Cleo Hart: Intelligence by Default

Cup of tea

It was a warm thursday, and the sun was teasing at my bare arms. I woke myself half an hour before Luke would wake me, at 5:30 am, and made myself a cup of tea using the limited appliances in the mini kitchen of our room.
  Holding the warm mug in my hands and sipping slowly, my eyes wondered to Luke. He was lying on his back with his face facing away from the window, meaning the sunlight hit his jawline and the part of his torso not covered in dovet. His face was softer when he was sleeping. Probably because whenever he was conscious around me he was scolding me or yelling at something I'd done. 
  My mind wandered around memories, him grabbing my hand to calm me down, the kiss, his protective side that I hated but slightly longed for, his voice.
I put down the half empty cup and got back into bed, poking him a little. He opened an eye slightly, quirking an eyebrow. Looking up at him cautiously, I lifted his arm around me, and moved in closer to him. He wrapped it around my waist and pulled me in, stroking my back with his thumb reassuringly. I smiled and nudged my face into his neck, drifting to sleep once more.

"Cle." The sound was strange, it wasn't coming from across a room, but rather vibrating through me.
"Cleo, hey sleepy butt."

I inhaled suddenly, about to rub my eyes, but realised my arms were pushed against something strong and warm, Luke's chest.
I looked up at him as best as I could, moving away a fraction.

"It's our day off! Time to go look around, it's 11 already." He smiled down at me.

"Comfy." I frowned, snuggling against his warm, half naked form.

He chuckled and disentagled himself.

"Italy Cleo, I T A L Y. Please, I want to go explore. Hey, why is there a cup of cold tea here."

I sat up. "Oh, it's... I was drinking it."

He looked at me quizically, "Right... can we go now?"

I groaned and stood up, glaring at him, my expression evaporating when I noticed how good he looked. He had taken his bandage of a day or so before and his wound was neatly stitched and no longer worrying, his arms and legs were somehow slightly tanned, and his eyes were reflecting the sunlight, showing off the contrast of his warm brown eyes with the golden specks that dotted them. 

He smirked and turned away, pulling on a blue shirt and some jeans. I got dressed into some navy mini shorts and a black t-shirt, and tucked my hair behind my knock off ray-ban sunglasses.

After getting ready and having breakfast, Luke was practically jumping from his seat. I made sure to drink my juice incredibly slowly, maintaining eye contact and trying not to laugh when I saw him struggle.

"Okay we're going now." He grabbed my arm and pulled me from the hotel restaurant, running into the street with me stumbling after him. After dragging me down multiple alleys we reached a bus station, where Luke stopped and looked down at me, smiling that perfect smile. He slid his hand from my arm and softly intertwined it with mine, I looked down and tried not to blush.

"Urgh my eyes, I can't see a thing." He moaned, stealing my sunglasses and putting them on. I began to protest, before I looked up and saw him in them, when my words abruptly stopped.

"Do I look okay?" He flashed me a flirtatious grin, before yelping when he realised the bus had come.

-

"It's beautiful isn't it."

"Yeah, it is. Shame about the scaffolding."

We were in the colosseum, looking around the first floor.

"Remember when we met?" Luke sat on the floor. We were at the far side to the entrance, and shrugging, I sat next to him.

"Well I don't know. I remember someone pinning me down in a jeep, was that you?"

He burst out laughing, holding his stomach.

"You remember that? Oh god, what a bad first memory."

"Even if I didn't remember that my first memory of you would still be you rolling an apple along the floor  when I was tied to that chair." 

He snorted, "Damn I can kinda see why you hate me."

I chuckled, "Oh you can see that now huh."

"Mhm." He grinned at me and stood up, lifting me effortlessly to my feet. "Lunch time."

We grabbed lunch in a tiny blue cafe, that looked as if it had been crammed between two other buildings somehow. It was packed full of people talking and stuffing food down their mouths, so we mainly kept quiet, catching eye contact every now and then.

-

We got back to the hotel early, because it was too hot to stay out for very long, especially since we were used to freezing weather from back at the apartment.

"It's only four, wanna go swimming?" 

I groaned, "You said it was my day off, more training?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "For fun stupid, no laps."

-

The pool was cool after the scorching sun of Rome, so I ended up swimming a lap while waiting for Luke to get ready anyway, enjoying the refreshing sensation as I dipped my head underwater.

There was a huge splash from the opposite side of the pool, I spun around, looking for the cause. Water rippled around me as Luke surfaced, water droplets running down his body. I gulped and tried not to stare at him. He ran his hand through his dark wet hair, making it stand up slightly, and swam over to me.

"Hello." His eyes darkened slightly and he grit his teeth.

"Are you angry?" I tilted my head.

His deep chuckle radiated through me. "No, you're just making me... you just look good."

I smiled and looked down at myself. "You think so?"

His eyes darked again and he smirked a little, lifting me into his arms, I wrapped my arms around his neck to steady myself.
"Don't do that, god you're cute. I don't think you understand what you do to me. You have no idea." 
He moved his face closer to mine, my breath quickening.
"Do I make you nervous?" His smug grin almost melted me.

"Uh," I stammered, trying not to lose myself in his eyes.

"That's a yes then." He pulled me closer, looking down at my lips. I ran my fingers through his hair, willing my heart to stop pounding so damn hard. He glanced up to my eyes, studying my expression, before smiling, closing his eyes, and crashing his lips into mine.