When Stars Align || G. Lafayette

Chapter 22

{ y'all still reading this horseshit?? aight. im as shocked as you are that i updated.

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My eyes fluttered open the next morning as an arm was wrapped around my waist, pulling me close into the warm body I'd spent the night pressed against. A small smile settled onto my lips as I breathed him in.

I craned my neck back to look at him, only to find him wearing a sleepy smile, one eye cracked open as he met my tired gaze. "Bonjour, mon cher," he murmured, reaching up to brush a loose hair off my forehead. "'Ow did you sleep?"

I sniffed, gave a small shrug. "Fine," I hummed softly, "Glad I wasn't cold all night."

A chuckled escaped him at this. "Oui, Levi, it is certainly cold outside." I laughed softly, shaking my head at him as I shifted onto my back, turned my head to the side to look at him.

"You're a loser sometimes, y'know that?" He only shrugged.

"Only for you." A soft smile settled onto my lips to match his, and for a moment, we just lay there, his arms wrapped around my middle as one of mine reached up to brush a stray curl behind his ear. His gaze was soft as he looked into my eyes, and I couldn't help but bite my lip.

His gaze drifted to my mouth, and it would have been so easy, so easy to just lean in and kiss him, but the only thing holding me back anymore was my own cowardice.

"Merry Christmas, Laf," I murmured, and his smile grew.

"Merry Christmas, Levi." His eyes lit up as a thought dawned on him, his face splitting into a grin as he suddenly stood, walking toward his desk. "I 'ave something for you. Just a small Christmas gift."

I furrowed my brow, sitting up weakly on his bed. "Laf, you didn't need to get me anything," I yawned, "Besides, wasn't that journal my gift?"

He considered me, shrugged as he rooted through a drawer. "Oui, part of it," he said, grinning, "But I got you something else. I found it a little while ago, and it make me think of you."

When he finally emerged, it was with a book, bound in deep maroon leather. He handed it to me with a smile, I took it to find the word Lettres de Deux Amans, Habitans d'une petite Ville au pied des Alpes, Vol. 1 embossed into the cover, the letters gilded, and I looked up at him, brow furrowed.

"A book?" I asked, understanding the gesture but curious about what it exactly was. He nodded.

"Oui, a novel by Jean-Jaques Rousseau. It... was one of my favorites from 'ome," he said with a small smile. "I remember you told me zat... you 'ad not read mis livres, so I thought I would bring one to you."

My heart fluttered with how he was looking at me, biting my lip as I fought my face flushing. "Thank you, Lafayette," I murmured softly, and he took a step closer to me, brushing a hair behind my ear with an easy smile.

"Anything for you."

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The day passed nearly as quickly as it'd begun; I gave Lafayette the drawing I'd made for him many months ago, brought the pastries from Thomas to John and Hercules, and gifted Nael with a token from home. Camp was quiet; thankfully, you couldn't actually hear holiday mutineers. Regardless, all the soldiers seemed to be bundling up and spending the day together resting -- either that, or everyone had skipped town and crammed themselves into the pub about a half mile north.

I, however, spent the morning with John and Nael, Lafayette and Hercules each having split off at separate times for whatever the reasons. The Christmas snow stuck thick to our shoes, us not being exactly suited for the weather but too jovial to care as the weather wore away the leather, and we wandered through downtown, popping into shops, meeting merchants, and Nael doing more than his fair share of harassing women. By the time we returned to our barracks, the snow sparkled in the early afternoon light.