Sunday morning
Title: Sunday morning
Pairing: Novak Djokovic/Ernests Gulbis
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 1,814
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and this is a fiction.
Summary: Ernests and Novak learn how to spend their Sunday mornings together.
Author’s note: I don’t know why I’m not trying a Novak POV story, but this is another Ernest’s POV one :) Just a quick, short story though.
“Ha…”
I let out a content sound as I realize that it’s a Sunday morning, which means that I don’t have to text my coach and let him know that I’m up and will get ready for practice.
“You’re up?”
I turn my face a little to smile good morning at my caring boyfriend, who -judging by his clear voice- must have been up for a while already but who had decided to keep himself in position so that I wouldn’t wake up, feeling empty without his arms around me.
“Yes. You slept well?”
I ask, wondering if holding me in his arms gives him the same amount of peaceful sleep as I get. I used to have pretty dreadful nightmares but since I moved in with Novak, I can’t be any happier with my nights.
“Yes. What about you? You were smiling at some point.”
He places a kiss on one of my bare shoulders and I giggle at the happiness inside me.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
I nod and turn my body to face him properly. He looks quite fresh which makes me hope that I don’t look too bad myself. I wouldn’t want him to frown at my temporary un-prettiness or hold his breath at my morning breath. But when I’m about to get out of his arms to make myself more loveable, he pulls me close and gives me a full kiss.
“Relax, Ernie. You don’t smell bad if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Oh, you knew, haha.” I try to laugh it off but I’m sure he can see the embarrassment on my face.
“You know, sometimes I feel like I’m living with a girl.”
Slap.
He should’ve seen that coming. I know I can look better than most of the girls but still, I’m perfectly male, thank you very much.
“Hey, I didn’t say it was a bad thing.”
“Novak.”
“Okay, okay, no more talks about the other sex. Now come back here.”
He drags me back closer and I pretend to be reluctant.
“See? This kind of behavi…”
Slap.
“Alright, alright! No more domestic abuse!”
Novak rubs his right arm and leans forward, and this time, I drop the act. Instead, I grab his face with both hands and initiate the kiss, very manly.
“Whoa…”
I grin proudly as he looks mesmerized by my very manly kiss.
“Don’t kiss anyone else, Ernie.”
“Oh, thanks for reminding me. I’ll have to cancel the three guys that were on my list for today.”
I start giggling and he joins me shortly after. I notice with horror that I do sound a little bit like a girl, but it’s not like I’m going to back up his theory. I’m quite confident that he loves me anyway; otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me to move in when we’ve only been seeing each other for a year.
“Want to join me in the shower? I promise it will be a… normal shower.”
I laugh much louder this time, clearly aware of what our normal showers are like.
“Fine. I’ll say that it will be an unusual shower, then. What do you say?”
I smile and nod, trying not to drool at the body that’s getting up from the bed. I so knew it was the right thing to date an athlete. He’s sexy in all the right places.
“You know I look better under water.”
He read my mind once again but well, at this point, it’s not even surprising. While I could still be pretty clueless at guessing what’s on his mind at times, he seems to have a manual on me somewhere.
“How do you know me so well?”
I decide to just ask. I am aware that I have a life-threatening habit of thinking too much. I also know that Novak tends to give me clear-cut answers whenever I ask him something.
“Because I love you.”
See? Clear-cut once again. Wait.
“But I love you too!”
I almost yell, hoping that he doesn’t think I love him any less than he loves me. I do really love him with everything I have. I’m just… not that good at expressing it out of bed.
“I know that. And, I’m very happy that you do.”
“Me too.”
I smile with all the love I can reflect, and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing him do just the same for me.
“So are you going to keep looking pretty there or are you actually going to join me?”
“Oh…”
I frown a little at the fact that I eventually have to get up from the warm bed, but I know that there’s something equally soothing that’s waiting for me.
“Go run the water. I’ll be right behind you.” I tell him while I grab his pillow and inhale his scent.
“Try not to fall asleep like the other day. I waited for you until my fingers were all withered.”
“Hahaha… Ok, I’ll try not to do that this time. Now go.”
I force him out of our nest to enjoy the view of his backsides and see him take a step into a brand new day.
When I started dating him, I didn’t think that I found the perfect one for me, to be honest. He looked cool and quite funny but that was pretty much it. I think that I even said yes to his dinner invitation just because I was getting a little bit tired of eating with my coach all the time.
Maybe that zero amount of expectation and pressure helped. I remember that I didn’t over-think about anything related to him at that time. I just texted him back when he left me a text message, and went out with him whenever he fixed a date and place.
Then, one day, when he didn’t call or text me all day, I realized how worried and restless I was. So, after a torturous night, wondering if something had happened to him or worse- if he was growing tired of my not very enthusiastic response, I dialed his number for the first time in three months.
Oh, Nole…
His voice was different. At first, I thought that he was giving me the cold shoulder but a few seconds later, my heart dropped at the harsh realization that he was ill. He said that it was only a severe flu but his feverish voice was enough to make me take the next flight to Monte Carlo.
And, when the first thing he said was ‘Sorry, I couldn’t go pick you up’, I couldn’t help but jump into his arms and kiss him everywhere. Of course, I wasn’t thinking clearly when I raised his body temperature even more with my heated kisses, and poor Novak had to get rubbed with alcohol by my unskilled hands, but he still tells me that it was his best night ever. He probably says that to make me feel less guilty and it’s those kinds of things that make me feel happy that I’m living another day with him.
“Ernests Gulbis! Get those huge bones here right now!”
Oops! I totally lost track of time!
“I’m coming! Sorry!”
I finally jump out of bed and run to the bathroom. I soon find myself inside a cloud of steam and when my eyes get used to the hazy air, I see him with his hands on his waist, a firmly closed mouth and hair raised to the maximum.
“Aww, darling, don’t give me that face. I was just busy thinking about you.”
I run a hand on his wet chest, hoping that this gesture would make his hair calm down.
“Will you feel like forgiving me if I lead you to a more… normal shower?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ha! Now who’s behaving like a girl?
But I know that it’s not the right time to point it out, so I just use my hand to help him remember how our normal showers used to be.
“Ah… Ernie…”
Now this proves that I know him well too. See? I really do love him.
I keep drawing lazy circles near his left hipbone and slowly get into the shower. By the time I’m in his personal space, I feel his hand from the waist slide down to where my hand is. I give him my most heart-tickling smile and gently put his hands around my waist because I know how much he loves to have me in his arms. Well, he loves hugging fellow players as well, but I don’t want to think about that now.
“Nole, I wasn’t lying when I said I was thinking about you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Which handsome part of me were you thinking about?”
Since I know that he’s not mad anymore, I try to come up with a witty answer.
“About your fingers... which are so perfect even when they’re all withered!” I add quickly and we both look down at his fingers.
“Oops…”
I put on a slightly guilty face but he just laughs.
“It’s fine for now but we’re running out of time. They won’t feel too soft against your skin if you don’t start kissing me right now.”
“You think so?” I ask even if I can’t agree more.
“Totally.”
His serious face makes me want to giggle again but I rather grab his face and give him that manly kiss once more.
He breathes his love for me while I move us a little to rest my back against the tiles. My knees have never been great when it comes to standing straight during a mini love-making and the tiles always help me to cool down a bit.
“Ernie… this is how our Sunday mornings should be…”
His hot breath mingles with the warm air and it’s only now that I feel completely awake.
“Um… But your fingers…”
I take one of his hands that were caressing my sides and check if his fingers have got worse.
“Yeah, maybe that’s the one part we need to change.”
“Oh well, from next week, I’ll try to think about you in the shower.”
I smile and I can tell that he’s crazy about it.
“That sounds like a plan.”
He leans forward once again and my smile only gets bigger.
Just like he said, this is exactly what our future Sundays should look like; me and him starting the blessed day together, wrapped up in this tender steam of love.