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Stéphane could hear the muffled sound of music blasting through their Parisian apartment while he was underneath the shower, and he was glad that on lazy Sunday mornings they had no direct neighbours to overhear them. Gabriel had taken the habit of preparing their brunch in music, and he was listening to it at a deafening volume in the kitchen. Stéphane cutes the stream of water, shakes his head to make the remaining droplets of water in his hair fall down, and he steps out of the shower. Ah. Queen, of course. Stéphane should have predicted that as well. Queen had been on his husband’s playlist for the past couple of weeks, and Gabriel had been listening to it in a loop : in the car, while exercising, while working, cooking, and he even changed the alarm-clock on his phone for a Queen song. Stéphane dries himself with a fluffy towel, and dress with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He walks barefooted on the wooden floor of their apartment which creaks underneath his steps, but the noise is covered by the music still blasting through the portable speaker in the kitchen. He leans against the doorframe and observes his husbands in what might be his favorite view of him : Gabriel is only wearing a pair of old faded boxers that belong to Stéphane, and socks that cover him up to mid-calf, once again borrowed to his husband. He is in front of the stove, cooking bacon and eggs in two frying pans, his hips moving in rhythm with the music. What is more surprising is that Gabriel is also singing along the lyrics, completely oblivious to the presence of Stéphane for now.
“ That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you
Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time… ”
“Me too.” mutters Stéphane “Me too.”
He said it a bit too loud and Gabriel finally acknowledges his presence, a light blush coming to his cheeks.
“Why are you wearing my underwear ?” questions Stéphane coming into the kitchen and kissing him on the cheek
“You were still asleep when I got up, and my clothes are on your side of the bed.” answers Gabriel
Stéphane lowered slightly the volume of the music so they can discuss better, and he opens the window, to get some fresh air into their kitchen, because the atmosphere is stuffy. They are living on the top floor of their building, in one of the best neighbourhood in Paris, and they are enjoying the chance they have to be able to spend their weekends together. During the week, Gabriel works in Paris, and Stéphane in Brussels, but their apartment is their heaven of peace during the end of the week, and they can reconnect and spend time together. And their Sunday brunch is a tradition they would not give up for anything in the world. Stéphane crosses his arms and lowers his gaze on the socks that his husband is wearing.
“Don’t make fun of me.” warns Gabriel catching this glance “You know why I’m wearing socks.”
“Because I have a foot-fetish and you are too afraid of me jumping on you to have wild sex on a Sunday morning ?” jokes Stéphane
“You idiot !” laughs Gabriel “It softens my footsteps, and I don’t like waking you up when I get up in the morning.”
This is a true fact, Gabriel always wakes up really early, even on Sunday mornings, and he always makes sure to not wake up his sleepy husband. And the socks help not to make too much noise on their uneven wooden floor.
“But I wouldn’t say no to wild sex.” smirks Gabriel
“Later maybe.” answers Stéphane taking him by the hips and kissing him in the neck “I am too hungry to think about anything else but food right now.”
“Then pass me our plates, the eggs are ready.”
“With pleasure, sweetheart.”
Stéphane kisses him once more in the neck and takes the two plates on the table to give them to Gabriel. His husband splits the scrambled eggs in half and serves half in each plate, then focusing back on the bacon still frying in the pan.
“Two more minutes for the bacon. Unless you changed your mind about eating it extra-crispy.” smiles Gabriel
“Never.” laughs Stéphane “What do you want to drink ? Orange juice ? Apple juice ?”
“We’re out of apple juice.” reminds Gabriel “And I didn’t get time to buy some, so you’ll have to do without, honey.”
Apple juice is Stéphane’s favorite for his Sunday brunch and Gabriel knows he is going to be a bit grumpy because of it, but he completely forgot about it until the early hours of this morning. Stéphane prepares their bowls of coffee, as they like it best, with sugar and milk for him, with milk only for Gabriel, and he pours a glass of orange juice for his husband. He finishes setting the table, with fruits, cheese, cold meat, jam with toasts, yoghurts, and pastries. Gabriel adds the bacon into their plates not long after, and when he finally comes to the table to take his seat, he first kisses Stéphane on the mouth for a few seconds and says :
“I’m sorry about the apple juice. It’s my fault.”
“It’s okay. I guess I can do without.” shrugs Stéphane
Gabriel smiles at him and sits at his place, across the table. Queen is still blasting through the speakers and Gabriel grabs his phone to stop the music. When they are eating, he likes the atmosphere to be quieter, so they can talk, and spend a real moment together.
“I was thinking we could take a walk this afternoon,” says Stéphane “unless you have something else planned.”
“Besides the wild sex you promised ? Nothing.” smirks his husband “And going out with you is always a delight. Any specific idea ?”
“Somewhere quiet. With your new position in the government, I don’t want to take the risk of overexposing us.”
“Are you shy, honey ?” teases Gabriel opening a strawberry-flavored yoghurt
“You know it’s not about being shy.” answers Stéphane between two bites of bacon “But it is not necessary to expose our relationship to curious eyes.”
“I know a quiet place where we can have a stroll,” says Gabriel “if it doesn’t rain.”
He glances through the window at the cloudy sky over Paris and frowns. There might be light rain in the afternoon, but they will see what happens when they decide to go out.
“At what time is your train tomorrow ?”
“Seven fifteen.” sighs Stéphane “I have to get up at five, if I want to be sure not to miss it.”
“I’ll drop you off at the train station.” says Gabriel “I will go to the office early.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I want to.” argues his husband “And that will spare you the taxi ride.”
“I usually take the tube, it’s quicker in the morning.”
“Really ?” frowns Gabriel
“Of course. And it is cheaper.”
They laugh together and Gabriel adds :
“Providing neither of us has a work emergency, maybe next weekend we could try to get away from Paris ?”
“Oh. A romantic weekend ?”
“Maybe. I was thinking either the Alps, or the Mediterranean sea.”
“It depends, do you want to chill and relax, and burn under the sun, or do you want to hike and get your load of fresh and pure air ?” asks Stéphane
“What do you prefer ?”
“Why am I always the one to choose ?”
“Because I really don’t mind, and I’m asking if you have a preference.”
“I don’t care, as long as I have my husband with me. And apple juice for breakfast.”
He cracks a smile and that makes Gabriel’s heart melt completely.
“I will see what we can book then.” says Gabriel “I’ll email you suggestions.”
“Thank you. And a weekend away from Paris will do us both good.”
“Don’t get your expectations too high, we never know what work emergency might fall upon our heads.”
“You are more likely to have one than me.”
“Not entirely wrong.” chuckles Gabriel “But we never know. Are you sure you don’t want orange juice ?” he adds since he’s ready to pour himself a second glass
“Absolutely certain. Do you want more coffee ? I think I’m going to make myself a second one.”
“I’m good.”
Stéphane gets up to make a second bowl of coffee, and Gabriel keeps eating, humming happily while he does so. It makes his husband smile, and he can’t help but glance at him while sipping his coffee, leaning against the countertop. He feels so lucky to have fallen in love with Gabriel, and to have linked his life with the man for better or for worse.
“Are you alright ?” asks Gabriel to his husband, stunned by his silence
“I am.” grins Stéphane “I am enjoying this lazy morning with you, that’s all.”
“Come here, I want a kiss.”
Stéphane places his bowl on the table and joins Gabriel. His husband makes him sit down on his lap, and wraps an arm around his waist. He is finishing a croissant, and Stéphane takes advantage of his distraction to kiss him in the neck and behind the ear, sending a shiver down Gabriel’s spine.
“Hmmm.” moans Gabriel swallowing the last bite of his pastry “You know how much I like that.”
“I know.” replies Stéphane placing his hand on his partner’s cheek, and stroking it calmly “Do you realize how beautiful you look in the morning light ?”
“I realize how beautiful I sound in your voice, and that sounds amazing, honey.” whispers Gabriel pressing his lips on the mouth of his husband “Thank you. And to my eyes,” he adds “you look like the most handsome man in the world, but you know that already.”
“I do.” smirks Stéphane kissing him once more “You told me yesterday, in your sleep.”
“Oh, am I still speaking during my sleep ?” cringes Gabriel
“Oh yes !” exclaims his husband “But that’s adorable. And you only told extremely cute things.”
“I do hope so.”
They kiss each other once more, and Stéphane’s hand ends up at the back of Gabriel’s head, in his hair.
“You need a haircut, sweetheart.”
“I know.” nods Gabriel “It’s planned for whenever I have time this week.”
“I would do it to you, but we both know how badly it ended up last time.” chuckles Stéphane
“I’m never ever letting you cut my hair again, honey. No offense, but that was terrible.”
“I tripped, and the damage to your hair was minimal.” says Stéphane
“No.” argues Gabriel “Don’t even think about it.”
He shuts his husband up by kissing him with force on the mouth and Stéphane gives up. When they stop kissing he says :
“Go shower, I’ll take care of the dishes.”
“I really have the perfect man at home.” smiles Gabriel
“You cooked for me, it’s only normal that I take care of the dishes.”
Stéphane brings their empty plates to the sink, and he feels his husband’s hands slide on his hips, and the sweet lips of Gabriel in his neck.
“Join me when you’re done.” whispers Gabriel in his ear
“I will.” grins Stéphane “Don’t worry, I will.”
Gabriel plants one last kiss in his neck and flees into the bathroom, silently walking on the floor, the sound of his steps muffled by the socks he is wearing. Stéphane cleans the table, putting the reaminings of their breakfast into the fridge or cupboards, and the dishes into the dishwasher, before running after his husband. He can overhear the sound of the water running down, and Gabriel took his phone with him in the bathroom, and he put some music back on, Queen again, obviously. Stéphane enters into the steam-filled bathroom and closes the door after himself, ready to join his partner as he promised him he would…