Sun rays beam at my face, disrupt my sleep for which I notice has been very uncomfortable as I slowly wake up. It feels like half of my body is going to fall off if I get up like I'm an old stone crumbling to pieces.

I look towards the sunshine and groan when I see one single ray that somehow found a way to shine over the couch, is the one that woke me up.

I can barely keep my eyes open. To look at one thing I have to blink at it a thousand times. My brain is trying to wake up and start a day but my eyes aren't nearly as excited. They're fighting with all their power to get back to sleep. My back joins the party and aches so much something rings in my ears.

I cuss silently and try to shift but Annabelle's in the way. Somehow women feel obligated to steal all the space from men. She's pressed tightly against me since the couch isn't big enough for two people to sleep on and her face is buried underneath my arm so she can sleep without any interruptions.

I shift some more and manage to sit up without waking her up. When I slouch my back, it pops in several places like I'm a sixteen-year-old.

"Oh, hell," I groan and pop my neck as well.

I look at Annabelle who is now burying her face in the cushions to hide from the mean ray of sunshine. Then it strikes me - what the hell am I going to tell her?

Morning, loved your moans.

Those tits were definitely worth the wait!

Couldn't help myself yesterday from unleashing my stallion but I take it you liked it a lot!

Despite that all of this is true... I don't think she'd laugh any of it off.

Just the thought of talking to her after last night, going back to the babysitter thing...

Shit. I fucked another babysitter.

I spy the time and see it's 8 o'clock. It's a perfect opportunity to avoid the conversation entirely by going to work and if she'll ask any questions, I'd just tell her I was running late.

I climb over the couch and nearly kill myself in the process but at least I do it quietly. If I died, no one would even notice.

Cheerful thought.

I look towards Devon's room and figure he'd have already cried if something wasn't up to his royal ass standards. It's only a matter of time when he'll actually be in distress, which would wake up Annabelle. What does that tell me? That I need to get the hell out before it's too late.

I tiptoe to both the bathroom and the bedroom. Guessing it's probably gonna be warm today, I put on regular blue jeans and a grey light shirt. I'd love to wear a shirt with short sleeves but I gotta keep up my image.

Reality dawns on me when I longingly eye the counter and say goodbye to the coffee I always drink at home. A part of me actually questions whether I should really bolt out and would it be really that bad to wish her good morning or not and all for a sake of a cup of hot coffee.

Annabelle mumbles something in her sleep and my heart drops down to my balls. Like hell that I want to talk to her!

With the speed of light, I run through the front door, grabbing the jacket, wallet and keys in the last second.

I'm about to close and lock the door when my eyes climb up in curiosity and scan the apartment. There, in the living room, I see Annabelle almost completely naked climbing closer to cushions, curling up like trying to keep warm.

I inspect my watch once more and sigh to myself. I'm a freaking weakling!

I go to the bedroom to fetch one of the blankets and threaten myself with strangulation if she'll wake up now.

By the couch, I crouch down and cover her. She mumbles something again and shifts but doesn't wake up. In her sleep, she pulls the hem of the blanket up to her nose and completely dozes off.

"Okay," I whisper and sigh in relief and due to my clear conscience.

Now, it's time for me to go.

Just like before I'm about to lock the apartment and I look up again. And again a feeling of guilt swarms over me. I can't point out what's causing that. She's here, warm, safe, asleep and comfortable. There's nothing to feel guilty about.

Once I'm in an elevator, safely riding down to the garage, I stop to think about it...

Did I just sneak out of my own apartment?

I run my hands over my face when I realise I'll have to come home as well, so talking to her is pretty much inevitable. Eh, at least now I have time to think about what to say to her which would be a good idea, otherwise, I might blurt something out that would earn me a slap and a headbutt.

When I sit in my car and start it, I am already aware I'm gonna come to work a bit earlier than usual but that would give me time to drink my coffee in peace, so all of this is not really a bad thing when I think about it.

Coffee doesn't occupy my mind for a long time. Only brief thoughts bring it to me but what rules my thinking process is me leaving Annabelle in there and sneaking out.

It's... my apartment, I wasn't being an asshole when I left because I'm clearly coming back!

The red traffic light stops my car and I look at myself in the rearview mirror.

"Is there anything else I could do?" I literally ask myself and drive on with the unclear head when the green light takes red's place.

In the matter of minutes that I'm not even aware of, I am at work and parking my car. Like I'm a robot doing everything automatically without any questions asked or any control what so ever, I leave the car and go to the elevator that takes me up to the floor of my office.

Taking off my jacket and leaving it on the chair in my office, I go straight to the floor's canteen. I need coffee and I need it now. I don't even know how I drove here and if I killed anyone on the way!

The canteen is empty when I get there which I find pleasing. I don't want any uptight chick snorting a good morning my way and start talking how super talented her kids are like anyone really cares.

The holy grail of a coffee pot is calling my name from the counter and I wait for the coffee to warm up to near boiling temperature.

I should've left her a note, right...?

It just won't get out of my head. It's permanently stuck there and people have told me I can be stubborn before but I never thought this would actually start to bother me.

It is kinda douchy to just leave, though. I mean, we had sex, I woke up next to her and I just left without... doing anything?

Maybe the blanket thing is enough. It shows I acknowledge she is there and that she is a person. Could that exactly piss her off? I covered her but I couldn't leave her a note?

This overthinking doesn't suit me at all!

What if I send her a text? It would really look like I was in a hurry and show I'm not insensitive. Sending a good morning text after sex isn't an equivalent to the break-up text, right? I haven't done this before and I'm fucking freaking out!

A text would probably be enough... Annabelle knows me and it's not like I'm treating her like a piece of shit!

I unlock my phone and start typing a message. A better expression would, I put effort into it. I come up with nothing. Nothing. What would even be a good thing to say?

I type down the first thing that pops to my mind:

Had to go to work. Had fun last night.

I read it in a whisper and find the way it sounds cringy. It sounds like I'm a prince in shining armour who always does the right thing and never misses the opportunity to save a lady from a dragon.

Before I send the message and regret it, I delete it to come up with something better. It's impossible to write any kind of apology without stating that I had to go to work.

Sorry to leave you, had to go to work.

Well, that's even cheesiest. I'm getting worse at it, so I put my phone away and focus on coffee that's boiling so hard it might as well explode. And we don't want that, 'cause then I'd have to go home and talk to Annabelle!

I suspect the Lightning McQueen cup is Austin's because... it just looks like his, and pour my coffee in it. No, I don't have my own cup.

Headed to the table with the cup of coffee right below my nose so I can inhale the caffeine, I see Austin standing in the doorway.

"What brought you in here today?" He wonders and looks for his cup in the cupboard. 

I lift the cup up to my lips and take an innocent sip when he turns around and his face falls into an accusing one. 

"Just take the Jack Daniel's one. It's Justine's." How to get rid of your secretary 101. 

"Are you sure she won't mind?"

I shake my head, counting on her anger to make her walk away and get her coffee someplace else. 

Austin normally wouldn't go for it but he doesn't care about decency this evening. Either he got laid or he really wants coffee. 

He sits behind the table where I'm sitting and puts his phone on the table. Expecting a call, are we? "How come you're here? I thought you gave up on the canteen when most of the girls from this department got married."

"I didn't drink coffee at home. And that's not the reason why I stopped coming here." But it might have something to do with it. 

"What happened? A kid drove you away?" Austin snickers as he thinks he's so funny. Normally, I'd chuckle, but things get complicated when I run from the babysitter for no other reason but my own cowardice. 

As a response I smile which he can take as a confirmation or a sign of weakness. Thankfully, Austin isn't used to seeing me powerless and confused, so he just nods and chuckles some more. I expect him to say something smart, like praising me for coming up with this dumb idea of adoption, but he cuts me some slack. In a way, I think he's actually enjoying it. 

"How are you and Caitlin doing now that you live together?" I'm not sure I want to know the answer. The problem isn't because Austin liked to mess around before, the problem is because he was so taken by Caitlin and their relationship. I'm afraid he's too rushing into it. I also don't like her.

My fears are nearly proven to be existent when Austin shakes with his head lightly. "All's been going well, but she wants to get a freaking cat."

Wow, the problems people have. I have a crying shitball at home. 

"Why is that... such a tragedy?" 

"I'm allergic, Nathan!" 

I shrug and take another sip "But if it's a cat, you can get used to it. My sister is an example." 

"You know, you sound just like Caitlin." He pouts and nearly chokes on his coffee when he sees Justine walk to our floor and past the canteen. 

"Relax. If she'll notice anything, she'll have my balls, not yours." I sigh and add some more coffee to my emptying supply. 

Austin laughs a bit nervously. I take it that's the price of being a good guy - constantly worrying about how others perceive you. "Oh, I saw the new solar cell idea you handed to Jimenez." 

My ears perk up at the mention of latino's name. Has he been talking to her? "Yeah, hopefully, the prototype will prove it doesn't need too many major fixes and changes. It exhausted me and I'm ready to move on to approving projects." 

He chuckles as do I, then adds "I hope you won't be too pissed by the fact Flora is first going to test the improvements for wind turbines." 

Oh, Jimenez then, Flora now, huh!

I shake with my head in response and smile "She knows how to do her work and I don't mind if I'm not dealing with it right now. I'm fine the way it is now."

"Okay?" He eyes me suspiciously and looks into his cup strangely "I thought you wanted to sleep with her."

Funny, how sex wasn't the first thing that got to my mind, huh? That only happens when I feel no need for more - yet. 

"I mean..." I start and think about what I'd like to say. Flora is pretty hot and she definitely looks like a loca loca Latino. Though... I did take Annabelle for a loud screamer and she turned out to be a silent moaner. "Lenart came to me and said to keep it in my pants while we have to work together."

Austin doesn't seem to be fazed by it because he knows me and because I've been told so before and didn't give a shit. 

"I know what you're thinking but as I said, I'm not in a rush to discuss that power cell any time soon. Yeah, strange for me, but I really want to take it easy from now on. And I think improvements for wind turbines need to be prioritised at the moment." 

"You're just saying that 'cause you're a lazy fuck," he laughs and looks over at Justine again, spying if she's noticed he's drinking from her cup. 

I shake my head "No, I really mean it. The solar cell I came up with is for individuals and their own houses. Your project could improve the mass of wind turbines that have a much bigger effect."

He smiles lightly "I'm honoured. Why did you choose to go to solar power anyway? Because it sounds cool when you mention it to chicks at the bar?"

"Nah, I didn't find classes interesting. It's also much funnier to install solar cell, then scream 'Let there be light!' and both the sun and the lights shine." 

Both Austin and I chuckle to the joke I came up with after ten years of being interested in solar power. I should tell it to Annabelle, so far she has seemed to appreciate that kind of humour. I can just see her giggling. Maybe that's the best way how I could break the ice today and maybe we wouldn't even have to talk about sex. Not such a bad idea.

Austin suddenly hums as he's right about to swallow coffee and came up with something to tell me. "Hey, do you know if Annabelle came home last night?" 

Oh, crap.

"W-why would I know that?" Act normal!

"Well, isn't she watching over Gavin?"

"Devon."

"Right, Devon. Well?" 

I sigh and shrug but it's definitely not an Oscar-winning performance. "I don't know, what happens after her 'working hours' are done, is out of my reach." Except if... You know, I put my dick in. 

"Caitlin went to visit her yesterday and wanted to bring her a takeout. I was working late and cancelled our stay-at-home date. Anyway, Annabelle wasn't at the apartment and when Caitlin called her, she didn't pick up." 

Yeah, no shit. 

"I don't know, man, I think she has her own life as well. This morning, she came to me, so..."

Oh, she sure did!

Austin shrugs and begins to think about it. In the end, he peers up like he's on track of something "Did she mention a boyfriend?"

I choke on my coffee and shake my head. God forbid! "No, ahem, she didn't." I see it in his eyes he's not gonna back down. I know he's sure I know something, which isn't really a wrong conclusion, but still, I want to talk about something else if possible. "Austin, when... Well, when I met Caitlin on that date, I was sure Annabelle was the girl you were into. She looks exactly like your type. Why Caitlin?"

He furrows his brows a bit as if he hadn't expected a question like that to pop up. However, he's not mad at me for asking him that. "Annabelle is a sweet girl, I can see that, but I find Caitlin much more intriguing. She probably comes around as very cold but I know her better and she's a good person. Annabelle, on the other hand, acts too warm sometimes, like she's trying to fit and please everyone. Caitlin isn't like that and I find that more appealing." 

Annabelle trying to please everyone? Give me a break, she didn't want to wrap a gift for my nephew! Even on the night that I met her, I doubt she jumped me because I was eyeing her ass the entire evening. 

"I don't think Annabelle is like that, Austin. She's pretty defiant as far as I know her. But she looks exactly what you like in girls. Bubbly and cheeky and... stuff."

Austin shrugs "I don't want to be rude, Nate, but she really isn't my type. Maybe if I slept with her once, sure, but for the long run? I imagine she wants to make everything look very homey, always doing something with decorations and stuff like that. You should've seen her apartment, man, that would tell you a lot."

I am almost insulted by what he says about her. She's nothing like the sort. Okay, she's a warm person but isn't it better than a psychopath? And so what if she likes to make a place look like a home? At least, you don't sleep on the floor like a homeless guy! 

It's not like I can hold anything against him, it was me who got to sleep with her. I don't know how but she seems to trust me now, which is... peculiar, in a way. 

Suddenly: "Oh, you like her, don't you?" 

This, now. 

"What? Of course, I do. She's very attractive." Now I can say that for sure. 

"No, no, not that kind of 'like'." Austin grins in disbelief "Is she slowing down the stallion?"

If anything, she's giving him nitroglycerin. "Austin, I never claimed Annabelle was ugly and that I didn't like her. She knows that as well."

"Did... something happen between you two?" He squints his eyes as he smells a trace that might lead him to something. 

Well, I can't tell him I made her scream last night, can I? I don't want Caitlin breathing down my neck, forcing me to go from Annabelle's potential mate to the mate. 

Truth. Truth is always something that makes people shut up and gives me credibility. I could tell him, she kissed me. I mean, she's done it before, why would it be a surprise if she's done it, now? 

"Nothing happened."

I'm a weak man. 

"Nothing?" 

"No. I just see how she's with Devon and how she handles stuff and I wondered why didn't you fall for her." At least this is a good save. Will he believe me?

He nods and shrugs "Uh-huh, yeah, well, she's not my type. In all honesty, I don't find her that attractive. She is cute from one perspective but..." 

Are you fucking kidding me?!

"Yeah, you're not that into her." How the hell not?! "Anyway, is any of your guys coming to me today? If they are, I'll have to refresh my knowledge of turbines and I don't want to end up looking like an idiot."

Austin chuckles, still giving me a sideways glance probably because I asked him about Annabelle. He soon puts it to rest and moves on to the new topic "I think two of them had plans of paying you a visit, yeah." 

"Okay, good to know. I guess I should go and prepare myself for it, then." I get up from the table and push Lightning McQueen to him "And thanks for the cup."

He laughs and yells something after me, probably that I should get my own cup next time. He never learns. 

***

No e-mail and no text. I can do this like a decent human being. I can walk into my apartment and talk it out like a man. 

Sex is a normal thing! I have sex, she has sex, Austin has sex, maybe even Justine. We all have sex. This shouldn't be so weird to talk about. In the end, we will both just brush it off and the day spent worrying of awkwardness was all for nothing. 

I man up and unlock my apartment. Yes, I've been standing in the hallway and thinking about this shit. 

I walk in as confidently as possible, only to have cold spilt all over my body. 

"Nathan, hi," says Caitlin and leaves me gawking at her. 

Did I... sleep with the wrong sister?

"Hi... Caitlin?" 

She opens her mouth to speak which is not as adorable as when Annabelle does it when she is interrupted by the ruckus in the bathroom. 

"Is everything okay?" I ask, instead of screaming at her why the hell is she in my apartment and I sincerely doubt Devon is making that noise. 

Caitlin sighs and looks towards the bathroom "Annabelle called me over. She had food poisoning and has been sick whole sick." 

Food poisoning? But I ate the same food and I'm fine, and my stomach isn't made of iron.

"Oh, how bad is it?" 

She shrugs and shakes with her head "She says it's not that bad but she keeps throwing up or at least choking on what's left."

That's... too vivid, Caitlin. 

Annabelle drags herself from the bathroom green in the face so much it looks like she's fifteen years older. That is no food poisoning.

She tries to smile and greet me, but Caitlin quickly grabs her for her hand and ushers her to the couch "Come, you better sit down." 

"I'll be fine, Cait," Annabelle groans and avoids looking at me. 

"I didn't leave work just for you to tell me you're gonna be fine. Of course, you're gonna be fine, because I will help you." 

Really, Austin? And Annabelle is the unattractive one?

The look on Annabelle's face tells me everything. Now that I'm home as well, I think she'd rather be with me than with Caitlin. Not that I blame her. 

To the rescue, I guess. "Hey, don't worry, I'll take care of her."

Caitlin's eyes bolt at me and she might as well stab me with an icicle. 

"Austin told me you're working late shifts now and, look I'm free for today. Annabelle will be fine with me." I really want to make a sex joke but I'm not sure it'd be appropriate due to Annabelle's condition. 

Caitlin doesn't trust me. The way she eyes me whole isn't seducing in any way, but more like scanning for a dangerous predator. The way she is frozen next to Annabelle (wow, what an appropriate expression) tells me she's not gonna let me close. Did she tell Caitlin about last night or is that just one of Caitlin's way of finding the mate for her sister? 

At last, she takes a deep breath, looks at Annabelle once again and stands up "It's not really smart to leave the restaurant without my supervision for long, so... Yeah, I'll head back."

Both Annabelle and I visibly relax. Is it for the same reason? 

Suddenly, Caitlin doesn't give me the impression of a worried sister anymore. Jeez, if anything happened either to Daniel or May, no one and I mean no one would make me go away. Caitlin it almost a little too quick on her feet outside the door. Maybe it's nothing really and it's hard to forget not all mothers leave their children to survive while she whores around. 

When we're alone, the silence rules for a few brief moments that stretch over the years. I don't know if I should be the first one to say anything or not. Would she throw up again if she tried to speak? 

I sit down next to her on the couch and she sniffles "Devon's sleeping in his room, though. He's been very calm today."

Shaking my head, I don't want to get involved talking about Devon. She's nearly falling apart right here and I sincerely hope she's not going to cry. "That was no food poisoning, Annabelle. Groceries from yesterday were fresh and I'm doing just fine."

She sinks down into the couch and sighs "I don't know what it is then."

I look at her and see guilt written all over her face. Surely... Surely pregnancy doesn't... work that quick, right? 

She supports her head with her hand and closes her eyes tightly. 

"I don't remember food poisoning giving you a headache too." Please, do not be pregnant... "Will you tell me what happened?" 

Annabelle sighs with heaviness. It's like she's struggling to breathe. Food poisoning and lung failure? Yeah, the good stuff. 

"It's just a bad reaction to something, I'm fine." She mumbles the words out loud and I can still hear only one thing. 

Bad reaction to what? Pregnancy? God, what if she is pregnant?

"Are you-" I'm not even sure I want to ask, worse - if I want to hear the answer. 

Annabelle sees where I'm going with this and answers me before I have to finish my sentence "I'm not pregnant. Pretty sure about it." 

Oh, the boulder that rolls off my chest! 

I breathe out a huge breath of relief. That's good news for both of us! "Okay... That's good. But-"

Again, she reads my mind and tells me by paling out "I took the Plan B."

Plan B? "Like the morning-after pill?"

"Yeah," she mumbles and leans her head back against the cushions and closes her eyes. 

"You're reacting so badly to it? I thought those were just bad side-effects like with aspiring where you have one in a million possibilities for it." 

"Nope. Well, that or I got that one out of the million." She sighs, lightly shaking with her head. "It was just an emergency and I took care of it."

I look down at my hands "But it shouldn't be just up to you. I'm sorry that I didn't..." Stop myself? Put an end to it? 

"Don't blame yourself, Nathan. It's not like we were going to stop mid business." She tries to smile and as lovely as I find it, I can't smile at all. Did all women I've been with have to go through that?

Oh boy, we're talking about it, aren't we, now? What do I tell her? Sorry for the pain but I love-em-and-leave-em? "Still... Uhm, about yesterday, err..."

I think I can pull it off until she looks at me. I know she's feeling bad but her eyes are as clear as they were yesterday. 

That's hot. 

And so fucking wrong!

"Nathan, it was a moment of weakness. Forget about it." She smiles lightly. 

She makes it all so easy but nonetheless, I feel like we should talk about it. I doubt that's where it all ends. 

"But-" she speaks again, stricter this time and points at her aching stomach. "You still better take care of me. This was all your doing." 

I chuckle lightly and shake my head. "How can I say no." - especially when she asks so humorously and sweetly

"You can't," she grins and leans her head on my shoulder. I think about shifting, 'cause its' just a bit too much all of this, then she mumbles "You're so soft."

I guess I can let it happen this once. It's not like I didn't get anything from her, anyway. 

A/N: I don't really have much to say, except that I wanted to slap Nathan for being so awkward. Why, oh why, did I create him that way!

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