It's dark. Light from the lone street lamp outside the window bathes the room in a golden glow. The sleeping girl stirs slightly waking and looking at the room. What's he doing here? She thinks noticing the boy curled up on a chair at the opposite end of the room. She's about to scream as she remembers. He's staying the night as his family's away. She remembers calming herself.
"Can't sleep?" she asks quietly, voice barely carrying across the room.
"Haven't for weeks" the boy replied turning his head to face her better.
"Lip reading I see." She says noticing the wire of his headphones hanging from his ears. "You should sleep"
"This is the most relaxed I've been for ages. Just seeing you so peaceful and content is better to me than weeks of sleep." He replies. "It's the truth. Nothing to be embarrassed about" he adds noticing a hint of colour enter her cheeks.
"You're too nice for your own good." She chuckles. "Anyway need the loo. Try get some sleep."
He watches silently as she climbs out of her bed and leaves the room. She's right. Moping won't get me anywhere. His mind tells him silently. Despite this his eyes don't leave the door where she left until she returns.
"You cold?" she asks cursing how his face is in shadow giving her no insight as to his emotions.
He shakes his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just get some sleep yourself" he says as she pauses mid way through climbing back into bed instead standing and walking over to him.
"I do sleep" she goads smiling slightly. "Normally so do you and I'm not going back to bed till I know why it's different now."
"Then you'll be up the rest of the night if you refuse to believe there really is nothing wrong because it's the truth." He says failing to hide the smile in his voice.
"You know that's a lie and that I'm not stupid enough to believe it" she says squatting next to him.
"Why did I know you'd say that?" he shifts over on the chair inviting her to sit next to him. She looks momentarily at the offered space and takes it spinning the chair to face the window as she does so.
He smiles lightly at her finally removing an earphone and letting it hang.
"So what's wrong?" she asks.
"Just want to live for more than there is" he replies giving the first proper answer she's heard for a while.
"You scared again?" she queries leaning towards him and resting her head on his bare shoulder.
"You want me to put a shirt on?" he dodges.
"No. Normally I would but I kind'a like it in this light." She admits "I'll assume that's a yes then."
"I just can't bare to be cut off from everyone for so long."
"Even me?" she jokes.
"Especially you." He replies seriously.
"You won't be." She sooths.
"We both know that's a lie"
"I wish it wasn't."
"So do I. I wouldn't go if you hadn't ordered me to." He says lowering his own head to rest on hers.
"I know."
The sit there in silence both wondering what to say.
"Your cold." She breaks the silence as she notices the Goosebumps slowly appear on his skin.
"I don't notice it." He says.
"You get sick." She counters.
"Like that'll make a difference."
She hits him lightly on the head. "You'd kill yourself if I wasn't here to tell you to make sure you're healthy."
"I would" he replies softly leaving the comment hanging on a cushion of words left unsaid.
"I hate how you always make me do this" she says eventually.
"I hate the places" he defends.
"Me too but there the only hope we've got of you not having to go through hell."
"I'll go through more happily if it means I get to stay with you"
"I hate you"
"I love you too."
She pauses as the words leave his mouth biting back a retort.
"What're you listnin to?" she asks indicating the headphone still in one ear.
"Wana listen?" he asks handing her the other which she accepts.
She places the earphone in her ear and is surprised to hear a soft melody playing quietly; very different from the loud violent rock music he normally listens to.
"I didn't know you like this sort of stuff" she says genuinely surprised.
He doesn't respond but she doesn't expect him to. They sit there silently as the track finishes and another equally slow and sombre tune replaces it.
"Why do you do this?" he asks suddenly.
"What?" she seams puzzled.
"This. Convince me to go to the one place i hate then tell me two days before you don't want me to go."
"I have to." She says simply. "If I don't you'll stay silent about it and it won't get sorted. I'm the only one you're honest with and we both know it. If I don't get you to act you'll just battle through the pain slowly destroying the thing that makes you you."
"My stupidity?" he jokes.
"Your heart" she responds. "I can't stand to see you suffer and can't stop myself worrying when you're next going to collapse and what'll happen if I'm not there to help you."
