Me before you

chapter 18

Sana's first Christmas in Lincoln had been a quiet one.

She'd woken to Louis jumping on her bed in his Captain America pyjamas waving the gifts 'Santa' had given him in her face and animatedly chattering on about them; they'd had a slow breakfast and a slower morning, opening presents under the tree while Sana darted back and forth from the kitchen where their two-person Christmas dinner was cooking. She hadn't expected it, but Louis had presented her proudly with a small, clumsily gift-wrapped box labelled, to Mom from Louis. Apparently he'd asked Wonwoo to help get her something while he was in Boston. It turned out to be a necklace on a fine gold chain in the shape of a crown. She put it on immediately – oddly, the set of the gold matched the earrings Y/n had given her.

Anyway, Louis had been equally thrilled with all his presents: Sana had to admit, she may have gone a little overboard. He'd shrieked with joy when he found the present labelled to Louis, from Y/n under the tree. Sana had tried to tell Y/n she didn't have to, but Y/n seemed firm that she did, and spent a long time picking out just the right gift for him: it was a beautiful gilt-edged book of fairy tales, and she'd had Sana write the inscription for her. To Louis – a new lot of heroes for when you need a break from the Marvel ones. From Professor Y/n.

They'd had dinner just the two of them, and Skyped Wonwoo, which hadn't been as bad as she'd thought, and Skyped her parents which was exactly as bad as she'd thought but she'd kept Louis with her on camera the whole time, so her mother couldn't really start.

And in the evening, when Louis had fallen asleep in front of the TV – The Wizard of Oz was playing – Sana called Y/n and they'd talked long into the early hours of Boxing Day morning, whispering so as not to wake him.

All in all, their first holiday without Wonwoo had been a complete success. In fact, Sana thought, it may have been the best Christmas she could remember.

She'd worked it out with Sarah that her first official day back at work would land on the same day Louis went back to school, and she found herself waking up easily to the sound of her alarm ringing beside her ear.

Pushing back the covers, Sana sat up and stretched the tense muscles in her shoulders, already wondering what the day would bring. If she was being honest, she was a little apprehensive about going back to her 'job'. Did it count as that anymore? Should she insist they stop paying her and find another job? Should she simply do what was required of her during the week and try to stay professional until her days off?

She didn't know. And it wouldn't do to just sit and wonder, she supposed, so she made herself get out of bed and wake Louis, putting the thought from her mind as she went about making breakfast and brewing coffee, the same as she did every other morning. Focus, Sana. Shower, clothes, makeup, find Louis's scarf, school bag check.

They were out the house by their normal time, Sana keeping easy pace with Louis despite his insistence that he could walk to school on his own now. "So, are you excited about your first day back?" She asked, tucking a dark strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I guess so," Louis shrugged, balancing on the kerb as he went. His stripy scarf flapped in the cold breeze. "I can't wait to tell everyone about all the cool stuff I got! And we're supposed to start learning about knights and kings and stuff in history!"

"Wow. Knights and kings," Sana buried her hands in her coat pockets. Her breath misted in the cold air in front of her. "I'm sure you'll have fun."

"What about you?" Louis asked suddenly, huge bright eyes turning up to look at her. His cheeks were red from the cold, despite the coat, scarf and knitted hat she'd forced him into this morning.

Sana was confused. "What about me?"

"Are you excited to go back to work?" Louis asked. A huge grin appeared on his face. "Are you and Y/n going on a date again? Are you gonna be girlfriends?"