PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 3: The Morning After

Maya slowly opens her eyes, the early morning light filtering in through the window.

She glances down at Carina, still fast asleep in her arms, and smiles softly at how peaceful and beautiful she looks.

Maya just lays there for a moment, enjoying the feeling of Carina's body against hers. She listens to the steady rise and fall of her breathing, finding comfort in the sound.

After a few minutes, she gently starts to untangle herself from Carina's grasp, being careful not to wake her up.

Once free, she slowly gets out of bed and stretches, feeling her muscles loosen up.

She glances back at Carina again, taking in the sight of her lying there, her face still relaxed in sleep.

Maya pads silently out of the bedroom, not wanting to disturb Carina's rest.

She heads into the kitchen and starts to make some coffee, the familiar routine helping her wake up fully.

Andy said "Well good morning."

Maya jumps slightly, surprised to hear Andy's voice.

"Morning," she replies, still a little groggy. "How long have you been up?"

Andy grins, already wide awake and fully caffeinated. "Oh, a while. I'm an early riser, you know that."

She leans against the counter, eyeing Maya with a mischievous glint in her eye. "So... how was your night?"

Maya rolls her eyes, knowing exactly where this conversation is headed. "Oh, don't start, Herrera."

Andy laughs, enjoying the chance to tease her friend. "What? Can't a girl ask about your date night?"

She smirks, taking a sip from her coffee mug. "Come on, spill. How'd it go?"

Maya sighs, knowing that Andy isn't going to let this go. "It was... good. Great, actually."

She smiles, unable to hide her happiness. "Carina is... she's something else."

Andy grins, clearly happy that things went well. "Damn, you've got it bad, don't you?"

She takes another sip of coffee, studying Maya carefully. "You really like her."

Maya blushes slightly, not used to being this upfront about her feelings.

"Yeah, I do," she admits. "She's... different, you know? And not just because she's gorgeous."

Andy nods, understanding. "Yeah, I get it. When you meet someone who just... clicks with you, it's hard to explain."

She smirks. "And the fact that she's gorgeous doesn't hurt, I'm sure."

As they're chatting, Carina emerges from the bedroom, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

She walks into the kitchen, her hair tousled and looking incredibly cute.

Maya's heart skips a beat at the sight of Carina, and she can't help but smile.

"Morning, gorgeous," she says, her voice laced with affection.

Carina smiles back sleepily. "Mmm, morning."

She walks over to Maya and wraps her arms around her waist, resting her head on her shoulder.

"You smell good," she mumbles, still sounding half-asleep.

Maya laughs and wraps her arms around Carina in return, hugging her close. "You're adorable when you're sleepy, you know that?"

She turns her head to press a kiss to Carina's forehead.

"Mmm, I'm adorable all the time," Carina mutters, burying her face in Maya's neck.

Andy, watching this display of affection, grins. "You two are sickeningly cute together, you know that?"

Maya rolls her eyes, but grins nonetheless. "Shut up, Herrera. You're just jealous you're single."

She looks down at Carina, who's still clinging to her. "You want some coffee, beautiful?"

Carina nods, still looking like she's not quite fully awake. "Mhm, please."

She pulls back slightly, her arms still around Maya. "Just... don't let me go yet. You're warm."

Maya laughs softly and tightens her grip on Carina. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You can hang onto me as long as you want, babe."

Carina said "Don't you and Andy have work today."

Maya glances at the clock on the wall and realizes the time.

"Crap, you're right. We need to get going soon."

She glances down at Carina, reluctant to let her go. "I'm sorry, beautiful. Duty calls."

Carina pouts slightly, clearly not wanting to let Maya go either. "Can't you just call in sick or something?"

She looks up at Maya with a hopeful expression, her eyes wide and innocent.

Maya grins at how adorable Carina looks, but shakes her head regretfully. "I wish I could, but it's a busy day at the station. I can't just call out at the last minute."

She reaches up and cups Carina's cheek, caressing it gently. "I'm sorry, gorgeous. I promise we'll spend time together later, okay?"

Carina sighs, accepting the inevitable. "Alright, alright. I guess I can survive a day without you."

She leans into Maya's touch, enjoying the feel of her hand on her face. "But you owe me cuddles later."

Maya laughs and nods, fully intending to keep that promise. "Deal. I'll give you all the cuddles you want later, I promise."

Andy pipes up from the table, having been silently observing their interaction. "Aww, isn't this sweet. Can you two be any soppier?"

Maya rolls her eyes at Andy's comment. "Oh, shut up, Herrera. You're just jealous because you don't have a gorgeous woman to cuddle with."

She looks back at Carina and grins. "Don't listen to her. We're adorable, right?"

Carina grins and nods. "Mhm, definitely adorable."

She leans in and kisses Maya's cheek, still reluctant to let her go. "But I guess you should probably get ready for work, huh?"

Maya nods, her reluctance to leave matching Carina's.

"Yeah, I should probably get presentable for the day."

She steals one last kiss from Carina before reluctantly untangling herself from her embrace.

Andy grins, clearly enjoying watching the two of them. "Alright, lovebirds, you better get moving or you'll be late for work."

She stands up from the table, taking her empty mug to the sink.

Maya gives Andy a mock glare. "Yeah, yeah, we're going."

She turns back to Carina, giving her one last quick kiss. "I'll see you later, beautiful."

Carina nods, her pout returning. "Okay. Be safe today, okay?"

She glances at Andy, then back at Maya. "Both of you. No heroics."