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Hank was being shaken awake and he didn't like that. He wanted to sleep his beauty sleep and wake up of his own volition but apparently he was being shaken awake and had no control over it, so he opened his eyes.
When he opened his eyes he saw Francis was standing above him, hands on his shoulders. So he was the culprit. His dusty brown hair fell into his face in a mess of curls but even so, and even with the sleep still hanging onto his lashes, Hank could see the glimmer of his boyfriend's eyes as they watched him intently.
"What is it, love?" he asked in a low raspy voice. Francis made a little sound, a little barely audible gasp and climbed off Hank. The sheets rustled as he sat back on his side of the bed. "Is something wrong? Are you not sleeping well?"
Francis shifted in bed. He was sitting upright and Hank turned his head to get a better look at him. He squinted as the room was still dark. It was summer, he remembered, so it must have been very early still.
"No, Hank, nothing's wrong, I… good morning, Hank," he elected to say, picking his words with care.
"Good morning, beauty." Hank yawned and stretched his arms, then his legs under the covers. "Isn't it a little early to be awake at this hour, though? What time is it?"
Francis turned slowly and picked up the clock from the nightstand. The time read 4:07AM.
"That's a little too early for both of us, I think. Come on, Francy." He stretched his hand out and grabbed the other's hand, pulling him back in the resting position. Physically, Francis did not oppose, as his body came down on the mattress, slotting in place next to Hank and Hank turned on his side, wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's torso and pulled him flush against his own until their noses touched. A small, malcontented huff escaped Francis' mouth.
"Go back to sleep."
"No, Hank, listen, I w-" his words were cut off with a small kiss. "No," another kiss. "Come o-" another.
Francis wiggled his hand free of Hank's and brought it up to interpose between their mouths. "I woke us up because."
"Because."
"Because… Iiiiiiii… would like to go on a walk with you."
There was silence for a moment. In the darkness of the room that would be starting to lift away any moment now, Hank's eyebrows noticeably raised.
"At this hour?"
"Yes!" Francis pried himself from the other man's body and stood up again. "I've been waiting for this all night ever since I got the idea yesterday. The excitement has barely let me doze off a couple of times."
He shot up off the bed in an instant, making his way to the window to pull the curtains aside. On the horizon of the starry summer night sky a very soft change of color was already noticeable, a delicate peach melting with the deep blue ever so slightly.
Francis glued his face to the glass. "Oh, no, we're already late! Come on! It is going to be wondrous!" Just as quickly he spun on his heels to look at his boyfriend with puppy eyes. "You'll see what I mean by that, I promise," his expression softened and eyebrows shifted and Hank thought he looked so sad his heart melted in his chest and in an instant of his own he sat up, sweeping the covers off himself.
"You better make me the best coffee I'll ever have after we get back."
It looked as though the sun had moved from the sky to rise on Francis' face. His eyes crinkled and he looked so very happy and Hank was surprised at how much his already melted heart could be turned to mush by Francis.
"Alright, come on then!" Francis pranced over to grab Hank and swiftly pull him out of the bedroom into the hallway. They dodged furniture and other small items strewn around the house that had yet to be cleaned up from the evening before.
Once at the front door, Hank went to retrieve the keys from the wallet which was sitting somewhere in a coat on the hanger, which was where he always put it regardless of whether he wore the coat or not. Francis was waiting for him, slightly bouncing in place. When Hank bent down to put on a pair of slippers he was stopped.
"Don't put shoes on."
"??"
"Truuust meeee, your feet are gonna feel so good!" Francis stomped his feet on the floor twice. "Isn't it so hot inside? Isn't it stuffy? It's going to be cool outside. The feeling of cool concrete as you step out at this moment of day is unmatched."
Hank nodded perplexed but still determined to follow through with what he was being told. Unlocking the front door, he swung it open and immediately felt himself dragged again after an eager Francis. As they stepped across the porch, Hank's bare feet took in the scratchy feeling of wood on his soles. They were both wearing a tank top and boxers and nothing else and Hank felt the much different air on his arms and legs.
The concrete was indeed preserving a comfortable temperature, which was very pleasant to the touch. The morning air was, unlike the heavy afternoon air, light and refreshing and the breeze caressing the skin invigorated even the most tired of senses. Many birds were already up and chirping, even though the sky was still littered with stars and Hank looked up to see the Ursa Major still there. Francis let out a long breathy sigh and let himself fall down on his rear. Once on the ground, he laid down fully on his back. His head was on the lawn.
"Hank… The sky's so pretty from here." he gestured for him to join.
They both sat there for a while, relishing in the cool sensation seeping into their bodies as they gazed up into the silky blue abyss together. It was dizzying, to be aware that they were essentially looking down into vast space. "What if we fell off the earth now?" Hank joked, turning his head to look at Francis. Francis was mesmerized by the light show yet still found an answer to get Hank's head spinning even more
"We'd still be together," and Hank felt like he couldn't take it anymore. He rose from the ground and propped himself up on his elbows trying to steady himself.
"Let's go and see the neighborhood."
Francis agreed. "Let's."
At one point, they ended up walking with each other's arms wrapped around their waists, and Francis sometimes leaning in on Hank to press small kisses to his right temple. The trees' branches moved in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly. The sunrise was in front of them as they went, and gradually, Hank and Francis could see the sky turn a medley of hues until the sun finally decided to show up.
"Huh, funny, I always thought the sun was right here with me," Hank muttered to himself, loud enough for the other to hear, to which he received a tiny chuckle in response. "What?"
"Nothing. I just," Francis sighed again, he had been doing a lot of sighing today, "thank you for agreeing to come. Isn't it nice? I've been going out on my own before sometimes, but I never imagined it would be this much more fun with you."
Realization dawned on Hank. "So this is why I sometimes wake up without you next to me?" They stopped in their tracks and he turned to look at Francis. "Honey, I want you to wake me up at any hour. Take me on promenades whenever. I'd love to go with you, seriously."
Francis blushed, embarrassed at the very passionate public display of affection like the street was not deserted and he was not the one giving the kisses every other second. Slowly, Hank brought him in for a kiss on the lips.
"Okay, Hank. Message received. Loud and clear."
"Thank you." He grinned. He reached and brushed his fingers against his partner's cheek and rubbed their noses together.
"I love you so much."
Hank laughed and kissed him again.