Ocean Kisses

Freed

Tango pov

We all stayed cuddled up for hours, the warmth of our little pile of comfort keeping the anxieties at bay. But as the day stretched on, I started to feel restless. My muscles were sore from lying still for so long, and the need to stretch my legs became impossible to ignore. I wriggled out of Impulse’s hold first, relieved to have some space, but of course, as soon as I moved, I found myself trapped by Skizz. His wing wrapped around me tighter as I tried to wriggle free, the playful energy still lingering in his sleep-warmed movements.

“Come on, Skizz,” I muttered, trying to pull away, but he wasn’t letting me go easily.

I managed to free myself from him, but just as I did, I was immediately checked by Zed, his warmth pressing against my back as I tried to stand. I froze for a second, surprised by the sudden shift in the cuddle pile. Zed was still half asleep, his arms wrapping around me as if he didn’t want me to move.

“Zed,” I grumbled, trying to wiggle out of his hold, but I could tell it wasn’t going to be easy. He wasn’t even fully aware of what he was doing, just shifting instinctively to keep me close. His arms felt comforting, but I still needed to move.

“Let me stretch, please,” I half-whined, half-laughed, though my voice was softened by the warmth of his embrace.

Zed let out a quiet murmur, his grip not loosening but becoming gentler as he blinked a few times, clearly waking up fully. When he realized what he was doing, he pulled back slightly, his confused purple eyes meeting mine.

“Sorry… didn’t mean to trap you,” he mumbled sleepily.

I smiled, reaching over to gently pat his arm. “It’s okay, Zed. I just need a minute.”

He nodded slowly, finally letting me go, but not without that slight hesitation like he didn’t want to fully let go. It was endearing, but I could feel my impatience growing. I needed some space to stretch my legs and take a breath.

As I stood up, I realized how much I’d been depending on the comforting presence of the three of them, but now, I was ready to move. Even if I felt a bit bad for making them all shift around so much. They’d just get cozy again, right?

I chuckled softly as I watched Zed shift slightly, his warmth drawing the others in. Impulse and Skizz, still half asleep, leaned into him like they’d found the comfiest spot in the world. Zed mumbled quietly to himself, almost as if he was still in the middle of a dream. It was oddly peaceful to see them all settled in like that, but I couldn’t stay still for much longer. I needed to get up, stretch, and shake off the weight of all the anxiety from the past few days.

Once I finished in the bathroom, stretching my legs and waking up a bit more, I walked over to the sink to wash my hands. The comforting smell of the room and the warmth of the blankets on the others made me feel a bit more at ease, but there was still something I needed to do. I couldn’t stay idle for too long.

I decided it was time to make breakfast, or rather, brunch, considering it was well past the usual breakfast time. I smiled to myself as I gathered the ingredients—eggs, some leftover vegetables, and a couple of things I’d been saving for a proper meal. I liked cooking, and it felt good to do something normal, something that helped me feel like I was regaining control.

As I worked, I couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to have everyone close again, especially after the chaos of everything that had happened. Even with the anxiety still lingering, the simple act of cooking for them made me feel a little bit more grounded.

After a few minutes of chopping and stirring, the scent of cooking eggs filled the apartment. I couldn’t wait to see the others’ reactions once they woke up and smelled the food. Maybe it would give them all a little energy to start the day properly, especially Zed, who seemed to have a tendency to want to stay curled up forever.

Impulse was the first to stir, his movements slow and groggy as he made his way over to me. I didn’t notice him until I felt the gentle pressure of a kiss on my temple. His warm breath against my skin sent a small wave of comfort through me, and I smiled, turning to glance at him.

"Good morning," he murmured softly, his voice still thick with sleep.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, the sound light and airy. "It’s afternoon, actually."

Impulse froze for a moment, blinking in confusion. He turned to check the time on the wall and let out an exaggerated gasp, clearly surprised by how late it had gotten. "Afternoon?! Well, no wonder I’m starving. You’ve been up for hours, haven’t you?"

I grinned and nodded, feeling a little bit of pride in having gotten up early enough to start cooking something. Impulse, still half-awake, made a beeline for the coffee pot, already muttering about needing caffeine to really start his day. I watched him shuffle off to prepare his coffee, his movements still sluggish but endearing.

The quiet of the moment was nice, just the soft sounds of Impulse moving around in the kitchen, the smell of food filling the air, and the comfort of being surrounded by everyone, even if they were still waking up slowly. I felt a little more grounded, a little more myself, as I continued chopping the vegetables for the meal.

It wasn’t long before Skizz began to stir too, the sound of him stretching and yawning coming from the pile of blankets. Zed was still nestled under the covers, though, barely moving. The calm, lazy atmosphere was exactly what we all needed after everything that had happened. I couldn’t wait for everyone to wake up fully and enjoy the breakfast... or brunch, at this point.

Skizz wandered into the kitchen next, stretching as he yawned, his usual energetic self even in the groggy early afternoon hours. He came up behind me and placed a soft kiss on my other temple, the unexpected gesture making me flush a bit. I blinked at him, caught off guard, and he just grinned cheekily, clearly enjoying my flustered reaction. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said with a teasing tone before moving to grab a cup of coffee for himself.

By then, Impulse had settled into his routine, sipping on his coffee and chatting with Skizz as they both hovered around the kitchen. I couldn’t help but smile at the comfort of it all—the gentle energy in the room felt like a small slice of peace.

The last to stir was Zed. I could tell he was still adjusting to everything, the new surroundings, the different routines. He seemed a little disoriented as he slowly emerged from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes. When his gaze landed on the food I had finished cooking, he looked even more confused. His eyes flickered between the meal and me, and then back to the meal, as if trying to figure out what was going on.

"Uh… is this… for me?" he asked, his voice still a little groggy but filled with uncertainty. His eyes were wide, like he wasn’t used to such... normality. The concept of just waking up to food and company seemed to bewilder him.

I gave him a reassuring smile, feeling an almost protective instinct rise. "Yeah, it's for all of us. I figured we could all eat together."

Zed looked at me for a moment longer, his usual wariness still there, but then he nodded slowly, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Okay… thank you." He stepped closer, glancing at the food once more before settling into one of the seats around the table, clearly still taking in the strange yet comforting routine of a normal morning—or afternoon, now.

The group was finally together, and as the chatter began and the plates filled, I couldn’t help but feel a little more at peace. It was a good day—small moments like this made everything feel a bit more... manageable.