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He woke up next to her.
He couldn't count how many days it'd been. It was just Theo and El, next to each other on the same bed, her hair tickling his cheek and him breathing in her familiar vanilla scent and him wanting to wrap his arms around her every second of everyday and him wishing it could be like this forever.
But he hadn't taken that step yet.
El didn't need more things to be confused about. They hadn't talked about the kiss, but even if she wanted him as much as he wanted her, what she needed was someone to lean on. A friend. So he'd been that — making sure she went out of her room, ate, even take a shower at one point — and he'd done it without asking anything in return. He just wanted to take care of her.
And as much as he wanted to take things further, he needed to be patient. For her. Whatever that would happen between them, he trusted that it'd come at the right time.
One day, he woke up beside her sleeping soundlessly at her side. The sunlight filtered through the window, and he saw yet another vulnerable side of El: her breathing deep and relaxed, her body completely at peace. Face full of innocence, eyelids closed in a place where she's safe in her dreams. Even the dark circles under her eyes started to disappear.
He stroked her cheek once more.
When he finally tiptoed downstairs, El's grandparents were already by the kitchen. He tensed a little bit — he hadn't exchanged much with them. They hadn't protested when he started coming over frequently, maybe for El's sake. Now that they were alone, though, he braced himself for an interrogation.
"You're awake!" El's grandmother reached out and kissed him both on the cheeks. He startled, blinking. "I've prepared breakfast for both of you, but you can start eating before it gets too cold."
He couldn't help but stare in shock. "T-thank you," he stuttered. "I really appreciate it."
The old woman chuckled. "Anything for the person who's making Ellie feel better."
The mood in the kitchen shifted. Theo felt a lump in his throat, and even El's grandfather, who was sitting peacefully by the kitchen island, lowered down his newspaper.
