Waking Up

Jill woke snuggled against Chris. She smiled and kissed his cheek before sitting up and stretching, only to fall back onto the bed. It had been three long years, plus a few months, since she had woken beside him. After her return from Africa, she spent two months in a hospital bed, talking to psychiatrists and trying to get over the withdrawals from P30. She had finally been released only a day prior.

Chris slept soundly, rolling over in his sleep and capturing her waist with his arms. He nuzzled against her side and mumbled her name under his breath. She rubbed his back, murmuring to him in a comforting manor.

She drifted back to sleep.

When she woke again, he was awake. "Morning," he whispered. She smiled and he mirrored it. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. "Amazingly. I'm glad I'm out of that Godforsaken hospital and it's stupid rules. I mean, c'mon. You couldn't even sit on the bed with me."

"Which was really frustrating," he added. "All I wanted to do was at least hold you for a while. And make sure you wouldn't disappear again."

She sighed and let her body go limp. "I swear, I'd never leave this bed again if I could. It understands me. It doesn't care how messed up I am or even what I look like. It still wants me here. Kinda like you." She laughed softly. "And compfy. You're both compfy."

He kissed her on the corner of her mouth. "But, can the bed make food for you?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Maybe I should ask it."

He chuckled. "What do you want for breakfast?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Something edible. That I like."

He rolled his eyes. "That's no answer."

"You know what I like. Better than I do, actually," she pointed out. She stretched up to kiss him. "Just something yummy, please." He nodded and parted from the room. At least a half an hour later, she was pulled out of bed by a delicious smell assaulting her nose. She entered the kitchen to find him frying peppers, onions, pepperoni, and potatoes together. Her stomach growled. "Is it almost done?" she asked as she looped her arms around him from behind.

"I've just got to add the eggs," he reassured. He picked up the bowl beside him that had a few eggs in it. He had added milk and proceeded to whisk them until there was no difference from the egg white, the yolk, or the milk. He poured it into the pan. She licked her lips as she eyed his culinary creation.

"Is it done yet?"

"Almost, almost. Patience, Valentine." She smiled and kissed his cheek before setting the table for two.

After breakfast, they found themselves curled back up in bed. She was laying across him, firm in her belief that he was "compfy". "How long until you go back to work?" The question was quiet.

"A few weeks," he replied. "I made sure to go on as an inactive agent for the BSAA. I'm a consultant now."

"It sounds to me like that means you'll be able to spend a lot of time with me," she purred.

He nodded. "Yup. We'll get those three years back."

She smiled. "As long as I can keep my love affair with this bed up. This thing is made of clouds."

He couldn't help but hit his palm to his forhead. He had missed her.