I yawn groggily. What time is it? I pick up my phone. I blink in its light, nearly blinding me like the Holy Savior. I turn down the brightness and try again. Nearly one in the morning. I guess I'm sleeping on the couch. When you're allowed to sleep. I look at the drawing. I just started coloring an hour ago, and I'm not even halfway done. I sigh. I have to finish.
As I color, I realize that the small kitchen light isn't giving me the proper lighting that I need. I smile and pull out the book light. I knew I'd need it. I clip it and turn it on. I smile as light floods the paper. I can see!
A few minutes of coloring later, I hear something fall off the wall behind me. Someone mutters a quiet 'shit'. I whip around to see Ethan standing in the hall entrance, a small picture frame in his hand. I breathe. "Ethan you scared the shit out of me! What're you doing up at one in the morning?" I whisper-shout. He hangs up the picture before heading to the counter. He takes out a bag of chips, opening them and eating one.
"Well, I just finished editing. What're you doing up at one in the morning?" He whispers back. I sigh.
"Finishing up Mark's first t-shirt," I reply. I yawn again.
"Go to bed. You look tired." He points out. After a few minutes of his munching and my coloring he rolls up the half-eaten bag of chips. He places them on the counter, and walks over, sitting next to me. He laughs.
"That looks awesome! I would totally buy that."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better. Compared to the other t-shirts that have been sold, this one doesn't have a lot to look at." I say nervously, cupping my face in earnest while looking down at my drawing wearily.
"No, i'm not sympathizing. It looks great. Honest." He puts up his right hand as if swearing under oath in court. I chuckle and continue to color. He watches, sometimes pointing out something I should add or missed. I suddenly realize that though this is a three-seater couch, he's sitting right next to me. I blush a small bit but continue working. He clears his throat. "Alex?"
"Hm?" I say, turning my head, but keeping my eyes on the paper.
"I was wondering. Are... Are we friends? I know you've watched me for a while but i don't know how you feel now that you're working for me," I stop coloring and look at Ethan with all seriousness.
"Ethan Nestor. You've helped me through so much— whenever I was sad, whenever i was lonely; if i felt depressed, abandoned, unwanted... you were there. When my brother was hospitalized, when my parents moved me here— even though we had never met I knew that I could always rely on you to cheer me up, make me smile.
"But then I met you... You took the time to hang out with me because my so-called "friends" ditched me. You brought me home because you didn't want me to have to go back to them. You've taken the time to listen to me, talk to me, laugh with me, even gave me a job that I never would have dreamed I would ever have the privilege to do." I turn to look at him, having been staring at my hands the entire time. His eyes are watery, but he smiles at me encouragingly. I shyly smile back.
"Ethan, I was never just a fan. You were someone to look up to, someone to take advice from, someone I knew could always be there for me, even if it was a one-sided thing. It's clear to me now that you are the one true friend I've had all my life— I'm so happy that you trust me enough to call me a friend back"
A tear somehow slips from my eye— I didn't even know I was crying. He reaches up and wipes it off my cheek.
"Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. Thank you for that." He says softly. He leans forward and embraces me with a hug. Not weird, not aggressive— just a normal, light-squeeze "I'm here for you" hug. I accept it, smiling into his shoulder, taking in the feeling of his arms wrapped around me and his hair on my neck. After a few seconds, we pull apart. I feel my cheeks redden slightly, but I smile broadly. I haven't hugged someone like that since I was dating Drew almost a year ago. He smiles back, his eyes shining. I look back at my paper, trying to hide my blush.
"I'm gonna continue drawing. You can stay if you want, but I'm gonna try to finish and..." I say quietly, so giddy my words jumbling into nothingness. He nods and stands. I frown to myself. His presence was oddly comforting. I continue coloring, not wanting to watch him leave, my excitement fading away. After a few seconds, however, he plops back down, wrapping a large blanket over our shoulders. I never noticed I was cold until I was wrapped in the fluffy blanket. I smile. "Thanks."
"No problem." He says, taking out his phone.
"You're not going to bed?" I ask, surprised.
"Nah; You looked lonely. When you're ready, I'll leave. Plus, I can never sleep after editing." He says with a small chuckle. I sigh happily, smiling, and go back to coloring.
After about ten minutes later, I'm done sketching. I yawn, picking up my computer. I take a picture of the sketch, starting to transfer the drawing to my computer, and Ethan yawns, stretching his arms up in the air. Ten seconds afterword, I realize his arm landed on my shoulders, another arm still holding his phone. I blush, but don't say anything.
Thirty minutes later, I finish.
"Done!" I say happily. Ethan jumps at my sudden sound. I stifle the noise of my laugh in my hand. "I guess I'm not the only one who jumps." I tease.
"It was silent and then you made noise, that'll scare anyone! You jump when there is noise and then someone makes more!" He teases back.
"No I jump at the sudden movement and loud noises combined."
"So you're a cat?" I laugh.
"Yeah. I like to knock over glasses of water and sit on top of cabinets. I also like to eat kibble and mice, and annoy the heck out of humans. It's my job." We laugh as quietly as humanly possible for almost a minute. Afterward, I yawn. I'm so tired. But I have to stay awake to start Ethan's t-shirt.
"You sound really tired. Go to bed!" He says, sounding anxious and amused at the same time.
"No! I can't be tired. I have to start your t-shirt design!" I respond angrily, keeping my eyes open against my own will and better judgment. I pick up the sketch pad and draw the base of the upper half of Ethan. My eyes start to close. I wrench them open and try start to do the bottom half, but they close again. I sigh in defeat, letting my head fall on Ethan's shoulder for support, and I know no more.
(A/N)
OKAY MADE UP FOR SHORTY SHORT CHAPTERS WITH ONE THAT'S 1291 WORDS LONG (not including a/n)
So you finally finished Mark's t-shirt!! And... you're asleep. What I want to be doing right now tbh...
Song: All Time Low, Jon Bellion
~ Salem
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I Want to Help You (CrankGamePlays x Reader)
Fanfiction** Completed, Sequel/One-Shots is highly unlikely but we will see** TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of suicide, self harm, themes of eating disorders and a chapter(s) with themes similar to domestic violence Alexandra Heids has been through a lot; She's...
