The First Morning Home

When you wake up this time, the first thing you notice is that there is a warm, soft object pressed up against you.

The next is the soft murmuring and breathing you hear from someone who isn’t you.

Looking down, your vision is filled with red. Blinking, the memories of last night return all at once. You grin as Sam huffs in her sleep, her breath washing across your collarbone as she nuzzles closer to you instinctively. You glance over to the nightstand to check the time, and your mood sours slightly when you see that it’s almost 9:00.

You are left in a dilemma; get up and leave this delightful situation, or stay here and endure the teasing and constant questions from your mother and sister?

Much as you hate to admit it, the latter would probably befall Sam too, so you feel as though you need to be responsible here. Sighing, you look over the girl who clings to you. She’s got a very firm grip, and your legs are tangled. Either she’s part koala or she really likes cuddling you.

It takes several minutes and a great deal of shifting and prying, but you eventually manage to extricate yourself from Sam’s grip, after which she grumbles unconsciously and hugs a pillow to her chest. You take a moment to look at her, hidden though she might be under the covers, before going into the en-suite bathroom.

About half an hour later, as you walk out of the shower, you are greeted by the simultaneously adorable and arousing sight of Sam, nude from the hips up, yawning as she sits in your bed. You decide that you don’t have to feel ashamed about ogling for a moment as she slowly realizes you’re there. The way her eyes widen and her face goes red as she registers your presence (and the way you’re eyeing her) are things of beauty.

“Hey there.” You let your grin grow and clearly display your satisfaction with what you see. “Sleep well?” Her expression turns unimpressed.

“Yes, actually.” She glances away. “Very well.” She mutters something you can’t quite hear, but which sounds vaguely like ‘best I have in ages’ before turning back to you. “We expecting something?”

“Not anything life-threatening, if that’s what you’re wondering. Breakfast might be on, though.”

“Food is good.” She falls back onto the bed, and your eyes lock onto a particularly jiggly part of her body as she impacts. “Gimme a few and I’ll be there.”

“All right then….” Tearing your eyes away from the (mouth-wateringly, delectably) tantalizing sight of the naked girl wrapped up in your sheets from the waist down, you manage to get dressed. By the time you’ve gotten ready to face the day, you notice that the redhead apparently managed to get into the bathroom without you noticing. Shrugging, you step out of your room, briefly looking back and forth down the hall. You had done this every morning you woke up here; it sort of helped to remind you that this place was ‘home’ now. You remembered from the weekend where the main dining room was; it seemed a little impossible that only two days had passed since then.

That you were not the first one there was not surprising. But when you entered the room, you didn’t expect the only other person to be sitting to be Heather.

“Mornin’, Michael.”

“Hey, Heather...” You raise an eyebrow as you walk over to the table (because of course your parents still have the kitchen staff on the grounds, probably also evacuated their families to here for safety’s sake. The breakfast buffet is still just as ridiculous now as it was last time you were here though) that almost overflows with food. Granted, that’s a slight exaggeration, especially with your new guests, but the amount of food available was somewhat more than necessary for your family alone. “Wanted the extra hours, huh?”

“I’m used to early days at this point, honestly.” The brunette shrugs, staring at her empty plate with her lips pursed in a way that you can only classify as distractingly cute. “Had to sign up for early classes a few times in the last couple of years, so I got past any habit of sleeping in I might have had a long time ago out of necessity.” She glances at the food selection as you walk back to the dinner table with your collected breakfast. “I guess eating would be wise, yeah?”

“Probably.” Swallowing a spoonful of cereal, you briefly wonder where Sam is as Heather gets up from the table. You suddenly hear something move, but when you look around there’s nothing.

And then you hear a nearly-silent giggle.