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Paulkins - 4AM

Summary:

Despite the couple having changed their names to 'Kelly' and 'Dan' after the Apotheosis, when they were luckily alone the formalities dropped.

"Dear, is everything alright?" Paul ran a cold hand up her arm. Emma shivered.

"Dandy," she blinked the sleep from her eyes, "what time is it?"

Paul checked his watch with a crack through the lens, it blurred many of the numbers and through the dark he could hardly make out the hands, "About four."

-

It's four in the morning, and Paul and Emma are having trouble sleeping.

Notes:

I wrote most of this before seeing Black Friday or hearing of Hatchetfield lore outside of TGWDLM so this is just an AU excuse for Paulkins.

extra tags:
Asexual Paul Matthews
Asexual Emma Perkins
Short Emma Perkins

Work Text:

"Emma?"

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the sudden light infesting them. Groaning, she turned in her spot on the bed, before sitting up next to their taller man beside her, "Paul, is something wrong?"

The man nodded silently and took her hand under the bed covers, "You were shaking."

She ignored this, "Paul… what time is it?"

Despite the couple having changed their names to 'Kelly' and 'Dan' after the Apotheosis, when they were luckily alone the formalities dropped.

"Dear, is everything alright?" Paul ran a cold hand up her arm. Emma shivered.

"Dandy," she blinked the sleep from her eyes, "what time is it?" Paul checked his watch with a crack through the lens, it blurred many of the numbers and through the dark he could hardly make out the hands, "About four."

"In the morning, right?" she sniggered and pulled herself up, rubbing a hand against the scar across her thigh. "In the morning." Paul added.

She leaned against his side, pressing their arms together and squeezing his hand tightly. The room got a bit warmer. "Hey, Paul," she said, staring off into the darkness of their room. "Do you get nightmares about it?"

Paul let out a shaky breath, "If musical numbers in my dreams count as nightmares."

Since the break-out, the pair had avoided all sense of theatre and dancing. Still, his eyes closed tightly as the reminder of a kickline and a chorus darkened his sleepy mind. "God, we're lucky to be alive." he sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Paul." Emma croaked.

"Yes, Ems?"

She nodded her head to look up at the man next to her through the dim, yellow lamplight. "Sometimes I see you and I just…" she felt a tear swell in her eye, "I want to hit you over and over."

Paul averted his eyes from hers in pulses and nodded, biting his lip. "So do I."

Emma cupped his cheek and broke the gap between their lips. Her eyes fluttered closed in an instant and she had a hand gripped in Paul's hair. Through it all, Paul had gotten too anxious to grab her waist or pull her closer, so his shaking hands stayed hovering over her legs until she pinned them to her sides. They pulled away and rested their foreheads together. Stammering, Paul ran a hand along her bandaged thigh, "You're amazing."

"Paul–"

"–no, Ems–"

In a blur their lips met again, but this time only for a second. Emma's hot breath trailed along Paul's cheekbones, "You're so– so nice." she spluttered. Her hands took Paul's face again and she kissed where her mouth could reach. "Ems–" he sniggered and let his body fall limp in her arms, "I really like you."

"Oh, really?" she responded in a sarcastic tone. Her lips pressed against Paul's chin again before she pulled away to say, "By the way your hair is really hot like that." whilst running a well-manicured hand through his bed-head curls.

Paul's eyes lit up, "Really?"

She nodded and grinned as Paul pulled her in close to his chest. Quietly, the pair drifted off again like that, happy at the absence of a musical nightmare, leaning back against the pillows and their bodies. Before unconsciousness took Emma over, she heard a drowsy voice whisper, "I love you, Ems."

The girl smiled, "I love you too."