It Could Only be You

Episode 66: The Morning After

Her eyes open slowly to the sound of Noah's snores. He's on his back and Daphs has cuddled into the side of him in the night.

The lights are still out, but as someone she doesn't catch heads outside, Daphs sees the bright rays of the morning sun already hitting up outside.

She turns onto her back, making a mole of it just enough to hopefully disrupt Noah's sleep without her having to really, really wake him. The criminal behaviour seems to work, stirring him enough to cease his snoring altogether and making him humph sleepily instead. He yanks her in, turning his head away. Daphs wonders if he remembers he's with her, or if maybe he's thinking of Hope.

Noah turns on his side, eyes scrunched closed.

Daphs sniggers. "Morning, Noah."

He lets out a low groan and sleepily opens one eye. "What a morning it is," he says, voice raspy and thick. "I half thought you might run away again in the middle of the night."

Huh. It is a shock for her to think about; she and Noah had been coupled up for two nights before she left, only one where she spent the night with him, but since she had snuck away before he could wake, it can't hardly count.

"Is it everything you ever dreamed?" She asks, fluttering lashes to add to the joke. She breaks of the jokes to run her thumb gently over the bruising under his eye.

With a coy look, his gaze heavy, Noah says, "This is the PG version."

The harsh lights blare on causing a mass groan from all. Daphs flinches from the brightness, cupping her eyes with her hand as Noah sinks his face into the pillow, rubbing against it like he's in genuine pain.

From the end of the room, Chelsea sits up, brightly calling out, "Good morning, Islanders! How did everyone sleep?" Before anyone has a chance to respond, she shuffles down the bed over the duvet Gary is still snuggled under and shouts down the room, "Daphs, how did you sleep? Priya! What about you? Oh my gosh, Lottie, how did you sleep? Felix! How was your first sleep in the Villa? OMG, Blake! How was it sleeping all alone like that? How are you feeling?"

"Oh, Chelsea," Bobby says as he gets out of bed, the first on his feet, "it has been quiet without you."

She throws her hands in the air, victorious. "Yay, no quiet!"

Carl slips in from the door outside and Daphs figures it must have been him who left earlier and woken her up. He has two cups of something steaming in his hands. He seems a little surprised to come back in with everyone up. Daphs knows the feeling.

"Daphs," he says, coming in between her bed and Priya's. "I hope you're feeling better today. Here. I got you and Hope a brew. I think I remember how you like it."

He finishes with a confident expression as he sits hers down on the bedside.

"Thanks, Carl," she says, turning already to pick it up. Daphs takes her first sip as Carl leaves the room, and just as well as she immediately spits it back into the cup, hand straight over her mouth.

Noah looks at her with a amusement. "Not to your liking?" He grins.

Daphs wipes the tip of her tongue. "I've no idea what he's put in there. I think he might have used a peppermint tea bag instead of a normal one, then gone ahead and made it like a regular tea."

Noah sits up in bed next to her. He slides his hand under her chin and plants a kiss on the side of her cheek. Hardly the first time he's kissed her there, and Daphs sure showers cheek-kisses all over the other Islanders, but something about this one – this feels – very much like a couple's kiss. He whispers, "I'll fix you something decent. You go ahead and get ready."