Early morning sunshine filtered through the kitchen windows, the sun ablaze in a winter-blue sky.
Somewhere just outside the glass a robin bobbed perched between the thorns of a rose bush, it's little red chest puffed up proud, head cocked, glittering black eyes watching her through the window as she stood staring out, coffee cup between her hands, tight against her chest, steam rising into her face.
She watched as a gentle breeze made the branch bob up and down a fraction of an inch, how the robin barely seemed to notice, though he fluffed up his feathers all the more against the cold, and bowed his head to peck at the dying pink petals of the last September rose.
Serena found herself staring unblinking at the rose. Upon the petals a hundred beads of water, each one a perfect sphere, brilliant in the morning rays. Each drop so light, yet together they were enough to cause the bloom to bow toward the earth. So delicate was the flower that even these scatterings of dew were significant, petals browning and pulpy, and yet somehow, still beautiful.
It was mornings like this, when the house was silent, that she felt at her most calm. Jason had already left for work, and she had the entire day off to enjoy with Bernie. But before that, she had this. This morning of brilliant gold sunshine reflecting from every kitchen surface, the birds and their myriad of songs, the warmth from her mug, the cosiness of her pyjamas against the chill of the house.
She smiled into the steam, dipped her lips to take a sip and closed her eyes, enjoying how much that nothing, in this moment, was everything.
A gentle tap at the front door made her open her eyes again. She drew in a breath, slowly, slowly, exhaled, and glanced to the clock.
8:45 AM. The post man?
She set the coffee down, tightened the cord of her dressing gown about her waist, and slipped into the hallway to open the door to the grey smudge of a person silhouetted behind the glass.
"Bernie!"
The joy in her voice surprised even herself.
Bernie! With her gloved hands pushed deep into the pockets of her trench coat and her cheeks flushed from the cold. Beautiful, wonderful Bernie, with her hair un-brushed and curlier than usual, pushed haphazardly from her face, though her fringe still caught in her eyelashes as she raised her eyebrows in greeting.
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
She asked as she opened the door more fully.
"I had a few hours sleep...decided I'd rather be with you."
It was a rare moment of directness from the woman who was a master at beating about the bush.
Serena exhaled through a smile, her breath white in the air. She reached out for her, grasped an offered gloved hand and embraced her, kissed her, caught the eye of the neighbour opposite who was putting the bins out and pulled back, cleared her throat and laughed, couldn't help herself.
"What?"
"Oh...nothing."
She smiled and gestured with a hand.
"Come inside and warm up."
She ushered her inside in an whirl of icy scarves and coat tails.
Bernie closed the door softly behind herself, and bent down to slip off her boots before drawing Serena into her arms, kissing her again, hugging her close and closing her eyes as she felt the warmth of Serena's body against her own.
"How was your night?"
They both asked at once, words whispered against one another's shoulders.
They eased apart, smiled somewhat shyly.
"Long."
Bernie answered.
"Ah yes, mine was...similar."
She paused, searched Bernie's eyes.
"I missed you."
She whispered. And she had missed her. Quite desperately in fact, but she wouldn't say that...she wouldn't say aloud how she had stayed up until past midnight, wishing Bernie were there, or how she had lain in bed, tossing and turning, wishing Bernie were there to keep her warm.
Bernie smiled a closed lipped smile, eyes shining. She said nothing but squeezed Serena's hands between her own. She knew.
Serena cleared her throat and glanced up from above warm pink cheeks.
"Have you eaten?"
"I had some toast before I left. Could murder another coffee though."
Serena drew up her shoulders, exhaled and smiled widely, taking only a fraction of a second to just enjoy looking at Bernie.
There was something exhilarating about being home alone in the day time with Bernie. Though they were together at work in the day time, they were colleagues, they weren't...lovers. Most of their relationship seemed to take place under the cover of darkness. But now, gone was the seemingly endless night, the beautiful fragile stillness of this morning, now they had been replaced with this beautiful, heart aching anticipation that seemed to accompany every moment she spent with Bernie.
Together they slipped hand-in-hand through to the kitchen, where Serena set about locating a teaspoon before she tipped the remnants of her cooling coffee from her mug, and set it down in front of the coffee machine.
"I thought we could go out later."
Bernie spoke from behind her.
Serena glanced at her as the machine hissed.
"Go out?"
She repeated. Bernie drew up her shoulders and folded her arms across her chest. She leaned back against the table in that way she had, that way that made her look longer than she really was, all flowing straight lines that drew Serena's eyes to the curve of her legs in those black skinny jeans of hers; one leg crossed over the other, toes pointed, pressed against the tiled floor, to the perfect rise of her breasts beneath the oversized jumper.
"I thought we could get some food in for our 'coming out lunch?' "
She pursed her lips, eyebrows raised in silent amusement.
"I don't want you buying it all...especially considering how much Cameron eats..."
She added.
"You want to go food shopping?!"
Serena laughed suddenly, and Bernie frowned a vague look of confusion.
"Sorry, it 's just...how very...'couple-y'."
"Is, is...is that OK?"
Serena smiled, she sometimes marvelled at how quiet Bernie was, how nervous...
"I must admit, I've day-dreamed about such things..."
"Food shopping?!"
Bernie half-coughed and raised a hand to touch against her mouth.
"Mmm."
Serena shot her another flushed embarrassed smile.
"Well then!"
Bernie said, for no apparent reason.
-.-
It gets much fluffier in the chapter to follow... hopefully not too fluffy for the readers who aren't too keen?xxx