Jack falls asleep like that, head nestled on the pillow in Bitty’s lap, the smile on his face as relaxed and content as Bitty has ever seen it.
The storm outside is unrelenting, but Bitty just hums softly to himself and cards his fingers through Jack’s hair again. This moment in time is not only perfect, but also the perfect metaphor for their relationship.
Jack is coming out next week.
Bitty is coming out to his parents tomorrow.
The storm rages, the windowpanes rattling against the onslaught, but Bitty is too happy, too confident of his place here in this tiny universe that belongs to him and Jack alone, to let it bother him.
“You are the best thing I have ever done,” he whispers.
Slowly, Jack reaches one hand up to trail gentle fingertips across the back of Bitty’s neck. He smiles softly, and, though his eyes are still closed, it is very obvious he’s no longer asleep.
“I think that’s my line,” he whispers back. And then shifts a little so that his nose nuzzles into Bitty’s abdomen as he slips back into semi-consciousness.
“I love you,” Bitty says.
He can feel Jack’s lazy smile through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.
“My love is too big for words,” Jack mumbles, definitely falling back asleep now. Bitty breathes a quiet laugh. “You are the best thing… the best… that I have ever let myself have.”
The downpour outside picks up. Bitty has no illusions about how much the rest of the world is very soon going to do exactly the same in regards to his relationship.
But he closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling of Jack’s freshly washed hair between his fingers. He focuses on loving this boy with his whole heart, on how easy that is to do, and on how loved he feels in return.
The storm outside has never looked less scary.