His Hope

Part 5: Morning After

She sighed and poked her head back out from under the blanket, glancing around the room once again. She sat up slowly and made her way to the edge of the bed before placing each foot on the ground and pushing herself into a standing position. She noticed the pillow and blanket on the floor and puffed out a laugh when she realized where Xavier slept, and her heart warmed, feeling grateful. She eyed the mystery door on the other side of the room and walked over to it, hesitating before knocking gently. When she didn't hear anything in response, she opened it slowly and poked her head in, making sure it was clear before walking in the room fully. She flipped the light switch on and thanked the high heavens that it was a bathroom.

Louisa bit her lip as she gazed at her appearance in the mirror. She smoothed her short hair the best she could and tucked it behind her ears. There were little soaps and toothpaste provided by the hotel and she brushed her teeth with her finger, just to get the morning taste out of her mouth. Her arm was still bandaged, but the pain from falling yesterday was mostly gone. The ointment Xavier had put on it must have helped it to heal much faster than she thought. Or maybe her mind was still too clouded in everything that had happened in the past 24 hours that she just couldn't feel it.

She closed her eyes taking a moment to really think. She didn't know if she was supposed to leave or stay, not sure what to do in this situation. She didn't think he'd throw her out, but she also didn't want to overstay her welcome. Doubt started to cloud her brain as she thought about everything that had happened yesterday. Mentally scolding herself for being so careless, she started dreading his reaction when she saw him again. The random thought that this may have just been a one-time thing, caused pain to run through her chest and she tried to physically rub it away. She couldn't fault him if that's what he wanted, knowing she would never force herself onto someone who didn't want her.

She huffed feeling deflated. She was still very tired and hungry and just wished this was as easy as it had felt yesterday. She moved to exit the bathroom, flicking the light off on her way at the same time the other door opened. She stopped in her tracks, and frowned when she saw Xavier make his way in, watching his eyes dart from the bed then to her.

"You're awake, I figured you'd still be sleeping." He said, trying not to show his disappointment; he wanted to be there when she woke up. Her voice brought him out of his train of thought, and he glanced back at her beautiful brown eyes, humming under his breath as he closed the space between them. After holding her in his arms briefly last night, he didn't think twice about pulling her close to him, smiling at the blush that spread across her cheeks.

He had hated to leave her, but his friends started banging on the door about 4 hours after he had fallen asleep, luckily not waking her in the process. He had planned on opening the door to tell them to shut the fuck up but ended up having to push their nosy asses back and closed the door behind him as he left the room. Considering Xavier hadn't told them anything about the girl in his room, he wasn't sure how they knew he had someone here. That was until James held up Louisa's dress with an annoyingly large grin on his face.

It miffed him slightly when they started spouting off jokes, because she didn't feel like just any other girl, but he knew they were just fucking about which is the only reason he excused it. He let them get their dumb ass jokes out now before she woke up, knowing she'd be embarrassed if she heard the shit they were saying. All he could really think about was getting back to her and hoped she was still sleeping, not wanting to let her wake up without him there. When they finally lost interest and he was able to step away, he immediately made his way back to his room where he found a beautiful girl awake and waiting for him.

"I just asked what time it was?" She giggled nervously tapping his nose to bring his attention back to her. She didn't mind that he was holding her but the butterfly's that flooded her stomach made her squirm in his hold. All of her previous negative thoughts had dissolved for the most part, as soon as he touched her.

He shrugged in response and leaned down pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Lay with me?" He murmured into her hair, feeling more confident in his actions than the previous day.

Her heartbeat was going wild as she swallowed hard and nodded, stumbling over her feet as he pulled her back to the bed. He laid down first and opened his arms for her, which she quickly and clumsily climbed in too. She settled so easily in his arms she could have drifted back to sleep.

"Will you stay with me today?" He whispered to her as he watched her, goosebumps growing on his skin. He knew he had shit to do today, but he couldn't see himself focusing on anything but her if she wasn't there with him. He hadn't asked anybody else if they cared, but he didn't mind being a dick about it just this once if it got him what he wanted. Which was her, by his side, all day. He started to worry when she didn't answer him for a while and began to trace the lines inked into his skin. He swallowed hard and gently grabbed her chin, pulling her face up so she would look at him. "Lou... please."

She searched his eyes to try to figure out what he was feeling, there was a vulnerability in his voice when he spoke to her. "I thought you wanted me to leave." She admitted quietly, realizing that she wouldn't have felt okay with staying until she knew that was what he really wanted and was rather surprised when he asked her too.

"Why in the hell would you think that?" He asked quietly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He instantly felt guilty when he realized that him being gone when she woke up, was probably what put that silly thought in her head. When she shrugged in response to his question, her eyes breaking away from his, he pulled her closer kissing those lips he felt lucky and unworthy of getting to taste. Her eyes immediately fell closed and her face burned as she pressed her lips softly against his own.

"I definitely don't want you to go anywhere." He mumbled against her lips when she pulled away.

"Okay," she agreed.

He sat up, pulling her along with him and nuzzled his head in her neck and just held her. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling safer and more content then she could ever remember feeling. Forcing herself not to question it, or distance herself for just one moment, that was how they stayed until a knock sounded at the door.

"Xavier, we ordered food if you guys want to eat." A man's voice drifted through the door before his footsteps could be heard shuffling away.

"Are you're hungry?" Xavier asked her and laughed when not even a second later her stomach started grumbling.

"Yes, I am," Louisa giggled. She got off the bed and he slid off it right after her. They made their way out the door and about halfway down the hall, he decided to mess with her. He reached down and pinched her side and she swatted his hands away pouting.

"Quit that." She said scrunching up her face, in what was the least intimidating look anyone had ever given him.

"You're fucking adorable." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist before he pinched her side again. She ran a few steps ahead of him shaking her head a smile lighting up her face.

"I don't think so." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned around to continue walking.

He found himself having too much fun seeing her smile, so he ran up behind her and started tickling her sides. He was granted the most beautiful sound as she wiggled out of his hold taking off. He couldn't help but laugh with her as he took off after her. He saw her in the living room part of the hotel suite and picked her up causing a squeal to escape her mouth along with his own name to be thrown at him before her laugh escaped her once more. He set her back down gently, grinning as she pushed his chest, not moving him an inch, a smile adorning her face as well.