author's note: this fic was inspired by averagetasteofonelittlebird's "morning" piece with m!robin and features an mc with the name hayley because neither of us likes the default mc name 😂.
copyright: all characters owned by pixelberry studios.
series/pairing: rising tides – m!robin tora x mc (hayley thompson)
rating/warnings: 14+; suggestive descriptions, mostly fluff
word count: 1k
based on/prompt: averagetasteofonelittlebird's "morning" art series featuring robin tora
summary: hayley wakes up in robin's apartment after they spend the night and discovers he took a picture of her while she was still sleeping.
glow
hayley's eyes fluttered open and she immediately shielded her face with her arm to block out the morning sun streaming through robin's open window. she instinctively curled onto her side, expecting to bump into robin's warm body but instead she felt air. she let out a sound that was somewhere between a whine and a groan and sat up.
the bed sheets dropped and pooled in her lap, bringing hayley's attention to the fact that she was currently shirtless. she quickly looked around on the floor and pulled on her shorts before making her way over to robin's dresser. she couldn't remember where her shirt ended up and figured if robin was going to leave her alone in his room, he certainly wouldn't mind if she borrowed a shirt.
she rummaged through the pile of plain colored tees, all of which would be too big on her, until she saw a white shirt that looked like it would fit. hayley smirked at the green recycling image and chuckled inwardly at the label – which read "the green side of the force." so much for his rebellious attitude, she mused, pulling the shirt over her head before heading out into the living room.
she could hear the shower running behind the closed bathroom door and made her way to the kitchen so she could make them coffee. she let out a little happy sigh as the smell of roasted coffee filled the little kitchenette, her gaze falling on the counter where robin left his camera. a mischievous smile slowly appeared on hayley's face as she turned the camera on and navigated to the gallery; the first photo, which would have been the most recent one taken, made her jaw drop in surprise.
the picture was clearly taken just that morning because it featured her sound asleep, hair sprawled out in a wavy mess all over the pillow, and a faint golden glow from the sunrise leaving a trail from her hair to her cheeks. her mouth was slightly ajar and not in that cute-tv-movie way.
hayley was still staring at the photo when robin walked out of the shower with only a towel around his hips.
"you wasted no time making yourself at home, i see."
she looked up at the sound of robin's husky voice breaking through the otherwise quiet morning, startled, almost dropping his camera. hayley immediately noticed how his damp hair still clung to his forehead, with droplets of water trickling down his chest and stomach, and the towel loosely tied at his hips and she struggled to keep her eyes from following those water droplets all the way down.
he smirked once her eyes moved back up his body and landed on his. hayley inwardly groaned at having been caught ogling him but couldn't tear her eyes away as he made himself comfortable on the couch, laying back against a cushion and dangling one leg off it as though he always lounged around post-shower in just a towel.
"i can't believe you took this picture of me while i was still sleeping. it's a little… embarrassing," she admitted, pouring them both a cup of coffee.
robin tilted his head to the side to look at her. "come here, and bring the camera," he said, with a gentle smile on his face.
hayley carefully put her wrist through the camera strap so she could bring both mugs to the coffee table and sat down on the floor next to robin. he took the camera from her and flipped it to the picture she had been looking at before, angling it so she could see the details.
"you looked so beautiful and i couldn't have asked for better lighting – see how the light refracts as it hits the glass and falls on your face through the curtain? it gives your skin this warm glow – i couldn't help it," robin said as he pointed out those aspects of the photo.
hayley was studying his face instead as he pointedly avoided her gaze.
robin turned his head to look at her. "and if i'm being completely honest, i couldn't believe that i was waking up next to you."
she climbed up on top of him and straddled his hips. she leaned over to give him a long, deep kiss before pulling back to gaze in his eyes. "you can't say something like that and not expect me to keep my hands off you."
robin smirked and rested a hand on her thigh. she was acutely aware that the towel robin had around his waist was slipping off.
"you are so breathtaking, you know that?"
hayley felt her face flush. she cleared her throat to suppress the sudden shyness that threatened to take over at robin's compliment. "you're such a smooth talker. i bet you say that to all the girls you've been with."
he reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "what can i say? you bring out that side of me."
she rolled her eyes and grabbed his camera, bringing his face into focus. he smiled at her and hayley paused – robin looked so open, it caught her by surprise. she felt a lump lodge in her throat as she clicked the shutter, pulling her head back slightly to take a look at the photo.
he was smiling adoringly at her, as though she were the only person in the world that could hold his attention. given her poor track record with relationships and the fact that she hadn't known robin for very long, she half-expected to feel uncomfortable at his open display of affection. but as she looked up and noted how the rising sun brightened his easy smile, her breath caught and she realized she only felt warmth.
robin reached up to stroke her cheek and gave her an understanding look. she leaned forward to capture his lips in a kiss, trying to convey the feelings that were starting to bubble up, and judging by the way he ran his hands up and down her back lovingly, she hoped he felt the same.