Ava & Hakea

Part 4 - Coitus Interruptus

Ava groaned as she roused to consciousness, waking from her sleep. She cracked open her eyes and was met with sunlight streaming through her white gauzy curtains. The sound of sizzling tantalized her senses, adding motivation to get out of bed.

Hakea was gone. His side, where he slept, was cool to the touch.

Maybe he had to go, she wondered, sighing in disappointment.

She went about her morning visit to the bathroom before dressing herself in a loose shirt and shorts. A few minutes later, she staggered into the kitchen and froze. It was the last thing she expected, but explained the weird sound she kept hearing. Sleep still clung to the edges of her mind.

Standing at her stove was no other than Hakea himself. He flipped bacon in a skillet while other items cooked on the other eyes. His yellow eyes focused on her as she sat at the small island bench, rubbing her eyes.

Hakea smiled, "Good morning, love."

"Good mornin'. You're up early." She yawned, watching him move cooked sunny-side eggs onto a plate. He removed the bacon from the heat and set the finished strips on a plate.

"Early risers seize the day," Hakea purred.

He filled a plate with bacon, sunny-side eggs, and buttered toast. A few seconds later, he set it before her with some flatware and a glass of orange juice. Her stomach growled at the sight of the yummy food. The breakfast smelled fantastic!

"Thank you," Ava smiled softly as he filled his plate. She happily dug into the eggs, breaking the yolk and lathering some of it on the toast. "And I'm hardly ever a mornin' person. I like enjoyin' the comfort of my bed as long as possible."

Her yautja chuckled, "I've noticed, but it's part of my culture to awaken early, ready for the day. My bearer said that sleeping in allows complacency to settle in and miss opportunities."

It was the first time Ava had heard him talk about his mother. He was usually reluctant even to mention her, leading her to conclude that they were likely estranged, similar to her situation with her dad. This one piece was hopefully something she could attribute to why they clicked so well.

Shared trauma did have its bonuses, if any.
"Did you ever follow that advice?"

He chuffed with a smirk, "Only after a beating,"
Hakea set his plate on the island bench and opened the flatware drawer. When he gingerly plucked out the yautja set she had bought for him, she nearly choked on a piece of bacon.

"Someone thought ahead," Hakea noted softly, his eyes warming when he turned to face her.

Ava swallowed her mouthful of food before responding. "I wanted to make sure you would be comfortable if you wanted to visit." She shrugged shyly, focusing on dragging the remaining slice of her toast through the runny yolk of the egg. "You've been more than accommodatin' for me, so...yeah."

Avoiding having to say more, she stuffed more food in her mouth. Her cheeks heated, and she shyly focused on her meal.

"Thank you, love." He purred softly.

The two fell into comfortable silence as they dug into the hearty breakfast. Hakea filled Ava's plate and his once before they finished. She helped him fill the dishwasher, despite his protests, and went to cuddle with him on the couch afterward. Together, they watched the morning news to start the day.

"Thanks for breakfast," Ava said, stroking one of Hakea's locs. "It was delicious,"

His purr kicked into high drive, and he held her closer to his body. "I'm glad you liked it."