David's POV:
I rolled over, the smell of food pulling me from sleep. I laid still, pausing before pushing myself up, my eyes still asleep. Somewhere in the apartment I could here voices and for a moment I was confused. I wasn't used to waking up with other people.
Taking a forceful breath, I stretched my arms in front of me, yawning. Despite wanting to go back to bed, the voices and smell of food felt like peer pressure. It was clear I was the only one not fully awake. I laid back down, rolling myself to the edge of the bed before scooting my legs off the side. I paused for a moment, taking in my last moment before the day started. I'd seen the way Sarah and Ziggy looked at each other. And Hedgel was a whole other ordeal. But it was just one day. One day, a few hours of sleep, and then a plane ride. We could do this.
Reassured, I heaved myself up so that I was standing and stretched one last time. About to leave the room, I paused, looking down at my boxers and sleep shirt. Would it be weird if I didn't change? My tired brain tried running the calculus. It was morning, Sarah saw me last night, and after everything we'd already gone through... The thought of changing out of my warm clothes swayed my reasoning. If we weren't already beyond this level of familiarity, then we were about to be.
Turning the corner to the kitchen, I found Sarah, still in pajamas, leaning over the counter, partly obscured by the bar in front of her, pursing her lips at a bag of pancake mix. Higgle stood on a the bar stool that had been moved to the stove and frowned into a pan, "They look fine to me."
Sarah shook her head, a small streak of the white mix running across her forehead, "They're too watery. I think I forgot something."
Watching her make breakfast, I was struck by a feeling. I couldn't place it, but there was something homey about it. Something oddly casual. Safe. Sarah looked up, her eyes finding me, "Oh. Hi, I didn't know you were there."
Embarrassed at being caught, I raised my eyebrows, "Oh no, I just got up. You know, I was just..."
She watched me fall quiet, and I tried a different approach, "I smelled the food."
Sarah threw a glance over her shoulder to where Hedbel stood, "Oh yeah. I mean," She frowned back at the bag, "I think maybe I put too much water in."
"They look fine to me." The troll still stood, intently watching the pan.
Eager to get a leg over him, I made my way to the bar, "Have you ever even had a pancake before?"
Higpill turned, not missing a beat, "Don't need to lick a tree to know one."
My triumphant smile faded, and I was left without a comeback. The troll went back to the pan, "Ya spoiled root."
I looked to Sarah, "Do you see the things he says to me?"
Sarah shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips as she pretended to focus on the bag, "You started it."
Her amusement was contagious and I stared at her in playful offense, knowing she was watching me from the corner of her eye. Making my way around the bar, I moved to stand next to her, "How much water did you use?"
She glanced up at me before going back to the bag, "I can't remember." She paused, "Should we just do waffles?"
Haggle nodded, "Let's do waffles."
Sarah looked up at me out of the corner of her eye, smiling. I smiled back before nodding at the troll, "You ever had a waffle?"
He surveyed the pan, "No, but it sounds better than this."
I looked back to Sarah, nodding, "Let's do waffles."
She smiled, abandoning the bag, "Sounds great."
I leaned against the counter, watching her root through the fridge. Somewhere above us, the AC kicked on, sending a dull hum through the apartment. The silence hit me and I turned to look around, searching for a phone.
Spotting Zig's cell on the stark dining table, I made my way to it and picked it up. I began thumbing through it, "Do you mind music?
She shook her head, watching me as she rinsed the mixing bowl she'd used for pancakes. Walking back to join her, I leaned against the counter, "How about..." I scrolled through some of his playlists before looking up, "Sunday morning vibes?"
She scrunched her nose, "It's Tuesday."
"That's not the point." I tilted my head, playfully exasperated.
Sarah held her hands in front of her, pretending to give attitude, "Well okay then."
A smile pressing at my lips, I hit the playlist and set the phone off to the side, the nonchalant music of Jack Johnson floating quietly through the kitchen. Sarah set the bowl on the counter, leaning over to read the bag. Grabbing a measuring cup, she had nearly finished scooping the mix into the bowl when Heggil turned to face me, "Hey. So I's got a question for you."
Sarah glanced over her shoulder in surprise, her arm buried halfway in the bag. She looked to me and I caught her eye before turning back to the troll, "Sure."
Hoggart pointed a stubby finger at me, "How come you ain't got two of the same eyes?"
Taken aback, I blinked, "What?"
He nodded, "Yeah. They're like a child's nightmare."
My desire to get just one good hit in beat out my usual defensiveness, and I crossed my arms, "And what would that make you then? A child's hell?"
Sarah widened her eyes at me but Hagspin seemed happy to get a retort, "Were ya born like that or could you jus' not afford a full pair?"
I stumbled, not able to find a comeback quick enough. Hergle picked up my slack, "Ya bag of pickled nuts."
"Hoggle!" Sarah turned from the bowl, her mouth open in disbelief. Despite not knowing what the insult meant, my crossed arms now felt more like an awkward defense than a challenge. Sarah tilted her head at the troll, "Why don't you go take a break and..." she paused trying to find something, "Check on Didymus."
Huggle eyed me suspiciously, "We don't need two people to keep post."
Giving him a shoo of her head, she raised her eyebrows, "Well maybe you do. Go and keep an eye out."
Begrudgingly, he climbed down from the bar stool, mumbling as he passed me, "Oyster tongue."
The image conjured was instant and I raised the corner of my nose, lips downturned in disgust. Waiting until he disappeared around the corner, I turned to Sarah, "Did you hear that?"
She smiled pityingly, finishing her measuring, "He's not that bad."
I raised my eyebrows, "Bag of pickled nuts?"
Unable to say it seriously, a laugh escaped my lips and Sarah pressed her smile tighter, trying not to join in. Our eyes met and her smile dimmed, lost in thought. Eventually she broke the silence, "Why are they different?"
My brow tightened and I tried to find a reason. Vague memories danced in the back of my head, settling on the tip of my tongue. But nothing came. I searched her eyes, "I don't know."
There was a silence and I shook my head, "I can't remember."
My sentence put a weight in the room and I could see her disappointment. Trying to brush it off, she shrugged and turned back to the bowl, "I was just curious."
A sense of uselessness burrowed in my chest and I searched for a way to make it up to her, "Do you need help with anything?"
She glanced up before frowning back into the bowl, "Yeah, actually. How can you tell if it's all mixed?"
Eager to have something to do, I walked around her, planting myself to her right. Peering at the mix I shrugged, "I think just until there aren't any more clumps."
She nodded, "Yeah but-"
She flicked the whisk, trying to gesture with it, but accidentally flung the thick globs that clung to it in my direction. They splattered across my face, another heavy drip rolling slowly down my shoulder. Sarah froze, her mouth open in horror as we both watched the batter slide down my shirt. I reached up to wipe some from my face and she sprang into action, "Oh my gosh- I am so sorry!"
Scrambling for a towel, she began wiping off my shirt, the force pushing me back. I squinted an eye, "I think you got some in my eye."
I pressed my finger to it and she pulled my hand away, "Well don't make it worse."
Reaching up, she slid the towel over my face, carefully cleaning the area around my eyes. I watched her, her sudden gentleness a striking comparison to the force she'd used earlier. She dabbed at my face, her motions gradually slowing. Her hand paused, the towel resting against my face and our eyes locked. John Mayer's Gravity played from the other side of the kitchen, the music slow and soft.
Maybe it was the gentleness of her touch or the calmness in the music, but suddenly everything came crashing onto me. All the stress of the past few days. The fear of what would be next. I grabbed her hand, keeping it pressed to my face. We watched each other and I closed my eyes. My grip was light but firm, rooting me to the moment. The world around me was falling, and the only thing I could hold onto was her. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, I wasn't ready for this. Drawing my eyebrows together, I stood, trying to work through the emotions that clouded inside me.
Suddenly there was a slow pressure against my face as Sarah pushed me slightly to one side, eventually pulling me back the other way. I opened my eyes, looking down at her as she swayed to the music. She was searching my face, her expression some mixture of sadness that I couldn't read. Her skin was soft beneath mine and I tilted my head, leaning into her. Our eyes met, lost and uncertain. In the background the music played.
Gravity, is workin' against me
And gravity wants to bring me down
For a moment it became too much, the expression in her face confirming everything I didn't want to know. Closing my eyes again, I leaned forward and let my forehead rest against hers. She let out a quiet breath, her wrist falling to rest on my shoulder, still grasping the towel.
A pain rose in my chest as we swayed, a longing for some sort of physical connection. Barely moving, I stretched my hand out to where hers rested by her side, lightly brushing our fingers together. I felt her head turn slightly as she looked down to them, her swaying nearly pausing.
Oh, I'll never know what makes this man
With all the love that his heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away
My heart pounded quietly as the moment held, and I began to worry I'd overstepped. About to pull my hand away, I paused, feeling a twitch of movement as she gently grabbed my pinky in hers. Slowly, she laced the rest of her fingers into mine, the feeling sending fluttering waves of relief through me. We danced, our hands intertwined.
Whoa, gravity is workin' against me
And gravity wants to bring me down
The physical contact was addicting and I could already feel myself wanting more, our swaying deepening. Slowly, I raised my free hand, letting it slide around her waist. The urge to pull her closer, to press her against me, left my heart beating weakly and a heavy numbness spread through my chest, my breathing slow.
Sarah nudged her forehead against mine and slid her hand up to my neck, leaving the towel to rest over my shoulder. Her hand clung to my neck, cool and soft against my skin. The weight of it brought my head down and I nudged her back, trying to push closer. I could hear the depth of her breathing and, unable to hold myself back, pulled her into me, my arm sliding further around her waist.
Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good
And can't sustain, like one half could
It's wanting more that's gonna send me to my knees
She hesitated, her body stiff. The feeling of being so close to her drove a desperation through my body, but I resisted the urge to force her closer. Her hesitation held as we swayed, and I could feel my body silently begging for her touch.
Stepping forward, Sarah closed the gap between us, her muscles relaxing as she pressed herself against me. I let out a breathless sigh, my body leaning heavily into her as the stress fell from it. Holding her close, I could feel her heartbeat thumping against my chest. The warmth from her body, the feeling of being completely pressed against her, was intoxicating. I pulled her tighter to me, a familiar desire ebbing at the back of my mind.
Whoa, gravity, stay the hell away from me
Gravity has taken better men than me
Now how can that be?
Looking up, Sarah nudged my head away from her. I opened my eyes to look down at her, our gazes meeting. Her expression caught me and our swaying slowed. Loosening my hold on her, I looked into her eyes. Something in them left me breathless, and I could feel my heart skip. The tension I'd felt for her melted from my body, leaving me to silently sway with her. A thousand thoughts swirled in my head as I recounted the days since I'd met her. I still barely knew her, and yet she was in my arms- and it was as if I'd been holding her for a lifetime. Suddenly my head felt clear and I unlaced my fingers from her hand.
Just keep me where the light is
Slowly reaching up, I slid my hand behind her neck, my fingers pushing into her hair. Sarah's lips parted as she searched my eyes. There was something in me, a clarity in my chest that left my heart open. Everything that battled around us was gone. We stood in the eye of the storm, no no thought for what came next. Our fears and uncertainty disappeared. In this moment, there was only us.
Just keep me where the light is
Our swaying stopped, the music still softly filling the room. I searched her eyes before leaning my head down towards her, any past reservations slipping away from me. Sarah's gaze followed my lips and she tilted her chin up, her eyes closing as I pulled her closer.
Come on keep me where the light is...
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... ^-^
Hello my lovelies! ^-^
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was just ya know, a little more laid back, a little whatever. Just kinda- THEY ARE THIS CLOSE to a kiss!
I know we've all been waiting, but I have been SO ready to write this chapter and I am so glad it's finally out!
I just did the math, and for those of you who've been here since the beginning, we have been through exactly FIFTY chapters together, to finally reach this point. Fifty!
Thank you so much to everyone for all your dedication to this book and please comment what you thought about the chapter! This chapter has gone through several rewrites so I'd love to hear what you think ^_^
Until then, I love you all dearly and can't wait to see you on the next chapter!
As always,
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FREAK THE EFF OUT WITH ME OVER COMPLETING A CHAPTER ON TIME! XD
p.s. thank you to everyone who shared their music with me, I've only gotten through a few but I'm so glad to have some new music to listen to! Special thanks to @CreativityMary for some great new songs ^-^