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Small purrs and snores were the only sounds coming from behind the closed door.
This was comforting, and almost calming. It was around four in the morning, but Flame was wide awake. He looked down at Wemmbu, still sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.
They had just relocated bases for the third time that week, since they were sort of wanted fugitives. Ever since they had both escaped that trap, the one which was meant to reveal Wemmbu’s identity, he and Flame have been on the run ever since.
Of course, those damn Lawmen were relentless, somehow finding the, every time they switched bases. But for the first time, there were no signs of Lawmen, and no goat horns being blown.
It was a miracle, a miracle Flame had taken advantage of. In the past, he wouldn’t put that much effort into the bases he built, but that didn’t mean they weren’t cozy. Wemmbu never complained, since he was fine living wherever Flame did.
This time, Flame had actually taken his time building their new base, since he knew for a fact the Law couldn’t find them here. They were millions of blocks away from spawn, and they didn’t leave any tracks behind them.
For once, they could take a break and breathe. Their life had settled into something close to a domestic life, one that married couples would have. Neither of them ever mentioned or brought it up, too content to worry about anything else.
Most nights, they would lay awake in bed just to talk. Sometimes they talked about serious topics, other times they were silent. It was a habit that slowly formed without Wemmbu or Flame noticing.
Flame didn’t, or more accurately, couldn’t move at that moment. Wemmbu was the definition of a light sleeper. If he moved even an inch, his rival would wake up in an instant, alarmed and confused.
As difficult as it was, Flame never complained, he adapted. He started making sure he never moved whenever Wemmbu fell asleep in his arms, even if he had to get out of bed for water.
He was fine with this, watching over Wemmbu. He still got his own needed rest, but he was more focused on the person currently snoring. Flame’s hand reached up, brushing against the back of Wemmbu’s head, gently caressing his hair.
When they started dating several months ago, Flame started noticing all of his habits and every single detail. He noticed how Wemmbu wrapped his tail around his leg whenever he was comfortable, how he purred whenever he rubbed his horns, how he bit his fingernails whenever he was stressed.
Flame never stopped paying attention. Never, not even stopping for a second. He was paranoid, still mentally scarred from Wemmbu’s disappearance. Ever since then, he observed, paid attention, went out of his way to make sure Wemmbu felt loved, but not suffocated.
He knew that his rival could function on his own, but did that stop him? No. It only motivated him further. He took the time out of his day to shower Wemmbu in kisses, keeping him on his toes by helping him train, and read him bedtime stories whenever he couldn’t sleep.
This was the life Flame’s dreamt about. One where he and Wemmbu could do whatever the hell they wanted, even though they were being chased down to the ends of earth. They haven’t been found in a while, so that meant they could stay here for longer.
He kept looking at Wemmbu, taking in every detail of his face, committing it to his memory. He pulled him closer, placing a kiss onto his forehead. Flame knew that they would eventually have to abandon this base to move to another one again, but that didn’t matter when Wemmbu was in his arms.
Oh, he was waking up. Maybe Flame should’ve been a bit more careful, yet he couldn’t resist pressing another kiss onto his face.
“Flame…? What time is it?” Wemmbu mumbled, trying to bury his face deeper into Flame’s chest, holding back his whines.
“It’s too early for this, Wem, go back to sleep,” he lowered his voice, like Wemmbu wasn’t able to handle his loud voice at that moment.
Wemmbu wanted to complain, but one look from Flame changed his mind instantly. He squirmed around, finally getting comfortable after a full minute of this, melting into his rival’s arms.
He curled up beside him, and Flame tightened his grip out of instinct. He still remembered the first night they had done this. Wemmbu admitted that he liked tighter hugs, since they grounded him faster than a loose one. Flame has never given Wemmbu a loose hug ever since then.
A few seconds passed, and Wemmbu was out like a lamp, limp in Flame’s arms as he went back to snoring and purring. Everything was so comfy, especially the warmth radiating off of Flame, like he was his personal heater.
Thank god he was some uh, half-blaze thing, am I right? Ha.. ha. I don’t think I should do stand up comedy after all.
…
Flame dutifully went back to watching over Wemmbu, studying every time his eyebrows furrowed for just a second, immediately soothing him with a kiss to his cheek.
He kept his grip tight, nothing too suffocating or loose, perfectly in between. He’ll get his sleep soon, but for now? He had one task, and that was to make sure Wemmbu didn’t get any nightmares, and to also make sure he wouldn’t get startled by the smallest noise ever.
So, he waited. He was never really patient, but when it came to Wemmbu; he had all the patience in the world.
Flame would stay awake for as long as he could. Wemmbu was his priority.