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Before Ed even managed to open his eyes, he felt a small, strangely regular, warm breeze hit the back of his neck. Purely on instinct, he tugged at his blanket to shield his neck from the sensation, but it hadn't moved an inch.
Not sure if he should be more annoyed or angry at the blanket's inability and pure refusal to cooperate, he opened one of his eyes and tried sitting up to see where the problem was.
"It's four in the morning, love. Come on, back to sleep," a voice behind him said as the person pulled Ed into his embrace, and Ed felt his soul leaving his body for a short moment before he realised who it was.
"Ben! Why are you here?!" Ed said, still not fully understanding what was happening and why Ben was suddenly home when he was supposed to arrive a few days later.
"Cuddles and sleep now, talk later," Ben mumbled, pulling Ed even closer to him, planting small kisses on Ed's nape.
"But-"
"Shh, sleep."
Ed wanted to protest more, but with every kiss he received, he was less and less able to think, let alone form words.
He relaxed back down, and after Ben's small, possessive bite on Ed's neck between the kisses, Ed felt himself drifting back to sleep, snuggled in Ben's protective hug.
"Ed!" Ben said loudly as he gently shook Ed, waking him up from his slumber.
"Let me sleep," Ed mumbled, hiding his head under the blanket to block out the sunlight that was hitting his face through the open window. "It's four in the morning," he said, quoting Ben.
He somewhat knew it wasn't and that he fell asleep before, but his brain was barely awake and too sleepy for it to fully grasp the concept of time yet.
"It's almost ten. Breakfast is ready, it will get cold if you don't get up," Ben said as Ed heard him shuffling around their bedroom. "I've brought something for you from the trip."
"And what is it?" Ed asked, now all ears. He sure wouldn't say no when it comes to a gift, let alone from Ben.
"Stick your hand out, and you'll find out."
Although still a bit reluctant, curiosity got the best of him, and he slowly crept his hand from under the blanket.
Before he could even register what was happening, he was already being pulled from the bed by his hand, grasping for all the pillows they had on their bed with his other, hoping they would somehow magically become glued to the bed and save Ed from Ben's irrepressible and larklike energy.
"You traitor!" Ed complained, but to no avail, as goosebumps from the cold aired room covered his body, which was clothed only in pants.
As Ed was clinging onto a small cushion that he managed to quickly snatch, Ben scooped him up in his arms. For stability, Ed wrapped his legs around Ben's hips, nuzzling his head on Ben's shoulder, dropping the cushion down.
Ed didn't even know or care now where he was being carried; all that mattered to him was the comforting scent of the perfume Ben had on him and the warmth of Ben's body, one that Ed had missed so much when Ben was away.
Ben's embrace felt like everything Ed could have ever wished for. Ben could hug him countless times a day, and it would still never lose its charm for Ed. It felt like home—a place where he could be himself without any judgment, knowing his partner, lover, and friend always has his back.
"You're strong," Ed said, surprised as always at the ease with which Ben was carrying him.
"It's called practice. And you're just very light," Ben chuckled as he carefully sat down on their sofa, putting Ed in his lap.
When they started dating, it took a lot of effort for Ed to feel comfortable sitting on Ben like this. He was always insecure about it, but that was now the past. It became the place he was happiest at. He felt like he belonged there, as if Ben's lap was specifically designed for Ed to sit there.
"I missed you," Ed whispered as Ben was playing with Ed's soft, greying hair, combing it with his fingers.
"I was gone only a few days," Ben chuckled and pulled Ed away a bit, carefully removing the sleepies from the corners of Ed's eyes.
The length didn't matter. Ed was so used to the two of them being and living together that, even after just a few days of Ben's absence, he missed him as if they were never to see each other again.
"Five days,…two hours and 24 minutes," Ed said after trying his hardest to focus his eyes on the clock behind them. "Inexcusable. But why did you come early?"
"You're cheeky today, aren't you? The last gig got cancelled. Some technical difficulties. I thought about texting you, but I wanted to surprise you."
"You almost gave me a heart attack, though! And pulling me out of bed was mean!" Ed exclaimed as he crossed his arms in a pretend anger, turning his head away.
"Would a kiss fix that?" Ben said, gently grabbing Ed's chin in his hand and making Ed face him again. As Ed opened one of his eyes, he saw Ben glancing at Ed's lips, which were still cracked from the night before, and then looking back into his eyes.
"You can try, but no promises," Ed said and went in for the kiss, but Ben managed to stop him just a few short seconds before their lips met.
Ed, frustrated at the absence of contact of their lips, let out a small and annoyed groan. He was sure he would not survive another second without feeling his lips on Ben's.
"Show me you deserve the kiss by being good and eating your breakfast," Ben whispered, and, after giving a small peck on Ed's cheek, he pushed him from his lap and handed him a plate with his breakfast.
Ed knew there was no getting past Ben, and so he gave up and hastily ate the toast that Ben made him, finishing quicker than Ben. He was taking his time, and with every Ben's bite, Ed got more and more impatient.
The promise of a kiss lingered in his brain as he was fidgeting impatiently with his hands. Ben must be doing this on purpose, he thought. Ben may not seem like it to other people, but Ed and Ed only was aware of how big of a tease he is.
The second Ben finished his tea and put the mug down, Ed climbed back in Ben's lap and pressed his lips on Ben's.
The kiss was desperate and messy, and their lips still tasted of cherry tea, but Ed didn't care. He needed Ben, and he knew Ben needed him.