The Way Back | ✓

5.4

note: we hit 900 followers and 700 votes. To celebrate, I pushed out this update and I'm hoping to get two more this next week! Also, I made a new cover. What do you guys think? 

Finals are finally over and my first year of uni is complete. It's been long and hard and very tiresome but I finally have some time to myself. I'm hoping to finish this story during the summer and also before submitting it to the wattys so wish me luck! This means that you guys get frequent updates too ;) 

This chapter is all fluff -- happy reading xo 

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Andrew awoke the following morning, cold even under the two layers of blankets and duvets, and alone. Disappointment flooded him when he opened his eyes and spotted the space beside his empty.

He threw the covers off of him and searched for his slippers. Spotting them across the room, he cursed under his breath and tiptoed at a speed before quickly sliding his feet into the warm slippers. Sometime in the night it had gotten so cold that Andrew woke up to put on clothes. He offered London a pair of his pyjama bottoms and long-sleeved fuzzy t-shirt. There was no denying that she had looked good in them but he couldn't admire her for long because they went right back to bed, sleep calling them back in.

He exited his room and as he made his way to the kitchen he could smell the aroma of freshly cooked food. His stomach yelled with excitement and so did his heart. London hadn't gone anywhere. She was still here. Cooking breakfast. 

He entered the kitchen and spotted London by the stove. He leaned against the entrance of the kitchen and silently observed her immersed in her cooking. Her head was tilted to one side, her hair tied in a loose ponytail as she hummed under her breath. She looked so serene cooking and the sight of it kindled a warm fire in his heart. She looked beautiful with that smile. 

Trying to be as sneaky as he could, he quietly approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. When she didn't jump in shock, he grumbled, though he was certain a smile could be heard in his voice.

"I thought you'd be scared," he said, his voice a little groggy with sleep as he placed a sweet quick kiss to her shoulder. 

"You think you're stealthy, Andrew Cai, but you're not so quiet," she laughed, continuing to chop up what looked to be parsley.

"You weren't either last night," he replied quickly, unable to help himself. Last night was...bloody brilliant. There was no other way he could put it. 

She paused, tensing in his arms but he was quick to press his lips into her shoulder blade again and say, "Last night was amazing. You were amazing. You are amazing."

She placed her knife down and turned to him. Her body had relaxed again but after she turned to face him, chest to chest, he could see the faint blush on her cheeks. He found it rather cute.

"You weren't so quiet yourself," London teased and he felt himself grinning again.

"What can I say? You bring it all out of me."

He grinned harder when her reaction was a laugh. "You're so cheesy, Andrew."

"Cheese is my middle name."

She raised an eyebrow at how incredibly stupid he was being, a foolish smile still playing on her lips.

"All right, you got me" he resigned. "I don't actually have a middle name."

She laughed again, the pure sound of it filling his heart and he looked back up at her, his cheeky grin in place. "We should do this more," she declared, throwing her arms around his neck and beaming up at him.