Love - bites (Romance one shots)

L'Amour

The streets of London were bustling with crowds. Smell of fresh baked cakes mixed with the smell of freedom wafted in as he breathed.

The dust had finally settled. London was back to its former glory, slowly but surely. The war was finally over.

Thinking about the war brought over a stream of mixed feelings in him. On one hand, a sense of relief that it was over, then on the other hand the overwhelming grief for his fallen comrades.Then there was the fact that he had survived. It made him want to make the best of every passing moment. To grow old, to laugh with his friends, to take risks,... to fall in love.

Love... It felt like some kind of faraway fantasy to him.

But he couldn't help but wonder.

Walking around thinking about life his ears caught notice of a familiar song. Smiling he decided to follow the music and entered the dimly lit pub.

Every place was bursting with customers on New Year's Eve, while the tiny old pub lay forgotten in a dark corner. L'Amour hadn't always been like this. The war had taken a toll on the business.

Paige sat behind the bar, sighing at the lack of crowd. She knew that she could leave L'Amour for somewhere better, but her reason to stay was now on the little stage, singing.

Cynthia's sweet voice was enchanting everyone in the pub. She was the owner of L'Amour. Time seemed to have no effect on her beauty. She could still steal hearts with just a wink. Then there was the fact that she could sing like an angel. Growing up Cynthia had been like a mother to Paige. She had been a constant in her life, after her own beloved mother had died.

Paige remembered coming to L'Amour with her mother, as a kid. Her mother and Cynthia were best friends and this pub was almost like their child. She remembered her mother telling her stories of how she'd met her father in this pub too. It was her favorite story.

Listening to Cynthia sing a familiar love song, she wondered about love. Most would say that Paige never entertained love. But the truth was, she was just waiting for him. Somebody who could fill up the gaps in her so perfectly, that she would forget what loneliness even felt like. She wanted that all- consuming love, settling for any less didn't seem quite appealing.

Lost in her thoughts and the music, the sudden tinkling of the bell, startled her just a bit. She looked to the door to see, the most enchanting sight she had ever seen. She couldn't look away. The lighting though poor, was just enough to see him.

Clad in black, he had dark hair and the most intense eyes. He had a sharp exterior but his face held a childlike innocence at the same time. She didn't know how that combination worked, but on him it worked perfectly. He looked the right mix of hard and soft. She felt so drawn to him. She looked on as he approached and sat at the far end of the counter, close to the stage. He too was mesmerized by the older woman's voice. For the first time ever, she was jealous of Cynthia, for having those intense eyes look at her. She smiled at her silliness and shook her head at herself. She cleaned the bar counter while stealing glances of the handsome stranger. She was sure, that a man like him wouldn't even give her a second glance.

He looked so lost and lonely, she thought. She almost wanted to go and ask him what ailed him. She was dying to figure him out. But... she was scared. No way he would ever bother with her. He was so perfect in himself, she was nothing. Thoughts shattered her from within. She sadly looked away from him.

Deciding on cleaning the shelves to keep herself busy, she hummed along with Cynthia while cleaning.

He was surprised to see how empty that pub was. The Lady who was singing had such a sweet voice. He sat at the bar, near the stage, ignoring all his surroundings. There was such a comfortable feel about this place. As good as the song was, it reminded him of the loneliness again. He was tired of feeling so hollow.