"Xavier___" she paused and then he heard her laughter ring so loud, like music to his ears making him realize yet again it was one of the things he missed about her.
"I know you are in the spur of the moment and my kidnap was a lot for you to handle but don't start saying things you don't mean, okay? I just might have the wrong idea," she shook her head amused, and then peered down at the basket of fruits he was holding while staring at her in shock.
"Is that for me?" She asked, her eyes narrowing at his transfixed expression.
"Yes," he muttered without thinking.
"Then hand it over, I decided to talk to you first so I can get you off the hook," she shook her head in disbelief, "How sweet of you to wait till I wake up before you go home. But your bloody T-shirt is making me dizzy and I know how busy of a man you are so just head back to work, aye?"
"Maya I was serious__"
She shook her head amused, "I was only gone for a few days, when do you get so good at pretending. You would have fooled me if I don't know your Casanova lifestyle, I was your secretary remember?" She raised her brow, a smirk on her face.
He cringed remembering why it must be difficult for her to believe he was really serious. He had more than once made her book hotel rooms, date appointments even once, in his desperate state to make sure she feel small he had even made her watch him have sex with another woman.
That was cruel. The imagery he was sure she could never forgive him for.
"Of course," he managed to shrug, "I was only kidding around. You should have seen your face, almost like that's all you dream about?"
She shook her head in mock shock, "Really, but I want you please, Xavier. Take me."
He gazed at her as she laughed utterly impressed by her little drama and her dramatic antics.
He wondered how she managed to look so beautiful even in a hospital gown that was thrice her size and bandaged face.
He sat next to her ignoring her comment of him being a busy man as he wondered what she would say if he told her he hadn't gone to work for a while now because he could barely concentrate on a damn project ever since she left.
"I've missed you, so much." He muttered.
She stopped smiling, her face now serious, almost grave and he hated himself for opening his mouth and putting that look on her face.
"I thought I'll never see you again. Thought I'll never hear you bark at some unlucky employee, thought I'll never see your face__"
"Insanely handsome face, you mean?" He interrupted a cocky smile on his face.
"I can see an acne on your impossibly handsome face."
His hand went to his face, believing her because he hadn't looked at himself in the mirror for a while.
"Where?" He blurted out in horror.
He looked at her scowling when he saw the smile on her face.
"Really?"
"You are so easy to get riled up. Such a girl,"
He glared at her, "Why would you even poke fun at me, in such a condition huh?"
"Condition? Am I pregnant? Crippled? Mute? Sick? __"
"No, No, No but you were kidnapped, beaten, starved and you took a damn bullet for me. That was stupid of you, Maya."
"I've never been the smartest and have never prided myself as such so you should expect such stupid decision from me henceforth." Her eyes met his and he saw the seriousness in them.
"Please," his voice was a hush, "Do anything else but don't make me go crazy with worry next, okay?"
"Why are you chiding me for saving your life, this is not how it plays in romantic movies." She blew out a fake exasperated breath aiming at making him laugh, but he held her hand.
"Because I'm undeserving and not some hero. This is not a movie too, this is my reality, your reality."
"Yes, you are a jerk." She snorted.
He nodded in support.
"A selfish, cocky conceited boss."
"That's me." He concurred.
"Insensitive too, cold with no humane feeling. You trash human beings out of your life and go through women like toiletries."
"I have newspapers and social media to prove your claim."
"You are also rude, do strange things that just don't add up to me, and have a mission to make my life a living hell."
He nodded.
"That was who I'd say you were a few months ago. But not anymore, Xavier. You are more than just my arrogant boss, now. You have become a friend, a good friend of mine and I do things for my friend."
"Like take a bullet for them?" He asked in disbelief.
"I'm a very selfless person so of course," she had a cocky smile on her face that made Xavier shake his head. Of course, he was bound to rub off on her, teaching her his infamous character.
"Selfless people don't say they are selfless, Maya."
"Proud people don't admit their pride and enormous ego."
"I put extra in proud then," he shrugged, "I'm just that amazing."
"Me too. I'm amazingly selfless."
"No... that's not how things work and why are you stealing my line?"
"It is not copyrighted so, I don't have to seek permission to use them."
And 10 minutes later as he continued bickering with Maya, while he explained to her the concept of generating one's line and how it requires intelligence and creativity, something he told her she lacked, he realized this was them.
Her just recovering from a gun injury, him being soaked with blood as a result of her gun wound and none of that had mattered the minute he had seen her.
This was a meaningful bond, this was special, this was the magic only Maya could create and that was why she was his favorite girl, the only girl too and soon he was going to make her realize he intend on keeping her.
He was no joker, he was ready to commit to her, try out this thing called relationship with her because well, she was Maya.
He strides out of the hospital room after Jasmine had threatened to scream so loud in the lobby of the hospital if he, in her words, "Didn't get his amazing butt out of that room and let her speak to her stupid superheroine best friend."