Thicker Than Ink

Thirty One

"I do not!" The way Silas is sent reeling by the news I had gifted to him over our odd snack of carrots, cucumber, hummus, and bell pepper slices I almost can't believe that he doesn't believe me, his stance firm on the subject even though out of the two of us, I would be the one to know in this instance, no matter how many times he tries to assert, "I do not snore!"

"Yes you do, and I don't understand why you're trying to argue with me about it." Even though he' trying to deny it... At least he's bothering to do it softly because he knows that while our long nap had helped my head that my migraine is still very much present... Even if he was able to persuade me to have a little snack with him, the hummus cool and creamy and my current main focus instead of the actual vegetables... Something Silas keeps chuckling about every time he notices me trying to get as much onto my chosen vehicle for said dip as I can before lifting it from the bowl to my mouth while he watches me in amusement while I raise my eyebrows at him for thinking he can convince me that he doesn't snore when he very much does.

"We aren't arguing, Princess, I just don't understand why you think I snore when I know I don't. If I snored someone would have mentioned it by now don't you think?" The way he says it almost sounds like a challenge, and I almost have to question his tone of voice until I catch him raising his eyebrows at himself before shoving a bare carrot into his mouth to avoid saying anything else for a few seconds while we sit in the dark with only a single lamp lit in the corner, the sound of hammers swinging and saw destroying things in order to try and help us make our house more of a home having long since stopped, what can be seen of outside through the gaps in the curtain now offering nothing but darkness instead of obnoxious amounts of sunshine. 

"Who would have the courage to other than me?" I don't mean for my tone to be so dry when I ask him but my question knocks him so off-balance that he pauses his chewing in order to stare at me for a few seconds before starting to let his jaw go back to work before he swallows and tries to figure out how to respond to my sass at the moment since he knows that I don't exactly feel good at the moment.

...

Silas

...

"Why are you being a brat right now?" I can't help but let myself chuckle just a little bit when Addy raises his eyebrows at me and delivers his words so dryly that I'm almost afraid they might catch fire He always seems to have some sass stashed away to pull out when he feels like he needs to smile, or that we're having a hard day and we need the extra smile that comes with him pointing out the obvious. 

It's refreshing to hear Addy be a bit sassy when I know his head is still throbbing even though it's a little bit less extreme than what we had been dealing with earlier... He's trying so hard to be a good sport about things and taking this day one minute at a time so he doesn't get overwhelmed not knowing when his head will start to feel better and the throbbing in his brain will subside... 

I know that today is the kind of quiet that always comes after the storm but in this case.... I think it's actually a good thing... With Addy's temples threatening to explode it seems appropriate that the world seem a bit more muted than normal, our day spent in a cycle of napping and waking each other u[ to make sure we both drank some water and had moments to stretch and head to the bathroom... Addy had needed an easy day in our bed, and I had needed a day of being able to hold him and just sleep for a little while because of how exhausted dealing with Pop and not sleeping last night had left me.

We had both gotten what we needed today, and we had both been kind in listening to each other and making each other feel heard this morning, and now, even though we slept into the afternoon, we made sure to be kind to each other each time we woke up. We had put in the effort to keep talking even though I know for Addy sometimes today talking had hurt more than helped due to how badly his head is pounding, and I don't even know where to begin repaying him for the effort he put in for me... I know that eventually, I'll figure out a way to make sure he knows how much I appreciate him, but for now, I'll do what I can by making sure that he stays as comfortable as possible sitting here next to each other while we snack on the vegetables that he had asked for when waking up this last time in place of a heavier meal right off the bat. 

"I'm not being a brat. I just don't know how you don't know that you snore and you're in your thirties. I highly doubt that Becky would have let you live your life without feeling the need to tell you that sometimes your nose imitates a chainsaw and that it's good at it." His tone of voice nearly makes me snort with how bluntly he puts things while contemplating which slice of cucumber to grab next, the way he pauses for a second to look down his nose at his hand for a second when he realized just how grouchy he sounds... A quiet little, "I'm sorry, that was rude." leaving his lips as I chuckle... His fingers finally making up their mind and choosing one of the thicker slices of cucumber that I know will be used almost like a spoon as he lets his hand dip toward our bowl of hummus... A smile greeting him when he manages to meet my eyes with his own. 

"Why would I ever believe Becky? She would have told me something like that just to try and tease me with it." I know he hears the humor in my voice, and I know that he knows that I'm not upset about his gentle poking at my relationship with Becky and how close we try and stay despite having the same typical issues as any other set of siblings.