Louis and Phoenix sat with their hands entwined for some time. Neither dared to move, both feeling the same flutter in their stomachs, enjoying the view of the cold New York City below. But it wasn't long before prying eyes came into Louis' room, and the two were forced to let go, avoiding eye contact with one another.
"Ah, Miss Thomas, Mr. Tomlinson, I presume you're enjoying each other’s company?" The nurse said, saying nothing of the two hands that were once conjoined. Louis nodded, and Phoenix smiled.
"Of course. He's lovely company." Phoenix said. She could feel Louis' eyes on her, but she didn't turn her head.
"I'm so glad. Louis here is your lunch. Miss Thomas, would you like me to grab you something? I didn't know you'd still be here." The nurse said, but Phoenix shook her head.
"That's alright. I won't be here much longer." And with that, the nurse left the two alone again. Phoenix didn't say anything, and Louis didn't attempt to scribble down any words either. Before long, Phoenix pulled Louis' Romeo & Juliet book out of her bag.
"I read the whole thing. And I made my own notes on this. I guess... I don't know, it's my favourite, and I had my own opinions I wanted you to read. I guess, I mean, you don't have to, but I just thought if I-" Louis pressed a cool finger to her shaking lips. He nodded and smiled quickly, not letting his teeth show.
Louis stood, scrambling over to his bookcase. He ran his fingers over the spines, looking for a certain one. Phoenix watched with great pleasure; Louis was tall, taller than her, but slim and petite built. His blue eyes concentrated hard on whatever he was paying attention to, and he paid attention well. His short brown hair was wavy, flicking whichever way it pleased. He clearly didn't style it. He made the mandatory solid color uniform look like an Armani suit.
Louis obviously found the book he was looking for, because he hastily grabbed a spine and brought it back to the chairs. He placed it in Phoenix's lap, and flicked through the pages. Phoenix felt her breath hitch at the proximity between her and Louis. He was so close, and his hands were in her lap. She felt weak in the knees, and if she'd been standing, she'd probably have fallen over.
Deciding on a page, Louis turned the book to face Phoenix. He gestured from her mouth to the pages.
"You want me to read this, out loud?" Phoenix asked, and Louis nodded excitedly. She cleared her throat, nervous of speaking aloud.
"It lies not in our power to love or hate,
For will in us is overruled by fate.
When two are stripped, long 'ere the course begin,
We wish that one should love, the other win;" Phoenix glanced up at Louis, who was watching her intently. She continued;
"And one especially do we affect
Of two gold ingots, like in each respect:
The reason no man knows; let it suffice
What we behold is censured by our eyes.
Where both deliberate, the love is slight:
Whoever loved, that loved not at first sight?" Phoenix finished, and slowly lifted her head to stare at Louis. He was eyeing her, appearing as nervous as she felt. This poem described exactly how Phoenix felt, and it was weird to have it laid out before her, naked, emptying its contents into her lap. She felt exposed, as everyone thought she had written this poem, and was now playing witness to her inner private thoughts.
Louis grabbed the book, and flipped through the pages again. He found another poem, and laid it before Phoenix. He hoped and prayed that she could pick up what he was quite literally laying before her. His feelings were summed up in this book; his feelings for her. Somehow, in the span of a few days, Phoenix had rooted herself in his heart, and there was no way he could bring himself to pull out such a beautiful flower. Whether she wanted there or not, she was a permanent part of him.
"When first we touched,
My heart flew high,
On gossamer wings through a cloudless sky.
They said it was built upon a lie.
They told me my feelings would surely fade." Phoenix avoided eye contact this time. She knew Louis was trying to tell her something. There couldn't be any other reason for him laying these twin poems before her, asking her to read them aloud for them both to hear.
"Passion would flare and foes would be made.
Can you not put the pass behind?
True love can change a rivers course,
Or pierce the strongest vault with ease.
True love can turn coal into gold,
Or tame the tempest to a balmy breeze.
Quite some time has passed since then:
People no longer criticize,
For now they see that truth exists,
Where once there might have been only lies.
Still my feelings are the same today,
As they were on that very first,
For when we touch, my heart still flies, on gossamer wings through cloudless skies." Phoenix finished the poem, and saw Louis' scribbles on the bottom of the page. His messy print was in all the margins. It was hard to read, but she could make out one word;
Phoenix.
"Louis, I don't know what to say... these poems are incredible. But I don't understand..." Phoenix said, skipping through a few pages of the book.
It was a now or never moment for Louis. He could admit his feelings now, and possibly lose Phoenix forever, or keep her for three more weeks and then lose her. Louis weighed his options quickly, knowing that if he lost her now, he'd be devastated, but if he had to dread losing her for the next three weeks, he'd dig himself a pit of despair.
So Louis leaned forward and caught Phoenix's lips in a kiss.
Phoenix was shocked; shocked into a lack of movement. She stared at Louis' closed eyelids in front of her own, feeling his cool lips pressed against her own. Finally realizing that this was happening, her body kicked into high gear and she let herself kiss him back. She wrapped her arms around Louis neck, and he took this as a sigh that this was very much ok. He gripped the sides of her face with his hands, kissing her roughly, letting his tongue dance with her own. Phoenix was relishing in the moment; how many times over the past three days had she imagined this happening in her head?
Pulling away for air, the two stared exasperated at each other. Did they really just do that?
"I don't know what just happened, or what is going to happen now, but I don't want to think about it right now." Phoenix said quickly, letting her words slip out as quick as she could. She didn't want Louis to think too hard on what had just happened, because she didn't want him to change his mind over his feelings for her, because he clearly liked her too.
Louis nodded, also not wanting to dwell on whatever just occurred, and was going to definitely occur again. He didn’t want to realize that, holy shit, he was 4 years older than her, and he was obviously making a play for her. He didn’t want to appear creepy, but Phoenix was as delicious as a cake, and he wanted every last bite to himself.
Smashing lips together once more, the two made their way to Louis small bed, cuddling close and not letting each other go. They stayed that way until Phoenix whispered how badly she needed to go, and Louis reluctantly let her go. He silently asked if she would be back tomorrow, his eyes betraying the worry he felt deep inside. Phoenix nodded, smiling brightly, and kissed Louis gently on the cheek.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, bright and early,” she whispered, and slipped out of Louis’ room. The grin never left her face, not even as she slipped into a dreamful sleep. Louis fell the same way, touching his lips over and over again, playing the situation in his head a million times. Although completely infatuated, both let the sickly thought invade their mind;
What the hell were they doing?
