The night had concluded in the most special of ways. It had seemed that the combustible passion the two of them had been feeling for one another since they met had finally been able to be explored. Though there were some distractions, they quickly found themselves settling back into the ease and comfort that they felt with one another. And with that, privacy, and one of the best movies in the world, both Booker and Juliette found themselves stumbling towards his bedroom in a mix of limbs, kisses, and thrown about clothing.

This had been a line that they had yet to cross so there were, understandable, some careful touches, a few bits of laughter and apologies but they quickly descended back into their more primal cravings that had urged them on. The night had been filled with such passion, ending at some point in the wee morning hours, where lovers settled into the satisfying allure of a deep, sweet sleep.

Did they move too fast? Was it just right? In the end, those conflicting thoughts didn’t even enter Booker’s head. Once he settled in to sleep next to his darker skinned lover, the librarian couldn’t spare such thoughts. At that moment, it simply didn’t matter.

Booker wouldn’t stir again until the rays of the early morning light began to spill into his room. All around, the evidence of his fandoms could be seen, illuminated in halos of light. Action figures still in boxes, models that had been carefully put together and painted, a shelf for video game cases and some of his favorite movies; and books. There were so many books in the overburdened, wooden bookshelf that looked almost as if it were cave at any moment. But it would stand, it had done so for years and would continue to do so.

Rays of light passing further across the room would reveal both Booker and Juliette, tangled in sheets that were now clearly askew upon the mattress. He was upon his back, sleeping soundly, a small smile on his lips as the sweet dreams began to wrap up in the corners of his mind. He didn’t feel Juliette when she began to stir, what he did feel the phantom sensation of a kiss placed upon his tattooed arm, and the sensation of a finger being traced in small circles upon his chest. Stubbornly he wanted to maintain the warm and comfort of sleep, but a rather annoying ray of sunshine began to splash across his closed eyes, turning the blackness he saw into a dull red.

A small intake of breath, his chest rising as breath found its way to him again, and Booker’s eyes slowly fluttered open, wincing under the glare of the sun. A small, disgruntled groan came from his lips as he turned his head away. It was then he started to feel the weight of another person upon his arm and realized that the tracing finger he felt upon his chest was certainly not a dream. Even before he opened his eyes, he began to recall last night / early this morning, and he smiled.

One eye opened. He confirmed that, yes, Juliette was there, and he leaned down, snuggling a little closer to her. If there was one thing to be known about Booker B. Bookman is that he was a snuggler/cuddler/spooner extraordinaire. He sighed as he nuzzled against her, the scruff of his chin nudging against the top of her head.

”Morning…” he whispered. Then, never being able to resist a joked, he followed that with…”You will remember to leave the money by the bedside table, yes?”

Juliette’s slow wake-up was officially over. She was awake and she doubted that she would be able to get back to sleep at that point. The last thing that she wanted to do was move, though. She liked where she was, and it would be weird to get up and wander Booker’s apartment alone. So, instead, she just stayed where she was and busied herself by reading the titles of the books that he had collected on his walls. There were so many that one might have even thought that he was practising to be a librarian (hah!).

Eventually, she had made her way through the rows and she was out of titles. Already, she had a mental list of ones that she wanted to borrow for a time. He really had a good assortment.

Thankfully, she wasn’t without anything to do for long. A few seconds later, Booker began to stir. It took him a moment, like it had with her, to remember what was going on, but after he had, he cuddled in closer to her. Juliette happily went along with the shift, smiling as she closed her eyes again and rested her head in the little nook he had created.

>>”Morning…”

”Mm, morning,” Juliette responded, her voice quiet as she let him adjust to the world of the living. She didn’t like slow wake-ups and lazy mornings as much as she liked getting up early to run, but in this case, the former option definitely worked out best.

>>”You will remember to leave the money by the bedside table, yes?”

Juliette’s eyes blinked open and she tried to make sense of what he’d just said. She was supposed to put… what? That implied that… oh. Oh, it was a joke. A Booker joke that only Booker would say and that only Booker could pull off.

After the words had registered, Juliette stayed still a moment. After everything that had happened the night before, that was the first thing that he had said to her. She was lying against him naked and that was the first thing that he had said to her. It was… hilarious.

The brunette started off with a slow giggle, which descended into hearty laughter as she pulled her hands away to cover her face. She hadn’t slept that long the night before, so that coupled with the absurdity of what he’d just said had caused her to lose it completely. It took her a full minute to catch her breath and stop laughing.

She let out a breath and sat up, turning back so she could look back at him, a twinkle in her eyes. ”You know, if I had known that I was going to be paying for this, then I would have gotten my money’s worth and done the really freaky things,” she joked. Her brown hair hung down to the side as she turned her head to face him, taking on extra honey tones in the morning light. 

The morning was extremely pleasant. After the activities last night into the wee hours, Booker had found himself quickly swept into a cascade of sweet dreams. While that alone was pretty amazing, waking up to see the brunette with the caramel skin still next to him was all the more enticing. The sweet sounds of their awakening filled the room, Booker turning grinning as he watched her do the same. Slowly he pulled her closer, getting quite comfy in the snuggle nest that the two of them had managed to create together. Booker could have willed this morning to last forever.

Gently, and with a voice that was still thick with the sounds of waking up, Booker wished the woman good morning. Leaning in, his nose nuzzled against the crown of her head, his strong arms wrapping around her body and pulled her a bit tighter to the firmness of his chest. As it became evident before, the two of them simply clicked together like Lego blocks snapping into place. It was a good feeling.

>> ”Mm, morning,”

A smile puled at his lips as he gave the top of her head a soft kiss, but that wasn’t all. You see, there was a natural impishness in Booker, it was an affliction that many before fell victims to. Some could take it, others, well, they weren’t so receptive. Of course, the librarian wasn’t mean or anything with what he said, it was simply for the sake of making another laugh. Juliette had an amazing laugh.

Quietly he reminded the sunny woman next to him to make sure to place whatever money they had agreed on upon his bedside table. The implication was obvious, that he was some gigolo and she was a woman paying for his company. Honestly the second that he said it, he regretted it. He really did have bad timing with jokes on occasion and the last thing he really wanted to do was ruin this perfectly amazing morning with such a faux pas.

At least he didn’t go the other way and imply that she was the street walker. He was certain that would have led to an entirely different set of troubles.

The silence was deafening. As Booker held the woman close to him, he could tell that she seemed to have trouble with what he had said. Releasing her, he leaned back a bit, catching her face. The words processed and, when they did, it seemed that finally she had come to an understand of what he had said. Her eyes lit up, a soft giggle began to escape, and before he knew it, she was cover her mouth as she shook her head, quivering from head-to-toe with laughter. He breathed a sigh of relief, before own grinning had descended into laughter as well.

Thank God that joke landed.

As she sat up in bed, Booker pulled himself up too, but continued to lean back against the wooden headboard. The sheets only covered him from the waist down, now, one of his legs hanging out of it edge as his eyes roamed the woman’s back. She was still giggling as she turned to give him a sweet look of her own.

>> ”You know, if I had known that I was going to be paying for this, then I would have gotten my money’s worth and done the really freaky things,”

Ouuuuuuuuuuuuch. Again, this was why he liked her so much. She certainly wasn’t afraid to throw sass his way, especially when he deserved it; and he tended to deserve it quite a bit. Chuckling at her comment, Booker nodded, sitting up a bit straighter as he tilted his head towards her.

”I mean, too late now. No refunds.” he smirked. ”But I think I can give you a sample of what you missed out on.” As he said this, he reached over, his hand gently running down the length of her smooth back, over her vertebrae in a sensual and tender move. However, it was all a ploy as Booker suddenly snapped forward, both arms wrapping around her midsection where his fingers quickly began to viciously tickle her sides.

The morning was crisp and bright and the sun seeped in through the window, making Juliette squint as she sat up in the bed. It wasn’t often that she had to do that. Usually, the sun was what she was most excited to see in the morning, but it was a weird feeling then. It was a nice warm, but it was still different. It was a strange reminder that things were different around Booker.

Things like waking up after a night together. Usually, people greeted one another with some sort of happy, romantic greeting, but that was not the case that morning. Instead, Booker had started things off with a joke.

Once she was finished laughing, she had turned and responded with a comment that would throw things back into his court. Of course, she wasn’t serious, but the only way to combat sass was with more sass. It was one of the laws of nature.

The comment had gotten a chuckle out of him, which was the intent. It was only fair, considering he’d just forced her out of a sleepy, happy daze with an intense bout of laughter. She had been comfortable and content, and there he had gone, throwing that all away for a joke. A funny joke, but a joke nonetheless.

She had turned slightly in the bed, pulling the sheet up with her as she turned to face his new position against the headboard. He looked all sweet and scruffy in the morning light, sitting sort of upright with the sheet just barely covering him. It would have been the perfect image if he hadn’t gone and disrupted it all with a sassy comment or two. It would have been picturesque.

>>”I mean, too late now. No refunds.”

”Darn,” Juliette pouted playfully. ”Isn’t there someone I can complain to? Don’t you have a pimp or something?” Hey, if he was going to start on the idea, then she was going to keep going with it. Even if it was a little weird to be joking about after everything.

She shook her head and stuck out her tongue at him, ready to settle back in beside him for a while. Before she did, though, he offered something else.

>>”But I think I can give you a sample of what you missed out on.”

There was the romance. Juliette closed her eyes and made a quiet noise of pleasure as his fingers traced down her spine. She was definitely ready to go back and join him by then or maybe find out what she had missed out on like he had said.

”That sounds- eiEEE!” she had started to quietly agree before there were arms around her waist, tickling her without remorse. That was a cruel trick. A cruel, cruel trick that was probably going to get him kicked in the process.

She flailed and attempted to get away all that she could, but there wasn’t much that she could do while he was holding her like that. ”Book-ER!” she squealed as she continued to kick, her voice breaking part way through as he hit a particularly ticklish spot. ”That’s n-nOT FAIR!”

As much as she wasn’t about to admit it, she couldn’t deny the fact that she was smiling and laughing even harder than before. Even through the flailing.

Despite the rough patches, last night had been absolutely amazing. Booker couldn’t have asked for a better evening with Juliette, even though Ness-zilla had trampled through part of it as if it were Tokyo. Still, the two of them managed to find their groove again, stomachs full of amazing food, an excellent movie on the television, and the warmth of one another’s presence had all aided in that. The capstone of the night, well, it wouldn’t be something that this librarian would easily forget. All that waiting they had been doing was justly rewarded and Booker had to admit – it was nothing like he imagined.

Waking up next to Juliette had already possessed all the earmarks of an absolutely fantastic day. It was her that woke him up, tracing her finger across his chest, kissing the tattoo upon his arm; Booker couldn’t have remembered a sweet awakening.

However, while most would have met the day with a sonnet upon their lips or some sweet and memorable words, Booker went a decidedly different direction. Of course he was more than capable of such feats but the natural imp in him wanted to start the morning off with a smile and a joke. Judging by the riotous laughter that had emitted from Juliette, it was apart that his joke was exactly what was prescribed. That made him happy.

Of course, his sass was not going to go unanswered; one of the many reasons why he liked Juliette so much. She didn’t seem easily offended, nor was she humorless, but she was the exact right amount of snarky wit that Booker appreciated.

He tried to inform her that a refund for his night of services was not possible (all sales final, and all that) but that was clearly not the answer she was fake-looking for.

>> ”Darn…Isn’t there someone I can complain to? Don’t you have a pimp or something?”

He could have easily answered her question but, instead thought that actions spoke louder than words. While she questioned the lack of someone to contact, Booker leaned forward, his voice dripping with tenderness and a promise of more talents that could await her. As his hand drifted upon her spin, causing her to shiver and sigh, he crept just a little closer to her bed, smiling all the while.

>>”That sounds- eiEEE!”

At first she was ready to fall back into his arms, but they quickly became occupied with torturing. Wrapping around her mid-section, the man cackled evilly as he started to tickle her bare sides, causing her to buck and twist about in an attempt to escape from his grasp. Her laughter was infectious and only made him chuckle harder as he continued to tickle her relentlessly.

>> ”Book-ER! That’s n-nOT FAIR!”

The up-sound to her voice only spurred him on, laughing as he pulled her tighter to his hardened chest. She flailed, desperately, but thankfully she had managed to tangle herself up in the sheets enough that she couldn’t do much to hurt him. Instead, once she was firmly burrito-ed, Booker just chuckled as he slowly stopped his tickling, his arms wrapped gently around her waist, hugging her to him. A laughter had descended to a simple, devilish giggling, before becoming just a good-natured smirk.

Still, he kept a firm hold around her waist to prevent any reprisal and leaning down, his lips finding spots upon her bare shoulder and neck to kiss as an apology.

”I’m sorry,” he said as he kissed along her neck. ”I hope...you can…forgive me…” Kisses cut into his voice, his touches getting a little more sensual and avoiding those most ticklish spots that were now committed to memory. He sighed as he gently nudged her with his nose. ”Will breakfast help?”

The tickling had been a low blow, to say the least. After starting off the morning with a poorly thought out joke, he had used physical means to get her to laugh. Yes, it had definitely worked, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t at least a little annoyed by the fact that he had essentially ruined a perfectly good wake up.

Once the relentless torture had finally slowed and then stopped altogether, Juliette worked to catch her breath. Her laughter was finally able to stop and form into a smirk. Having stopped flailing and working for air, she turned slightly and punched Booker lightly in the middle of his chest. ”That wasn’t nice,” she stated quietly, feeling a little like a child in that situation.

Well, a little like a child. She was wrapped tightly in the sheets from the waist down, but she still wasn’t wearing anything beneath that, and there were still arms wrapped around her. Booker hadn’t bothered to release his grasp, perhaps out of fear that she would retaliate in kind. She was stuck like that, pressed against him, locked in his grasp until he decided to let her go. Even if she continued to squirm with all her might, she wouldn’t be able to get away. She tried to be angry about that fact, but it was difficult, especially when they seemed to fit together so perfectly.

But, oh, would she get him back at some point.

She was busy plotting her revenge when the kisses began. Any and all thoughts escaped her as soon as they did, replaced suddenly with a deep sigh of contentment and a clear head. She was briskly reminded of why she was more than okay to be wrapped in his arms like that. A happy noise escaped her lips as she closed her eyes again. She was trying so hard to be annoyed at him again, but he was making it damn near impossible.

>>”I’m sorry, I hope...you can…forgive me…”

”I don’t think that I can,” she replied through a slow, thick voice. There was no conviction behind her words. Any thought of sass or acting had been taken over by the feeling of his lips on her skin, and she knew somewhere deep down that she wasn’t going to get that angry feeling back anytime soon.

>>”Will breakfast help?”

She thought through his words for a minute. The answer was an obvious yes, since she was beginning to feel the hunger that usually crept up on her at that point, but she was still oh so distracted. It was his own damn fault, too. How was she supposed to speak or think when he was doing that?

”That depends on what it is,” she answered playfully, finally breaking through the brain fog. Her head had lolled to one side slightly, allowing him better access to her neck. Her eyes were still closed as she breathed in the scents around her slowly. She was actually comfortable again, which she didn’t think would happen after all that squirming.

The laughter had finally died down. It still hung above their heads, like a tapestry of good vibes and well-being that, if it had a color, would be sparkly and gold. Though maybe it was a little rude to have responded to such a night with Juliette with a joke and then a tickle fest, to the librarian it was the absolute best morning. He had had plenty of morning afters, but this one was certainly his favorite and one that had permanently earned a spot in the corner of his mind dedicated to Juliette; even she she gave him a slight pout of annoyance.

A punch was thrown into his chest. It was light, of course, and merely met as a momentary show of frustration rather than anything else. Still, Booker would have felt it rude if he didn’t give a performance that showed exactly how much it hurt.

”Oooowww….” he grumbled lightly, his hand slipping over the part of his chest where he had been punched. He returned the pout that Juliette gave him, only with a bit more flamboyantly, just to continue to show his overly comical nature.

>>”That wasn’t nice,”

His expression softened to one of sincerely apology as he held her tight to him. She still tried to struggle against his grip in his arms but he wasn’t releasing her any time soon. He knew that reprisal was on the horizon and Booker was notoriously ticklish. But, so long as he had her pinned and wrapped up in a sheet, there was nothing she could do. Excellent. Still, it would have been utterly rude of him to not really try to make up for his behavior.

Gentle kisses were placed upon her shoulder and neck. With utmost honesty he apologized (between kisses of course), his grip loosening a tiny bit with each one. However, for as heartfelt as his words were, it seemed that Juliette was trying very, very hard to not forgive him.

>> ”I don’t think that I can,”

There was a softness to her voice, one that almost made it sound as if she didn’t truly believe her own words. Booker didn’t point it out, but instead turned to kissing the other side of her neck, his hands slowly working to unravel her from the sheets that she had been so unceremoniously tangled up in. It seemed that his actions were starting to lessen her resolve to stay mad at him. While that wasn’t necessarily his intent (he was simply drawn to her), it was a perk that he wasn’t going to question.

Breakfast was offered. Surely that would make up for his behavior. Even as he asked, he had continued to unwrap the woman until finally they were under one sheet again together. He smiled, his hands running down her back. The sounds the woman emitted were far too alluring to allow Booker to do anything else at this point, and he was perfectly fine with that.

>> ”That depends on what it is,”

The playful tone made him grin. His lips found hers one more as he gently pulled her closer. He couldn’t even find words to speak anymore. All that mattered to him was how amazing it was to make this woman smile.

---

Eventually the two found their way out of the bedroom. The sun had rose obnoxiously high and slipped such a ray of sunlight into the room that it found a way of hitting Booker’s eyes no matter which direction he had turned. Both judging that they should actually climb out of bed, an executive decision was made that since a breakfast was offered, a breakfast should be had. Against such logic as that, how could Booker say no.

Taking his shower first so that he could start breakfast (showering together at this point was far too dangerous and could easily cause distraction) Booker removed himself from the room so that Juliette could recharge. It appeared that the more time she spent in his adapted aura the harder that collecting light hit her. He tried to ease, carefully out of the room, allow her to take it in stride until she was fully out of his field. It still seemed to make her woozy but, once he was sure she was safe from across the room, Booker tore himself from the woman.

That was going to take some getting used to.

His shower was short and simple, consisting of shampoo, soap, and the brushing of teeth. Once it was all taken care of, and his hand was slipped through his seemingly disheveled hair, Booker emerged from the shower, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a loose t-shirt that claimed that the Dark Side had cookies. Fully dressed, Booker whistled a happy tune to himself as he started breakfast. His eyes, of course, followed Juliette, a playful smile on his lips as she finally made her way into the shower. Once she was gone, he smiled as he turned back and continued his prep.

He would keep things simple this morning: eggs, sourdough toast, bacon and, his favorite, potato pancakes. The smell of cooking food began to fill the apartment and could probably even slip through the fresh scents of soap and water in the shower. Juliette no doubt would smell the delectable meal he was cooking soon, so he made sure to make it a good one.

Every good thing had to come to an end, and such was the way of their lazy morning. They had stayed like that for a good, long time, but eventually, the two knew that they had to move. If not for any reason other than that Juliette would get very sick if she stayed there with him. It was an unfortunate fact, but if they continued to put it off, it would only get worse.

They agreed that Booker would shower first, meaning that he would leave her alone in the room for a while to recharge. As if coming out of a long snuggle hadn’t been hard enough, she then had to deal with being out of his aura. Juliette hated to let him go, though she couldn’t say that she minded watching him leave. She’d sat up on the bed, readying herself for the feeling that she knew would be coming. Thankfully, there was a large window there with a steady stream of sunlight on her, so there would be energy ready when she was.

As soon as he had left the ten-foot radius, she felt it. A thick, pained noise came from her as she grasped her head. She felt sick. Her power was already working on gathering more energy, though, taking every bit that it could from the sunlight that fell on her.

After she had gained enough to not feel like complete s***, she moved into a meditation position on the middle of the bed and closed her eyes. Staying still in the sunlight always worked best when she needed to absorb lots of energy. She stayed that way until she heard the water shut off, when she finally moved from her position. She’d had enough time to full recharge, to the point where she was almost glowing. There would be no need to worry for the rest of the morning.

After (finally) getting off of the bed, she retraced their movements from the night before and picked up her clothes that had been unceremoniously left in little piles on the floor. As much as it had been fun to forget about them then, leaving them out like that didn’t leave much option for the next day. She hadn’t exactly packed an overnight bag, so it was looking like she would be doing the walk of shame.

The walk of shame didn’t have to happen until she left, though. Before she went into the shower, she made a quick detour back to Booker’s room and stole a flannel shirt, adding it to the pile of clothes that she had accumulated.

Juliette flashed a grin toward Booker as she made her way to the bathroom, clothes in hand. She took a quick shower, taking little bits of the shampoo and conditioner that was there. She wasn’t sure what was Booker’s and what was Nessa’s and she didn’t want to make the woman hate her any more by stealing some expensive hair product, or something. She did the best she could with the rest of her routine, not wanting to disturb anything or use too much product.

A few minutes later, she made her way out of the bathroom, dressed in her own undergarments and the flannel of Booker’s that she’d stolen, which was big enough on her to look more like a dress than a shirt. She padded out to the kitchen and breathed the scent of breakfast in deeply.

”That smells amazing,” she smiled, her eyes closed as she leaned against the kitchen countertop. Was there anything that Booker couldn’t do? Her eyes blinked open a minute later and she looked down. ”I hope it’s okay that I borrowed this. I’ll put my own clothes back on when I leave.”

Juliette couldn’t help but feel a bit useless, standing around as she let him do all the cooking yet again. She knew that that would likely be their dynamic if they ever wanted to eat food that tasted good, but that didn’t mean that she had to do nothing. ”Can I make some coffee?” she offered, ”I can do that well enough.”

Even as Booker busied himself with making breakfast, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to when he first left Juliette in the bedroom. Of course separating himself from her was difficult, but it was even harder to step across the room, have her outside of his aura, and watch the reaction that she suffered. He struggled against every fiber of his being to want to walk over and hold her and comfort and say that she was okay. But he could. It would help, briefly, but he couldn’t carry her around in a papoose all day. She had recharge and his presence wasn’t going to help.

That actually hurt a little to realize. He didn’t want to do anything to make her feel pain like that and, after such an amazing night and morning, it was difficult to watch it happen. But, at the same time, he couldn’t exactly tell her what to do, that wasn’t his place. She knew the consequences of being around him and she was still willing to make the sacrifice. She was brave and she knew what she wanted and Booker didn’t have the try and enforce otherwise.

Besides…he liked her. If she were willing to accept her current state, then so was he. They would make it work; deep down, he believed that.

After his shower, Booker busied himself with making breakfast. When Juliette had exited his room, he couldn’t help the knowing smile that passed across his lips as she passed by. She too smiled and Booker had to chuckle a bit in satisfaction. Juliette really was some kind of woman.

Getting breakfast set up was a simple enough affair, even better with Nessa not here pestering him to make something vegetarian for her. The second the bacon was in the oven, Booker started to prep mashed potatoes with breadcrumbs, egg, and onion. Forming those into patties and getting the pan atop the stove greased and sputtering, he started to on the potato pancakes. The scrambled eggs would be the quickest to make so, naturally, those were saved for last so everything would be ready within a few moments of being completed.

A nameless tune found its way to Booker’s lips as he started to flip the frying potatoes, only looking up when he hear the shower come to a halt. A few minutes later, a some of the potatoes already set aside to cool, he smiled at the sound of the bathroom door opening and Juliette strolling out, dressed in nothing but her undergarments and one of his flannel shirts. It was an amazing sight to see first thing in the morning. He whole heartedly approved.

>> ”That smells amazing,”

”Thank ya!” He smiled happily. ”Shouldn’t take much longer and I hope that you are hungry…” He said as he stepped back to look at how much he was making and shrugged. ”Sorry. I tend to make a lot.”

It had always been a problem of his. Booker liked to feed people. Because of that, he always made a large amount. Maybe it was because when Nessa finally moved out on her own, Booker would come over and help make her heaping amounts of food so that she could get by for another week. It was a hard habit to break and one that, well, Booker wasn’t too keen on breaking any time soon. Besides, it just meant that more food for more hungry mouths.

>>”I hope it’s okay that I borrowed this. I’ll put my own clothes back on when I leave.”

He smiled and nodded his head, enthusiastically and approvingly. ”Oh! Please!” he said with a grin. ”I can attest…” Spatula in hand, he walked up to the young woman, smirking impishly as he leaned down, planting a small kiss on her lips. ”…that it looks far better on you.”

A wink and Booker turned back to the stove, flipping the next set of potato pancakes, letting them golden, he slipped them onto a waiting plate with the others that were cooling. Just as he was about the place the last of them into the pan, he lifted his gaze back to Juliette as she wandered closer, a clearly suggestion on her lips to be more useful here.

>>”Can I make some coffee? … I can do that well enough.”

”Sure!” He then gestured to the single serving brewer on the counter just on the other side of the counter. ”The K-cups are in the carousal next to it. Feel free to take any kind. We have plenty of every type.”

Focusing on the frying pan, he finished off the last of the potatoes while Juliette worked on the coffee. He couldn’t help but sneak a few glances towards her, grinning whenever he caught her eye before swiftly turning back to what he was doing. It was only when he plated the last of the potatoes did he set the pan aside, and grabbed the mixture of whipped eggs and spices. As he gave it a cautionary mix, he smiled at the woman.

”Sooo….” he started off a bit timidly. ”…Last night…” he smirked. ”…I hope…um…” he struggled to find the words. ”…I mean…I had fun. It was…great. I…hope…you know…despite certain events concerning siblings who shall remain nameless…that you enjoyed yourself?”

God…this was why he stuck to jokes in the morning. Far less stressful.

To say that Booker made a lot of food would be a bit of an understatement. There seemed to be a never ending number of things that came from various areas of the kitchen, including bacon, some sort of potato dish, toast, and eggs. It had been a long time since Juliette had seen a breakfast of that magnitude.

”Are you expecting more people?” Juliette asked jokingly. ”Seriously. It looks amazing, but I’m afraid that you’re going to have leftovers.” Unless Booker was packing a secret second stomach or something, then they were going to be looking at a lot of extra food.

>>”Oh! Please! I can attest… that it looks far better on you.”

”Thanks,” Juliette said and grabbed at the too-long sleeves of the shirt, ”but I don’t think I can really judge that until I can see you in it.” She grinned tilted her head upwards to kiss him as he leaned down. She liked how natural things between them had become. None of the weirdness of the night before had carried over, and she felt like she could really enjoy time with him.

After being given the okay to make some coffee (a task made even easier with a K-Cup machine), they parted ways in the kitchen. She looked around a bit for mugs until she stumbled upon the cupboard where they were kept. Juliette pulled out two large mugs and set them down on the counter as she looked through the selection of coffees.

The brunette took Booker’s order and made up two mugs, choosing a dark roast for herself. After handing Booker his, she leaned against the countertop again.

>>”Sooo…. Last night… I hope…um… I mean…I had fun. It was…great. I…hope…you know…despite certain events concerning siblings who shall remain nameless…that you enjoyed yourself?”

He was too cute when he was struggling for words. Juliette’s face lit up as she thought through his words. She’d thought that she was making it clear that she was having a very good time, but he still seemed to be a little nervous that she wasn’t.

She set her coffee down behind her and moved over to where he was standing. She stood on her toes and planted another kiss on his lips. ”I…” another. ”Have had…” another. ”The best time…” she fell back down to rest on the heels of her feet and looked at him earnestly. ”Even with the sibling mishap.”

With a wink, she reached behind him and took a tray of food, grabbed her coffee, and walked over toward the table. ”Now. Let’s go eat some food,” she called as she walked away.

>> ”Are you expecting more people?...Seriously. It looks amazing, but I’m afraid that you’re going to have leftovers.”

Booker had to chuckle at that. A glance around the kitchen did indeed show that he had made a rather hefty amount of food. But there was nothing weird about it to him. Whenever he made food, he always tended to make too much. Of course it helped that his sister was a bottomless pit when it came to certain kinds. She may not touch any extra bacon, but the toast and potatoes surely wouldn’t go to waste whenever she decided to come home.

”What can I say?” he asked. ”No one visiting a Bookman house has ever starved.”

A grin and he went back to setting up the food onto plates. Once everything was finished, including a delightful kiss and wit-match against Juliette concerning how good his favorite flannel shirt looked on her, the two of them separated as she went about to make the coffee. As the smell of the roasted grounds filled the air, he sighed a bit in satisfaction. It was the perfect cap to an amazing night / morning. However, with that in mind, he had to wonder, despite everything did Juliette have a good time.

Considering it all, the answer should have been fairly simple. The two of them had such chemistry and fun and the idea of her not having fun at all seemed almost impossible. But there was a small part of the man was just the slightest bit insecure. Maybe because it felt too good to be true, maybe because he just wanted to hear her confirm, for his own peace of mind. Whatever the case…he asked.

God he must have sounded like a fool. His “Um’s” and “Uh’s” and nervous pauses probably made him sound like a teenager again. Booker normally had more charisma than this, but with how close the two of them had been, sometimes his own shyness managed to peak through.

Anxiously he awaited her answer, looking down and away, trying to not appear too eager for an answer (or scared it would be one he didn’t like). But, it seemed his fears were groundless as the woman slowly crossed the kitchen, a smile on her lips.

>> ”I…Have had…The best time…Even with the sibling mishap.”

Her lips found his, every few words, and that made the made sigh in relief but smile a wide smile. His arm slipped around her waist as he leaned down, planting a kiss to cap off the her last statement. Even with the sibling mishap, she still had the best time. That definitely made it all worthwhile. Cutely he nudged her nose with his as he finally unwound his arm to finish plating the rest of the food.

”Good…” he breathed. ”…so did I.”

>> ”Now. Let’s go eat some food,”

Elegantly Booker bowed his head. ”Lead the way, m’lady!” A slight skip in his step, Booker picked up what Juliette couldn’t carry and followed her out into the dining area.

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