Missing Butterflies

His breathing was deep and regular, signaling he was sound asleep. His chin still rested against her head and she could feel his breath gently play with her hair. His arm was around her waist, but his hand was only loose around her hand.

“I love you, I do. And I like you… I just don’t feel the butterflies.”

The words pierced the silence of the dark knight like deafening thunder. How could he on one hand say that he loved her, tell her he would do all he could, yet consider to just end the relationship without trying to work on it?

As gently as she could she turned around and looked at his face, though barely visible in the dark of the night she knew it well enough to see his features. Controlling the urge to touch his face, she laid her hand on his chest. He took a deep breath, but remained asleep. A smile curled on her lips as her eyes watered at the same time.

“I love you too,” she thought, afraid to break the delicate unity they shared in that moment. As if he heard her thought, he crawled even closer to her and laid his head against her head. She smiled and fell asleep in the safety of her green covers.

Several hours later the alarm went off and awoke them both fully. Bright light was entering through the curtains and the outside world was awake with the sound of cars and birds. She stretched and nestled herself on his chest. He yawned and stroke her arm.

For a moment that was all there was: the two of them, in her small bed, safely hidden from the outside world with its challenges.

“I have to go,” he whispered.

“Do you want something to eat?” she offered as she rubbed her sleepy eyes, wondering how he could be so fully awake in the early morning.

“No, I’m fine,” he said and kissed her head, “Stay in bed.”

“You sure? I’m not sure if the door’s open,” she mumbled. He smirked and told her he was fine. As careful as he could he crawled over her, stretched, and got dressed within seconds. Sitting up in bed, she took her keys and handed them to him. He smiled again, before took the keys and laid them down on the table. He reached down and kissed her shortly, and held her long and strong in his arms.

“Get some sleep,” he said as he guided het down to her bed again. Too tired to protest, she allowed him to tuck her in and kiss her once more.

“I really am willing to go to great lengths for you,” he whispered before he kissed her the last time and left. She rolled on her side as she heard the front door close and his car start. Within seconds he was gone and she was left with his scent in her bed and the empty songs of the birds.

“Bastard,” she mumbled and wiped her eyes, “I knew you’d make me cry, don’t you dare just give up on us.”

Then again, who knew how far he would really go without the butterflies…