Time After Time

When Rose woke up, she didn't remember why she was so happy yet so tired at the same time. It was bright outside and she was trying to remember why she was happy. She brushed her face with her palms and wondering why the bed felt so small. So Rose looked at the other side of the bed and she almost jumped because she was so surprised to see Gustav was lying there, sleeping without any clothes on.

Then she remembered.

We did it?

Rose blinked.

We did it… oh God, we actually did it…

She lied down again, embarrassed but really really happy. Somewhere inside her head, she couldn't tell whether she deserved this; deserved to sleep with him. But she was happy. She was so happy. She stared at her bedroom's floor where she could see the evidence of what happened last night, because all their clothes were lying there, scattering around in a mess. Rose sighed, enjoying her happy feeling and the sound of Gustav's breathing in his sleep next to him. Now her bedroom slightly smelled like him, like his house, like his clothes.

She got up and grabbed her shirt to go to the bathroom. Lestat was sleeping at the end of corridor and Rose knew she was so happy because she felt like kissing Lestat because she was so thankful for what jus happened.

He was still sleeping when she came back from the bathroom. He didn't move at all but Rose could hear the sound of his breath. Again. It sounded like the greatest sound in the world. Gustav looked so peaceful and calm in his sleep. She just realized that when he's asleep, he doesn't look sad just like when he's awake. Maybe because when he sleeps, he doesn't have to remember that he can't be the part of Young Guns again.

Rose climbed on the bed and moved closer to him.

He didn't show any reaction prior to her move so she leaned closer and kiss his cheek. She chuckled and she kissed his forehead. He was mumbling something that sounds like, "No, don't, that's my sandwich. You can take the Vegemite one." before he was fast asleep again. Rose kissed his cheek gently again before she stroke his hair, feeling it between her fingers and kissed his shoulder.

After a while, she stopped and close her eyes, ready to fall asleep again.

But then he moved and he faced her.

"… you're not gonna kiss me when I'm asleep again?"

"You're awake?"

"Since you kissed my forehead. I was too sleepy but I can feel you," he hugged her and pulled her closer. "Good morning, Rose."

She smiled, "Good morning, Gustav."

There was a moment of silent as they snuggled each other.

"So… what are we going to do today?" Rose mumbled.

"I don't know. I don't feel like doing anything."

"I don't feel like doing anything either… but I'm hungry."

"Well, it's 11 am in the afternoon and we haven't have any breakfast, so…"

"Yeah…"

"…"

"…"

"I'm hungry too, Rose. I'll seriously eat a kangaroo if there is any this time."

They both chuckled.

Rose yawned and bury her face on his chest. She closed her eyes and mumbled, "Let's get up in ten minutes." She could feel Gustav kissed her head and resting his chin on there, "Alright." She smiled. If there was something so great about being with him was that everything feels so natural. She couldn't tell whether there was a difference before Gustav kissed her on the lips and after. They were happy and they were still happy at that moment. She was sure that they will still feel happy as well in the future, even though she didn't know how.

***
Life turned into some kind of warm, fuzzy, amazing dream for Rose Lette. They still visited places together, laughing and chatting on their way to get there. Sometimes when they walked together, Rose wanted to hold Gustav's hand but she was getting nervous all the time. Then he would stop walking, stared at her and understand straight away, so he took her hand and they walked together hand in hand. Every time that happened, Rose still didn't understand how could he kept seeing that in her face and that was one of the greatest feeling in the world.

When they were at his or her house, they almost always end up snuggling each other somwehere for a very long time.

She found it to be absolutely bizarre to see Gustav kissed her every time he had chance to do so. He would hug her from behind while she was making their dinner or when she brushed her teeth. Most of the time, he didn't say anything. He just hugged her, saying nothing before he finally let go and doing his own business. The rest of the time, he would sit somewhere very close to where Rose sit and stood somewhere near Rose stood, like a big cat that felt to be as near as possible with its owner.

And Rose would smiled before she kissed his forehead or gave him a peck on his lips. He usually stared at her rightly after, obviously asking for more. When Rose could give him more, she would give it straight away. But when she couldn't, she would run her fingers through his hair, ruffle it and saying things like, 'I'll be finish cooking by ten minutes. Can you wait for me for ten minutes?'

And he would nod, even though she could clearly see that he didn't want to wait. Mostly, after times like that, he would come to Lestat to play with him as if playing with Lestat would make Rose finishes her business faster.

They also chatted a lot when they feel like it. Gustav would tell her about his Norwegian father that he never really felt get along with and how he never visited Norway before 2010. Rose would tell him about what she knew about her parents and he would be a little surprised to hear that Rose was half Ukrainian from his father and has Huk as her surname but she later adapted Angela's surname who was her English mother's cousin. She never visited Ukraine and she said she would love to, someday, just like how Gustav visited Norway.

Sometimes they slept on Rose's bed, sometimes on Gustav's. Sometimes they made love, sometimes they just telling story to each other until they were completely tired and fall asleep only few hours before the sun rises. Sometimes, just sometimes, Lestat would come up between them and begging for attention from them since they spend so much time together.

***
Some time after, they met Angela, the cousin of Rose's mother, the woman who pretty much raised Rose Lette, when they visited a fruit market to buy watermelon because summer was coming. Angela was a middle-aged woman with cocoa colored hair, dark green eyes and big warm smile. Gustav was really polite when Rose introduced him to her and Rose got a her phone ringing shortly after she did that.

"Sorry, I need to pick this up. The call is from my boss."

Both Gustav and Angela nodded.

Angela smiled as she stared at Rose in the distance before she stared at Gustav. Gustav smiled back at her but he looked nervous. "Sorry, I kind of feel like I'm meeting Rose's mother," he said. Angela chuckled, "If you think about it, I'm pretty much Rose's mother. I really wish I am. She's still the best daughter in the world. … I just wish she knows that she's better than she thinks she is."

Gustav stared at Angela. He didn't understand.

"As she grows up, she always think that there's something wrong with her for having real blood parents who done crime and the fact that no one would look after her in the family except me. Even though she grew up into a brave, honest and kind lady, sometimes you could see her very nervous when she's about to do something because she doesn't think she can do her best… because she doesn't worth it," Angela said. "But we both know that she deserves it."

He stared at Rose before he stared back at Angela.

"Why did you tell me all this?" he asked.

Angela stared at Gustav as she smiled. There was something in the way she looked at him, "Because I can see that she's very happy to be with you. When she's with you, I can see that she feels she deserves to be happy."

Gustav chuckled, "I feel honoured. She really does deserve to be happy. She's been… she's always been very kind to me."

"But Gustav…"

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"I never thought Rose would date someone from Young Guns."

He was totally surprised she knew, "Y-you know about me?"

"I work part time as high school teacher and usually I know the students better as a person rather than as a student in the high school itself. They want to talk to me about things and let me visit their house. Some of them are big fans of your band. It is weird for someone as old as me to know a lot about rock band."

Gustav smiled shyly.

Angela added, "But I don't see any problem with that. There's no problem with that at all. I know that you currently on a break of your career and I hope you can continue it. In the mean time, I hope you won't mind if I ask you to take care of Rose."

He smiled, "Of course, Ma'am. Thank you."

Some other time, Gustav and Rose hang out with Gabriella and her musician boyfriend. At one time, Gabriella's boyfriend couldn't make it, so there were only three of them. Four, with Lestat, hanging around city mall, where they then decided to sit and enjoy cakes and coffee after almost four hours of walking around. After they ordered, Rose jumped off her chair and said that she left one of her shopping bag in store that they visited before. After she left, it kind of feel official for Gustav and Gabriella to talked about her.

"So, Gabriella, you know Rose for quite a while. What kind of friend is she?" Gustav asked before he sipped his flat white.

Gabriella was making the face that shows that she was thinking hard before she answered, "She's the best friend I have even though the majority of the time, I don't understand her. Well, you know her good enough to understand when I say I don't understand how can she like so many things and liking none of them at the same time. She read a lot of book, watch a lot of movie, listen to a lot of music and none of those could get her hooked up or anything. Even big songs from big musicians. She just sat there, entertained and the next second, all she was thinking about was whether she ran out of cheese and milk and she forgets everything. Sometimes I got the feeling that if I was a guy, I would totally try to make her fall in love with me, because it would be interesting to see Rose Lette obsessed with something. I guess God somehow answered my prayer by sending you here. It's pretty cute to see her care so much about you. It's even weirdly amazing when I see the way she stares at you."

Gustav chuckled, "She is indeed one peculiar lady."

"Do you think she will be able to handle it?"

"What?"

"When you get back with Young Guns and singing again… where do you think you'll see her at that time?"

He sighed, "I don't know whether I will be singing again, Gabriella."

Gabriella smiled, "I don't know either. I just get the feeling that someday you will. And I'm not just saying this because I really really like Young Guns. I hope I can represent the majority of Young Guns' fans when I tell you that we're with you, whatever happened to you."

Gustav smiled at Gabriella. "Thank you for your words. To be honest, Gab, I was thinking you were going to keep freaking out every time you see me," he said.

"I am. I am freaking out right now because I realize that you're Gustav Wood. Of Young Guns. I watched your interview, I saw you on stage and I read about you in magazines. But you're also someone that Rose really care about and that kinda change the whole thing. Like, for example, if you make her cry or anything, I will still smash you in the head with guitar, even though you're Gustav Wood. And that will hurt a lot."

He laughed, "I'm pretty sure you will never have to do that."

"I hope so," she chuckled.