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Bdubs and Etho were laying on the giant double bed in Bdubs house. Etho had agreed to stay over at his boyfriend's base for this weekend's date night, and they had just arrived back home again after eating out. (Neither had wanted to ruin the mood with their terrible cooking skills)
They laid face to face, both on their side. Bdubs having his elbow propped beneath him so he could better look at his boyfriend, while Etho just looked up.
"When will you take off that pesky mask of yours?" Bdubs whines impatiently, "I wanna see your pretty little face, I really wanna kiss you, you know."
Etho sighed, Bdubs had been asking about it for quite a while now, but Etho just… he didn't feel comfortable to, he didn't want Bdubs to leave because of what he looked like beneath.
"But Bdubs…" His mouth was dry as he tried finding the words, the reason that didn't just sound the same as all times before, "I- I-"
The words, they really weren't there, he'd been able to postpone the moment for quite a while already, but Bdubs had started finding counters to all his reasons.
"What is it Etho? You can tell me, I wanna know." Bdubs immediately said curiously, almost eager as soon as Etho let the silence fall again.
"I-" His voice cracked as tears started to well up behind his eyes, "I'm scared" He admitted, speaking words he didn't even know he was holding back until they were already out of his mouth and into the open.
"Scared of what?" Bdubs asked, surprise apparent in his voice. Had he really not realized it? Considered it might be the real reason?
"That it'll disappoint you." His voice turned into a mumble as tears fell from his eyes, "That it won't be what you expect, and that you'll think I'm ugly and leave."
Bdubs scooted closer as he wrapped his legs around Etho and carefully whipped the tears from his face.
"Look at me Etho, I love you, I care about you, I really do. I won't leave you, and there's no way you're ugly, I promise." The response was firm, not a flicker of doubt or hesitation to be heard in the entirety of the promise he was making.
Etho didn't respond, not vocally, but he wrapped himself around Bdubs and just stared him in the face. Waiting for Bdubs to do something, to make a move. See if he would actually persist.
His boyfriend moved slowly, putting a hand on the back of the fox hybrid's head where the mask was tied together. Giving him gentle head scratches there to give him the chance to back out of it.
But he didn't, just kept looking at Bdubs while waiting to see what would happen. Slowly feeling the piece of cloth being slipped away from his face and Bdubs breath hitting his cheek directly. Holding his breath as he waited to see how his boyfriend would respond.
Bdubs let his eyes wander for a moment, taking in the face he had needed to wait so long to see. There was a scar from his nose to his chin which made it difficult for him to close his mouth completely as the flesh was pulled back, and through that tiny gap Bdubs could see the sharp canine teeth in his mouth.
"You're-" He tried finding a word that did right to what his eyes were seeing, but couldn't think of anything just right, going for the closest instead, "Beautiful"
Etho shaked his head, "No, I'm not." He said stubbornly, "You're just saying that to make me feel better, there's no need to lie for me."
"Nu-uh" He moved closer, closing in the last distance that was still left between the two of their faces, "You. Are. Beautiful." He said slowly as he put emphasis on every word.
The fox hybrid tried to protest once more, but got interrupted when Bdubs pressed a kiss against his scar and softly whispered 'beautiful' against it.
It made Etho chuckle, "You like that huh." Bdubs said as he pulled his head back just enough to be able to see Etho's face clearly again.
Through the years since he had met Etho he had learned how to read his boyfriend's emotions by just his eyes. So with the rest of his face uncovered as well now, seeing how he was feeling was a piece of cake, children's play for him.
"You're silly." Etho eventually managed to respond. Bdubs took that as a yes, and continued littering his entire face with soft kisses, making sure to mumble 'beautiful' against every one of them.
And Etho's brain still tried to keep convincing him he wasn't beautiful, he wasn't deserving of this love at all, and that his boyfriend was just lying to him. That their relationship was having some greater benefit for the other and he was just being used in some way.
But honestly? With the sureness in Bdubs tone and the gentleness with his actions and his every move? It became rather hard to believe that little voice in his head, that devil on his shoulder.
He quite liked the warmth as well, his boyfriend had slowly shuffled to lay down onto his chest, his hot lips against his face and the glare hybrids moss cloak seemed to expand itself as it draped over the two of them like a blanket. (The actual blanket already tossed aside) What was there not to like?
Without even really thinking about it Etho curled his snowwhite tail around the other's leg, telling him to stay right there even when the kisses stopped and Bdubs yawned.
But by the time Bdubs looked up at his boyfriend's eyes again the other had already landed in the land of dreams, something which he decided was also quite a nice idea as he also fell asleep. A hand absently caressing Etho's cheek as arms wrapped the Bdubs to lay even tighter against his boyfriend.