Take it like a man.

You want to shiver, but you hold it back. You're playing the role of the stable rock tonight and you don't want her to suddenly start worrying about you for whatever reason. Her tendency to go around playing nurse whenever you get sick is endearing, but pretty annoying too.

The movie comes to a conclusion soon enough and you can tell she's in a better mood than she was before. Thank God for slapstick comedy. You only had to get up once to get drinks for both you and Melody, and she immediatly snuggled back under your arms upon your return. You grab the remote with your free hand and turn the movie off. You turn to Melody and ask if she wants to watch another movie.

"No...I don't think I'd be able to watch another full-length movie." She shakes her head. "I'm physically and emotionally drained. and it's already midnight."

"Okay...want to go to bed then?" You ask. Melody snorts in annoyance.

"Why? Trying to get rid of me?" She jokes.

"Yeah, because I don't like spending time with my best friend." You scoff. "I just thought since you're tired..."

"Actually, if you don't mind..." Melody looks up at you shyly. "I'd like to stay here, just like this for a while."

Her response intrigues and surprises you. "Reeeeeally?" You ask jokingly, drawing out the vowel sound. She glares at you and slaps your chest. "Hey! Can I help it if no woman can resist my charms?"

"Don't go getting a big head." She laughs. "Although I know my body can do that to men."

"Now who has the inflated ego?" You raise an eyebrow. Melody smiles and rests her head back on your chest.

"Honestly, though, I just like this...being held. Keith and I were intimate, but never...close, I guess. He didn't know any intimate touch that wasn't on my tits or in my snatch." She shook her head. "He wasn't bad, per se, I just never felt all that connected during our encounters. Honestly? What we're doing right now? Trumps all the sex I had with Keith."

"Really?" This one was genuine.

"Oh yeah. Just being here with you, feeling like I'm actually cared about, being with someone who means so much to me...I feel more comfortable and more blissful than any time Keith fucked me."

Your heart skipped a beat when she mentioned how much you mean to her. You know she was only being friendly, but you couldn't help it. Any compliment from her sends your heart soaring and what she just said sent it into the stratosphere. "I...uh...thanks, Melody." You say, not sure how to respond.

"No, thank you Jack." She says. "You've been so understanding this whole time and I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. After all the times I blew you off for Keith and all the times I ignored your warnings about him, you could have easily told me off tonight when I came back here. I would have deserved it too. But you've treated me like a princess the whole time."

"Oh, come off it." You roll your eyes. "Like I would really tell you off. You're my best friend Melody, no matter what you do. You'll always be my best friend. I would do anything for you, you know."

"Anything?" She laughs with a grin. "Would you kill a man?"

"Knife, revolver or candlestick?" You shoot right back. "Besides, I haven't done that much for you tonight."

"Oh, really?" Melody lifts her head off your chest and cocks it to one side. She lifts one hand out from under the blanket and begins to count on her fingers. "You get me a blanket and warm me up, you put in a movie, you get me drinks, you let me cuddle with you, you stay by my side to cheer me up, and overall you take me at my lowest point and make me feel like a human being again." She gives you a smile so genuine and heartfelt, you could have sworn it was the brightest you've ever seen her face. "You want to tell me that's 'not much', Jack?"

"You forgot 'turned away while you were changing'." You grin.

"I did, didn't I?" She giggled. Slowly, she laid her head back down on your chest. "I don't deserve a friend like you, Jack."

"No." You shake your head. "You don't deserve anything less than a friend like me." Melody sighs happily, closing her eyes.

"You're more than a friend to me..." She whispers into your shirt. You ears perk up as you realize what you just heard. There was no way she just said that, right? You lean in hoping to hear more from her, but instead she turns her head away from you and violently sneezes into the air.