From a ‘100 Themes’ prompt list.

Juliana woke to the soft encouragement of the sun through a gap in the curtains. She settled back into the cocoon of bedclothes and relaxed into a doze. There was time. There were no deadlines. There was Mark.

She jerked awake. Mark. Was he alright? Would it be too weird to sneak into his room and check? She’d been waking him at regular intervals all afternoon and evening, so it would be fine wouldn’t it?

She scrambled out of bed and pulled her hair into a semblance of a bun, threw on her robe and slid her feet into, oh crap, the bunny slippers. How embarrassing. The floor was too cold to be without them though, she’d just have to hope he didn’t look down.

She crossed the landing and knocked at his bedroom door. No response. She knocked again, a bit more loudly. Still nothing.

She cracked open the door and peeked in. The bed was empty. Oh Lord, where was he. She spun and nearly bounced off him. She put a hand over her racing heart. “Oh thank goodness.”

He cocked his head at her, and she took in his appearance, tracksuit pants, towel over one shoulder, wet hair, freshly shaved. Funny, she hadn’t heard the water running at all.

He was still looking at her. “Is everything alright?”

“Fine, I was just being paranoid about your concussion and then couldn’t find you.”

“I’m feeling much better, thank you doctor.” He looked it too, his eyes were clear and bright, the dark circles staining the skin below gone.

She put a hand up to her hair, then tried to turn it into a rub of the back of her neck. “Oh good. Um, is your head okay? I mean, it didn’t start bleeding again in the shower or anything?”

“I was careful. It’s still tender but I’m feeling ready to get up and going again.”

She gave him a level stare. “Is this where I remind you that both the doctor and Moira have given strict instructions to take it easy for at least the next day?”

He grinned, she stayed focused. “I’m fine, honestly.”

“No, you’re back to just this side of not exhausted. You’re under orders to give your body time to recover properly and I intend to make sure that’s what happens.”

“By stealing my clothes?”

“All I need to confiscate is your shoes and your car keys.”

That wiped the smile off his face. “You wouldn’t.”

“I already have.”