Rise and Shine

Ben liked to think he knew Marcus pretty well.

After growing up with him, working with him and eventually and inexplicably falling head over heels down several flights of stairs in love with him, he figured he knew Marcus' brain about as well as Marcus did. He knew what made him happy (he had his coffee with just a little milk and piping hot, when Ben wrapped his arms around his plump middle he thought he should be self conscious but he wasn't because it was Ben), his dislikes (he abhorred any form of DIY, he had to be the first to read a new book he had bought because once the spine was all creased it just wasn't the same) and the little things that pissed him off ("Who puts sugar in tea? It's unnatural! It's not meant to be sweet!").

But for the life of him, Ben could not work out how Marcus handled mornings.

Every morning, without fail, while Ben would grumble and pull the warmth of the duvet over his head, Marcus' alarm would go off at seven and he would bolt upright. He would shuffle up so his back was against the headboard before turning the incessant, sharp beeping off. He would look down at Ben and chuckle at his boyfriends sleepy moodiness, raking his fingers through his messy hair as the latter cuddled him closer. A few blinks was all it took for Marcus to rid the grogginess from his body and he was soon peeling off Ben's arms from around him and swinging his legs over the end of the bed to get up and start the day. Ben would listen to him pulling draws open, getting changed and his footsteps padding down the hallway as he disappeared into the rest of the house before Ben let sleep claim his body again. Marcus never seemed to need the few more hours of rest that Ben always did, but would return to rouse Ben from his dreams if he hadn't surfaced before noon.

This morning was no exception, apart from it was the loud rapping of knuckles against the front door that woke Ben the second time, not Marcus' gentle kisses. He jolted awake at the sudden sound, then groaned and rolled over so his face was smushed against the side of Marcus' pillow. He inhaled his scent and pulled the covers tighter around him, relaxing back into his cocoon of warmth, wishing for just a few more moments of blissful rest. He heard Marcus pull open the door and welcome the visitor, in Ben's opinion, unnecessarily loudly. Several voices echoed up the stairs as they laughed with each other and Ben muttered expletives to himself as the sound yanked him closer to the land of the living.

Marcus' usualy hasty rise was especially shocking to Ben this morning. They had spent the evening with a great bottle of red wine, drinking and pondering the universe's big questions before Marcus picked Ben up and carried him to the bedroom in a mutual wave of passion. They fucked the living daylights out of each other, falling asleep in a sweaty mess of tangled limbs when the first light of the day was seeping in under their bedroom curtains. Their activities the night before, although much enjoyed, had left every part of Ben exhausted and aching at a level he didn't think was possible.

Heavy footsteps climbed the stairs as chatter continued downstairs and the bedroom door creaked slightly as it was pushed open. Marcus gave a small laugh at the mound of duvet with a tuft of brown hair protruding from the top.

"Ben," Marcus said softly. Ben grunted in reply as he walked around the bed. "You need to get up."

Ben mumbled something incoherent as Marcus sat on top of the duvet, bouncing Ben on the mattress, his back against the headboard and his legs spread out in front of him.

"What?"

"I said," Ben pulled the corner of the covers away from his groggy face, his voice heavy with sleep. "I don't know how you do it. This morning shit."

Marcus chuckled, finding Ben's hand beneath the duvet and entwining their fingers. "It's not hard. And you waste half your day, otherwise."

"I think this is a very good way to spend your time, actually." Ben moved so his head rested on Marcus' thigh and his arm wrapped around his legs, fingers stroking his hip. Marcus brushed stray locks of hair away from Ben's eyes as he nuzzled into his leg. "Especially after a night like last night."