Short Stories

Hotel Rooms and Hot Chocolate

Trope: Coworkers to Lovers

Pronouns used: She/Her x Unnamed He/Him

Summary: Two coworkers. They've been good friends for quite a while now. It has never progressed to more, but deep down they both wished it would. On a company trip, the two need to share a hotel room. Though they were given separate beds, an unexpected case of insomnia may bring them closer than they realize. 

Warnings: Insomnia, bit of anxiety. 

~*~

{Her POV}

I jolted awake for what felt like the hundredth time that night. 

The moon was still just as full and just as bright as it was 10 minutes ago.

I sighed as I could feel the exhaustion gripping my body.

No matter what I tried I just could not fall asleep.

Every time I tried it felt as though the sleep was taunting me, showing me what I could have and then ripping it away immediately. 

I looked over at my coworker lying in the other bed. His chest rose slowly and I could hear his soft breaths as he slept. 

I stared at him for a moment, just admiring him.

His body basking in the soft light of the moon. 

I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling. Jealous that he was asleep. Annoyed that I wasn't.

I wanted to wake him up. 

Talk to him about it. 

Ask him for help.

...

Ask him to hold me.

But I couldn't.

I didn't want to annoy him.

Or worse- 

Cause him to lose sleep too because of my own problems.

I closed my eyes to try for sleep once again, but after a few minutes without sleep taking hold, I gave up, sitting up rather quickly. 

I rubbed my hands over my face and held my position for a second before pulling back the covers and swinging my feet over the edge. 

I sat there for a second, staring at the swirled design of the hotel carpet before pushing myself off the bed and stretching a bit as I stood.

I walked as quietly as I could toward the kitchen area of the room.

I reached into the cabinet to retrieve a mug and the pack of hot cocoa that I had packed. 

The hotel was a bit higher-end with a stove and kettle provided for us to use. 

I filled the kettle and placed it on the burner as I turned on the stove. 

I leaned back against the counter and watched as the water boiled. My mind seemingly blank as I lost track of time the more I stared.

The low whistle of the kettle broke me from my tired trance. 

I swore softly as I quickly moved the kettle off the burner and opened the nozzle to stop the whistle. 

I turned off the stove and paused for a second, my body tense as I sat in the still silence of the room with nothing but the soft bubbling of the boiled water filling the air. 

I spared a glance over at my coworker to see that though he had rolled over, he seemed to still be asleep. 

My body relaxed and I let out a small breath of relief.