Happy Merry Everything (Charlie Barber)

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You stirred before your alarm was due to go off the next morning. The sky outside your window was still painted with shades of night; it was just dark enough to make you question the time. You were comfortably cocooned in blankets, the weight of which a soothing siren's song for slumber. Your hand patted the bed beside you and you whimpered. Your fingers roamed the mattress in search of Charlie, but he was nowhere to be found. Though he himself was missing, the temperature of the sheets clued you in. Though they were growing cold, you could still feel a hint of his warmth. You gently lifted your head in your drowsiness; your body unhurriedly as you heard the bathroom door creak open. "Charlie?" you asked, propping yourself up.

"Go back to sleep, baby. It's early."

You could tell he was just as weary; the rich timbre of his voice was deeper now as it was every morning from a night of heavy rest. He shucked off his pajama pants, taking his underwear with it before he crawled into bed again. You yawned, lifting the sheets as you snuggled in close.

"Mmm...You're naked," you chirped, half asleep, lying your head against his chest. Even though your eyelids were heavy, you could still appreciate the feeling of his bare skin. Charlie let out a low gravel-like moan and moved to tug the shirt of his you were wearing over your head. You shifted, obliging despite your groggy state, and came to rest against him once more, skin on skin. His fingers toyed with the elastic of your panties, slowly but surely coaxing the material down until your backside was fully exposed. Gingerly, he held the cheek in his hand, kneading your ass until you both fell back to sleep.

When you roused for the second time, you whined, alone again. Only this time, the telltale aroma of Charlie's favorite coffee swirled in the air above you. Your love was much closer than you realized. As you sat up, you rearranging the pillows for your comfort and searched the sheets for your shirt. You had just lifted the comforter over your head to peer underneath when you heard his voice.

"Well, good morning," said Charlie, amused. "Building a tent without me?"

You returned the duvet to its rightful place and looked over to find him lurking in the doorway; he was wearing only boxers and holding two cups of coffee. You reached out for him with both arms. Charlie came closer, exhibiting caution as the mugs were quite full and set them down on the nightstand before getting back in with you.

"I bumped the heat up a few degrees. It was cold in the living room. I didn't want you to be when you got up," he yawned. "And since I was up, you know me..." He smiled softly.

"You made coffee?"
"I made coffee."

You stretched as a yawn escaped your own lips. Although you were snuggled against him, he wasn't close enough for your liking. You slung a leg around his waist and threw your arm across his chest. Using every bit of energy you could muster, with all your might shifted him closer. Charlie giggled, happily providing the cuddles you were after and let his lips rest against your forehead.

"You need me this close?"
"Mmhmm," you hummed, pecking the apple of his throat. You kissed along the sides of his neck and jaw before your lips like gentle ocean waves crashed languidly into his.

"Coffee?"
"Please."

He sat up fully despite your pouts and carefully passed you a coffee cup; he picked up his own soon after. The beverage itself was the perfect temperature. You could feel the mellowness of the liquid as it traveled down your body, warming you from the inside out.

"I was thinking at some point we should talk to Henry about Halloween," you said, settling back against the pillows. Charlie took a sip from his mug and cleared his throat.

"I wanted to talk to you about that."