"Alex." I felt my arm being nudged slightly, and groaned in annoyance.
"Alex. C'mon, wake up." As the last remnants of sleep were pulled away from me, I held on tighter to whatever I had my arms around.
"'M sleeping." I muttered annoyed at the fact that I hadn't been able to wake up at my own pace.
"I know, but we are still on the couch. I'm just trying to move to the bed." I realized then that I was laying on the couch, arms wrapped around Thomas' chest and face buried in his neck.
"I don't want to. I'm comfortable right here." I became aware of his arm on my back, the other still trying to force me awake by pushing against mine.
"You are also going to fall off from right here if you aren't careful. You almost did a minute ago. That's why I'm waking you up."
"Then just hold me tighter and let me go back to sleep." He sighed, and I smiled against his neck.
"I can feel you smiling, you jerk. Do you realize how uncomfortable this is for me?"
"You'll be fine." I was still surprised we were even in this position. After showing me every Imagine Dragons song he said I had to hear, he had turned on the tv and started flipping through random channels. It was late already, and I found myself feeling drowsy almost immediately. I must have just started cuddling him or something, but I was too tired to remember clearly.
"I won't be. I bet my legs are asleep."
"I wish I was asleep."
"And you can be soon. Let's just get up and move to the bed. It's like twenty feet or something."
"I'd rather just stay here." He still didn't seem convinced, and I felt him thing to move off of the couch. "Thomas." I kissed the base of his neck from where my head was resting on his shoulder, and he stopped moving instantly.
"Can't we just stay here?" I asked, somehow feeling a growing confidence as I kissed his neck again. I felt his hand that rested on my back grip the fabric of my shirt. I think I may have found a soft spot of his.
"Why? The couch is so small."
"But you are so warm," I mumbled and snuggled in closer to him and he sighed.
"But the bed, it's so close, Alex." He whined.
"Carry me, then." I said and I almost fell asleep right then.
"God, you are so pushy." He murmured but I could hear the smile in his voice.
"I prefer cute." I say and he moves away from me and I whine in annoyance.
"That too." He whispers and I almost have a heart attack when he actually picks me up and lays me down on the bed.
"Damn, you are heavy." He says and I fake pout sleepily.
"Shut up."
I think I fall asleep minutes after that because the next time I open my eyes, the sunlight's streaming through the window and Thomas is holding me in his arms. I blink and smile and close my eyes again.
**********
"You made me a, you made me a believer! Be-"
"Could you please stop?" I poked my head out of the open bathroom door, and saw him sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.
"Why? I'm just singing?"
"Because it's annoying." He looked me straight in the eyes, and I could tell that he really was getting annoyed, but I didn't really care that much. He shouldn't have shown me all those songs then.
"I just have two words for you, Thomas."
"What's that?" He eyes me suspiciously, and I tried my best to keep a straight face.
"Cool out." I sang, and he threw his hands up in frustration.
"I'm serious, Alex!"
"Hi, Serious, I'm Alex." I mean, he walked right into that one. He didn't say anything, but just looked at me, and something in that look stopped me from saying anything else. So I stepped back into the bathroom, and got out my toothbrush.
"Look me in the eyes, tell me what you see. A perfect paradise-"
"Alex!" He cut me off before I even got to the bet part of the song.
"Seriously, you've never sung into your toothbrush? It's so fun. Come sing with me."
"I'm not going to, and I've never sung into my toothbrush. That's so dumb." His voice was getting louder so I assume he was walking towards the bathroom, despite the fact that he said he wouldn't sing with me.
"Don't knock it until you've tried it." I reminded him, and I could hear him sighing.
"What are you doing anyways?"
"I'm getting ready for the day." I stared the obvious fact, rolling my eyes at him as he leaned on the doorframe.
"Then maybe brush your teeth instead of singing to yourself in the mirror."
"Alright, I will." I put the toothpaste on the brush, feeling his eyes on me the whole time.
"Why do you take so long to get ready anyways?" He grumbled.
"Because..." I knew he would get even more annoyed, but what the hell! I can sing if I want. "I'm so fancy! You already know. I'm in the fast lane-"
"That's not even Imagine Dragons!"
"You're right. It's much better than Imagine Dragons."
"Don't you even go there," He warns me and I just wave him off.
He nudges me a little so that he can also grab his brush and I put water on the brush and start brushing my teeth and he starts by putting on the water first and I grimace,
"You puff the wafe ffist."
"What?" He asks confused and I make 'hold on a minute' gesture and he waits impatiently while I spit the paste.
"You put the water first! You are supposed to put the toothpaste first."
"What?" He asks incredulously, "You are seriously on to that? Did you just notice that?"
That's like the one thing I can't agree on––okay, there's a lot of things I can't agree on–– but this is like the one thing that annoys me a little. Okay, a lot.
"You are supposed to put the toothpaste first." I pout and he scoffs before turning around to brush before completely ignoring me.
So, I splash some water on him and he flinches. He doesn't speak considering he was just brushing and he just takes some water and splashes at me. Then we have a little water war and he giggles. Giggles.
"Did you just giggle?" I gush, "You are so cute!"
"I did not giggle!" He says indignantly, "Definitely not."
"Seems like you have to defend yourself too much. Sounds fishy, doesn't it? You definitely giggled."
He leans in close. I feel flustered as he closes the gap between us and he stares at my lip. After a few seconds, he wipes at my lip and say,
"You had a little bit of toothpaste there, Alex. Can't even brush properly now?"
"Shut up." I squeak out.
"Shut up? No sarcastic retort? Getting weak, Alex."
I love this side of him. He seems less uptight and more genuine when he is this way. I feel like he's slowly getting more comfortable with the idea of being with me. I don't care how long it takes him but I feel good enough that he's changed so much.
My entire day is boring. I am eagerly waiting for Christmas when I can meet my family again. I hope Thomas likes them. I invite Jay and Cam to my room to keep me company.
"Do you think you can order us around just because you are married to a prince, huh, Alex?" Cam jokes when he comes.
Jay just smiles. We talk and I notice how Jay can't seem to keep his hands off of Cam. It's not blatant but the way their hands keep touching and the way Jay bumps their knees together sometimes. It's really subtle. But Cam's expression? Not so subtle. It's like he's trying to not to look too pleased but he just can't hide his delight.
"How about we invite Alan here?" Cam suggests.
"Are you crazy? He's so sad. I don't think that us being too playful and fun is going to make him feel better." I say.
"He's just moping around!"
"And he has a good reason to."
"Come on, he needs a distraction, too."
Jay gets up and before he leaves he kisses Cam's cheek and he looks like a giddy child and I smile. Cam blushes. He rarely ever blushes and it's like the little show of affection has turned him into a puddle.
"You guys are so adorable!" I almost shout, "God, I love you guys together."
"Of course, we are adorable." He says smugly trying to hide his embarrassment.
When Jay brings Alan with him, it breaks my heart. He looks so tired and gaunt. He looks exactly like how Elliot seems— they can't live without each other and even though to others, Alan seems like a childish person, he is so amazingly sincere that looking at him like this makes me so miserable. They didn't deserve this at such a young age. While normal boys at the same age that Elliot is at now are enjoying their life and being carefree, he is carrying the weight of a kingdom's peace.
I want to get Elliot out of there so badly and I keep thinking of ways but I don't want to talk about it and get Alan's hopes up. I hope that what Cam said is true. I hope that this causes a little distraction and makes him forget all that he's been going through at least for a few minutes.