I feel him cling onto me just a little more.
Surprisingly, nothing changed that morning. light beamed in annoyingly, abruptly waking me. Slender's gentle hold still around me yet, not as firm as before. In truth, he barely held me at all, his arm just rested around me at this point. Automatically my mind assumes he's asleep until I gradually recall last night's conversation. But would he really stay by my side the entire night? To simply be present as I slept?
Turning around to get some sort of view of him, his arm lifelessly falls on my waist. He can't be asleep...? Can he? As I support my body with my elbow in front of him, I notice his chest moving up and down slowly, deeply. I place my hand on his upper arm. "Slender." He stirs, he actually stirs, groans in that deep voice and presses his head into my pillow. I shake his arm a little but his chest just goes back to moving up and down again like a slumbering bear. "Slenderman?" yet Slender... is asleep.