Time After Time

It was dark. Rose was lying on her bed, sleeping, when she heard her phone buzzing. She took it and stare at the screen that showered her eyes with blinding light. She read the name on the screen and groan before she picked up the phone.

"… why?" she groaned.

"You're still sleeping? How could you still sleeping?"

"I'm gonna wake up in thirty minutes… I'm supposed to wake up in thirty minutes!"

"Are you sure you're not going to oversleep? I don't want us to be late, you know."

"What are you chasing, really? Hyams Beach? It's not going anywhere."

"… I'm just really excited."

"…"

Rose sat and smiled, "I know you are. Alright, I'm awake now… I'm walking to wash my face now…" she walked to the bathroom sleepily. She could hear him chuckling on the other side. "… and I'm hanging up now 'cause I need to get ready. Have you get ready?"

"I, uh, I packed everything up last night so…"

She laughed, "Alright, just give me five minutes. Then go here. I'm going to need your help to make sandwich."

"Of course I'm going there! I need to make sure you don't bring any Vegemite sandwich."

"… alright. See ya in five minutes."

"See ya."

They both hang up and she stared at her phone, smiling.

Yesterday, Gustav and her had decided that they are going to a lot of beach in Jervis Bay area. She said it would be fun if they have breakfast in there so they need to leave really early. But this is too early… she thought sleepily as she checked out the window.

On the other side, she was really happy that Gustav was so excited to go. He knew a lot of stuff that Rose didn't know and she remembered once she told him, 'You're kind of like walking Wikipedia, aren't you?' but Rose knew better about Jervis Bay and the beaches that they are going to visit today. When she told him that there's a big chance that they can see a lot of wild kangaroo, he stared at her, asking 'Really?' while his eyes widened, like a child who've been told that there's going to be living dinosaurs at the school today.

Rose slipped on her jeans and T-shirt before Gustav knocked on the door. He was standing with one big canvas bag filled his stuffs and big wide smile on his face.

"Good morning!" he greeted happily.

"Good morning," Rose replied. She was still pretty sleepy but his enthusiasm made her a little more awake. "You look ready."

"I sure am! Where' Lestat? I bet he's still sleeping…"

Rose chuckled, "He can continue sleeping in the car."

They agreed to split the duty to drive the car. They drove as the sun rises slowly from the east. Rose needed to ask Gustav more than one time to replace him as the driver because he asked so many question and getting excited every single time he asked, 'Do you think we're going to see a kangaroo around here?' She showed him the direction and they became the only people who were there in Hyams Beach.

"It is said to be the beach with whitest sand in… Australia. Some say in the world, but I can't be too sure. Nevertheless, I think the beach looked great," she said as they sit, facing newborn sun and enjoying sand below their bodies.

"Mm. I just wanna see some kangaroo families."

"… I'm pretty sure we'll see one soon."

Lestat was running in distance, barking at the sea waves when he stopped.

Rose ate her sandwich slowly and she couldn't help watching Gustav's figure. She hated her sitting position. They sat a bit too close, but she could still him, his gaze was at horizon line on the sea and his expression was, again, unreadable.

He still looked sad, as if sad was his base component as human being, but Rose was happy because at least he looked relaxed. Wind was blowing once in a while, ruffling their hairs and Rose enjoyed the view of him putting his fringe back into place by shake his head once.

Then he noticed that she was staring at him.

Oh crap.

"You made that weird expression again," he said as he pointed his own face.

"… I did? I'm sorry, I…"

"Worried about me again?" his tone was soften.

Rose nodded. There was no point of lying. She cared about him and she wanted him to know and remember that.

His tone became serious when he said, "Don't worry. I still remember your words… I'll tell you when I'm ready, okay?"

Rose nodded slowly while she kept her eyes fixed on him, "… okay."

Gustav chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Wh-what? Why? Why did you do that?" she squealed, her face was red all over again.

He tilted his head slightly as he stared at her, "Why? You don't like that?"

"Well, um… uh…" she chuckled shyly. "I actually like it, but…"

He kissed her again. This time was on forehead.

"Gustav!"

"What? You said you like it!" he laughed.

"B-but I… aaargh!" she groaned as he kissed her cheek again. "You Kissing Monster!"

He laughed and try to pin her on the sand and she felt like she was going crazy.

Oh no, don't… please don't let this happen… I cant…

Luckily, Lestat came to save the day. He came to lick Rose's face and Gustav was faking a pout, "Looks like we're not alone anymore…"

"Lestat… don't! I have sunscreen all over my face…" she chuckled as the dog licked her face. "Lestat… sit!" Lestat whimpered and sit. "Good boy… good boy, Lestat," Rose rubbed the back of the dog's ear.

The rest of their time on the beach was fun. When they walked back to their car, there was a mother kangaroo and her little joey. When Gustav moved closer to them so he could take their picture, they jumped away. In the end, Rose took his photo with the two kangaroos on the background. She laughed a lot after that.

"What's with you and kangaroo, Gustav?" she was still chuckling when they drive to a nearest cafe because they both felt they need coffee.

"Nothing. I think they're just pretty awesome. They're… well… huge? And roam free. Imagine we have something like that in UK!"

"I'm glad that you're entertained. What about koala? Do you like koala?"

"I have a photo of me held one once. They're not very entertaining, are they? They're not… 2 metres tall."

"They surely are not kangaroo…"

When they reached the cafe, Gustav walked inside first to order the coffee while Rose was feeding Lestat who wasn't very happy because he couldn't running around anymore.

From the carpark, she saw him chatting with two girls. The girls' ages maybe only a little younger than Rose and they looked very excited. It was always hard to deny that Gustav was a good looking man, but he looked uncomfortable as he spoke to them. One of them was holding a tissue and the other was holding a pen. She was surprised. Are they trying to ask for his number? she chuckled in disbelieve, Girls nowadays…

Rose could see very clearly that Gustav didn't like that idea.

But the two girls kept insisting. She couldn't hear them, but she could guess those girls were saying, 'Please!' multiple times from the way their mouth moves.

Gustav looked angry for a second, before he looked as he had give up and then write something on the tissue. He didn't write number, for sure, because he moved his hand quickly, as he was writing signature.

What? Why?

The two girls looked happy and they finally left him alone. Rose watched them, confused. Now she believed that Gustav actually was someone famous. Not that royal family joke, of course, but someone who was famous enough to have two girls insisted to have his signature. He might be big back in UK and quite well known in some other parts of the world because his fame.

He became really quiet after that.

And it made Rose worried again because he wasn't as cheerful as before.