"hear my soul speak" | { s/mb }

"my heart is filled with you" (oli & niles)

"The whole world, huh?" Niles grinned at him.

Oliver couldn't bring himself to smile back for a second, but Niles' happiness had always been infectious. A little smile worked its way on to his face. "The whole thing," he confirmed, "all seven continents and four major oceans."

"You don't start spewing numbers like that unless somethings up," Niles laughed, and Oliver swore his heart stopped for a second. "So..." Niles shifted on the bed again, his bent knees knocking gently into Oliver's legs. "Whats up?"

You drive me insane, Oliver thought. I think this is what love is like, and I think it's killing me. He didn't say that.

Sometimes Oliver liked Niles so much that he couldn't stand it. It wasn't a regular kind of 'like,' the kind that friends normally have for friends- but most of the time Oliver was too afraid to even think the word 'love' because he didn't want to confront it. Sometimes, he wished they weren't as close as they were, just so that he wouldn't have to feel his heart clench every time Oliver saw him, or the way his breath caught in his throat when Niles smiled. He wished to every God he could think of that he didn't ache like he had swallowed stones when they were alone, like they were now. Of course, he also wished for the opposite sometimes, too. He wished that Niles felt the same way- he wished that he wasn't the only one whose heart stopped when they hugged.

Most of all, he wished that he could say all of that. But he couldn't.

So he didn't.

"Nothing, really. I think I'm just bummed that I failed that history test," he finally answered. Please believe me.

"Oliver, a 74% is not failing a test."

"Its like you don't even know me," Oliver laughed, sighing and leaning away from him dramatically, twisting sideways so that his legs were still facing Niles, but his torso was facing towards the ceiling again.

"Oh sure," Niles laughed with him, before reaching out and grabbing Oliver by the shoulder, pulling him closer and turning him back onto his side. "Whats your name again?" He teased.

"You're the worst," Oliver claimed with a groan, feigning offense, as he pulled his pillow out from under him and then hitting Niles in the face with it.

"Oliver Suarez, I am offended," Niles laughed as he shoved the pillow away from his face. "You love me and you know it."

You have no idea. He didn't say that.

"Yeah, you're lucky. Who else is gonna feed you, hmm?" Oliver grinned down at him, now that he was sitting up a bit, supporting himself on his elbow.

"Your mom does make pretty good food. Maybe she should be my best friend," Niles grinned back up at him.

Oliver scoffed. "Wheres my pillow," he sat up, "I need to beat you with it." He reached behind Niles legs and grabbed his pillow, but before he could turn around to make good on his threat, he felt another pillow hit the back of his head. He froze, turning back slowly to look at Niles. "How dare you!" He laughed, swinging his pillow and hitting Niles' raised arms.

At some point, on one of his upswings, Niles reached out quicker than Oliver could bring the pillow down, caught Oliver by the arms, and pulled him back down onto the bed. Oliver collapsed into him and they descended into a fit of stifled giggles- for a moment, Oliver forgot about the ache in his chest and the rocks in his stomach.

By the time they got themselves under control, Oliver still hadn't moved- he was now halfway resting on his chest, with Niles arm tucked under him. Neither of them tried to move, and Oliver couldn't decide if that was good or bad. He wanted Niles to push him away, to give his heart a break, but he also felt like he might explode if he did. So he stayed put like that, his hand on Niles' chest and his head on his shoulder. They had never had a problem being this close in the past, anyway; it was just Oliver making monsters out of mice.

Niles yawned, Oliver's hand rising and falling with his chest, and then they both continued to be silent.

Oliver felt like they were like that for an eternity- long enough that Oliver could imagine what it would be like if they just... stayed like that. If time stopped and they had nowhere to be, no one to see, nothing to do except stay. Oliver clenched his jaw.

"About those seven continents," he finally whispered, not wanting to completely break the silence.

Niles hummed inquisitively in response- his breathing was slowing down, so Oliver figured his must have been nearly asleep. Maybe that would give him some courage- but, even if it didn't he couldn't back out now. He had already started the sentence, so he had to say something.

He paused, letting out a soft, shaky breath.

"I'm glad we're both here, on this one."

You are my favorite person. I don't know what I would do without you. You are the moon and the sun and whole damn universe.

He didn't say that.