Intimatepov

The Space Between Heartbeats

I wonder if you know how often I watch you like this. How I memorize the weight of your hand on my stomach, the way your leg hooks around mine without thinking. intimatepov

I don't remember when I first noticed the way you breathe when you're almost asleep. The Space Between Heartbeats I wonder if you

Tonight, I turn over slowly so I don't wake you. Your face is relaxed in a way it never is during the day — no meetings, no deadlines, no polite masks. Just you. Just the soft fan of your lashes and the faintest sound of your breathing catching when I press my lips to your collarbone. Tonight, I turn over slowly so I don't wake you

But then your eyes flutter open, still hazy with sleep. And you whisper, "Can't sleep either?"

I shake my head. You pull me closer, and suddenly the dark isn't empty anymore. It's full — full of your warmth, your heartbeat against my palm, your voice low and rough and meant only for me.

It’s softer than your waking breath — a slow, warm tide that pulls in just beneath my ear. Your chest rises against my back, and I can feel the exact second your arm tightens around my waist, even though I know you're not conscious enough to mean it.