"Jean," murmured a sleepy Marco from the other side of our bed.
"Hm?" I responded, just as sleepy.
He threw his arm around my shoulders and snuggled closer. "I love you, babe."
I smiled at his warm voice, my eyes still closed against the soft, floating morning light. "I love you more," I replied, rolling over and nuzzling my face into his shoulder.
A silence passed in which we both breathed deeply and let the light slowly open our eyes. The sweet morning slowly filled us with contented energy and we both stretched out and sat up, bringing the white bed sheets that had covered us in our sleep to rest on our bare shoulders. It may have been spring, but it was still early enough that we both got cold in the mornings- too cold to go shirtless without a blanket of some kind.
"Why do you always say that?" he questioned after a while.
"What do I always say?"
"You always say you love me more. Why is that? And how can you even be sure?"
Without thinking, I immediately set my features into stern lines and spoke solidly, "Because life is a game, and I must win it. He who has the most wins this game."
Marco's breathtaking grin appeared on his face and he burst into giggles. God how I loved his laugh. It was so cute and bubbly and warm. Just like him.
His laughter subsided soon enough and he turned to me and asked, "No, seriously, Jean! How can you know that?"
I leaned my head against the wall for a moment, pondering exactly how I did. I mean, logically I could never know that, but I'm not really running on logic here, now am I?
"Jean?" he prompted.
"There's really no way in the world that anyone could ever love anyone else more than I love you. So, I love you more."
I smiled at him and took his hand in mine. Marco blushed and smiled back before pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. He leaned his head against my shoulders, a sigh of contentment escaping his lips, and I leaned my head on top of his and we both sat there for what could have been hours, breathing and breathing.
A/N: I'm literally just awake writing ficlets while talking to Carlee (rosesandcinnamon on ao3) who's working on ASCB (her Yumikuri AU) and it's great and it's my birthday and it's amazing happy birthday to me thank u God for Carlee.