Maria Rodriguez' first day as a wife in her new house started like this:
She woke up at exactly five in the morning. A little groggy, but nothing a splash of cold water on the face could fix. The last thing she remembered was waiting for her husband to come home so that she could eat dinner with him. But she fell asleep!
Also, she was sure that she fell asleep on the couch. Did Andrew move her to the bed when he came back?
She sighed. She was really looking forward to having a nice meal with him.
She glanced at the empty space beside her. Andrew wasn't there.
What a shy man, she thought. Even though the marriage itself was a sham, he had every right to at least sleep beside her. A part of her was glad she married someone with self control but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a bit disappointed.
She slapped her cheeks to fire herself up and shake off any impure thoughts. She failed at dinner, but she sure as hell won't fail breakfast!
After splashing cold water on her face and combing her messy hair in the bathroom, she headed for the kitchen.
As she did, she passed by the living room where a ball made of blankets breathed silently on the couch. She tip-toed to see who it was and smiled when she saw her husband's sleeping face.
He must've been so tired, she thought. Between meeting her dad, the generals, getting attacked by the TSA, and speaking with his boss, a lot has happened in the few short days since they got married. The least she could do was to make him a breakfast that would give him energy for the rest of the day.
Thus, she donned an apron, fired up the stove, opened the fridge, and prepared a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes. The entire apartment immediately smelled heavenly as the pan did its work.
A few minutes after she started, Andrew stepped off of the couch. Still weary-eyed and sleepy, he headed for the kitchen and opened the fridge to get a pitcher of water.
Maria immediately took a cup from the cupboard and handed it to him. Then after a satisfied drink, he was awake enough to start a conversation.
"Good morning," he said groggily.
[Good morning], she replied using sign language and a smile.
"I'm assuming that's 'good morning to you too'," he said. "I promise I'll learn sign language as soon as possible."
She gave him a thumbs up in response.
After their brief exchange, Maria continued cooking while Andrew prepared himself in the washroom. What a cutie, she thought. Normally, he was the prim and proper type. A man who's capable and competent. But a few minutes after waking up, he was quite the airhead.
While she thought of these things, a memory suddenly came to mind. It was from when she first overheard her father's plan to marry her off for some grand plan to take down the underworld. She elevated duty and family above all else but she also dreamed of marrying someone of her choosing. As a result, she was hesitant about the plan. But when she saw him stop Rico's axe with just one hand, her heart immediatley fluttered. And before she knew it, she was already holding up a sign asking him to marry her.
She blushed at the memory. She understood that like her, Andrew was duty-bound and was just doing this for the greater good. But she wouldn't be against it if one day, his heart would flutter the same as hers did.
Before long, she finished her preparations and Andrew came out of the bedroom in his crisp uniform.
"Did you iron this?" he asked as he smoothed his hand over the cloth.
She nodded enthusiastically and wrote on her board.
[You look handsome.]
Andrew covered his face. "Thanks," he said quietly.
The two then sat and enjoyed a pleasant breakfast together. Maria has redeemed herself for sleeping through last night.
Andrew glanced at the time and hurried himself to leave.
"Thanks for the breakfast, Maria," he said as he put on his shoes. "Mind passing me my hover board?"
Maria nodded and took an intricately designed white and black board from the storage. She raised an eyebrow as she thought of ways Andrew could possibly use something without wheels for transportation.
"I use wind magic to run it," Andrew said with a slight chuckle.
He must've noticed the confused look on her face, she thought. Her cheeks slightly turned red as she handed it to him.
"Alright, well... off I go," he said with a clear awkwardness about him.
She chuckled and watched him struggle a bit to get himself and the board out the door at the same time. Then, after a quick salute and a nervous chuckle, he closed the door behind him.
It seems that she must wait for that goodbye kiss, she thought. He'll come around soon enough. Until then, she'll do her best to become a woman that could make his heart stop.