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Edward’s day began when he heard Bruce’s key turn in the lock of his apartment’s door.
It was Edward’s day off and he had been bored all day. When he had woken up, Bruce was already gone. He had stayed in bed, reading a few chapters of the book he had gotten the day before, before he had gotten too hungry and made himself breakfast.
As he had passed by the decently sized cage that was harboring his five rats, he realized that Bruce must have already fed them before he left. Edward had taken his time to gently pet every single one of them. He loved his rats. Before he met Bruce, his little companions had been his best and only friends. And he loved that Bruce recognized this. He treated them with just as much love as Edward did. He even learned all their names. It was one of the reasons Edward fell so hard for him.
They had been dating for a while now. Two months and four days exactly. Edward was secretly keeping track. When Bruce asked, Edward pretended having to calculate the exact time in his head first but in reality, he remembered every morning when he woke up.
Of course he knew that Bruce would never be weirded out or laugh at him for keeping track like that, especially since he was aware of how much Edward liked dates and numbers. Observing them, recognizing patterns, even just keeping them in his head was oddly comforting for Edward.
Bruce probably already knew that he was doing it and the whole calculation every time was just for show, but Edward felt like he still didn’t have to admit it outright. Maybe he was saving that for a special occasion, or something.
He gave Bruce the key around the one month mark. On day 32 of their relationship, to be exact. One month and two days. This might have been considered a bit too early for such a big step but Bruce was staying with Edward most nights anyway. In Edward’s mind, it only made sense for Bruce to have a key, so he could leave when Edward was already gone or come home, when Edward wasn’t there yet.
Bruce had taken Edward to see his own place a couple of times, but they both agreed that they preferred Edward’s. Edward liked being surrounded by things that were familiar to him. He never felt like he could move freely when they were at Bruce’s place. Bruce said that Edward’s apartment felt more homey. Also, that’s where the rats were. So they settled on staying at Edward’s and Bruce got his key.
The very key he was using to get into the apartment on this rainy november-afternoon. Edward had been sitting in front of his rats in his desk chair, reading his book, for most of the day. He quickly put the book away and turned the chair around, to greet his boyfriend.
“Bruce! You’re early!” Edward hurried to take the microwave-sized box Bruce was balancing off of him. “This is heavy!” He carefully put it on the floor. “What’s in there?”
“It’s a surprise” Bruce smiled while taking off his rain wet coat. “Hi”, he finally said and put a cold hand to Edward’s cheek to give him a chaste kiss. Edward couldn’t suppress a grin and immediately pulled him back in to kiss him a little longer.
“A surprise?”, he mumbled against Bruce’s lips, while putting his arms around his neck and gently carding through his hair there. Bruce pulled Edward even closer by the waist. “Hm”, he replied and kissed him again. “I’ll show you later”
One more kiss, and then they parted so Bruce could take off his heavy boots. He always insisted on wearing them, and Edward thought that was incredibly sexy of him. He had also worn them when they first met. They made Bruce a little taller than Edward.
“Do you want coffee?”, Edward asked, already on his way to the kitchen. “Sure!”, Bruce answered, while Edward was already filling water into the handy electric kettle that Bruce had brought into his life. Edward didn’t drink coffee and for the rare occasions when he actually needed hot water, he would just boil it on the stove. Bruce on the other hand was an avid coffee drinker. He had gotten sick and tired of having to wait “half of eternity”, as he described it, for his water to boil on the stove every morning and afternoon, after just the first week of being with Edward. He had gone to his place the very next day to retrieve the kettle and put it in Edward's kitchen. And Edward, who had learned how to brew coffee just for Bruce, found the kettle to be very convenient.
Just a few moments later, Bruce joined Edward in the kitchen, now wearing one of Edward’s hoodies and sweatpants. He hugged him from behind and placed his face in the crook of his neck, while Edward placed a coffee filter in Bruce’s favourite cup and filled it with ground coffee.
“Do you have a box cutter?”, Bruce asked against Edward’s neck. Edward finished pouring the hot water and put the kettle away, before he turned around in Bruce’s embrace. He slid his arms around Bruce’s neck and pressed a short peck against his lips.
“What do you need a box cutter for?”
Bruce grinned. “For the box”
“For my surprise box?”
“For your surprise box”
“Will you finally show me what’s inside?”
“When you tell me if you have a box cutter”
“There should be one in one of the desk drawers”
“The one with the cards?”
Edward smiled and nodded, before letting Bruce go to look for the box cutter. The way Bruce knew his way around the apartment made him feel warm.
“I found it!”
Edward sat down on the couch, the now freshly brewed cup of coffee in hand, while Bruce got the box from the floor and put it down next to him. He took the cup that Edward was handing him and planted a kiss on his forehead. “Thank you so much”, he said and he sounded so genuine in that moment that Edward was sure his heart would melt. He smiled up to Bruce, watching him take a sip and place the cup on the small book table next to the couch.
“Now close your eyes, Edward”, Bruce smiled expectantly at him and fidgeted nervously with the box cutter. “It’s not a real surprise if you can see everything”
And Edward, who knew he would do anything Bruce asked him to do, closed his eyes and put his hands in front of them, hiding his face and his excited smile.
He heard the clicking of the extending box cutter and the cutting through tape soon after.
Edward was very curious about what his surprise could be. He couldn’t remember mentioning anything to Bruce. Except maybe that tomato knife he had seen in a magazine a week ago. He had told Bruce about it that night, when they were already cuddled up in bed and still talked until they got tired, like every night. But the box was way too big and heavy for a knife like that.
Suddenly something heavy was carefully splayed over his lap. Edward heard the low thud of the box hitting the ground, the box cutter rattling inside of it. Then he felt the couch dip very close to him and Bruce’s arm around his back.
“You can look now” Bruce spoke so gently, he was so close to Edward’s ear. Edward could feel how the goosebumps spread over his entire body, as he took his hands away from his face, immediately reaching for Bruce’s hand, before he looked down onto his lap.
Bruce had spread a blanket over him. It had a comfortable weight to it and felt like a nice hug around his legs.
Edward looked up again to look at Bruce and squeezed his hand. “You got me a weighted blanket?” A smile was slowly spreading over his entire face.
Bruce nodded, sharing his smile. “Do you like it?”
“I love it! I always wanted one of these! Thank you, Bruce” He let go of his hand to put them both against his jaw and pull him in for a kiss. Bruce smiled into the kiss but pulled away a lot sooner than Edward would have liked. He tried to chase after his lips to keep kissing him. He could have done this all day.
Bruce lifted the blanket to situate himself under it next to Edward and pull him even closer. Edward was satisfied enough with that and took Bruce’s hand again. He started playing with his fingers.
“How did you know I wanted a weighted blanket?” Edward was convinced Bruce could read his mind in some way. He always somehow knew what he needed. Bruce knew he was hungry before Edward fully realized it. Sometimes he was thinking of getting a glass of water and Bruce was already on his way to the kitchen. And this time he had apparently sensed that Edward wanted a weighted blanket.
“I didn’t. I just thought you would enjoy one” Bruce turned his face to Edward’s and smirked. He was so close.
Edward had to bring his greatest efforts, not to get flustered right now. Sometimes he really couldn’t believe that Bruce was his boyfriend. Lately his life had been feeling like a dream that he was afraid he would wake up from any minute now. An almost 67 days long dream.
“I really do enjoy the blanket already”
Bruce gently started rubbing little circles into Edward’s hand. “I have one at my place too. I’ve had it for a few years, actually. It really helped me fall asleep, back when I used to sleep alone”
Edward nodded. He remembered Bruce telling him how sleep didn’t come easy to him. Back at the bar, when they were still strangers. It had gotten better when they started sleeping together.
“You mentioned how it helps you calm down at night, when I hold you or put my head on your chest. So I got you a blanket too. In case we ever have to spend a night apart. Or you want to take a nap while I’m gone. Which is much more likely.”
Bruce had been looking down at Edward’s hand for the entirety of his explanation. He slowly let his gaze wander up to Edward’s eyes. He was already staring at him. Bruce smiled nervously.
“I love you”
Edward didn’t know he would say it before he did. The words just burst out of him. He almost stumbled his way through them, his mind completely empty, except this one thought, solidifying itself more and more by the second.
Bruce didn’t say anything at first. Then he slowly started to nod.
“I’ve been loving you for a while now, Edward”
But Edward already knew. He knew, because Bruce greeted his rats every morning, addressing them all by name. He knew, because Bruce would sometimes bring him cool buttons he found. He knew, because Bruce was concerned about potential sleep Edward could lose.
It was evident in every touch. In every kiss. In every look.
“I’ve been counting the days that we’ve been together. Every morning when I wake up, it’s the first thing I do. I calculate it in my head every morning, even though I could just add one day to the number from the day before but I really want to get it right. Today is day 66. I’ve known that I love you since day 10.”
Bruce listened while Edward talked. Another point on the long list of “because”s.
And when Edward was done, Bruce took his hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. Every single one. It felt like a confession, an affirmation, and a promise.
Edward knew he would keep it.
“What’s something you really want to do in your life?”, Bruce asked him later. They were already in bed, the weighted blanket spread over them. “It doesn’t matter if it’s unrealistic or even unachievable. I just want to know about your biggest dreams”
Edward made a thoughtful humming noise. He shuffled a little closer to Bruce, who invitingly lifted his arm to let him lay his head on his shoulder. Edward’s fingers lightly brushed over Bruce’s chest.
“I don’t know. I’ve never really had great plans or aspirations. I have so much more right now than I ever thought I would get. I have a steady income. The heating in my apartment works. My super attractive boyfriend, who I love so very much, is asking me existential questions at 10:30 at night.”
They both chuckled.
“Seriously Bruce, I’m constantly scared to wake up one day and find out that I made it all up. That it’s all just a very realistic, devastatingly beautiful dream. I cannot believe that you really love me back. You’re almost too good to be true”
“I feel the same way sometimes”, Bruce admitted. “Everything makes sense when I’m with you. My life feels like it has meaning, suddenly. You’re like the second half of a jigsaw puzzle. My perfect match. It really almost seems too good to be true. But I know that it is. True, I mean."
Edward didn’t know what to reply to that. He felt hot all over. Almost feverish. He simply pressed himself closer against Bruce, who lightly squeezed him in return. It was quiet for a while.
“You haven’t told me your biggest dream yet”, Edward finally said.
Bruce began to smile sheepishly. “It’s a little stupid”
A grin spread over Edward’s face. “I don’t care! You said it yourself, it doesn’t matter if it’s unrealistic”
Bruce laughed. He still sounded a little embarrassed. “Alright…I really want to get married one day. It’s not just the act, it’s more about the symbol of loving and being with someone for my entire life, until the day I die. But it’s also about the act. It seems like a beautiful experience. I guess, I’m just a hopeless romantic at heart”
Edward’s grin had only widened, while Bruce spoke. He propped himself onto one arm to be able to look at Bruce properly. He smiled down at him.
“You are. Very romantic and very hopeless. But what you want is not stupid at all. And also not very unrealistic”
Bruce raised his hand and gently put it against Edward’s cheek. He lazily started stroking it with his thumb, while he listened. Edward leaned into the touch.
“It sounds very beautiful, actually. It sounds like something, I would want too”
A dreamy smile appeared back on Bruce’s face. “Would you, Edward?”
“I would”
Bruce stopped stroking his cheek and lovingly pulled him down for a kiss. Edward nearly melted into him, when Bruce pushed a hand into his hair.
“See? Now you have a great plan and an aspiration” He whispered against Edward’s lips before reconnecting them with his own.
An excited laugh bubbled out of Edward. “What? Marrying my super attractive boyfriend, who I love so very much?”
Instead of answering, Bruce just kissed him again.
He didn’t have to say anything.
Because Edward already knew.