>The Morning Afters [Julian | Gaila | closed ]

[kukalaka_n_me]

[Julian was having a wonderful morning. He wasn't sure if he'd stopped smiling yet. Was he humming, even? He'd awoken early, and had been pleased to find Gaila still curled up against him. He'd stayed watching her sleep for a while, marveling at how he'd managed to find a woman who seemed to accept him just the way he was. Then he'd very carefully

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[aeruginous]

[ gaila was in the middle of a dream that made very little sense, as dreams tend not to. but the scent of bacon defied the whole pseudologic of it and slowly she was pulled out, sensations of the real world coming gradually into focus. she opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first though she felt quite rested, and wondered why in the hell there was so much noise going on in her quarters.

and then she remembered these weren't her quarters.

and shot up immediately.

the bed was definitely julian's. the room was definitely julian's. and the very, very faint sound of humming was definitely julian's. she hadn't left last night. mortification struck her. gaila had fallen asleep.

gaila did not fall asleep in other people's beds, especially when she made the promise not to. and she certainly didn't sleep through the feeling of someone getting out of the bed beside her, or the sound of them exiting the room. she'd told him she was a light sleeper and she was, but apparently the feeling of protection she'd felt cocooned in his embrace had

[kukalaka_n_me]

Good morning, sleepyhead.

[Julian announced with a cheery smile as he entered, pleased to see that Gaila was awake, and he wasn't going to have to disturb her sleep. He carefully set the tray down on the edge of the bed, and then perched on the edge of the bed beside her, leaning in to kiss her cheek.]

I wasn't sure what sort of breakfast you like to eat in the morning, so I just...got a variety of things. Hopefully something here will take your fancy. The coffee is sumatran, very rich and earthy, but mellow too. Not bitter at all.

[aeruginous]

[ she'd paused, eyes on him for only a moment and then drawn almost immediately to the absolute smorgasbord of food he brought in. gaila probably couldn't eat that much if she had all day to work on it, but it looked amazing and smelled even better. she was staring at it so intently she barely felt the kiss.

no! she was getting distracted from what was important. her clothes, which were made no easier to locate when he set the tray down and sat beside her. now she only had one side of the bed from which to climb off, and her sheet was pinned under him. oh damn, damn, damn! ]

Why didn't you wake me up? I said I wasn't going to stay the night. And where is my stupid bra?

[kukalaka_n_me]

[He shrugged at her, bemused by her tone.]

You were so soundly asleep it seemed a shame to wake you and make you get up and leave.

I don't exactly remember where it is. [He did helpfully scan the floor though.] But...there's no rush, is there? Why don't you have something to eat first. I've already showered, so you can take as long as you want.

[He leaned towards the tray and grabbed a slice of melon, biting into it and then offering it to her.]

[aeruginous]

Of course there's a rush! I was supposed to be out of here last night!

[ she put her face in her hands, not chipper enough to deal with the flurry of emotions: frustration, anger, distress. not to mention hunger. she was sure she wasn't even that hungry, the food just smelled so...

not helping.

her fingers slid back into her hair and she tried to comb through it as best she could while conjuring a plan to get out of this bed. she pointedly ignored the melon - which wasn't too hard, as it was far from her favourite. if he'd selected a pastry instead she might be having trouble. ]

[kukalaka_n_me]

[Seeing as he could no longer pretend that she was in a good mood with him, he frowned slightly, not liking her body language or the exasperation in her voice one bit. He did his best, though, not to take her terseness and refuse to accept his offering too personally.]

So you fell asleep. It's not the end of the world, Gaila. Haven't you ever done that before? I was exhausted myself, barely keeping my eyes open at the end. We did rather wear each other out.

[He attempted to stroke his fingertips soothingly across her bare shoulders.]

There's probably still time to go back to your place before your shift, if you need a change of clothes.

[aeruginous]

[ duh, she needed a change of clothes. she wasn't even thinking about that. she certainly couldn't get much work done in a pair of heels. she could get even less done in a sheet.

nonetheless, she tried to calm herself down, bit by bit. panic was never the answer, and he hadn't meant to dupe her. she couldn't deny how comfortable she'd felt as she fell asleep, even if she didn't remember what the last words he'd said to her were. and it hadn't felt bad, exactly, to wake up in his room. just strange, and like she'd reneged on an agreement with herself. ]

I don't usually do it, no. But I'm not usually that comfortable with someone either. I didn't think about it.

[ she shook her head. all these things catching her by surprise. it was so annoying. ]

[kukalaka_n_me]

[At least Gaila was allowing him to touch her. And she'd felt comfortable with him last night, that was something to be pleased about. However...]

Was it really so bad, waking up in my bed, that you're feeling uncomfortable now? I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but I honestly didn't think it would bother you this much.

[It saddened him to think that she hadn't enjoyed the experience the way that he had.]

[aeruginous]

[ she held in a sigh. she wasn't sure there was any explanation that would make it sound reasonable. ]

It's got nothing to do with you. It's instinctive, I guess. It makes feel unprotected.

[ unfortunately she did feel protected with him. him, not his bed or his room, which she still didn't know well enough. she'd relaxed since he'd entered. like she could trust julian to be as conscientious as her about about intrusions into his quarters, to have the door locked. therefor alleviating the problem by creating a whole new one. ]

[kukalaka_n_me]

[Julian nodded solemnly, watching her face for further signs of annoyance or disquiet. He'd hoped that waking up in his bed would have been a comfort, not something to feel panicky about. But old habits died hard. He couldn't begin to imagine the kind of experiences she must have had for it to become instinctive to feel unsafe in a bed that was not her own.]

Okay.

[He gave a small sigh, and tentatively rested his cheek on her shoulder.]

Next time I promise I'll wake you up and give you the option to head for the door. Or next time we could...have dinner at your place.

[aeruginous]

[ he was accommodating her. even if he'd rather fall asleep next to her, he sympathised with her needs over his own. it's wasn't exactly unexpected, but it still make her smile, and she turned her head to kiss him very gently. ]

Thanks. I think I could try having breakfast here, though, for today.

[kukalaka_n_me]

[Julian appreciated the kiss. Felt as though the galaxy had somewhat righted itself again. It was alarming how easily his mood could be affected by Gaila's, and how swiftly his spirits could plummet when she wasn't happy with him. He attempted an easy smile.]

Well, that's a relief, because I did order for two, and despite my usual robust appetite, I think this might have been pushing it.

[aeruginous]

[ the thought him piling food back into the replicator to be dematerialised, had she succeeded in storming out, was not at all pleasant.

there wasn't really room for breakfast in bed at the academy. and before that... well, it wasn't an age for such things. she didn't feel it was something she'd been missing, but she appreciated it now, and she'd always liked the concept. gaila pulled the sheet more securely around her chest and stretched onto her side, toward the end of the bed, and plucked a strawberry from the assortment of fruit. it had been a long time since she'd one. ]

I think you ordered for more than two, babe.

[ a playful mutter as she brought the strawberry to her lips. she didn't even notice the endearment at the end. ]

[kukalaka_n_me]

[Julian couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at her and chuckle a little.]

I don't think I've ever been called that before, but I like it.

[He leaned past her to snag another piece of bacon.]

As for the food, well...I didn't have the faintest idea what you usually have. So, I decided to give you plenty of options. That way I was bound to have included something which pleased you.

[aeruginous]

You please me.

[ but she liked all the effort he went through for her. how much he wanted to make her happy. she finished her strawberry and smiled. ]

But so do strawberries and pastries and orange juice. And maybe sumatran coffee.

[ she propped herself up, discarding the leaf of her strawberry and taking a mug. it was warm but not hot, and she sipped deeply, trusting his claim that it was not as bitter as a raktajino. it certainly wasn't; she found it quite enjoyable. ]

And definitely sumatran coffee.

[kukalaka_n_me]

[Julian could get used to hearing such things. He stroked Gaila's upper arm, shifting closer a little as he munched on his own treat.]

More bacon for me, then.

As for the coffee, I often feel like it's the same as sampling wine. It's fun to try different varieties and find the ones you like. Kenyan coffee is also one of my faves. A little more crisp and tangy, but without too much bitterness.