Page 11 of Stay, Swear.

“Hey, Brave Girl. I know you can hear me.” He whispers.

Unwilling to have a full conversation I respond, “hmm?”

“Rhett’s room or the spare?”

Snuggling deeper into his hold I all but whisper, “Spare.”

I can feel Kieran smile against my hair as he gives me one last kiss and makes his way to the spare room. He gently lays me down and covers me up. He presses his lips to my forehead one last time before turning on his heels to go to his own room. Being half asleep is the only excuse I have for what I do next. Before he can move too far away I reach out and grab his fingers with my own.

“Stay.”

Kie sucks in a sharp breath and without another word pushes his sweat pants off so he’s just in his black boxers and climbs into bed behind me. His strong arm wraps around my waist and pulls my back into his chest. My body instantly melts into his. The last time we did this I slept soundly for the first time in as long as I can remember.

“Go to sleep. The bad dreams can’t get you here.”

“Swear?”

This feels too intimate. Way too much for a man I’ve hooked up with once, but at the same time his arms make me feel something that I’m not sure I’ve ever felt in my life. Protected.So I let Kie hold me as I drift off to sleep tangled up in his long limbs as I’m drifting to sleep I hear him whisper into the room.

“Swear.”

* * *

I wake up to an empty bed and instantly feel a sense of deja vu. After getting up and throwing on a pair of black leggings and an old band tee, I decide to head downstairs. While making my way down to find Clara and Rhett my mind wanders to where Kieran went. Not like it matters, we just slept in the same bed. Finding Rhett snuggled up on the couch, I grab a blanket out of the ottoman and curl up with him. He leans his head onto my arm and it brushes his bare ear. My head whips around, looking for Clara or Rowan. He always keeps his processors with one of them if he isn’t wearing them. My eyes catch on them sitting on the side table. What is happening this morning?

Scratching his head until he brings his tired miserable eyes to mine, my hands lift to talk to him,“Why are your processors off? Are you okay?”

He shakes his head,“My head hurts. Hearing break.”

Rhett was unable to hear anything until a few months ago. He takes hearing breaks but only after telling one or both of his parents and making sure his processors are safe with them. Poor baby also gets migraines from time to time like his mom. I’ve been around since the day he was born and the look he has in his eyes right now screams the beginning stages of a migraine.

Laying his head into my lap he closes his eyes and puts my hand gently on his head. We’ve done this enough over the years that I know exactly what he wants. My fingers twirl around his curls, playing with his hair as easily as possible. It doesn’t take long until he’s asleep. Looking around it’s empty down here. Come to think of it, there’s typically a Byrne brother around Rhett constantly. This morning there’s none to be found. Grabbing my phone I shoot Clara a text letting her know where I am and what’s going on, making sure to assure her I’ve got it and he’s fine.

About a half an hour later two sets of heavy footsteps run down the stairs.

“Bear?!” Rowan’s frantic voice fills the space.

“Hey, he’s right here. I’ve got him.” My hand doesn’t stop running through his curls for fear of waking him up. Rowan comes to a screeching stop in front of us.

“I’m so sorry, Clara’s down with a migraine and Rhett has some sort of sickness going on. I left him asleep in bed with Clara to take a call and when I came back he was gone.”

“What do you mean he has some sort of sickness?”

He gestures to him asleep in my lap like I’m an idiot. “He’s asleep in your lap at eleven on a Sunday morning.”

Giving him a small smile I let him in on what Clara must have not mentioned. “Rhett gets migraines too. He hasn’t had one to my knowledge since you’ve been around, but he gets them all the same. He likes to sleep with his head in my lap and lets me play with his hair. We’ve been doing this for every migraine since it started when he was two. I’ve been called over from work, appointments, and late nights out. I’m not his mom or his dad but I’m Auntie, and to Rhett, Auntie is his go to migraine remedy.”

“I didn’t know about his migraines. Is there anything you need while you’re with him? Between him and Clara I’m feeling pretty useless. Are you sure I can’t take him?”

He’s so stiff and looks extremely stressed. I’ve never seen him like this before. Rowan’s always so relaxed and chill when I’m around. It’s also important to note that I’ve only ever been around when Clara and Rhett are as well and he’s in family mode. I know who Rowan is and what he does, so I’m sure he’s typically no nonsense. I’ve just never seen that side of him. “Yeah, I’ve got him. You take care of our girl. I’ve got our boy.”

He forces a smile however his voice is commanding, “Okay, you have my number, so keep me updated. If he throws up or anything changes text or call me right away. Declan will stay down here with you.”

No, absolutely not.

I give him my most dramatic‘what the fuck’face before spitting out, “You’re joking right?”

The look on his face tells me he’s very serious.

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