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“Get up. We both have work today.”
“Five more minutes.”
“I've already given you five more minutes.”
“Five on top of that.”
“Unbelievable. We are not doing this today,” Bede grumbles, prying himself from Victor’s hold. Victor whines in protest, tightening his arms around Bede. “Victor.”
“Don’t go,” Victor pleads, muffled into Bede’s pyjama shirt. “You’re warm.”
Bede huffs at their alarm clock. “Fine. I’ll sit here with you for five more minutes, and then we’re both getting out of this bed. Am I clear?”
Victor nods into Bede’s side. Bede sighs, and softly wraps an arm around his partner.
“I can hear you overthinking from here, Vic.”
Victor glances up to Bede across the table, leaning one elbow on its surface and stirring something into his tea. Their Pokémon occupy the rest of the back garden, playing, eating, or relaxing as they please.
Victor grins. “What am I thinking, then?”
Bede scoffs, but his tone comes out forbearing. “Oh, don’t give me that. Why don’t you tell me? Arceus knows you’ll be stuck in your own head for hours otherwise.”
“Hey.”
“We both know it’s true.”
…Yes. It is. Victor takes a bite from his sandwich, swallows. “Alright, then…”
“Vic, have you seen my…oh.”
Bede finds Victor fast asleep on the living room couch, Appletun curled up near him at its foot. One of Appletun’s eyes flaps up at the sound of Bede’s voice, and he turns his head to Bede.
“Did I wake you?” Bede whispers.
Appletun nods silently.
“Sorry.” Bede leaves light scratches under Appletun’s chin. “I didn't mean to.”
Appletun gives a quiet, forgiving coo. Bede grabs the folded blanket sitting on the armchair, unfurling it to lay over Victor. Appletun chirps up at Bede curiously.
“It wasn’t important,” Bede assures. “I can ask him later.”
“Morning, love. Did you find my note?”
“I did. I hope you plan on making up for letting me wake up to you nowhere nearby?”
“I was going to keep it a surprise. But I guess if I really can't hide it—”
“That will do. Keep your secrets if you must.”
“Gladly. Have you eaten yet?”
“Yes, and taken my medicine as you’ve reminded me to. Where exactly did you go off to?”
“Hop's called me to Wedgehurst to help with something. I’ll tell you about it later. Need anything before I leave?”
“I’ll let you know if I do.”
“You don’t always have to be so independent, you know.”
Bede glances up from the pile of letters on the dining table. “Do you not help me enough?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, I just…” Victor takes a breath. He’s never been as assertive in handling conflict as Bede is, regardless of the experience he’s gained as his partner. “Look, I’m not trying to be in your way; I know it’s a busy time for you. I just don’t like seeing you so stressed out.”
Bede sighs, putting down his letter opener.
“Can I hold you?”
A pause. Bede nods.
The film is three quarters through when Bede starts hearing Victor sniffling next to him on the couch. When he looks, Victor is using his sweatshirt sleeve to scrub at his eyes—as if it would do anything to stem the oncoming flood.
Victor’s always been the type to cry easily, despite being self-conscious of it as a teenager. As an adult, he’s accepted it as a valid means of emotional release, which is exactly why Bede can find some sense of amusement out of it in times like this.
Smiling, Bede offers him the tissue box. Victor takes it quietly.
“Does it look a bit stiff on me?” asks Victor, staring at himself, fully suited, in the mirror.
Bede continues fixing Victor's tie. “No. Does it feel stiff?”
“Sort of. Maybe it's just the shoulder pads…”
“Well, I, for one, think you look quite handsome in this.”
“So do you.” Victor adjusts Bede's cravat, fluffed over the collar of his pastel pink waistcoat. “This shade of pink is my favourite on you.”
“You aren't tired of pink yet?”
Victor takes one of Bede's hands, placing a kiss to the back, like a knight to his prince. “I could never be.”
They’re still as close together as they can be when they start to come down from the high, warm breath mingling in the dimness of their bedroom. Victor swallows and opens his eyes again to Bede underneath him, eyes closed, cheeks flushed red, bare chest heaving.
A smile between wry and satisfied grows on Bede's face in the pale golden lamplight.
Victor can’t help mirroring it, giggling despite himself. “What, love?”
Indigo irises open to him. “I swear you have me under some kind of spell.”
“Nah.” Victor leans down to capture Bede’s lips into another kiss. “Dunno any magic.”
“I think at this point, I wouldn't know how to live without you.”
“That's…a terrifying realisation.”
“Is it?”
Bede winds his arms around himself, voice dropping to a murmur. “I’d rather not know how much it would hurt if you were ever suddenly out of my life.”
“If I could promise you forever, I would.”
“Haven’t we already agreed that’s—”
“—Not possible, I know. I said I would if I could.” Victor gently pries Bede's arms open, keeping Bede’s hands safe and warm in his own. “I can settle for being with you for as long as you'll have me.”
For once, Victor is awake before Bede. It's no surprise, considering how late it had been when they'd finally made it to bed, but it's still a rare sight.
Victor turns his head, careful not to stir Bede awake. Miraculously, Bede continues to be curled up cosily against him, pink lips parted, a relaxed hand over Victor's heart.
Carefully, Victor pulls more of the blanket over Bede, before allowing Bede's warmth to lull him back to sleep. It isn't often that they get to sleep in together, after all; Victor plans to take advantage of every last second of it.