Ignite

The Way It Was Always Meant to Be

Quiet whistling filled the peaceful silence within a brightly lit bedroom. Blackout curtains had long been drawn, giving way to vibrant beams from a sweltering sun. Heatwaves could be seen undulating in transparent currents on trees a short distance away. Through a small crack in a long window, excited chirps could be heard alongside hidden cicadas.

It was Friday, so clothing options for work would be more laid back and weather friendly than normal. There was a clear emphasis on comfort seeing as it would also be a short work day—a scheduling change that came about simply because it was beautiful outside.

Early summer brought about the type of weather most suitable for people to hang out, grab a smoothie, or go to the beach. So instead of having his employees sitting in the office building excitedly waiting for closing time, Alessandro opted to have everyone leave at two. The decision to do so also came about because of his own want to be lazy in the afternoon.

He stood in front of the floor length mirror, fingers fastening the last few buttons on his white and beige patterned short sleeve. The garment was tucked into a pair of navy above-ankle slacks. A new pair of gray jogging shoes pulled the look together.

A wrinkle free shirt was further smoothed out before large hands wove into soft curls. They were getting longer and fell over one of his cheekbones. A brunet fringe was gently pushed to the side to free an obstructed field of vision.

Green eyes glanced over at an orange bottle of pills waiting on the dresser. A single, smaller tablet was taken over to the bathroom where a disposable cup was already prepped with cold water. Both went down smoothly without a bitter taste lingering in their wake.

The sound of quiet laughter and feet jogging against hardwood caught Alessandro's attention. Numerous meows joined in. He smiled to himself, exiting the bathroom and flicking the lights off. 

Sparkling water reflected off of the glass wall near the pool. Luminescent shapes danced along the house's interior. They brought about a tantalizing want to take a dip later in the day.

If the temperature went down enough, maybe a sunset and ice cream date could be planned. It'd been a little while since the last one transpired.

Alessandro pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he entered the living room/kitchen area. Leaning against the fridge, he took in the sight of Leila and Lance playing together.

The feline clearly hadn't gotten all of her morning zoomies out of her system, seeing as she was chasing a set of dangling chains which fell from Lance's pocket. He was attempting to keep her at bay since his lower legs were uncovered; a feature brought on thanks to a pair of below-the-knee shorts. Leila didn't seem to care about possibly injuring her owner though, because she continued to run behind him with dilated pupils.

"You need some help over there?"

"Please, and thank you."

Alessandro laughed in response.

A quick kissing noise got the kitten's attention. Upon seeing her other owner, she completely forgot her task at hand and ran straight for him. A tiny forehead nudged his shins in a nonverbal gesture of asking for pets. Delicate fingers raked against her small, furry body. Generous purrs and tail curls were given in return.

"You spoil her, y'know."

"Not my fault she wants my love."

"Yeah? And what about me? I've yet to get my morning kiss."

"That so? Well, hop on the love train before we depart, honey."

Lance smiled, slight redness pooling in his cheeks. He walked over with both hands swinging at his sides.