Think of the Devil

Thirty

The bedroom was quiet like any other early morning. Sunlight tried its hardest to peek through the shades on the window, fighting to shine warm beams into the room. It fought in vain, as the apartment held a chill in the air that only the radiator could battle. It woke Matt up, groaning in discomfort as goosebumps crawled along the exposed skin of his shoulders and arm. His first instinct was to curl up even tighter under the covers, and he would've— if Jane was still underneath him.

He'd been fooled, his senses surrounded by her scent on the pillow as he clutched it. With another soft groan, he forced his head up as he struggled to shake off his sleepiness. Sitting up onto his elbows, he focused on pushing his senses outward, seeking Jane.

She was in the kitchen, standing by her coffee maker and reaching into a cupboard. The rattle of pills in a bottle met his ears next. He listened as she shook a couple tablets into her hand, swallowing them down with a glass of water. Beside her, a pot of coffee was still brewing. As she reached to put the bottle back into the cabinet, she froze. His head tilted, brows lowering as he wondered why she'd gone still.

"Good morning," she said, not bothering to raise her voice. "I'm sorry if I woke you." The next sound he heard was of a mug scraping against a shelf as she pulled it down from the cupboard.

With a yawn, Matt pulled himself up and sat at the edge of the mattress. More goosebumps crept down his arms as he met the cool air of the room. "Good morning," he mumbled, figuring she could probably hear him too.

She crossed into her living room next, making it to the radiator near the window and turning it up.  When she returned to the kitchen, he stood. He stretched carefully, his body still sore after being unable to meditate for the last few days. Rolling his shoulder as he tugged on his hoodie, he didn't bother to zip it as he made his way to the door and through the hallway.

Jane was pouring coffee now, into both her mug and the one she'd gotten down from the cabinet. She spun around just as Matt exited the hallway. He couldn't ignore the sound of her heartbeat speeding up when she caught sight of him. He also couldn't fight the corner of his lips twitching up as her soft breath started coming in shorter.

"Uh... Coffee's ready," she muttered, holding out the fresh mug.

As he stepped closer, he reached for the mug she used every day instead. Drawing it to his mouth, he murmured, "Thank you, angel."

She rolled her eyes, hiding a smile behind her mug. She took a sip of coffee before asking, "How did you sleep?"

(Better than I have in weeks.) He amended it to, "Good," taking another step towards her. His free hand took her by the hip, pulling her into him. She carefully wrapped her left arm around his neck, minding the coffee in her other hand as he leaned in and kissed her. His touch was gentle, earnest. It was a kiss she could imagine them sharing any early morning under normal circumstances.

"Can I make you something to eat?" Jane asked as they separated. "I know you'll say no, but..."

A small smile pulled at his lips at her joke. "Maybe in a bit, sweetheart. Let me wake up first." Carefully, he pulled her with him as he took a step back towards the couch.

The pair settled into it with ease. He sat facing forward, comfortably sprawling out as if it were his own couch. She sat beside him, halfway facing him with her legs criss-crossed. Her left elbow rested on the back of the couch, reaching out to fix his sleep-tousled hair. As he took a sip of coffee, he laid his other hand on her thigh and gently squeezed. She struggled not to watch as his fingers lightly traced the inner seam of her pants.

"Corduroy, hm?" he questioned, feeling the material.

"Yeah," she responded absently, still distracted by the sight of his fingers.