Upon approaching to the apartment complex, Cooper had come over to my apartment with his toothbrush and a few outfits. He'd asked me if he could spend a nights with me just to calm down and I grew ecstatic at the thought of having a sleepover with my best friend, so, of course, I agreed!
My smile from the realization on the way home was still lingering on my face, and it only grew when Cooper followed me into my bathroom with his toothbrush, shampoo, and several other bathroom-related items.
As I started to brush my teeth, Cooper began to remove his clothes. Awkwardly, I stuttered and fumbled and tried my hardest to keep my eyes off of him, but it was no use. My mirror was too big...and so was his—
"Cameron?"
I jumped at the suddenness of my best friend's voice and faked an okay smile. "Yes," I responded, glancing at the fairly big imprint in his boxer briefs and back up to his eyes in the mirror.
"Do you mind if I walk around like this?"
"Um—" I cut myself off and cleared my throat. "Ye— uh, wi-with—without pants? You wanna walk around without..." I trailed off and turned around to face my best friend, pointing at his legs with a trembling finger.
"Without pants... Yeah," Cooper said softly. "If I'm making you uncomfortable though, I can put on some pants or something."
I stuttered and stumbled incoherently over my inexistent words while struggling to put my toothbrush away and eventually Cooper cut me off with a shake of his head and a soft chuckle. "It's okay. I want you to be comfortable. I need you to feel comfortable. I don't like that I blew up in front of you, Cameron. I'm sorry for getting so upset and embarrassing you," my best friend said sincerely before moving to grab a pair of plaid pajama bottoms.
I shook my head and reached for his arm, but quickly pulled my hand back, reminding myself that he was still a bit upset so I should've at least waited to touch him for a few minutes...but he wanted to kiss me at the car!
I threw my hand forward and softly grazed my knuckles over his arm as he pulled up his pants, and just as I was about to embarrass myself with more stuttering, Cooper clenched both my wrists and pressed his forehead against mine. "I want you to be comfortable around me Cameron. Please don't force yourself to deal with me if you're uncomfortable. Kick me out if you feel that I'm invading your space at any point, okay?"
"No, you're fine," I whined. "I don't want to kick you out and I don't want you to leave. It's our first sleepover. If you're comfortable, I'm comfortable...mi casa es su casa," I tittered faintly as he brought my hands to his chest. "Por favor quédate, Cooper."
He smiled and embraced me slowly into his warm, comfortably tight arms and I buried my face into his neck and kissed his skin slowly. "Cameron," my best friend started. "Do you like him? Romantically?"
"Who?" I questioned.
"Giorgi," Cooper muttered.
I rested my cheek on his shoulder and moved my arms around his torso, shaking my head. "No."
"Graham?"
Again, I shook my head. "No. I just liked his cutting stories and I liked his compliments."
"Why'd you kiss him?"
I shrugged. "I like the feeling. I've never really had such an intimate kiss with anyone, Cooper. Even our first kiss wasn't so sensational. It was too quick. Plus I was eating cheese balls," I explained.
"...Do you like me romantically?"
I inhaled a good amount of oxygen and sighed through my nostrils. "I don't know... I don't know how to know if I like you romantically," I answered honestly.
"Do you like when I look into your eyes?"
"Yes," I replied, looking into my best friend's eyes. "I love it. You make me feel like I'm the only one that matters to you."
Cooper chuckled and ran his hand up my back and gently gripped my hair. "You are the only one that matters to me," he said.
With a scoff I shook my head. "No, I mean you make me feel like our relationship is the only thing that matters. Like—"
"I know. I'm agreeing that you and our relationship are the only things that matter to me. I want you to want me and I want you to only keep your scars between us. You are my very best friend, Cameron, and I want you to know that you're what makes me happy," my best friend said sincerely, staring into my eyes with his own dark, dominant brown orbs.
"You're what makes me happy, too," I said at an accidental whisper, staring into my best friend's beautifully scary gaze. "Am I? You don't always seem happy with me," Cooper said in a low, husky voice. "I am happy with you... I just hate that you're still with Erin," I told him sincerely.
"Trust me, Cameron. Tomorrow I'll break up with her," my best friend said sternly, receiving a small scoff from me. "I will. Okay? Don't think of me as untrustworthy. Hurts my feelings."
I rolled my eyes and smiled.
"You'll stop doubting me...Yes?"
I looked into Cooper's dark, beautiful eyes and shrugged with a small nod. "Okay...but if you don't break up with her, I'll keep doubting you."
Cooper smirked and gently knocked his head against mine before pressing his nose against my own. "Si, señor. Just don't be too harsh," he whispered, staring at my lips.
I sneered at my best friend and rolled my eyes, and he laughed before saying: "Or do. You're so cute and short, I'm sure you, at your angriest, meanest state of being, can't be too scary. Not to be rude or anything! It's just that you're a bit too cute to scare anyone."
I gasped at the subtle insult and pushed Cooper away from me and he guffawed endless apologies, reaching for my waist and trying to hug me, but I continued to swat his hands away. Eventually he tired me out enough to get me to just give up on keeping him away, and he had wrapped me into his warm embrace on the couch.
"I am scary. I scare you all the time," I argued.
"Yeah, 'cuz you make me think that you don't like me. Now that I know you do, you're not so scary anymore," Cooper said simply.
I frowned at him and moved my hand up to push his face away from me, only making him laugh. "Get off. I don't like you right now," I said, standing up and going to my room. "Cameron! Babe, c'mon," Cooper chortled.
Before I could lock my door, he came into my room and grabbed the waistline of my pants while pressing his lips to my neck. "I'm just messing with you, Cameron. Ease up on me," he said softly, rubbing his nose against my head.
I was still a bit frustrated with Cooper so I turned my cranium away from him a bit; he followed my actions and turned my face back towards his while he lifted my chin. "I'm sorry, baby." Again, I turned my head, but I wasn't able to completely avert my eyes from my best friend's since he held my chin with a light grip. "Forgive me?"
"No," I whined. "Please? Pretty please," Cooper pried. "Tell me I'm scary," I said sternly. The taller man stood up straight and held both my hands before looking me in my eyes and sighing. "Cameron," he started, forcing himself not to smile—and failing horribly.
I rolled my eyes and pushed him away from me, but he rushed to tackle me into his embrace, landing us on my bed. "Get off of me! You're heavy," I complained. "Not until you forgive me," Cooper chortled.
"Get off! You're crushing me!"
"Tell me you forgive me!"
"No!"
"Say it!"
"Get off!"
Cooper, surprisingly, got up off of me, but it appeared that he'd only done so to close my bedroom door and lock it, tilting his head upon seeing the photo of his girlfriend's face with knife stabs all over it. "Ohhh.... Yeah, you're kinda scary," he chuckled.
I smiled and felt a small blush warm my cheeks. However, I quickly felt myself pale a bit when Cooper smirked devilishly at me and shrugged. "Kinda. Not as scary as me, though," he said.
"...What?" I unintentionally whispered as my best friend stepped closer to me and grabbed my waist.
"You're so much kinder to her photos than I am," he chuckled. "I carve out her ugly, hideous, annoying eyes. I cut out her mouth because everything she says is fake, garbage, or lies. I burn every printed photo of her that she gives me. I hate her, Cameron. I always have. She just knows how to shut my brain off and manipulate me into being in her control. Doing whatever she says...by using my dead mother to make me feel guilty. To make me reminisce about my mother's life and voice."
Just then, an odd question came into my mind. An odd question...but a serious one. "Have you ever...um..."
"What? Thought about actually hurting Erin?"
"Yes."
"Yes. I have. Multiple times... But! I then think about how long I'd have to sit in prison for getting rid of her, and...she's just not worth it," Cooper sighed, clapping his hands onto my thighs. "She's so worthless to me...but she knows how to keep me around."
"How much do I mean to you," I asked, feeling curious.
"Not an excessive amount, but a lot. I don't want anyone to take you from me... I don't want you to leave me... I don't want anyone to see yours scars or your beautiful pale skin just underneath them... I don't want anyone other than me to grant you physical pleasure so be it kissing, holding hands, or sex...and I don't want anyone other than me to be able to touch you..." Cooper trailed off as he caressed my face. "So then, I guess you do mean an excessive amount to me."
I smiled and got onto my toes to nuzzle my head against my best friend's jaw, and he hugged me warmly.
"Promise me you won't let anyone other than myself touch you romantically. Promise," Cooper said a bit sternly.
I tittered and shook my head at my best friend's possessiveness over me. "I promise. But you have to promise the same and keep your word," I said, raising my head to look into his eyes.
He was staring at me with a bit of anger in them, but soon that miniature fire was no more as he closed his lids and smiled a bright, toothy grin at me. "I promise," he beamed.
YES! Cooper is mine and I am his! Erin will be broken up with tomorrow and I will become everything that matters to Cooper! Plus!! He's just as possessive over me as I am over him! Our relationship will be the strongest and most beautiful of any—of every one else's!!
And if anyone chooses to—or even accidentally gets in the way of my and Cooper's relationship, I will have to get rid of them, and I refuse to be kind about it.
Sorry for the later update. School's got me drained.