38. "You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes."
Scarlet Beauty - written before 4.13
Another day, another research, another night on her own. Belle French sighed as she locked the Library door. She was starting to get tired of the same old routine over and over.
Perhaps it was time to go out and have a drink. Or two.
Or five, she thought as she swayed a little on her seat. Her head was fuzzy; the sounds of The Rabbit Hole were piercing her ears and she was almost sure she was not going to make the walk back home with those shoes. What happened to Lacey? She was able to hold much more liquor than this before.
Oh well, time to go home. Alone. Again.
She stood up and tripped the minute she started walking. She was going to hit the floor, she knew it. She closed her eyes to prepare for the fall but then she felt some strong arms catching her and pulling her fully towards a strong chest.
"Oi, careful there…" She heard a voice and looked up, dazed and confused.
She remembered him. She found him passed out on the Library once. Talk about irony…
She cleared her throat, "Umm.. thanks." She said. "I tripped."
"Yes, I saw…" He said resisting a chuckle. "Let me walk you home." He offered, resisting very hard the need to hold her a little closer to him than necessary. He wasn't sure why, but he'd seen her that night drowning one drink after the other and something had stirred in him.
"No, I'm fine, thank you…" Belle replied.
"Lass, let me help. Streets can be very slippery at night. I wouldn't want to you to trip again…" He smiled.
She was too drunk to maneuver the streets in those heels and she knew it. She sighed. "Ok."
He remained silent during their walk, but his arms were there to catch her each time she tripped and fall, and even when she started to doze off slightly in his arms. He looked at her with a smile once they reached her door, helped her with her key and wave her goodbye.
She wasn't sure what all that was about, she thought as she collapsed on her bed.
He wasn't either.
But the next morning he was waiting for her at the Library door with a takeaway coffee. "For you." He said. And as he was about to say something else that bloody sheriff and her wanker pirate boyfriend showed up and he nodded a salutation and left, without saying another word.
He was there the next morning. And the next. And every bloody time that pirate would show up and give him mean looks and ask Belle if he was bothering her. Wanker. Belle smiled and said that he was not bothering her and she'd take the cup of coffee and thank him.
Killian approached him one morning while they were waiting for their respective coffees.
"What are you doing each morning by the library?" Killian asked in a semi threatening tone.
"Well, I'm not there for you, mate." Will retorted.
"I figured that much. Listen, I'm not sure what is going in here but.." Killian started but Will cut him off.
"Well, I'm not sure either because you keep showing up. Would it kill ya to arrive ten minutes later one day, mate? Let a guy ask a lass out in peace?"
Killian looked at Will and thought about the times when he was trying to court Emma and never had the chance to get her alone. He smirked.
"Fair enough. Ten minutes. Today. Make a bloody good use of them."
"Thank you, mate." Will said as he headed to the Library with the coffee, but Killian called after him.
"You hurt her, I'll break your bones." He said menacingly.
Belle found Will holding the cup of coffee for her. He had a calla Lilly for her too.
"Thank you." She said as her eyes lightened up a little when she was looking at him. "Why are you doing this?" She asked.
"Well, you tripped…straight into my arms. And I noticed." He replied. "You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes." He gave her a goofy smile and she laughed.
"Fancy a drink with me tonight?" He finally asked. "Or another coffee?"
She smiled and thought how she'd come to look forward on seeing him with a cup of coffee each morning. "I'd love to." She replied.