WHO: Erica Bones and Chloe Carmichael WHEN: Friday, 15 October, breakfast. WHERE: Their flat. WHAT: Chloe has no willpower and asks about kittens.
Pancakes. Chloe had woken up an hour or so before her alarm had even thought about going off, wide awake and mildly annoyed at the fact - this happened, every so often, and she supposed it was because she’d actually gone to sleep Thursday night at a reasonable hour - and eventually decided to get up. Getting up had made her realize she was hungry, and while she usually just grabbed toast or something that could travel out the door with her, she had a lot of time before she had to consider running off to the Prophet offices, so Chloe made the executive decision to have something that took time.
And since Chloe was nowhere near cruel enough to make pancakes and then keep them all to herself, she made enough for two, and was just about done when Erica got up.
Erica was not what you would call a morning person on a good day. However, considering she’d been called into the pub the night before to help out with a bachelorette party (which seemed stupid to have on a Thursday, but she guessed there was no accounting for other people’s taste and/or schedules, at least it wasn’t rowdy bachelors and she’d walked away with tips, so she couldn’t really complain), the morning mood was doubled.
Pulling on a robe, Erica headed drowsily into the kitchen with her mind on coffee and only coffee, it took her a minute to notice Chloe being domestic.
“Want a cup?” she asked as she fitted a filter into their coffee-maker and picking the strongest brew they had to scoop in. She’d ask about the pancakes once she had caffeine.
“Please,” Chloe said, flipping a pancake over. “I decided to make use of the groceries we bought, rather than getting a muffin at the shop down the street. That’s my new goal: no buying out. Unless I’m too tired to make anything.” Which, of course, was why she usually got takeaway in the first place, but: details, details.
Besides, she was wired on...well, getting enough sleep, for once. “Pancakes?”
Buying out was easy, so Erica certainly couldn’t blame Chloe for going that route - she had often enough, even if it was probably a waste of money.
“Yes please,” she replied as the coffee finished brewing and she poured two cups. Taking a swig of the black coffee to get the blood running in her veins, Erica then proceeded to add cream and sugar, then brought both cups to the table, figuring Chloe would want to sweeten her own to taste (or not).
The pancakes were promptly flipped onto one large plate. Chloe pulled out two smaller ones from the cabinet, and took those over to set them on the table, rushing back and forth for a moment or two to get all the pancake fixings and utensils. It would have been easier to just set the table by magic, yes, but sometimes it was nice to do things by hand. “So, how was work last night?”
“Bachelorette party. Got a bit loud and crazy. But it pays so I can’t complain.” She shrugged. Bartending wasn’t exactly the best second job out there, but at least it was usually entertaining and Erica had a good group pf coworkers. And tips were all hers, which was the best part of it.
Spearing a pancake and pouring some syrup on it, Erica looked at her roommate, “So what did you do with your Thursday night?”
“Revised a few articles the Boss asked me to look at,” Chloe said, putting a rather large pat of butter on one of her own pancakes. “And then I went out with a few of the others for dinner, which was more like drinks, although I did manage to fill up on crackers. Almost, at least.”
Syrup followed the butter, though in lesser quantities, and Chloe took a sip of her coffee - black. “And Gavin and I talked about potential kittens.”
“You guys are getting a pet now?” Erica hadn’t realised Chloe and Gavin were so serious! Maybe she shouldn’t have been but that was like...a big responsibility for a couple to take. Almost like having a kid lite. Though they weren’t even living together...
“I thought Gavin was moving in with Ace,” she mused, “If you guys aren’t living together yet, where would the kitten live?”
“Well, it would be my kitten. I mean that we were talking about missing having pets around - I mean, five girls or boys, you have at least one between you - and his parents won’t let him have the family cat, and I just realized I wouldn’t mind having a kitten.” Although Chloe realized she had just assumed Gavin would want to see the kitten a lot, as well. She shrugged this off for the moment. “He says baby dragons don’t count.”
“They probably don’t,” Erica said with a smile, “They’d be a bit dangerous to pet I’d wager. Not like a kitten. They’re cute,” she added thoughtfully, “And they probably require less work than puppies do.” They couldn’t do a puppy, not with their work schedule, but Chloe wasn’t suggesting a puppy, she was suggesting a kitten.
“And they purr,” Chloe pointed out, cheerfully cutting up her breakfast. “Gavin doesn’t think he has the resources to get a kitten just now, but I’ve got a salary that can support one kitten and myself, so I was wondering if you might be open to having a new addition to the place.”
“I wouldn’t mind at all - especially if you’re paying!” Pancakes all but forgotten, Erica thought about having a kitten in the flat. She didn’t have any allergies that she knew of, and kittens were cute and they didn’t really take up that much space. “I think it would be nice.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you’re the best flatmate ever.” Chloe had very nearly forgotten about her own breakfast, cut up and not very much of it yet eaten, although she did pause to sip at her coffee again. “I’m going out with Gavin tomorrow, so I thought I’d go to the pet store after that, or with him if he wants to come.”
“Okay then,” Erica said, not wanting to intrude on their date even if she didn’t work Saturday nights, “I’ll trust your judgement in getting the cutest one then. Right now, I’d probably better start getting ready for work.”
“Me too,” Chloe said, sighing. “See you tonight?”
“Maybe!” Erica laughed, “If you’re still up.” Working in a pub had that danger, “But I’ll see you later at any rate.” And with that, she brought her empty dishes to the sink, ready to start her Friday.