Bed Buddies

After One Year [Bonus]

~After One Year~

"Noaahhh!"

I got startled with the scream that had resonated from the floor beneath. Keeping the coffee mug aside, I scrambled out of bed and rushed downstairs.

"What-" I didn't get to finish the question as my eyes laid upon a pan whose contents were, quite literally, on fire and a very stupid twenty one year old was standing near the still burning stove, clutching his hand to his chest.

I sprinted to him, turning the stove off and pulled him towards the sink, holding his hand under the running faucet. I was pretty adamant not to have kids unless this one grew up.

"How the hell did you manage to do this?" I scolded, eyeing up his hand which had now turned red.

He put on a silent whiny face and I shook my head at him. He claimed that he used to cook dinner for his mom and himself daily but after these kind of things happening on a regular basis, I couldn't bring myself to believe that.

I dragged him to the bedroom and made him sit on the chair by the window while I went to fetch the first aid kit from the bathroom. When I returned, he was sitting with his head on the window glass with his eyes closed. There was something about his pose and the look on his face that gave me the idea that all was not well. Outside, inside alike.

I sat on my knees in front of him, taking his burnt hand in mine. He opened his eyes and met my gaze.

"What is it?" I asked softly, applying the ointment to his skin. He closed his eyes again and slumped against the chair with a sigh. That was a signal of defeat but I chose not to press. I knew he would tell me eventually.

After aiding to the wound, I went to the kitchen to handle dinner. Cleaning up the counter with a frown, my head kept revolving around the possibilities that could have Ian being so down lately. His final exams were three months away and he could definitely ace them if he began studying a week earlier, so it couldn't have been because of study load. Maybe it was something related to his family. This was probable because before we had become friends and begun sharing our sorrows, he used to be similarly grave and depressed due to family issues. But why would he not tell me?

I made us a simple chicken salad and we had it silently in the kitchen. When I had finished mine, he was still chewing through one fourth of his food.

"Baby," I began to catch his attention, which he gave me only momentarily. His eyes were back on his plate again. Him ignoring me was being too much for me to handle.

"What's going on?" I asked, raising my voice an octave higher.

"What do you mean?" He mumbled, looking at my face but his eyes being focussed on something completely far away. He didn't even stare at me idly anymore.

My heart began panicking.

Was this another one those scenarios? Was this another 'it's-not-you-it's-me' moment? Was this another heartbreak for me?

Did Ian fall out of love with me too?

I didn't realise when my eyes began filling up until my vision got blurry and I faintly saw Ian's eyes widening before me.

"Hey," I heard him whisper and he was by my side in no time. His arms enveloped my shoulders and I got squeezed against his chest.

"Don't cry, please." He begged with a cracking voice and I found it all too heavy for my heart to endure.

"What did I do?" I couldn't help but ask. What was it that I did which made each one of them leave me at the end? Was it all coming back to the start- my clinginess?

"Why would you think you did something?" He said, cupping my face and making me look up at him. I found his eyes equally wet and that just made me bawl mine further. Now he'd be a gentleman and take the blame.

"It's okay," I said, forcing myself to smile, "I understand. It gets tiresome. I'm probably too much to handle."

I looked away, biting my lip and trying to control the waterworks. But soon my head was pulled to face him back again. The confused irides beneath the furrowed eyebrows stared right into mine and I began wondering just how much I would miss them in future.

I, once more, made the mistake of assuming that this one is the one. But we had been together for more than a year now, one begins thinking about a forever by this time. And with Ian, I never thought there would be a the end.

My cheeks suddenly went cold and I realised that he had withdrawn his hands from there and got up to lean against the counter with his back towards me.

What was left to say?

"Noah," he began, his head hung low and I braced myself for the goodbye.

When he turned around, more tears were flowing out of his eyes and I was just a tad bit satisfied that it was hard for him too. His fists were clenched by his sides as he sniffed, still looking down.

I was about to go hug him to tell him that it was alright, even when it wasn't, because I loved him and it was killing me to see him like this. If leaving me would end his misery, so be it. But before I could take a step further, he dropped down on a knee and opened the left fist towards me.

The elegant platinum band on his palm and his words- that were something along the lines of "Marry me?"- made my heart stop beating altogether.

And before we knew it, I fainted.

A/N: Hey guys! It's been so long! And it feels so good to update this book again and wait for your reviews.

Thanks for reading this! I love you all very much!