The clock on the bedside table showed it was ten to four in the morning when Arthur awoke and, seeing the emptiness beside him, walked in quiet steps towards the kitchen.
A warm, dim lamp was the only light source in the room.
Kiku had a teacup in his hands, which he contemplated as if the cheap old thing were a fascinating work of pottery– clearly lost in thought. He stood in front of the kettle, waiting for it to finish heating the water.
Arthur came up behind him, wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him softly on the cheek.
“Did I wake you up?” Kiku asked, turning around slightly to return his kiss. "I'm sorry if I did."
“You didn't, don't worry.”
Their voices were quiet– unwilling to disturb the silence of the world around them. A louder sound would be out of place in that kitchen.
“Do you want tea?” Kiku asked. Before Arthur had time to nod, he was already opening the cabinet to grab another teacup, which he then placed on the table, along with his.
Soon the kettle was done and Arthur poured their teas. They sat across from each other, holding hands across the table.
A clock ticked peacefully in another room, its sound came to them as a faint whisper. The old fridge hummed, and outside, a car or a motorcycle was sometimes heard. But other than that, the room was enveloped in a pure, comforting silence.
A silence that told them that the world around them was asleep.
“I’m having that dream again,” Kiku quietly said. Arthur's hand twitched slightly upon hearing him, his hold on his hand became ever so slightly tighter.
“Again? You said it went away…”
“It did, but now it’s back.”
Arthur sighed, disheartened on behalf of his lover. “Did anything happen to trigger it?”
“Not that I noticed," Kiku replied, and it was true. They had been having a perfectly mundane couple of weeks. He had all but forgotten his recurring nightmare. "It left me alone for three years…”
“Damn. I thought it had worked this time," Arthur mumbled. Kiku blinked at him in surprise.
“...Worked? Did you do something?”
“I might have," Arthur admitted, "Maybe it just wore off or something… I’ll fix it.”
“Don’t waste magic on me…”
“It’s never a waste if it’s for you, love.”
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