Good Morning

Twentieth Morning

The next morning finds them both lying curled around each other on the sofa, the TV on mute and the static of the screen dancing across their faces. The smell of coffee wafts up from somewhere downstairs, but neither of them move, content to bask in the warmth of the sun filtering through the curtains, lazily warming the space around them.

"Morning, sunshine," Jay murmurs softly.

Nya smirks, turning to meet his gaze, her fingers trailing along his jawline. She smiles when he returns it.

"How come you always wake up earlier than me?" she wonders aloud, idly tracing circles in his stubble.

Jay sighs, his brow furrowing, and turns his attention to the window, watching the last rays of sunlight disappear beyond the horizon.

"I don't know, honestly," he admits quietly, scratching absently at the back of his head. He looks tired today, even though he slept like the dead, tossing and turning fitfully throughout most of the night, unable to get comfortable with Nya sprawled out beside him. Well, more like she would wiggle out of his embrace to get more comfortable and then he would whimper and search her out, returning her his hold. An endless game of cat and mouse. Now that the morning has arrived, however, there's no denying that he feels more awake, alert, and energized than he probably should be after getting less sleep than he usually does.

"Is it because of your element?"

"Probably." He pauses for a moment, lost in concentration. "Huh, I never thought of it like that, but I think you are right. I've always had this inexhaustible internal energy. No matter what I do or how hard I push myself, it always feels like I still have the wiggles."

"Or something to say," Nya interjects and Jay shoots her a scathing glance.

Nya sits up suddenly, leaning forward to peer intently at something outside, but when she pulls back, her expression is blank, and she seems distracted, almost dazed. A frown mars her forehead and she rubs her thumb over her bottom lip. After a moment, she shrugs, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Oh," she mutters, "it's nothing." Then she winces. "Actually, yeah, it is something. If we don't move soon the others will find us."

Jay shakes his head, grinning sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," he insists.

She stares at him for a while, searching his face with those sharp eyes, her lips pursed, and Jay thinks that she might say something else, but instead, she lets out a huff of exasperation and drops back into the cushions with a heavy sigh.

"If they find us, you will get into more trouble than me," she insists.

"How do you knows they haven't found us already, and are minding their own business?" Jay protests, trying to keep the grin from spreading across his face.

Nya rolls her eyes.

"And give up a golden opportunity to harass us? Well, mostly you."

Jay grins wider, rolling onto his back and stretching his arms above his head.

"If staying up late on the couch watching a movie means I get to wake up next to a beautiful goddess in the morning, it's worth all the teasing from the guys later."

Nya laughs, and Jay can practically feel her relax beneath him.

Beautiful goddess? Her cheeks are ablaze. Jay certainly does have a way with words. She snuggles into him, no longer worried about being discovered by the others, content with staying in his warm embrace forever.