I'll sweep the stardust for you

Maeve

When he climbs off of her she rolls onto her belly, moving into the space his body just vacated as her face buries itself in their shared pillow. She burrows further, a soft sigh pushing past her lips as she settles back in, seeming content in sleeping a bit longer. There are a few feathers stuck in her hair, the navy blue standing out against the dark curls that fall messily across her face. From what he can see with her borrowed shirt covering her skin, there are multiple marks from his teeth and mouth littered across her skin, standing out starkly against the flesh of her neck and shoulders. One of her legs sticks out haphazardly from beneath their previously shared blanket, knee hiked up and leg bent as she continues to doze.

It isn't until the smell of coffee begins to fill the air that she actually stirs. Maeve groans softly, rolling onto her back and rubbing at her eyes before she's stretching like a cat. Her back arches and her toes point as her arms extend above her head. Slowly her eyes flutter open, still bleary with sleep as she gets her bearings. The events from last night rushing back to her. The basket, the kiss, his office, the nightmare... All of it swirls in her sleep addled brain as she comes to in the soft morning light.

Her eyes finally look for him, finding him back in the kitchen and tending to the coffee. Maeve pushes up from their nest, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to tame the curls as she shuffles into the kitchen. There is something softer about the Madame like this. Not all done up with her makeup and dress. Her hair curling wildly instead of in smooth curls that she normally wears. The morning light agrees with her even if she thrives in the dark. "Morning.." She murmurs softly as she comes to lean against the counter opposite him, "Oh.. you already made coffee. Wonderful."

Poor little girl
still waiting for her happy ending

SUNJATA

the flood

but am i too late? or hearts to your spades,
if i don't suit you? then what do you want from me?

She spreads out and he casts a glance to her once she begins to move around. He continues to make the coffee as quietly as he can, hoping to let her sleep just a bit longer, but before long the scent of coffee fills the room and he’s scanned through the rest of the papers, trying his best to keep his mind in one place.

He moves from the papers to finishing the coffee, retrieving some milk and honey and sugar for it — because Sunjata never truly got the taste for black coffee if he could help it — and he sets it out for her as she makes her way over. He’s silent for a moment, his steel gaze watching her curiously before he slides a full cup toward her and pours his own, before he settles in a barstool across from her. “I did my best.” He murmurs with a snort. “I have a tendency of burning it but I truly tried not to this time.” His accented voice has taken on a bit more of that Korofi edge, the more noble tones rumbling through his words. “In which case, if I have failed, at the very least we can fix it with milk and sugar.” To this, he winks, a crooked and boyish smile crossing his face as he goes to already dump some of the additional ingredients into his.

“How did you sleep?” Aside from the nightmare, of course, he asks while he stirs his coffee.

so we're not written in the stars,
but i'm okay with that. i'm okay with anything

Maeve

Her hands wrap around the mug gratefully and she inhales first, letting the aroma wake her up before already doctoring up her own cup. She has always had a sweet tooth. Even if he hadn't burnt it she wouldn't hesitate to add the various extras. "Lucky for you I wouldn't really notice. I'm not exactly a coffee connoisseur. If this was tea then I might have a bone to pick with you." She drawls, accent a little thicker and voice a hint raspier with sleep as she mixes in the milk and sugar until it's palatable. Maeve lifts it to her lips, taking a slow sip and sighing as the liquid warms her from the inside out. "Tastes good to me." She confirms, smiling at him from over the him of her mug as he tosses her that wink.

Maeve shrugs her shoulders, licking her lips as she settles onto the stool beside him, "Well enough. Once we got settled." She hums, verdant gaze soft as she looks up at him. "And yourself?" After the nightmare, of course. They both know that no one slept well when those were going on, but he seemed to settle well enough afterwards. Maeve hopes he at least got some sleep. She reaches up, running a hand through her hair, fingers catching on a feather. Her brow furrows and she tugs it free, twirling it in her fingers with an amused flint in her eyes. "You weren't kidding about the feathers, huh?"

Poor little girl
still waiting for her happy ending

SUNJATA

the flood

but am i too late? or hearts to your spades,
if i don't suit you? then what do you want from me?

“Mm, noted.” He comments with a soft laugh. Tea seemed less difficult to fuck up than coffee did, but Sunjata doesn’t want to test the theory regardless. So he mixes his coffee and takes a long sip from it, letting it warm his bones and chase his shadows away for a fraction longer.

She settles in beside him and he sets the cup down, nodding to her in response to both the fact that the coffee didn’t taste too bad and that she’d slept well once they’d gotten settled, before he’s letting his attention focus on her as she pulls the navy feather from her hair. “Not bad. Thank you, again.” He offers her easily. After the nightmare, it had been relatively nice.

But he snorts and lifts the mug back to his lips to take another sip, swallowing it down with a shake of his head. “Oh no, I was entirely serious.” He offers her with a quiet laugh, reaching up to pluck another from the crown of her head, before setting it on the counter. “It should be safe enough now to get back to Haulani for you. Is there anything else you need or might want before you do?” He asks her, sure she likely has work things she needs to do and he’s got to clean up the house a bit before Kamaria wakes. He turns a bit more toward her, scanning her face before his steel gaze lingers along her own bright gaze.

so we're not written in the stars,
but i'm okay with that. i'm okay with anything

Maeve

Maeve smiles over at him, taking another sip of her coffee, "You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome anyway." She tosses him an easy wink back. The air feels lighter than it did last night. He might not of had the best sleep, but he slept and it seems to have helped. Everything they did seems to have helped and she's glad for it. She'd do it all over again if it meant that he was able to be somewhat better the next day. It was worth it. All of it.

She giggles, shaking her head as she smiles at him from over the rim of her mug, "I can see that now. I wonder where else I'm going to pluck feathers from besides my hair." Maeve muses, cocking her head to the side as if she's actually thinking it over. Her eyes dip down to the feathers in question, noting just how blue they are and she thinks she might actually keep them. Of course, that might be considered odd, but she was a collector of odd things. It fit. Maeve looks back up at him, setting her mug back onto the counter. "I'll finish my coffee and get dressed. I won't bother you for too much longer. I'm sure there is plenty for you to do besides entertain me." She replies easily, taking another long sip of her coffee as she continues to wake up.

"Would it be too bold to say we should do this again sometime or are we past the point of that being bold?" Maeve teases, leaning her elbows against the counter as she meets that now familiar steel gaze with her own.

Poor little girl
still waiting for her happy ending

SUNJATA

the flood

but am i too late? or hearts to your spades,
if i don't suit you? then what do you want from me?

The air is easier, he can breathe better, even, and with it come the easy jokes and playful banter, an amused huff of a laugh that slips from his throat as he regards her at the mention of feathers. “Mm well, hopefully nowhere that’s unwelcome.” They were pokey at times, after all. He should know from the amount of times he’s woken up in bed full of them.

They continue to drink their coffee, the morning light brightening the world around them, and Sunjata can’t help but to meet her gaze when she speaks next, a crooked smirk on his face as he looks her over just once before meeting her gaze again. “I’d say we’re past that point.” At least, for the most part. As for doing it again? His head tilts slightly as he spins the mug in his hand idly, as he picks over his words. “I think it couldn’t hurt anything. At least until Nate’s back.” He offers her with a smaller smile.

Hopefully she understood the consequences he’d face, the ones he was already facing given the circumstance of everything. And Nate? He didn’t know when his husband would return but Sunjata hoped he would at some point. Until then, however, if Maeve could help him not lose his mind in the process he’d appreciate it immensely.

So they finish their coffee and he takes her cup with his, setting them in the sink for him to clean later, before moving to help find the clothes spread out all over the living room for her.

so we're not written in the stars,
but i'm okay with that. i'm okay with anything

Maeve

A soft laugh bubbles up in her throat and she finishes off her coffee, "That is yet to be determined." Maeve reaches down the front of her shirt, producing another feather with an arched brow, but she's smiling as she does it. Maeve sets it down with the other three she's collected thus far.

He confirms that they are well past that point and they are. At least for the most part. Of course, there are some things they haven't faced, but that's okay. They were getting to know each other and she was helping him through it all. Happily. Willingly. It was good for them both. After what happened with Aurelia and with Locke leaving for Stormbreak. He wasn't the only one who needed distracting. "Of course. Until Nate gets back. Anything else we can address afterwards, no?" Not that there is anything else. They're friends. Friends who might fuck occasionally. That's all it is.

Maeve stands after he takes her coffee cup, heading back into the living room to where she they discarded her clothes the night before. She redresses after he finds her dress and corset, folding his shirt and placing it on the edge of the couch before she's putting on her shoes. With that done, the Madame looks fairly put together. Minus the slightly unruly hair and lack of makeup, she looks much like she did when she showed up at his door last night.

Poor little girl
still waiting for her happy ending

SUNJATA

the flood

but am i too late? or hearts to your spades,
if i don't suit you? then what do you want from me?

A deeper chuckle leaves him as she pulls out a feather from within her shirt, his gaze turning more and more amused. But the coffee is finished and he’s gathering their cups, moving into the living room to help collect her things once the confirmation of exactly what this was is made. A mutual agreement, at the very least, a way to keep his head screwed on tight.

She dresses easily and folds the shirt up and sets it on the couch and Sunjata’s offering her another quiet thank you as he walks her to the door. And with a gentle touch to her hand, a roguish smile, he bids her farewell with the promise that they’d be seeing each other again soon.

It’s right in time, of course, given Haai’s sudden warning that Kamaria is awake, and Sunjata has the rest of the day to focus his attention on his daughter and yet another attempt at trying to cook something.

— Fin <33

so we're not written in the stars,
but i'm okay with that. i'm okay with anything