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Kyle said he would be home by midnight.
He always says he will be home by midnight.
Usually, he comes strolling in around quarter to one, an excuse and apology rolling off his tongue. Craig is usually half-asleep by this point, and simply responds by spreading out his arms for his liar boyfriend to crawl into.
Today is different however because it’s a couple minutes past one am and Kyle still isn’t here. He calls him and it’s ignored. Instead he gets a text:
Sorry, I will be home soon I promise!
I love you. Don’t wait up. GN.
Craig shakes his head at his phone screen. Stupid fucking asshole.
No, I want to cuddle.
Go to bed. I feel bad.
Good. You should.
I thought I could get this stuff done by midnight!
It’s taking longer than I thought, I’m sorry.
Craig sighs. He is honestly not even that tired. He took a nap earlier today. His boyfriend is so studios, hardworking and intelligent. It is so admirable, but also so annoying sometimes. He presses his head against the pillow and stares to the ceiling. He turns his head to the side to see the space where his boyfriend should be. He rolls his head back onto his pillow and sighs.
The quiet seems defeating, not even the sounds of their guinea pig rustling in his cage filling the room. He considers to grab their pet and cuddle with him; taking a petty picture for Kyle, but due to the lack of noise, he assumes Stripe isprobably sleeping.
He realizes he still has not replied to Kyle and picks up his phone. He doesn’t know what to say. He can say it’s fine or he can continue to pester him, but he knows neither of those things will bring Kyle home. The only solution is physically dragging him home.
Which honestly … was not such a bad idea.
He thinks it over for a moment and decides he will go through with it. It is a very short walk to the library from their campus apartment (the reason Kyle picked the location to begin with) and he is far too awake to fall asleep anyways…
He flings his legs over the side of the bed and grabs his favorite NASA hoodie to throw on. As he makes his way out, he looks over to the guinea pig cage to notice Stripe is, in fact, sleeping. At least one of them is at this hour.
Upon stepping outside, he is immediately greeted with the low temperature the night has taken on. He is instantly grateful for the last minute decision of wrapping a plaid scarf around his neck. He looks absolutely ridiculous in a black parka coat, nasa hoodie underneath, and plaid pajama pants, but he doesn’t really care. No one will see him, considering it is close to the middle of the night.
The sliver of the moon cuts a crease in the vast darkness of the night sky; a myriad of glowing stars scattered high and wide on this clear night. Streetlights occupy the street, but once he turns his way into the campus, they descend, replaced with motion sensing lights belonging to the still-lit up buildings. It is weird to be on campus right now. He will accompany Kyle to the library sometimes, but he does not think he has ever been there this late, nor experienced the campus so desolate.
He spots one single person on his walk-over, although they do not even spare him as much of a glance, keeping their head down and hands in their pockets — walking rather quickly. Craig wonders if they are from a warmer state because they held a strong grimace and were much more layered than Craig. Nights were always the worst in Colorado. During the day, the sun shone bright, but without it’s light, the state was left as a frozen tundra.
He is grateful for this reason when he reaches the building he was aiming for. Instant relief fills him when he steps inside the heated library; the numbness he once felt instantly tingling over his cheeks from the new contrasting temperature. Kyle always studies in the same place in the library, if the spot is available, and Craig is sure it is at this time of the night. Kyle says it is better to study in the same place, something about the familiarity making it easier for your brain to memorize the subject.
He is surprised to see as many students as he does. He expected it to be as desolate as the campus itself, but there are actually a myriad of students scattered around. He supposed there is a reason the library is open 24 hours.
He ascends the staircase, knowing Kyle usually studies in the corner of the second floor. As he makes his through, a smile blooms on his face when he sees he was right. There Kyle is, hunched over the desk and completely focused on his work.
He rolls his eyes and smiles, stepping closer.
Kyle does not lift his head at his presence, even when he gets close enough to be considered hovering.
“You must be the reason for global warming because you’re hot,” he says to the redhead.
Kyle picks his head up, eyebrows high, and smile spreading out quickly. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out at first. Craig chuckles and cuts the distance between himself and the desk, leaning against it and staring down at his boyfriend.
“Actually, it’s primarily because of too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Kyle finally relents, toothy smile still present.
Craig rolls his eyes, and shakes his head, but raises a smile. He picks up Kyle’s hand and runs his thumb over his thumb over his knuckles. “You always have to be a smart ass, don’t you?”
Kyle laughs, amber eyes shining brightly. “What are you doing here?” he asks.
“Saving you.”
“From what?” Kyle perks up an eyebrow, amusement flooding his voice.
“Yourself.”
Kyle glares at him, or tries to, but he is smiling. “I was just about to come home… I just had this one more quick thing I was doing and then – ”
“I’m sure you were,” Craig cuts in. “But that thing is going to have to wait until tomorrow because it’s time to go home.”
Kyle stares back, biting on his bottom lip. Craig can tell that he wants to fight back. He always wants to fight back because he is a stubborn as hell.
“Come on, you stubborn fuck, get your shit together.”
Kyle shakes his head but a tiny smile raises to his lips as he looks at his work scattered on the desk. Craig lets him go and Kyle slowly begins to pack his things away. Craig leans against the desk as he waits, admiring how even when Kyle looks exhausted, bags underneath his eyes and skin slightly paler than usual, he looks absolutely perfect.
Finally, after gathering all his things, Kyle stands up with a sigh and slings his backpack over his shoulder. He meets Craig’s gaze and holds up a small smile. “I’m sorry for not coming home when I said I was going to.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yes I am!”
“You do this all the time,” Craig muses.
“I don’t mean to!”
“Uh huh,” Craig grins at him.
Kyle frowns and Craig extends his hand out to him for the redhead to take. When their fingers interlock, Kyle grants him a small, toothless smile. “I don’t mean to,” he repeats in a much softer tone; his amber eyes soft and focused.
“Okay, fine, I believe you,” Craig says, squeezing Kyle’s fingers; receiving a wider smile from Kyle in return.
“Good,” Kyle brings their linked hands up to his mouth to kiss, keeping their eyecontact. Craig watches him, his smile widening and heart warming as he does so. Kyle keeps his hands close to his mouth as he says, “I can’t believe you walked all the way over here at this time.”
Craig holds his smile, bringing their joined hands down to their sides and stepping closer to the redhead. He places his fingers against Kyle’s freckled jawline, soft amber eyes gazing up at him. “Well, don’t tell Stripe, but you’re much better at cuddling than he is.”
Kyle shakes his head, a fond grin to his lips. “As stupid as you are, that honestly means a lot, knowing how much you worship that damn guinea pig.”
Craig laughs first and then Kyle. They stare into each other’s eyes a moment longer before Craig cuts the distance between them, meeting his boyfriend’s lips for a chaste kiss to the lips. When they pull away, they both smile at one another, and Kyle murmurs, “thanks for saving me.”
And Craig replies, “anytime.”