NICO
Waking up with Scarlett in my arms is a feeling I never could’ve prepared myself for. Especially when I look down and see her smiling in her sleep.
I pull her closer, feeling a rush of relief that she didn’t leave early like last time.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re an incredibly cuddly sleeper?” comes her muffled, sleepy voice.
I grin even though she can’t see me. “Has anyone ever told you that you snore like a cartoon character?”
She freezes. “You’re lying.”
I muffle my laughter.Iamlying.“Nope. You had both the big snorts and cute little wheezes down pat.”
Another pause.
And then she rolls onto her back with a sigh. “Welp, I guess it can’t be worse than the sound of me vomiting for hours.”
I snicker down at her as I lift onto one elbow. I love that she’s comfortable enough to joke about imperfections now. “To be fair, not much would be worse than that.”
Finally, she lets a smile emerge. She stares at me, and I stare back.
“So…what do we do now?” she asks.
I grin. “Now…I feed you.” Scooping her into my arms, I jump from bed and stride down the hallway to the kitchen. “Eggs and bacon okay? Or do you have a breakfast food request? They usually only stock the fighter fridges with basic food, but I can go out to get something if you want.”
“Eggs would be great,” she says with a smile as I set her on the barstool. “Thank you.”
I smack a kiss to her cheek before turning to the oven and grabbing the skillet. “So polite. Now, how do you like your eggs?”
“Scrambled, please.”
“Do you want toast with it? I think they put some bread in here?—”
“No toast.”
Her answer is so flat and instantaneous that I find myself turning around with raised eyebrows. Scarlett looks just as surprised by the speed of her answer.
“Umm, no toast, please,” she rephrases carefully. “I’m still full from that burger last night.”
Baby steps, I guess.
Once the pan is hissing with the eggs I dumped in it, I decide…Fuck it, I’m just going to ask.
“So, are you busy today? Or can you hang out for a little bit?”
Translation: are you working today?
Her hesitation makes me tense up. But then she says, “I’m not busy. At all, actually.”
I paste a charming smile on my face that even Lucas would be proud of and turn around. “Want to come with me to a suit fitting then?”
She blinks at me. “Uhh…sure.” Then she shakes her head and asks, “You have the mostrandomideas for dates, Nico.”
I lean back against the counter with a grin. “Who said it was a date?”
But when I see a flash of doubt in her eyes, I quickly step forward to lean across the counter and take her lips in a kiss. “You should assume everything is a date from here on out,” I murmur.
I love the way she relaxes at that. So much so that I kiss her again.
