Halfway In Love (#Wattys2016)

45 - I bet my fandom merchandise that no company would be able replicate it.

<Update : 17/06/17>

A/N : Hey guys, guess what? HIL is nearing its end! Just a few more chapters. Yes, I too cannot believe it :")

I hope you like this one and upcoming few more. If you do like it, vote, comment, and share! :D

Happy Reading :)

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Chapter 45 - I bet my fandom merchandise collections that no company would be able replicate it.

Two weeks later:

"Look, no matter what you say, you loved it, I know you did." He said, sounding absolutely smug.

"Of course I did." I said, hitting him on the head as we ventured towards the baggage claim.

"Then why the complaining?"

"I wasn't complaining, I just said sometimes it's rather fun to roam alone. That's it."

"So you mean to say, you didn't enjoy me being there?" He sounded hurt and I quickly rushed to change the topic. Because how could I ever in the world explain to him what I myself didn't quite understand.

"Tell me, how did you find out about Rome?" I asked, craning my head to look for our bags above the crowd of people doing the same.

"I may have gone through your list of places when I was in your room the other day." He answered sheepishly, scratching his head. I gasped and hit him on the arm. "You had no right to do that!"

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" He winked and I quickly lowered my eyes.

"I suppose so." I muttered.

The last two weeks had to be the best days of my life. I mean, the first destination from my list can now striked out. When we had landed, I couldn't keep still for the life of me. My journey had actually began. And Dave had to be thanked for that.

I had seen, I mean we had seen everything we could in those few days, by foot or by transport of some or the other kind, but I made sure we experienced Rome to the fullest. Yes, there were places I had to drag Dave to, simply because he was too bored to listen to my historic reciting of the particular monument, and those were the moments when I fully realized why I had always dreamt of travelling alone. And I might have at some point vocalized my thoughts. Maybe that is why it took so many days for us too see it all. The Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican museums, St. Peter's Basilica, I relived my moments of Angels and Demons, looking for things I had read. I may or may not have even tried to look for the Path Of Illumination. But I realized at that moment, what I always known, only reading it wasn't enough. I was utterly awestruck when I actually did see those beautiful churches, the ruins, the various Piazzas, the entire Roman history before my eyes.

Maybe I should also mention those specific moments for which you might be really interested. Yes, some moments did happen. Actually a lot of them. They were bound to, I mean we were completely alone in a strange country for God's sake. The temptation I had had for the last few months flared up many times, when we were spending the night, binge watching Castle, or slow dancing in the ballroom of the ridiculously expensive hotel he had booked for us, or when we were walking by the road at night and it began to pour drenching us head to toe as we stood there in surprise.

"You really gave me a scare those few times." Dave said, pulling up our third bag from the belt and straightening up to wait for the last one. In the bustling airport, how he did it, but Dave managed to capture my attention like predator on prey. He was the only one I wanted to look at, only voice I wanted to hear, only smile I wanted to see. Last fifteen days with him flashed in front of my eyes, crumbling my decision and making me want to bend my rules.