I sit on the couch as I watch David paces back and forth in front of me, his silver iPhone pressed against his ear. He speaks to the person on the line with a deep voice, he sounds exhausted and the constant pacing that he’s doing isn’t helping the situation. Ever since the election David has been stressed out of his mind, feeling as if the weight of the world is resting solely on his shoulders.
He loves his job, this I know, but it breaks my heart to see him this way. We’ve been best friends since college and I have never seen him like this before; the weight loss, the ever growing bags under his eyes, the lines on his forehead becoming more defined. I want to help him relax, to assist in letting some of the stress fall from his shoulders but he won’t let me.
I stand up from my place on the couch, making my way into his kitchen. I sigh to myself as my ears intently listen to his conversation from a distance. I proceed in making him a cup of coffee, just the way I know he likes it, in hopes that the warm caffeinated drink will take a sliver of the edge off. I walk back into the living room standing in front of the man I love, handing him the steaming up. He smiles to me weekly mouthing a ‘thank you’ to me.
Sitting on the couch I sigh to myself again. Over the past couple of years I have developed greater feelings for David, feelings that are felt by the heart for someone you love. I know that I love David as more than a friends but I also know that he doesn’t feel the same. He only sees me as a friend and a friend alone.
Finally after what has felt like an eternity he finally hangs up the phone. The piece of technology takes it’s place back in his pocket before he sits down on the couch beside me with a heavy sigh. David’s eyes flutter shut, his hand moving to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose to I assume somehow easy the pain or stop a headache.
“Are you okay?” I question him softly.
“I guess,” he says with a heavy breath.
“Is there anything I can do to help with your stress?”
“Not that I can think of. It’s just been hard lately, all this shit that has been happening in the world, some new major story coming up everyday; it’s becoming almost to much.” I look at David with a pair of sad eyes, I wish I could feel what he’s feeling but I have absolutely no way of doing that.
“I hate to see you like this,” I mumble softly, mostly to myself.
David’s eyes open his head turning to face me. I look away from him, my eyes squeezing shut as silent tears begin to fall from my eyes. He sits up, his hands going to my cheeks. I turn to face him again, my now puffy eyes looking at his concerned expression.
“Y/N… Y/N what’s wrong?” He questions.
“I-I just hate to see you like this, it breaks my heart to see you like this,” I tell him truthfully. Without any hesitation David pulls me into a hug, his fingers entangling themselves in my hair. I should be the one comforting him, not the other way around. I wrap my arms round his torso, my face nuzzling into his crook of his neck. “I love you,” I whisper without realizing it.
“I love you too, Y/N,” he states quietly, “more than you know.” I move myself away from his chest looking at him trying to read his face. He looks at me with a serious expression, his hands moving my cheeks once again, his thumb rubbing my skin softly. “Thank yo for awakes being by my side, I don’t know what I’d without you.”
“David, I will always be there for you no matter what,” I reply to him. “But, I n-need to tell you something.”
“What is it?” He questions, his brow furrowing.
“I’m in love with you,” I say, my eyes looking down not wanting to meet his gaze.
“Y/N, I’ve been in love with you since college but thought you didn’t like me in that way,” he replies with a light chuckle.
“Wait what?” I respond, my gaze snapping back up to meet his. His face has relaxed, a genuine smile resting on his lips.
Suddenly David’s lips are on mine. His lips are slightly chapped but fit perfectly on mine. My arms wrap around his neck, deepening the unexpected kiss. He smiles into the kiss, his body relaxing for the first time in weeks.
“I love you Y/N,” he says parting from my lips, his forehead resting against mine. “Thank you for always being here by my side, caring for me. I know I can’t go through without you here.”
“You’re such a sap,” I say with a giggle. “But, I love you too.”
“This is probably the most relaxed I’ve been in weeks,” he says with a relieved sigh.
“Happy I could help,” I say with a smile, quickly pecking the tip of his nose.
“How about we go and get some food from that Chinese place we love so much,” he says to me moving his face away from mine to look at me properly.
“I’d love that,” I reply.
David stands up from the couch holding his hand out to me. Before taking it I study his face, he looks relaxed even though the bags are still evidently there in their resting place under his eyes. I take his hand, standing up from the couch. David looks down at my figure with a smile as I stand on my tiptoes softly kiss his cheek. I know this moment doesn’t take away all the stress he’s been feeling but I know that this is a good place to start.