Early Birds [Ella]

[Chloe Singleton]

Chloe was and had always been a morning person. Up with the rising of the morning sun to feed her yellow crested Cockatoo, Carlton, and her Parisian Frilled Canary, Winston, then off to start a pot of coffee brewing. She was grateful that she hadn't got rid of her coffee maker when she moved, because Ella didn't have one. (Which had honestly shocked her.) But Chloe was mindful of her still-sleeping roommate, telling her feathered companions to be quiet so as not to wake Ella.

She was mostly settled into the new place, though she still had a few boxes that had remained unpacked. Ella had been so welcoming to her and Chloe found that her attempts to unpack usually ended up in a long winded conversation with the other woman. Not that she minded any, because Ella was engaging and ever so charming. She didn't even mind when Chloe asked if she could add a few homey touches to the apartment. The soft throw pillows on the couch, the artistic photographs she hung on the walls, the mason jar candles that her mother had loved so much, all of it was Chloe's personal touch.

The blonde girl didn't even think it might have been because Ella was distracted. (read: Chloe is very distracting to Ella.)

One thing that Chloe was determined to do today was set up Carlton's hanging perch. Fetching a chair from the kitchen, she waddled with it back into her bedroom, selecting the right corner to hang it in. A little wobbly, she climbed up onto the chair, still having to rise up on her tiptoes to reach the ceiling. Ah, the perks of being short. Once the hooks were up, after some precarious teetering on the chair, Chloe was relieved to hop down for a moment to fetch the perch itself.

She had to stretch to hang the perch and yelped when she lost her balance, toppling backwards off the chair. It wasn't very far a fall, and she landed with a soft thud on the floor, more startled than actually hurt. "Oopsie..." She muttered, rubbing at her backside, then suddenly stilled. What if her noise had woken Ella? Oh, she'd feel just absolutely terrible.

[Ella Tate]

Since Chloe Singleton moved, Ella had had way too many sleepless nights, tossing and turning because Chloe was indeed a huge distraction. And her menagerie of birds were not the most distracting thing about her either.

Ella and Jake's relationship took a rather interesting turn for the better when Chloe arrived as well. Ella wasn't a needy person, anyone can attest to that but when Chloe answered her roommate needed ad, Jake went from random hook up to number one on speed dial. Needless to say, Jake was very much needed the past couple of weeks.

They had to be very careful about their trysts which usually ended up in Ella's apartment instead of Jake's house, which had forced the pair to come up with a contingency plan that included a vibrating alarm to wake either one up so Jake could easily slip out before Chloe woke up. Which had been a little hard since the younger woman woke up at the break of dawn.

Soon enough, Jake and Ella had their plan down to a science and Ella would wake up feeling just a little fresh and deliciously numb that it didn't quite bother her too much that Chloe was staying with her. Why in the world did she agree to split rent money in half with the personification of a forbidden fruit?

It had been another night of Jake therapy and Ella was smiling in her sleep, snuggled deep under the covers until she heard a bump outside. Her power awakened as she did, canceling out any meta should they be invading her apartment. Her first thought was Chloe's safety and she quicky rushed out of her room to find Chloe on the floor. "Chloe, are you alright?" Ella asked, rushing to the woman's side, checking over her to see if any real damage had been done.

The perch and the chair didn't yet reach Ella's limited consciousness so she didn't know how Chloe ended up on the floor at all.

[Chloe Singleton]

It was just as she feared, her little tumble had woken Ella. The look of droopy-eyed concern on her roommate's face was enough to make a wave of guilt go rushing over Chloe. She knew that she woke up much earlier than most people would ever choose to and though she had tried to be respectful of the suppressor's sleep schedule, she had gone and ruined that.

"Ella! No, no, I'm fine! I just fell is all, but it wasn't very far." She pushed herself up off the floor and gently took the brunette's hands in her own. "I'm so sorry, I tried to be quiet. I didn't want to wake you." It was obvious by the protrusion of her bottom lip that she was upset, but not at Ella. Mostly she was upset that she wasn't able to perform a simple task without making a mess of things. "You don't have to worry about me, really!"

Chloe might have been adorable and sweet, but she was also rather oblivious and gullible. She had no idea what was going on with her roommate during the later hours when she was curled up soundly asleep in her room. Though once she had accidentally run into Jake on an early morning trip to the kitchen for a glass of water, she had at first thought it was just Ella she bumped into. It took her a moment to realize that Ella wasn't nearly that tall or that broad, and her shriek had caused her roommate to come running out of her room.

If she'd been more perceptive, she might have realized how Ella fearlessly shoved the man out the door, then stuttered when she tried to explain that he must have been trying to break in. But Chloe was hardly one to deny that, as startled as she'd been that a strange man had been in their apartment. After that night, she always made sure she triple-checked the locks on the door and on the windows. She certainly didn't want a repeat of that ever again. Oh if only she knew.

[Ella Tate]

Ella would have woken up anyway if she hadn't heard Chloe's fall but the added strain of needing to rush to her aid had woken the female recruiter up that much hastier. The younger woman should not have felt guilty over it.

"Chloe, don't be sorry. We all have our routines." Ella gave the blonde woman a gentle squeeze of the hand. "And don't ask me not to worry about you." She waved her hand dismissively and grinned at the other woman. "You sure you didn't hit anything on the way down?" Ella inspected Chloe, gently prodding the younger woman to see if anything hurt.

Yes, that's why.

"What were you trying to do anyway?" Ella asked, now that they've established that she was fine.

[Chloe Singleton]

A relieved smile spread across Chloe's face when Ella assured her that she wasn't upset that the blonde woman had woken her up. She released her friend's hands in favor of throwing her arms around Ella's shoulders and giving her a firm hug. "I'll try to be more careful next time! Promise!"

But the brunette's poking and prodding had Chloe wiggling and laughing, because she had always been a very ticklish person and Ella seemed to find all the right spots to make her wiggle. "Eeee!" Finally catching Ella's hands again, Chloe took a few deep breaths. "The only thing I hit was my bum! On the floor!" Oh yes, Chloe, that's the way to do it, draw poor Ella's attention to your backside. I'm so, so sorry.

Climbing onto the edge of her bed, Chloe pulled Ella over to join her, pointing up at the perch that was still swaying a little from the commotion. "I was putting up Carlton's perch and I couldn't reach the ceiling so I had to stand on a chair. I got it up there, but when I tried to step off I just fell right over! It probably looked funny." She wrinkled up her nose at the chair, as if it was its fault that she'd made a fool of herself, when really she hardly needed the chair's help to do that.

It didn't take long for her to perk up again and smile brightly at Ella. "I've got it! Since I woke you up, I'll make you breakfast! Anything you want, just name it!"

[Ella Tate]

Ella blinked in surprise when the affectionate girl threw her arms around Ella's shoulders in a hug. God, if the girl knew the effect she had on Ella. But the dark haired recruiter patted Chloe's back with a nervous chuckle. "Yeah...th-that's a good idea. Excellent."

Her hand and right eye twitched when Chloe mentioned that it was her bum that took the brunt of the fall. Restrain yourself, Ella...come on. She's just a kid. Ella thought to herself as she eased her hand out of Chloe's hold, slipping it into her pajama pants pocket before it strayed around once more.

Odd coloured eyes followed Chloe's finger pointing at the perch and nodded in understanding. "Oh. You should have called me. You know I would have come and helped you." Ella had a few inches over Chloe and aside from that, she wouldn't mind a few bruises here and there. Chloe looked way too fragile...she looked like she could just break at any strong push.

Chloe's smile was contagious and Ella quickly caught it, especially when breakfast was mentioned. For someone who's always had cereal, an actual breakfast sounded awesome. But she did feel a tad guilty. It seemed like Ella was kind of using Chloe in a way...

Pushing that thought aside, she decided maybe instead of just letting the younger girl cook for her, Ella should learn how to cook. "Well...um, teach me how make my own breakfast? I mean...would be better to know how to cook 'stead of relying on you all the time right?"

[Chloe Singleton]

Chloe tilted her head a little when Ella suggested that she ask for help. "You really wouldn't mind if I woke you up?" Honestly, I don't think she can do any wrong in Ella's eyes. "That's so sweet of you, thanks!" She leaned a little into the brunette's side. "And if you need anything, anything at all, you just let me know!" And that's little Miss Singleton to a T, always willing to go out of her way and help.

Pushing herself off the bed, she moved over to Carlton's cage and coaxed the cockatoo onto her arm. She kissed his beak, instructed him to say good morning to Ella, then carried him over to the newly hung perch. He happily climbed onto it and stretched his wings. "That's my good boy!"

Back to Ella, Chloe twirled and then took her friend's hands again. "I can do that! Come on!" Tugging the older woman into the kitchen, she giggled and moved to the refrigerator to look inside. "So what would you like? French toast, omelettes, pancakes, bacon and eggs, waffles?" She rambled through a list of her favorite breakfast foods, looking back over her shoulder at Ella. The blonde woman loved to cook and had a huge book full of recipes that she had always wanted to try. Now it's very likely that Ella will get dragged into that mess. I hope she's prepared.

[Ella Tate]

The headtilt made the corners of Ella's lips twitch into a grin. "It's nothing, really. Just...you'd actually be doing me a favour, waking me up so early." She huffed out a little laugh. Yeah, then she would be able to vent all her...frustrations into her daily morning runs.

She watched as the soft spoken younger woman brought the bird up to his new perch. Her smile widened at the sight of the bird expanding his wings in his form of greeting. "Sup, birdie." Ella held up a hand.

Ella's hand was then grabbed and pulled in the direction of the kitchen. She happily obliged, careful to concentrate more on Chloe's words and not the way the girl looked from behind. "Um...French toast sounds good. Is it hard to make?" Ella asked as she let Chloe's hand go so she could hop up on the counter top, crossing her legs by the ankles. "I think I should stay back and let you do your magic. I don't want to burn my own apartment down." She chuckled lightly.

[Chloe Singleton]

"Not hard at all!" Chloe answered as she whirled about the kitchen, grabbing a medium sized bowl from the cabinet, then pulling out the eggs and the milk from the fridge. She carried them over to the counter that Ella was sitting on so that she would have a good view. "All you have to do is beat a couple eggs and milk together." She cracked about three eggs into the bowl then discarded the shells, making a face when she realized there was egg on her fingers. "Icky. Egg guts."

She wiggled her fingers in Ella's face threateningly, "Waannnt some?", before laughing and wiping them off on the towel. She added the milk to the bowl next, then used a fork to beat them together. "I also like to put cinnamon in it, but you don't have to." She rummaged around through the cabinets for a moment before she found the cinnamon and sprinkled a little into the bowl. "Next is the fun part!"

Fetching a frying pan, she set it on the stove and buttered it lightly. "Oh, this is so it won't stick. But now, we just dip the bread in this stuff, then cook it!" She demonstrated, letting the slice of bread swim in the mixture for a moment before transferring it into the pan. "It's done when it's nice and brown on both sides, then just butter and syrup and deliciousness!" Chloe moved to lean against Ella's legs while the bread sizzled in the pan. "See? Easy! I promise you won't manage to set anything on fire!"

[Ella Tate]

As Chloe demonstrated how to make one of Ella's favourite breakfasts, the dark haired recruiter tried concentrating on it. The demonstration, and not how cute Chloe was being right then. She laughed as the younger woman tried to threaten her with her yolky finger. "Don't make me bite you." Ella threatened back, making chomping noises. It was ridiculous how Ella was acting around Chloe but the girl was just a ball of happy, infecting the usually snarky recruiter.

She looked on with curiosity as Chloe buttered the pan. The blonde's explanation received an understanding noise from the back of Ella's throat. Chloe's reassurance that she wouldn't burn the kitchen down was met with a grin and Ella leaned against Chloe just as the younger woman was doing on her. "I'll keep that in mind." She grinned, looking on as the smell of the eggs started to rise off the pan. "Smells so good."

Ella hadn't realised how close she was leaning against Chloe so she could see the pan but their faces were practically glommed by the cheeks. "Um...sorry." Ella grinned sheepishly before backing away from the blonde.

[Chloe Singleton]

Chloe squeaked and drew her hands back quickly when Ella started chomping, pretending to dart away in fear and ducking behind the wall. "Nooo! I'm not edible!" She peeked around the wall, only the top of her head to her eyes visible, and stared at Ella for a few second before bursting into giggles and coming back.

She'd always had a childish demeanor about her and would wrinkle her nose should anyone tell her she needed to grow up. Life was too short to act stuffy and boring all the time, so she was going to enjoy it to the fullest. If that meant acting silly, then so be it!

Returning to the stove, Chloe delicately flipped the toast over with a spatula, merely smiling as Ella moved closer to the smell. "I knooow! Is your tummy rumbling yet?" She poked at Ella's midsection, scooting just that little bit into the brunette. Chloe certainly didn't mind the close proximity to the other woman, but she was a very affectionate person, and let's face it, Ella is rather nice to be close to. "It's no problem." Reaching out, she gave just a light tug on a lock of Ella's hair. "Be a doll and grab me a plate? This one's almost done!"

[Ella Tate]

Ella laughed at Chloe's antics, not at all thinking they were childish. It just suited the soft-spoken younger woman. The dark haired recruiter would have been sorely disappointed if Chloe ever changed.

When she returned from behind the wall, Ella grinned and let her continue cooking. Her request was easily granted as Ella stretched her hand back to reach the cupboard right above her for a plate only to find just one. Crap...she needed to do some serious shopping. She was living with someone else now. Someone who had more needs than she did.

Ella was used to living alone; take-out, disposable cutleries, drinking out of the carton...she hardly thought Chloe was that type. So yes, she was going to have to start buying things. Maybe Chloe would be interested in that.

"Oh God yes. I need some food in me ASAP." She teased, chuckling to emphasise her teasing. She handed the plate to Chloe and leaned back against the cupboard above her. "How'd you learn to cook?" Ella asked, keeping up the small talk.

[Chloe Singleton]

As soon as she was sure the first piece of toast was done, she gracefully flipped it onto the plate that Ella had retrieved. "Well there you go! I don't want my roomie to starve on my watch!" Keeping herself busy, she coated another slice of bread in the egg, and dropped it into the frying pan. "It'll tide you over, at least. How many pieces do you want?"

"Oh, well, mostly my dad taught me." She started, a smile spread across her face. Chloe was still very close with both her parents and made sure to call them multiple times a week. Not only were they interested in her new job, but where she was staying, and any "special people" in her life. Eventually, once she'd settled more into the new place, she'd be asking Ella if it was okay to invite them over for a visit. "When I was little, we'd get up early and make breakfast, then all eat it in bed with my mom."

There was a fond look in her eyes as she thought back on her childhood. "Then, when I got a little older, Dad would pick me up from school so we could have lunch together. Eventually cooking together was just what we did to have fun. We'd make huge dinners for mom when she got home from work!" She flipped the second piece of toast, then spun the spatula around her fingers. "It's kind of silly, I guess. But my dad didn't like hunting or racing or stuff like that, so we cooked together. And sometimes played tennis together, but neither of us were very good." She giggled behind her hand, then looked up to Ella.

[Ella Tate]

Ella looked at the plate of steaming hot bread and poked it lightly with one finger before sliding it into her mouth. "Nah, let it cool down first." She grinned. "Um...as many as you want as well. I mean...I can finish a boatload," Ella said, not at all bashful of admitting to her gluttony. It wasn't like it was a secret or anything.

The mention of Chloe's father made Ella's smile falter slightly. It had been quite some time since she lost her own father and to be honest, Ella thought she would have gotten over it by now. But there it was, the ache in her heart, still there, still aching. It was weird really. Despite that though, she remained smiling just for the sweet blonde woman who was currently cooking for her, something she was still trying to get used to.

"They sound awesome." Ella grinned when Chloe looked up at her. She held her gaze and the grin grew warmer. "I could teach you some time. Tennis I mean. I'm not a pro but I play a lot."

[Chloe Singleton]

"Lucky for you the pan is hot now, so it won't take as long to cook the rest!" Chloe just giggled, reaching out to poke lightly at Ella's stomach. "If you eat so much, where do you put it all, hmm?" She squinted her eyes, trying her best to give Ella an appraising look, but the smile that she couldn't get rid of ruined the effect completely. Instead, Chloe decided to just tickle Ella. That was much easier.

She only stopped when she realized there was still toast sizzling and she squeaked, hurrying to flip it before it burnt. "They are! You should definitely meet them!" Chloe was hardly what anyone would call observant, meaning that she didn't catch the faltering smile, the change of the look in Ella's eyes, anything. Maybe it just was because she was now piling the other piece of toast on the plate, yeah, let's go with that.

Chloe perked at Ella's offer. "Really? Could we! Oh that would be so much fun!" The blonde girl was practically wiggling as she set another piece of bread to cook. "I found my racket just yesterday!"