Fate Misunderstood

The faint sounds of traffic outside were drowned out by a loud commotion coming from the kitchen as Juliette rolled onto her back, her blue eyes squinting against the sun streaming in from the bay window. She gently tossed the duvet off her body and slid off the bed, but an arm quickly reached out to grab her by the waist, pulling her back into the middle of the bed.

He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, the stubble on his face scratching against her skin. "What is she doing?" he mumbled sleepily as another crash sounded from the kitchen.

"Sounds like she's trying to cook again."

"Better get out there before she burns down the whole building," he whispered, but he didn't move.

She wrapped her fingers around his hand where it rested against her hip and rolled onto her other side to face him. "I have to be at the hospital in an hour, you know."

"I know."

"What time are you going in?"

"Not til 3. I have to work a double shift though."

"Come on, let me up," she sighed. "I have to shower."

He groaned, planting a kiss on the pinkish scar on her shoulder before finally releasing her from his hold and sliding up into a sitting position. Juliette slid out of the bed once again and pulled on an oversized tee shirt before opening her bedroom door and walking down the hall. She heard a string of curses coming from the kitchen and she sighed heavily as she walked into the living room, seeing a huge cloud of smoke coming from the stove. "What are you doing, Chris?"

The short blonde standing in the middle of the smoky kitchen huffed and threw up her hands. "I fucking give up. I can't cook to save my life!"

Juliette chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter. "I could've told you that."

"How is it so damn easy for you? You make it look like nothing!" Christina pouted.

"I've always cooked for myself for the most part. Just a lot of practice," she shrugged.

"Well, fuck that. Let's go out for breakfast instead."

"I can't. I have to go in at 8. When's your shift?"

She groaned. "3 til 11. Looks like you're on your own for dinner."

Juliette glanced at the large clock on the wall and cursed under her breath. "Alright, I have to get a shower," she said abruptly before rushing out of the kitchen and down the hall to the bathroom.

She was just finishing rinsing the suds from her skin when she heard the glass door of the shower open, a pair of arms sliding around her body a few seconds later. She turned around to face him, snaking her arms around his neck. "I don't have time this morning, Ryan," she sighed. "I promise I'll make it up to you." She gave him a peck on the cheek before letting go of him to turn off the water and open the glass door to step out. She wrapped a green towel around her body then went down the hall to her bedroom.

Ryan sat back on the bed in his towel watching her as she dried her body and pulled on her baby blue scrubs before quickly braiding her wavy hair into a ponytail and sitting down in her desk chair to lace up her shoes. She gave him a quick kiss before grabbing her black backpack and rushing out of the apartment, yelling a goodbye to her roommate as she passed through the living room.

The hospital was only six blocks from the apartment building so she set off on her usual walking route, stopping by her favorite coffee shop to get her usual caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso and extra caramel. The city was already bustling at 7:45 in the morning and the sidewalks were crowded with people who were on their way to work.

As soon as she got her bag put away in the break room lockers and got to the nurses' station, a call came in from the EMTs that there was a victim with gunshot wounds in transport to the emergency room, which wasn't uncommon despite the time of day it was. She sighed as she set down her coffee at the desks and went with the other nurses to get ready for the incoming patient.

Some days Seattle wasn't so different from Charming.