Why was it so difficult to sit on her bed, listening to the shower run from her bathroom? Was it the way the door was cracked? Was it the fact that if she laid back, she could see the fogged up shower? Was it because every now and then she'd see a flash of red hair from behind the fog? Or was it just because he was in there? Whatever it was, it was getting to her, and she hadn't sat still.

Alaska crawled off her bed once again, messing with her line of essential oils on her dresser, purposely passing the opened door, getting a nose full of her own body wash. She did it again, peaking inside and being able to make out the back of Eli's head, red hair down while the steam hit her in the face. A bark from the door made her stumble, loosing her footing and falling back into her dresser. A few of her oils fell, one knocking her on the head, the piggy bank she had as a kid falling onto the pillows, the empty glass of OJ shattering on the ground.

"Alaska!" Eli's voice yelled from the shower. "Are you all right?"

"Just dropped something!" she called back, looking in disbelief at her actions. Her head turned toward the door to look at the cause of this stumble, Cedric staring at her from the doorway. "Don't look at me like that."

He jumped into his little bed, staring over as she picked up the broken glass with her hands. Thankfully, it didn't shatter in too many places, only three pieces she'd have to pick up. Alaska debated going down stairs, all the way to the kitchen, Cedric following, disturbing her mom, or walking into the bathroom and putting the glass in the trash. It shouldn't have been this big of a deal, six months ago she would have walked right in. But, now it felt different, now it felt like she needed to give him the boundaries you're suppose to give to your friends.

"Hey, E?" she called from the other side of the door. "I'm gonna come in and throw something away, is that cool?"

He laughed, because unlike her, he didn't feel like things were any different from six months ago. "Okay."

She pushed the door slightly, eyeing the shower. Walking in, she crept in slow, heading toward the trash can that had cotton balls, with nail polish on them, inside. Tossing the glass in the trash, his voice rung. "What'd you break?"

Literally all that was separated them was the door of the shower. Alaska shook her head. "Just a glass I forgot to put up this morning."

"Messy kid." he scolded her in a joking manor. The shower shut off, panicking the Lee girl as she took off in a sprint. Eli frowned his eyebrows, listening to her feet hit the floor boards, the shake of her bed as she jumped on it. A small yelp escaped her lips. "Are you okay?"

There wasn't a answer for a moment. "I stepped on some glass."

"What!" he called from the inside. "I thought you picked it up?"

"Yeah." she called back, the sound of something else dropping echoed. "Oh my god!"

"Just-just stop moving!" he called, reaching for the towel outside of the shower and tying it securely around his waist. Throwing the door open, he looked straight at her. Her eyes found him, her foot over her leg. Clearly, she forgot to pull the door back shut when she made her run toward the bed. "You know you're suppose to sweep or vacuum the remaining parts up."

"Forgot." she said back, her eyes casted away from him. Eli grabbed the first aid kit that she kept under her sink, walking her way. She still kept her eyes locked down on her foot, as if it was more distracting then him in just a towel infront of her.

"Doesn't seem like too big of a piece." he said to her, falling onto his knees right infront of her bed. Alaskas eyes widened slightly, this time having no choice but to look at him. Red hair down, messy across his head. All three tattoos in full view, gorgeous body all right infront of her. It was so dumb to feel this way when she'd seen him so many times before. But not since their fight, not since they made up about a month ago. "Okay, let me see."

Alaska scooted back on her bed, holding herself up with her palms digging into the sheets. Eli grabbed her ankle, looking at the shard of glass in the middle of her foot. Her head looked past her feet to watch him, staring, as if he didn't know. Eli's hand grabbed the tweezers. "Okay, sit really still off me."

Alaska winced slightly when he pulled the little glass from her skin, a sting in her foot. He looked up at her, giving a quick smile, rubbing her ankle. "Almost done."

Stop. Stop being so sweet. Stop being so you. Just stop.

"You smell like me again." she made the conversation, realizing she hadn't said anything since he got down infront of her. Eli flashed a cheeky grin up her leg and toward her face. "I don't know why you don't just buy your own."

"I like your shower more." he admitted, using a disinfectant whip to clean the small cut. She twisted her foot, his hand tightening around her ankle. "You're making me think you don't want me here."

He gave her a wink to show he was joking. Alaska cracked a grin. "You're right."

"Don't deny it. You love my company so much." be hummed, placing her ankle over his shoulder while rummaging through the first aid kit. She could have easily held her leg up herself, but no, he put her leg over his shoulder so easily. Did he even think about it? Did he over analysis it like she was? No, of course he didn't, because it was a normal, a strictly platonic thing to do. "So does Cedric, by the way."

Alaska looked back at the dog, in his bed. She shook her head at him, swearing he planned this. She looked back down at Eli as he dotted the neoporin with his pinkie. "Okay, bandaids going on. The more you walk around, the less likely it's gonna stick. So, try to sit still for the night."

Sit still. Easy for you to say.

"Thanks." she gave him a grin, his hand trailing up her leg as he let her ankle go soon after. She wanted to use her foot to knock him across the head, tell him to put his hand back on her leg just one more time.

"Yup." he grinned, tapping her ankle with his finger before shutting the first aid kit. As he walked off, grabbing the spare pajama pants he kept over, Eli went back into the bathroom. Alaska rolled over onto her stomach, head burying into the dark green comforter, wanting to hit her head on it over and over but decided against it. Her eyes went back toward Cedric's bed, finding him gone. She shook her head in disbelief. "Little master mind."

Before she could bother to think about her dog a second longer, she felt a dip behind her. One on either side of her hips, a weight suddenly pressing into her back, chin resting onto her shoulder. Eli gave a single laugh, his arms going under hers. "Who are you talking to in here?"

Alaska glanced side ways slightly, giving a minor grin his way. "Myself."

"Uh oh." the blue eyed boy gave a minor alarming look, his hand touching her forehead. "That's not a good sign."

Alaska laughed, falling flat against the mattress. He went with her, laid ontop off her, hands suddenly being placed ontop of hers. Alaska sat still, too still, staring at his hands ontop of hers, managing to rub past her knuckles to put his fingers through hers. Eli's face, that was still buried into the crock of her neck, burned against her skin. She wasn't totally sure if it was his face or her own skin burning up, possibly both.

Her head tilted back to bump his, not to hurt, but in a manor to not sit so still. He did it back, leaning up a letting as his nose nudged the side of her face. Alaskas head leaned a little toward his touch, making him come back and plant a kiss on her cheek. A low chuckle escaped her lips, making Eli laugh before doing one more. She tilted her head back some, his chest pressing firmly into her back while his legs stayed trapping her under him.

Her eyes widened when he kissed her jaw, feeling her heart drop to her stomach, coming back up, dropping again.

Eli waited, almost like he was expecting her to shove him off her, not be so into it, be grossed out. Maybe she didn't like him anymore, maybe she had moved on, maybe she liked Wyatt now. Alaska gave a small hum, leaning closer toward him with a single nod. It made him grin, leaning back over and kissing along her jaw, quick and tender ones, making his way down her neck. The Lee girl tilted her head the other way, giving him more room, which was a mistake when her entire neck was being filled with presses of his lips to her skin. His hand pulled at the collar of her shirt, pulling it off her right shoulder to plant a kiss right onto her skin.

She pushed upwards, using her strength to flip him off of her. Eli panicked for a second, ready to say sorry, ready to tell himself he was dumb. No words fell from his lips when she crawled into his lap, yanking forcefully on the back of his neck, leaning in.

"Alaska! Eli!" Gina yelled from down stairs, causing the pair to jump back before their lips had the chance to meet. They both fell off either side of the bed with a groan. "Wyatt and Demetri are here, they want to know if you two wanted to go mini golfing!"

"Oh my god." Eli mumbled from the other side of the bed, glad they weren't look at each other after that.

"Be down in a second!" she yelled, the pair pretending like what just happened didn't exist in their memory.

•

kylie speaks

filler chapter that im
obsessed with.
cedric, the
little master mind, being the
most iconic and
unproblematic character >