The morning sun shone lazily through the window blinds, splitting into dozens of rays that illuminated the room in a soft yellow light, washing away the stillness of the previous grey hue. Somewhere in the streets far below, a car alarm was going off, the shrill beeping echoing off the buildings, adding to the rich symphony of sound that always went on below. It was something James could never get used to, he still missed the stillness of the outback, the city always kept him up and had him rising hours earlier then intended. 

With a massive grunt of a sigh, James woke up to the brand new day, groaning with pleasure at the brief moment of ecstasy that flooded his body as he stretched for the first time after sleep, his eyes peered out gently through tired looking eyelids to take in his bedroom like he did most every morning. Shuffling his body into a new comfy position so he could just sit there for a few moments more and enjoy the simple pleasure of it.

James rose at his leisure, leaving behind the naked bed he slept on, his air condition system being the only insulator he needed during sleeping hours; and sauntered toward his en suite, immediately hopping into the shower, having slept in the nude. The hot water was a great boon, immediately leeching away the aches and pains that had just begun to catch up with him from his fight with the Rat king, he hung his head beneath the flow and watched the water swirl down the drain, taking a few moments to reflect on the night.

He couldn't recall much after he had begun pulling on the beasts tails, as he had passed out shortly after from the pain of the nightmarish screaming, all he knew for certain was that he had succeeded moments later. Upon regaining his senses he found himself staring up at the lady from before, her hand held to the sky like she was seeking help from a higher power, moments later he felt that same heat open up like a flower in his chest, enveloping his body in its warmth. He tried to voice his thanks, but found it impossible to speak, instead he tried to show his gratitude through his eyes. [i]God, I must of looked like an idiot staring up at her like that, not saying a damn thing.[/i] Thankfully he relapsed into unconsciousness as the healing did its work. The next thing he recalled he was being wheeled toward an ambulance by a pair of EMTs, the flashing cameras of the media forcing him to squint with pain as he passed by, his whole body feeling like lead as he did his best to give a thumbs up from the stretcher, even managing a weak smile for the faceless crowd behind the lights. y Someone had clothed him somewhere along the line, doing little to help him physically, but giving him a huge peace of mind as he was loaded into the back. James allowed them to take him to the hospital and run their diagnostics, although he was sore and worn out, he knew that the blonde lady had fixed him already [i] She's like a guardian angel that one[/i].  Within a couple of hours he was given the all clear, and the doctors and nurses could move on to more important patients. A quick taxi home and an aggravatingly long elevator trip up was all that followed, with James swiftly shedding off his borrowed clothes to collapse in his bed, sleeping the remainder of the night away.

Wisps of steam hung heavy in the air as James stepped free from the shower, grabbing a towel off the rack to wipe clean the fogged up mirror, before drying himself off. The man that looked back at him looked worn and battle weary. "[b]You[/b] need a coffee and a well deserved day off my friend." He said, leaning onto the mirror with his arm, before resting his head atop it, pointing at his reflection with a free hand. He sat there for a moment more, sternly gazing into his own eyes. [i] Like two cool pools of water reflecting the color of the sky above.[/i] James chuckled and shook his head at his moment of Narcissism. [i]There'll be plenty of time to gaze at your self in the silverware when you grab something to eat ya knob. [/i]

Throwing on some shorts and a shirt, James wandered on out of his bedroom, the sound of something sizzling in the pan carried from the kitchen to meet him. "Mum? Wh-what the hell are you doing here?" James inquired with a look of surprise.

His mother fixed him with a stare that had him feeling like a small child again, one hand held a pair of tongs whilst the other sat firmly on her hip, James knew he had messed up. "Not one phone call." She stated as matter of fact, her voice holding that slight tone of disappointment that could make a son well up with guilt. "So here I come over to make sure you're alright. I cook up your favorite meal and the first thing you say is 'What the heck are you doing here?'."

"Ma, I... uh..." He started, trying his best to explain himself, he struggled internally for a few moments before shambling toward her in a defeated manner, reaching down to embrace her in a hug, resting his head atop hers. "Thanks mum." He sighed, shaking slightly with relief from the hug. He hadn't realized how much he had needed one.

"Your welcome my boy." She replied as they pulled apart, raising a hand to hold his cheek, James stared down at the short thing that was his mother. She was a slender, attractive woman, for her age, with wavy, light brown hair that she wore loosely down to her shoulders, James had inherited the dark blue eyes that shone up at him brightly like sapphires in the light, full of love and care. As his mother, she was someone he owed a lot to, and although he languished at the thought of her company at times, he was always grateful for it in the end.

"Now come on freckle, come have something to eat." She beckoned, serving up a plate of her renowned carbonara, before stacking the dishes up at the sink. James gave a small chuckle that was more of a huff at the mention of his mothers pet name for him, something he had earned for the various freckles and spots he would get on his arms, neck and back as a kid. He smiled briefly with the reminiscence before sitting wordlessly at the table, carbonara was an odd breakfast choice by most standards, but James wasn't complaining. Looking up however, James gave a frown. "You not having some?" He asked as he watched his mother head toward the door.

"'Fraid not dear, I've got to go shopping for tonight." His mother replied apologetically, giving a quick look through her handbag before she made for the door. "Oh, you will be joining us yes?" She asked over her shoulder as an afterthought.

"By us, you mean you and Jonathon yeah?" James replied, squinting his eyes together to showcase his unease at the thought of the scenario.
His mother tilted her head to the side and gave him a teasing look. "You could just call him dad." She suggested with wry grin before heading through the door.

"Not fucking likely." James muttered to himself, winding some of the carbonara quickly around the fork to grab a mouthful. "What?" Was the muffled challenge from behind the door, James hastily swallowed his first bite. "Nothing mum! Love yaaa!" He shouted in reply. His mother rolled her eyes and gave a chuckle as she walked away from the apartment to do her business, leaving her baby boy to enjoy his meal.