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“Wriothesley...” Neuvillette begins, a lilt of uncertainty in his voice.
“Hmm?” Wriothesley looks up from where he’s smoothing down the bed sheets and over at the Iudex, who stands at the sink in their adjoined bathroom wearing only his underwear, a dress shirt not yet buttoned, and a frown on his reflection in the mirror.
Neuvillette doesn’t reply. Wriothesley takes this opportunity to walk over, stopping at the bathroom entrance and leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. He observes Neuvillette through the mirror as the other’s eyes skim up and down his own reflection, as he turns to one side, then the other, raising tentative fingers to his belly and pressing down.
“Have you noticed a change in my appearance?” Neuvillette finally asks, locking eyes with Wriothesley in the mirror.
“A change?” Wriothesley asks. “Like what?”
Another pause, and Wriothesley notices Neuvillette’s cheeks flush an endearing shade of pink. “My... belly. My hips.” Neuvillette breaks his gaze away, opting to stare at the shower curtain instead.
A small smile crosses Wriothesley’s face. “Hmm. Let’s find out.” He takes the few steps needed to press his chest against Neuvillette’s back, warm skin meeting soft fabric, and slides his palms beneath Neuvillette’s shirt to rest above his waist.
He then strokes down the soft expanse of Neuvillette’s torso, fingers gliding over plush hips and stopping once he feels them curve into Neuvillette’s underwear.
Love handles.
He then slides his palms to Neuvillette’s belly, pressing his thumbs into skin. He feels a soft, plush layer covering the firm muscle beneath, enough to take between his fingers and gently pinch.
A clear sign that the Iudex has been eating regularly, not just sporadic or half-forgotten meals, and relaxing in between his endless duties.
“Feels like you got some pudge here,” Wriothesley murmurs, fond.
“Pudge?” Neuvillette echoes.
“Yeah. A bit of fat. It’s nothing to be concerned about, though.” He presses a gentle kiss to the groove of Neuvillette’s neck, keeping his voice level behind his growing smile and the warmth blossoming in his chest.
“I see...” Neuvillette responds, his voice low, still contemplative.
Wriothesley cocks his head to look past Neuvillette and at their reflections in the mirror. “You don’t like it?”
“I neither like nor dislike it,” Neuvillette responds. Ever so impartial. “It’s simply... strange to me.” He meets Wriothesley’s eyes in the mirror again with a small frown. “My body has held the same shape for hundreds of years. I’m not exactly certain why it started to change now.”
Wriothesley thinks back to all the dinner dates they went on. The lunches he would bring to Neuvillette’s desk when he knows the other forgot to eat. The evenings Neuvillette spent nuzzled in Wriothesley’s arms, satiated and sleepy after a warm meal Wriothesley cooked for him.
Wriothesley’s chest rumbles against Neuvillette’s back as he laughs. “Well, they say weight gain is normal in a happy relationship.”
He turns Neuvillette around in his arms to look at him face to face, meets those pensive lilac eyes with affection. “You’ve been eating good. Relaxing more. For someone who’s been all but glued to his work for hundreds of years, I’d say this is a welcome change.”
Something new and earnest flickers in Neuvillette’s eyes. “Is that so?”
“It is.” Wriothesley strokes Neuvillette’s hips, enjoying the newfound softness. “I’m glad you’re taking better care of yourself.” With a teasing lilt, he adds, “And I know how much you enjoy all those soups I cook for you.”
There’s that endearing shade of pink again. Wriothesley can’t help but kiss Neuvillette, soft on his lips, and the warmth inside him blooms deeper when he feels Neuvillette relax into the kiss.
Before long, Neuvillette pulls away, deep in thought as he considers Wriothesley’s words. “Perhaps you’re right,” he finally says. He gives his reflection one last look in the mirror. “If this is the case, then... I cannot say I mind this change, either.”
Wriothesley responds with another pleased kiss to his cheek. As much as he would love to stay and admire Neuvillette’s body further, he knows they both have places to be, and the Iudex must finish dressing.
So instead, he asks, “How about we go to Café Lutece for lunch?”
Neuvillette’s lips curve into a small, eager smile. “I would like that very much.”