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By the time he locked the door to your shared apartment, the clock on the wall read 3:27 am.
Fatgum sighed. He had thought he would be home much earlier than this, he had promised he would be home much earlier than this. But just as he was preparing to head home, he was called out to assist with an emergency that had taken far longer than he’d expected.
He kicked off his shoes and unzipped his jacket, scanning the dark apartment. It was completely silent, save for the sounds Fatgum was making as he put his things in the closet.
If Taishirou had been home earlier, you would’ve greeted him with a chipper smile and a sweet kiss. You would have tugged him eagerly by the hands into the kitchen to present him with whatever dinner you’d prepared. And he would’ve sat down at the table as you brought dish after dish to the table. Though he would insist none of the attention was necessary, you would brush it off with a smile as you placed yet another plate in front of him.
Now, though, Fatgum tiptoed into the dark kitchen and frowned at how empty it felt. He flicked on the light and found a post-it note stuck to the aluminum refrigerator.
“Dinner’s in the fridge. Hope it still tastes good! Love you!”
A smile graced his lips as he read your note. Of course it would taste good. How could it not? In his expert opinion, you were the most exceptional cook in the world.
“Food made with love always tastes best,” he’d told you on more than one occasion, always following it up with a tender kiss.
He opened the fridge and found several containers full of various foods stacked expertly just for him. Another post-it note revealed the menu to him: roasted chicken with cooked vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a tray of brownies for dessert. The brownies, your post-it note said, were out on the counter. Sure enough, Fatgum turned around to find a baking tray covered in tinfoil.
He retrieved the food from the fridge quickly, putting everything on plates to go into the microwave. After he’d warmed up the meal, he sat down at the table and ate.
He finished his dinner and dessert in record time, eager to get to bed. He then cleaned all of the plates and put them in their proper places. At least now, he thought, you wouldn’t have to clean up after him in the morning.
By the time he was completely finished in the kitchen, it was nearly four in the morning. With a yawn, he stumbled down the hall towards the bedroom. He made sure to open the door slowly, careful not to wake you.
When his eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, he found you curled up in the center of the bed with your arms wrapped around his pillow. The bed you both shared was custom-made to accommodate for Fatgum’s larger form. As such, the bed completely dwarfed you in size. Your sleeping body, small in comparison, took up barely any space in the center of the bed. Your face was nuzzled close to his pillow to breathe in his scent and the rest of your body curled around the plush material to keep it in place.
He stifled a laugh. You looked like a kitten all curled up like that.
Taishirou disrobed the rest of the way, opting to sleep in his boxers for the night. Though he tried his best not to wake you, the bed shifting under his weight stirred you from your slumber.
“Baby?” You whispered into the dark, your voice quiet and groggy.
“Hey, gumdrop. I’m sorry for waking you,” he answered. One of his hands reached out and stroked your back and he could feel you immediately relax under his touch.
You shook your head. “It’s okay. I’m happy you’re home.”
You passed him his pillow which he accepted from you and placed up by the headboard. As he settled himself into a comfortable position, you settled into one of your own, cuddling up next to his side. Your arms would never be able to wrap around him in this form, but you still hugged his side nonetheless.
“Dinner was delicious,” he whispered with a smile on his face that you couldn’t see.
You made a small hum of delight, too tired to use your words.
Fatgum wrapped his arm around your body and pulled you up closer to his face so he could place a kiss on the top of your head. You smiled against his skin, head resting on his shoulder.
"Goodnight," he mumbled against your head.
And in the warm embrace of your lover, you found sleep once more, Fatgum following quickly behind you into the land of dreams.