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It was 5:37 am. Carlos was asleep, was being the operative word. Right now, he was trying to establish whether the noises were coming from his door or if the sun was just rising particularly loudly today. He sat up, swung his legs out of bed and rubbed his eyes. It took him a couple more seconds to decide to actually get up and see what was going on. Bare feet padded sleepily to the door and he put his eye to the peep hole.
“Cecil?” He opened the door and was greeted by his boyfriend, wearing an outfit a pinata would envy and waving his arms wildly, grinning. The scientist shifted out of the door frame and motioned for him to enter. In reply, Cecil entered, turned to face him and jumped up and down on the spot a couple of times. Carlos, despite having lived in Night Vale quite a while now, had the distinct thought that it was too early for this.
“Not that I don’t like your visits, and that is a really cute dress by the way, but why are you here Cecil?” More arm movements and a few twirls on the spot. The grin on Cecil’s face told him not to be worried, but it was distressing all the same. His boyfriend had important news to impart, but for some reason- Oh. Carlos remembered Cecil telling him about certain types of news that could only be passed on in the official town language: dance.
“Okay, so this is official news. Good official news.” Carlos stated, watching to see Cecil’s reaction. He just continued to repeat the same ‘dance’ he’d been doing ever since he arrived, but something in the way he moved his eyes confirmed his theory. The scientist scoured his mind for a list of what news needed this delivery method. God, he wished pens and paper weren’t illegal.
A lack of rapid movement drew his eyes to his boyfriend, who sighed dramatically and began the routine, slowly and in a way that made the whole tone of the dance patronising. Carlos mirrored the sigh.
“Can’t you just tell me, Ceec?” He rubbed his eyes again and Cecil just put even more patronising effort into his movements. “How about you use ‘dance’ in a way that involves acting out the news? Instead of standard dance, like a hybrid charades-dance?” He suggested helpfully, and Cecil paused, shrugged and started a new routine.
He pointed at his own chest.
“You?” He nodded, made a cross with his fingers and pointed at carlos.
“You and me?” He nodded again and started making complicated gestures which were supposed to be him putting things in a box, walking to Carlos’ apartment, unpacking and going to bed. Carlos gleaned no meaning from any of this. Cecil’s eyes lit up with an idea. He started again. Pointing at himself, then Carlos, then going to stand next to him and tracing the outline of a house with his finger in the air. The scientist’s face softened, and he turned to see his boyfriend.
“The city council approved our request to move in together?” He said it softly and in a voice of someone who is unsure of what they’re saying and afraid of the consequences of a mistake. Cecil put one finger on his nose and pointed at Carlos before being dragged into a near bone-crushing hug.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t just say it, protocol you know.” They stood staring at each other for a few moments before Carlos grinned again.
“So, where are we gonna live? I mean, I’d be okay moving in with you, or you could come here or-” Cecil cut him off with a short kiss.
“We can move anywhere, Sweet. We can even go house hunting today if you like, but I woke you and you seem tired.”
“I only went to bed at 2:30, I was busy doing science.” Cecil looked mockingly disapproving.
“And that’s okay, how about we go back to sleep for a while and when we wake up we can start looking for a place to move to?” Carlos nodded and was gratefully pulled along into his own bed and swept into Cecil’s arms.
“Hey, Cecil?” He murmured sleepily.
“Hmmm,” The Voice hummed in reply.
“Let’s not get a condo.” Cecil felt a smile as his boyfriend snuggled into his chest and he whispered in his ear.
“Good Night, Carlos. Good night.”