waitress // lrh

23 // utopia

I was frozen on the bed. I don't know why, but I couldn't move.

Cate's big doe eyes focused on me, biting her lip nervously. She waved her hand as if to motion me to hide behind the bed, but I was stuck.

She clearly sensed that, and with an anxiety filled sigh, she twisted the newly unlocked knob, pulling the door open just enough that she could block my presence.

"Thanks," I heard Calum say, "I'm gonna go out later tonight and buy a new one."

"Y-yeah, that's fine," she mumbled, her hand gripping the knob on the room-side of the door. Calum left a moment later, and Cate shut the door, locking it again.

She turned to me, and I could see the panic leaving her expression. Cate came back to the bed, a relieved sigh falling from her pink lips.

"Gosh, I hated that," she exhaled, kneeling on the mattress and crawling towards me.

"Me too, princess, me too."

//

It had been around two weeks since I had worked. Burt was gracious enough to give me medical leave, so it wasn't as if I was losing money as my leg healed. But it still felt a little wrong to wake up everyone morning at nine.

On the other side, it was indescribable to explain how I felt to wake up every morning at nine to see the bright face of the sleeping girl beside me, her hands curled against my side. I knew I wouldn't have to get up and leave her, and it was reassuring to know I could lay there and cuddle her without having to go anywhere.

But this morning, I had to get up and drag myself out of her subtle embrace regretfully. I watched her brow furrow, her body clearly confused about something so out of what it was accustomed to. Her eyes fluttered open minutes later as I was slowly slipping on my trousers, gazing at her.

"Luke?" she mumbled groggily, her sweet voice crumbling with lack of use.

"Yes, Catie-cat?" I replied, tugging my belt around my waist.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to go to work, baby," I mumbled, walking over to where my dress shirt was peeking out of my duffel bag beside her nightstand.

She hummed in disappointment. "So soon?"

I chuckled sadly. "It's been a couple weeks, Catie, and my leg is better."

"But I'll miss you."

"It's a Monday," I raised an eyebrow. "You work on Mondays."

Catie smiled, flopping her chin onto the pillow. "Yeah."

I kneeled onto the mattress, wrapping my arms around her, discarding the dress shirt for the moment. She giggled when my stubble scratched against her bare shoulder, having only worn a camisole and shorts.

I pressed a kiss to her cheek, taken by surprise when she rolled over and attached her lips to mine.

"I wish you didn't have to go," she mumbled.

"You'll see me in five hours," I raised my eyebrows, an amused smirk running across my lips.

"Too long."