Love & Deepspace (One Shots)

a day of love, pt. 2. 🌙 (s)

every guy gets a happy ending on his birthday... hehehe... 😏

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After spending a while longer dancing in his embrace and enjoying each other's company, Xavier and I made our way to the hotel we'd booked, walking the moonlit streets hand in hand. His touch was warm and comforting, like he held a tiny ball of sunshine in his palm that he was sharing with me; even in the chill of the evening autumn breeze, I felt cosy.

As we approached the hotel entrance, I tucked my free hand into the sleeve of the jacket Xavier had lent me, shivering as a gust of wind blew past. The heating in the lobby caused me to let out a sigh of relief, though I refused to let go of his hand so soon. He clearly noticed, giving my hand a squeeze as we wandered over to the elevator and then out into the third-floor hallway once the doors opened. Despite the event happening in the plaza, the hotel seemed mostly quiet aside from a few other guests either heading out for dinner or going to bed like us.

Once we reached the door to our room, Xavier tapped the keycard against the scanner and opened it, standing aside to allow me in first. The soles of my feet were aching from wearing heels the entire day and spending so long dancing hadn't exactly helped, so I immediately shuffled over to the bed and collapsed onto the end with a sigh. It was clear the hotel staff had been in recently to freshen up the room as the sheets were crisp and clean, and they held a faint scent of lavender.

"So... did you have fun today?" I asked, a hint of genuine curiosity lingering in my voice. Despite his constant reassurance throughout the day, I couldn't ignore the part of me that worried he didn't enjoy my surprise.

"Of course," Xavier responded rather casually, oblivious to my feelings until he closed the door and turned to face me. "Why wouldn't I have?"

I shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure your birthday was as special as you've made mine."  My eyes followed him as he took a few steps forward to stand opposite me. "You're quite mysterious. I know you like sleep and food, but everything else was kind of a gamble. Thankfully, Jeremiah was willing to help a little."

Perhaps it was my imagination, but I swore I saw Xavier pull a face when I mentioned Jeremiah's name; even though it was subtle, it was enough for me to notice and become wary of bringing him up again. Since he didn't respond, I leaned forward to begin undoing the straps of my heels, though I was stopped when a hand was suddenly placed on top of mine. I looked up and came face to face with Xavier who was now kneeling in front of me, seemingly offering to take them off for me. I slowly retracted my hand and sat back, rolling my lips together as his slender fingers slowly ran down my leg, tracing circles over my ankle before beginning to unbuckle the strap. His movements were slow and precise, and as he began removing the second shoe, I felt a sudden pang of guilt hit me.

"Xavier, about what you said earlier..." I trailed off, my voice becoming quieter towards the end of my sentence. As I spoke, his gaze snapped upwards, quickly focusing his full attention on me. "At the fountain... I know I just joked around at the time, but I regret that now. I was just scared, but now..." I reached out to take his right hand in mine, leaving his left to gently rest upon my knee. "I love you, too."

Xavier's eyes widened in surprise, but there was a light blush creeping across his cheeks that suggested I'd said exactly what he wanted to hear. "...I didn't think you heard me."

"I almost didn't, but I'm glad I did," I spoke quietly, cupping his cheek and lifting his head. "And I want you to know that I love you."

After a slight pause, Xavier exhaled softly and nuzzled my palm; his face radiated a warmth that made my fingertips tingle. His eyes closed for a moment, though when they opened again, they met mine and caught me in a trance, making me feel unable to look away. Those sapphire pools absorbed me like whirlpools and trapped me in this moment I never wanted to escape from. It was magical.