You just heard a sound.

 I can tell because the air is different.

More tense.

I can feel you panic; First a little, then a bit more.

I can feel your back straighten, your ears becoming alert

your mind racing, your body ready to spring to tired feet

 in case the imaginary footsteps grow louder. 

In case that invisible man who roams my empty staircase decides, just for tonight, to be seen.

You can never be too careful.

Not at night.

Not when sleepy eyes see more than what’s there. 

And noises in the bushes refuse to stay outside. 

Not when the creaks in the floorboards and cracks in the walls don’t need bodies to make sounds. 

And minds don’t need permission to wander.

Because it’s different for us.

What we are belongs in our shadows

:hidden hands, held tight. 

Secret kisses in stolen moments.

Love that can only be whispered

just loud enough to know that words were said. 

Never entirely sure that they were heard. 

Though we hope they were.

It’s important to remain quiet. 

To not be too loud. To not share too much.

Because they aren’t ready.

And ‘they’ have somehow become more than ‘us’.

So ‘we’ cater to ‘their’ whim. 

So every time you hear a sound, I know you’ll spring to your feet

your neck stiff, your head tilted slightly to the right,

your fists clenched. Your breath short.  

Your brows furrowed.  

Your focus…theirs.

I know this without opening my eyes. I don’t have to.

And after You pace, half awake, completely uncertain,

 I’ll tell you to come back to bed. 

And I’ll rub your tense back and kiss that stiff neck. 

I’ll grab your waist and I’ll draw you close.

 So close that our chests collide. 

Harder at first then softer.

 Just the way we like. 

Then I’ll look at you while you look at the door “just in case.” 

Just in case someone is coming. 

Just in case someone sees. 

Just in case someone hears, or knows, or cares.  

And I’ll just look at you while the night reclaims a moment we could have stolen.  

A kiss that could have been ours.

Then I’ll say goodnight, and we’ll go back to sleep. 

Your head to my feet.

By: WerepupJeremy.