Just Play Along

One Hundred One & One Hundred Two

PART ONE HUNDRED ONE

*Jess’ POV*

The next morning we woke up earlier than normal. Probably because I’d passed out of meltdown-induced exhaustion the evening before, not that I was going to admit that.

“Breakfast?” Aston mumbled, his lips pressed against my neck as he held me tight.

“I’ll get it.”

“Let me,” he said.

“You can make lunch,” I told him, pulling his arms off of me and stumbling out of bed, grabbing a dressing gown on my way out the room. “I’ll bring the food up.”

“Perfect,” Aston yawned, grabbing the remote control for the TV and flicking it on.

I pottered around the kitchen for a little while getting some things together on a tray, and then I hauled it all up the stairs and laid it on the bed.

“Thanks,” Aston said, kissing the side of my head as he grabbed a piece of toast.

“No worries.”

“What are we doing today?” he asked me.

“I have no idea,” I replied, sipping my coffee.

“I vote we do absolutely nothing.”

I turned and looked at him, a cute smile on his face as he nibbled his food.

“I think that sounds perfect,” I replied.

We spent the entire morning in bed, fighting over what to watch on the TV. Aston was insistent on some sort of sports program, and I wanted to watch some rerun of a film I’d seen ages ago. In the end the TV was forgotten as we laughed and wrestled about, in our own little bubble.

At lunchtime we threw some sweats on and wandered downstairs, Aston making sandwiches for the pair of us as I sat and watched on from the breakfast bar. For the afternoon we messed around in the TV room, Aston playing games on his xbox while I laid on the couch and laughed at him, his iPad propped up in front of me as I tried to play a puzzle game.

“I’m going to pop out for half an hour, is that ok?” Aston asked me as late afternoon approached and the winter sun started to set.

“Why?”

“Just to get some food,” he shrugged. “Want anything special?”

“Maybe grab some wine or something?” I replied, “Think we’re pretty much out.”

“Course,” he said, giving me a quick kiss as he went to find his shoes.

I took his momentary absence as an opportunity to finally have a shower, but instead of getting dressed I threw on some clean pajamas and a hoodie. After drying my hair I wandered back downstairs to see Aston pulling things out of shopping bags and laying them on the counter.

“What did you get?” I asked him.

“Well…” he started, “I got the wine you requested, and a Nando’s...”

“What’s all this then?” I said, nodding towards the stack of baking goods on the counter as I pulled my Nando’s towards me and started to eat.

“I thought,” Aston started as he got his own food, “I could maybe try to bake you a cake for your birthday.”

“You’re going to bake? Tonight?”

“I might need your help,” he replied with a laugh, “But that is the goal.”

“You don’t need to do this,” I said, “I’ll be fine without a cake.”

“I want to though. It’s not fair that I have to miss your birthday.”