Chapter Text
1. Beauty 103 words
There were different types of beauty. It truly was in the eye of the beholder. Not many of Carlos' peers at the University would call Cecil beautiful, but as he stripped off his shirt, dim light playing against his darkly tattooed skin, all Carlos knew was that Cecil was beautiful to him. As Cecil shed the remainder of his clothes, dropping them to the floor carelessly, Carlos opened his arms, urging his lover to join him on the bed. Cecil hurried to obey the unspoken request, smiling, white teeth gleaming sharply in the dark. Carlos thought he would never see anything more lovely.
2. Love 100 words
It was a word Cecil used maybe a little too often. He knew it was silly to have announced it before ever speaking one word to Carlos, but as time went by, Cecil only became more and more certain. It was love. Forget the perfect hair, the square jaw, the (frankly) sexy labcoat. It was the way Carlos stood, like he didn't realise his own worth, the way he tried to hide his intellect, his laugh, the sheer pleasure he took in discovering Night Vale's eccentricities. All of these things and more. It was true. Cecil was definitely in love.
3. Dream 103 words
“Earl, my dearest, come to bed. It was only a nightmare.” Cecil stretched his hand out, beckoning, welcoming. “Let me chase the pain away.” Earl hesitated only a moment, brushing away the lone tear which had escaped his lids, before turning to wrap himself in Cecil's arms. As he burrowed deeply into the bed and his boyfriend's protective embrace, he let out a sigh. Cecil would always be there for him. Cecil's lips brushed his brow gently, and he felt himself waking. Waking to a cold empty bed, in his cold empty house. Cecil was never there. It was only a dream.
4. Haunted 108 words
“Cecil, my house is haunted.” The radio host looked up, alarmed. “Haunted?”
“Yes,” Carlos said. “Voices, and writing on the walls to get out. Blood. Broken items. Things like that.” Cecil stared, and Carlos' composure broke. “I'm terrified. I can't go home, if I do, I can't sleep, I'm so afraid.” Cecil hugged him hard. “Of course you can't go home! If it escalates, you could be killed! You'll have to get someone in to investigate, and possibly perform an exorcism.” Carlos shuddered, relieved he wasn't overreacting for Night Vale. “But where will I live?” he asked, and Cecil kissed him. “You can stay with me.”
5. Memory 109 words
Cecil looked at the man blankly. “You're absolutely beautiful,” he said, “but I don't know you. Why are you in my house?”
Carlos sighed. When Cecil had gone in for reeducation, they'd known he would come back with some or most of his memory missing. What they hadn't expected, however, was for him to completely forget Carlos himself. It had never happened before, and Cecil had been reeducated twice since they'd moved in together.
There was only one thing for it. Cupping Cecil's face in his hands, Carlos kissed him deeply, slowly feeling his lover begin to respond. When he drew back, Cecil was beaming at him. “Darling Carlos.”