A/N - Hi guys! I decided a while back that Tranquility would be a story where I would upload calming little drabbles in-between stories or when I need a break from those stories. Hope you enjoy! :D
It was an unspoken agreement when Antonio opened his eyes and saw Lovino lingering drowsily by the balcony of their bedroom, his form just a looming shadow in the dark blue light. Antonio simply pushed the blankets away, stood, and wandered to Lovino's side.
"I think it's a bit too chilly to sit out - isn't that strange? It's summer…" Lovino whispered roughly, still half-asleep. Antonio looked down at the balcony floor through the glass doors, and saw footsteps imprinted on the floor boards, amongst the potted plants they kept, where an earlier drizzle had left drying puddles.
"It'll probably rain again today, maybe later in the morning." Antonio murmured.
Lovino hummed, and took Antonio's hand when it brushed his fingertips - the only thing showing beneath his long sweater sleeves.
"Do you want to go sit in the kitchen instead?" Antonio asked.
"It'll be cold there too." Lovino answered delicately, tired lips pressing into a faint pout. He glanced over at Antonio with dusty gold eyes.
Antonio laughed and squeezed Lovino's hand. "You'll be with me, won't you?"
Lovino's pout tilted up into a small smile, a small smile that Antonio leaned in to kiss. Antonio gently tugged Lovino closer so they could share a few more feather-light kisses in the dreary morning glow. Lovino smiled warmly against his lips, burning gaze peeking up at Antonio. The sleepy kisses and bright eyes reminded Antonio oddly of coffee.
"Wanna go?"
"Sure," Lovino murmured, hands falling from where they were fixed in Antonio's t-shirt.
Antonio's smile was a bit crooked as he took Lovino's hand in his again and tugged him along gently. Lovino faltered when they went by the bed.
"Will we be coming back up later? We always go back to bed afterwards, but… we haven't gone to the kitchen in a long while. Are we making the bed?"
Antonio paused and stared at the twisted white sheets and the lumpy pillows. The black pillowcase on Lovino's was slipping off, and most of one blanket graced the floor.
Antonio stepped closer to Lovino , wrapping his arms around him and sweeping him off. He pressed a couple of kisses against Lovino's neck, the two of them laughing all the while as Antonio carried Lovino out of the room.
Antonio set Lovino down and went about adjusting the lopsided sweater. He pecked Lovino's cheek when fixing the collar. "Later," he said, and pecked Lovino's lips too. "We'll make the bed later."
The kitchen was dark and cool and lit with only the morning light coming in from the kitchen window and back door when Antonio and Lovino stumbled their way in.
Lovino slid the light switch, watching the light from the overhead light come to life in a waterfall of dusty gold. Antonio went to the cupboards and pulled out two mugs after opening the back door, revealing a flimsy screen one. He set them on the counter and Lovino lingered by his side.
"Coffee or hot chocolate?"
Lovino thought for a moment, lips pursing as his eyes studied the mugs. He glanced up at Antonio, warmly. "Hot chocolate." he murmured.
There was something sleepy about hot chocolate. Comforting. Not coffee. Coffee was wide awake and fast.
Lovino filled one of their pots with water and set it on the stove to boil. Antonio took a couple of hot chocolate packets from another cupboard and emptied them into the mugs. Antonio held the mugs still when Lovino poured the hot water. They added some milk. The small marshmallows dissolved.
The two of them sat down at the kitchen table, embraced in soft light, across from each other, and drank their hot chocolate. At some point, Antonio lit a vanilla candle, because the small box of matches rattled with the starting rain and Lovino blew out the burning match when Antonio held it out to him.
Antonio had his back to the door, but he could feel the occasional icy breeze kiss his skin and he loved watching Lovino look out into their yard, captivated. His starry-eyed gaze was bright and murky, watching the rain drip in large drops from the porch roof and create puddles on the crooked, wooden boards.
"I love you," Antonio murmured suddenly after a car drove by, the rain hissing with the disturbance.
Lovino looked from the door to Antonio, hand cradling his cheek. He hummed. "I love you too," he said back, voice soft and cool like the last few drops of hot chocolate staining the bottoms of their mugs.
Antonio smiled.
Lovino set his hand down halfway across the table, and Antonio set his on top. Lovino looked back out the window, and Antonio went back to watching him with a fond, half-open gaze.
It rained only for a short while, and they listened to raindrops gather and fall from the roof again, slow and unsteady. The sky was still blue, everything still dark.
Antonio blinked his eyes open when Lovino gasped softly, gently tearing his hand away and looking at the back door, by the floor.
"Pepper decided to join us, it seems." he hummed warmly, looking back to Antonio. Antonio turned away to see the black cat propped up on the screen door, watching the rain and listening to the birds as they began to appear again. Pepper, the cat Antonio remembered bringing home as a lost kitten, surprising Lovino with her after being out in the town.
Antonio smiled, watching her walk away and walk to them with big, orange eyes. She only paused when Antonio pet her between the ears, briefly and gently. She rubbed against his legs, and then Lovino's, before they both looked under the table and watched her jump up onto the other kitchen chair, settling on the chair cushion.
They sat for a while after that. They didn't talk, not much, just listened to the singing birds and the dripping rain and the rumbling cars, and then Lovino yawned:
"Ready to head back up?" Antonio asked after a minute.
Lovino nodded slightly.
Antonio blew out the candle and stood up. He closed the door. He went around to the other side of the table and picked up Lovino, despite his incoherent mumbles of protest. Lovino was chilled from the rain.
They left their mugs and Pepper behind, and Antonio carried Lovino back upstairs to their messy blankets and sleep.