Storm {A Light Novel}

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I hate that I am laying here, the only one awake, wondering stupid things like what's pillowier between his hair or the thing it's spread across. It's so messy, but looks so plush.

I'm fighting but eventually lose to the urge to snap a picture of this rare moment. This rare moment of innocence. Now seems to be the only time where his face is devoid of worry, his eyebrows relax, and even his shoulders sleep.

Forgetting my ringer is on, a camera click cuts through the early morning silence, causing him to stir. His nose twitches and the realization hits. That's what he reminds me of. A puppy. Actually, this time.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

My eyes dart back down to the sleeping boy on the floor.

"I am. Well, I was..."

His eyes peel open slowly and he just stares forward at the frame holding up my bed. "You should go back to sleep."

"I think you should. Definitely."

"Ryleigh..." He groans, begging me to just listen.

"You can go back to sleep, it's okay. I've got things I can work on."

He opens his eyes again and catches my ankle as I prepare to tiptoe over him. "Back to bed, miss. Please."

Why did my heart skip?

I can't be silent now.

"M-miss? Excuse me? Says the tired boy on my floor. Go to sleep, Eli."

He is propping himself up on his elbows now, raising one arm momentarily to rub sleep out of his eyes. It is this time around I realize his messy appearance isn't the only thing that's different about him. "Whatever you can do, I can do it too."

His voice.

"I mean— I know you can do a lot of things I can't. Obviously. That's not what I meant." He twitches his nose again, scrunching his face up and releasing all the grogginess into the air. "But if you have to be up, then I do too."

It may not have been for me. Maybe it was just principle. But regardless, I appreciated him not leaving me be alone even in the simplest of moments, like waking hours. It was a small gesture, but in that moment I realized with bittersweetness that was something I hated about being home. Home is where I'm really alone.

But at least now I don't have to be. Not in this very moment.

"Alright, whatever." I drop my foot from the bed to lightly kick his bicep. "If you get up, I can get down and make us something to drink."

Some gibberish escaped his mouth in a sleepy drawl, making it obvious that one sentence I got out of him used up all of his 'awake' energy. I nudged him with my foot again before placing it on the ground and stepping over him. It was this action that seemed to kick him into gear, as he slowly scrambled after me.

Continuing the zombie energy behind me all the way down the stairs, he dropped his elbows on the counter near the coffee machine and slouched forward. I pushed him further down the counterspace so he'd be out of the way, causing him to groan again, and started up the machine.

"Your eyes aren't even open," I pointed out with a chuckle. "You want your coffee black or how I have mine?"

"Don't people normally ask... I don't know, something like 'do you want cream or sugar?'" He mumbled.

"First of all," I said, waving a spoon. "I'm not 'people.' Second of all, you get the options I give you. Now choose."

"Now choose," he repeats. The way he sticks his tongue out with his eyes still closed tells me everything I need to know.

I grab the kitchen towel from the counter (the nearest weapon in sight) and whack him on the back with it.

His eyes pop open and he looks to me with a face of betrayal. "I almost bit my tongue off!"

"That sure woke you up." I hold back my laughter with a simple smirk. "Well, you shouldn't have mocked me with your guard down. But, it's a good thing you didn't, so you can taste how good my coffee is." I hold out a freshly brewed mug to him.

It takes three sweet seconds of careful maneuvers from him trying to find a safe balance between avoiding touching my hands as much as possible and not risking dropping the mug or touching the scalding parts of the pottery.

After a few breaths to cool and one dramatic slurp, he extends a thank you.

I toss the towel in his direction again, this time it landing over his shoulder. "You're welcome."

"Thank you." He smiles. It's small but it's there.

"You already said that."

"I know."