Naomi

As the rising sun shone through the balustrade of Naomi's balcony, she awoke to find a stranger underneath her. Had she brought him home last night? Naomi couldn’t remember, and she could have sworn she’d rode home by herself after drinks with her coworkers.

She’d never had a one night stand before, so this was new territory. Naomi had always been a good girl, worked hard, paid her parents bills, but this morning, all she felt was guilt. How had she decided it was a good idea to bring a stranger home? What even was his name?

All these thoughts raced through her mind, but as she peered down at the man’s face which held a subtle furrow in his brow, almost betraying the weight of a sorrow carried within. Although serene, his expression carried a heavy sadness, which was not lost on Naomi.

She also noticed his angular chin; too pointy to call handsome yet it carried a sort of elegance hinting at gentle sincerity. His shoulders were broad, and in all, he looked to be a little above average height, extremely fit, and admittedly striking with his long black tufts of hair.

With a gentle sigh, she rose from their entanglement, and straightened out her clothes. Careful not to wake the stranger, she crept out of the living room, and made her way to her room to fix herself up. After a few minutes, she headed for the kitchen to prepare breakfast, keeping the man in mind and doubling the portions.

Naomi wondered how she was going to behave toward him. First, she’d apologize for what happened the night before, and then kindly explain that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She deliberated on this. If she had indeed brought him home with her, she’d take full responsibility, so she settled on playing it safe and assuming she had. Naomi hoped he was amiable.

Alric

He sat up and rubbed his head with a yawn.

“Hi,” came a voice from over his shoulder.

Alric froze. Shit. He slowly turned and looked at the woman behind him. She had a kitchen apron on which was covering an all black athletic outfit. She stood there with her hands to her hips in an intimidating pose and an expecting expression.

“I…er…hi,” was all Alric could manage.

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She stared at him thoughtfully and began, “Look, I’m sorry for what happened yesterday. I’ve never done that kind of thing before and honestly, I don’t really remember what happened. The last thing I can recall was going to a bar with some friends from work.” She paused thoughtfully. “And I really hope we can keep this platonic. I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”

Alric couldn’t believe his luck. She actually thought they’d done something last night, which was entirely false. What was the best way to play this off?

He settled for an, “Uh…yeah, me too.”

“Great, I uh, I made you breakfast. It’s the least I could do...”

“Alric,” he answered with a smile. “Smells delicious by the way. Thank you.”

“It better be,” she chuckled. “The name’s Naomi in case you forgot,” she added as she turned towards the kitchen island, where a full breakfast was laid out.

Alric picked himself up, relieved the tension in his muscles, and made his way to the table where Naomi was waiting for him. He’d not had breakfast made for him in a very long time, not since his parents had died. The memory brought a melancholy to his mood.

Naomi had already started eating the pancakes, so Alric was content to join in. The first bite was delicious and the second was heavenly. He had to force himself to slow down and after a few more minutes, the plates had been licked clean. Alric sat there, content with his fill, and watched Naomi finishing her plate. He glanced about the room, trying his best not to make the atmosphere any more awkward than it already was.

He raised a glass of water to his lips and almost choked when he noticed a picture frame sitting on a nearby shelf. It was Naomi, dressed in full police uniform.

“You’re a cop?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah, third year,” she replied nonchalantly.

“Really? No offense, you don’t seem like the type to be chasing down criminals.”

“Well, I did start out wanting to be a prosecutor, but then I realized catching bad guys was more my style.”

Alric chuckled. “Well, you caught me,” he said and winced immediately. No fucking way you just said that. Real smooth, idiot.

She looked up at him, her gaze deadpan, and then her lips curled into a cheeky smile. “That was terrible. Keep that up and I just might arrest you for harassment.”

Alric’s cheeks went red, and he laughed with her. When Naomi had finally finished her plate, he offered to help with the dishes, but she waved him off saying that he was a guest and that wouldn’t do.

Checking his watch, he noted that it was a little past ten, which left him with about an hour before he had to get started with preparations for his brother’s revival. He’d need to perform a few rituals on the body before handing him off to the wizard since there was always a possibility for complications. The rituals would be more of a safeguard, not a necessity.

“Well, I should get going now. I’ve got to be somewhere in a little bit.”

“Alright,” she said and paused for a moment in thought. “And thank you.”

“Thanks for what?”

“I don’t know,” she said looking a bit bashful. “I haven’t shared a meal with anyone in my home before, let alone….” She trailed off, the meaning not lost on Alric, and he flushed.

“Ah, well no problem,” he replied with an awkward smile. “See you around?”

“Yeah, hopefully.”

Neither of them bothered asking for each other’s number, knowing that they’d probably never meet again. Best leave it to chance.