sympathy ~ e.d.

XVII

My eyelids still feel heavy and I don't want to open them, the tiredness seemingly keeping them shut. I feel something moving under my head. That can't be my pillow.

Something heavy is also on top of me. I am so confused, what did I get myself into? I open my eyes and I'm looking at someone else's body. I must've been laying on their chest. Why did I do that? What happened?

I sit up quickly and look at who I had just been sleeping on. I see it's Ethan and all the memories flood back. I remember now. And I have just awoken him as well. Great.

My eyes keep looking at his face. Why does he look so cute when waking up? He looks so confused, furrowing his brows, before yawning and stretching himself out. He rubs his eyes and blinks heavily a few times. It's like a silent little routine.

A loud thud followed by an 'ow' shakes me out of it. I snap my head to where the sound came from and I see Grayson now laying on the ground, rubbing his head clumsily. I find myself smiling at the ground for a small second. I don't mind this kind of mornings.

I stand up and stretch myself out as well. My sweater lifts up, revealing just the smallest bit of my stomach. This sweater isn't oversized enough.

I feel a pair of eyes on mine and since Grayson is still whining on the ground, they must be Ethan's. I look at him and find it is true. He is looking at me with a small smile dancing around his lips. 'Where is the bathroom?' I politely ask him to escape the situation. 'Down the hall to your right.' Can he just stop smiling for a second? He's distracting me.

I wash my hands and look in their mirror. I look like such a mess, it's nearly a joke. I take my hair out of my bun, surprised it isn't as greasy as I thought. I splash my face with some water in an attempt to wake me up when I realize I've slept the entire night. I dry my face and just stand there, thinking.

How? How did I suddenly sleep so good? How did I fall asleep so easily? A full night's sleep hasn't caught me for quite a long time now. It's weird.

I walk out of the bathroom and nearly bump into Ethan. He's fully up now as well. 'Um, Gray's making pancakes. They're not really edible but-' 'I heard that!' A shout comes from the kitchen. 'Good!' 'Don't feed her the wrong ideas! I am actually a good cook, you're just a horrible judge!'

I smile at their little encounter. 'I'll go try his creations then', I say to Ethan. 'Good luck.' A smirk is decorating his already pretty face.

'Okay, Ethan is plain mean, but really, my pancakes are the good stuff.' 'If you want to get poisoned', I hear Ethan shout from the bathroom and I suppress a giggle. I can feel the corners of my mouth tug up a little in a smile, though.

Grayson hands me a fork, ignoring his twin brother. 'Thank you', I say while grabbing the fork from him. He nods as a response. He sits down, waiting for me to try his creation. 'Mm, it's really good!' I say. 'You say it like you're surprised.' 'Well, I had been warned about your cooking skills by Ethan multiple times, and he has complained about your cooking before.' Grayson squints his eyes and shakes his head. 'He's such a drama queen', he mumbles under his breath.

'But it's really good, thank you so much for making me one.' I take another bite. I can hear the shower running faintly in the background. Grayson must've heard it too, since he inches closer to me. 'So, how long have you guys been sleeping together? He won't tell me.' I nearly spit out my pancake but instead, I cough and try to swallow it down with a gulp of water.

'We didn't sleep together. Ever. Nor will we.' 'Hmm, sure. You like him, don't you?' 'I have landed myself in a criminal investigation, but n... no, I don't.' I look down at my knife and start cutting off another piece in an attempt to hide from Grayson's stare.

'Well, it's obvious he likes you but I can tell he hasn't made his move yet. You're nice, though, I approve', he leans back in his chair again, done with the heavy questions. 'Wait, what? He doesn't like me.' 'Just like you "don't like him"', he says while air-quoting that.

'I'm serious, we're just friends.' 'As of right now. I was thinking about taking E on a hike today, the weather is quite nice, would you like to join us?' He very suddenly switches subjects, making me utterly confused.

'Yo, Gray, I'm taking your shirt, mine are all dirty.' I turn around and see Ethan standing there with just jeans on. Why does he have to look so good shirtless? 'There was no need for you to come in this room and ask me that, I know you'll take it anyway. Unless you wanted to show yourself to-' 'Shut up! I'm not!' Grayson just laughs at him and Ethan walks away with a slight blush on his cheeks.

I look at Ethan's retreating back and can't help but stare at it. How can somebody's back be looking so beautiful?

When he has disappeared into his own room, I redirect my attention to Grayson. 'No, I don't like him', he says with a really high voice, mocking me. I hit his arm but can't help but grin.

'So, you coming on that hike with us?' Ethan comes back from Grayson's room, too bad he's wearing a shirt now. 'Um no, I'm quite tired. I'm heading home. Thank you for letting me stay here.' 'Thank you for being here. I'll walk you to your car, by the way', Ethan says. His eyes look sincere. I send him a small smile.

I head over to the hallway, where I left my shoes, and grab them from the floor. Ethan is watching me and Grayson most likely is too.

'Bye, have fun on your hike!' 'I want a hug, you're not leaving without one', Grayson announces. I look at him with a confused look on my face. 'Sure.' He wraps his arms around me and holds me a second longer than necessary. When he lets me go he places a quick peck on my cheek. 'See you Zera', he says with a huge grin on his face. What is he doing?

I look over at Ethan, who looks rather mad. His jaw is clenched and his hands are curled up like fists. 'I'll walk you out', he says through gritted teeth. Why the sudden mood change?

'Bye!' Grayson waves before Ethan shuts the door. Ethan places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me towards the stairs. I already know where they are, but I don't mind at all.

I walk towards my car. Ethan follows me and waits until I open the door. 'Thank you so much for coming over.' I smile at him. He needed me to be there for him. 'You'd do the same for me. I think.' I shouldn't assume things. I'm in too deep. I want to flight since I have done that all my life, but I can't keep myself away from him.

Ethan pulls me into a tight hug. I like his hugs. I could almost say I love them but I won't. I don't want him to let me go just yet. I can feel he wants to pull back but I keep my arms locked around him. He goes with it and we end up standing there for a few minutes straight.

Ethan places a kiss on my hair and I feel the tingles running through my spine. I eventually let him go. 'I needed that, thanks. Have fun on your hike!' 'I will.' I drive away and him waving at me was the last of I saw of him before the impact.