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Tendo stirs lazily on the bed, a muffled groan escapes his lips as he rolls to bury his face against the warm body pressed against his side. He takes his sweet time to open his eyes and he's glad to see the same face he fell asleep to. The room is calm and he basks in it happily, enjoying the opportunity to trace his eyes over Yancy's features as he sleeps quietly.
It's not the first time he wakes up to the oldest Becket's sleeping face, now happening more often since Raleigh decided to sit Chuck over marathons of old movies and tv shows. By the end of it Tendo always follows Yancy on his sleeping daze and sneaks on his bed to cuddle for warmth. Yancy never turns him down, if anything he encourages it by taking Tendo's hand before they exit Raleigh's room.
Mornings like this make him feel brave enough to steal glances that make his heart flutter in his chest. Yancy has always been handsome and Tendo had always liked to watch him, but with all the rush of having to save the world he has never let himself linger on it. Now tho, now the world can take a deep breath since all threat of Kaiju has been erased. It's a weird feeling having so much calm in their lives and even half a year after the close of the breach they all still wake up startled by nightmares or the ghost of the alarms going off. It's been hard months but they do their best to heal, to get better.
Tendo lingers on the funny feeling on his chest now. He lets himself explore it as he stares at Yancy's face in a serene trance. He smiles softly moving himself closer to slide his fingers over Yancy's jawline.
"Hmmm" Yancy mumbles as he pushes his face against the pillow.
"Hey" Tendo mumbles softly.
"Mm- What?" Yancy mumbles turning to him again but his eyes stay closed.
"You're so damn beautiful" Tendo whispers, smiling when Yancy's eyes flutter open in a confused, and sleepy, frown.
It takes Yancy a moment to compose himself, he blinks and rubs his eyes lazily. Once he deems himself awake enough he moves closer and press his lips in a soft kiss to Tendo's cheek.
"Thanks" Yancy says and his voice is soft, perhaps the softest Tendo has ever heard it. It makes his heart beat harder against his ribcage.
He can help but bring his hands to cup Yancy's face, he leans to press their foreheads together. After so many years they've been close friends, sharing a strong bond that blurred all boundaries between them. Yet now the feeling is different than all the other times they've shared such closeness.
"Yancy" Tendo whispers and it sounds like a plea, he doesn't know what he asking for exaclty, but if someone would know then it'd be Yancy.
"I know" Yancy says softly, "we've waited long enough"
"Yes" Tendo lets out in a rush of relieved air.
"We have time now, all the time in the world to make it ours"
"You... do you feel it too?" Tendo asks anxious for the answer, his breathe catches in his throat as he waits.
Yancy chuckes softly and nods as best as he can with Tendo's forehead still pressed to his own.
"Of course I do, I've had for so long but it was never the right time with so much going on, the Kaijus, the insident, the recovery, getting used to the prosthetics as Raleigh was consumed by guilt, so much out of our control around us... but it all passed... we have each other now to decide what to do with this feeling, we have the time to make this bond stronger, to let it grow in what we've been longing for years"
"I love you, Yancy" Tendo says and the relief sinks in his bones. He's been meaning to say it for so long, years of carring the words at the back of his tongue in fear of never being able to say them.
"I know, I know and I love you too, Tendo" Yancy says with a smile brighter than the sun itself, "God, it feels so good to say it without the weigth of the world ending, without the fear of not being able to repeat it for many years to come"
Tendo laughs knowing exactly what Yancy means, cause he has had the same dreading feeling withing his chest for so long.
"I love you, I love you, I love you" he repeats over and over again as his arms circle around Yancy's neck, the embrace forcing their bodies closer but Yancy obligues glady to it.
"I've waited so long to hear that" Yancy's smile spread wide on his face, "I could see it clear in your eyes, I knew it but hearing it... it makes me really happy"
"I love you" Tendo repeats one more time staring deeply into Yancy's eyes, "I've always loved you, since the first moment i saw your cocky smile and when you were laying on that hospital bed looking like death warmed over to the moment you woke up and asked me why i looked so bad, and every time you showed how strong you were and then again and again, I've always loved you"
Yancy's eyes are full of a soft fondness and he smiles with every word that falls from Tendo's lips. He can't find words to answer to that, but sometimes words aren't needed. He leans in slowly, holding his breathe in anticipation but he would never had been ready. The soft press of lips ignites a fire in the core of his chest and it spreads all over his body but when Tendo parts his lips in a gasp and their lips lock more firmly, it's like a explosion of fireworks all under his skin.
It takes them a long while to pull apart, but after years of avoiding the moment it's hard to let go of each other. If only breathing wasn't necessary they might as well never let go of each other.
"Damn" Yancy whispers breathlessly.
Tendo chuckles, his chest hurts with how hard his heart is beating.
"Damn, Becket, is understandment" he says before he dips his head to kiss Yancy again and again.
They might have all the time in the world now, but Tendo will make sure to not waist a second of it.