Breakfast in Bed
Lazy Friday morning.
Everyone was sprawled together in Zemo’s oversized bed. The Cats woke early and grinned over at each other. Tails connected for a brief moment, then they began to slowly wiggle their way between the slumbering forms to the foot of the bed. They tried not to disturb anyone, gently moving arms and legs out of the way, making sure not to pull on anyone’s hair. They dropped lightly to the floor and then popped their heads back up to see if anyone was awake. Nope. All quiet. Eyes closed. Breathing steady. Heart rates relaxed.
They shared a smug look, then rose and tiptoed across to the doorway, collecting their dressing gowns, and wrapping them around themselves.
They looked back at their favourite people snuggled up together in the vast ocean of Zemo’s four poster. They laughed silently together, exposing their sharp white teeth. Muzzy reached for the door handle, and both Bucky and Sebastián chose that exact moment to open up an eye and subvocalise.
Bucky: ‘Where y’a goin’?’
Sebastián: ‘What’ya doin’?’
The Cats didn’t even turn around. They just waved over their shoulder as they exited the room silently, gently closing the door behind them. Walking down the corridor, they answered the questions.
Jamie: ‘We’re making breakfast in bed for everyone.’
Muzzy: ‘Don’t wake the others yet.’
Jamie: ‘Muzzy is letting me make scrambled eggs.’
Muzzy: ‘You are very good at it.’
Jamie: ‘And I am making the toast.’
Muzzy: ‘At which you also excel.’
Jamie: ‘Muzz is doing the bacon. I don’t like the way it spits.’
Muzzy: ‘And I’m making the tea.’
Jamie: ‘Yeah, I can never get the hang of tea.’
Muzzy: ‘Don’t fret, dear heart. It will come with practice. You are very good at making coffee.’
Muzzy skipped lightly down the stairs to the kitchens, while Jamie slid backwards down the curving bannister, trying his best not to squeal with happiness.
Sebastián looked over at Bucky, then down at the sleeping forms of Zemo and Daniil lying between them.
Zemo snuggled into Bucky’s armpit, Dani into Seb’s chest.
Bucky moved a strand of hair from Zemo’s forehead; Seb, a strand from Dani’s cheek.
Sebastián: ‘Their hair always has a life of its own, doesn’t it.’
Bucky: ‘Hmmmm, yeah. And it always smells so nice.’
Sebastián: ‘Did you notice this little set of freckles just here?’
Bucky: ‘Yeah, cute. Gotta love those freckles.’
Sebastián: ‘And that noise they make when they…’
Bucky: ‘Oh yeah, I love it when I get them to make that noise.’
Seb and Bucky shared a look.
Bucky: ‘I so wanna wake them up right now.’
Sebastián, cocking his head: ‘The Cats are gonna take ages.’
Zemo moved, eyes still closed, murmured sleepily “We can hear you when you are this close, you know.”
Daniil nodded sleepily against Seb’s torso, threw his arm over Seb’s ribs.
Bucky and Seb grinned, hugged Zemo and Dani, lay back and snoozed until breakfast.
*
Breakfast in bed turned into breakfast downstairs, when Muzzy decided he wanted to set the table with the new blue and white striped Cornishware breakfast crockery he had purchased online. He subvocalised to alert Bucky and Seb and asked them to wake up Zemo and Dani.
Dressed in their extravagant dressing gowns, hair still tousled from sleep, the four oversleepers strolled into the breakfast nook, languid and smiling, arms threaded through each other.
*
As they were helping themselves to bacon and eggs and thick buttered toast, Zemo’s dressing gown pocket rang.
“Apologies,” he said, sheepishly. “I should have turned it off.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. Looked at screen. Then looked at everyone else. “It is Oeznik. I shall put it on speaker.”
He placed the phone on the table. “Oeznik. You are on speaker. What have you?”
Oeznik. “Sir. Apologies for this unexpected call. A ZemoClone and a BarnesClone have been spotted by one of our operatives boarding a private jet in Spain. Their telemetry points them your way.”
Zemo. “Understood. Tell the guards not to intercept. We will handle them.”
Bucky. “More of them? We can’t become an 8, surely?”
Sebastían. “Are we creating a holiday home for clones?”
Daniil. “A clone farm?”
Jamie. “A new Zemo to play with?”
Muzzy. “A new James, for me?”
Zemo. “Patience, beloveds. Let us see what we shall see. Oeznik, do we have any further information on them?”
Oeznik: “I am expecting a detailed report by 13:00.”
Zemo: “Many thanks for your diligence. I hope you are having a good breakfast.”
Oeznik: “I shall do so directly.”
Oeznik ended the call and Zemo looked around the table.
“It won’t take them long to get here from Spain. I suggest we postpone looking at our planet hopper this afternoon until we get this situation sorted.”
Bucky nodded. The Cats little faces fell, ears down. Zemo clapped his hands together, mock excitedly for them.
“Quite fortuitous, Kittens, since tomorrow I have the barber and stylist booked, and next week I want to get you all fitted for your own personal space suits, in case you did want to do any space walks.”
Both Cats perked up, ears lifted, eyes wide.
“Space walk?” whispered Jamie.
“My own personalised space suit,” mused Muzz. “Can I choose the colour?”
“Of course, my darling.” He paused, looked at Bucky. “Although, I may postpone also the barber and stylist. We shall have to see what today brings us.”
Both Bucky and Sebastián nodded in understanding.
***