Set in the same universe as "Never Let Her Go" and "Visitors". Pre-movie.

The Last Morning Before the World Ended

Abigail Callaghan was never one to laze around in bed, even to shake off grogginess after being rudely awoken by a blaring alarm. Almost robotically, she reached a hand out to grab her phone and silence it, then popped up and swung her feet over the side of the bed where her slippers were perfectly lined up to where her feet landed.

The other person lying in the bed was the complete opposite. Alistair Krei hated mornings, or rather the waking up part. Once he got coffee in his system though, he was as perky as a spaniel pup. He groaned awake at hearing the phone alarm, stretching all of approximately six-foot-two of himself under the sheets. The warm spot that had been Abigail's slowly grew cold the longer he laid there, and that was when he finally shifted to a sitting position, yawned, and slowly ambled to the bathroom.

Abigail was already in the downstairs portion of Krei's expansive, custom-designed penthouse, coffee on the brew, while she used the small half-bath to switch into her running clothes. She always loved the view of San Fransokyo in the morning, the fog rising off the bay and clouding the city in a beautiful, mysterious mist.

She pulled her dark brown hair up into a ponytail as she reentered the main part of the floor, the entire thing being an open concept along with the kitchen and dining area. She grinned up at the yawning Krei as he descended the spiral stairway that led up to the second floor, consisting of his bedroom, private bath, and an office. Abigail was the only person who ever saw him like this: disheveled blonde hair, the slumped-over-not-yet-awake posture, hastily tied on bathrobe, morning stubble.

She considered herself a lucky girl.

"Thought you'd have more pep in your step given what today is," she chirped at him as she got out his favorite mug to pour coffee in.

"More nervous than anything," he yawned as he took the smoking beverage from her, blowing on it lightly before taking a sip. Just one swallow was enough to energize him, his eyes visibly widening as they woke up. "Thanks."

"Surprised you don't have one of those fancy machines that turns itself on, Fancy Pants." She got on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek while he was in mid-sip.

"Why, when I have a lovely lady to do it for me?" he grinned playfully at her before she lightly punched his arm, making him go 'ouch' under his breath. Besides running, Abigail also liked to spend time in the gym lifting weights.

"I'm not here every morning, that's why."

"You could be," he pressed before sipping again, keeping his eyes trained on her face.

Abigail gave him one of those cocked-brow-and-smirk looks of hers. "And I would if you weren't such a scaredy cat about Daddy finding out about us." In other words, no more sneaking around.

"Touché," Krei winced as he put his mug down carefully on a coaster. "The man's a force to be reckoned with, Abs."

"So you are scared of him?"

"Well, yeah, I mean daddies are always a little scary when it comes to their daughters, right? And yours will flip about you dating a guy that's not even your age." He wasn't what he would consider 'old' (only forty-one), but that was still a significant difference from her twenty-six.

"Al...," she pouted at him in disappointment. "Come on, we've been together two years now. I'm sick of keeping this from my dad, he means the world to me. And so do you."

Krei smiled tiredly, knowing she was right. Eventually, Robert would have to find out, and putting it off only made the impending scenario more nerve-wracking.

"Okay."

Abigail wasn't sure if she'd heard right at first. "Wait, you mean...we can tell him?" She slowly beamed a large smile at him.

"Sure, why not, we can tell him after we finish the presenting the portal this afternoon," he winked before she thrust herself into a hug. "You mean the world to me too, Abs. I love you."

"I love you too, Al-LLISTAIR!"

Without warning, Krei had stooped down enough to grab her behind her knees, easily picking her up on the floor and swiveling her to sit on top of his tall countertop. Abigail was normally a well put-together lady, but even she could be reduced to girlish giggles at being literally sweeped off her feet. Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him into a kiss, the task much simpler now that their height difference was shortened thanks to the countertop's boost.

If Abigail had to pick a favorite kiss, it was these scruffy, hint-of-coffee-taste morning ones. It sounded weird, but it was the only time she could really call him 'hers', before the world of capitalism claimed him for the rest of the day.

"I haven't even gone on my run yet," she lightly complained while getting doused in cheek and neck kisses. Ever a stickler for keeping to schedule. Though he was making it difficult for her to want to be serious what with him massaging those long fingers into her back and ribs.

"Sun's not even up yet," he whispered into her ear with an audible smile.

"What do you mean, the sun always rises at-"

"I set your alarm for an hour earlier than you usually do."

Her baffled expression was worth it. "Why in the world did you-"

"So we could have extra time doing this," Krei answered while sliding his hands pointedly down to her smooth, toned legs and wrapping them easily around his waist.

Abigail rolled her eyes with a soft laugh, but she achieved a blush on her face, something that was surprisingly difficult to get out of her. "If that's what you wanted," she said, runing her hands through his hair and petting his unshaved cheeks, "why'd you bother letting me waste time getting dressed?"

"Because I really really like these little shorts you wear, Abs," he grinned wolfishly while picking her up to carry her back upstairs. "I also like that pilot outfit you get to wear later."

"The one that all those old military geezers get to see me in too?" she couldn't refrain from pointing out, kissing him on the nose.

"They can find their own gorgeous pilot to go home with them." Krei laid her down on the bed once he reached it, getting lost in her sparkly eyes. "You're mine, Abs. Tonight and every night after this."