Waters Edge

Chapter Ten: This Bubbly Feeling.

Patrick sets his one bag down on the kitchen counter before flopping down on the bed with a groan flailing his legs until his sandals go flying in every direction. I put a pot of water on the stove and let it boil while I put things away in the cupboard and fridge and smile when they finally look less barren. I put the spaghetti in and stir it around. When I put the sauce on Patrick is there sniffing it and looking at it with wide curious eyes trying to reach for it.

I bat his hands away and make him go sit back down on the bed and he huffs and shuffles away. When it is all done Patrick is laying on the bed picking at a loose string on the comforter. When he sees me coming over he sits up immediately and bounces slightly licking his lips. I sit cross-legged next to him, leaning against the headboard and hand him the steaming bowl of noodles and he pulls it up to his face and smells it.

He looks over to me for direction and I pick up my fork and swirl some noodles onto it. He tries to do the same but the noodles just slop back into the bowl. He frowns and tries stabbing them with the fork getting more and more aggressive to no avail. Just as I am about to explain how he throws the fork across the room and I gasp when it sticks into the wall. I look back and he just grabs a handful of noodles and shoves them in his mouth.

I break into a fit on uncontrollable laughter as he slurps the noodles in half of them hanging out his mouth like some sort of noodle beard and the red sauce is all over his face. He slurps and sauce starts flying everywhere I let out a surprised squeak when some lands on my cheek. He swallows thickly and smiles at me I just stare at him in disbelief when he wipes the sauce off my cheek with a swipe of his thumb and then puts said thumb into his mouth.

I am gobsmacked.

He goes to do it again but I stop him. I run and grab him a different fork and come back and show him properly how to twirl the noodles onto it, we take our time and he quickly picks up on what I am trying to demonstrate. Which I am very thankful for when he and I are done I grab a cloth and wipe his face off with it. I throw the cloth on the ground and smile at him "Did you like the food?" I ask and he nods quickly.

"Good foood." He smiles up at me brightly and his eyes flicker to my face the blue-green sparkles in the light and I take a quick breath. He looks so perfect at this moment his legs splayed out, his hair unbelievably blonde sticking up in different directions but completely dry, his lips tinged pink with a smear of sauce still on them. His cheeks have a light flush to them and he has the cutest smile on his face. I feel my heart beat quicken as I take in the man in front of me. He is perfect, all pale smooth untouched skin, my perfect Patrick. I smile for what feels like the hundredth time today and he smiles back at me.

I want to reach out and run my hand through his hair and pull him to me but I know I shouldn't. I stop myself by sitting on my hands. I break away eye contact and decide to wash the dishes from our meal.

Patrick eventually gets bored of sitting around the house all day and just watching him try to entertain himself makes my heart smile. Just how curious he is about everything I have always taken for granted. He is sitting on the bed tracing patterns on his feet and wiggling his toes. His knees are drawn all the way up to his chest and he rests his chin atop his knees.

I flop down on the bed next to him and he traces a pattern on my cheek I gaze up at him and smile. "Patrick, how do you have legs?" I asked turning my face toward his he looks away going back to tracing patterns on his legs and gives me a shrug.

"Patrick save Pete."

"Yes, but what do you mean by that?" I say propping myself up on my elbow and holding his hand in mine making him look at me for a split second before his eyes dart to the ceiling. He takes a deep breath and thinks a moment. He looks back down to me and runs his fingertips over my arm so lightly it makes me shiver.