Bed Sheets II

32. Never Leaving Again

Eric was the first to wake, there was singing echoing across the home and the smell of bacon drove his body forward. He lethargically crawled down from the bed and left the bedroom, rubbing his eyes before his extending his arms for a stretch. His footsteps had been quite quiet, that when he reached kitchen, Draven's bare back faced him. The movement of his muscles as he shifted the omelette around the pan, then reached for the bacon and turned them over, was enough to make Eric's body begin throbbing.

The singing was causing him to feel wall, and he simply stood there and watched him. Draven's black messy and adorable hair that he did not push away when it fell in front of his eyes, and the way he grunted as he stretched his arms with a spatula still in his hand. He groaned when he returned them to his sides, and continued to sing a small tune.

Eric was mesmerized by the whole scenery; he did not say anything, simply observed Draven in his natural habitat and loving every moment. It was not until Draven turned to put the omelette and bacon on plates, that he met Eric's focused but entertained gaze. Instantly, he halted his movement for a moment and his face rapidly became red.

Filled in flusters, he stammered, "I-I didn't k-know you were...awake." However, he noticed Eric's eyes lower and examine his pecs and his toned stomach, which made him clear his throat and said, "I'm sorry, I'll put a shirt on. It was just hot in here since I was cooking and I didn't think you would be awake."

Now Eric felt embarrassed, and he lowered his eyes for a moment before smiling, "It's alright, what d'you make?"

"Just the norm," he said, pulling the shirt over his head. Until he realized that Eric had not been here for the morning in over five years, and he added, "I mean, eggs, bacon, toast and some tea."

That was the norm, Eric remembered when he stayed here almost every night. Nothing from the home had changed; all the furnitures were in their exact spots. Everything was déjà vu, and Eric felt much too comfortable for someone who had been absent for years.

Draven placed mugs in front of Eric's plate and his own, the teapot and creamer on the table before finally sitting down with a satisfied exhale. "Dig in," he chirped, grabbing his fork and cutting himself a piece of the omelette.

The beginning of breakfast was quite tense since they had not been in one another's presence in this way, in quite a while. Draven was trying to make himself appeal to Eric, even though Eric was already mesmerized by him. That was causing a slight awkward, Draven making certain all his words were polite and sweet rather than teasing.

"How are you feeling? Your head?"

Eric shrugged his shoulders, "I still have a headache, but that's about it."

"Thank goodness you don't have a concussion," Draven sighed in relief before munching on his strawberry jam sandwich. "You seemed like you had one."

"I know, I kept trying to walk and I'd just stumble and wobble."

Draven nodded his head and lowered his eyes for a moment before asking, "Have you spoken to Kyle?"

Eric shook his head, "He hasn't called me—"

"Are you going to call him?" his tone had tightened, not as friendly as it was seconds prior.

Eric shrugged his shoulders, looking away from Draven's pressuring gaze, "I don't know."

"If you call him, what would you say?"

"Maybe ask him if he's alright," Eric said unsurely, before shrugging his shoulders again, "or just ask that he gives me space for some time—"

"Eric, I'm trying to be as polite and respectful as possible but you have to be kidding me." Draven's fork dropped on the table and he chuckled incredulously before meeting Eric's gaze again, "He beat you—physically assaulted—and you want to call him to ask if he's okay?"