Chapter Text
Golden light streamed through the bedroom window. It glinted and gleamed on the tossed pillows on the floor, dousing the speakeasy loft in a soft glow, which made it hard for AJ to blink herself awake.
It was lulling her, almost, back to sleep. Many things were, really — the light, the quiet, and the feeling of Megii asleep on her chest.
"Mm." AJ let out a small groan, the sleep finally escaping her eyes. She tried twisting in the bedsheets to get out from Megii's hold on her, but it was to no avail. The woman had her head ducked under AJ's chin, hair scratching slightly as Megii breathed quietly, sleepily. Her whole body was laid on top of AJ, their chests touching, the girl nothing but fast asleep.
The bartender looked around the sleepy room, her eyes still adjusting to the light. Clothes were in the corner, dirty cups littered on the cabinets, as if not even the speakeasy had woken up yet.
"Magpie…" AJ whispered to the sleeping girl, trying to lift up slightly. She needed to get up — start getting the bar ready for the day. "You awake?"
There was no reply, and distantly, AJ recalled how deeply Megii would sleep after she drank, when she got hungover. The bartender groaned at the idea — Magpie was too heavy asleep for AJ to push her off, not because AJ was weak, of course, she just… hadn't been working out as much recently, but also because Megii could never be woken up. She rose when she wanted. Even a bucket of water over the head wouldn't wake her up.
…don't ask how AJ knew that.
So… She was stuck here.
"Drift?" AJ called out into the room. The door was shut, but her girlfriend's side of the bed was noticeably empty, so clearly, she must be up. "Open Book, help me. It's happened again."
Again.
The word brought a smile to AJ's lips, no matter how tired she might feel. She was pretty lucky to be able to say it, wasn't she?
And… there could be worse ways to wake up, right? Worse ways, than with yellow light coming in, a warm, soft bed under you, and a pretty girl resting on your chest?
"You're lucky I love you, Magpie." AJ lowered her voice and rolled her eyes at the sleeping ex-Mage. "Otherwise, I'd throw you right out. Got things to do."
There was no reply. Of course there wasn't — she was dead asleep.
AJ let out a heavy sigh, throwing her back onto the cream pillows behind her, staring up at the ceiling. She tried to ignore that horrible, unwelcome, disgustingly warm and kind feeling in her chest. That, and the nagging thought which had made its home in her head.
…that there could be worse ways to wake up.