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Emile awoke to Disney music playing inside his head.  

He often did, as both him and his husband adored Disney movies – and cartoons and other musicals of all kinds, too. It was rare that the songs stuck in their heads were anything more mainstream than that, and usually it didn’t last too long.  

It was comforting, nice, and made Emile smile immediately: soft and fond and still a little sleepy, as he had only just woken up.  

It took a moment for him to wake up enough to recognise it as the opening bars of ‘I See The Light’ from Tangled, and Emile smiled before he yawned and stretched noisily. He was alone in bed, which was disappointing, but all it meant was that his husband was elsewhere and that he would simply have to get up to find him if he wanted his morning cuddles.  

(And of course he did.)  

He untangled his legs from the covers, and rolled over to check the time on his alarm clock. It hadn’t gone off today, as it was the weekend and, therefore, neither him nor Roman had work that day.  

It was just past 10am, which was later than Emile usually got up, but did explain why Roman was already out of bed.  

A small part of Emile wanted to stay in bed and fall back to sleep – as his bed was oh-so warm and oh-so comfortable, and the covers were nice and soft – but an even greater part of his mind wanted kisses from his dear husband, his dear soulmate, and that was always his top priority.  

Emile slowly climbed out of bed.  

Then, he took a minute to make it again – neatening the pillows and the duvet, and picking up the teddy bear that had fallen to the floor sometime in the night, giving him a little kiss on the forehead before placing him back down amongst the pillows.  

Emile turned around, opening the bedroom door and smiling softly as the sounds of ‘I See The Light’ from Tangled drifted in from the kitchen, perfectly in time with the son g that played inside his head.  

As he strained to listen, he realised he could also hear the sounds of  his dear Roman singing alo ng, accompanied  by the no ises of plates and cutlery  and rhythmic  tapping as Roman  bustled around their little kitchen.  

Emile sighed happily.  The music playing in his head was a constant, pleasant and familiar reminder of his soulmate and  their  love for each other. And the closer he got to Roman,  the more warm and fuzzy he felt inside,  and the more he wanted to  go up to his soulmate, hug him and never let go again.  

Emile then wasted no time walking over to the kitchen  –   his woolly socks  made his footsteps silent,  so Roman didn’t  seem to hear as Emile approached the kitchen.  

When Emile reached the room, he immediately  stopped in the doorway,  watching fondly as Roman danced around the kitchen.  

It was  only when the song finished – fading out in Emile’s mind, too – that Roman’s eyes finally landed on his soulmate, and he straightened up with an excited expression immediately.  

“My darling!” Roman beamed.  

He  moved over to Emile quickly, cupping Roman’s cheeks with both hands and pressing a quick, warm kiss to his soulmate’s lips.  

“Morn ing, honey,” Emile smiled. “How did you sleep?”  

“As perfect as ever,  with you by my side.”  

Emile giggled. “Oh, you flirt!”  

“Always, for you,” Roman  said, with an equally fond smile fixed onto his handsome face. “And how was your rest , my  gorgeous love, my soulmate, my meant-to-be?”  

“ Good!  I had the most wonderful dream about The Crystal Gems! You could have woken me up when you woke up, though, sweetheart. I wouldn’t have minded!”  

“Oh, I could not possibly have done that!” Roman exclaimed, gently tapping  Emile’s cheek with his  finger. “You looked so gorgeous and  peaceful !  I am quite sure that awakening you would have been a  most dastardly crime.”  

“Well, like I’ve  always said. If cuteness were a crime, you would be given the death penalty!”  

Roman laughed. “A little dark, my love, but I adore and appreciate you nonetheless!” His hand then  moved down Emile’s side, landing at his soulmate’s hand and taking it into his own.  “Come, I made breakfast for you!  It was  going  to be a breakfast in bed, but I suppose you were to eager to come and kiss me for that.”  

The last part was said in a teasing tone of voice,  and Emile responded with a slight, sheepish smile.  

“Sorry, honey,” he apolo gised, though his tone wasn’t all too apologetic, as he could never truly feel bad  for seeking his soulmate out for kisses.  

Emile then reached forward, wrapping his arms around Roman’s middle and pulling him into a hug that was easily and firmly reciprocated. Roman was warm and soft and Emile was immediately happy and comfortable and relieved – like how it felt after eating a good, satisfying meal, or finally completing a video game that you had been trying to beat for hours.  

Life was good, and life was even better when Emile got to hold his soulmate.  

***  

Roman paused halfway through brushing his teeth, pulling a slight face – his nose scrunching and his brow creasing. He pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth, and leant halfway out of the bathroom door, calling out to his soulmate.  

“Darling, if you keep singing ‘It’s Over, Isn’t It?’ in our heads, I’m going to start crying!” He called out, in a voice that was only partly serious.  

“Sorry!” Emile called back with a  slight laugh in his voice. “I’ll listen to something else.”  

It took a few moments – and Roman resumed brushing his teeth as he waited – and then the song changed again, and Roman’s mouth fell open. His toothbrush fell into the sink.  

He froze for a moment, before bursting into startled laughter.  

“Honey, are you rick-rolling me?!” He exclaimed.  

Emile popped his head around the door, grinning mischievously at his husband.  

“Maybe...”  

Roman let out an exaggeratedly offended gasp, hand over heart.  

“Oh, I am coming over there, and I am going to  tickle  you!”  

Emile shrieked with laughter as Roman leapt forward and began to tickle his sides. Emile squirmed as he laughed, making a weak and futile attempt to pull away from his husband and escape the onslaught of tickling, but Roman just tugged him back and continue to tickle him.  

Then, Emile’s fluffy socks suddenly slipped on the tiles on the bathroom floor, but Roman caught him immediately. He made a split-second decision, taking his husband into his arms, spinning him around and then dipping him.  

Emile blinked, surprised, and then smiled softly. He wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and gave him a fond look that made Roman’s heart skip a beat in his chest every time he was the recipient of it.  

“Aww, you caught me!”  

“I always will,” Roman said, fond and genuine.  

“My hero,” Emile smiled.  

He then reached up, and kissed Roman again.