Chapter IV: Sweet Gestures

AN: As always, thank you for the never-ending reviews/follows/favorites. I am beyond speechless, and I thank you for all your support. I truly appreciate it. Please enjoy the next installment.

For most people, waking up in the mornings is often considered a part of their daily routine, one that is collectively despised especially on Mondays, when the joys of the weekend are behind them and reality begin to set right back in. However, having cancer changes one's perception of life, and for April, waking up these days seemed more of a privilege rather than an obligation. To her, it became the universe's own little way of granting her an extra day; an extra 24 hours where she can wake up, make the bed, eat breakfast, go to work, and come home to her family—things that many people, including her, often took for granted. Little by little, she started to accept her fate that any one of these days could possibly be her last, but that didn't take away from the fact that it still hurt just as much, knowing that she'll leave her family behind and that the promises of her future can easily be diminished in a single blink of an eye. It was a feeling that was all too familiar to her now, but she'd never wish that on anyone, not even on her worst enemy.

On a typical Wednesday morning, she would be up by six-thirty, scrambling around in her closet for a decent work attire, and be out of the house before seven with a cup of coffee on hand. She would get on the subway, making her way to the Boston Post where she would then spend most of her time sitting in the cubicle, one that was adjacent to her peculiar friend and co-worker's, Danny Gupta. That was her usual routine; something that she had been doing for so long that she could probably pull it off even with both eyes closed. It was a schedule that she'd grown accustomed to from Monday to Friday, every single week all throughout the year.

There was only one tiny bit of problem now: today wasn't just any typical Wednesday.

As morning arrived, rays of the sun passed straight through the curtains and into Leo's bedroom, allowing just enough light to illuminate the place. Cold, misty air howling through the streets of Paris filled up the room as well, cooling the suite in a comfortable temperature. Finally, the assortment of sounds coming from the outside—chirping of the birds, cars passing by, conversations down the street—all made its way past the hard concrete walls creating a soft mixture of nothing but pure sweet melody. It felt like heaven.

Waking up, April shuffled around the bed, pulling the sheets away from her face and stopping them just above her chest. She took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, the intricate design of the ceiling welcoming her back to her new reality. No, it didn't involve getting ready for work, catching the train on time, let alone chasing after a big headline. Her new reality involved waking up in Paris, staying at what felt like a mansion in a world-famous luxury hotel, and exploring the world with none other than her new roommate/sleeping buddy, Leo Hendrie.

Oh God.

After recollecting memories from last night's events, April slowly turned her head to the left, expecting to see Leo sleeping somberly next to her. She had to admit—talking to him really did help her fall asleep more quickly, rather than tossing and turning until her mind and body finally pleaded to get some rest. It was some of the best sleep she had in days, weeks even. While sleeping with him didn't require any sort of romantic cuddling like she did with Dominic, she felt at peace lying next to him. It felt like home; she was warm and secure knowing he was there next to her. As she thought more about it, Leo didn't just feel like home—he was home.

As she moved, not a single trace of him could be found on the space next to her. She blinked a few times, hoping her eyes were only fooling her. To her dismay, there was no one, leaving her all alone in the giant mattress by herself. Maybe he moved to the couch, she thought. She tilted her head in a 90-degree position to check the récamier, and surprisingly, he wasn't there either.

She jumped out of bed and quickly took the robe sitting next to the nightstand, wrapping it around her to combat against the chilly wind. Now that she was fully awake, she noticed that the room was quiet…maybe a little too quiet. Sure, there were noises coming from the outside, but inside, it was so quiet she could hear the sound of her own breathing. If he wasn't in bed then surely he had to be in another area of the suite, making some slight noises even if they weren't loud enough to wake her. She paused and listened in again—the silence was deafening.

"…Leo?"

She walked her way around the bed and checked if he was in the bathroom. Nope. She then made her way outside the bedroom and found herself in the hallway, thinking that maybe he'd decided to move and sleep in her bedroom instead. No luck. Running out of ideas, she went downstairs and investigated the rest of the suite, her last claim of where he could possibly be. Nada.

"Hello…Leo?"

After checking the balcony and every little crevice inside the suite, April came to the conclusion that Leo was nowhere to be found. It was just like him to do something like this, to leave and go wherever he pleases, without telling a soul or a care in the world. She hated him for that. He could be so selfish sometimes. However, if she was being completely honest, she was now the same way too, leaving the country without letting any of her loved ones know—she was, and if not, possibly more selfish, or even worse.

Before the family dilemma took up most of her thoughts once again, she focused herself on the matter at hand. Leo was nowhere in the suite, and if she thought back to yesterday's conversations, she didn't remember him mentioning anything about disappearing the next day. Then, the inevitable happened. Every single worst possible situation came rushing to her, playing out scene-by-scene, in her head. What if something bad happened to him? What if he had another seizure? What if he took a quiet stroll and collapsed? What if he checked himself into a hospital? What if he…

Of course, she couldn't get herself to even think that he could've died. That was too extreme of a thought, even for her, but the mind thinks what it wants to, even if its owner doesn't. She had no idea where to look for him, let alone where to start, so before she freaked herself out even more, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.

"This isn't funny anymore, Leo! Seriously, you can come out now…"

Her eyes circled around the room once again, hoping Leo would finally come out from hiding. Everything was completely still, with the only sound coming from the ticking of the clock. Just as she finished drinking from the glass, a soft buzz from the front door startled her.

"Leo?" she whispered silently in the air.

As if she couldn't get to the entrance any faster, April rushed to the living room and into the foyer, opening the front door before even checking through the peekhole. Her heartbeat was through the roof from sheer anxiety, but she was disappointed to find out that it was only one of the hotel staff.

"Ah, good morning, Miss April! I'm sorry, but did I wake you?"

She shook her head and sighed.

"No, I was already awake…can I help you?"

"Why, I have your breakfast here, mademoiselle. May I come in?"

"Y-yes, of course. I'm sorry, please go ahead."

She opened the door wider and let the man in with the cart of food. The strong aroma of the brewed coffee was enough to make her stomach grumble.

"Where would you like me to set up?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Uh, would you like to have breakfast over by the balcony, the kitchen nook, or the dining room?"

"Oh, the uh…I guess the dining room's just fine."

The man nodded his head and quickly got to work. April watched as he set up the table, grabbing expensive cups and saucers and plates and silverwares from the cabinet and unloading a plethora of trays from his food cart. All that food couldn't possibly be for her.

It was a breakfast made for a king. As the man arranged the table, it was only then did April had a chance to see everything he unloaded from the cart. A variety of bread was laid out on the table, ranging from croissants, brioches, pains au chocolat, and tartines, along with an even wider assortment of spreads such as butter, five different types of jams, and Nutella. To the right rested the more traditional and savory choices, which included waffles, thin cuts of ham, sausages, slices of bacon, and scrambled eggs. Over to the far left were cuts of fresh fruit, a box of cereal, yogurt, and milk.

"Wow. That is a lot of food."

The man gave a slight chuckle as he poured orange juice into a champagne flute.

"Mr. Leo said he didn't know what you wanted to eat for breakfast, so he ordered the entire breakfast course."

"He did what?" Her eyes widened in amazement. She didn't know whether to thank him for the gesture or to slap him for being so over-the-top.

As the man's words slowly registered in April's brain, it was then that she realized that the butler had seen Leo this morning, if he did order this entire meal for her. She felt a little relieved at this, and before any minute passed, she asked the man about Leo's whereabouts.

"You um, saw Leo…today?"

"Oui."

"D-did he say where he was going?"

"He said he was going for a morning...run? He was very quick, Miss April. Told me to bring you breakfast and left."

"Oh," she answered, slightly disappointed.

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew he left. Please, have a seat."

The man pulled out a chair as he motioned for April to take a seat, which she followed hesitantly. She placed the napkin over her thighs, looking at the selection of treats in front of her, but her mind wandered somewhere else. Where could he be? She grabbed the nearest mug to fix herself a cup of coffee.

"Which would you prefer?"

"What do you have?"

"French roast, hazelnut, and house blend."

"I'll have some of the French roast. Thanks."

Leo's last words to the butler replayed over and over in her head. Morning run? Since when? Doesn't he get winded just as easily as I do? Either he was lying, or he really just didn't want anyone to know where he went. But why was it such a big deal?

"Cream?"

"Oh, um… yes, please."

Her eyes fixated on the mug as she watched the cream slowly swirl in with the coffee, its color going from black to a darker shade of brown. She held her palm up to stop the man from pouring some more.

"That's enough, thank you so much."

"Of course."

Just as she added two sugar cubes to her cup, another buzz came ringing from the door. She immediately got up, her heart now beating twice as fast yet again.

"I'll answer it, mademoiselle. Please, enjoy your breakfast."

She paid no attention to the man's remarks and followed him to the foyer. She had to see who it was for herself, but more importantly, she had to know that it was Leo, and that he was okay. The thought of him being in any harm brought all sorts of physical pain to her, almost as if she couldn't stand to see him get hurt by anything, much less than a fly. She hoped to God that it was him.

"Good morning, Miss April. I have some flower arrangements here for you."

"…I'm sorry, I don't recall asking for any flower arrang—"

"Oh, of course not, Miss April. Mr. Leo specifically told us to deliver these flowers to you, everyday, for the duration of your stay. He was very adamant that we get these to you."

The woman handed April a bouquet of flowers, which had a mixture of roses, carnations, daffodils, and lilies. They gave off a sweet yet strong aroma.

"They were carefully hand-picked by our florist at the garden this morning."

"Oh wow. They're um, they're beautiful, thank you."

For someone who could be so selfish, Leo sure was thoughtful. Sure, these grand gestures of love or kindness or whatever else they may be were enough to melt April's heart to the core, but it still didn't excuse the fact that he left their suite without as much as letting her know where he was going.

Just as she was about to go back inside to eat breakfast, April heard the woman call out for her attention.

"Miss April?"

"Yes?"

"We have four more bouquets out here for you."

Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Four more? What was he thinking? Stunned, she tilted her head forward and peeked out the door, where surely, there were four other bouquets all waiting to be attended to. The woman really meant it when she said there were more.

"I could put them on some water if you'd like."

"Oh y-yes. I'm so sorry, come on in, please."

With the original bouquet still resting on her arm, April led the woman inside the suite and to the kitchen by the sink. She placed the bouquets on the island as she grabbed a couple of vases from her cart, filling them halfway with water. April watched as the woman slowly placed each bouquet in their proper container.

"Where would you like them?"

April looked around the room until she found the perfect spot.

"Over there would be just fine," she said as she pointed to the vintage-looking credenza sitting across the dining table.

The woman did as she was told and left the room shortly to continue making her rounds of deliveries. The butler, who finished preparing April's breakfast, also left after woman, leaving April all alone in the suite. It wasn't until a few minutes later that she realized that she was still holding on to the last bouquet of flowers, which also needed to be put on water.

She brought the last batch of flowers upstairs, going straight to Leo's room like it was her own, even just after staying there for one night. Now on a vase, she placed them on the nightstand by the bed, smiling at Leo's effort for making her feel right at home. She wasn't aware of it before, but beneath his tough exterior was an incredibly caring and thoughtful guy, a side that rarely anyone got to see. If anything, it made April admire him even more.

"Funny, I thought this room was mine."

Just then, April's entire body froze. She didn't have to turn around to know who that voice belonged to.

"Oh my God, Leo!"

Without giving it any time to think, April ran across the bedroom and met Leo by the door. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, resting her head on his chest. She could hear his heart pound loudly on her ears, each beat synchronizing with hers. She'd never felt so relieved to see him there, in the flesh, alive and healthy. Well, as healthy as someone with a brain tumor could possibly look.

"Whoa, am I sensing some type of sentiment here? Did you…miss me?"

"This isn't funny. Why did you leave without telling me?"

"Sorry mom, I didn't know I had a chaperone with me."

"It's called being courteous, Leo. Did they not teach you that in etiquette school?"

"I wouldn't know, I never went to one. Sorry."

"…And that explains so much," she teased, now looking up at him. His blue eyes quickly met hers, and for a moment, they held onto each other's gaze for what felt like forever. Leo could sense the look of distress and worry in April's eyes, and it made him feel a little guilty inside.

"Hey April?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you planning on releasing me anytime soon?"

"What?"

"You…uh, you still have your-"

His eyes pointed down towards her arms which were still enclosed around him, her body pressed against his. It took her a minute to realize that they were in a somewhat compromising situation, one that she didn't take notice of until now.

"Oh! No, no I uh, I didn't mean to-"

She immediately dropped her arms and moved a step away from him. It was enough to make her cheeks blush.

"It's fine, I mean, you can keep hugging me if you want. I know you missed me."

"What? No. I was just-"

"Don't worry April. I missed you too."

Joining April for breakfast, Leo poured himself a cup of coffee and sat right across from her.

"So you're really not going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"About where you went this morning?"

"Are we really still talking about that?"

He watched as she doused a generous helping of syrup all over the waffle, cutting it into small strips and then into tiny squares. She cut them with such precision too, trailing the lines with her knife and leaving each corner of the bite-sized pieces with a smooth surface. He found this slightly amusing.

"Okay, obviously you have no plan of sharing that information with me, so let's move on-"

"April."

"Hm?"

"When you wake up tomorrow, I promise, the first thing you see when you open your eyes will be me next to you."

Silence took over for a good few minutes. April didn't know what to say to him, because if she was really being honest with herself, she could care less about where he went. The truth couldn't be much farther than that. No, she was worried for him. She was worried that, if anything happened to him, she wouldn't be there to protect him, the same way that he was protecting her. Leo was right, they looked out for one another. Since leaving for Paris, or even way before that, they were there for each other. He helped her ease into her new life of having cancer, while she made him think about things that were worth fighting for. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she cared for Leo just as much as he did for her.

"Are you, uh.. are you not gonna eat?" she cleared her throat, hoping to change the subject.

"Nah, I'm not hungry."

"What? But you ordered so much!"

"I didn't know what you wanted to have!"

"But I can't finish all of this!"

He took a piece of bacon and stuffed it into his mouth. "There, happy?"

"Oh no, you need to eat way more than that," she chuckled.

He grabbed a few more slices of bacon before he spotted the row of vases assembled on the wooden credenza.

"Guess you found a home for them, huh?"

April followed his gaze as her eyes rested on the colorful petals.

"Oh, and about that.."

"What about it? I thought you would like them."

"No, I do. It's just that-"

"Did you want some more? I could call and ask-"

"No, that's fine-"

"I thought they could liven up the place a bit-"

"Yes, but-"

"How many more do you want? Two, three?"

"No, I uh-"

"Four?"

"You're not listening to me, I-"

"Five, six?"

"Leo!"

"What?"

She took a deep sigh before continuing.

"…Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This! I mean, why—first the hotel, then this breakfast, now the flowers? Why are you doing all of this?"

He stopped himself from eating another piece of bacon and dropped it on his plate. He wiped his mouth and hands with the napkin resting on the table, completely unaware that April was being serious. His eyes now moved to hers, studying every expression on her face, and he couldn't believe how clueless she was. If anything, Leo Hendrie was anything but subtle. Sure, they were some nice, sweet gestures, but could she really be that blind? Did she really not know? She'll figure it out soon enough.

"You really want to know? Because you deserve it, April. That's why. And I'd be damned if I don't give you all that you deserve."