This is set after Nathan gets home from the hospital following the events in Devotion
Gökotta (Swedish): To wake up early in the morning with the purpose of going outside to hear the first birds sing.
Rated G. CW: being in the hospital is mentioned but no details given, mention of weight loss (not dieting)
Nathan was a morning person, but usually a bit later in the morning. But this was the first time he’d slept in his own bed since his accident. He’d even gone to bed later than usual, not as late as Delia, but it was almost 10 pm before his eyes got heavy. He’d slept so much at the hospital, even if it was poorly and often interrupted. He’d woken up a bit when Delia climbed into bed and wrapped her arms around him.
“God, I missed you,” she whispered.
“Me too,” he whispered, wrapping his hand around her strong ones. This was the final piece of being home – being in their bed, together, entwined. He sighed and fell asleep quickly. If he dreamed, he didn’t remember it. He’d had strange dreams in the hospital, some of them disturbing, most of them just fragments of nonsense.
He woke up, laying on his back. The room was dim and comfortable and Delia was still snuggled against him. He turned over and brushed her hair out of her eyes. He’d missed her so much. She’d always been a reliable presence, strong and graceful. He sighed noiselessly. He was fully awake. He carefully extricated himself from the sheets. Delia was a heavy sleeper, but still.
In the bathroom, he closed the door before turning on the light. He usually tied his hair back before bed but had forgotten, and it was a rats nest of tangles. “You’ve looked better,” he told his reflection. He’d lost weight. He’d fix that in time. He washed his face and then grabbed his brush and sat down to deal with the tangles.
The first hints of dawn were just beginning. He stood and pushed open the window. The air was chilly, but fresh in a way that the sanitized hospital air never was. After a moment, and several knots untangled, the birds started to welcome the sun with joyful song. He smiled and leaned back to listen.
Enjoy this post? Support me on Patreon or Ko-fi
