I woke up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the curtains, the morning light gently nudging me awake.
I blinked, adjusting to the brightness, and felt an unusual warmth enveloping me. I shifted slightly, trying to stretch, and that's when I realized… I was still wrapped up in Ciara's arms.
Her body was completely molded to mine, one leg tangled over mine, her arm draped lazily across my waist. I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I processed the situation. How did we end up like this? Oh. Right. The night before.
I tried to wiggle free without waking her, but every tiny movement I made only seemed to make her tighten her grip. I sighed quietly, resting my head back against the pillow, realizing I was trapped. Great.
"Maybe if I—" I mumbled to myself, attempting to untangle her leg without much success. Suddenly, Ciara stirred, her grip loosening slightly. I held my breath, hoping she wouldn't wake up.
But no such luck.
"Mm… why're you movin' so much?" she mumbled groggily, her voice still thick with sleep. She buried her face in the crook of my neck, her breath warm against my skin.
"Because we're… still cuddling," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, though my cheeks were definitely burning.
"Mm-hmm…" she murmured, clearly not fully awake yet. "Feels nice…"
I swallowed, my mind racing. Of course, it felt nice. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that I had to get up for work, and we were still in a rather intimate position.
"Ciara, I have to get up," I said, trying to sound firm but not too harsh. "I need to get to work."
She groaned dramatically, refusing to move. "Five more minutes…"
I chuckled despite myself. "You're worse than Lily when it comes to mornings."
"Am not," she grumbled, though her voice was muffled by my hair. "Work can wait…"
"No, it can't," I said, though my resolve was weakening. There was something ridiculously endearing about how stubborn she was, even half-asleep.
I tried one more time to wiggle out of her hold, but the movement seemed to finally wake her up fully. She blinked her eyes open, looking down at me with a sleepy but mischievous grin.
"Well, good morning," she said, her voice teasing. "How long have we been like this?"
"Too long," I muttered, though I couldn't help but smile.
Ciara stretched lazily, finally letting me go, but not without making a show of it. "You should've woken me up earlier," she teased. "We could've had breakfast in bed."
"You're impossible," I said, rolling my eyes, though my heart fluttered at the thought of spending more lazy mornings like this with her.
She smirked, clearly enjoying my flustered state. "Come on, Aeliana, admit it. You love it."
I groaned dramatically, pushing her away gently as I sat up. "I need coffee if I'm going to survive this morning."
Ciara grinned and sat up too, stretching her arms over her head. "You're lucky you're cute when you're annoyed."
I shot her a mock glare, but she just winked at me. I climbed out of bed, finally free, and grabbed the first set of clothes I could find, which, of course, happened to be one of Ciara's oversized shirts. I gave her a look, and she shrugged innocently.
"It's comfortable, isn't it?" she said with a smirk.
Rolling my eyes, I threw it on, deciding I didn't have the energy to argue with her right now. I walked over to the bathroom, but the moment I looked in the mirror, I groaned. My hair was an absolute mess, sticking up in every possible direction. I grabbed a brush and started tugging it through the knots, all while trying to ignore Ciara's amused gaze from the bed.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her reflection in the mirror.
"A little," she admitted with a grin, leaning back on her elbows. "You're adorable when you're flustered."
I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head as I finished brushing my hair. "I'm going to make some coffee. You coming?"
Ciara stretched again, her movements slow and lazy, like a cat lounging in the sun. "Only if you promise not to leave without saying goodbye."
I paused, her words catching me off guard. There was a softness in her tone, a vulnerability that she didn't show often. I turned to her, meeting her gaze. "I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."
She smiled, and I felt that familiar warmth spread through my chest again. I couldn't deny that mornings like this… they felt right.
With a small nod, I headed to the kitchen, Ciara trailing behind me. The moment I walked in, the chaos began. Pots and pans were scattered across the counter from last night, and there were still dishes in the sink.
"Guess we didn't clean up after dinner," I muttered.
"Oops," Ciara said, clearly not bothered by the mess. "We were… distracted."
I shot her a look. "That's an understatement."
Ignoring her laughter, I moved toward the coffee machine, starting the process of brewing a fresh pot. Ciara, meanwhile, rummaged through the fridge, pulling out random ingredients for breakfast.
"I'll make us something to eat," she said, her voice muffled as she stuck her head deeper into the fridge.
"Please don't burn anything," I teased.
"No promises," she called back with a grin.
I busied myself with setting the table while Ciara started cracking eggs into a pan. As the smell of cooking filled the kitchen, I could feel the weight of the previous night slowly lifting. Everything about this morning was chaotic, but it was a kind of chaos that felt… natural. Comfortable, even.
As I poured two cups of coffee, Ciara hummed a tune under her breath, flipping the eggs with surprising grace.
"You're actually pretty good at this," I said, raising an eyebrow.
She smirked. "What can I say? I have many hidden talents."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. "I'm sure you do."
We sat down at the small kitchen table, and I took a sip of my coffee, letting the warmth of it wash over me. Ciara dug into her food with gusto, and I couldn't help but laugh at how quickly she ate.
"You're going to choke if you keep eating like that," I warned.
She shrugged, unbothered. "Worth it."
As we finished breakfast, I glanced at the clock and realized I was running late. "I really have to go," I said, standing up and grabbing my bag.
Ciara pouted dramatically. "Do you really have to? We were just getting to the good part of the morning."
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Unfortunately, yes. Work calls."
Before I could take another step toward the door, Ciara grabbed my arm, pulling me back into a tight hug. "But do you have to go *right* now? Can't you stay for just a little longer?" she whined, her voice taking on that playful, slightly exaggerated tone she used whenever she was being overly dramatic.
I laughed softly, trying to wiggle free, but she held on tighter. "Ciara, I'm already running late. Leora will kill me if I don't show up soon."
Ciara rested her chin on my shoulder, her arms still wrapped firmly around my waist. "Leora can wait. Besides, I barely got to cuddle you this morning. You can't just leave me like this."
I sighed, both exasperated and amused. "We've been cuddling *all night*, Ciara."
"Exactly! Which means I'm spoiled now," she said, pouting slightly. "You can't just cut me off cold turkey like this. I'll suffer."
I shook my head, trying to bite back a smile. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you love me for it," she teased, squeezing me tighter. "Come on, just five more minutes. What's five minutes in the grand scheme of things?"
I glanced at the clock, knowing I really did need to go, but Ciara was relentless. She nuzzled into my neck, her warm breath sending shivers down my spine. "Don't you feel how cozy this is?" she murmured. "Why would you want to leave?"
I groaned, trying to fight off her charm. "Because I have responsibilities."
"You and your *responsibilities*," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "You're way too responsible for your own good."
I chuckled, gently pushing her away. "That's how I keep my life in order."
Ciara didn't seem convinced. She leaned in again, giving me the biggest, most exaggerated puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen. "Fine, go. But don't forget about me while you're gone."
"As if that's possible," I muttered under my breath, grabbing my bag again.
Ciara followed me to the door, still pouting. Just as I reached for the handle, she tugged at my sleeve. "Let's just go on a date later," she said, her voice soft and hopeful.
I paused, smiling at her suggestion. "A date, huh?" I raised an eyebrow, pretending to think it over.
"Yeah, just you and me," she said with a grin.
"Alright," I agreed. "You've got yourself a date. Tonight."