CUBBY LOVE - MANxMAN

Chapitre Treize

COOPER

I turned off the flat-screen HDTV with a simple click of the remote in my hand.

The following darkness that surrounded the cosy, homely living room was nothing short of perfection. The ending credit scrolled up the huge screen finally into a static black background so I had to move as little as possible to turn it off or else I would wake up my gorgeous step-brother.

He slept in next to me, about a quarter more left towards the end of the cool movie.

I had always been a huge fan of Wes Anderson. His latest artwork had me crying with absolute appreciation and I had no choice but to buy the CDs – I know, it’s much more nostalgic to get them in that form – for all of his previous works, all the way from Bottle Rocket to the current one, The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Bill Murray was nothing but spectacular as Steve Zissou in the wonderful film, so I really didn’t get why my stepbrother would yawn so much by the first half-hour of the movie.

We were both lounging on the wonderful couch that Annie bought five years ago right after she gave birth to Katie that we all considered it had been part of the family as well.

He strategically placed his head on my right shoulder, one side of his cheek plastered to my upper side of my chubby arm, which would have been a perfect replacement for his favorite pillow. I could even feel a map drawing setting in due to his incoming drool if I kept up with my statue mode longer.

We killed off the lights fifteen minutes before setting the popcorns and drinks aside on the coffee table in front of us, facing the HDTV with ease. The soft glow from the screen was gone now and I could still feel like I am not that sleepy just yet.

He stirred a bit in his sleep, which was totally adorable and one of his arm nestled closer to cling onto my arm as he pulled his knees up onto the couch in a fetal position. His hair had grown longer than Annie would have approved but he decided to keep it because for me, it suited his face well.

I was in fact, far too lazy to move from the couch either and the fact that he didn’t want to be disturbed from his sleep had added more of a reason for me not to. I glanced over the windows that exposed the dim lights coming from the street outside and revealed the slight mess that we had make with the popcorn bits and some spilled Coke on the carpet.

Annie wouldn’t be too pleased but we’ll clean it up first thing tomorrow.

The wall clock told me that it had been an hour past midnight and the calming silence that usually accompanied the night-time was lovely as usual. I let my weight sunk deeper into the glorious couch, trying to let the drowsiness took over.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“We never slept together like this before.”

“Well, if you didn’t count back when we were kids then you’re probably right.”

“We didn’t have sex so that’s good.”

“Haha dude you’re so funny I can’t even.”

He let out a long yawn – his cute, messy bed-ridden hair is starting to really make me so damn jealous – but he didn’t budge from his comfortable position, snuggled close and warm next to me. He removed the blanket from his legs and dumped it on my feet instead, yawning again for the second time.

“I thought you’re already fast asleep so I didn’t dare wake you up.”

“I know I could get super cranky if you do that but I was only half-asleep just now.”