First morning on Risa [Paula/Hikaru]
Paula woke with the sun the morning after they arrived. Her first sight when her eyes opened was of the soft, white curtains draped over the bed stirring in the morning breeze, light filtering into the room through the open windows along with the sound of the waves washing onto the beach outside. Hikaru was snuggled warm and solid against her back, his arm thrown loosely over her waist, and Paula couldn’t think of a better way to wake up than to the feel of him wrapped around her, his breath warm and soft on her neck.
She shifted onto her back, careful not to disturb him as she turned. Hikaru was fast asleep, his handsome face peaceful and relaxed. They’d had a big day yesterday, with Leonard and Jim’s wedding and then traveling down here and getting settled into their bungalow. After their walk and that memorable shower, they’d fallen into bed and slept almost at once. And now they had their whole leave stretching before them. There was no reason to be awake this early, but Paula felt refreshed and wide-awake and decided it was no hardship. She didn’t want to waste a minute of their time together.
Her eyes kept stealing to his face as she thought about that moment last night when they’d said "I love you" for the first time, and Paula could feel the warm flush spreading over her skin as she remembered every detail. It wasn’t as though she’d needed to hear the words for reassurance, but the simple declaration had made her heart leap just the same. She reached out to stroke Hikaru’s hair back off his forehead and planted a soft, feather-light kiss on his cheek before slipping out of the bed.
Paula stretched, then padded naked into the bathroom. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused, a bemused smile on her face as she studied the wild tumble of waves hanging over her shoulders, her eyes falling on a faint mark on her collarbone. Her fingers brushed over it as she leaned forward for a closer look, her body going warm again as she remembered the moment she’d received the bite. There, in the shower, she thought, catching sight of it behind her in the mirror.
She shook her head, chuckling softly when she realized she was acting like a lovestruck teenager. When she was finished in the bathroom she picked up Hikaru’s shirt and tugged it over her head. The sleeves were too long and it ended high on her thighs, but she turned the sleeves up and tiptoed out to the kitchen to see what she could find for breakfast.
She shifted onto her back, careful not to disturb him as she turned. Hikaru was fast asleep, his handsome face peaceful and relaxed. They’d had a big day yesterday, with Leonard and Jim’s wedding and then traveling down here and getting settled into their bungalow. After their walk and that memorable shower, they’d fallen into bed and slept almost at once. And now they had their whole leave stretching before them. There was no reason to be awake this early, but Paula felt refreshed and wide-awake and decided it was no hardship. She didn’t want to waste a minute of their time together.
Her eyes kept stealing to his face as she thought about that moment last night when they’d said "I love you" for the first time, and Paula could feel the warm flush spreading over her skin as she remembered every detail. It wasn’t as though she’d needed to hear the words for reassurance, but the simple declaration had made her heart leap just the same. She reached out to stroke Hikaru’s hair back off his forehead and planted a soft, feather-light kiss on his cheek before slipping out of the bed.
Paula stretched, then padded naked into the bathroom. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused, a bemused smile on her face as she studied the wild tumble of waves hanging over her shoulders, her eyes falling on a faint mark on her collarbone. Her fingers brushed over it as she leaned forward for a closer look, her body going warm again as she remembered the moment she’d received the bite. There, in the shower, she thought, catching sight of it behind her in the mirror.
She shook her head, chuckling softly when she realized she was acting like a lovestruck teenager. When she was finished in the bathroom she picked up Hikaru’s shirt and tugged it over her head. The sleeves were too long and it ended high on her thighs, but she turned the sleeves up and tiptoed out to the kitchen to see what she could find for breakfast.