#reepeat

But he feels so warm and well loved like this. Before three years ago, it had been a long time since he had let anyone be this close to him. He’d forgotten what it felt like to have someone hold him so intimately and to give him the love he truly deserves. For years, he kept himself at arms’ distance with everyone, and no one wanted to fight hard enough for his love. After a while, he began to think something was wrong with him.

But now he knows he was just waiting for the right person to come break down the walls he had built around his soul. It’s been three years since he let someone close enough into his life to really make a permanent home in his heart. Waking up next to someone, even after all this time, feels like skating on fresh, smooth ice for the first time. It’s breathtaking and relaxing all at once.

Seldom does Sid indulge himself like this, but it’s an optional practice this morning and they don’t have to go review tape until later in the afternoon. He’s earned a morning in, he thinks.

Sid dozes in and out of sleep for another hour until the person behind him finally stirs. He slowly turns himself around to get a good look at his companion waking up. He watches with abundant fondness as Geno’s still closed eyes crinkle in dismay at the still rising sun shining even more brightly through the blinds. Geno groans unhappily and pulls the covers over his head.

“Too early, Sid,” he whines. Sid laughs quietly and gently moves the covers away from Geno’s sleepy face.

“It’s always too early for you,” he whispers. He kisses the pout off of Geno’s lips and lets their kiss linger. Sid pulls away first and giggles when Geno chases after his mouth. Geno is slow when he gathers Sid into his arms and huddles close to him, pressing their naked chests flush against each other. Sid’s pulse always hammers so loudly through his ears when he’s close to Geno like this. Even after all this time, his body still fully reacts to every intimate touch from Geno, and he doesn’t think it’ll ever stop.

He doesn’t really want it stop.

Geno cards his hand through Sid’s unruly hair, trying his best to tame the wild, fluffy curls. Sid normally begs Geno to stop, but he enjoys the attention given to him by his boyfriend. They lazily kiss each other for a little while, and Sid wonders, like he always does during moments like this, how he ended up being so lucky. There are days where he wonders what Geno sees in him, why Geno chose him when he could have anyone else in the entire world. It’s been three years since they decided to give this thing a shot, and he still asks himself what Geno could possibly love so much about him.

“You smart, funny,” Geno always tells him. “Make me happy. Make me feel loved. Drive me crazy, too, but I drive you crazy, so we even.”

Sid used to fear driving Geno away with how weird he actually is. Geno, who has always been full of surprises, would simply shrug and say that those quirks were just a part of Sid’s personality.

“We friends for years, Sid,” he had told him. “Nothing scare me away then, so nothing scare me away now.”

Geno has never judged him for who he is. The only time he has ever been truly judgmental was when he found out that Sid likes to dip his fries in mustard during their second year playing together. That, apparently, was an insult to fries, according to Geno.

Geno couldn’t say shit, though, since he dips his own fries in mayonnaise. Neither one of them could really judge each other for their weird dipping sauce choices, and they knew to keep it all a secret so the nutritionist wouldn’t find out.

Sid slowly pulls his mouth away from Geno’s and brushes his thumb gently across the scar on Geno’s cheek. They look at each other while he does, and Geno lets his own hand linger over the soft skin of Sid’s bare hip.

“I love you, Geno,” Sid whispers. Geno grins and presses his forehead against Sid’s. He tilts his head slightly to the left so that he can kiss Sid without bumping their noses together.

“Love you, too, Sid,” he says. Sid snuggles closer to Geno and lets his forehead rest in the crook of Geno’s shoulder. Geno keeps his arms secure around Sid and lets them both fall back asleep. Within minutes, they fall back asleep holding each other close and basking in the peaceful haze of the early morning.