Sparklez p.o.v.

Toms groaning in pain was the thing that woke me up at six am in the morning.

When he'd promised to be bottom a week ago, I held him to his word.

"Good morning sunshine!" I sang into his ear from the other side of the bed.

He groaned louder and pulled the pillow over his face. "It hurttssssssss." He drug out the 's'.

"Yeah, I know. You want breakfast?"

"Yes please..." He said groggily.

I got up out of bed and looked around for my shorts. They were here somewhere, in this battered mess of a room.

I finally found them on top of the lamp shade and put them on. I walked into the kitchen and out a few slices of toast in the toaster. I got out a frying pan and began heating it up on the stove. I sorta needed milk for the pancakes, so I went to the tiny mini fridge Tom had in the kitchen. We didn't have any buckets of milk though. Guess I would have to go to cherry ridge and get it.

I walked outside and began to head towards cherry ridge, when something caught my eye.

There was a small setup, just near our lake, with a tent and a small extinguished fire in it.

Someone else was living here?

I walked over to the tent and searched around d for any items that might give away this persons identity, when I found an interesting book.

"Guard Toms diary"

Guard Tom? Did he live in a tent? I thought he lived with one of the others.

He didn't seem to be around. The tent was empty. I guess I could take one little peek at the diary...

~

I didn't realize my friends could be so cruel to a poor human being.

We literally killed the dudes best friend, put him out of a job, and now were treating him like dirt.

In his recent entry, he wrote about finding a place to stay.

Sonja had offered a room to him for a whopping 64 diamond blocks. 64 diamond blocks. That is a lot of diamonds, but Guard Tom had paid it.
Then he wrote that Sonja had 'lost' the money. So he paid her again. She said she lost it AGAIN.
Tom gave her even more diamonds. And then, he found out the room that he would be staying in was Martha's new house. Martha didn't want him anywhere near her house, so he moved out of the small room. He didn't have penny to his name.

Sonja was a good person, but could be a little manipulative if she wanted to. She had tricked the poor man.

Now he was living in a tent, a small dirty tent. And he was broke.

"Oh, hello captain! I didn't expect visitors, or else I would have cleaned up a bit!"

I turned to see Guard Tom walking towards me while carrying a dirty towel and a comb in his hand. His hair was wet and he had removed his armor and only had on some old clothing.

Did he seriously wash himself in the lake?

"No it's cool. Tom, do you have a place to stay?" I asked the smiling man.

"Not at the moment...but I'll find some thing soon. Besides, this tent is a marvelous thing to live in!"

"Do you even have any food?" I asked guiltily. I felt so bad for him.

"Yes, some apples that I found earlier. Would you like some?" He asked while reaching into his tent and pulling out a burlap sack of apples. He really didn't have anything.

"I'm good. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure! Shoot away captain!" He smiled cheerfully.

"Would you wanna live with me? Like, in my new house? I could let you stay in one of the rooms. The tower has lots of rooms. You don't have to pay anything, just as long as you keep your section clean...I won't even be there all that much. I stay at Toms a lot. What do you say?"

"Oh...captain that is so polite of you. That's the nicest offer anyone's given to me. Of course I'll stay! Are you sure you don't want me to pay rent?"

"No no, just keep your room clean. I'll get you food and stuff, Steve gives Tom and I free apples and fish. I'll bring some over every week. So uh, grab your stuff and let's go. I'll show you where it is."

He seemed absolutely delighted at the thought of leaving his dirty tent. I knew he hated it.

~

"It's so spacious! I could put so many things in here!" Tom exclaimed as he did a full spin to see the whole room. I didn't actually think it was that big, but the dude had lived in a tent after all.

"Yeah. The towers pretty big. I don't actually have a lot of my own things in here yet, haven't got a chance to move them over here. I've been hanging out at Toms all week."

He sat his old and dusty bag down on the floor and removed his satchel from his shoulder.

"This Tom, he is your friend correct? Not a brother or cousin? I'm just trying to get a good grip on how everyone and everything works around here."

Oh yeah. No one had told him that Tom and I were together.

Wait, should I tell him? He's not from here...he's not really my friend yet...would he think it was weird?

"Well, if he did then you could just kick him out. You are giving him shelter after all..." Dianites voice reminded me.

Why are you always in my head?

"Because, your life is more interesting than the others in this land. I'd rather spectate here."

That makes sense. I guess I'll tell him.

"Er, we're sorta more than friends. If you get my drift." I tried to be as subtle as possible.

"Best friends then?" He asked confused.

Oh boy.

"No...we're together, like we're dating. A relationship kinda thing..." I waited for his reaction.

"Dating another man? Is that common here?" He asked interested.

"Uh, well no. Not really..."

"Do you still do things as any other couple would? Like the occasional holding hands and kissing? Pardon my curiosity, in my old village I'd never seen a couple like you both before. We were very stale people. Never up for anything out of the ordinary."

"It's cool, I'm glad you're not freaking out or anything...yeah we do those things."

"Why would I freak out? Isn't love supposed to be love, no matter what shape or form? That is always something my mother would say to me. She was a kind woman, always accepting and forgiving."

"Yeah...that's what I always say too...." My mind was on Tom now.

I wonder what he's doing...
Crap! I forgot I was making him breakfast!

"Welp, I better go and see what my love is up to. Hope you settle in well!" I smiled and began walking out the door.

"Oh I will! Goodbye captain!"

~~~~

I flew back to the tree and landed softly next to it. I hope he wasn't too mad, I can't believe I forgot him completely.

I opened the door and walked into the kitchen. The stove had been turned off, the food gone and eaten.
I guess he had turned the stove off.

The door to our bedroom was closed and I didn't hear a single sound as I pressed my ear up to it.

I opened the door slowly and peeked in. The bed was empty.
He wasn't here.

My first instinct was to panick. He wouldn't have moved if he was in so much pain, would he? Then why wasn't he here!

I walked into the room and began to search all over the room, but there was no sign of my boyfriend anywhere.

"Tom?!" I yelled.
I heard a muffled sound come from outside of the room, and I went back into the hallway to investigate.

Then I noticed something I hadn't before.

The bathroom door was cracked opened.
I pushed it all the way open and looked inside.

Tom sat beside the toilet, leaning on it while dazing off at the floor. The lid was up and I could see a gross liquid mixed with the water. He had been throwing up.
His face was sweaty and pale.

He looked up to me and smiled like an idiot.

"Hi." Was all he said.

"Are you sick?! What's wrong?!"

"I dunno."

I sighed and walked over to his sitting form, and sat next to him.
We sat in silence for a moment, his head leaned on my shoulder and his messy blue hair tickled my neck.

"I'm sorry I left so abruptly, I had some things to take care of. Seriously, are you okay?"

"I'm puking things. And my body hurts. And I can't stand. And I need a hospital." He groaned loudly.

"Aw, god I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Guilt flooded me.

"I want foooood..."

"Won't you just puke it back up?"

"I don't care...I want food. Pleeeeeease," he whined.

"I feel like I'm taking care of a kid sometimes rather than a boyfriend."

"Is that a yes on food?"

"Yes. But don't come crying to me when you start vomiting all over the table. I'm not gonna help you."

"I think your overreacting...I wouldn't do that."

He did throw up on the table. And the floor. And I had to clean it up. And I had to cuddle with him, because he was now even more sick and sad.

I know I said I wouldn't help him if he started crying...but I just can't help it. He's like a little kid whose so ignorant and cute that it's hard to stay mad at him. Especially when he's sick or sad.
He wouldn't sleep. He just kept groaning and moaning in pain. I don't know how many times he threw up that night, I lost count after the numbers went into doubles.

"Sparklezzzzzz..." He groaned while snuggling into my side.

"What is it Tom?"

"Why do you hate me..."

"I don't hate you. I lo- I mean I care a lot about you. And that's why you are hurting," I laughed.

"...why don't you ever say I love you back to me?"

The question caught me off guard.

"I do. I say as do I. That means love you back," I explained quickly.

"No it doesn't...don't you love me?" He asked in a tired voice.

"I d-...I mean love is a strong word Tom...I really really like you."

"But you don't love me..." He pulled away from me and went back to his side of the bed, facing away.

"Tom please...you know how I am with commitment...please don't get upset."

"I love you. Say it back. Or else this is over," He said sternly. I think he was waiting on my answer.

But I didn't say anything, I didn't know what to say.

"Then I guess that means we shouldn't do this. If you don't feel the same way," he said from his side of the bed.

My heart shattered. He wanted to...to end it? Over a stupid phrase that I didn't want to say?

"Tom please! Listen! It's not that I don't, it's just-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it, you'll just lie like you always do."

My mouth hung open and closed and then opened again. I was trying to find the right words, but they wouldn't come out.

Tears came instead.
After everything we'd done together...

I turned away from his head and stared at the wall. My hands gripped the covers tightly as the tears wet. My eyes closed. I felt like someone had just shot me in the chest.

I assumed Tom was asleep from his light snoring, so I began to let my body shake slightly from the silent sobs.

I didn't need this. All I said was that love wasn't a word I wanted to say. Was that such a horrible crime?

I peeled the covers off and collected more of my things from the room. Everything thing that I hadn't taken before when I left, I was taking now.

Guard Tom didn't question what was wrong when I came back. He simply said goodnight when I went upstairs, and then went back to his diary writing.

When I reached the floor where my makeshift bed laid and my things were scattered about, I began to sob.

It was so empty. So uncomforting.

I wanted to go home...

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Short authors note today.

I'm kinda tired and sad, so I'm gonna get some rest and hope to feel better tomorrow.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, leave a favorite if you did! Thanks!
- Lee