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“Alright, I’m heading out to buy groceries.” Fitz said. Dex looked up from his horizontal position on the couch. “Oh.”
Fitz passed him and ruffled his hair. Dex waited, closing his eyes. Then he heard the familiar click of the door closing.
He sat up abruptly. That son of a bitch.
The door opened. Dex had his papers strewn around him. He loved his job at the New Council of the Lost Cities, but it was also exhausting.
”Hi love.” Fitz said. Dex nodded, not looking at him. “Hi.”
“I got groceries.” Fitz set the bag down on the table. Dex gave a murmur of agreement.
It took five minutes for Fitz to sit down next to him. “Did I do something wrong?” He asked softly. It took all of Dex’s will to not immediately hug him, kiss him senseless and reassure him that he didn’t do anything. But he did do something wrong.
”I dunno.” Dex replied. He still didn’t look at him.
”Darling? Sweetheart? Love?” Fitz asked. “What did I do?”
That bastard was playing dirty with the nicknames. Dex shrugged. “What did you do?”
”Look at me, Dex.” Fitz pleaded. “Please.”
It was the please that got him. He turned around, crossing his arms. “What did you do today, Wonderboy?”
“I went grocery shopping.” Fitz said. His eyes were unfairly pretty in the flickering light of their apartment, but Dex refused to be distracted. “What did you do before that?”
”I got the bag, I got the keys, I said goodbye-“
”Exactly. You messed with my hair and left.” Dex glared at him. “I’m your boyfriend. We live together. You can’t just mess with my hair like you’re Keefe and leave.”
”Did you just compare me to Keefe?”
”Did you not kiss me goodbye?” Dex asked. Fitz stared at him, dumbfounded. “Are you mad at me because I didn’t kiss you earlier?”
”…When you say it like that, it sounds dumb.” Dex admitted. “But why didn’t you do it? Don’t you love me?”
Fitz looked at him for a minute. “Of course I love you.” He smiled - not his soft, I-love-you-so-much, smile, or his beaming, I-LOVE-YOU-SO-MUCH smile, but a smile Dex hadn’t seen in a long time. It could only be described as wicked.
”I’ll prove it.” Fitz leaned in, cupping his face. “Dex, my darling.” He ran his fingers down Dex’s back, and pulled him closer. “Sweetheart. Love of my life. My one and only.” He kissed him, just a bit, and Dex felt the warmth pulse through his entire body.
”I love you. I love all of your freckles and your periwinkle eyes and your dimples.” Fitz murmured against his lips. He kissed him again, lightly. Dex pulled away, glaring. “Coward.” He muttered. “You can’t even seduce me right.”
”Then why are your cheeks red, dearest?” Fitz asked. Dex blushed even more than before. “That’s the nicknames. Let me show you.”
Dex ran his hands through Fitz’s hair. He moved so close that their chests were almost touching. He could see Fitz’s breaths. He shifted slightly, putting a knee on either side of Fitz’s hips.
He kissed him properly. He let his lips crash against Fitz’s, let his hands play with Fitz’s hair. He let Fitz wrap his arms around his waist, let him pull him close so that there was practically no space in between. He nipped at Fitz’s bottom lip, and he let his arms fall to Fitz’s chest.
Dex pushed him down on the couch, and he finally broke his lips from Fitz’s. Fitz gazed at him. “Dex.” He breathed.
“Fitz.” Dex replied. He noted the sharp intake of breath from the other. “You said my name. You didn’t call me Wonderboy.”
”Do you… mind it?” Dex asked. He was lying on top of Fitz, and he could feel his boyfriend’s breath quickening. Fitz shook his head. “Do it again.”
”Fitz.” Dex kissed his boyfriend. Fitz pulled away too soon for Dex’s comfort. “Again.”
”Fitz.” Dex whispered. Fitz looked at him in wonder. “Again.”
Dex moved his head, trailing kisses across his boyfriend’s jaw. “Fitz.” He murmured across the smooth skin. Fitz gasped. “Again.”
”Fitz.” Dex bit down slightly, moving on to his boyfriend’s neck. He felt Fitz’s heartbeat quicken. “Again.”
”Fitz.” Dex kissed the nape of Fitz’s neck, his collarbone, and then he started to go back up. Fitz’s hands were in his hair now. “Again.”
”Fitz.” Dex whispered against his boyfriend’s lips before he kissed him again. He felt another surge of warmth flood through him, because this was his boyfriend, this was his Fitz.
“Okay, you showed me.” Fitz tried to sit up, and Dex moved off him. “I need to step up my game.”
”Heh.” Dex grinned. “Or you can just kiss me goodbye.”
”If that’s what I get every time I don’t…” Fitz trailed off. Dex frowned. “That’s what you’ll get every time you do. Now-“ He stopped, heat rising to his cheeks. “Uh.”
”What? What is it?” Fitz asked. “Um, what are your thoughts on scarves?” Dex squeaked.
Fitz’s hands flew to his neck, which was covered in bright red bruises. “Goodness you really went wild, didn’t you?” Dex blushed even more. “Shut up.”
”Make me, darling.” Fitz grinned. “No. Nope. Shut up. Don’t nickname me.” Dex tossed a cushion at him.
”Alright, sweetheart, I’ll make dinner.” He kissed Dex’s cheek. “Is that satisfactory?” He murmured. Dex nodded. “Okay, shut up and let me work.”
”I finished.” Dex slammed his hands on the table. Fitz moved to his boyfriend, smoothening out his hair. “Finished what?”
”Work.” He said simply. Fitz ran his hand through the other man’s strawberry blond curls. He pressed a kiss to Dex’s forehead. “Come eat dinner.”
”Whatcha make?” Dex asked, rubbing his eyes. Fitz rubbed his boyfriend’s back. “You need to sleep. And I made potato curry and rice.”
Dex sat down at the table. “Looks great. Everything you make does.”
“How was your day?” Fitz asked.
”I just worked and slept the whole day.” Dex shrugged. “I’ll be glad when this bill gets passed.”
”Oh please, you did other things today.” Fitz took a bite. Dex smirked, reaching out and stroking Fitz’s cheek. “You don’t count, Fitz.”
Fitz felt himself heat up. “Uh- what- that’s not-“ he squeaked. Dex laughed. “I really should say your name more often.”
”That’s not the issue and I think you know it.” Fitz replied. “And finish your food.”
”You’re not my dad, Wonderboy.” Dex said. “Although you could be my da-“
”Finish that sentence and I’ll call you sweetheart for all of next week.” Fitz deadpanned. Dex laughed again, and Fitz relished the sound. “That’s not as menacing of a threat as you think it is.”
”Really, sweetheart?” Fitz let his voice drop low. Dex blushed. “Shut up.” He mumbled, looking Fitz up and down.
”Okay. You get weird when you’re tired, you know.” Fitz took another bite of his food. “Weird how?” Dex asked. “Weird like you wrapped a hand around my waist and I can feel you checking me out.” Fitz replied.
”I am not checking you out.” Dex said.
“You absolutely are.”
“It’s not checking out if you’re already mine.” Dex pointed out. Fitz shrugged. “Hard to argue with that.”
”Mmhm.” Dex took a final bite. “I am too tired to flirt properly.”
”Then I should take you to bed.” Fitz smirked. Dex looked up, flushing. “You want to do that?”
”Take you to bed to sleep.” Fitz put their plates in the sink. He’d wash them later. He scooped up his boyfriend. “What are you doing?” Dex said in a high-pitched voice.
”Taking you to bed.” Fitz carried him to the bedroom. Dex wrapped his hand tight around Fitz’s neck. “Okay, you’re going to choke me.” Fitz gasped.
”I suppose you don’t like that?” Dex asked. Fitz raised his eyebrows. “Dirty. You get dirty when you’re tired.”
”I do not!” Dex argued. “I just take a lot of notice of you.”
”Okay, you’re going down on the bed now.” Fitz placed him gently on the mattress. He took out the bedsheet and spread it over. “All right, good night.”
Dex closed his eyes, and Fitz contemplated just leaving him there. I mean, look where it got me last time. He rubbed his neck. But he took one look at Dex’s peaceful face and smiled. He kissed his boyfriend’s forehead. “Good night, darling.”
Dex’s eyes fluttered open again. “Stay.” He mumbled, pulling Fitz’s hand. “You’re warm.”
He needed to do the dishes. He needed to clear up the table. He needed to check in with Tam to make sure that Keefe got on his flight home safely. He slipped into bed and pulled his boyfriend close.
”Mmm.” Dex murmured. Fitz stroked his strawberry blond curls. He could take a nap for a bit.
Fitz woke up, and his hands fumbled for his Imparter. “Shit, shit, shit.”
His hands settled on the small black rectangle. He pulled it out. “Hail Keefe Sencen.”
Keefe’s face blinked onto the screen. “Hey Fitzy.”
”I was supposed to hail you after you got on your flight. Did you get there safe?” Fitz asked. Keefe nodded. “Yeah. Tam already checked in on me eight thousand times. I tried to tell him I was in the Forbidden Cities, not visiting my mother-in-law. He didn’t listen.”
”Okay. Good. Stay safe, okay?” Fitz said. Keefe nodded. “Yeah. Hey, guess who else is on my plane?”
”You’re still on the plane?” Fitz asked. Keefe pouted. “Yeah. 12-hour flight. Ridiculous.”
”I know, right?” Sophie Foster’s face peeked on to the screen. “Hey! How’s my favourite brother-in-law/Cognate doing?”
”I’m your only brother-in-law/Cognate.” Fitz pointed out.
“Irrelevant.” Sophie shrugged. “Thanks for calling, by the way. I could not actually handle him and his husband anymore.”
”Hey! We were just talking.” Keefe argued. “You were talking about how much you two love each other. Disgusting.” Sophie mimed gagging.
”Yeah? What were you telling your wife?” Keefe asked. “I’m not saying it in front of her brother.” Sophie replied.
”Okay! Ew! Have a great flight, you two.” Fitz almost logged off, but Keefe interrupted. “Fitzy, what’s that on your neck?”
Fitz felt himself turn red. “Um.”
”Ooh, is it a bug?” Sophie asked eagerly. “Don’t think so. Looks like a billion bruises.” Keefe narrowed his eyes. “How did you fall?” Sophie said.
”Yeah, blame your cousin.” Fitz deadpanned. Before they could reply, he grinned. “Bye! Have a great flight!”
He hung up.