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Ryan stirred at the sound of sheets rustling around him. He let out an involuntary sigh and burrowed further into his pillow, ready to go back to sleep, when it happened again. This time it was even more noticeable. He felt the blanket move away from his waist slightly.
He let out another sigh, not wanting to move so he could drift back to sleep faster, but the man beside him made it impossible.
So he finally cracked one eye open and let out a groan, but didn’t turn toward him yet. “Ollie,” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Please stop moving.”
“Sorry,” Oliver murmured, his voice hoarse from sleep. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Then don’t,” Ryan said and closed his eye again. “Go back to sleep.”
“Can’t,” Oliver said simply and moved even more now that Ryan was awake. “Can’t go back to sleep.”
Ryan let out yet another groan. Sleep was slipping further away with each sentence. “Why not, babe?” He finally turned and opened his eyes to look at Oliver.
Oliver was half-sitting in bed, his hair a mess of curls, and his face sleep-puffed. He shrugged and made a failed attempt to brush his curls back. It only made them messier.
“Not sure,” Oliver said. “Hungry, maybe?”
Ryan let out a sleepy chuckle and closed his eyes. But his hand moved across the sheets, resting lightly on Oliver’s thigh.
“What time is it?” He asked as his thumb started moving on the fabric of Oliver’s sweatpants.
“It’s half past three.”
“Mmm,” Ryan said under his breath. “I know you like to wake up early, but this is new.”
Oliver let out a low chuckle and placed a hand over Ryan’s. “Just go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you up, luv.”
He slid off the bed slowly, favoring his left knee, and leaned over to pet Bear’s head, who was sleeping on the floor next to the bed. He shuffled out of the room. Ryan watched him disappear into the hallway before closing his eyes again.
He drifted off for a bit, Oak shifting near his legs and making small woofing noises in his sleep.
But he couldn’t stay asleep for too long. The warmth of Oliver’s body was missing from the bed, making it hard to fall into a deep sleep. He didn’t know when he’d picked up the habit, but there it was and he couldn’t help it.
Eventually, he sat up in bed with a yawn, dragging a hand over his face to wipe the sleep away. He placed a hand behind Oak’s ear and started scratching lightly, careful not to wake him up.
“Your dad is annoying sometimes,” he mumbled under his breath but there was no bite to it. If anything, he couldn’t help the small smile on his face.
He leaned in, grabbing his phone from the nightstand. It was a habit he’d had for a few years now, wanting to check if Chrysti had messaged him about the kids or any emergency. No notifications, thank goodness.
He got out of bed and padded into the hall. The only source of light was from the kitchen, where Oliver was.
The younger man’s back was to him as he was making a sandwich, and the smell of coffee was filling the kitchen.
“You made coffee?” Ryan asked, walking toward Oliver, and placing a hand on his lower back.
Oliver looked up at him and smiled. “We both know I can’t get back to sleep anymore. Figured I’d start the day early.”
Ryan brushed a thumb over the thin fabric of Oliver’s shirt and nodded. But he could see the way Oliver was leaning toward his right side a little more. It was a subconscious movement whenever his knee was in pain.
“Your knee’s bothering you again?” Ryan asked gently.
“No, it’s fine,” Oliver answered too quickly and looked down at the sandwich he was making. “Just a little sore.”
Ryan tightened his hold on Oliver’s back. “Ollie,” he said patiently, knowing the other man could be stubborn sometimes. But he couldn’t blame him. He was the same way.
Oliver pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds. Then he let out a small sigh, still not looking at Ryan, and nodded. “A little.” He admitted quietly.
“You pushed yourself too hard yesterday at the gym,” Ryan said as he moved his hand in soothing circles on Oliver’s back. “Told you to stop.”
Oliver grinned softly, although there was a flash of mischief in his eyes. Like he was trying to challenge Ryan. “And let you brag about your workout hours all week? You wish, Guzman.”
Ryan let out a huff of laughter and raised a brow. “My workout routine is better than yours anyway and you know it. You just can’t admit it.”
“Right, keep dreaming,” Oliver said, grabbing the sandwich to take a bite. But Ryan was faster. He leaned in before Oliver could make a move and took a bite.
“You know,” he said, chewing thoughtfully. “This vegan turkey is starting to grow on me.”
Oliver gave him a crooked smile. “Told you you’d like it.”
Ryan shook his head as he swallowed. “Just the ones you make, though. Not the store-bought stuff that tastes like tofu and wet paper.”
“Can’t argue with that. I’m a great cook.” Oliver finally took a bite of the sandwich.
He leaned back against the counter, holding the plate up so he wouldn’t leave crumbs on the floor. “So I thought I’d hit the gym for a quick workout-“ he shook his head when he saw the look on Ryan’s face. “A light workout. And then we can take the dogs for a walk.”
“You woke me up at half past three in the morning,” Ryan said, putting on an exaggerated British accent for the time. “And now expect me to walk the dogs with you at four AM?”
Oliver shrugged and looked at him shamelessly. “Yeah, do you need a bribe?”
“I think I deserve it,” Ryan said and stepped closer to place a small kiss on Oliver’s lips, kissing away a few crumbs sticking to his mouth.
“Well,” Oliver said, his voice low. “How about both of us hit the gym and then take a shower together. I can make it up to you then.”
Ryan shook his head too quickly. “Oh no, that’s low. Trying to trick me into working out before six AM is a crime.” He stepped back and reached for the coffee pot. “How about I stay right here, make the dogs’ breakfast, and when we head out, you buy my morning protein shake?”
Oliver let out a low, genuine laugh and nodded. “Yes. I can do that, babe.” He put on an American accent on the last word and leaned in to place a kiss on Ryan’s lips.
A slow smile appeared on both their faces and they stayed like that for a couple more minutes. Close enough that their shoulders touched occasionally. (mostly because Oliver kept bumping into Ryan lightly).
They drank coffee and talked in hushed voices, as if they didn’t want to break the peace that had settled in the house just yet.