I woke up the next morning and put on the last sundress of the season, a floral layered dress that stopped just before my knees. I padded downstairs to find J asleep on the couch with the movie still paused and most of the bowls still empty. I spotted an empty bowl that was surrounded by crumbs. J had been stress-eating again. So I sighed and took the bowls into the kitchen, careful not to disturb J. I came back for the last bowl when I heard J shift on the couch.
"You, my dear, have been stress-eating again," I accused. He sighed and pulled me onto the couch so I was facing him.
"I just couldn't get over the fact that you had to go through all that. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked. I sighed and reached a hand up to my hair, but he beat me to it and ran his hand through my hair instead. I smiled.
"I just... I didn't want this sort of thing between us. I was worried that you would leave."
"You were worried... That I would leave?" I nod. "I would never leave. I love you way too much to leave you."
"You love me?" I whispered, and he nodded. "I love you too."
"I knew it," he grinned. I punched him. "Ow!" I giggled.
"Come on. It's time to get up." I sat up. J moaned.
"Do I have to?" he asked, his voice muffled by the couch cushions.
"Yes, you have to." He just moaned again and burrowed deeper into the couch. "What if I promised you breakfast, kisses, and the opportunity to see me in a dress?" I asked. J sat up and grinned, making me laugh. We cleaned up the kitchen and I put cinnamon rolls into the oven. He pulled me onto his lap as I wandered out of the kitchen.
"You have fufilled two of your three promises," he said.
"What was the third one, again?" I teased. J rolled his eyes and kissed me. Sometime later, the oven beeped and I pulled away.
"I have to go get those out of the oven," I said.
"Just one more kiss," J said, then kissed me again. The oven beeped again.
"Now I really gotta go," I said, and rushed to the kitchen, where I pulled out the cinnamon rolls just in time.
J came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head on mine. I smiled and kissed his cheek before turning back to the rolls. I iced them and put them on plates before flouncing out to the couch. J sat down with the remote and turned on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, the best show of all time. I handed him his plate and we started eating, pausing to laugh at the show every once in a while. When we finished, J stood up and took the plates to the kitchen for me, where I heard the water running and the solid sound of plates being set in the sink. He came back and plopped next to me. We finished the episode, then J turned off the TV.
"Hey!" I said. "Turn it back on!"
"No. Not until you answer my question," he said. I made a pouty face.
"And that question is..."
"Where is this mysterious homecoming dress of yours?"
"You, my dear," I poked his chest. "Are not allowed to see it."
"Why not?" he whined.
"Because I said so."
"That is an awful reason."
"I don't care. The answer is still no."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come on! Pretty please?"
I pretended to think for a moment. "No."
"You're no fun. " J pouted, crossing his arms and pursing his lips.
"That is a huge lie. We both know that is not true." J just continued to pout, and I caved. "Fine. Come on. You win." We climbed the stairs to my room.
I don't like to talk about what happened next. I'll just tell you that it ended in a huge argument of the kind that usually ends like it did, with J storming out and slamming doors behind him.
I just curled up on my bed and cried. I had let my best friend walk out. Again.
