𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒

Chapter Ten

I awoke groggily to the sound of the hoover. Blinking for a few seconds, I found that my head rested on Noah's chest, my arm slung across him so far that it lapsed over onto Caleb's side of our make-shift bed. I smiled faintly as I drew back from them, yawning as I did so.

"Do you like the sound of the hoover at 8am?" Noah asked incredulously.

I jumped, looking up to see that he was looking down at me, looking amused but as if he too had just woken up.

"What?" I asked him, rubbing at my eyes.

"You smiled as you woke up," he said, shifting himself once I had moved off him.

"Maybe I'm happy you didn't kill me in my sleep," I joked, hearing him laugh in response.

"Sometimes you're funny, Issy," I rolled my eyes at him, but felt myself smiling too.

"Does your mum often hoover this early?" He asked, combing his hair back with his fingers.

I frowned. "No..." I said, sitting up, "and that wouldn't be my sister either," I continued, sliding off the bed. "Let me check," I said, leaving the room as quietly as I could.

I walked out into the hallway, following the noise of the hoover and finding myself looking at a very familiar figure. He leaned over to switch off the hoover and I grinned.

He turned to see me at the same time I yelled, "Daniel!"

He laughed as I jumped into his arms.

"Hey, Belly," he said, wrapping his arms around me as I squeezed him so tightly that I probably nearly broke his ribcage.

"When did you get home?" I asked him, grinning as I pulled away from him.

He checked his watch quickly, "About an hour ago," he told me.

I quirked up an eyebrow, "And you're already cleaning?" He nodded sheepishly, making me laugh. I was about to make another joke when the floorboard behind me creaked. I turned to see Noah standing behind me in just boxers. I hadn't realised earlier, but he was just wearing boxers. We had been friends for a few years now, but I didn't recall him looking like this... I guess he grew up.

He must have caught me staring, because he smirked a little, although he did look uncharacteristically nervous. I turned to see my brother rolling his shoulder's back. Somehow, I doubted they liked each other much.

He raised an eyebrow at me, nodding towards Noah. "I'm guessing you have an explanation?"

I frowned, "What?" Then I thought about how this might look—Noah emerging from my room in boxers. I began blushing profusely. "Uh–"

Then the floorboards creaked again.

I turned to see Caleb entering the hallway, looking between the three of us. "Hi, Daniel," he smiled, but I didn't think we could really come back from this at this point. Unlike Noah, he had chosen to actually wear clothes with a grey top and black boxers. I was as equally surprised as I had been with Noah when I saw how good the top looked against his skin. I shook this off and turned back to my brother.

"We had a sleepover," I explained, "Alex and Hailey are in my room too,"

Daniel still didn't look convinced, "And mum and dad agreed to this?" He asked.