All the Little Things

Chapter Twelve: Jamie

The shower was nice, way nicer than the one that he had at his own apartment. But he shouldn't be too surprised. Jamie remembers Luca telling him about the deal he made with Becca, and how it had entailed remodeling the bathroom.

That was one thing he could appreciate about that woman, he supposes. She liked nice things, and now he sometimes gets to reap the benefits.

It takes him a while to work up the courage to turn the hot water off and step out of the shower. He quickly grabs a towel (heated too) and proceeds to dry himself off before wrapping it around his waist.

The reflection in the mirror causes him to pause. His usual platinum hair is a dark honey color from the water, and his skin looks too pale from the lack of sunlight. His fingers trace over scar across his upper lip, a thin white line that is barely visible. It had come from the time he and Jamie had attempted to sled down the stairs in his parent's home, using the mattress they had dragged from his room. It had gone great at first, but as eight-year-olds- they had failed to anticipate how to navigate the turn in the stairs. This had resulted in them flying off the mattress and hitting the wall hard. Luca had cushioned Jamie's fall, resulting in a broken collarbone. While Jamie had taken a vase to the face, causing a nasty bruise across his cheek and a split lip that his dad had rushed him to the doctor's to get sewed up. They had both been in huge trouble for that, but the memory still brings a smile to his face.

They had done everything together, never ones to be separated. Jamie had been the one to come up with the great ideas, while Luca was the one to follow along, taking most of the blame whenever they got into trouble. Their parents always knew better, so the act never worked on them, but their teachers always fell for it.

Now, as Jamie stares at himself in the mirror, he finds himself questioning what he is doing. There has been a shift in their relationship. One that even Luca must have noticed. The air is heated now, eyes lingering too long to be innocent. He has felt Luca watching him, and he is stuck in a rut.

What should he be doing? Matilda has been pushing him to give them a chance, but...

He's terrified. What happens if he does give them a chance and then he screws it up somehow, just as he has with all his other relationships. It's why he doesn't do relationships in the first place. They never work out. But he can't just be fuck buddies with Luca. He loves him too much.

And that's another scary thought. One that he has known for a while but doesn't like to acknowledge. If he gives them a chance and he ruins it, he'll be devastated. It will be worse than any other break up he has had before because he wouldn't just be losing a significant other, he would be losing his best friend as well.

Sighing, Jamie lets his hand fall away.

The Christmas music is drifting up from downstairs, and he knows that he can't stay up here forever.

He walks out of the bathroom and over to the bed, the one that Luca sleeps in, still sloppy from sleep. But his clothes, the sweater he had brought over and a pair of dark jeans are sat neatly on the bed. Luca must have crept up here and brought them. He hadn't even realized he had forgotten them.

He quickly dresses, toweling off his hair before dropping the towel in the dirty clothes. Glancing back at the bed, he notices that Luca had brought his phone up as well.

When he presses the home button, his screen lights up, telling him that he has messages waiting.

There is one from his sister, Marianna, telling him that she is bringing some friends and that he can't stop her since Luca already approved. He rolls his eyes but smiles anyway. Typical little sister, shoving it into his face that she got her way and there's nothing he can do about it. It will be good to see her though. She has spent the last few months traveling, ever since she graduated college. He knows that she will be starting her job at the local hospital as a nurse in about a month. It will be good to have her back, especially since his dad will have someone else to pester besides just him.