Bouquets of Chocolate (manxman)

Seven

When I wake up, it's not because of a ridiculously early alarm, or because some random sound from outside woke me up. Instead, I simply float into consciousness, feeling new and light and refreshed.

The first thing I notice is the warmth wrapped around my fingers. I wriggle them a little, soon figuring out that they're intertwined with a hand that isn't my own. Immediately after, the memories from the day before gently flood my head. I blink my eyes open, needing to see it to believe it, and right next to me, on the other side of the bed, lies Jordie, face turned my way and hand resting on his belly tightly wrapped with mine. For a moment, I simply lie there and admire him, basking in the reality that he loves me, my heart beat coming to life, quickening the more I think about it.

I notice the gap between us, chuckling quietly to myself when I realise that neither of us are clingy sleepers. We fell asleep wrapped up in each other yesterday, or early this morning I suppose, but somehow drifted away from each other in sleep. Well, except we never let go of our hands.

I always thought I know everything about Jordie, and it feels so good to learn something new about him, no matter how small. To me, it's testament that we can work as a couple, that we won't fall into the trap of only being friends still in everything but name.

It's hard to pinpoint how long I lie there, comfortably on my side, watching the person who's been with me all my life, who has grown the be the most important thing in my life. But I do know that it's only when I hear my phone ring somewhere in the flat that I do get up, not wanting it to wake up Jordie.

As quietly and unobtrusively as I can, I take my hand from his, slip out of bed and from my room, closing the door behind me.

I find my phone quickly - it's where I left it on my coffee table last night as I was waiting for Jordie to contact me.

Immediately I pick it up.

"Yes?" I ask, slightly more aggressive than I intended.

"Sam, why are you so grumpy? I've been trying to reach you all day." my sister says from the other end.

"Nic," I say, trying to recalibrate my brain from Jordie induced happiness to normal brother mode, "Sorry, just woke up."
Which is clearly the wrong thing to say.

"Just woke up? You? What's with that?" To say I'm a morning person is the understatement of the century. A 9am wake up is a sleep in for me.

"Ah, just, long night." I say, wincing immediately because I do not need her to make any assumptions. Surprisingly enough, she doesn't.

"Has he finally talked to you then?" she asks instead.

"Is that why you're calling?" I try stalling for time.

"Well, I've been trying to get him to fess up for days now. At least he wasn't ignoring my phone calls, but there were too many fucking excuses for my liking." she rants.

"Fess up?" I say nervously. For some reason, her knowing of his feelings before me doesn't sit well with me, even though I've done the same for years now.

"Well yeah, something was... is clearly up, and he's not telling, so he should at least talk to you. Even if it has nothing to do with you, you're his best friend, so if he doesn't confide in you, who does he have?"

I let out a relieved breath when I hear her answer. I don't really know why I'm so hesitant to tell her. Maybe it's to do with the fact that Jordie and I obviously haven't talked since yesterday and I genuinely don't know how he feels about, well, us now.

"Well, we did talk. We're... good now, I think." I say slowly.

"Finally! Seriously you two at odds is the world's most awkward and painful thing to witness. Don't do it again. It ages me." she says dramatically. I laugh.