The morning after

Posted on Fri Aug 23rd, 2019 @ 12:12am by Lieutenant Jack Carver & Captain Abigail Laurens

Mission: War and Peacekeeping
Location: Personal Quarters

Abigail woke with a start, the unfamiliar scents and sounds of her surroundings immediately making her on edge as she sat up, scrubbing her face with her hands before brushing her long hair back from her eyes as she blinked, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes. As the room came into focus, she exhaled slowly, remembering where she was. She was in Jack's quarters, and she must have fallen asleep. Pulling her boots onto her feet and shrugging into her jacket, she walked out of the bedroom, smiling as she saw his familiar form in the low light, asleep on the couch. She glanced toward the door and then back to him, biting her bottom lip as she contemplated momentarily if she should wake him up or just tiptoe out quietly and leave him sleeping.

As she contemplated the quiet noises of her emerging from his bedroom roused him from his slumber. Either that, or him falling from the couch to the floor as he tried to roll over did. He muttered a curse word, rubbing his forehead where he'd hit the floor the hardest as he sat up, bleary-eyed. "Oh. Hey. Mornin', sleepin' beauty." he offered, still dressed in the simple jeans and shirt he'd changed in to the night before.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Abigail offered quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep in your bed, you should have woken me so I could leave, you shouldn't have had to sleep on the couch..."

Jack waved her off dismissively as he rose to his feet. "Nonsense. My choice to let you sleep in peace. Want some breakfast?" He rubbed the back of his neck, wincing a bit, rolling his shoulders to loosen up a bit.

"Sure," Abigail replied with a smile. "But I won't stay too long, I need to get back to my own quarters so I can shower and change and I'm going to have a mountain of reports on my desk after the bar fight last night. How are you feeling today?" she asked softly, her voice etched with concern.

"Bit sore in the neck. I'll drop by sickbay and get my tooth glued back in before I go on duty." he mused, heading towards his kitchen, rolling his shoulders. "Pancakes sound good? Only take a bit to make some. I make a mean bacon pancake."

Abigail smiled. "That sounds good," she said quietly. "What do you want me to do to help?"

"Feel free to freshen up in my bathroom, get the sleep out of your face and hair." he called out from his kitchen area. The quarters were smaller and simpler than Abigail's own, but still fairly nice and comfortable.

With a nod, Abigail turned and headed back to the bathroom, taking a few moments to wash her face and run her fingers through her hair. While still something of a mess, at least she looked neater than she did previously. The rest of it could wait until she got back to her own quarters to shower and change into a clean uniform. Returning back to the kitchen, she smiled again. "Mind if I use your replicator?" she asked hopefully. "I don't know about you, but I need a latte."

"Sure, go right ahead." he motioned broadly in the general direction of his replicator. "First pancakes should be done in a few moments. I'll just have a coffee, please. Strong. Black."

Replicating the two drinks, Abigail picked up her latte in one hand, blowing across the top of it before taking a sip even though it was still far too hot. "Oh that's good," she murmured softly, picking up Jack's coffee and carrying it across to him. "What do you want me to do to help?"

"Stop fussing." he fussed. "Find a seat, pancakes will be ready in a bit.

Leaving his coffee sitting on the counter next to where he was working, Abigail held onto her latte and walked across to the small table, taking a seat and just watching him over the rim of her cup as she blew gently on the hot liquid. "Are you sure you don't want help?" she asked as she continued watching with a smile.

He paused, shoulders slumping. "Will you stop it already? I'm fine. I'm trying to take care of you. You're visiting, I'm your host. Give me this, ok? I'm a big boy, can put my own pants on and everything. I can make breakfast without help. I've done it before." he glanced over at her. "Yes. I'm sure I'm fine. Thank you." he said, his voice calm, as he gathered two plates and utensils, bringing them over to where she was sitting.

"Sorry," Abigail said quietly, looking down at the mug in her hands. "It smells good," she finally offered, not entirely sure what else to say.

"It better smell good." Jack smirked, bringing a luxuriously thick and large bacon pancake over, setting various toppings down as well, a sugary syrup, powdered sugar, honey, jam, a chocolate spread. "Enjoy." he smiled and winked, moving back to the kitchen to get his own.

Abigail stared at the pancake for a moment before she picked up her cutlery. "I don't remember the last time I had a breakfast this big," she said with a laugh. "Normally it's just a latte and sometimes a donut on my way out the door."

"This is big breakfast?" Jack sounded amused. "I eat like three of those, that'll get me through the day." he smiled, bringing his own over and sitting down across from her, putting some sugary syrup on his pancake. "So how'd you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well, I didn't wake at all until this morning. Again, I'm sorry I fell asleep in your bed, you really should have woken me," Abigail replied quietly.

Jack frowned at her answer, or rather, the way she spoke it. He reached a hand out to rest on hers, speaking softly. "Hey ... You're fine. You're not a burden at all. I don't know what's happened to you to make you so apologetic, to convince you you're a hassle, but you don't have to feel that way. Ok? You're fine. I let you sleep and that was my choice, not your fault. Ok?"

"Well, thank you, I appreciate it," Abigail said with a gentle smile. "Let's eat, I need to get to the bridge soon. After the brawl in the lounge last night I know I'm going to have a mountain of paperwork to get through." She picked up the sugary syrup, pouring some over her pancake before cutting a piece off. "At least it should be quiet for your people today," she said with a smile.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Jack smirked. "Just so happens I'm the CAG, which means I do." he grinned before chomping down on another big chunk of rolled up pancake.

Abigail smiled slightly as she broke off more of her own pancake with the fork, toying with it for a few moments. "Just no more bar fights, okay? I have enough paperwork to deal with."