next door ↬ ethma

seventeen

"Ethan, can you please help me?" She exclaimed, struggling to carry a heavy box of her belongings.

"The little princess can't do it herself?" He mocks jokingly.

Another year had gone by of their relationship, and it seemed pointless to pay two rents when they were always together. Every night they slept in the same bed, whether it was hers or his. They had finally decided to have Emma move into the twins' apartment since Ethan didn't want to live away from his brother, even if it was only next door. That way, they could split the rent in thirds and save money.

Grayson of course didn't mind, he practically saw Emma every day anyway so it didn't feel much different. They had to wait for Emma's lease to end before she could officially move out and the time had finally come. It basically felt like she was moving her bedroom into a different room of the apartment.

"Hush, this box has all the kitchen stuff, and you know I'm weak anyway. I have two strong men to help me, so why not take advantage of it?" Emma says.

Ethan shakes his head, knowing she was right. He didn't want her to strain herself doing something he could do much easier. It's not like he was worried about her breaking her back or anything, she wasn't eighty years old and frail, but he was worried nonetheless.

He walks over to her and takes the box from her hands as if it was nothing, and carried it next door, sitting it down in their kitchen. Emma walks over to him and hugs him, rocking them back and forth like it was their trademark move.

Ethan pushed her hair back behind her ear and ran his fingers through it, smiling down at her. She was an adorable human being and he just wanted to take care of her.

"It's not like this feels any different from what I'm used to considering I'm always over here anyway, but it feels like a new step into our relationship." She explains.

He chuckles, "That's because it is, Em. Regardless if you lived next door, you're even closer to me now."

She looks at him like he contains all the secrets to the universe. Stars were dancing in his eyes, his smile held nebulas and galaxies unlike no other, and their heartbeats were like two worlds colliding into one.

Emma felt like his promise of forever would remain locked into the chamber of her heart, unlocking for no one but him. The uncertainty of the future no longer felt terrifying; the moment she looked at him caused all the unsettling nerves to disappear from existence.

He held her face in his hands and leaned down to slowly close the gap. His lips settled onto hers and she opened slightly to allow his love to pour in. Emma slid her hand underneath his shirt to feel the warmth of his skin, resting it upon his chest. He tilted his head to gain more access, moving one of his hands from her face down to her neck, pressing down harder than he had before.

It could have gone on further if he didn't hear his brother step out of his room and cough quietly, signaling his presence. The two pulled apart, but it wasn't embarrassing or awkward. Grayson had caught them further in the act by this point, so he was a veteran to witnessing a few heated kisses shared between the two.

"What else do you need moved, Emma?" Grayson asked.

"My clothes in the closet, my dresser, my couch, there's still a lot left. Whatever Ethan has that I don't need, I'll just put in storage, like my bed." She replied.

With that, he set off to move her couch and Ethan assisted in helping him. While they did the heavy work, Emma went to Ethan's closet and moved some of his clothes around to make space for hers. He didn't have much to begin with, so she doesn't feel too bad for taking more than half of the space.

A few hours go by and even with as much as they had done, there was still more to do. The three of them tired out and decided it was a stopping point for the day and they'd continue tomorrow. There was still a week before she had to be completely moved out, anyway.

As the afternoon fell into night, the two laid in their bed. It was no longer just his, and Emma still couldn't wrap her mind around it. Nothing truly altered. Even before the move, some of her clothes hung in his room and her personal items scattered his bathroom. Just knowing that it was her permanent place to reside, felt strange. It was no longer going over to Ethan's, it was going over to theirs.

Ethan was trying to find a movie to watch when Emma asked, "How did you know it was me that you wanted to be with?"

He looked over at her with a silly grin, as if the answer was clear as day.

"I knew because simultaneously time flew by but it also felt like time had stopped. I knew when all my habits became associated with yours. It became obvious when I couldn't sleep the same without you in my arms. The moment I saw you, my heart belonged to you." Ethan spoke.

Emma rolled over onto his chest, "I knew when you left to go home for a week. I had to stop myself from walking over to your door, or texting you if you wanted to hang out. All of my thoughts revolved around you. I had fallen in love with the sweetest boy."

Ethan pulled her tighter into him, tangling their legs together under the sheets. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and breathed contently.

"I'm really glad I have you, Em." He said.

She nodded, feeling the same way about him. She never expected to have moved in with her neighbor; she had found love where it wasn't supposed to be. No one moves into a new home with the expectation of falling in love with the person that lived an apartment over.

For the past two years, she was supported by someone that cared for her every action. It was nice having a support system, someone she was able to rely on through thick and thin.

He rolled over on top of her and abruptly began ticking her. Unexpectedly, she burst out laughing and sporadically started flailing her limbs to prevent him from doing anymore. Of course it didn't work, he held a lot more strength than her.

"Ethan, stop!" She giggled, keeping her arms crossed over her stomach.

He let go for a second, allowing Emma to roll off the bed and run out of their room. He followed behind her, hot on her trail. She entered Grayson's room without knocking, hoping he could offer some sort of protection.

"Woah, what's going on?" He asked, startled by the two of them bursting in.

"Stop your brother!" She shouted, hiding behind Grayson.

"No! Don't betray me, Gray." Ethan said.

Grayson, unknowing to what was happening still, stood motionless unable to comprehend what he should do. Ethan took the chance to pick Emma up and throw her over his shoulder.

"Aha, I gotcha!" He exclaimed, proudly.

Emma banged her fists against his back, trying to do whatever she could to be let down. He carried her back into their room and lightly set her down on their bed where it had all began.

They laid back down, their breathing erratic but they continued to laugh through it all.

"What was that for?" She asked.

He shrugged, "Just felt like it, I missed your laugh."

"You're an idiot, but you're my idiot." Emma said.