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Hands crossed tightly behind his head, blanketed in white hair, Noe closed his eyes to breathe in the warmth around him. cinnamon pricked his nose, and gentle footsteps his ears. as he stretched, his eyes squeezed shut tighter to protect his fragile waking moments from the reach of the sun's daily chore. the footsteps in the next room stayed distant but felt near in their snug hotel suite; they landed with the tune of a busy man's bustle, a soft hum to match. the air held up gifts for his senses as well, offering notes of the clove and cinnamon that cozy up with buttery hints of a pastry.
it was all too good to hide under the covers from.
popping an eye open only revealed the usual absence of his lover. he scoffed, seeing the absence as a curious but welcome one, and wondered what the human could be up to.
"Vanitas..." whether a question or a call, it fell to the sheets unheard. Noe frowned.
as it's said, "curiosity killed the cat," but this one only stretched it's back lazily and sat upright in search of sustenance. nothing "killed" but the chill of the floorboards pressed his foot outstretched foot back into hiding.
in the other room, the familiar clanking of bowls and pans crescendoed without warning, followed by the shrill hiss of a cat made of more spite than curiosity: murr. the obscenities following this calamity pulled noe up and out of the bedroom, a sweater finding its way around his shoulders despite the rush.
"What was that?! Are you-"
"That...unforgivable rat!" was what cut off noe's concern. He had to mask his amusement as the scene of the crime unfolded in little purple stains left behind in the shape of paw prints.
berries of all shapes, sizes, and colors reached every corner of the oak floor, their empty bowl wedged tightly in Vanitas' left arm, as his right gathered the mess in a flurry.
"Dont...dont come closer...that woke you, huh, Noe?" a disappointment coated his faux fury, his palm resting across his eyes in dramatic defeat. Noe's answer was only in his knees bending to join his lover on the ground, a hand reaching to save the bowl from its strangulation in Vanitas' elbow, and fingers returning every unsquashed morsel back to safety within.
Noe, about to apologize for murr, didn't get a word out before his stomach growled angrily at them both. Vanitas couldn't help but drop his irritated act in amusement as their eyes met; Noe's face suddenly seemed like it'd be quite warm to the touch, his sleepy eyes flashing wide in surprise at himself. The two knackered men crouching on the floor soon transformed to two simple young men sharing a moment of quiet laughter at their dilemmas
"I knew I was hungry, but goodness! What -are- you baking, mon cheri?! it smells exquisite...can i...may i...help you?" a grin punctuated his question, and left them to the task at hand. Vanitas gave a small nod, berry-brightened fingertips couldn't help but find each other as the mess was re-gathered.
in further response, a grumble. a huff. Vanitas suddenly spun back up to stand at the stove, busying himself with what had been baking initially. "I- this was going to be...well, it -is-..."
Noe had long cracked the code. Vanitas wanted to surprise him with breakfast. The only appropriate reaction as this dawned on him was to hover eagerly, bowl in hand, while his heart skipped over itself; he was giddy for a taste of this love, disguised in the cloak of a buttery brown crepe. His voice shifted octaves in the rush of excitement
"Crepes! and so many! The berries will be perfect with them once they're rinsed! allow me, Vanitas..." Noe jumped to the task, hoping to wash away Vanitas's disappointment as easily as rinsing the few cat furs from the remaining berries.
the soft smile responding to this wasnt lost from Noe's sight, though Vanitas' face had only peered back down at the griddle when Noe peeked over at the rising tower of crepes.
A sigh, a "c'est la vie," and the flip of another crepe filled the silence of each task as they wrapped up; noe placing the rinsed berries to shine under the sun on the kitchen table, and Vanitas topping off the stack with the last of the batter.
Noe resisted embracing his beloved sweets-provider at the moment, should he disrupt the process, but couldn't help hovering like a baby bird despite his better judgment. "merci, vanitas...merci beacoup!"
a nonchalant "go sit down, they're almost ready" in response could have sounded harsher, had vanitas not been steeped in this sudden gratitude and overwhelmed with its sweetness. sincerity -would- appear to be a weakness of his.
as far as Noe's weakness, his sweet tooth was certainly no mystery; obedience came quite easily where sugar and an empty stomach were involved. so, deciding to listen to his request, noe sat eagerly with both hands on his lap, watching as the approaching breakfast platter rest snugly next to the berry bowl, all glistening with more than just the sunlight and sugar.