Good Morning

Thirty-second Morning

Thunder rumbles in the distance and lightning illuminates his room in blips that makes her stir awake. It doesn't seem fair how the warmth is still there. It doesn't seem fair that she had managed to move any closer to him or really managed to seek him out so completely that she didn't realize that she was practically flush against him, and there wasn't a moment where his thumb wasn't tracing gentle circles into her hip.

She could leave. She should have left. But he's humming, his elemental power lively thrumming beneath his skin, and he's alive and in one piece.

And that's more than she could have asked for.

Her nose presses into his collarbone in an effort to reprimand herself for staying. But she can't help it, not after everything that they've been through, not after she finally stopped running from her feelings, not after she decided for herself that she wanted to be with him. She had been hiding from her own heart, and Jay respected that, until he no longer couldn't after seeing a glimpse of the future. She told him she saw it too, the first time she met him. She didn't actually see it, but she felt it, such a strong aura resonating in her core declaring: this is the one.

"Are you awake?" he asks. And really, what was he? Some sort of mind reader?

"No," she murmurs while sinking a little further into him, "go back to sleep."

"I can't exactly do that," he ekes out.

She lifts her head and meets his eyes in the darkness. She swears she can see the faint gold and silver specs in his impossibly blue eyes shimmer as they sweep over her. Her chest tightens and releases.

"Why not?"

He gives her the widest grin she's probably seen on his face in days. It makes her flush, and it's even more prominent when his hand cradles her cheek.

"Because you're here," he hums, the vibrations tickling her skin.

She feels her hand pressing into the center of his chest, and it's probably not fair how he can't really hear the way her heart is beating furiously behind her ribs.

"And?" she manages.

"I just want to remember this."

"Jay," she starts slowly, her fingers curling into the fabric of his pajamas, "you're not dying."

His lips twitch at this, and she's not entirely sure whether that was the right thing to say.

"That's not what I'm getting at, Nya."

She shakes her head while moving away from him. This was a mistake. She shouldn't have stayed. This is too soon for their relationship after getting back together. They need to take things slow, and yet, she wants to keep her foot on the accelerator. It's frustrating at best.

"Then what are you getting at?" she asks him hastily while untangling herself from him and the sheets.

But he stops her before she can move any further from him. His hand slips away from her face and finds her waist in an attempt to keep her still.

"I'm trying to tell you that I love you," he breathes.

And maybe she never really considered him a mind reader. But he's there, and his lips are brushing over hers, delicate, waiting, and she's leaning into him, so close and full of intent.

"I love you too," she admits.

And maybe that's all she needed to say. His lips are melding into hers, and she's reminded of all of the things she missed, and it makes her breathless.

"Jay," she exhales abruptly while separating from him.

He's watching her, blue eyes half lidded and lips parted. He's waiting.

"Don't die on me, okay?" she pleads.

He never really says anything, not when his hand is cupping the back of her neck and bringing her to him again.

And maybe that's all the promise she needs.

His kiss is soft and warm, sending shivers down her spine that makes her seek him out even further. It's not rushed. It's everything she remembered and even more. She could live with that.

Lightning strikes and the thunder claps at the same time that he breaks away from her. He's laughing.

"Sorry. I thought that'd be romantic," he smiles sheepishly.

"I think we've had enough excitement for one week," she retorts while dropping her head onto his pillow.

"But Nya, I'm the blue ninja. Excitement is my middle name."

He's electric and sporadic in all of the right ways. She's realized this with the way his hands are settled on her hips, and his lips are leaving a blazing trail along her jaw.

"Jay," she hums. She can feel him smiling against her skin.

"Yes, Nya?" he breathes. The vibration of his voice buzzes, and she's there, fingers threading through his auburn hair.

"We have training," she reminds him.

"Can we skip today?" he nearly begs while his teeth graze her pulse point.

She sighs. "You know we can't."

He's pulling away from her suddenly, blue eyes piercing and brimming with an energy she can't really ignore. It's enticing and beckoning, and she really wants to forget about training.

"Why not?" he questions like it's the hardest thing to grasp in that moment.

"Because Sensei Wu expects us there."

He huffs while sliding off of her mattress.

"Jay," she calls. He's searching for his gi, and it's almost comical how his brows are drawn together in some futile attempt to look displeased.

"Yes, Nya," he mimics.

She rolls her eyes while sitting up. The sheets are pooling around her waist, and she knows she has his attention when his back is straightening.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes while moving towards him, "training will be over before you know it."

"And we can cuddle?"

"Among other things."

And really, he doesn't need any more encouragement than that. His gi is fitted on him in one quick motion, and he's grinning.

"Okay. Let's do this."

She chuckles while shaking her head. He's there though, stealing a quick kiss from her that leaves her wanting more.

"Jay!" she says, feigning exasperation, but never really means.

It throws him off balance, his cheeks dusted pink, but he's still smiling like an idiot.

"What?"

"Training, remember?"

"Right!"

And she's alone in her room, laughing because it's all she really could do for him. He was electric and sporadic in allof the right ways, and she wouldn't have him any other way.