Walking Shadow

I wake up warm. Verrrry warm. I don't know where I am, but I notice I have my uniform jacket under my head as a pillow, but yes. That is not my tent wall. My blanket is over me, and I am very very very unnaturally warm. It's nice though. I yawn and turn over and bam.

Gerard.

I yelp and scramble against the wall of the tent, suddenly wide awake, and he rolls over in his sleep. My blanket has gone flying around me and I clutch it, and my jacket, in utter confusion.

Dammit he sleeps like an angel. His pale lashes are closed and flutter ever so softly as he breathes, once in awhile his eyebrows twitch and the corner of his mouth lifts up in a small smile. I wonder what he's dreaming about as he shifts again, his arm flipping over to where I'd been sleeping, on top of my sleeping bag.

His hand grabs at the material like it's searching for something. Me? Gahhh what the fuck am I doing in my leader's tent this late at night/early in the morning??

"Ummm", I say tentatively, "Gerard?"

He snores a little.

"Gerard?"

Now he's on his stomach, hugging the pillow a bit and nuzzling it.

"GERARD STOP BEING CUTE AND WAKE UP."

He snorts a little and wakes up, starting into a sitting position. He looks at me blearily.

"Mary, ish too early for this, you were sleepin so cute, go back to sleep, I'll see you in the mor-" he yawns "-morning."

He turns over to go back to sleep and then looks at me again. "Wait, what do you mean stop being cute? Are you admitting you find me cute?"

This whole time I just stare at him in slight horror.

"WHY AM I IN YOUR TENT?"

"It was night, it was cold, I didn't think you'd be comfortable on the float on the gurney, so go to sleep."

"WHY. AM. I. IN. YOUR. TENT?"

"I just told you, Mary, pleaseeee go to sleep I'm sleepy I was having a good dream!"

Now he's sulking like a five year old.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" he says.

"Like what?"

"Like you've just seen a monster."

I blink. "I... I'm sorry..."

He sighs. "Why do you act like you hate me so much?"

"Because I'm scared," I blurt out.

"Scared of WHAT? I'm not going to eat you."

I find my shoes at the end of the tent. I grab them and put them on.

"What? Mary, what is it?"

I walk out of the tent, taking my blanket with me. As soon as I'm on the float, out of earshot, and warm enough to exert the energy, I say

"I'm scared that I'll fall in love with you."