One Thousand Paper Cranes

Chapter 20

My phone was ringing, waking me up from my sleep. It was Roman. The picture I'd set for him flashing with the vibrations if m phone.

"This better be good." I said, answering the phone. "You do realize it's three in the morning, right?"

"There is a problem." Roman began. He sounded worried and I hardly ever heard him worried.

"What is it? You've got to tell me." I said. Roman sighed on the other end and took in a shaky breath.

"I'm pretty sure Greg hates me. He's not talking to me and I know he stayed at Doverhall." Greg's parents were douchebags. Ever since he came out they've wanted nothing to do with him.

"Roman, I'm going to tell you something and you cannot tell another living soul." He was quite so I took that to continue. "Greg likes you."

"Well, I kind of figured that when he fucking asked me out." He shouted and I told him to hush. Most of the Dale family, including Eliam, was asleep. Even though he wasn't on speaker he was loud enough to be heard.

I felt Eliam shift next to me and felt his arms tighten around my waist. My t shirt was pressed against his chest. Sometime in the night he'd lost his shirt.

"Yeah, what was up with that? I mean, I thought you liked him." I could hear Roman's measured breath and knew he was coming up with a response.

"He was always what I fantasized over. Greg, with his glasses and soft curls. Greg, who loves books almost as much as I love Buffy. I built a lot of things off of what I thought I could have with him." Roman said, his words raw. "You know how it feels to wake from a really good dream? Like imagine the best dream you've ever had and when you wake up its gone and you have to keep moving. Keep going after something so amazing. That's what it felt like with Greg. It was too good."

"I'm not sure I understand you, Ro." I replied.

"He's too much of a dream, Sammy." He explained, almost annoyed at me not getting it.

"Why is that bad?" I asked hesitantly. I felt like we'd come across a fragile ground between us and just one wrong word would send us tumbling down.

"It's bad because dreams always end, Sammy. I already told you that."

***
I woke up, the second time, to an empty bed. The blanket was falling off of me, only covering my feet now. Eliam was in the bathroom, the soft yellow light seeping into his dark room.

"You awake?" He called softly to me, turning his head around to look at me.

"Yeah, barely but..." I trailed off, getting up and coming over to him. I didn't want to bring up Roman. I knew Eliam didn't like my 'meddling' in Greg and Ro's relationship so the best way to keep this peace between us was to just not bring it up. "It's Thanksgiving." I stated. Eliam smiled softly and turned to meet me half way.

"That it is." He'd already started to get ready. His white button up shirt hung on him, not buttoned yet. His black pants were the only thing in order. "How do I look?" He twirled around.

"Barely dressed." I laughed. A big grin decorated his face and he grabbed me by the waist band of my pants. My hands, reflexively, stopped my descent by slamming against his chest. He winced, barely, but didn't show much of a reaction.

"I can change that." He breathed, his mouth next to my ear. He reached out with the hand that wasn't on my pants and shut the door. His lips kissed up my neck as he backed me up against the now closed door. My back hit it softly.  I closed my eyes almost against my will.

"You could get dressed." I said, shattering the moment like glass. He groaned in my ear, but I knew he was kidding.

"Fine. I knew I wasn't the only tease." He kissed me one last time then went back to getting ready.