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The grocery store is practically empty.
The dull hum of the overhead lights the only sound aside from the soft squeaking of the cart’s slightly wobbly wheel. It’s their usual routine—every Sunday afternoon, after a lazy morning spent wrapped in each other’s arms, Till make his way to the store, list in hand but never really following it.
“I’ll be in charge of the cart,” Ivan declare, gripping the handle.
Till partner hums, a mischievous lilt in his voice. “You say that like I wasn’t already going to make you push it.”
Ivan shoot him a look, but there’s no real annoyance behind it—just the usual fond exasperation that comes with loving someone so effortlessly. Till grins when he caught a little smile on Ivan's face.
They start in the produce section, where Ivan insists on dramatically sniffing every fruit before adding it to the cart. Till thinks both sniffing and inspecting the fruits closely are reasonable enough.
His eyes watches the way the taller gasp, walking over a watermelon aisle and touching every single watermelon. Till place a hand on his back when Ivan turns at him all bright and smiley.
“Ivan, we are not buying a whole watermelon.”
“But look at it,” Ivan sighs, hands cradling the massive thing like it’s a baby. “It’s perfect. Round, smooth, full of potential.”
“And completely unnecessary. There’s no way we’d finish it before it goes bad.”
Ivan groans but relents, reluctantly placing the watermelon back like he's saying goodbye to a dear friend. Till's heart soars. “One day, I will win this battle.”
“You won’t,” Till reply, leaving Ivan's dramatic self at the back. Ivan pouts, steering the cart forward to catch up.
Both of them make their way down the aisles, moving at a leisurely pace. Ivan clings to Till the entire time, slinging an arm around Till's shoulder, playing with Till's fingers absentmindedly, or resting his chin on Till's shoulder whenever they stop to look at something. It’s second nature, this closeness, like breathing.
Then, comes the cereal aisle.
The moment they step in, Till gasps almost dramatically. “Oh my god.”
Ivan brace himself, turning to watch Till's eyes grow spark. “What?”
Till lifts a colorful box off the shelf, holding it up like it’s a priceless artifact. “They brought it back.”
Ivan glance at the box, then back at Till. Ivan like the look on Till's face. However, for Till to look like that over a cereal though? It’s a ridiculous, overly sweet cereal with tiny marshmallows. Ivan blinks, “Okay?”
“This was my childhood,” Till says reverently, shaking the box slightly. “I have to get it.”
Ivan cross his arms. “You don’t even eat breakfast.”
“That’s because we don’t have the right cereal.”
Ivan narrow his eyes, clearly not backing up. “Are you going to eat it every morning?”
“Yes.”
“Are you lying?”
“Absolutely.”
Ivan sigh dramatically, already knowing the battle is lost. Till grins in victory, tossing the cereal into the cart before pressing a quick kiss to Ivan's cheek. “You love me.”
Ivan smiles, stopping Till from walking away. His right palm sneak up on Till's cheek to angle his face just the right way and kisses him on the lips. Till gasps. It's messy—Ivan shallow his gasps.
"My love for you is obvious as it is. You already know I will give in."
Till's cheek heats up as he realized the proximity they are in. Ivan is so close and he smells so good. Annoyingly. He smiles, kisses the tip on Ivan's nose and begins to run away.
He knows Ivan will always catch up in no time.
They weave through the rest of the aisles, tossing in essentials, stopping occasionally for neither Ivan and Till to pick up something entirely unnecessary.
At one point, Ivan holds up a scented candle. “This smells amazing.”
“No.”
Ivan blinks. “I didn’t even ask yet.”
“We are not buying another candle.”
“But—”
“The last time you lit one, you almost set our apartment on fire.”
Ivan huffs, dramatically placing the candle back on the shelf. “You set one small fire and suddenly you can’t be trusted with wax and a wick.”
“I feel like this isn’t a debate.”
Finally, they make it to checkout. As Ivan unload the cart, Till subtly slides a pack of cookies onto the conveyor belt. It's too noticeable, too hard to not notice it.
Ivan raise an eyebrow.
Till, ever the picture of innocence, shrugs. “They’re your favorite.”
Ivan heart stumbles. He feels like falling in love all over again. It’s such a small thing, a pack of cookies, but it’s also everything—it’s knowing, it’s love, it’s home.
Ivan exhale, shaking his head with a small smile. “You’re adorable.”
Till didn't respond but, Ivan never misses his shy smile like it's the first time Ivan ever complimented him. He could never miss a reaction out of Till. In fact, if possible, he want to capture Till's reaction in a way he can look back whenever he wants.
Ivan tap his card to pay, and as soon as the beep sounds, Till leans in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Ivan smiles to himself like the idiot he is.
•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•
The walk back to their apartment is slow, mostly because Ivan keeps bumping into Till on purpose.
“I carried all the heavy bags,” Ivan grumble, adjusting the weight of the groceries in his arms with a pout on his lips.
Till hums, entirely unbothered. “And I carried your heart, which is much heavier.”
Ivan stop in his tracks. “You did not just say that.”
Till grins, stepping in close, pressing his forehead against Ivan's. “Mmm. I think I did.”
Till likes being this close to Ivan. He wore his heart on his sleeves when it's him. Flushed cheek, dark adoring eyes never leaving his.
Ivan exhale, feeling Till's warmth, the gentle press of his body, the way Till's fingers toy with the hem of Ivan's shirt like he always do when he want to be touched.
With no hesitation, Ivan nuzzle closer, voice dropping to something quiet and softer. “If you want me to carry you too, you should've just say that.”
Till sighs, exaggerated. “You do know me so well.”
Ivan laugh, shifting slightly so his nose brushes against Till's. “I could spend forever learning about you, and it would never feel like time lost.”
Ivan smiles so widely at some point he can feel his cheek burns when Till laughs. Commenting something about whatever he said was cheesy. If both of Ivan's hand aren't busy, he'd brush away those soft hair out of Till's face so he can see him better.
When they finally get home, Ivan immediately crowds into Till's space, arms wrapping around Till's waist from behind as he attempt to put the groceries away.
“You’re in my way,” Till murmur, though, he make no move to push Ivan off.
“I’m exactly where I should be.”
Ivan's lips ghost along Till's neck, featherlight, teasing, while his hands slip under Till's hoodie, fingertips tracing over warm skin. Not even in a suggestive way—just seeking, needing.
Till pause, melting just a little, his own hands still holding a pack of pasta. “You’re clingy today.”
Ivan hums, pressing a kiss to the dip of Till's shoulder. “I just like touching you.”
Till feel heat crawl up his spine, and he let himself lean back into the embrace, allowing it, indulging in it. “You’re lucky, I don’t mind.”
Ivan chuckles, breath fanning against their skin. Fully knowing the heat creeping up on Till's nape. “Don’t mind? Till, you melt when I touch you.”
Till roll his eyes but don’t argue. Instead, he set the pasta down, turning in Ivan's arms so they’re chest to chest, his fingers slipping under the hem of Ivan's shirt in return, tracing soft lines over his waist.
Ivan exhales, eyes fluttering slightly at the contact. Pulling Till incredibly closer as he could. “Mm, yeah, this is nice.”
Ivan press a slow, lingering kiss to Till's jaw, feeling him shudder slightly. “Finish helping me, and I’ll let you cling to me for the rest of the night.”
Ivan groans. “Fine, but I’m holding you to that.”
Later, after everything is put away, Till find himself tangled on the couch, Ivan practically in his lap, half-asleep, fingers tangled in between Ivan's soft hair.
“You’re warm,” Ivan mumbles against his skin, eyes barely open. Not when he have Till playing his hair like that. He never want a day pass by this way.
Till smile, pulling Ivan even closer, pressing a slow, lazy kiss to the side of his face. Ivan yearns for more. “You’re insufferable.”
“Right. And yet, here you are, letting me be all over you.”
Till sigh, burying his face on Ivan's shoulder. If Ivan were asleep, he'd have missed the feeling of Till planting a quick kiss on his shoulder. His heart jumped.
“Yeah. Here I am.”
And honestly? Ivan wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than home.