highlander_ii

I could hear him puttering around in the kitchenette. I'm sure he thought he was being quiet. He wasn't.

I tugged the blankets up over my head in an effort to drown out the noise. Mister wasn't overly happy about me disturbing his resting place. But, he just grumpily turned around and settled against my legs again. A minute later, he was rumbling like an outboard motor, so he couldn't have been too upset with me.

The layers of blankets apparently muffled the sounds from the other room really well, because I feel back to sleep and didn't wake up until the earthquake started shaking me. I folded one corner of the covers away and peered a glaring eye at my houseguest. I grumbled a "What?" that didn't seem to rock his mood at all.

Carlos' bright grinning face was beaming back at me like he hadn't just been shaking me awake like a fault line. "I made breakfast. Come on before the cat eats your share."

A frown bent my brow. "Ramirez, it is too fucking early to get up." Then a thought occurred to me. "What the hell did you make breakfast with?" I was sure all I had in the pantry was a can of condensed soup and half a sleeve of stale saltines. I don't shop much.

Carlo's smile actually brightened in wattage. "I went shopping. You were still asleep. And it's almost noon."

Noon? Really? I peered around him to check in with Mickey Mouse to be sure. The Mouse concurred with Carlos.

"Fine. Fine. I'll get up. Go snatch my share of the bacon from the jaws of the great hunter and I'll be there in a minute." It was going to take me a few seconds to roll myself out of bed and lumber to the bathroom. All Carlos' fault. I heal pretty fast, but a hard night will still put me down for a bit. (Not that it wasn't fun though.)

I still couldn't figure out how Carlos was running on just a few hours' sleep. We didn't get anywhere near sleeping until three in the morning. Who knew a game of Twister could be so exhausting?

In the bathroom, after making use of the facilities, I shoved a hand through my hair as I looked in the mirror. I had dark circles under my eyes, hair that refused to lay down, and three days worth of beard that looked more scraggly than rugged.

I growled at my reflection and left the bathroom. I snagged a pair of flannel pajama pants and tugged them on before I stepped into the living room. It smelled amazing. I'm not sure how the scent of bacon, sausage and eggs didn't wake me up. Home cooked food is better than an alarm clock.

"Aw - you didn't have to get dressed," Carlos said with a pout.

"I didn't want to risk being under-dressed," I told him and made my way to the couch.

I was thinking he might be unaware of the fact that he had clothes on, until I blinked enough sleep from my eyes to get a better look at him. What I'd thought was a shirt, was actually an apron. There were no pants. I approved of this new development.

I was also starving. "Is this all for me?"

Carlos nodded. "Though you may want to pay tribute to the guardian," he said, pointing his finger at my cat.

Mister would get the few left overs that I saved for him - like usual. I got the rest. I was hungry. And I hadn't had to cook for myself. Always a plus.

Between mouthfuls, I asked Carlos, "How'd you get out and back without me hearing you?" And without setting off the wards. Or letting my cat escape. Or any one of a thousand other things.

He gave me a look like he was offended by the question. "You were dead to the world. And you gave me this amulet just for getting through the wards. I'm a wizard too, remember?"

I threw a crust of toast at him. It beaned him in the forehead, then landed on the floor. Mister seemed to sense that it didn't meet with the approval of his carnivore palate and, as such, didn't even bother coming down off the top of the bookcase.

"Finish eating, man."

"You have somewhere to be?"

He smiled wickedly at me. "I want a Twister rematch." I really hoped he wasn't serious and my face said so. He smirked at me. "No. I do have some plans though. Trust me, no special outfits or money required. It's all good."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I finished by breakfast, dutifully leaving the few scraps for Mister, then I watched him clear the dishes away and wash them. I was finishing off my cup of coffee when he came over with a couple of cans of ice cold Coke.

I took the can he offered me and peered up at him from my perch on the couch. "What do you want, Ramirez?"

"Me?" he asked, pressing a hand against his chest, clearly feigning innocence. "I wish for nothing more than your company, Harry."

For some reason, I didn't believe him. But I still wasn't sure what he was up to. I watched him stoke the fire and grab a pile of blankets from the closet. He snagged an extra couple of pillows too. He stacked the pillows in one corner of the couch, then browsed my bookshelves until he found what he was looking for.

Did I mention that he was naked through this display? He'd taken off the apron after washing the dishes and had been parading around my apartment completely devoid of clothing. I wasn't complaining at all.

Carlos situated himself in the corner of the couch, resting against the pile of pillows, with his legs draped casually open. It was inviting as hell and there were several ideas that flickered through my mind. He wagged his fingers, motioning for me to settle between his legs. I raised an eyebrow, fully intrigued, until he told me to lean against his chest.

Okay, so I was still intrigued, but for a different reason now. I wanted to see where he was going with this. I sat where he wanted me. His chest was remarkably warm against my back. I nestled myself in, resting my head on his shoulder. He asked me to grab the blankets and arrange them over us so we were nice and cozy. Then, he opened the book he'd pulled from the shelf and began to read aloud.

I had to admit, I wasn't hating the idea. I hadn't been sure what he'd had in mind, but I wholeheartedly approved of this plan. I liked Carlos. And I liked to read. And, as it turned out, I really liked having Carlos read to me. It's surprisingly soothing.

About an hour in, just as I'd finished off my Coke, Mister hopped down from his perch and determined that he should occupy the space on my lap, curled into a donut shape, snuggled in the blankets. I didn't object.