Carlos woke to the sound of humming; a familiar voice humming a quiet, unfamiliar tune. It was soft, minor in key, the notes lilting over the various apartment noises around him. He sighed, a smile spreading across his face. "Morning, love."

"Oh, good morning!" he said brightly, leaning over and pressing his lips to his forehead. "You must have been tired."

"I was," Carlos murmured, his arms snaking around Cecil's waist. "You wear me out sometimes….in the best way possible."

Cecil chuckled. "Well that wasn't my intention, not the wearing out part at least." He kissed him firmly, pulling himself closer. "The smile on your face when you fell asleep, however…" he grinned. "I hope I can take a little of the credit for that."

Carlos laughed, brushing his hand through Cecil's hair. "You can take all of the credit for that, mi amor." He returned the kiss, cupping his face as his tongue pushed past Cecil's teeth. Cecil moaned softly, clutching at Carlos' back as his lips trailed down his face, his neck, his shoulder.

"Carlos," he murmured, savoring his name on his tongue. Carlos ganced up at him, still pressing tiny kisses down the length of his arm. He lingered over tattoos and old scars with equal attention, taking Cecil's hand and cradling it in his own.

"Mi amor, I—" He stopped at the watch at Cecil's wrist, eyes widening. "Is that the watch I gave you?"

"Of course," Cecil said. "I rarely take it off—"

"Shit," Carlos flew out of bed, grabbing his lab coat off the floor. "I'm supposed to be at the lab in ten minutes!"

Cecil sighed, falling back on the bed. "But no one else is going to know that," he pointed out. "No one else has the only true timepiece in Night Vale." He smiled a little, tracing a long finger around the watch face.

"I know," Carlos said, stumbling into the wrinkled khakis he had picked up from the bedroom floor. "But there are still tablets and computers that have the correct time; tablets we use at the lab." He paused, buckling his belt. "Besides, I would know I was late. A scientist is supposed to be prompt to his work."

"I suppose you're right," Cecil said. He rolled out of bed, staring at the clothes littering the floor. "What are you looking for, your shirt?"

"My socks." Carlos said. "Where the hell are they?!"

"Oh dear," Cecil groaned. "I think I know." He crossed the closet, grabbing a basket from the dresser as he passed. "What color were they?"

"Like a dark greenish—what are you doing?"

Cecil shushed him, kneeling in front of the bloodstone circle set up at the front of his closet. "Return the dark green socks you took," he said sternly, placing the basket in the middle of the circle. "Take this offering and return the dark green socks."

Carlos peered over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow to see a pair of hole-ridden socks in the basket.
"What the hell are you—"

"Shh," Cecil insisted. "I'm not going to ask again." he said impatiently. "Give them back."

There was a gurgling hiss from the closet. Carlos' eyes widened as it gave way to a terrible slurping sound, followed by a slight pop as his green socks appeared in place of Cecil's ragged ones.

Cecil picked them up and handed them to Carlos, smiling. "There you go. Good as new."

"What even—" Carlos stopped, shaking his head as he took the socks from Cecil's hands. "Nevermind. I'll just…remind me to look into that later, alright?"

"What, the thing in the closet? It's harmless, honestly. Well, harmless to everything but socks…and the odd tie, but I try not to let it have those."

"Still going to check into it." He slipped his shoes on. "You still want to do pizza and Liberty Valence tonight?"

"Does the sun rise in the east and set in the west?"

Carlos smiled. "So, as long as the town isn't overtaken in some new emergency, we're on then."

"Precisely." Cecil kissed him again, straightening the collar of Carlos' lab coat. "Try not to get into too much trouble today, alright?"

"Only if you do the same," Carlos chuckled. He squeezed Cecil's hand before hurrying out the door. "Love you!"

"Love you too!" Cecil called back. As the door slammed and Carlos' footsteps faded, he crossed to the window, staring out across the sunwashed streets of Night Vale.

"I could get used to this," he murmured to himself. He watched as Carlos hurried across the parking lot to his car, stopping only to wave at Cecil's window before slipping inside and driving away.

Cecil waved back, still beaming. "Definitely could get used to this."