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Rudy woke up before Louise, though that wasn’t very surprising to him. Somehow, he couldn’t picture Louise jauntily humming to herself as she readied for the day. Especially when the girl in question relied on his morning coffee offering to be functional. The bed they shared was small, only meant for a child really, but they had managed to fit themselves in after a night of Hawk and Chick movies. They had started the night lying next to each other in the cramped space, Louise insisting they no mushy things like cuddling.
They hadn’t done anything more than share a bed, the two more nervous about crossing that physical line than they would admit. Though he knew there had been speculation, if the teasing from their friends alone was a good indication. Louise had insisted that now they had graduated high school it didn’t matter if he spent the night, ‘we’re adults now, Rudy, who cares if what people think.” You do, was all he had thought, not daring to voice how self-conscious he knew his girlfriend to be. Instead, he had agreed to her no cuddle terms, pressing himself as far against the wall as he could manage. She now curled into him, her head under his chin while his arms held her against him. Rudy was happy to stay wrapped in the embrace until she woke up, but his lungs began to burn, telling him it was time for his morning inhaler.
Carefully, Rudy untangled himself from Louise without waking her and pulled out his inhaler from his bag. He had always liked the mornings. When he stayed with his dad it meant a few hours of quiet to himself, while he and his mom would make breakfast together. Idlily, Rudy wondered if Louise would like breakfast at his place.
A smile stretched across his face at the thought, and suddenly Rudy wanted to wake up every day with Louise more than anything. Quietly, Rudy began to imagine an apartment filled with a mix of their personalities, cooking breakfast as Louise complained about how early it was over a cup of coffee.
A soft groan snapped him out of his thoughts. Louise was sluggishly shifting on the bed, turning herself onto her stomach. Despite her being half asleep and smooshed into the pillow, Rudy couldn’t help thinking she was pretty.
“Oh no, you’re a morning person,” Louise said, voice muffled by her pillow.
“I guess I am. Always liked waking up with the world,” was his quiet reply, mindful of her parents still sleeping down the hall.
“Of course you do, Mr. Sunshine, but I don’t. Except when pancakes are involved.”
Louise propped herself up on one elbow, eyes mostly closed as she blinked heavily in his direction. Rudy felt his heart squeeze in affection, and quickly took a second puff. She always knew how to take his breath away; she didn’t even have try.
“I happen to make good pancakes, if that was a request?”
“Geez, Rudy, you’re the guest! I can’t have you making your own breakfast here. Besides my dad makes an excellent weekend breakfast, Gene and Tina come over for it and everything. Just don’t tell him I said that” Louise said, gesturing for him to come back to bed.
Replacing his inhaler in his bag, Rudy gave in to his sleepy girlfriend’s wishes. Curling up beside her, Rudy slipped his arms around her stomach, pulling her back against him. Louise didn’t fight him, only grumbling about it being too romantic for her taste
Chuckling, Rudy only said into her ear, “you seemed to like cuddling me in your sleep.”
The tips of her ears flushed at his words, but Louise said nothing. Only adjusting herself to get more comfortable in his arms. For once, Rudy let himself fall back into sleep on a quiet morning, his girlfriend a comfortable warmth in his arms as he dozed. He had thought Louise had already gone back to sleep when he heard her muffled voice.
“Strawberry pancakes at your place next weekend, they better be good.”
Rudy smiled, eyes closed and pictured the two of them making pancakes at his dad’s place, already mentally going over the ingredients he’d have to pick up.
“Whatever you want, Louise.”