Chapter Text
You stood at the stove in your small apartment, enjoying the quiet morning. The blinds were drawn open to allow the early morning light to flood the kitchen. The breakfast in the oven filled the apartment with the smell of cinnamon and vanilla.
Your ancient black lab, Bubba, laid in a patch of sunlight, twitching in her sleep. You smiled and went over to kneel next to her. You patted her neck lightly, watching a bird outside.
James came into the room, wearing a pair of your pajama pants that were much too short for him.
He sat on the couch behind you and kissed the crown of your head.
"Hey."
He muttered something unintelligible in response.
"Coffee's in the pot."
"In a sec," he said quietly, leaning down to kiss your head again.
"You okay?"
"Wakin' up."
You hummed.
"Weird dreams, too..."
"Oh, yeah?" you asked with a soft smile. "What about?"
"Dogs with... tennis rackets."
"What were they doing with the tennis rackets?"
He huffed. "Who knows?"
You snorted. "Breakfast is almost ready."
He kissed your temple and lingered there as he said softly, "You're my favorite."
"Because I feed you and make you coffee?"
"Because you feed me and make me coffee," he agreed.
The timer on the oven beeped, and you shot up, nearly knocking James back. You murmured a soft apology as you dashed over to take the pan from the oven.
"They almost hit my nose, Hubba Bubba," he said to the dog on the floor. Her tail thump-thump-thumped on the floor as it did every time he spoke to her.
"Oh, hush!" you scolded both of them. Bubba's tail sped up as James laughed.
You placed the pan on the stove to cool. Wilson came over and poured himself a mug of coffee. He offered it to you, but you turned it down.
"I don't get you," he sighed.
"Why not?"
"You wake up at dawn, go to sleep at, like, midnight, and you run on no coffee."
You shrugged.
He took a long sip from the mug in his hand, dropping his head back with a content sigh.
"Life-blood," he explained, pointing to the mug when you looked at him strangely.
"Right."
You served each of you a spoonful of the dish on the stove, taking a deep breath of the steam.
"Yours," you said. James took it with a hum around the coffee in his mouth.
You stood with him in the kitchen, each of you enjoying your own meal. After you finished, you grabbed an apple from the wire basket on the counter behind you.
You were about to take a bite but stopped with your mouth open as you saw James staring at you.
"What?"
"I just... can't believe you."
"What about me?" you asked, lowering your arm to your side.
"I thought you liked me."
"I do! What are you--?"
He pointed to the apple in your hand. Your brain took a moment to catch up, but, when you did, you groaned.
"You dick! You scared me for a second there!"
"I'm shocked it took you that long to get it. Literally, everyone knows that saying."
You tossed him the apple with a scoff. "So, if an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what keeps away an anesthesiologist?"
He thought for a moment. "Bananas."
You nodded with a, "Yep." You took another apple from the bowl and took a bite out of it. You finished it quickly and tossed the core, closing the top of the trash can tightly so Bubba wouldn't get into it.
You reached over to pull James into a kiss. "I'm gonna shower. Join me when you're done?"
"Of course, but I need to know: showering, or showering?"
"Just showering."
"Done. Just give me a minute."
You walked to the bathroom, just a few feet away from your bedroom. James' work clothes were draped over the back of your rolling office chair, and his shoes were placed neatly next to the leg of the desk.
You snagged a towel from the linen closet, then another from the hook outside of the bathroom. James came over and kissed you lightly. "You ready?"
"Always."
You pulled him into another kiss as you worked your hands under his shirt. He helped you work it over his head and arms, and you ran your hands down his chest and abdomen.
"You're so handsome," you whispered. He chuckled.
"You're one to talk, good-lookin'."
You felt your face heat up.
He pulled your shirt off and dropped it on top of his own, each of you working off your own pants before he pulled you into the glass stall.
After drying off and changing into new clothes, you sat on the floor with Bubba between your legs, stroking her belly. James was on the couch behind you, reading glasses at the tip of his nose as he thumbed through a magazine.
You leaned back against his knees and smiled up at him. He ran his fingers through your hair absently.
"Hello, Y/N," he said, still looking at the pages. You dropped your head onto his knee again.
"James?"
He hummed softly.
"James?"
He glanced at you for a second, then went back to reading.
"James..."
"What do you need?"
"Attention. Desperately."
He put the magazine to the side. "How?"
"I just need attention. However you're willing to give it to me."
"Okay." He patted the couch next to him. "Up."
You followed the direction.
He pulled you down so you were lying with your head on his lap. He started massaging your scalp with his fingernails.
"This good?"
You nodded weakly, your throat tight.
"Do you need more or less?"
"I don't--"
"I know that look. You need more or less."
"More, please," you whispered hoarsely. He nodded and got up, leading you to the still-unmade bed.
You laid down, and he dropped onto your chest, applying pressure with his whole body. "You want me to read to you?"
"Okay."
He grabbed the book he was reading from the bedside table, some long title you hadn't bothered to memorize. The pages upon pages of medical jargon you'd seen when you flipped through it bored you immediately.
However, when James read it, the vibrations from his voice soothed you, traveling through your spine and legs.
You stroked his hair, staring up at the ceiling as he read.
You felt yourself drifting, and you kissed the top of James' head before you were too close to sleep to be able to move.
His fluffy hair, freshly dry from the shower, tickled your nose when you pulled away. You tried to flatten it down to no avail.
He paused his reading to ask, "You want me to brush it?"
"Nah. Looks cute like this."
"Yeah?"
"You look like an alpaca," you giggled. He rolled his eyes.
"Wow."
"A very cute alpaca," you assured him.
"Gee, thanks, Y/N. That helps."
"All I'm here for."
He turned his head to the side to keep reading. Your fingers trailed across his scalp and down his neck, and he shivered as you made your way down his back.
"You're killin' me, here, Berry."
You grinned at the nickname you hadn't heard in a while.
"Sorry."
"I didn't say you should stop," he whispered when you took your hand away from his hair. You threaded your fingers through his hair again.
You kissed the crown of his head as he read quietly.