a/n: please excuse the hiatus; college and work and real life got in the way. Hopefully, I'll be back for a while. Enjoy!
Coffee
Six a.m. sharp and the otherwise silent room erupted with the sound of a blaring alarm. The loud announce was met with an equally loud groan. An arm flung haphazardly toward the nightstand to turn off the alarm, which ended with an unceremonious crash of the devise being knocked to the ground.
"Not yet," a hoarse voice moaned in a whine.
"Yet," another whined back.
The soft light of the early morning was drifting in through the sheer curtains on the window, basking the room in a golden glow. An extra-long twin bed took up a little less than half of the space in the room. The only other furniture was the small desk for a laptop, a four-drawer dresser with picture frames on the top, and the tiny loveseat in the corner. The dorm room was so small it bordered the line between cramped and cozy, but it was home for the time being.
"Why do we have to get up?" the first voice complained, "It's so early."
"I have class, sweetie."
With her honey blonde hair pulled into a loose knot on the top of her head, Christine sat up and swung her bare legs off the edge of the bed.
"No," Michael reached out from the warmth of the sheets, stubbornly latching onto her waist to pull her closer, "Stay in bed."
"Can't," she yawned through the word as she pushed Michael's hands away.
"But baby," he whined into her pillow and wrapped the blankets tighter around him.
Christine rubbed her tired eyes as she walked across the room and into the small attached bathroom. Her dorm room was small and neat, but it wasn't exactly spotless. Their clothes from last night were sprawled on the floor, and the clean laundry was folded on the loveseat, just waiting to be put in the drawers. The bed seemed to only get made when her parents were coming to visit or on a Friday morning, when Christine was in higher spirits for the weekend. The dark purple sheets seemed to darken the small space anyway. The rest of the room was done with white accents, in the girl's attempt to have some sort of style (though she never really cared much about style to begin with). The curtains were a sheer material to invite in the morning light, which was done on purpose, because the bright golden light of the sunrise was probably one of the only things that actually helped Christine wake up in time for her early morning chemistry class.
Christine turned on the faucet to splash some cool water on her face. She looked into the mirror for a second to examine her appearance. No zits, no messy mascara, and, hey, isn't the messy bun look in right now anyway?
"Good enough," she mused out loud with a shrug before turning and walking out of the bathroom.
She rolled her eyes at boy under the covers.
"Michael? Get up and quiz me for the chemistry exam?" she asked sweetly. She walked the short steps across the room to fling herself on his side of the tiny bed.
"I quizzed you all night. Come on, Chris, ten more minutes? It's freezing out there." Michael never lifted his face from the pillow as he spoke and curled his body against hers. Christine sighed and stood to move to her dresser.
"Christine…"
"You're useless."
"Thanks, babe," Michael snorted, "Love you, too."
Christine stripped off Michael's oversized t-shirt she had slept in and cast if off to the bed. Michael snatched it up without looking, tucking it under his head and breathing in her scent.
"Mmmm," he sighed as he breathed out again.
"You're such a dork sometimes," Christine pulled a black bra on before moving back to her bathroom.
"The shirt is warm, it smells like you, and it isn't mean to me. It's like you only better," he muttered into the material.
Christine emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, teeth brushed, in dark jeans and a 'Jeffersonian Institution' hoodie that must have been a million years old.
"Please get out of my bed. I have to go to class. And if the dorm staff sees you, they're going to put me on probation. Again."
Michael sat up and threw the blankets to the side. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pressed his palms against his eyes. "I'm tired," he whined as he reached for his discarded clothes on the floor.
"I'll give you coffee money if you leave," Christine bribed as she pulled on a pair of black combat boots.
Michael pulled his shirt over his head to look up at his girlfriend.
"Really?"
She waved a five dollar bill at him.
Michael rolled his eyes at Christine as he stood up and pulled his jeans over his boxers.
"I'm just a space heater to you, aren't I?" he teased with a yawn.
Christine pulled her backpack onto her shoulder and met him across the room.
"Of course not, Michael," She kissed his cheek and let her arms rest lightly on his shoulders, "I love you, but I have class. And it's a required class, it's not my fault it was only offered at 7:30 in the morning."
Michael took the money and tucked it in the front pocket of his jeans before pressing a deep kiss to Christine's lips.
When he pulled away, he chuckled. "You just wait until Monday, when I have my early class and you have to get out of bed for no reason."
Christine laughed and handed him his blue jacket hanging on the back of her desk chair.
"Out, you space heater you."
Michael picked up his backpack and headed towards the door, but he kept his hand entwined with hers.
"Mikey, come on," she whined as she pulled the dorm door open.
The door opened to reveal a tall, lanky, redheaded boy, bundled up in his winter jacket. His eyes were a bright, dazzling blue and he was smiling with a mouth that was almost slightly too large for his face.
"Hello, Lovebirds," he greeted with a grin.
Christine rolled her eyes but gave the boy a smile in return.
"Take him, Johnny, please," she nearly begged to her friend, "I have to stop by my lab partner's room. She lives down the hall and she's expecting me in like… twenty seconds."
Michael looked rather betrayed as he finally released his girlfriend's hand. The pair then said their goodbyes with a few kisses, with Johnny hovering impatiently outside the door.
"Come on, Mike," Johnny whined after a minute, grabbing Michael's arm and dragging him away from Christine. He didn't speak again until they were in the elevator, when he released Michael's arm to press the elevator button, "Did you get some money bro?"
"Yes, mom," Michael said. He rolled his eyes as he pulled his arm away from Johnny. Michael had met Johnny during their senior year of high school, when Johnny's family moved to the D.C. area and he joined Michael and Christine's class at school. Some would say it could be hard to move during your senior year of high school, but Johnny never had trouble. He made friends easily. He was artsy and rebellious, with a love of adventure. He was the type of boy who always had a joke ready, and lived to put smiles on his friend's faces.
Michael shifted his backpack on his shoulder, "So where are we going, that new Starbucks by the library?"
"Are you kidding?" Johnny exclaimed with a bark of laughter, "I can't afford that place! I'm a broke ass bitch. We're going to that on campus spot that Taylor told me about. Apparently she goes there a lot."
"The one with the fireplace?"
"Yep," Johnny nodded, "That would be it."
"I think that's where Christine goes too," Michael mused as the duo walked through the dorm building lobby and out into the windy, November morning. Michael was met with a gust of cold air and scowled, his mind wandering back to Christine's warm bed. Their legs tangled together, her head resting on his shoulder as she slept. He sighed. How he missed it so.
Johnny shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "Christine knows that place?"
Michael nodded, "Yeah, she goes with her girl friends after her Tuesday morning class, when she has that break between her classes."
"Do you think this place is going to be full of chicks?" Johnny winked.
"Maybe," Michael said with a shrug, "But it really shouldn't matter to you, since you have – Hey, Taylor!"
A girl with long, brown hair jogged over to the boys. She was about eight inches shorter than Michael and nearly a foot shorter than Johnny, who was about six foot five. She had delicate, bony features and bright, kind eyes.
"Hey guys," Taylor greeted with a smile as she wrapped her long scarf around her neck. She laughed when Johnny grinned and pulled her into a hug.
After she leaned in to give Johnny a quick kiss on the check, she turned to Michael, "You two are up a bit early for just barely making it to class, don't you think?"
"Christine chased him out," Johnny teased as he draped an arm over Taylor's shoulders.
Michael glared.
"She did not chase me out," he defended as he kicked some leaves on the ground, "She sent us to get coffee."
"Yeah, that too," Johnny said with a shrug.
"Mmm, coffee sounds good right now," Taylor leaned against Johnny, "Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not!" Johnny exclaimed. He wrapped his other arm around Taylor and hugged her again, "But you have to buy for yourself, I'm afraid. Your boyfriend is broke."
"Surprise surprise," Michael muttered.
Taylor laughed, while Johnny pretended to pout.
"So, where are you guys going?" Taylor asked as Johnny released her, "That new Starbucks by the library?"
"Your boyfriend can't afford Starbucks," Michael said. He grinned when Johnny scowled at him over Taylor's shoulder.
"We're going to that other place you told me about," Johnny told Taylor, "That one with the fireplace near the science buildings."
Taylor grinned, "Perfect, I was in the mood for one of their Mocha Chip Frappuccinos."
'Mocha-wha?' Johnny mouthed over Taylor's head to Michael. The brunet shrugged in response.
Since neither one of them knew the exact location of the coffee shop, the boys let Taylor take lead. It turned out to be fairly close by, since Christine's dorm was only a couple blocks away from the chemistry building. Their quick trip took slightly longer than it should have, however, since it involved two stops to chat with friends and one where Johnny used Michael and Taylor to hide from a history professor whom he owed a paper. Not before long, however, the trio reached the coffee shop.
"Ahh, nice and warm," Taylor sighed when they entered the shop, coming to a standstill in front of the doors as she soaked in the heat. Michael was thankful for the roaring fire in the fireplace that helped warm his body. Johnny grabbed hold of Michael and Taylor's hands and led them to the counter, since he was impatient to get his coffee.
"Hi, how can I help you?" the barista at the counter asked when the group got to her. Her voice was bubbly and the smile on her face a little too bright for so early in the morning.
"Hi, can I get a tall Mocha Chip Frappuccino?" Taylor asked, "But without whip cream, please."
The girl nodded and picked up a cup. She scribbled the drink order on it and then passing it to the person behind her.
"How about you?" she asked as she her grin on Johnny.
The redhead looked up at the menu a moment longer, "Give me a…grande Double Espresso Mocha Latte. With whipped cream."
"Hot or iced?" the barista asked.
Johnny thought for a second, "Um, iced."
"Good choice!" the girl said as she grabbed another cup and scribbling down the order.
Michael turned to give Johnny a pointed look, "Iced? Seriously? It's like forty degrees outside!"
"So?" Johnny crossed his arms, "I don't want to burn my mouth."
Michael rolled his eyes and turned to look up at the coffee menu above his head. He didn't know what any of the different drinks meant.
The barista then turned her attention to Michael, "And for you?"
Michael looked at the girl for a moment, and then turned his stare at Johnny.
"What?" Johnny asked when he noticed Michael looking his way.
"What…was that?" Michael asked, "What did you even order?"
Johnny shrugged, "I have no clue, I just picked something that sounded cool."
"Anything for you sir?" the barista asked as a way of regaining Michael's attention.
"Uh, yeah," Michael said, "Can I just get a coffee. Black. No room for cream. You do that here, right?"
The barista's grin faltered ever so slightly.
"What size?"
"Uhh…"
"Tall," Taylor interjected.
Michael flashed her a thankful grin as the barista nodded and wrote down the final drink order.
Money was exchanged and the group then moved aside to let the next person in line forward. They moved to wait at the end of the counter for their drinks, which didn't take long to show up.
Taylor all but pounced on her blended coffee when it arrived, happily slurping up some of the sugary treat. Beside her, Johnny was busy using his straw to try and free the whipped cream from under his drink's plastic lid.
"I can't believe you ordered that," Michael sighed and shook his head at his friend as he grabbed his own coffee. He wrapped his hands around it tightly for warmth as he and his friends started for the door.
"Why?" Johnny asked, "What's wrong with my drink?"
"It's…frilly," Michael told him flatly as he took a short sip of his own coffee.
"Pffft," was Johnny's response as he pried the lid off of his drink and tossed it into the trash as the little group made their way outside. He scooped up some of the whipped cream with his straw and stuck it in his mouth, "You're just jealous."
"But I'm not frilly," Michael snickered. Taylor snorted into her coffee. Johnny gave her hurt look and she sighed before reaching over to give him a one armed hug.
"Don't worry Johnny, I don't think you're frilly," she comforted, "Mikey is just jealous that he didn't think to order it first."
"I'm not jealous," Michael said with a huff, "I would rather have no coffee at all then drink whatever that thing is."
"Hey, look," Johnny interrupted to point over Michael's shoulder.
Turning to look, Michael grinned. Christine was bounding down the brick walkway towards him, her book bag bouncing off her hip with every step.
"I'm so late," she panted as she stopped in front of her trio of friends, "Oh, perfect! You got coffee! Black?" she asked her boyfriend (as if it was possible he had ordered anything else, she knew him so well). She snatched the cup hungrily from the brunet, not waiting for his response. She already knew all he drank was black coffee. She took a quick drink while he nodded in confusion. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder with the coffee cup still against her lips.
"Thanks, Michael," she said sweetly as she pressed a kiss to his lips and took off running again toward the chemistry building, "Love you!" She yelled over her shoulder back at him.
Michael watched her go. His now empty hand twitched.
"She just—...my! But! Coffee!" He gaped and turned his now distraught expression on his friends.
"Hey, hey, don't look at me; I'm not sharing," Johnny laughed, "You called mine 'frilly'."
Michael's eyes shifted to Taylor discreetly. She stared back at him for a moment before erupting in laughter.
"Ha! Nice try."
"She kicked me out of bed, and then she stole my coffee." Michael's shoulders dropped and Taylor tried not to roll her eyes at his pout.
"It's like she has you trained or something," Johnny snickered.
"Psh, no!" Michael muttered as he crossed his arms.
"You're so whipped," Johnny teased.
"Are not!" Michael rebounded. He then glared as Johnny flung a little glob of whipped cream at him, the stuff splattering across his nose.
"Well, now you are," Johnny teased walking ahead of Michael with Taylor in tow.
"I am not!" Michael wiped the whip cream from his face and followed after the pair," This is going to be all gross and sticky, by the way!"
"Play nice!" Taylor barked at the two boys, "Or I'm not taking either of you for coffee tomorrow!"
The two boys murmured half-hearted apologies, and then pulled faces at one another behind Taylor's back as they trailed after her.
Michael then proceeded to sulk, his expression only souring further when Johnny patted him on the shoulder; and then, when he was sure Taylor wasn't looking, made a whip-cracking sound and gesture with his cream-covered straw.
With a scowl, Michael hissed a quick "am not," and snatched Johnny's coffee out of his hand. Johnny didn't even stop him. He was too busy laughing.
Michael brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of Johnny's drink. It was cold, chocolaty, and far too sweet for Michael's taste, but hey, coffee is coffee.