Quarantine

Chapter Fourteen

"Wow.. Well that was eventful." Hero smiled as I giggled and sighed from relief. "Never thought I'd say this but.. Man am I glad to be back."

"Yeah, me too." I agreed with him.

"You sure about that?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?!" I instantly argued.

"Umm, your face kinds of says it all really." He smirked.

Still smiling, I made a shocked face and noticed how he looked at my mouth before quickly looking away again.

"What are you trying to say about my face?!" I folded my arms to display how I offended I was.

"Nothing." He was still smiling when he looked at me again but he didn't look at me for long.

"Whatever." I shook my head and stepped forward to open the door.

"Where are you going?" He frowned.

"To bed." I exclaimed with the last little bit of energy I had.

"Oh, bye then!" He mocked, rolling his eyes at me.

"Hero?" I frowned back at him.

"What." He replied flatly.

"How are you not tired?" I asked, shaking my head and trying to understand.

"I am." He said defensively, as if it were somehow obvious.

"Then why aren't you going to bed too?" I countered.

"Because I'm having a fag?" He held the lit cigarette up "And muggin's here has got to figure out what to do about the bloody car." He added, taking a drag.

"Well you can't do anything about it now, Hero. So come on, just come to bed and we'll go and get the car tomorrow.." I turned to face the door again, not bothering to wait for a reply.

"Come to bed?" He repeated. "Is that an invitation?" He raised an eyebrow and flicked his fag to the ground before stamping on it with his foot.

I bit my lip and looked away. "No?" I answered innocently.

"Josephine Langford." Hero said my name whilst straightening up and onto his feet.

I sighed, eventually tilting my head to look at him, watching him as he yawned and stretched.

"If I didnt know any better, I'd say you were trying to take advantage of me in my tired state. Honestly, I find it quite shocking. I never had you down as that kind of girl.." He smiled mockingly.

"Hero?! Can we just.." I gestured to upstairs.

"We can indeed! By all means.. After you." He smirked.

Ugh. "Thankyou." I rolled my eyes, too tired to play this game. Or, should that be his game.

I wasted no time in hanging around and waiting.

By the time he's followed me indoors and closed the door behind him, I'm almost half way up the stairs when suddenly, my legs start to give way after all the running and walking from earlier.

"Whoah, easy. It's ok. Ive got you." Hero dashed up the stairs and steadied me with his hands by quickly holding my arms and helping to stop me from falling back.

"You ok?" He tried to peer around my front to make eye contact with me.

"I'm.. I'm fine." I tell myself more than him despite almost falling again.

He's quick to place his hand on the small of my back in order to steady me even more, for which I am thankful.

But then he did something that was completely unexpected; he laughed.

"What?" I said, trying to turn and face him.

"Nothing.." He lied.

"Umm, clearly not nothing is it?" I pointed out.

"I just find it rather amusing that I carried you down these same stairs earlier today and now it looks like I'm gonna have to carry you back up them."

"What? No.. I told you, I'm-" I began.

"Yeah, yeah. You're fine." He picked me up in one swift move the same way as he had all the other times that day. Only this time, he held me in a bridal-style position, leaving me with no choice but to place my arms around him in order to hold on to his neck as he carried me up the stairs.

"I'm not going to drop you, I promise." He reassured me the very same moment that I had started to whimper with worry.

Soon, we reached the top where I had expected him to put me down, only he doesn't.

He continued to carry me straight through to my room; kicking the door open and standing at the edge of my bed.

"You.. Didn't have to do that." I tell him, my hands still around his neck as I hesitantly gazed up at him.

"I kinda did." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before smiling.

"Well.. Anyway. Thankyou." I said, trying to get down.

At first, he doesn't let me. The second I opened my mouth to say his name however, he changes his mind and soon lets me get down.

"No problem." He tells me calmly.

"No really, I mean it. That can't have been easy.."

"Jo, you aren't exactly heavy are you?" He frowned.

I smiled to myself not really wanting to answer that but also feeling a little relieved at the same time to hear him say it.

"So um, I guess i'll see you in the morning then." I feel for the buckles of my dungaree dress.

"I guess you will." He smiled and lowered his eyes to my fiddling hands.

"Do you want a hand? Before I go." He offers.

"No, it's okay.. But thank-" I don't finish my words as I am too busy watching his hands come into focus.

Within seconds, he has unbuckled the straps of my dungaree dress and stepped back with a friendly smile, leaving me clutching the denim fabric close to my chest.

"Thankyou." I tell him, lowering my voice somewhat.

He shrugs and smiles while walking backwards, looking me up and down slowly.

"Night then." He paused at my door holding onto it.

"Night." I smile, watching it slowly close.