Challenging a Cold Heart

Chapter 31: Hope

Vincent's POV

I woke up to the sound of an expletive. I sat up groggily to see Luc looking with alarm at the windows.

"God damn it! I can't believe I slept through sun rise." Luc muttered getting up from bed quickly. I glanced at him and a small smile curled my lips. That obviously meant he felt too comfortable to wake up on his normal schedule. He always woke up at dawn and enjoyed watching the sun rise. I've noticed that from the days he slept in my bedroom as a teenager.

"Do you have a change of clothes, Spongebob?" He asked me. I smiled at what he called me. It was too long since I heard him call me anything like that. It was as close to an endearment Luc would ever use I think.

"I don't think I will have anything to fit you." I said as I slowly climbed out of bed after gathering the thick blankets around me. Luc glanced at that and came over to me before he unlocked the handcuff on my hand and took it from me. I watched him put the handcuffs on his own wrists like some kind of bangle. That made me realize that he actually had many jewelry on his arms and neck that could be transformed to be something useful.

"This sucks. I should ask Ronan to send some clothes to keep in your cupboard for when I come here." He said and I looked at him owlishly. Did he mean he would come over more frequently? I wondered.

"Do you have a spare toothbrush and towel?" He asked me and I nodded quickly as I went over to get it. He used the bathroom first and I decided to catch some sleep again until I heard him come out.

"Are you going back to sleep?" He asked me and I sighed.

"I am tired." I said rubbing my eyes. Luc shrugged at that.

"Then sleep. I'll tell everyone not to bother you." He told me and I smiled.

"No. It's alright." I said as I saw him open my closet and rummage through my clothes again. I let him chose clothes of his liking as I headed to take a shower myself. By the time I came out, I thought he would have left but he was sitting on my bed with a frown. He was wearing one of my oversized white t-shirts that fit him very tightly and one of my black sweatpants that was shorter by about six inches for him which showed a part of his legs. Anyone else would have looked ridiculous in it but Luc always pulls off his own style easily. He somehow managed to make it look cool by throwing over a black blazer on top of the tight t-shirt. I realized then that he looked worried.

"What's wrong Luc?" I asked him and he sighed loudly.

"Do you hear the commotion downstairs? I can hear all my phantoms." He said and I wondered if that was so wrong.

"Um, so?" I asked him as I quickly changed.

"What do you mean so? It's already past 11am and I don't want to do a walk of shame in front of my phantoms." He said and I had to stifle my laughter.

Walk of shame? I chuckled at that and he scowled at me. Just then, my stomach growled.

"I am afraid, I have to do the walk of shame anyway and go to the kitchen." I said with a laugh.

Luc looked at my stomach. I was now dressed in a thick blue sweater and black jeans.

"Do you want to eat out with me?" He asked me and my eyebrows rose.

"Hmm..but we have to do the walk of shame anyway and James would be up by now." I said and he looked at me.

"The girls will look after the little one and we don't have to do the walk of shame. We could both escape." He told me.

"How?" I asked him curiously and he pointed at the windows. I went over and looked down. It looked like a steep fall on the garden bushes.

"Um, no thanks." I said and Luc grinned at me.