a crossed line that soon returns to them the moment the sun rises. he stirs awake right before his alarm, and for moments, he considers going right back to sleep because it's far too comfortable.

too comfortable.

and then he's reminded.

"...morning."

Amelia Livy

☉

Lia is not a morning person.

She has never been, and she will never be.

But, she is a light sleeper, and so what wakes her at such ungodly hours of the morning is actually his greeting.

”Mmm… What time is it…”

With her eyes still closed, still as if half-asleep, she whispers protests, her face nuzzling the pillow beneath her. And then, she remembers, so her face is turned look at him in order to confirm what should have already been obvious to begin with: he’s here.

Even when this early, her cheeks flush just so slightly, but it’s softly that she smiles at him.

”...Hi…”

What else could she possibly say but 'hi'?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

lance has always been a morning person. it had been tough for him not to be, considering how traveling around sinnoh made it so he'd always wake up early, ready for the next adventure. it became a routine; something he looked forward to.

but now?

not so much.

still, his body's accustomed to the time, and he looks far more awake than she does.

"it's about to be seven in a bit."

he watches her nuzzle into the pillow, smiling at how cute she is. but it's also then that he feels discomfort building because this feels a little too...familiar. too close.

to push those feelings away, he smiles, shifting a little bit closer to kiss her forehead.

"did i wake you?"

Amelia Livy

☉

There will always be things that demand early mornings – school, job, all sorts of appointments – and while Lia will always be diligent when it comes to such things, none of it has to mean that she likes mornings.

’About to be seven in a bit.’

Time to wake up, then.

Time to get ready to go to work.

Knowing this still doesn’t stop her from complaining, of course:

”Uuuugh… So early.”

Drowsy still, a slight pout forms on her lips, but it all too quickly vanishes when he moves closer – when he smiles and when he kisses her forehead. So, she smiles about it as well, and she too shifts a little bit closer to him, suddenly all too aware of the feeling of skin brushing against skin.

The warmth is welcomed, at least.

”Yeah, but that’s okay… How did you sleep?”

Since when do these things feel so nice, comfortable, and domestic? Is it just because it’s him?

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"it is early."

her complaints are met with a chuckle, airy and light as he reaches a hand up to caress her cheek. it travels down, tracing the lines of her jaw before moving to her shoulder.

it's warm, comfortable, and for now, it's easy to push those unwanted feelings aside.

to be in her presence.

"really well. you?"

Amelia Livy

☉

Soft.

Light.

Gentle.

It’s something so simple, a situation she’s been in before, and yet there’s something so nice about it this time. It feels like she’s floating. Like time has stopped.

How is it that Lance can make her feel this way so very easily?

Make her smile like this…

”Yeah? That’s good... I slept well too.”

A chuckle of her own: short, quiet, and sweet.

For now, she allows herself to do no more than rest against him, cherishing his presence.

It's perfect.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

it's perfect.

unfortunately, they don't have the whole day for themselves. commitments and responsibilities tug him away, along with feelings that eventually surface once again.

he sighs, letting his gaze drift, following his hand down her arm.

"we should get ready for work soon."

Amelia Livy

☉

It’s perfect, but reality quickly takes all that perfection away.

It quickly brings reminders of the way things really are between them, and it just as quickly makes her feel foolish for enjoying herself.

Did this even mean anything to him?

”Right… We should…”

And yet, despite her uneasiness, despite her own words, at first she doesn’t move from where she is – smiling so very gently.

”...Do you want breakfast?”

A strand of hair is brushed away from her face, and with this, she sighs, sitting up and pulling away from him.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

it means something to him, which is exactly why he shouldn't be here.

"breakfast sounds nice...but i should probably get in a little before you."

after another kiss, this time on her cheek, he moves away, getting up off the bed before walking around in search for his clothing. or his uniform, rather.

Amelia Livy

☉

It hurts.

It makes her feel foolish, stupid, and completely helpless.

The kiss isn’t the same as all those that came before it either, and instead of giving anything in return, she simply sits right where she is – delicate fingers crumpling soft bed sheets.

Lia has never been good at hiding her emotions, and it takes great effort to simply sit there and pretend it’s all okay.

”Yeah… Okay.”

A deep breath and she stands as well.

”I’ll see you at HQ, then.”

With that, without even a proper goodbye, she heads into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

She should have known this wouldn’t mean anything to him. That she doesn't mean anything.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉