A little fluff-fest I posted on my Tumblr a bit ago. I decided to polish it a little and put it here.

There's really not a specific date. It's set after last chapter, though.

Enjoy~.

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Not many people knew this, but Arthur loved to cuddle. To himself, he would admit that is was just as good, if not better, than sex. When you're cuddling with someone, you feel safe. You feel warm, and content, and simply do not want to ever get up. Like you're swaddled in a sinfully soft blanket. If people ever heard such a thing, they would scoff and say that the Englishman definitely did not think in such a way.

Oh, but he did.

Cuddling was divine. It showed that you and your partner were completely comfortable with one another. That they trusted you enough to lower all of their defences, and even fall asleep if they so choose. Though he liked it when he and Lovino were both awake, facing each other and sharing secret kisses between nonsensical words of affection. It made his heart ache, and Arthur hoped that it would continue to ache forever. It meant that he was loved.

Lovino shifted in his arms, only a little. His leg must have been falling asleep, because he lifted and curled it around Arthur's own limbs. His boyfriend was not asleep, though the Brit was sure that it had been a while since the other had stayed up so late. The Italian had a strict sleeping schedule, but right now he could not keep to it. Burying his nose in brunette locks, he thought about how he could relate.

This was their first time sleeping together. As in being in the same bed, and falling asleep in each other's arms. His Italian was not ready to take that big step to lose his virginity, and he was fine with that. To be honest, Arthur wishes that he still had his to give away. He remembers how he had lost it, but not very clearly. It was some day back when he was only fourteen. Drugs and alcohol were still new to him, but he was surprisingly sober when it had happened. In the back of an abandoned school bus with a girl whose name he had not even known, and he never saw her after that either. Thinking back, he wonders if she ever thought of him. Did she regret it as much as he did now?

Though maybe he had seen her again. Who knows, his memories from that time are quite hazy.

Again, Lovino shifted, and that brought the man back from his reminiscing. A pale arm flexed. The other's head was resting on Arthur's bicep, and it was starting to get uncomfortable. Somehow he could feel his pulse thumping harshly through his arm, and the blonde needed it to stop. So he did what anybody in his position would do, and rolled his boyfriend onto his chest. Immediately Lovino sprung up, and stared down with surprised amber eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice groggy.

Emeralds rolled, and he wrapped around a tan neck to guide Lovino back down. "Getting comfortable," he answered, his own voice raspier than usual. Gazing up at him with a little annoyance, the boy leered but did not try to rise again. Arthur smiled gently, running fingers along a prominent bag under Lovino's eye. His exhaustion was obvious. "Why can't you sleep? Am I that scary?"

Trying to kick the blonde, the heavy duvet made the Italian attack ineffective. "You're not scary, dumb bastard."

A thick eyebrow raised. That did not answer his question. "Thank you. Now, why can't you sleep?"

Pouting, Lovino countered, "You're not sleeping either."

"I usually sleep five or six hours from now," Arthur deadpanned. "What's your excuse?"

Huffing, the brunette averted his eyes. Then he turned and hugged Arthur around his middle, digging his face into the Brit's chest. "I'm fucking nervous, okay." There it was. Arthur thought as much.

Because he was nervous, too.

"Lovino, listen to my heartbeat," he murmured.

Hesitating, the Italian moved so his ear was above Arthur's chest. The extra weight was welcome. "It's... really fast.."

"It always does that whenever I'm with you."

Lovino did not look at him. Maybe he couldn't. Instead he took Arthur's hand, and guided it to his own chest. It felt like a frightened baby bird, his heart hammering so hard that it must have been painful. Breath caught in the Englishman's throat. "I'm scared... because I feel so safe with you. It's like... I'm waiting for something bad to happen..."

In response, the blonde squeezed the body on top of him. Hoping he was not hurting the other, he closed his eyes. His heart hurt so much. Arthur wanted to say something, but as usual, he could not voice his feelings. Though he should not be worried, because Lovino was squeezing him just as hard. The man wanted to remember this pain. Remember because right now it meant everything. Desperate formed in shades of deep purple and red, while fear loomed in dark blues and yellows. Then a blinding red shone, and washed away the desperate and fear. It shone until there was no more, and then dimmed to shades of brown, and amber, and everything Arthur loved. He wished that he could show Lovino.

Soon their grips loosened, and they lay sprawled out against each other. Shifting once again, the brunette moved until he was more on the mattress, but still laying on top of Arthur. Their legs tangled, and the man found a place in the crook of Lovino's neck that did not add so much pressure to his arm. His remaining limb slipped around his boyfriend's waist, and began to rub soothing circles into a soft lower back. They were together, chest to chest, and he has never felt so right.

They did not say goodnight. Arthur suspected that was because neither of them could trust their voices. It would have been even more awkward if they cracked while saying something unbelievably gooey and heartfelt. Soon he felt Lovino more or less go limp in his arms. Soft breathing and pounding heartbeats were the only noises filling the room. At least a couple more hours would pass until Arthur would begin to feel even relatively tired, but that was okay. He would stay snuggled up with Lovino forever if he could.

Taking his hand from stroking the Italian's back, he instead carded it through red-brown hair. It was soft, and so easy to get distracted by. Arthur could spend hours doing just this, and maybe he would. Lovino did not seem to mind. Their breaths mingled, faint mint that had mostly worn off long ago hanging in the miniscule space between them. He could smell the cologne his boyfriend used, even though they had changed out of their day clothes. Maybe that was Lovino's natural smell? Wouldn't that be lucky of him?

Dear Lord, he was beginning to lose himself in deep thought focused solely on his partner's scent. Maybe he was more tired than he had first thought. There must be something about watching others sleep that makes you drowsy. Yawning, Arthur snuggled closer to Lovino. Right now he could not care less about how his sleep schedule is going to be off for a couple of days. Lovino was pressed against him, and warm, and soothing, and smelling particularly pleasant, and he was not going to deny himself the luxury of falling asleep entangled with him.

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Short, but oh well, it's something.

I'll often get into moods that make me want to desperately want to write these super ooeygooey melt in your mouth scenes, and who am I to not do so?

Te gusta?

(My four years of Spanish REALLY come in handy. And I know it shows. Pff.)

One last thing. Thanks to everyone who reads this story! I'm so happy when alerts and reviews pop up in my inbox. You're all the best, and I wouldn't be doing this well without you. Also, thank you for giving this pairing a chance, and I'm so very happy when someone tells me that I've helped open their eyes to them. ^_^

Stay awesome, you guys. Stay awesome.