White Lines

Falling Apart

Leah walked through the door and sighed, Noctis was Laying on the couch asleep. After the events of that morning she had gone home, convincing everyone that she wasn't feeling well in the first place and that it was her day off so she needed a break.

She walked up the stairs and changed into a pair of shorts and one of Noctis's t-shirts--everything was better in an oversized shirt. Carefully, she walked back down stairs and crouched in front of the couch; taking a moment to admire the sleeping-beauty on the couch before she shook him awake,

"Hey, you aren't dead too are you?"

Noctis groaned and turned over to where he was facing the back of the couch, "Not yet."

"Good...can I lay next to you?"

He rolled back over and looked at her for a moment, "Something happened. I don't like this something. What's wrong?"

"Someone died, just out if the blue went into shock and had a heart attack. I...I had to tell the woman's daughter..."

Thinking the words disturbed her, but speaking them out loud made her have to choke down tears and a PTSD attack. Noctis sat up as best as he could with a broken leg and motioned for her to sit next to him. She crawled onto the couch and lay her head in his lap, wrapping her arms around his torso, "I knew I shouldn't have gone in today." She said.

"Well you're home again so that's all that matters right?"

"I guess..."

He pet her on the head and laughed. She loved his laugh, it was sweet and soft and made her feel like maybe she was okay, like nothing ever bothered her in the first place. She rolled over onto her back and the sinking feeling returned to her chest. Noctis sighed and tapped her, signaling for her to get up. She sat up and he adjusted so she could lay on his chest between his legs, "you just need to cool down for a while."

She fell asleep on his chest for what seemed like seconds before waking up alone in their bedroom to Vanz yelling downstairs. Leah got up and tiptoed to the top of the stairs, "You don't deserve her!" Vanz yelled.

"What did I ever do to you? Why do you hate me?" Noctis retorted.

"Because you repeatedly hurt her! She is my sister and I watched as you two fought over and over and I am tired of it!"

"She is in no way related to you! You claim to want what's best for her, but you only want what you think is best! have you ever stopped to think about what she may want?"

"I have! and I happen to know she wants better than someone who cut himself over a few family issues! You think that she loves you but it's just pity! she never saw you as anything other than a puppy that had been kicked too much!"

Leah stormed down the stairs and busted through the door of the kitchen, "Liar! You never stopped to ask what I wanted! You always ran my boyfriends off when I know it was just jealousy! you chose not to have a boyfriend! I was a little taller but you were always prettier and thinner and nicer, I got a boyfriend because I was desperate, I wanted to feel like I mattered! Every single one of my old boyfriends always talked about how pretty you were and compared me to you! you have no idea how lucky you really are! So don't you even dare try and say that I don't love him! Don't you dare say that he doesn't matter! because he has been the best friend and the best boyfriend I could ever ask for! yeah, we fight, but that is communication, that means we know each other's limits and what sets us off. Not fighting means one of you is lying. I wouldn't doubt if you and Gabriel broke up before next Christmas." She stressed every word.

Vanz stood shocked for a moment, Leah had never said anything like that to her, "You are wrong, not fighting is a perfect relationship."

"Then why did he run away a few weeks ago?" she couldn't even look at Vanz.

"Why have you stormed out of the house and cried for no reason? Because you didn't know what to do."

"At least I didn't leave the country in the middle of the night."

"Why are you so desperate to be better than me?"

"Because I know I can't be!" her eyes were like green fire as she spoke, "I know that I will never be as pretty or as nice as you are so I pretend I am!"

"Why can't you just deal with it then? if it's that obvious then why do you even try?"

"Get out..." Leah mumbled.

"What?"

"I said, get out of my house!" Leah yelled pointing at the door.

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't I will unleash hell from the foundation to the rafters and drag you down myself!" She screamed.

Vanz stormed toward the door as Leah called after her, "And tell your perfect little teacup boyfriend he can leave too!"

The door slammed and Leah stormed back upstairs, locking herself in one of the rooms.