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“...Stanley. I have a question.”
Stanley snapped to attention, looking down at his fiancé, who was laying in the worker’s lap, a hand lovingly tangled in his grey hair. He made a small noise of acknowledgement, waiting to hear what the Narrator had to say.
“When did you realise you love me..?”
The being’s voice was soft, as if he didn’t want to breach the peace of their lazy morning (was it morning? Afternoon? It didn’t really matter in the Parable), and Stanley smiled as the Narrator’s eyes caught the light. They looked like honey from here. Perhaps molten gold.
The Narrator waited patiently for Stanley to mull over the answer in his head. He felt the hand in his hair move gently, smoothing out a wave here and there. The being found it surprisingly difficult to resist sleep, despite not needing it at all. He quietly protested as his fiancé’s hand left his hair, which earned a light ruffle in response.
[I think…]
“...therefore I am.”
The Narrator finished the sentence in jest, chuckling softly at the grumpy look on Stanley’s face.
“Oh, come on, my love. You must’ve seen that coming!”
Stanley stuck his tongue out.
[And you say my bisexual jokes are bad…]
“Yes, well, mine are profound and mature.” He had a smile on his face that melted any annoyance on Stanley’s part. “Daft sod.”
Stanley pointed down at the Narrator before continuing.
[I think it was… during that one achievement.]
The taller of the two hummed with interest.
“Which one, my darling? The speedrun? The commitment achievement? Or..?”
[430.]
“Ah.”
The Narrator chuckled fondly.
“The Door 430 achievement, hm? Well, my dear, pray tell. How come?”
Stanley thought for a moment. Whilst waiting for an answer, the Narrator shuffled up on the bed the two of them shared, laying on his side, propping his head up on an upper arm and crossing his lower arms.
[It wasn’t the first time I did it. I think it was… the third, maybe. You were cheering me on, and I kind of… stopped for a moment. I think you thought I was tired, or upset, or something like that, and…]
Stanley smiled to himself as he recalled the memory.
[In the softest tone I’d heard, you said my name. Like you were trying to gauge what was the matter. Like you’d do anything in your power to see me smile, or laugh. And I just… couldn’t stop thinking about it after.]
He chuckled quietly as he admitted something else.
[You know sometimes, when you’d leave me alone in the broom closet?]
The worker looked over at the Narrator, whose soft smile made him simmer with adoration.
“Mhm, darling?”
[...I’d think about the way you said my name then. And I’d think about you saying nice things, you complimenting me. The way you hum in the elevator. The way you’ve said you’re proud of me. All your little mannerisms. All of your enthusiasm. You were so infuriating, but… I realised I was head over heels anyway.]
He laughed again.
[It actually annoyed me a bit.]
The Narrator’s eyes lit up in recognition.
“So that was why you were being so stubborn after that run! You were-” he laughed a bit through his words, “-dealing with your feelings! Oh, my darling. My lovely, lovely man.”
The being reached out his arms, pulling his fiancé in to cuddle in bed. The duvet was plush and cool, a contrast to the warm bodies of the lovers atop it.
Stanley let out a fond huff as he began to braid a stray bit of the Narrator’s hair. He stopped for a moment to sign.
[You weren’t much better at that, you sap…]
As the Narrator let out a gasp on feigned offence, neither of them could resist the childish giggles bubbling over and out of them.
“Oh, stop being so cruel and kiss me, my dear…”
A soft smile on his face, Stanley obliged. The being and the man both radiated adoration and comfort in each other’s presence, and Stanley continued fiddling with his fiancé’s hair. He heard a content, lazy sigh.
“Ah, we should start planning the wedding soon…”
The man withdrew his hands again, making a little sound of acknowledgement.
[Yes, but soon isn’t now. Right now, I’d like to cuddle with my husband-to-be.]
His gentle expression remained, an eyebrow raised in fondness.
“Mm… well, I think I’ll second that…”
The Narrator’s sleepy expression drew a small chuckle from Stanley, who felt the being’s lower hands tap light patterns onto his skin.
“...I love you, Stanley…”
He felt a kiss on the crook of his neck as a response.
He loved him too.