The Night Watch ✓

16 / cleaning out the closet

Kit was gone when Bree woke up, rolling over to see that the other side of the bed was empty, and her heart sank. After exhausting themselves the night before, she had put together a basic supper and they had gone to bed together, fully satisfied. But now he was gone, and she was alone. That realisation made it harder to get out of bed. At some point, he had left, and she hadn't even noticed. He had taken advantage of her being embedded in a deep sleep, and he had snuck out silently.

The fact that she cared was new. Never before had it bothered her when she had woken up alone, and usually, it was preferred, but she lay on her back with her eyes on the ceiling and she felt a melancholy twist in her gut. She sat up and looked out of the window, but his flat was dark and she couldn't see if he was there.

She could hear the kettle, however. Gaia must be home, she thought, and she took a deep breath. There was something going on that she couldn't figure out, and she got the distinct feeling that she had done something wrong but as she wracked her brains, she couldn't come up with anything. They never fought. Perhaps a falling out had been overdue, and something had been brewing for a while. Bree dragged herself out of bed, vowing to face her friend and ask what was going on. Pulling on a silky dressing gown that just about covered her, she steeled herself for an awkward conversation and opened her door.

Gaia wasn't there.

Kit was, though. He stood over the kettle, watching it as it boiled, and he was wearing one of Bree's dressing gowns, deliciously thick material with cat ears on the hood. The sight melted her heart and she leant against the door frame, watching him. He was humming to himself, bobbing his head as he poured boiling water into two mugs, and Bree's disappointment grew into a smile that flourished on her lips. He bare feet silent on the floorboards, she crept over to him as he took the milk out of the fridge, treating the place like he owned it.

"Morning," she said, standing behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Kit jumped when he heard her right behind him, and then he relaxed beneath her touch. She raised herself up on her toes and rested her chin on his shoulder, watching as he stirred the mugs.

"Morning," he parroted, and he turned his head to kiss her. He tasted like sleep, but it didn't bother her, and she tucked herself under his arm to get closer, pressing her body against his as they kissed. This was real. That was all she could think. Whatever this was, with Kit, it was real and tangible and she could hold his hands and kiss his lips rather than resigning to fantasies. But, no matter how much she craved him, she struggled to ignore the niggle at the back of her mind that wept Gaia. They needed to talk, if only for Bree to find out why she was acting so odd.

"Whatcha making?" She placed her hand on his chest and felt the steady thud of his heart beneath her fingers. The pace was much slower than hers and she revelled in the steady beat that calmed her own.

"Coffee," he said, and he handed her one of the mugs. "You were still asleep and I felt the need. Figured you'd want one too." He flashed her that disarming grin again. "I hope you don't mind. I'm not very good at staying in bed once I'm awake."

"I don't mind at all." Bree took a tentative sip, to find that Kit had made it perfectly. "I thought you'd done a runner on me, so this is a nice surprise. And this coffee is perfect, by the way." She breathed in the delicious scent and the surface of her coffee rippled when she exhaled.

"I would never do that," Kit said. He nuzzled Bree's hair, kissing the top of her head as though he couldn't bear to be parted from her for even a few minutes, and it equally comforted and terrified her. When he held her, she felt indestructible. But when he let go, she felt vulnerable, and that was what scared her the most. Relying on people had never been part of her make-up, especially not people she was sleeping with, but she had let her heart down that path and she couldn't figure out how she felt about that.