playing daddy ||a.i.||

[10] SPOONFULS

Ashton pictured Mellony's room to be a reflection of her. Bright and welcoming, just like the girl herself. It's actually the opposite, which surprised him a great deal once he realized it.

He didn't get much of a good look around the night before, for multiple reasons, but now, as he lays in her bed, he gets to have a look. Mellony had gotten up without waking him and is making breakfast, according to the sounds coming from the kitchen, so he has a few minutes up his sleeve.

The overall scheme is a moody brown, paired with the lavender color on her walls. It gives off the vibes of an edgy college freshman's dorm room, but Ashton thinks it still suits her despite the dark atmosphere.

He smiles to himself, laying back and locking his fingers together behind his head. Ashton is completely washed over with the feeling of bliss, just from spending the night with her. After they'd gotten Neo and carried his already sleeping body to his bed, he and Mellony crashed together in her room, easily slotting into place with each other under her comforter.

The bedroom door creaks open and a sliver of Neo's face appears in the empty space. "Mommy says breakfast is ready!" He yells, fitting only his mouth in between the door and the doorframe.

Ashton grins, lifting the covers from over his torso. He jokingly groans as he pushes himself up to stand.

"Alright, I'm comin'," He says, waving his hands at the child, then chuckling when Neo takes that as a sign that he's being chased and takes off down the hall.

It occurs to him that Neo has seen him lounging shirtless in his mother's bed, but then again, he's almost five, so he shouldn't have any ideas besides mommy and Ashton had a sleepover.

He finds the shirt he'd shed last night where he dropped it, at the foot of Mellony's bed, and pulls it over his unruly bed hair.

The air in the hallway smells of Saturday mornings at his mom's house, pleasantly clinging to all of the areas surrounding the dining table.

Ashton sees Mellony at the stove, flipping what's most likely a pancake in a skillet. Focus wrinkles her forehead, which Ashton finds downright adorable.

He does a sweep of the living room with his eyes, making sure Neo isn't around the kitchen. He hears the tap run in the bathroom, confirming that the little boy is occupied with something else.

As quietly as he can, Ashton tiptoes across the tiles until he's close enough to wrap his arms around Mellony's middle, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

She startles, reaching behind her as she cranes her neck to see him. "Morning." Mellony greets, smiling warm and wide.

"Morning, Iron Chef," Ashton teases, repositioning his head to be next to hers as he leans forward to survey the food. "What did you make?"

Mellony titters, melting into him while managing to scoop another pancake out of the pan.

"I don't think it matters, so long as you get a free meal." Mellony smirks, gently elbowing Ashton in the ribs.

Ashton pretends to be hurt, clutching his side and backing away from her. "So, that's how it is?"

"Yeah," Mellony continues, licking a spot of batter off of her thumb. "The rule is one pancake per plate, by the way."

Chuckling, Ashton steps up next to her to dip his finger into the batter bowl. It looks particularly lumpy to be for pancakes, and doesn't give off the usual scent, so naturally, he has to taste it to figure out what's different.