[MAX]
In all honesty, I have no idea how I got back downstairs. Dylan probably carried me — it certainly wouldn't have been the first time — but either way, when I woke up for the second time that day, it was on the same part of the couch that I'd initially fallen asleep on, in an awkward half-seated position, leaned against Dylan as though he were a large pillow.
When I pulled away from him I could feel the lines in my face from where I had been smushed against his shoulder. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes with both hands. I could feel parts of my hair standing up at odd angles — again, who even knew how that had happened — and when I heard snickering coming from my left, I acted without thinking.
Which is how Flynn got beaned with a heavy pillow.
His yell was loud enough to startle Luca awake, which in turn caused Luca to tumble off the couch with a loud thump and a shout.
Which woke up everyone else in the basement. Griffin rolled over and muttered irritable, empty threats at Flynn, while I heard Danny hit his head on the bunk above him when he sat up too quickly. Danny's misfortune set Keahi off in laughter, which drew my attention that way, but Keahi at least had the decency to look ashamed when Danny glared at him.
Meanwhile, Dylan rubbed his hands over the entirety of his face before he looked down at me. "You had to throw a pillow at him?"
I shrugged, entirely unapologetic. "Habit."
"Is the habit y're referrin' to abusin' me, or throwin' things at people who annoy you?" Flynn asked with a pout. He clutched the pillow to his chest, now in a half-seated position.
I didn't hesitate: "The latter."
"Sounds right to me," I heard Danny mutter. He draped himself over the back of the couch next to me. He had one hand in his hair, cradling where I assumed he had hit the bed, and his golden eyes were still foggy with sleep. "Also— did you guys talk about—" he waved between Dylan and I, "—whatever yet?" He at least had the decency to ask the last part quietly.
"Yes," Dylan and I said simultaneously.
"All righty, then," Danny nodded. His gaze turned to Luca next. "Hey, Lucky, you all right down there?"
"Peachy," Luca grumbled, though his tone suggested anything but.
Dylan rolled his eyes before he got to his feet. He stretched his arms up and out on the way before he cracked his neck. Then he nudged one of Luca's legs with his foot. "C'mon, Lucky," he said, voice still thick with sleep. "Get up now and we can go to iHop."
Flynn sat all the way up so fast that he almost fell off the couch. "Didja say iHop?"
"I'm up, I'm up," Luca grumbled. He pulled himself into a seated position before he shoved both hands through his hair, which sent his black curls in all directions.
Griffin and Keahi both rounded the couch. Griffin shoved Flynn along his way with enough force to actually send him to the floor, but not without enough advance notice that Flynn couldn't brace his own fall. "You are paying for breakfast, right, boss?" Griffin asked. He made a point to ignore Flynn's affronted glare.
"Don't I usually?" Dylan asked. He ran his hands over his hair in a half-hearted attempt to flatten it. "All right, plan: you've got thirty to get ready. So shower, change, whatever; we meet in the garage at ..." He looked the digital clock on one of the shelves, "ten-hundred. Danny—" he pointed at him, "you good with taking the Rover?"
By the time he had said "ten-hundred," I was off the couch and headed up the stairs. Because if I was going to shower in the Carmichael house, I would use the master bathroom, thank you very much.
