Don't Forget to Be the Way You Are
Fifteen
It was getting a little late to be hearing a knock at the door, Brian thought, but answered it none the less. He figured it’d be Stefan, worried about the contents of his most recent scribbles handed over to him the other day. He was instead greeted by Amelie as she stood still on the other side of the door once opened, waiting to be invited in. She seemed a little nervous, Brian thought at first, but realised it was probably him. She hadn’t come by after dinner before and it seemed out of the ordinary. He stepped aside and motioned with an open arm that she was of course most welcome, putting the late hour to the back of his mind.
“So what brings you around?” Brian wanted to slap himself after having said that, like he didn’t want her there, or expect she might ever visit him again. He felt like mentioning the hour might have her leave. “Coffee?”
“Sure.” Amelie put her bag down by the coat rack and shrugged off her jacket. “What’s that sound?” Brian listened past the steaming kettle for another noise.
“Fuck.” The colour all but drained from Brian’s face as he rushed off down the hall, with Amelie following a little way behind. “Fuck fuck fuuuuuck.” He was quick to turn the water off once he got to the bathroom. Thankfully, it hadn’t spilt over onto the tiles just yet. The bubbles had, however, overtaken that corner of the room. “I was running a bath.” They both stood staring at the state of Brian’s bathroom now.
“Too much bubble bath I think?” Amelie teased, giggling a little as Brian’s face was still showing his state of panic. She walked over and picked up a wad of bubbles, pushing them softly into Brian’s neck. The worry left him almost immediately as he turned to face her, that smirk right where it belonged, before lowering his hand into the foamy white mess in front of him and slapping it gently across Amelie’s face. She was going for another handful when Brian grabbed her wrist, and their playful battle on the slippery floor soon had her fall into the bath. Brian was silent for a moment as he waited for her to emerge, then he cackled hysterically once she did.
“You ass!” Amelie shrieked once she’d wiped her face clear, though still in a playful manner. Brian hadn’t any time to respond before he found her wet hands gripping his shirt and pulling him down towards her, popping a few buttons in the process. He was faced with her own smirk once he found her face again through all the bubbles.
“Amelie!” He couldn’t help the laughter that left him.
“Well, you were the one that wanted a bath!” They both giggled a little more before their moment of fun had turned into somewhat of an awkward situation, or at least Brian thought so as he worried about the bubbles that were rapidly diminishing the longer they sat there, his bare chest, and her white shirt. Amelie didn’t seem all too bothered and fell straight into conversation. She talked about the albums she’d borrowed and of how she was surprised by Placebo’s recent music, being that all she had really known of them had been what she’d picked up at their early gigs as she waited at the bar for Brian to finish playing, hoping he’d see she was still there and not make his way straight over to the group of girls giving him the once over from across the room.
“It just seems like such a fresh direction. So many new sounds. The lyrics are different, too.” Brian smiled. He was glad for the change. He’d realised many years ago now that he couldn’t continue doing the same thing again and again. People would get bored of it. He would get bored of it.
Amelie closed her eyes then as conversation died down and rested her head on the ledge of the tub, and Brian tried his best not to let his eyes wander as the bubbles had all but disappeared now. He wondered why she’d come over so late. Perhaps she’d been lonely? Perhaps she’d just wanted to see him. He wanted to hold onto that thought. Surely it hadn’t been to show him her Mickey Mouse printed underwear, he mused, and continued to try and find other things to look at that weren’t beneath her sodden shirt. He picked up the bottle of shampoo beside his head and started to read through the ingredients, most of which he couldn’t pronounce. He was finding it hard to get comfortable, what with being fully clothed, and with the sudden tightness in his pants.
“I guess we should get out soon. The water’s getting cold,” Amelie said, blushing as Brian’s eyes found her once again, and couldn’t help but to travel downwards just a little. The corners of her lips curved into the tiniest of smiles but he wasn’t sure what that meant.
“There are fresh towels in the cupboard just there,” Brian said, hoping she’d leave him to recover for a moment as she dried off in another part of the house.
“Do you remember the beach, Brian?” she suddenly asked, scooting a little closer in the water.
“The beach?” Brian tried to play dumb. Of course he remembered the beach. They’d only gone one time together with a bunch of others Brian could no longer recall, but he remembered. He was surprised she was bringing it up, and then confused.
“That time… years ago now, when we went swimming…”
“I remember the beach, Amelie.” She smiled then and stood up, blushing much deeper than before, letting herself drip dry for a moment so she wouldn’t make a huge mess. Brian couldn’t understand why she’d brought it up. Perhaps the water had put it back on her mind; though it seemed a little inappropriate in these times to casually mention that one time they went skinny dipping together. She must have been so drunk that night. He knew he had been.
Amelie turned so she was facing away from Brian and lifted her top over her head, starting a soggy pile of clothes just beside the bathtub. Her jeans were soon to follow once she managed to get them down her legs. Brian had honestly tried not to stare but she had faced the other way the entire time, and he knew he could get away with it. He realised he shouldn’t be thinking like that. They used to do this kind of thing all the time, change in the same room, and they even shared a bathroom once as she showered whilst he was soaking in the tub. But things had been so different back then; different attitudes in a different time. It was as if she’d slipped straight back into the kind of friendship they used to have whereas he was trying to create a brand new one with elements that would no longer work.
It took Brian a while to get himself out of his wet jeans and once he did, it took all of his strength not to scream in triumph at the pile of wet clothes left on the bathroom floor, finally separated from his pale skin now covered in goosebumps from the chill. He wrapped his towel firmly around his body before peeking around the corner to make sure the path to his bedroom was clear, then rushing over and closing the door behind him. He was quick to change into a pair of sweatpants and a bed shirt, thought he slept in neither, and found something similar for Amelie as he realised her clothes were still soaking wet on his bathroom floor.
“Amelie? I’ll collect your clothes and make sure they’re clean and dry by the morning, if you want to stay the night?” he called out into his apartment, hearing a muffled sound coming from his couch.
“Amelie?” he asked again once he was closer. One of her eyes opened slightly to acknowledge his presence.
“Yeah,” was all she said before she curled back into her towel on the couch, having found a warm spot by the radiator. Brian put their clothes in the wash and returned with more courage before gently taking the damp towel away from her and replacing it with a warm blanket, leaving her to sleep there in her underwear. He figured she’d dry soon enough, and she seemed too tired to bother.
“So what brings you around?” Brian wanted to slap himself after having said that, like he didn’t want her there, or expect she might ever visit him again. He felt like mentioning the hour might have her leave. “Coffee?”
“Sure.” Amelie put her bag down by the coat rack and shrugged off her jacket. “What’s that sound?” Brian listened past the steaming kettle for another noise.
“Fuck.” The colour all but drained from Brian’s face as he rushed off down the hall, with Amelie following a little way behind. “Fuck fuck fuuuuuck.” He was quick to turn the water off once he got to the bathroom. Thankfully, it hadn’t spilt over onto the tiles just yet. The bubbles had, however, overtaken that corner of the room. “I was running a bath.” They both stood staring at the state of Brian’s bathroom now.
“Too much bubble bath I think?” Amelie teased, giggling a little as Brian’s face was still showing his state of panic. She walked over and picked up a wad of bubbles, pushing them softly into Brian’s neck. The worry left him almost immediately as he turned to face her, that smirk right where it belonged, before lowering his hand into the foamy white mess in front of him and slapping it gently across Amelie’s face. She was going for another handful when Brian grabbed her wrist, and their playful battle on the slippery floor soon had her fall into the bath. Brian was silent for a moment as he waited for her to emerge, then he cackled hysterically once she did.
“You ass!” Amelie shrieked once she’d wiped her face clear, though still in a playful manner. Brian hadn’t any time to respond before he found her wet hands gripping his shirt and pulling him down towards her, popping a few buttons in the process. He was faced with her own smirk once he found her face again through all the bubbles.
“Amelie!” He couldn’t help the laughter that left him.
“Well, you were the one that wanted a bath!” They both giggled a little more before their moment of fun had turned into somewhat of an awkward situation, or at least Brian thought so as he worried about the bubbles that were rapidly diminishing the longer they sat there, his bare chest, and her white shirt. Amelie didn’t seem all too bothered and fell straight into conversation. She talked about the albums she’d borrowed and of how she was surprised by Placebo’s recent music, being that all she had really known of them had been what she’d picked up at their early gigs as she waited at the bar for Brian to finish playing, hoping he’d see she was still there and not make his way straight over to the group of girls giving him the once over from across the room.
“It just seems like such a fresh direction. So many new sounds. The lyrics are different, too.” Brian smiled. He was glad for the change. He’d realised many years ago now that he couldn’t continue doing the same thing again and again. People would get bored of it. He would get bored of it.
Amelie closed her eyes then as conversation died down and rested her head on the ledge of the tub, and Brian tried his best not to let his eyes wander as the bubbles had all but disappeared now. He wondered why she’d come over so late. Perhaps she’d been lonely? Perhaps she’d just wanted to see him. He wanted to hold onto that thought. Surely it hadn’t been to show him her Mickey Mouse printed underwear, he mused, and continued to try and find other things to look at that weren’t beneath her sodden shirt. He picked up the bottle of shampoo beside his head and started to read through the ingredients, most of which he couldn’t pronounce. He was finding it hard to get comfortable, what with being fully clothed, and with the sudden tightness in his pants.
“I guess we should get out soon. The water’s getting cold,” Amelie said, blushing as Brian’s eyes found her once again, and couldn’t help but to travel downwards just a little. The corners of her lips curved into the tiniest of smiles but he wasn’t sure what that meant.
“There are fresh towels in the cupboard just there,” Brian said, hoping she’d leave him to recover for a moment as she dried off in another part of the house.
“Do you remember the beach, Brian?” she suddenly asked, scooting a little closer in the water.
“The beach?” Brian tried to play dumb. Of course he remembered the beach. They’d only gone one time together with a bunch of others Brian could no longer recall, but he remembered. He was surprised she was bringing it up, and then confused.
“That time… years ago now, when we went swimming…”
“I remember the beach, Amelie.” She smiled then and stood up, blushing much deeper than before, letting herself drip dry for a moment so she wouldn’t make a huge mess. Brian couldn’t understand why she’d brought it up. Perhaps the water had put it back on her mind; though it seemed a little inappropriate in these times to casually mention that one time they went skinny dipping together. She must have been so drunk that night. He knew he had been.
Amelie turned so she was facing away from Brian and lifted her top over her head, starting a soggy pile of clothes just beside the bathtub. Her jeans were soon to follow once she managed to get them down her legs. Brian had honestly tried not to stare but she had faced the other way the entire time, and he knew he could get away with it. He realised he shouldn’t be thinking like that. They used to do this kind of thing all the time, change in the same room, and they even shared a bathroom once as she showered whilst he was soaking in the tub. But things had been so different back then; different attitudes in a different time. It was as if she’d slipped straight back into the kind of friendship they used to have whereas he was trying to create a brand new one with elements that would no longer work.
It took Brian a while to get himself out of his wet jeans and once he did, it took all of his strength not to scream in triumph at the pile of wet clothes left on the bathroom floor, finally separated from his pale skin now covered in goosebumps from the chill. He wrapped his towel firmly around his body before peeking around the corner to make sure the path to his bedroom was clear, then rushing over and closing the door behind him. He was quick to change into a pair of sweatpants and a bed shirt, thought he slept in neither, and found something similar for Amelie as he realised her clothes were still soaking wet on his bathroom floor.
“Amelie? I’ll collect your clothes and make sure they’re clean and dry by the morning, if you want to stay the night?” he called out into his apartment, hearing a muffled sound coming from his couch.
“Amelie?” he asked again once he was closer. One of her eyes opened slightly to acknowledge his presence.
“Yeah,” was all she said before she curled back into her towel on the couch, having found a warm spot by the radiator. Brian put their clothes in the wash and returned with more courage before gently taking the damp towel away from her and replacing it with a warm blanket, leaving her to sleep there in her underwear. He figured she’d dry soon enough, and she seemed too tired to bother.