5SOS Book of Imagines

LRH // Profanities

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There was nothing provocative about the way she was dressed. For Pete's sake, she was wearing an over-sized cardigan outside a gray shirt, black leggings, a brown bag and her eyes were tired but I look at her and all I could think of was how fucking sexy she looked. It was not only absurd, it was preposterous.

I was out to get the morning paper from my doorstep when I don't find it there, scratching my head in annoyance. It was my morning ritual to read news while drinking my coffee—a way that gets me in the productive-day-zone, but then seeing as it's not here, I guess I'd have to get in the 'zone' through a different approach today. I was turning back to get inside the house when I heard a voice.

"Are you looking for this?"

I look back, seeing her in all her over-sized cardigan, black leggings glory, handing me the morning paper. I took it with confusion painted in my features.

She shrugged, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear, "Sorry. I was—I was sort of lost, and I sat down at your porch, I hope you don't mind. I saw the paper and read it to kill time."

Only one thing really registered on my mind, "You're lost? Like literally lost?"

She scratched her head and made a face, her cheeks blushing a bit, "....Yeah. I woke up a few hours ago in a friend's car, and I don't really want to hang around with him so I went out while he slept and walked, realizing I didn't know where I was, and this was the safest street I saw so I sat here and waited."

"Waited for what? For who?"

"I don't know, for anything. For you." Her eyes stared straight at me and I was rendered speechless and powerless. She couldn't see it but her gaze assaulted me, brought every nerve ending in my body to sparking mode. Maybe it was her eyes; it looked weirdly electric, almost sparking with life and another unknown feeling. I felt electricity surging through my body and I was proud I was able to smirk and act normal.

"Well, at least, you're done waiting. Sounds like you had an awful night, do you want to join me for breakfast? I mean, I could set it here on the porch if that makes you comfortable," I found myself saying. I didn't know her, for all I know she could be a burglar but her eyes said otherwise, there was a glimmer of hopelessness in it that she tried hard to hide.

I saw her eyes scan my whole body—I figured I looked decent for someone who just woke up, white t-shirt, black jogging pants, bed hair and just-woke-up crappy face. No tattoos, no irregularly placed piercing, well, not right now since I take off my lip piercing when I sleep. She purse her lips before nodding, "Sure, no harm in the porch, I guess. Thanks...?"

"Oh, it's Luke. Luke Hemmings."

"Hemmings. Huh, cool name. I'm Vera. Do you need help getting your food or anything?" She asked as I motioned for her to come inside the house.

I scratched the back of my neck, "I haven't done anything yet, to be honest with you. I woke up and made myself coffee then went out to get the morning paper."

She clapped her hands, and smiled a tight-lipped smile, following me to the kitchen, "So... would it be okay if I cook?"

My eyes quickly rested on the knives by the kitchen sink, looking back to her with one eyebrow raised.

"I'm a good person in a bad situation and I just want to cook for you for being the first genuinely nice guy I met in 24 hours—and believe me, I've met tons of guys in that time frame." She spread her arms, eyes wide as she tried to convince me she was a nice person. Really though, she looked tiny in her sweatshirt and I figured her with a knife was the least of my worries.

"The fridge is sort of loaded with stuff, do whatever you want with those and you can find the utensils in the drawer right there," I point, showing her where she can find what she needs.

"I'll be okay now; you go do what you do. I'll be here. Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes." She says again, taking my apron and wrapping it around her waist. I feel a small smile across my face and I turn to go wash myself up.

"Just don't burn down my house." I say out loud as I walked out of the kitchen up to my room. I heard her light laughter as I climbed the stairs and all I could think of was how it sounded so right, echoing around the walls of my house.