Clean Carpet Smell ~ 6.23.15
"It's open!" I hear Cam's voice coming from his door.
"I know," I say, since he always keeps his bedroom door unlocked. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything weir--" I step inside to see him lying face down on the carpet and stare at him for a few seconds. "Cam. What are you doing?"
He turns his head to the side, and some of his auburn hair falls across one cheekbone while the other rests on the beige floor. "Oh, hey Lanei. My mom just vacuumed."
I look at him skeptically. "Because that explains a lot."
He snorts and rolls over onto his back, not bothering to readjust his now twisted t-shirt. "C'mon, you've known me for how long now? Seven years? Why don't you give it a go."
I smile, shake my head, and sit down on the floor next to him. "Okay Cam. Well, knowing how protective you are of all this junk in here, you probably don't let your mom into your room that often, making a clean carpet here quite rare. Also, from the memory burned into my mind of you getting scented marker all over your face within the first week I met you, and considering how happy you were to receive the shirt I once gave to you because it had that 'new shirt smell', I think you just enjoy sniffing clean carpet and want to get as close to it as possible while it lasts."
He chuckles. "Bingo! Now, do you still want those scented candles I stol-- I mean, borrowed from your house last week?"
My eyes widen in surprise. "Cam! You stole my scented candles!?"
"Calm down, calm down. It's called 'borrowing for an indefinite amount of time knowing that the owner will be glad that their items will be in a better place and make other people happy'."
I'm not mad at him, but yell "Cam!" again and proceed to leap at him and tickle him in the sides, something I've been doing for years even though we've only been just friends. I relish the second of surprise on his face before he starts getting me back.
"Ahahaha -- oh my gosh Lanei will you -- ahaha -- stop th-- aghhehaha!"
We roll around on the floor for a minute, miraculously not knocking over any of the many work-in-progress inventions and other objects that he has bordering his room. Somehow I end up sitting on top of him, and I take advantage of the moment to pin down his arms.
Cam looks up at me. "See, can't you smell the clean carpet smell?"
"Okay Cam, give me the candles."
He smirks. "Kind of hard to do when you're on top of me, huh?"
I roll my eyes. "Fine, I'll get off. Just don't tickle me."
"Hey, you started it. But okay, I promise I won't."
As soon as I let go of his arms, they shoot out towards my sides. I'm about to squeal out of reflex, but his hands brush past my sides and onto my back, pulling me down on top of him. Our faces are suddenly inches apart. His face has his signature playful grin while mine is definitely failing to conceal surprise. "Cam what--"
"Shh. Mm, hey, you're between boyfriends right now, aren't you?"
I shift a little to free my arms and place my palms on the carpet above his shoulders with the intention of pushing myself back up to sitting position, but something in his dark amber eyes -- or maybe it's his smile -- keeps me from being motivated to do so. I'm afraid to speak being so close to his face, so I nod instead. It suddenly occurs to me how much I've told him, complained to him, even cried more than a few times in front of him about the people I thought I loved. And not even just that. I've spoken to him so many times about my thoughts and my life...
"Lanei?" he says softly. "I'm giving you five seconds to change your mind, because I'm not sure how much longer I'll hold this back. Five..."
I bite my lip with hesitation. "Cam, I... I don't want to ruin our friendship..."
"Four. I know. But..." He closes his eyes for a moment and whispers "three". "I can't bear to see you get hurt... over and over... and over..."
"I... don't want you to become one of those people too..."
"I'll do my everything to not. Two. You know me, you know my promises."
"You know me too." Our eyes lock for what seems to be much longer than only one second. And then I release all doubt, close my eyes and the gap between our lips, and breathe "One."
"I know," I say, since he always keeps his bedroom door unlocked. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything weir--" I step inside to see him lying face down on the carpet and stare at him for a few seconds. "Cam. What are you doing?"
He turns his head to the side, and some of his auburn hair falls across one cheekbone while the other rests on the beige floor. "Oh, hey Lanei. My mom just vacuumed."
I look at him skeptically. "Because that explains a lot."
He snorts and rolls over onto his back, not bothering to readjust his now twisted t-shirt. "C'mon, you've known me for how long now? Seven years? Why don't you give it a go."
I smile, shake my head, and sit down on the floor next to him. "Okay Cam. Well, knowing how protective you are of all this junk in here, you probably don't let your mom into your room that often, making a clean carpet here quite rare. Also, from the memory burned into my mind of you getting scented marker all over your face within the first week I met you, and considering how happy you were to receive the shirt I once gave to you because it had that 'new shirt smell', I think you just enjoy sniffing clean carpet and want to get as close to it as possible while it lasts."
He chuckles. "Bingo! Now, do you still want those scented candles I stol-- I mean, borrowed from your house last week?"
My eyes widen in surprise. "Cam! You stole my scented candles!?"
"Calm down, calm down. It's called 'borrowing for an indefinite amount of time knowing that the owner will be glad that their items will be in a better place and make other people happy'."
I'm not mad at him, but yell "Cam!" again and proceed to leap at him and tickle him in the sides, something I've been doing for years even though we've only been just friends. I relish the second of surprise on his face before he starts getting me back.
"Ahahaha -- oh my gosh Lanei will you -- ahaha -- stop th-- aghhehaha!"
We roll around on the floor for a minute, miraculously not knocking over any of the many work-in-progress inventions and other objects that he has bordering his room. Somehow I end up sitting on top of him, and I take advantage of the moment to pin down his arms.
Cam looks up at me. "See, can't you smell the clean carpet smell?"
"Okay Cam, give me the candles."
He smirks. "Kind of hard to do when you're on top of me, huh?"
I roll my eyes. "Fine, I'll get off. Just don't tickle me."
"Hey, you started it. But okay, I promise I won't."
As soon as I let go of his arms, they shoot out towards my sides. I'm about to squeal out of reflex, but his hands brush past my sides and onto my back, pulling me down on top of him. Our faces are suddenly inches apart. His face has his signature playful grin while mine is definitely failing to conceal surprise. "Cam what--"
"Shh. Mm, hey, you're between boyfriends right now, aren't you?"
I shift a little to free my arms and place my palms on the carpet above his shoulders with the intention of pushing myself back up to sitting position, but something in his dark amber eyes -- or maybe it's his smile -- keeps me from being motivated to do so. I'm afraid to speak being so close to his face, so I nod instead. It suddenly occurs to me how much I've told him, complained to him, even cried more than a few times in front of him about the people I thought I loved. And not even just that. I've spoken to him so many times about my thoughts and my life...
"Lanei?" he says softly. "I'm giving you five seconds to change your mind, because I'm not sure how much longer I'll hold this back. Five..."
I bite my lip with hesitation. "Cam, I... I don't want to ruin our friendship..."
"Four. I know. But..." He closes his eyes for a moment and whispers "three". "I can't bear to see you get hurt... over and over... and over..."
"I... don't want you to become one of those people too..."
"I'll do my everything to not. Two. You know me, you know my promises."
"You know me too." Our eyes lock for what seems to be much longer than only one second. And then I release all doubt, close my eyes and the gap between our lips, and breathe "One."
I open my eyes, and she's still on top of me, now resting her head on my chest. I chuckle. "So what'd you come here for in the first place?"
She raises her head at playfully glares at me. "My candles."