"SHIT!" I awoke to hear the pained cry, accompanied by a loud *CLANG!*
'Claire must be cooking,' I thought, groggily. I rose off the bed, careful not to stir it too much in case the movement woke up Claire's boyfriend, James. Deciding not to bother with getting dressed, I wandered into the bathroom, rinsed my mouth out at the sink, and strolled into the kitchen.
Claire was standing in her scanties before the oven, sucking a fingertip and scowling at the machine as if it had bitten her. She seized the tray from the oven and slammed it onto the stove-top. I glanced at the objects on the tray: twice-baked potatoes, their insides golden with cheese and dotted with bits of crispy red bacon. As she finished moving them onto a plate with a spatula, she glanced up and caught sight of me.
"Oh, hey, you're up," she said, flushing and attempting a smile that turned out fairly nervous and awkward-looking. Her expression turned anxious as she added, "I didn't wake you, did I?"
I snickered. "Of course you did, I reckon there are deaf people on the moon who heard you."
She moaned, slamming her palm into her forehead. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so loud, it just startled me."
I rolled my eyes. "What happened?"
She snorted. "Burnt my finger on the tray, like an idiot."
"Awww," I said, and with a sudden inspiration, I came over to her, took her hand, and kissed the small, red burn mark. Pulling the tip of her finger into my mouth, I started sucking it.
"I-I was just about to make coffee," she stuttered, blushing hard. I chuckled and let her go.
"Coffee sounds *excellent* right now." Taking a seat at the table, I watched her movements about the kitchen as she filled the kettle and plugged it in to brew.
"Oh, and the food's ready, if you're hungry," she said, gesturing to the plate of potatoes. "They're probably still molten inside, but if you cut one in half and give it a minute it should cool down enough to eat."
"Thanks," I replied, accepting one and taking her advice. Steam rose from the white and yellow flesh of the potato. She'd been smart in her cooking choice: after the night she, James, and I had enjoyed a plate of carbohydrates would do us all good.
"Is James up too, then?" she asked.
"Nah, I think he's still asleep. We kinda wore him out," I answered, chuckling. She laughed too, blushing to the roots of her hair.
Bored, waiting for the potato to cool, I stood and went over to the fridge. I pawed through leftovers in Tupperware containers and bottles of soda until, catching a glimpse of bright color, I opened the vegetable drawer. Inside sat a box of plump, ripe, red strawberries.
"Help yourself," Claire said from behind me, noticing my interest.