Fantasy Unlikely Partners

[Tharivle]

Chris woke up when Ilaria got out of bed but looked at the clock and decided that he was going back to sleep. Rex opened his eyes as she approached the living room and he thumped his tail a few times to say hello but he too went back to sleep.
Chris woke up again around 6:30. He blinked away the sleepiness in his eyes then got up. He walked out to the living room to find Ilaria on the couch reading. Rex lifted his head up but made no move to get up as Chris approached. "Good morning." He said cheerfully.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria tucked herself into the corner of the couch by the lamp, and lost herself in the book she had.
She resurfaced at the sound of Chris coming out of the bedroom, and she smiled. "There's coffee in the kitchen. I can make breakfast, if you're into that kind of thing." She marked her page and closed the book, setting it on the end table. She looked down at Rex, who had woken up as if on cue. "What do you think, Rex? What sounds good for breakfast?" She leaned down and stroked the wolf's head. I might like the wolf better than Chris,she thought to herself. But when she looked back up at the man, she decided that might not be true. "Did you sleep alright?"

 

[Tharivle]

Rex sat up and looked at her, his ears perking up as she started talking to him. He thumped his tail a few times as she was talking. Chris smiled at the mention of coffee. He never needed it but he really enjoyed drinking it. "I slept great. How about you?" Chris said as he found a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You want a cup too?"

 

[Flutterby]

"Sure, that'd be great." She had gotten up to follow him to the kitchen, and pulled open a cupboard. "So, breakfast? Or do you need to get going?" Ilaria looked up into the cupboard, considering what she should make to eat, even if he didn't want something.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris got a second mug and filled it with coffee, "I can stay for breakfast. It really doesn't matter what though. Food is food." After he was done pouring he asked, "Do you have cream or sugar, and if so would you like some?"

 

[Flutterby]

"There's cream and milk in the fridge, and sugar's on the table," Ilaria motioned to the table in the nook. She reached up into the cabinet, and pulled out a mason jar and a mixing bowl. "Do you like muffins? I could do blueberry, or chocolate chip." She took the top off the mason jar, and dumped the contents into the bowl before going to the fridge and pulling out buttermilk and eggs. She added those and a little bit of oil to the dry mix, and began whisking it together. "Could you grab the muffin tin? Skinny cupboard on the bottom left."

 

[Tharivle]

Chris reached down to the cumbered that she indicated and pulled out a muffin tin and handed it to her. "I thing chocolate chip would be great." Chris said with a smile.
Then he went over to the table and poured some sugar in his cup and stirred it a bit, before taking a sip.
Rex was sitting by the door and he gave a soft bark. Chris set down his cup and waked over and opened the door letting him out. Chris shut the door then came back to the kitchen and picked up his cup and leaned against the wall. "Anything I can help with?"

 

[Flutterby]

"No," Ilaria said with a smile, as she reached back into the fridge and grabbed an open bag of chocolate chips. She folded them into the batter, and then lined and filled six of the muffin spots. She checked the oven temperature, and then took a sip of her coffee as she waited for it to get warmer. She leaned up against the counter, and looked at him over the brim of her coffee mug.
"Can I ask you something?"

 

[Tharivle]

"Go for it." Chris said quickly in response as he took another sip of coffee.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria took another sip of her coffee, and said, "Why did you stay with me? You weren't too tired to drive back, it took you forever to fall asleep."
The oven beeped behind her, and she turned to put the muffins in. Once they were on the rack, she shut the door, and set a timer, before turning her silvery eyes back to Chris expectantly.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris stopped mid sip and put the cup down and was trying to quickly think of the right words. "I stayed because you invited me to stay... And I didn't want our time together to end so suddenly after all that we learned today and all that you saw/I saw." Chris shuffled his feet a little then added, "Also I really like you and I didn't want to leave...." He trailed off the last statement but it was still loud enouph to be heard.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria smiled to herself, a little satisfied that her question had made him so flustered.
She turned to clean up what she had used to make the muffins, moving everything to the sink. "Well, I don't have anything to do today, so you're welcome to put off leaving a little while longer." She said, as she turned on the water and waited for it to get hot.
"Well, I was going to go for a hike before the sun go too high." She added, picking up the dish soap.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris smiled a bit when she very cryptically asked him to stay the day. "Was that an invitation to stay for the day?" Time for her to blush a little too. "Because if that was an invitation to spend the day with you, I would like that very much... But I'll only stay if we are invited to stay." Chris was picking on her a little bit, hoping she would be bashful, but agree. And not get snippy and mad, and send them home.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria narrowed her eyes and looked over at him, knowing that he knew it was. "Come dry these dishes, Casanova." She said, smirking. She rinsed the bit of batter left out of the bowl, and then let the sink fill will a little soapy water before wetting her sponge and putting soap on it. "I'll be going for a walk whether you're here or not, so its up to you if you join me. Or should I ask Rex?" She grinned wickedly, and then picked up the bowl to start washing.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris smirked back and put his coffee down and started helping with the dishes. "Rex would go if you asked him, but I would like to go too." Once they were done with the dishes and the muffins were still cooling Chris started heading for the door. "I'm going to go grab a change of clothes from my car, be right back." Chris walked out to the car and opened the trunk. He pulled out a bag with a lock on it and brought it inside. Inside the bag had jeans t shirt flannel and his off duty weapon (the gun is why the zipper had a lock). Chris also grabbed his leather jacket and radio, and boots that were not black and polishable. Chris took his bag into the bathroom and in just a minute he came back out looking almost exactly like he was when they first meet.
Chris poked his head in the kitchen again and asked, "Are the muffins ready?"

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria shook her head a little and laughed. Right about the time the dishes were done, the oven timer went off, and she pulled the muffins out to the over. She left them in the tins on the top of the oven for a minute, as he went and changed.
While he was gone, She moved her mug over to the table, and grabbed a couple plates, and the container of blueberries from the fridge. She had returned to the counter to turn out the muffins when he popped his head back in. She popped two of them out, each onto a little plate, and held one out in his direction with a smirk before sitting down at the table to enjoy her own muffin with coffee and some blueberries.
"I was thinking of checking out the trail that heads over toward Mile 7." The bar was a little off the beaten track, sitting just at the very edge of town, closer to her side of it. It was about a 10 minutes trail, and took them within a couple miles of the hangout.

 

[Tharivle]

"Sounds like a plan." Chris said with a smile as he sat down and started eating himself. He no sooner sat down that they heard Rex bark at the door. "I swear... He knows when I sit down to eat." Chris put down his muffin and walked over to the door and when he opened it Rex was sitting there looking at him with his head tilted. Rex tilted his head like he was asking, You think you can eat without me?
"Come on." Rex trotted in and sat between the two chairs next to Ilaria. Chris closed the door and followed and sat back down.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria smiled, and when Rex came in, she rubbed his ear affectionately and offered him a blueberry off her plate. Even though she knew she shouldn't think of him as a pet, she couldn't help it. He was just so cute and friendly.
"Okay, then we can get going once we're done eating. I'd like to be back well before noon," She said, looking out the window and down towards the rocky shore. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon; by the time they finished up, sunrise would be in full swing. It would be a beautiful hike, on one of the first clear days she had experienced in Mullbrook. She finished up her muffin, and sipped at her coffee. Absently, she pulled one sock-covered foot up onto the edge of her chair, folding herself up a little bit as she gazed outside.

 

[Tharivle]

Rex opened his mouth and snapped his jays shut, catching the blueberry. He swallowed quickly then licked his lips, never taking his eyes off of Ilaria. Chris took a bite of his muffin. "Now stop begging. You pigged out last night." Rex Just licked his lips again. Chris finished his muffin and took a few blueberries. "Looks like it is going to be a beautiful morning."

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria slid her eyes back to Chris, and dropped another blueberry over the edge of the table, then popped one in her own mouth. "It is. First sunny day I've seen since I moved over here." She continued dropping a blueberry over the edge of the table for each blueberry she ate herself, giving Chris a glance every so often. She would stop, if he actually asked her to. But it's not like blueberries were bad for canines, and Rex deserved a treat for breakfast too. Besides, she wanted to get him to like her so she could tease Chris about it.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris noticed her giving Rex blueberries but he really didn't care, he was just making fun of Rex. Chris took another muffin and was eating it slowly, just waiting for Ilaria to finish and say that it was time to go.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria dropped her last blueberry into Rex's mouth, and then stood, placing her plate in the sink and disappearing through the living room to go get dressed.
She pulled out a pair of black leggings, solid green v-neck, and a gray zip hoodie. She hummed softly as she got dressed, eventually switching her socks to taller white crew sock. She emerged from the bed room tying her hair back, and then zipping the hoodie up.
"Im ready if you are," She called on her way to the mudroom. She added a black quilted vest for warmth, and sat down to pull on a pair of very well worn hiking boots.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris stuffed the last bite in his mouth when she yelled back that it was time to go and he followed her out of the house with Rex on his heals. They stepped out into the brisk morning air, "Lead the way Ari."

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria smiled, and lead the way up a beaten path, crossing the driveway and into the woods. She walked at a good clip, a light smile on her lips. The woods were barely light, and a good bit cooler than the open air. She was glad for the extra warmth of her vest. Once they had walked along for a few minutes, she lead them down a left-hand fork in the path, and then slowed down a little. "Isnt it just a wonderful morning?"

 

[Tharivle]

Chris put his jacket on and hooked his radio on his belt and then the mic up by his collar. Rex ran out after her as she started off, and Chris had to take a few jogging steps to catch up. Rex barked once in response to what Ilaria said, "It is indeed a great morning." Rex wandered away off the path as they walked but was popping in and out of view as he explored the woods around them.