Something Chilled

Edward groggily got up from bed at about 8 AM, but soon felt wide awake as he had actually slept a full night for once in a week, having written two hours as soon as he returned from that whole raid fiasco with Ian's newest venture. All in all, he had had an extremely good night... But there was that one issue his mind could not get rid of: did he, or did he not bring that girl back home?

            Not that it was any of his business anyway; he got up and got dressed in timely fashion. He figured that Ian would still be asleep, and knew that JR would definitely be, so he headed downstairs as soon as he was fully dressed.

As he entered the kitchen, he noticed that breakfast had already been made, but Ian wasn't in the kitchen as per usual, and upon inspecting the garage, neither was his car.
            Ed smiled as he figured that his curiosity had settled thanks to the apparent answers that came with the rising sun, so he walked back toward the island counter and was just about to grab a plate before he froze right in his tracks.

            "Morning," she said.

            "Morning..." Ed replied suspiciously while turning around. And boy was he glad that he had. Before him stood a beautiful woman with blonde hair, strong facial features and with two different coloured eyes to boot. And the kicker: she wore Ian's shirt.

           Thank heavens JR isn't here at this moment, he thought as he picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip.
            “Does Ian always leave his own house before the woman he had sex with wakes up the next morning?”

            Having just heard what he think he did, Ed sprayed his mouth full of coffee all over the kitchen island. He turned to her, who simply stared back with absolute indifference. "So I guess you hooked up at the hospital."

            "Indeed," was her only reply.

            Ed awkwardly got up from the barstool he half-sat on and walked around the island counter, retrieved a cloth that hung next to the sink, and started cleaning up the mess that he had made. He watched her as she sat down and simply observed the kitchen.

            "Breakfast?"

            "Please," she answered, then continued to add: "did you make it?" when she saw Ed looking at her in disbelief.

            "Nah, Ian did. He does it most days -- he may not show it openly, but he's actually a very caring guy... Not that it's of any relevance to you, I suppose..."

            "For now, no."

            "Huh," Ed said as he readied her plate with a couple of strips of bacon, two pieces of toast, and some pan-friend tomato. "There you go, breakfast of the champions!"

            "Thank you."

For a while both of them sat and ate in silence, though all the while Edward really couldn't get himself from staring. She was almost exactly like his friend, except way hotter. And with breasts.

            "I shot him, you know," Ed said after a while, mostly just to get his mind off things, "the arrow thing?"

            "Oh!" she exclaimed with a smile, and finally something that did indeed prove that she was not just Ian incarnate as female: a quick, high pitched giggle. "Why?" she added afterwards.

            "Ah, yeah I wouldn't believe him if he had told me just after we had met, too."

            "Ah..." she said with a nod, finally believing Ian's story about the dog. "So you are friends - no, roommates - with a Scorpions Agent that loves to take doctors home, and to play with extremely deadly dogs, oh and have a knack for romance?"

            After a moment of contemplating, Ed answered: "I wouldn't put it like that, but pretty much -- he got the romance part from me, though, just so we're clear," he joked. He then brought the cup closer to his mouth, "damn hot doctors, though," he mumbled below his breath and took another sip of his coffee.

            "I see," the doctor said as she took a bit from a strip of bacon. "Where's he now, though?"

            "Probably filing his report, I'd say. Ian never was one to do a half-assed job, even when he's supposed to be at home in order to recover. But then again, I haven't been too involved in his professional life as of late. That happens, though, one night we'll all sit around the braai and share whatever we haven't already. Believe me. Coffee?"

            She kindly rejected the offer for more coffee and continued eating. Ed, nodded in acknowledgement then stood up in order to make himself another cup of coffee.

Another while passed as both of them finished their breakfast. As she was done, she kindly excused herself from the kitchen and headed back upstairs, to Ian's room. Probably to get properly dressed, Ed thought as he stared after her as she went up the stairs.

            He then smiled and laughed under his breath as he started cleaning up the kitchen. As he did so, his mind went back to the receptionist from the publisher's office. He hadn't followed up on her ever since he gave her his number, so he put the cloth down as soon as he put the last plate in the dishwasher, got his iPhone from his denim pocket, and called her.

            After arranging a date with the receptionist, Ed proceeded to clean the cat's bowl, and fill it with food, and then started on his third cup of coffee for the day. He could already tell that this was a good day, and figured that Ian thought the same.

            "Speaking of which," he mumbled as he got his phone out again, and tried calling Ian, but after two missed calls, left a voicemail and text message instead. Instant messaging was not his thing anymore, especially since he had moved in with Ian and JR.

            Edward whistled as he headed back upstairs to his room, where he got ready for his date.

Later that day, Ian returned to an almost completely empty house. According to numerous texts and voicemails, Ed had left in order to go on a movie date with that receptionist he had mentioned in passing, and JR simply went on his own mission, as per usual JR schedule. This all meant that he had his room, and the house, all to himself and the doctor.

            He walked over to the kitchen and continued to make two cups of coffee. He figured that it was the least he could do for leaving her alone to cope with JR and Ed. even though Ed assured him that JR didn't even see her. That was a blessing on its own, he thought.

            After the coffee had been made, Ian made his way upstairs and pushed his door open with his foot. He slowly entered, and found that the doctor had fallen asleep again, while reading one of his many books.

            Smiling, he walked over to where she lay on the bed, and sat down.

            "Hey," she said as she woke due to his sitting right next to her.

            "Here," Ian said as she took one of the cups off his hands.

            "I met Edward today," she said after taking a sip, "nice guy."

            "I would hope that he was."

After the coffee had been drank and their small talk about the book that she had stumbled upon, Ian had expected her to ask him to take her home, so he got up from the bed, but instead was stopped midway as she grabbed onto his arm.

            "Let's not go yet," she said, to which Ian gladly sat back down. "I have the afternoon off, and I can always call in sick tomorrow."

            Ian smiled as caressed her face, the continued to lean in, over her, closed his eyes, and made their lips touch.