playlist ? dbh connor

path unlocked ꗃ your apartment

[ 7:45 PM. TUES ]

The evening air feels cool against your skin as you finish folding the last of your laundry. Your apartment is quiet except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan. You rub your temples, trying to push away the lingering headache from everything that had transpired after the ice cream date. You type out a quick message to Connor.

Door's unlocked. Just come in when you're here.

It's easier than getting up again, and honestly, you're too drained to care about formalities. The couch looks way too inviting after the long day you'd had, so you sink into its embrace, telling yourself it would just be for a minute. Just a minute.

The warmth of the cushions and the steady rhythm of your breathing soon pulls you into a nap.

Then, the faint clinking of pans and the savory aroma of something cooking stirs you awake. You blink against the soft glow of the kitchen light and turned your head, groggy but alert enough to notice Connor standing at your stove.

"Connor?" you croak, your voice hoarse from sleep.

He doesn't turn around but he responds, "I apologize for using your kitchen without permission. I wanted to ensure you had something to eat."

You rub your eyes and shuffle closer, leaning on the back of a chair to steady yourself. "It's okay. I'm sorry I fell asleep. I didn't set an alarm. I was going to wait for you," you say, though the smell made your stomach growl.

"It's alright," he says simply. You walk closer. When you were within arm's reach, he turns fully toward you and raises his hands.

His palms cup your cheeks with a precision that feels both careful and intimate. His thumb hovers just beneath the faint bruise on your jaw, and his eyes scan the corner of your lip where the skin had split.

"Your injury is healing," he murmurs. His touch was cool but not unpleasant, the slight pressure grounding you in a way you didn't expect.

"Thanks to you,"

Dinner was simple but warm, and you find yourself smiling despite the exhaustion weighing on you. Connor sits across from you, hands folded neatly in his lap as he watches you eat.