Her hair tickles my legs and her sweater is making me hot in a small, localised region where she's lying on me.

Her breathing is deep and every few minutes she mumbles something. Either incoherent sounds or obscure sentences.
My favourite of Sage's somniloquisms involves the instruction that we are to purchase ice cream - vanilla - to throw at the peacocks. I love listening to her talking in her sleep, It's almost as fascinating as listening to her talk while she's wakeful.

This is one of the reasons why I hate Sage's fiance. Not just because he has the woman I want, I can look past that. Somewhat.
One of these things that irk me is that he doesn't care what Sage says in her sleep. Either because he's not with her when she's asleep or he's asleep before she is. That's a thing about me; I've never been able to sleep until everyone else in the room has succumb to blissful slumber. It would make for many all-nighters at sleepovers when I was younger. I especially couldn't understand how he could just fall asleep without waiting for her every muscle to relax alongside him. Hearing her breathing plateau at a steady rhythm. Who wouldn't want to witness peace and tranquillity within the one they love? I just can't comprehend it.

She's still asleep on my lap on the couch. My leg is beginning to numb but I won't dare move as she's a light sleeper. The best ways to wake her up include nibbling on her ear; she'll wake with a breathy sigh of contentment. As well as scratching her back lightly and letting natural light bring her around. I've learnt all of this through our years of being inseparable friends. Her eyelids would shift about like butterflies when she would first wake up. She'd wear a confused expression for a moment before a lazy, relaxed grin would adorn her features upon seeing me. She never minded sharing a bed with me. I never tried anything sexual and she would often thank me for it, saying how safe and respected it made her feel. I'm affectionate with those close to me and she likes to cuddle so it worked well when we hung out. Especially if one of us felt lonely or needed a place to go.

We still slept alongside each other when she met her fiance, when they began dating and even when they got engaged. Although we don't do it much anymore. She kept his jealousy at bay by telling him that I'm gay. She even asked me a few times throughout the years if I was. I never really dated since meeting Sage as all I ever wanted was her.

I was highly offended when she told me her boyfriend was under the impression that I was homosexual. Nothing against the LGBT community, I was just angered at her lie; why can't she just tell the truth about our friendship? If he's not comfortable with how we are he can fuck right off.
Yet, she implored me not to tell him the extent of our closeness as she really felt things for this one. I did too, things like contempt and disdain for the pompous trust fund son. Not all of us get to inherit multi-billion dollar companies, Derek. 

I never pegged Sage as a gold-digger so this guy surprised me.
Apparently he's ''sweet'' and ''adores children'' and has ''coinciding future plans'' with her. Fine, Sage,  you know I really don't like children but with you; man, I wish any kid of mine could have your eyes.

She also waffles on about how charismatic and gentlemanly he is. I know what she means when she says he captures an entire room, but to me it all seems forced, put on. Like he's purposefully trying to win favour to benefit him somewhere down the line. I've found him incredibly selfish and expedient. I was convinced he was doing nothing but using her, this affluent, plasticine businessman couldn't possibly care about her. Until two years ago when she smashed her car against an exposed rock face along one of the major roads. Her car was completely decimated and she barely clung onto life. She was in the ICU for seven weeks and two days. She suffered a dislocated shoulder, four fractured ribs, a collapsed lung, compound fractures to the right ulna, severe internal bleeding, some bleeding on the brain and several other injuries.

I maintained a vigil beside her hospital bed along with him. He stayed with her longer than I would have expected. I also watched him cry, scream and pray.  He was in agony like me. No. Nobody was in the agony that I was in. Still, he suffered with the rest of us.
He quietly paid all her hospital bills and even bought her a new car. Her family had worried about these expenses, so had I, so it made it far easier on us financially to have him around.

He stuck around to help her through rehab and physical therapy after she awoke. He did a lot more for her than I would have anticipated.

I had to grudgingly admit that he really did care about her. 

I still didn't like him but I did develop a level of respect for him for the care and kindness he displayed.

I learnt I had to accept that this was the way things were to be. Sage loves this guy. I want Sage to be contented no matter what. If that means taking a match to my own satisfaction then so be it. This doesn't stop me wishing though. Wishing that I could wake up wrapped around her every day. Get to kiss her. Properly. In front of our friends. Get to have her happily naked beside me. Not having to worry about crossing any lines, thinking about having to give her back to her boyfriend after we have to part ways. I want to tear that obnoxiously ostentatious rock off her finger and sell it for money towards our honeymoon road trip. I'd give her my mother's engagement ring instead, however, I'd have it slightly customised. I would add tiny fragments of emeralds around the circular central diamond and replace the two smaller diamonds flanking the middle one with rubies. All of her favourite stones on one ring. I would get a tiny engraving on the inside of the band as well. It would read ''forever, Sagacious''. Sagacious is a synonym for the word ''sage'', meaning a wise, shrewd person - something she embodies. It's a hideous word and she hates it. I call her Sagacious frequently to annoy her, our hilarious inside joke.

I just want her here with me permanently.