Author's Notes: Hello all! Thank you for all of the wonderful replies, I enjoyed reading comments from each and every one of you. You guys are wonderful. As always, let me know what you think. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Jenny
Chapter Four:
Greg moaned softly as he felt something tickle his nose. He turned his head to the side, trying to get away from the nuisance that was disturbing his much needed rest, only to find a lot more of the substance. With a half moan, half whine, he opened his eyes, raising his hand to brush away whatever it was that had invaded his personal space. As soon as he registered what it was, however, he let his hand fall with a quiet thud onto the blanket.
"Sara?" He murmured, instantly recognizing the brown hair. Sure enough, Sara Sidle was laying next to him, in his bed, with her head resting against his shoulder while she slept.
He rubbed his eyes looking around the room to see if something would appear to convince him that this was some sort of dream. There was no way that Sara could be in his bed without him remembering it. He made a move to roll onto his side, hissing as pain ripped through his torso. As his wound began to throb, the events of the previous night quickly came rushing back.
He had felt Sara enter the room, he had heard her soft whispers, although he was too tired and incoherent to fully wake up and acknowledge her presence. She had instantly soothed him, and before he realized what was going on, he had asked her to stay, and she had laid down beside him. He never thought she would say yes. He never thought she would fall asleep beside him. He never thought she would stay the night. Apparently, he was wrong.
He looked down at her sleeping form, and couldn't help but smile. It was hard to believe this serene, beautiful woman could be so quiet and still while she slept, yet so feisty once awake.
This was a fantasy he had dreamed about since the moment he met her. While he didn't believe in love at first sight, he couldn't deny that he had been attracted to her. At the time, nothing could have come from it. She was new, he was young, and both were doing their own thing. Over time, he had tried flirting with her, he had even asked her out a few times, but she always turned him down. She had never been rude, it was just clear that her job came before her personal life. Now that he was working alongside her in the field, he had hoped things would change, although he hadn't made any advances towards her.
He couldn't describe what it was about Sara that made him so infatuated with her, but he knew she had something special. She was smart, witty, and very loyal, all three he found to be necessary in someone he dated. To actually have her laying beside him, the small smile on her lips as she dreamt, was the single most happiest moment he had experienced all year. He hated to get up as nature began to beckon him.
Placing a hand on his side to support his injury, he slowly sat up, cursing softly as pain ripped through his body. He raised his free hand to his forehead, overcome by lightheadedness as he tried to breathe through his agonizing pain.
"You're going to hurt yourself, let me help you." Sara murmured sleepily as she rubbed her eyes, standing and walking to his side of the bed, "You shouldn't be getting out of bed, you need your rest."
Greg pale white cheeks grew tinged with pink as he muttered, "I have to go to the bathroom."
Sara paused for a moment, her own cheeks blushing, before helping him rise, supporting much of his weight as he grew unsteady, "Easy, easy. I've got you, it's okay."
"I hate being so dependent on someone else." Greg muttered, holding tightly to Sara as they slowly made their way to the bathroom, "I'm so sorry."
Sara shook her head, grunting as she supported his weight while trying to open the door, "Don't apologize, I offered, remember? You shouldn't have even been outside in the first place, I should have taken the outside and let you work inside."
"You aren't here because you feel guilty, are you?" Greg asked sharply, the happiness he had felt upon seeing Sara sleeping in his bed quickly dissolving, "It wasn't your fault, don't stay because of that."
Sara's eyes widened as she replied in a hurt tone, "I'm here because you are my friend and I care about you. I can't believe you'd suggest otherwise. That's low, Greg, pretty low."
She helped him into the bathroom, releasing her grip on him as he put one hand against the wall, "Will you be okay, do I need to stay?" she asked, her cheeks now fully flushed.
"I've got it." Greg replied, still picturing the hurt look on Sara's face, "I'll be okay on my own."
Sara shook her head, walking into the hallway. She leaned against the wall, tears in her eyes. She wouldn't deny that she did feel horribly guilty about Greg's accident. She knew that there wasn't anything she could have done to prevent it, it was one of those strange freak accidents that sometimes happened, but she couldn't release the guilt of knowing that if she hadn't sent him outside, he wouldn't be in such pain right now.
That, however, was the last thing on her mind when she offered to stay with him while he recovered. Greg was one of her closest friends, she had been so worried about him, it just seemed natural to stay with him.
She heard the toilet flush, then a few seconds later, the water in the sink started running. She was about to offer her help, when she remembered Greg's hurtful tone. With a sigh, she shook her head. He'd ask for help when he needed it.
The door finally opened, and Greg weakly took a few steps into the hallway, holding on to the doorframe. Spotting Sara, his eyes widened, "You're still here."
"It appears that way." Sara replied, "Need some help?"
Greg looked down for a few seconds before nodding, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Sara replied, wrapping an arm around him and encouraging him to take a few steps, "It's frustrating to have to depend on someone else."
Greg shrugged, "Doesn't give me a right to be a jerk."
"I'll forgive you this time." Sara replied, leading him to his bedroom, "Can I fix you some breakfast? Ready for some of your pain medication?"
"Both would be great, actually. You don't have to cook, though, I've got takeout menus on the counter by the phone, I'll give you a credit card or something." Greg said softly, groaning as he laid down, "You don't have to go through any trouble."
Sara shrugged, "It's not any trouble. I'll be right back with your medicine."
She walked out of the bedroom, sighing as she shut the door behind her. He was just being a typical guy, she couldn't hold that against him. He had been through a rough experience and he was still in a lot of pain. He couldn't be expected to be happy to have someone babying him. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that he wasn't more receptive to having her in his apartment. Had all of the flirting and teasing at work for the past 5 years been just an act? Did he even consider her a friend? Why was he being so distant now, when last night they had been enjoying each other's company?
In the bedroom, Greg closed his eyes, full of self loathing. This had been a scenario he had imagined for years, yet now that the time had come, he was only pushing her farther and farther away. He hated having to rely on someone else, especially a girl that he liked, to take care of him. He could barely pee on his own. He had never been so disappointed in himself in his entire life. If only he could find a way to make her smile again. She was so happy the previous night, and now she just looked sullen and hurt. There had to be some way that they could both be happy.
Sara walked back into the room, a cup of water in her hand, "Here's your pill and some water. It's almost lunchtime, I ordered us a pizza...you have no food in your pantry."
"You didn't get some sort of veggie pizza, did you?" Greg asked, going for sarcastic humor, but only coming across as bitter. He inwardly groaned as he saw another hurt look wash across her face before being thinly hidden behind the strong mask she always wore.
Sara opened her mouth to ask him what his problem was, but then shut it just as quickly, not wanting to fight with him. She brushed a strand of hair from her face before saying cooly, "Half cheese, half pepperoni. Is that okay with you?"
Greg sighed, "I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh. I don't know what my problem is."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not okay. I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry." Greg insisted, motioning for her to sit, "I hate when I hurt your feelings."
Sara shrugged, not quite meeting his gaze, "Who says you hurt my feelings? I'm not made of glass, I can take it. You're hurt, you're entitled to be cranky."
"Cranky, yes, but not an asshole." Greg replied with a smirk, "This is just a little weird."
"Oh thank God, it's not just me." Sara replied with a relieved smile, "This is pretty new to both of us."
Greg looked at the wall behind her, speaking quietly, "I'm sorry I asked you to sleep with me last night, I was pretty out of it."
"I didn't mind." Sara replied, hesitating before adding quietly, "I, um, sort of liked it."
Greg laughed nervously, holding his side to prevent pain from the jarring movements, "Me too."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Sara gave Greg a slight smile, "This is awkward."
"So we both liked it..." Greg replied, nervously tapping on his comforter, "What does that mean?"
"I think it means, this." Sara said softly, her hands shaking as she leaned over and brushed her lips against his.
She started to pull away, but Greg grabbed her arm, pulling her back down to him. He placed his hand on the back of her head, deepening the kiss. "I'm glad we're on the same page."
The End