The Best Man's Speech

20: Hungover

A/N: Here is the Monday update. And shoutout to @itz_bow for voting my stories and adding them to her reading list and library - literally added all of them and voted them too. Thank you so much, this chapter goes out to you. ♡

✵ JAMES ✵

I woke up to the feeling of Lyra shuffling on the bed beside me. Opening my eyes completely, I looked at her and watched her roll around the bed, looking for a comfortable position to sleep in. I smiled at the sight of her adorably struggling to find comfort, before leaning on my side to pull her body closer to mine, so that we were spooning each other.

"James?" She called out lazily, snuggling herself into me by moving backwards to me and making me hold her tightly against myself.

"Hmm?" I hummed, as I drew lazy scribbles on her upper thigh, while letting my hand fall over her body. I started to move her hair out of my face, since it was tickling my face... the tiny strands.

"Please don't go." She pleaded before turning to face me completely, her eyes still shut as she continued to talk to me. I stared at her face silently, thinking of what to say and only managing to say a brief words, "I am going nowhere. I will be right here by your side." I whispered to her before planting a kiss on her head and watching her fall into a light sleep. "I love you." I whispered to her hair, hoping that she knew and would not forget it. But a part of me also hoped that she wouldn't remember... what if she was just drunk when she said the three words and eight letters?

✵ LYRA ✵

I woke up and found the bed empty beside me. Sitting up, I realised that there was a tie lying around on the sofa as a new set of feminine clothes were folded neatly on the same furniture. I gawked at myself before letting my heart jump out of my body, "Good morning."

"Seriously?!" I scolded James as he stood against the door frame of the room, with a circular tube of bubbly in his hands as he stared at me. I watched his chest vibrate as he chuckled loudly before walking towards the bed. He wore nothing but his pants and boxers, that showed through the lowly worn tracksuits.

"Are we celebrating something?" I asked him, snatching the glass pipe of champagne from his hand and attempting to gulp it all down. But he snatched it away from it, making me pout. "Yes, but you can't drink on an empty stomach... it's not good for you." He replied and adviced, staring at me before lightly planting a kiss on my head.

"And I think we could both officially admit that there is another thing on that list that is not good for me." I smirked before taking the glass from him and placing it on the bedside table beside the bed and kissing him. I could feel his arms slither around me as he pulled my body closer to his. Within seconds and without notice, he had pinned my body under his.

I slipped my tongue into his mouth before watching him lift his body off of me and pull away. I whined, "Please don't."

He smirked before talking, "The wedding rehearsal is in a few hours and we are both needed there. So get ready." I groaned at his words before pulling him by the chain that dangled around his neck and kissed him on his lips.

He finally pulled back from the kiss, "As much as I would love to continue this and take it further, you need to get dressed, love." He emphasised on the word love before climbing off of the bed and selecting a fine, white towel for me and handing it to me, alongside my garments.

"Shower?" I questioned and he nodded, before watching me walk into the shower.

On entering the bathroom, I placed the dry and warm clothes on the rack before grabbing a towel, only to turn around and find James walking towards me. I stood still and watched his hands slide down my body to hold me close against his body by my waist. "What are you doing here?" I asked him, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"Simply being here with you." He smirked before planting a gentle kiss on my pale and bare shoulder. I continued to look at our reflection and noticed how my body managed to mould into his despite backing him and being smaller than him. It's like we were made for each other.

"I love you." I whispered to him, as I lifted my head to look at his face and watch his reaction. I watched his eyes widen as his body stiffen, making me regret uttering my confession. I know he said it to me last night while we were both semi-drunk, but I wanted to hear it from his completely sober self.

A smile rose to his face before he kissed my temple and held me close against him, "I love you too." He whispered the words back as if he was promising me his life and soul. I smiled before tightly wrapping my arms around his neck, only to have him lift me off my feet and carry me with my legs wrapped around him. "You should shower." He instructed me, as if it was a suggestion.

"So do you." I commented before realising that he carried me to the shower and had switched it on, allowing the water to cascade against our skin like little ripples of glitter. Slowly letting go of me to place me on the shower tray, I watched him grab the bottle of shampoo and rub it into my hair. The feeling of his warm hand moving through my hair made me feel warm and fluffy inside, like we definitely had more than sex between us. I continued to gawk away at his face as I realised how focused he was in making sure I was properly cleaned and well taken care of in the shower, while touching my lightly in a way that it seemed as if he was handling a fragile little being.