Sorry—it took me awhile to post this. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do next… angst or fluff… and, well, I chose fluff. Cuz my life has enough angst as is. So, read and enjoy! I had a great time writing this chapter, so I hope you like it too!!
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Chapter 19
When we finally reached the hotel, I had to practically carry Vaughn to the elevator and into the bedroom of our hotel room. I had watched him grow weaker as we drove across the city, and I had gotten more and more worried as time went on.
He had cracked a few halfhearted jokes in the beginning, making fun of his own weakness, but the jokes had stopped, his face had become drawn, and his eyes had eventually drifted shut.
Once we reached the bedroom, I helped lower Vaughn onto the bed, pulling the covers over his still form. I watched for a moment, hoping for some kind of movement or sound, but he remained still, the hiss of his soft, rhythmic breathing the only sound in the room.
I knew how he felt. I had endured similar injuries myself. The pain was excruciating, and the urge to sleep was, literally, irresistible.
I left Vaughn alone, knowing that he needed some time for undisturbed sleep. I wandered around the hotel room, impressed by the size of it.
There was a small kitchenette, with a limited supply of food tucked away in a mini refrigerator. There was also a small sitting area, with a couch, a coffee table, and a tiny, ancient television set. All in all, it was pretty luxurious, compared to many of the safehouses I had visited before.
I walked over to the large window, pulling the curtains away. The city of Istanbul stretched out before me, and I remembered for a moment one of the few reasons I still enjoyed my job. I would never have seen such a place as a teacher. Or even as a banker.
I allowed myself to enjoy the view for several more minutes, before my thoughts turned back to Vaughn.
I was worried about him.
And even though I knew that nothing could help him more than sleep, I couldn't stay away. I silently returned to the bedroom, sitting down in a chair next to the bed, watching him sleep. Just the act of watching his chest rise and fall, just being near him, made me feel safer—more at ease.
I yawned, feeling my own exhaustion suddenly catch up with me. Eventually, after watching Vaughn for several more minutes, I drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
I awoke much later, and the light outside the bedroom window had dimmed significantly. I frowned, already feeling the crick in my neck, which would no doubt grow into a full-blown headache later that evening.
My head was balanced crookedly on the palm of my hand, and I reluctantly lifted it up, wincing at the sharp pains that shot through my neck.
I stretched, glancing around the room as the haziness of sleep wore off. It was only then that I noticed Vaughn.
He had rolled over onto this side, and his eyes were open, clearer than I had seen them in days. He was watching me, and his lips turned up in a slight smile as my eyes came to rest on his.
"Hey," he said, his voice gravelly.
I returned his smile, moving immediately to sit beside him on the bed. "Hi," I replied, moving my hand to his forehead. I pretended to fuss over determining his temperature, but I was really just looking for any excuse to touch him. I realized, though, that I didn't need an excuse. I loved him. He loved me. What was I doing?
I leaned down, wrapped my arms around him, and buried my head in the crook of his neck.
"I'm glad you're awake," I mumbled. "You had me worried for awhile." I pulled away only slightly, enough to look into his eyes again. "Are you feeling better?" My brow wrinkled in concern, and he reached up to trace the lines on my forehead.
"Much better," he replied honestly. "My head still hurts like Hell, though."
I frowned, placing my fingertips on his temple. "I'll get you some Aspirin," I said, moving to get up.
"No," he said sharply, grabbing my arm. I could feel the strength of his grip, and I again felt relief. He really was doing better. "I can handle the pain," he continued, as he pulled me back down next to him.
I giggled at the feeling, then blushed at the fact that I had giggled. "You are feeling better," I said, smiling down at him.
"I feel better whenever you're around," he said, grinning.
I smacked him lightly on the shoulder, laughing. "You're just trying to get on my good side," I said.
He looked at me, pretending to be hurt. "You mean I'm not already?"
I smiled, chuckling. "Shut up."
"I knew it," he said, pushing himself up gingerly, so that his back was resting against the headboard of the bed.
"Don't get too cocky, Vaughn," I warned. "You're still pretty weak, and I could take you down in a second, even on one of your good day."
He laughed. "You're right. I'd better quit while I'm ahead."
I nodded in agreement, and we sat in silence, smiling at each other for several seconds.
"Thanks for taking care of me," Vaughn said seriously.
I shook my head. "It's nothing, Vaughn."
"No. It's definitely something," he whispered, reaching up to brush my hair away from my shoulder, before pulling my lips down to his.
Our lips touched, and I felt sparks shoot up my spine. I smiled as we continued to kiss, his left hand moving to rest on my waist, his right tangling in the strands of my hair. I moaned softly, sinking down beside him before pulling away slightly. We were both breathless, and I could feel the flush that had crept into my cheeks.
"Vaughn," I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.
"Mmm?" He asked, the sound more a hum than an actual question as he moved his lips to my cheeks, my nose, my collarbone.
"Vaughn…" I said again, gently pushing him away. "You're not up to this."
He grinned, and his eyes darkened. "Oh, I think I am," he said, his voice low and harsh.
I felt my insides melt at his words, at the sound of his voice, and I had to shake my head to regain my focus, to concentrate on something other than his lips and the closeness of his body to my own. I leaned down, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before smiling. "You may think you are, but you're not," I said. "Four hours ago, you couldn't even stand up on your own."
He opened his mouth to protest, but I silenced him with a finger pressed to his lips.
"I'm not kidding, Vaughn. I've had concussions before, and I know that you have, too. They're nothing to mess around with. You need to rest."
His hand fell away from my waist, his face defeated. "I know," he said, pouting. "You're right." He paused, before looking up at me, the beginnings of a smile forming on his lips. "But I'm definitely taking a rain check."
"And I'll hold you to it," I replied softly. "Now, why don't you get some more sleep, and I'll fix us some food." I moved to stand up, but again his hand wrapped around my forearm, holding me back.
"Syd," he said, already sounding sleepy. "We're stuck here for two days. I'm tired. You're tired. Food can wait."
I paused, mentally debating what I wanted more—food or sleep.
"Besides," Vaughn continued, oblivious to my thoughts. "I'll sleep better if you're here." My heart fluttered at his words, and I knew that my decision had just been made for me.
"Fine," I replied, trying in vain to sound exasperated. "Two hours. But much longer than that and my stomach will have something to say about it."
Vaughn smiled, satisfied, and sank back down on the bed, dragging me with him. We snuggled together, my back resting against his chest, and his arm wrapped loosely around my waist.
Just as I was about to drift off, I felt his breath brush softly against my ear.
"I love you so much, Syd," he whispered.
I smiled, reaching up to my waist to squeeze his hand in mine.
"I love you, too," I replied.
* * * * *
Heehee… I like the fluffiness. Hope you guys liked it too. Reviews are always appreciated. If you have any suggestions on further plot development (or should I say fluff development) feel free to mention it. I can sense some writer's block approaching.
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Chapter 19
When we finally reached the hotel, I had to practically carry Vaughn to the elevator and into the bedroom of our hotel room. I had watched him grow weaker as we drove across the city, and I had gotten more and more worried as time went on.
He had cracked a few halfhearted jokes in the beginning, making fun of his own weakness, but the jokes had stopped, his face had become drawn, and his eyes had eventually drifted shut.
Once we reached the bedroom, I helped lower Vaughn onto the bed, pulling the covers over his still form. I watched for a moment, hoping for some kind of movement or sound, but he remained still, the hiss of his soft, rhythmic breathing the only sound in the room.
I knew how he felt. I had endured similar injuries myself. The pain was excruciating, and the urge to sleep was, literally, irresistible.
I left Vaughn alone, knowing that he needed some time for undisturbed sleep. I wandered around the hotel room, impressed by the size of it.
There was a small kitchenette, with a limited supply of food tucked away in a mini refrigerator. There was also a small sitting area, with a couch, a coffee table, and a tiny, ancient television set. All in all, it was pretty luxurious, compared to many of the safehouses I had visited before.
I walked over to the large window, pulling the curtains away. The city of Istanbul stretched out before me, and I remembered for a moment one of the few reasons I still enjoyed my job. I would never have seen such a place as a teacher. Or even as a banker.
I allowed myself to enjoy the view for several more minutes, before my thoughts turned back to Vaughn.
I was worried about him.
And even though I knew that nothing could help him more than sleep, I couldn't stay away. I silently returned to the bedroom, sitting down in a chair next to the bed, watching him sleep. Just the act of watching his chest rise and fall, just being near him, made me feel safer—more at ease.
I yawned, feeling my own exhaustion suddenly catch up with me. Eventually, after watching Vaughn for several more minutes, I drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
I awoke much later, and the light outside the bedroom window had dimmed significantly. I frowned, already feeling the crick in my neck, which would no doubt grow into a full-blown headache later that evening.
My head was balanced crookedly on the palm of my hand, and I reluctantly lifted it up, wincing at the sharp pains that shot through my neck.
I stretched, glancing around the room as the haziness of sleep wore off. It was only then that I noticed Vaughn.
He had rolled over onto this side, and his eyes were open, clearer than I had seen them in days. He was watching me, and his lips turned up in a slight smile as my eyes came to rest on his.
"Hey," he said, his voice gravelly.
I returned his smile, moving immediately to sit beside him on the bed. "Hi," I replied, moving my hand to his forehead. I pretended to fuss over determining his temperature, but I was really just looking for any excuse to touch him. I realized, though, that I didn't need an excuse. I loved him. He loved me. What was I doing?
I leaned down, wrapped my arms around him, and buried my head in the crook of his neck.
"I'm glad you're awake," I mumbled. "You had me worried for awhile." I pulled away only slightly, enough to look into his eyes again. "Are you feeling better?" My brow wrinkled in concern, and he reached up to trace the lines on my forehead.
"Much better," he replied honestly. "My head still hurts like Hell, though."
I frowned, placing my fingertips on his temple. "I'll get you some Aspirin," I said, moving to get up.
"No," he said sharply, grabbing my arm. I could feel the strength of his grip, and I again felt relief. He really was doing better. "I can handle the pain," he continued, as he pulled me back down next to him.
I giggled at the feeling, then blushed at the fact that I had giggled. "You are feeling better," I said, smiling down at him.
"I feel better whenever you're around," he said, grinning.
I smacked him lightly on the shoulder, laughing. "You're just trying to get on my good side," I said.
He looked at me, pretending to be hurt. "You mean I'm not already?"
I smiled, chuckling. "Shut up."
"I knew it," he said, pushing himself up gingerly, so that his back was resting against the headboard of the bed.
"Don't get too cocky, Vaughn," I warned. "You're still pretty weak, and I could take you down in a second, even on one of your good day."
He laughed. "You're right. I'd better quit while I'm ahead."
I nodded in agreement, and we sat in silence, smiling at each other for several seconds.
"Thanks for taking care of me," Vaughn said seriously.
I shook my head. "It's nothing, Vaughn."
"No. It's definitely something," he whispered, reaching up to brush my hair away from my shoulder, before pulling my lips down to his.
Our lips touched, and I felt sparks shoot up my spine. I smiled as we continued to kiss, his left hand moving to rest on my waist, his right tangling in the strands of my hair. I moaned softly, sinking down beside him before pulling away slightly. We were both breathless, and I could feel the flush that had crept into my cheeks.
"Vaughn," I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.
"Mmm?" He asked, the sound more a hum than an actual question as he moved his lips to my cheeks, my nose, my collarbone.
"Vaughn…" I said again, gently pushing him away. "You're not up to this."
He grinned, and his eyes darkened. "Oh, I think I am," he said, his voice low and harsh.
I felt my insides melt at his words, at the sound of his voice, and I had to shake my head to regain my focus, to concentrate on something other than his lips and the closeness of his body to my own. I leaned down, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before smiling. "You may think you are, but you're not," I said. "Four hours ago, you couldn't even stand up on your own."
He opened his mouth to protest, but I silenced him with a finger pressed to his lips.
"I'm not kidding, Vaughn. I've had concussions before, and I know that you have, too. They're nothing to mess around with. You need to rest."
His hand fell away from my waist, his face defeated. "I know," he said, pouting. "You're right." He paused, before looking up at me, the beginnings of a smile forming on his lips. "But I'm definitely taking a rain check."
"And I'll hold you to it," I replied softly. "Now, why don't you get some more sleep, and I'll fix us some food." I moved to stand up, but again his hand wrapped around my forearm, holding me back.
"Syd," he said, already sounding sleepy. "We're stuck here for two days. I'm tired. You're tired. Food can wait."
I paused, mentally debating what I wanted more—food or sleep.
"Besides," Vaughn continued, oblivious to my thoughts. "I'll sleep better if you're here." My heart fluttered at his words, and I knew that my decision had just been made for me.
"Fine," I replied, trying in vain to sound exasperated. "Two hours. But much longer than that and my stomach will have something to say about it."
Vaughn smiled, satisfied, and sank back down on the bed, dragging me with him. We snuggled together, my back resting against his chest, and his arm wrapped loosely around my waist.
Just as I was about to drift off, I felt his breath brush softly against my ear.
"I love you so much, Syd," he whispered.
I smiled, reaching up to my waist to squeeze his hand in mine.
"I love you, too," I replied.
* * * * *
Heehee… I like the fluffiness. Hope you guys liked it too. Reviews are always appreciated. If you have any suggestions on further plot development (or should I say fluff development) feel free to mention it. I can sense some writer's block approaching.