Miserably Loving You.

Something didn't sit right with me when Gage left the room. I couldn't tell if he was about to cry or if he just really had to pee, but from the loud howls of my sisters laughter... I'm going to have to say that it was probably the former option.

"Violet, I think you upset Gage." I said and she stopped laughing to look at me with a clear sense of annoyance; as if me stopping her from laughing was a huge sin.

"Fine. I'll go check on him." She got off of his bed, and practically groaned the entire way out and to bathroom.

I looked around the simple room and smiled to myself. It just looked so happy and innocent in here. Kind of exactly how I pictured Gage's room would look.

It was also kind of cool in here- temperature wise that is. My house was always so warm since my Mom and Violet were forever cold, but sleeping in a cold room with heavy blankets just sounded like heaven.

I lifted up Gage's blanket and it sure was heavy, it almost felt like one of those fancy weighted blankets. I was actually pretty jealous now. Maybe I could use this "insomnia" as an attempt to steal his room for the night... I'm sure he'd say yes, but I couldn't use his kindness like that.

"Leighton..." I turned and saw Violet, her face covered with guilt. "He won't talk to me..."

"Hmm that's weird." I said realizing now how long I was caught up in my own thoughts about my neighbors blanket.

"I think he's crying, and I'm pretty sure it's because I embarrassed him."

"Well yeah, a blind person could see that." I said my voice completely lacking sympathy for her.

"No need to be a dick." She groaned. "Do you think you could talk to him?"

"That would be kind of weird..." I said, uneasy with the thought. What would I even say?

"Please Leighton? Last time he locked himself in the bathroom he was in there all night. Just try? Please?"

I sighed and nodded before heading to the only closed door in the hallway. When I got close enough I could hear small sniffles coming from behind it and sighed again.

"Gage...?" I mumbled before knocking on the door softly. "Hey... I'm sorry Violets such a jerk." I heard him shuffling around in there, but he didn't say anything. "If it's any consolation, everyone watches porn at least once... Oh god, that was fucking awkward; I'm sorry."

I heard a small laugh come from behind the door.

"I wasn't watching... That." He finally said. "I promise I wasn't!"

"I believe you." I said in a matter of fact way. "I wouldn't care if you did though. Trust me, nothing is weirder than some of the things Violet reads online. So why don't you come out of there and we'll all go get dinner or something in a little bit."

I waited patiently for a response but instead the door just opened and I was greeted with Gage's slightly blotchy tear stained face.

"You don't have to do that." He mumbled as he wiped his eyes. "We could all just watch a movie and order in... At your house. I don't think I can handle any more embarrassment; especially from my parents."

"That's fine with me." I said simply.

"We should probably ask Violet if she's okay with that..."

"Fuck what she wants." I laughed. "Jerks don't get a say."

Gage smiled at me and I could see he was clearly blushing but he nodded anyways and started heading back to his room. I don't know why exactly he was blushing, but whatever.

We told Violet of our plan, and of course she protested but I just ignored her. After making that poor kid cry from embarrassment I didn't want to hear any lip from her.

She was clearly disgruntled but we at least allowed her to pick out the movies, since neither Gage nor I wanted to pick ourselves.

Violet of course only picked horror, even though both her and Gage were huge chicken shits. The two of them were far more interesting than the movie though, but I figured it was time for me to call it a night when the two of them started freaking out about the storm going on outside. At most it was just heavy rain... No lightening, no thunder, just rain.

So I went up to my room after I assured the two babies that I had locked up the house and that if an intruder was going to kill anyone, I'd be the first to go since my room was at the beginning of the hallway.

When I finally escaped to my room, I propped myself up on my bed and listened to the rain outside; hoping desperately that it would lull me to sleep.

I felt that heavy feeling in my chest after a while of just laying there. This was the usual sign that my body slowly starting to relax, and I kind of regretted not turning my light off but if I moved now there would be no way I would be going to sleep tonight.

"Hey Leighton..." There was a soft knock on my door and I felt like I was about to start crying as I got up to see what the fuck was so important. I was almost there... So fucking close.

When I opened the door my anger and frustration was immediately wiped out with... Well I guess it was concern?

"Hey man, what's up?"

"I just... Violet won't stop snoring, I forgot my key, it's raining... And, I'm uh... Too scared to sleep on the couch..."

I gave him a curious look before realizing what he was hinting at.

"Oh, you want to sleep in here?"

"On the floor of course! I promise I don't take up much space... It's just, your sister just snores so loud."

I laughed at that and moved out of the way so he could come in. "You don't have to sleep on the floor, you can take my bed. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight again so I'll just play my game quietly and do what I normally do."

"I-I-I... Wait you didn't sleep last night?"

"No." I chuckled.

"Leighton that's not good... You should really try again tonight. I can go-"

"No no I'm not letting you wake up your parents just because I don't sleep. Just go climb up there! I'm fine, I promise."

Gage gave me a weary look before staring at my bed, so I gave him a little playful nudge.

"The sheets are clean, and the mattress doesn't bite. It's fine."

"I know I know..." He laughed. "It's just, we've known each other for so many years and... This is the longest I've ever even been in your room. Now I'm sleeping in your bed? It's all a little overwhelming."

I nodded understandingly before shrugging. "Well, take your time then."

I went about doing my own thing as Gage turned off the light and settled into my bed. He was right though, it did feel funny having him sleep in my bed. But he must have not thought that for long seeing as he was asleep relatively quickly.

I played my game for a bit but after a while my back started hurting. So I begrudgingly got up and climbed into my bed; knowing that if Gage were to wake up that he wouldn't mind.

I kept a safe distance between us just incase he did wake up, but within barely a minute of me laying down Gage's small body was curled up into my side; his face by my ribs and the rest of him by my waist.

I felt as if I should move him back over but I just didn't have the heart to potentially wake him up and make him feel bad for "intruding" again.

So instead I just left him there in that little ball pressed up by my side and closed my eyes. The rain had stopped a while ago, but it was almost as if Gage's soft breathing beside me was soothing enough.

Because soon enough my chest had that heavy feeling again. I heard a soft whimper come from the boy beside me so I draped one of my arms over him and comforted him as best as I could before the heaviness swept over my entire body and I let it run its path.

I knew my mind was trying to fight it, but the heaviness I was feeling was just too strong this time and within minutes I was completely out.