Seven nights later. One AM.

Ŧ Tom.

I had basically forgotten everything . . . or tried to forget. Ella and I had a little talk, we have to keep our relationship professional and we could be friends. I added the 'for now' at the end of her speech. This James guy was definately cheating on her, and she was still thinking, or trying not to think that he was. I know what she's going through, but she doesn't exactly turn down the volume of her cell phone. I can sometimes hear every word that he says as clear as day. I just sit close enough and pretend to distract myself while she talks. I can't stand that she's getting everything done to her. He's hurting her, and I can't say anything about it. Then she'd know I was eavesdropping . . . . listening . . . either way she'd know. So we went back to the way things were, being good friends, even though I am dying to be more.

I cloed my eyes tight, sleep about to finally set in when my slumber was distured by a slight whine and I felt a petite arm sling itself across my torso with a "thump". I stirred, and I turned a bit on my side to see whoever it was. Bill usually did this to me at night, whenever he'd have a really scary dream, or when he'd just miss home. He would crawl in with me and I'd comfort him. I blinked in the darkness, trying to make out who it was.

"Ella?" I murmured sleepily.

"Tom," Ella stared at me with wide eyes. "Tom I can't sleep." She tried to just lay there, but I pushed her back a little. I really don't need another Bill on this bus. We were moving, no doubt and I could now slightly feel the bus under us as we lay.

"Come on Ells, go back to your own bed."

"But Tom! I just . . . I just can't sleep!" I really did try to move her from my twin sized bunk- which was ironically big enough to only fit one person.

"Just close your eyes and lay. Come on Ella, you're how old?" I pushed her a little farther away, not wanting to do anything stupid. She huffed and got up standing beside my bunk, fumbling with the hem of her pjs.

I heard her sniff a little in the darkness. "Tom, please? Just this once?" She sniffed again, and I sighed angerly. What could possibly keep her up at night? It's not like she had to play a concert the next day or anything like I did, so what the fuck? I thought girls were supposed to keep things to themselves.

"Crawl in with Bill! He likes consoling girls." I retorted, annoyed at having my precious sleep interrupted.

I heard her shuffle her feet in the darkness, sniffing again. "Bill sleeps like a fucking rock, Tom." I mumbled in agreement, remembering all the times I tried to wake him up. Ugh, he does sleep like a rock.

She sniffed once more "Please Tom. Come on, just this one time?"

I gave in, resistance was futile against her, she would fake cry like that for hours, plus she was just too damn cute. I scooted over as much as I could in my small bed without crushing myself into the wall. "Get in."

She sighed, throwing her weight down onto the mattress and receiving a tiny frustrated glare from me. "Danke Tom."

"Mhm, ja . . . " I answered, my reply muffled by the pillow I had immidiately sunk my head into. I was quickly drifting back into sleep suprisingly, not quite registering how close Ella was to me. She was pressed up against my side, her hand resting on the small of my back.

"Why can't you sleep anyways?" I griped, trying to shrug off the feeling of heat radiating from her hand through my thin material of my white undershirt. Not entirely uncomfortable.

"I dunno . . . just couldn't get to sleep . . . " Ella spoke in such a small voice I could barely hear her.

"Way to be spacific."

"I guess I just have a lot on my mind." She spoke in the dark.

"Just clear everything out!" I spat. "Close your eyes."

She whimpered, her hand balling into a fist where she grasped my shirt. "You just don't get it, it's not that easy to just empty everything out! You so don't have all the stress I do!"

I sighed, reaching around to grad Ella's hand from my back and I pried it loose from the fabric. "You're over-tired. Just stop thinking. It'll be okay, trust me."

"You're a rock too."

I could hear the fake tears in her voice and it kind of made my heart ache. Not that I was falling for the real tears. She needs to learn that it's okay to not think about things, to just set them aside. "Ella, you don't need to think all the time." I spoke, trying to make my voice a little softer. "It's okay to put things off."

Ella sighed, grabbing my extra pillow and held onto it tight. "I have to think sometimes Tom, and I can't put everything off." I looked at her, seeing a real tear fall from her eyes. "You're my friend, you're supposed to help me here."

I turned my head from where it was buried in my own pillow to look at her again. My stomach churned and I sat up to turn on my light on the ceiling of my bunk. "Ella, come on, don't cry." I pulled her up by her shoulders and I hugged her to my chest. She choked into my collar and I crossed my arms around her back.

"Shh, don't cry. I'm sorry, now," I felt Ella tremble a little when I snaked my hand through her hair. "Come on, it's okay." I pulled a strand of her hair playfully, trying to soothe her and calm her down.

"You'll survive." I suggested, eliciting a small laugh from her before she choked again on her tears. I ran my free hand gently down her back, wondering if I can get any sleep in. Seemed very unlikely. "Come on, you have to get up tomorrow, ja?" I laughed and I heard Ella whimper.

Her crying finally ceased, and her body stopped shaking and I held in a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I do." Ella spoke, answering quietly. "Sorry for bothering you."

I nodded, and I slowly eased her out of my arms and prompted her to lie down. "Ist fine, but we sleep now." I turned out the light and lay facing her. After about five minutes or so we both had moved and Ella's face was now buried against my collarbone.

I didn't argue her position, and neither did she. "You're really warm Tom." I heard her whisper as she tried to fall asleep. I raised my head an inch to look at her before reluctantly draping my arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "You're really freezing." I said quietly.

I fidgeted unnervingly. I want to hold her like this, but when we're awake. I wasn't supposed to be holding her like this while shes sleeping, and more-so, it wasn't supposed to be in this cramped little bunk. Ella's breath was hot against my neck and I twitched a little, my eyes fluttering closed as sleep began to set in again.

"Tom?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your voice makes me tired." I felt Ella nudge her cheek against my jaw and I smiled.

"Danke? S'no problem, just tell me what I can do to help you sleep." I mumbled, trying to turn my head away.

"Just talk, and listen to me. Those are the two best things."

I couldn't help it, I bit back a little of my pride and kissed Ella softly on the forehead. I lingered a little longer than comfort permitted, but giving her no excuse to complain. I don't think she even felt it.

I gasped then as Ella's thigh brushed across my crotch. "Stop moving," I said softly, trying not to snap at her. She opened her eyes and stared at him in confusion, tossing once more before laying still as she heard me moan lightly. I swallowed, color slowly creeping to my cheeks. "Ells, move your leg."

I guess she realized that she had one leg through mine, and I was currently trying to hide an erection, difficult as it was pressed up against her leg. "Oh . . ." I blushed even harder, trying to nicely push her away. But Ella resisted, instead pressing her hips against mine.

"Ells . . . '' She ground her hips forward more, rubbing against me." Ells, c-come on, move your leg . . . please."

"I'm sorry, here, "

She fanned her hands across my hips and ground hard into me once more. "Stop." I half moaned, half yelled at her, while shuddering at the feel of her body pressed against me through my pajama pants. I tried to twist and move away, but I couldn't move. I bit my lip, my mind suddenly blanking at the delicious way she was pressing up against me. "God, stop . . . Ella . . . "

She didn't pay any attention to me, instead, she rubbed against me more.

"I-I'm sorry . . . It's just the sheet . . .it's caught on my foot."

"Welll move it, it can't be that stuck." I began, regretting the joke when she added to the friction between us. "Oh God."

"I'm s-sorry - . . . I j-just-.. cant- . . . it's still stuck." I could feel the heat in my stomach.

"Here, I'll help you." I began to respond, pushing back against her slightly. This was not how she normally acted, and I began searching around under the sheets for her leg.

"Okay, it's right there." Ella stopped and stilled against me, staring across the darkness as I helped her pull her leg out between the tangled sheets.

"There, is that better?" I felt her curl up against me and closed her eyes. "Yeah, danke Tom."

I stared at her through the darkness. "Good. Sleep."

Ella shook her head. ''Okay."

I closed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion spread throughout my body. Sleep seemed dangerously close as I listened to Ella's heartbeat for a few minutes.

"'Night Ells."

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