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A silent but noticable tingle on his arm.
Stuck in the comfort of the fluffy blanket Loki convinced him to buy.
Hugo's eyelashes fluttered, his eyes unwilling but slowly opening. There was an unnatural light filling their shared apartment that he couldn't help but wake up to.
Hugo slowly pushed himself up, sluggish and still carrying the accumulated heat of the blanket he warmed.
Ostinato, rhymithic breaths can be heard beside him.
Not directly beside.
On a whole other bed.
Hugo takes a glace at the dark figure laying on it, so close yet too far. Hugo couldn't help but think that just one bed would be enough for the both of them.
He gently swings his legs off the comforting hug of his blanket, quiet but intentional. Almost subconsciously, he walks towards the unclosed, tall glass door which reveals a picture perfect frame of Paris in the dark, the light pollution causing Hugo to recoil for a short moment to adjust his eyes.
He got up to inspect the light and close the balcony door.
Yet he found himself only completing one of those tasks, not even in the way he intended.
Sighing, Hugo looked at the small box he took from his table drawer.
Loki didn't like him smoking.
So he did it in secret, at least, he tried to.
Pulling out an electrical lighter, small but effective, Hugo brings it near the tip of the slender cylinder resting between his lips.
Hugo doesn't even like smoking. He understands the negative impacts this habit could have on him. He knows its unhealthy, especially for a world class soccer player like him.
Once a month, he tells himself.
Maybe its a routine that grounds him, or a habit that helps him think. He personally is still looking for a reason.
Taking a lazy drag, he leans on the luxurious glass railings, looking at a view a normal workperson would give anything to see.
He counts the number of windows he sees on the familiar, run down apartment complex, significant in his eyes.
"Un, deux, trios, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit..."
He unconsciously counts it out loud, a little louder than he intended, but still unhearable to anyone sleeping.
Unhearable to Loki sleeping.
His focus reaches the corner-topmost window.
"...Vingt duex."
Taking the ciggarette off his lips, he spins it around with his fingers, like he does with a pen. Theres not much to do when you've been stuck looking same picture time and time again.
He spots a flashy orange sports car racing along the interwining roads. It was going solo, likely without care as it was extremely late, indicating no supervision from the police.
It looks just like Loki's car.
Hugo mentally notes. A reminder that he should get back inside soon.
He takes a final drag before lackadaisically putting the light of the tip out on the railing and flicking it off to wherever it could possibly land below.
Hugo stood there idly for a second, impassivly noting about how he had to brush his teeth and put on perfume before going back to bed.
He spun around, ready to fall back on soft sheets and stare at Loki until he fell back to sleep again.
"Hugo, what on earth are you doing out here...its late."
Loki mumbled, standing beside the glass door rubbing his eyes.
He just woke up, and hasen't processed anything Hugo had just done.
"Smoking." Hugo didn't find the point to lie. He never found the heart to lie to his destiny anyway.
Loki's eyes widened as he frowned.
"Huh? Didn't I tell you to quit already? You were going one month without smoking, right?"
"I smoke once every month." Hugo responded bluntly, taking small steps back into the apartment, still mantaining eye contact with Loki.
"Muef...then you aren't addicted if you can control yourself! Can't you quit now?" Loki continued, fully awake now, already walking back to his bed.
Hugo hummed in acknowledgement. He didn't want to make a promise he knew he couldn't keep. Loki's brows furrowed at the lack of response, but probably decided it was not worth nagging instead of getting his sleep hours, getting back on his bed.
Closing the balcony door, Hugo proceeded to follow the order he went through mentally. Brush teeth, perfume, sleep.
♡
Hugo picked up his trusty perfume, scented rose wine, and pumped it exactly two times on his sweater. He sets it back on his desk, at the same place as it always was.
He automatically replayed the scene with Loki in his head, wondering what he possibly could have did that would wake him up. He made minimal noise when getting up, he closed the balcony door when he went out, he-
Hugo left the curtains open. The same, bright, artificial light must have woken Loki up too.
"Beep...I usually close the curtains by habit when I go out..." Hugo murmured to himself, not noticing that Loki was still awake, observing him from his bed, in boredom.
"Hugo. Come here?"
Soft but sure, Loki spoke from his covers.
Hugo, hearing that familiar voice, immediately complied by instinct, walking over to Loki.
There was a moment of silence before Hugo reached Loki's bed, which he used to think about how much he'd want to sleep with his beloved. Not like the relationship has been officialised. Loki still hasn't said anything about it.
"Hugo, what time is it?"
Aftet hearing Loki's question, Hugo strode towards his phone laying on the bedside counter.
"4am, Loki."
Hugo loved how his name flowed so smoothly on his tongue. It was as if it was meant to be there. Meant to be his, foreve-
"Get on." Loki interrupted- no, a welcome diversion on Hugo's now insignificant train of thoughts.
"On your bed?" Hugo needed to confirm. Couldn't risk the chance of Loki misunderstanding by getting on by accident.
"...Nevermind. Goodnight, Hugo." The almost annoyed sounding man turned his back, no longer facing him.
Hugo could only read Loki sometimes.
That sometimes includes now.
Hugo shamelessly moved without hesitation, sitting on Loki's bed.
Loki clearly felt the shift, rolling over to face that red haired french, a looking a little irritated that Hugo didn't process his last sentence.
"I said nevermind. Get out." Loki said half-heartedly, giving Hugo a gentle kick under the covers. He did want Hugo there though. The slight flush on his face told Hugo everything he needed to know.
"Please?" Hugo tried his best to plead but it came out more monotone than he expected. This was the closest he got to his desires.
And he wanted more.
"...If you insist, sure I guess."
Hugo faced Loki's side, but Loki faced the other.
Loki broke that comfortable silence Hugo was enjoying. Not that he was complaining about hearing his voice, though.
"So, are you going to quit smoking or?"
"I don't plan to..."
"I'm sure you know the effects, Hugo."
Loki turned to face him.
Hugo paused to admire Julian's features up close.
Silence.
"...I love you too, Hugo."
"And I wouldn't want my midfielder to die early." Loki joked.
Hugo's eyes widened. He could almost see the sparks and glitter float around, acompanied with a glowing heart filter. His brain didn't account for this unexpected statement. After all, he thought a divine being like Julian would never return his feelings. He already mentally filed his own confession as rejection. (He confessed on the first day he met Loki on practice because... it was destiny.)
"Sure. I would quit for you." Hugo responded as soon as he processsed it. He's not even aware of how red he is. And if he did, he probably wouldn't care. All that matters right now is Loki.
"Good." Julian smiled, trying to surpress his laughter at how red Hugo has gotten in a span of a few seconds.
Just as Hugo was close to grounding himself completely and downloading this moment into his long term memory, Julian Loki placed a kiss on his cheek.
Hugo immediately wanted to peel that part of his cheek out and save in a bottle to admire for eternity.
He didn't move. Instead, he stared at Loki with those wide, abyssal eyes in admiration and pure love.
Loki swore he could see sparkles and mini Hugos in there dancing.
A few minutes passed without Hugo moving. Loki sighed, the gentle, genuine smile still pasted on his face.
"Bonne nuit, Hugo."
Hugo had more then a good night.