10. Oatmeal is Underrated

My eyelids act like curtains against the golden sunlight of the new morning.

I'm not ready to open them yet, so they stay closed for now. The warm rays can remain behind their curtains until I decide to face them anew. The idea of waking and rising is too fresh and foreign still. I'm too comfortable.

Which is a foreign concept in itself—I'm rarely comfortable.

And yet I am: the bed is cushy below me, the duvet is plush laying on me. I'm temperate and cozy, not hot and sweaty.

A light smell of peppermint lines the air. Not just the air, I realize, but the pillow and sheets too. It's not too strong as to be overwhelming, but it's invigorating and inviting. Calm, with a spicy undercurrent. Kal's scent.

He lays behind me, pressed tight all along my back, with an arm sprawled over my bare waist and his legs tangled with mine. I can feel his breath as it stirs the hair at the nape of my neck since his nose and forehead are still pressed into me there.

I smile to myself, reveling in the content simplicity of just cuddling with someone. You don't realize how basic a need human touch is until you're almost completely deprived of it—just as I've been for a long, long time. I had accepted my contactless fate, but not happily. I was complacent at times, lust and longing getting the better of me, but any relationship I've had has never gone well.

Terrible. They've gone terrible.

Heated moments don't mix well with pyroweaving. Being intimate at all, let alone just cuddling or simple touches have always been tense on my part. I've always had to stay self-aware, never able to truly give in or enjoy anything so much as a hug.

For once I'm relaxed and calm enough to actually enjoy this small moment of contact—not plagued by my constant worry.

Well, not worrying about myself at least... I'm still slightly worried about Kal's cold.

I'm not entirely sure if he's awake, but he stirs around a bit, readjusting, and he lets out a little, "Mmm," groan.

I chuckle softly to myself and peel my eyes open to peer around for the first time in the daylight.

Shit...

I need to pee.

Of course.

Figuring that I'll let Kal keep sleeping, I slowly try to worm my way out of his grasp. He has other plans and tightens his grip around me—which doesn't help my full bladder. It also alerts me to his morning wood now poking me in the side.

Alright then. So at least that part of him still works.

"Mm... stay..."

He blinks up at me with sleepy arctic eyes.

Gods, why does he look so cute right now, despite his sniffly nose and nasally voice.

"I would love nothing more than to stay here, but I've gotta pee," I say softly.

"But your so warm.."

I smile at him. "I know, I'm comfy too. Go back to sleep and I'll be back in a bit."

He pouts but closes his eyes again. "K." Then his arm relaxes around me enough to slip out of the bed.

I stand up, the cool morning air rushing me as soon as I leave the blanket behind. I shuffle towards the door but pause, because I'm suddenly, painfully aware that I need to readjust my own half-hardened tent.

I do need to pee, I reassure myself.

A half-truth.

I sigh, peeking behind me. Kal looks like he's back to sleep, eyes closed. Thank the gods, at least I was saved from that potential embarrassment.

The bathroom's just at the end of the hall and I make my way to it to do my business. I'm not completely sure if it was because I relieved my bladder or removed myself from the room, but I'm happy to note that I'm no longer sporting a hard problem.

I wash my hands, then wash my face too, needing to splash myself with some refreshing water to clear my head and calm my heart.

As I exit the room, I run into a tired redhead in the hallway.

"Morning Jas."

"Mmmornin'."

He looks at me. Blinks. Looks at our room. Blinks.

"I just saw you in your bed..." he trails off.

"That was Ronan, not me."

He looks between me and our room again, still struggling to grasp the situation.

"Why is Ronan in your bed? Did he sleep with you? Why didn't he sleep in his room? Why—"

"Long story. Kal has a cold, I slept in their room, so Ronan slept in ours instead."

"Wha... why..." He blinks glazed eyes. "Whatever, I'm going back to bed, I just need to piss first." He passes by me and closes himself in the bathroom.

Oh, Jasper... he's never really been a morning person.

I'm not usually up this early either, but I slept uncommonly well despite the earlier disruptions and anxiety. After we both went back to bed, I ended up sleeping like a rock.

While it could just be a coincidence, it's more likely that it had to do with where and who I was sleeping with. It seems like my theory about us equalizing each other's temperatures is fairly accurate. I was comfortably warm this morning, not sweltering hot. Nor did Kal feel shockingly cold to me either.

I head back to their room to check on him and find him sleeping peacefully, aside from snoring out of his partially open mouth.

Deciding to do something other than just creepily watch him, I head downstairs to make some breakfast.

I'm a decent cook. Nothing terrific, but I can follow recipes, and can do most of the pretty typical stuff.

I won't be showing off my skill today though, since Kal should probably just have something simple and hearty. Oatmeal it is, from real oats though, instead of the microwave kind.

I debate making something else for the rest of us, but I'm not sure who else will be up anytime soon. Oatmeal can be fancied up, so I just decide on making some extra for whoever wants it.

I throw a pot of water on the stove to boil, grabbing the oats out of our pantry. I hum a simple tune to myself as I grab some cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins, and set those on the counter as some optional toppings.

Just as I throw the oats into the boiling water I hear a shuffle of footsteps enter the kitchen.

"Good morning," Ronan greets me. He comes up to peek at what I'm making but I shoo him away, so he takes a seat at the island instead. Unwrapping a headband from his wrist, he throws it on to tame his bedhead.

"You seem chipper this morning," he comments. "I take it your cuddling sesh worked? How's Kal?"

"He's still sleeping, so I haven't had a chance to ask him, but he seems better. He has some color again, and he did wake up last night after a bit, so it seems to have helped."

"Good, I'm glad he's doing ok, he had me worried for a while." He pauses, then smirks at me. "And how did you do last night, hmm?"

I turn back to the pot, stirring. "Fine... I slept well." I know that's not what he wants to hear, but that's all he's getting on that subject.

"How did you sleep in my bed? Did Jas's snoring keep you up?" I counter.

"Nope. Snug as a bug in a rug."

"I'm kind of surprised you're up this early, sometimes Wren is up early, but Jasper usually sleeps till noon if he doesn't have class. I figured you'd sleep in too."

"Nah, I'm an early riser. I usually get up to go out surfing, but I probably won't go today since I'd rather someone be here with Kal."

"You can go if you want. I only have two classes today, but they're in the afternoon so you should be back before I even need to leave. I was gonna bring some food up, and I'll just hang out with him until your back, it's cool."

"If you're sure... I don't want to be that bad friend that ditches."

"I'm sure, go ahead. We'll be fine."

Two more sets of footfalls pad into the kitchen, just as I take the pot off the burner.

"Just in time, I made oatmeal for whoever wants it."

I guess it's good I made extra then...

"Thanks, that sounds amazing actually," Wren says. "I haven't had oatmeal in a while. Do we have any apples?" She riffles through the fridge and pulls one out, victorious.

"Fair warning, Kal has a cold and it's making his weaving act up, so he'll probably be stuck in his room for a day or two. I'm gonna take some oatmeal up to him."

Aster finishes a big yawn. "That sucks, tell him to feel better. I'll send some flowers up for him later to spruce it up."

I grab some blueberries out of the fridge and fill a small bowl, then ladle up two bowls of oatmeal for us, adding a dash of cinnamon in one and a spoonful of brown sugar in the other. I'm not sure what he prefers, but I like both so he can have his pick.

"I'll be sure to tell him. Have a good day guys, I'll see you later Ronan."

"Yep, I'll text you when I'm on my way back!" He calls as I walk out of the kitchen. On my way out I catch him gossiping to the ladies, "Did you guys notice how chipper he was? He slept with Kal last night... no not like slept-slept, at least I don't think so... well Kal was like totally passed out so..."

I keep walking away, not waiting around to hear his glorified retelling.

I balance the three bowls in my arms as I head upstairs. Just when I get to the top landing déjà vu hits me as Jasper comes out of our bedroom.

"Morning again, you're up early," I remark.

"Tell me about it. Not by my choosing either," he grumbles. "My temporary roommate literally jumped on top of me to wake me up."

"Seriously! Ronan jumped on you?? Why?"

"Hell if I know... he poked my cheek first, asking if I was awake and when I didn't answer he jumped on me! He said something along the lines of being jealous that you and Kal got to cuddle so he wanted to cuddle too. I just kicked his ass out of my bed."

"Poor Ro, all left out," I laugh. " It might not have been conventional, but it looks like your up and about now."

"I only got up because I was too worried he'd climb back in."

"He probably would too... He's downstairs with the girls now if you want to join them for breakfast. I'm headed back into their room for a while to keep Kal company."

He raises a brow at me, "Bringing him breakfast in bed after your exciting night?"

"Oh shush, I swear you people are all the worst. Kal's weaving is acting up since he's sick— I'm sure Ronan, our resident Gossip Queen, will be happy to fill you in on the details."

"Uh huh... well have fun keeping his bed warm," he smirks, heading past me down the stairs.

I'm about to call out to him, to say it's not like that. But I hesitate because honestly, that's exactly what I'm doing. Not necessarily in that meaning, but at least in those words.

Biting my tongue I reenter Kal's room.

He lays on his back, still snoring lightly, and I tiptoe around the bed to set our food down on his nightstand.

I sit down gently on the bed next to him and rub his shoulder. "Kal," I call quietly. He opens his eyes slowly, blinking in the sun peeking through the blinds just like I had.

"Hey, I'm back. I brought some food for you if you're hungry."

He nods his head in understanding while sniffing his nose and rubbing at his eyes to clear the fuzzy sleep away.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Like shit. But I'll be fine."

"Well you look like shit too," I comment, tongue-in-cheek. "But that's nothing new."

He smiles then, glancing at me; his frosty azure eyes greeting my burning amber. There's a spark of something there—an understanding, an acquiescence—and it shocks me how much awareness is in just that single connection.

"Thank you... again. For last night. I actually slept pretty well the rest of the night..." he says quietly.

He looks away from me, probably embarrassed, but he doesn't need to be. "You're welcome. I slept really well too, so I guess it wasn't entirely for your benefit."

"I'm assuming Ronan came to get you?"

I nod.

He pouts. "I'm gonna kill him, I swear."

"Yeah, he told me you'd say something like that. But he also said you might appreciate it enough to forgive him. He was just looking out for you."

"Hmmmm," he grumbles. "I guess so."

"I have half a mind to chastise you for not immediately coming to get me yourself... but that would just be the pot calling the kettle black. As hesitant as I've been to use your help, I understand why you didn't... so I won't berate you about it."

He nods at me solemnly, a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Then he sneezes.