However much I want to sleep for a hundred years and escape my problems through being cursed into an enchanted slumber, I can't. When I finally find the strength to pry my eyes open I find that I have been moved back into my room. I don't remember doing it consciously and I've never sleep-walked in my life, so I'm assuming it's Sam's doing.
I turn onto my front, my arm dangling off the bed. I still feel terrible, but slightly less terrible than earlier, so it's a start.
I can't hear Sam clattering around the house, but I think I can hear his voice. Probably on the phone to someone. I stretch out my arms and sit up, deciding that what I want most right now is to shower. I grab a towel and a plastic bag to wrap around my cast.
Showering is significantly more difficult one handed but I manage, even though I feel exhausted afterwards. I change into clean, baggy clothes and wipe my foggy glasses, sliding them back on now that I'm done.
I make my way to the living room and collapse on the sofa, closing my eyes in relief at not having to hold my aching body upright any longer.
"Please don't fall asleep again, it's so boring around here when you're constantly passed out." Sam says, causing me to open my eyes again. He's leant against the frame of the door, watching me closely.
"I won't." I mumble, stacking cushions behind my head.
"Good." He beams, his face lighting up but I can't bring myself to return his smile. It's still alarmingly plain to me that Sam has not reciprocated my affections and I don't know how to deal with this situation. I'm not sure what made me think I ever could.
Sam's smile fades and he looks down, playing with the edge of his cast.
"Look, Elias, I think we need to talk about the conversation that we had the other day, in the hospital." He eventually says and I nod despairingly.
"I never thought that you would have feelings like that for me, actually I didn't expect you to have feelings like that at all." He starts and I wince at the statement.
"Thanks." I mumble dryly as his eyes widen.
"No, I didn't mean it like that! It's just, you're so..." He pauses, waving his arms around as if I'm supposed to understand what he's saying. I humour him, nodding even though I haven't a clue what this vague gesture means.
"I'm an open book, you always know how I feel whether I like it or not but you're different, I never have a clue what's going on in your head which I think is what's so great about you, you always surprise me. But the fact is, I thought that when you did eventually find someone...I'd be able to tell. You took me by surprise all over again." He explains, deciding on a different route of clarification and surprisingly I understand what he means.
"Oh, okay. I'm sorry?" I try, not a hundred percent sure what he's looking for. He shakes his head, smiling slightly and I suppose that I've gotten it wrong.
"It's not a bad thing, I'm just shocked." He says, leaning back against the sofa. It's quiet for a moment and I painfully decide that what I was hoping for just isn't going to happen. So now I have to do damage control.
"I'm sorry if I've made things awkward for you, but nothing has to change. I'll get over it in time, I only want you to be happy but if you'd feel more comfortable living alone I'd be happy to move back into student accommodation, although..." I trail off, concerned at Sam's facial expression.
"What?" I ask, my eyes flitting over his drawn in, almost pained features.
"I don't- I want things to change but not like that. Do you want to move out?" He asks and I sigh.
"No, but it's not really a case of what I want..."
"Yes, it is, Eli." He says heatedly, cutting me off. I exhale heavily, raking a hand through my still damp hair in frustration.
"Look, I'm not just offering because of what I think is best for you, but what's best for us. I don't want to lose you as my best mate but you have to give me time to..." Sam cuts me off again and I narrow my eyes, wondering if I'll ever get an entire sentence out.
"Wait, wait. Okay, first of all, you can't get rid of me if you tried, I thought you knew that?" He starts and I shrug, waiting for him to inevitably continue.
"Secondly, I'm an idiot. But so are you!" He exclaims heavily and this time I'm genuinely lost.
"Why am I an idiot?" I ask, a little put off that I'm included in this. He rolls his eyes like the drama queen he is, although a large grin is plastered on his face all the while.
"You're an idiot because you are blind and dense and simply a fool. You haven't seen it a day in your life, even though everyone who's ever met us has! Robin knew that I was in love with you the first day I met her!" He starts, drawing a breath to continue but my heart flutters as I take a moment to immortalise this moment, because whether he knows it or not, he just admitted that he loves me.
"And a fool?" I ask, smiling to myself.
"For loving me back." He mumbles to himself, watching his hands intently now.
"And why are you an idiot?" I ask, tilting my head as I observe his adorable behaviour.
"For not telling you sooner." He just about manages, glancing up to look me in the eye. My hair has fallen into my eyes, but not enough to obscure my view of Sam. He reaches forwards on impulse, moving my hair away and I find myself captivated by him.
"You are an idiot." I sigh in agreement, watching as the corners of his lips twitch upwards.
"Your idiot?" He asks but I shake my head. His smile drops and he leans back looking somewhat dejected.
"Why not?" He demands and I laugh, holding his fingers in mine lightly.
"Because you deserve better than that and I want to do this right." I state firmly and he rolls his eyes.
"So...what?"
"I'm going to court you." I say as Sam scoffs.
"Elias, please be serious." He mutters.
"I am, deadly serious." I assure as he observes me with bewilderment.
"You're going to...court me? What is this, the 1600's?" He asks but I smirk to myself anyway.
"Court, romance, pursue. Use whichever word you want." I say airily. Sam nods slowly, smiling to himself before looking up.
"Alright, fine. Elias Grey, going out of his way to impress me with romantic gestures? Only a mad man would say no. This is going to be very interesting." He says, more to himself than to me and I roll my eyes. I move closer to him, leaning closer towards his face and his cocky demeanour seems to disappear in a moments hesitance.
"Interesting isn't the adjective I would have chosen." I say lowly, suggestively and his breathing hitches as I place a gentle kiss to his jaw.
Before he can recover, I'm up and out of the room, smiling smugly to myself the whole way. It isn't just the fact that Sam deserves the real deal, but the fact that I want to do this right. I want to enjoy every moment leading up to this, every single moment whether it's awkward or difficult, I don't care.
I'm going to be the definition of a perfect gentleman, because that's what Sam not only deserves but craves. I'm going to drive him crazy in the best ways possible.
"Elias! Get back here right now!" Sam yells, although it's half-hearted and flustered.
Yeah, I'm going to love every second of this.
YOU ARE READING
Growing Pains
Novela Juvenil-A soulmate story- Sam and Eli are best friends, they have been for years and they tell each other everything. Well, almost everything. Elias Grey has felt every cut, bruise and fracture that Samuel Rivera has received for eleven years. He has no...
