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Waking up from a peaceful slumber felt especially good once Daniel found Karl laying next to him. Sometimes, he would knit his arms around Karl's warm body and cuddle tightly until the other man woke up. Sometimes he would smile and close his eyes until Karl woke up so they could do the same thing together. But one method of emerging from his dreams that he didn't prefer? Karl's persistent little furball that recently developed a habit of climbing onto the bed and walking all over him, like as if it wouldn't wake up its owner but him instead.
Danny groaned as the brown tabby cat pressed its paws against his face and the noise was enough to wake up his boyfriend. Alerted, Karl slowly looked around for Danny and rubbed his eyes.
"Uh...what's wrong, baby?" Karl murmured, still half-asleep. Daniel was grumbling as he pushed the nuisance cat away and turned on his side to face Karl who was attempting to keep his eyes open.
"It's that damn cat, K. Running over me like I'm some sort of track," Daniel complained while smiling. He didn't want to seem too bothered as he wasn't an easily annoyed person, especially not around Karl. But mornings were his sanctuary and nobody would come in between his morning routine of being affectionate with Karl. Not even a brown tabby cat. "But at least you're awake now."
Karl chuckled and leaned forward to grab the curious cat up, moving it onto his lap over the covers and stroking it gently.
"I guess I am. Mornin' Dan."
"Morning, K-"
Before Danny could finish his sentence Karl snorted and stifled his laughter. Confused, Danny raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at Karl.
"What's so funny?"
Karl picked the tabby cat up and raised it in front of himself, clearly smitten and making weird noises while gazing at it.
"This wittle ball of fluff is called Dan. You're called Daniel. Easy mistake," Karl explained, mostly in some patronizing voice that was aimed for the cat but felt like Daniel was also on the receiving end of.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Looking for his glasses, he opened the drawer next to him and located them straight away, fixing his sights on the man next to him for some for an explanation.
"Hey, man, I was kinda fucked up when we stopped talking to each other. Excuse me for being lonely because you decided to abandon me," Karl reasoned, lowering the cat back down to the original position of on top of the covers. "I kinda became a cat person while you were gone."
"And you named it after me?" Danny inquired curiously. After pondering on it, Danny let a small teasing grin escape. "I'm flattered, honestly."
Karl gave Danny a middle finger while still tending to his pet and cradled it before standing up.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I gotta feed him," Karl answered. "I'll be right back, promise."
He quickly pressed one knee onto the bed to lean in for a brief kiss on Daniel's lips and ran back out to feed Dan. The original Dan couldn't believe the entire conversation he had just engaged in and laughed out loud once he thought on it. Even if it was strange, these things about Karl were what he loved about the man. He didn't try to hide his feelings or explain them, he was just open about everything. Daniel could put up with the cat's antics if it meant the world to Karl, even if the tabby cat had no idea about the war it had started on who Karl would hold when he woke up in the morning.