The light filtering in through the slits between the blinds hit Gamzee's face and woke him from his half-dozing morning state. Yawning lazily, he pushed himself up with his long, lanky arms, and glanced over to the small figure curled up beside him under the covers.
Tavros had claimed Gamzee's pillow for herself, and she'd wrapped her arms around it, pulling it to her chest and burying her face into it. Her dark brown hair was splayed across her own pillow, and Gamzee reached down to run his long fingers in it. The instant he made contact with the shaven side of her head, she stirred, shifting her head slightly and blinking her long-lashed eyes.
Gamzee grinned down at her, his hand still in her hair, and her mouth opened as if to say something, but she seemed to only manage an unintelligible groggy murmur.
"Morning, motherfucker." Gamzee leaned over to press a kiss to her bare temple, which earned him a happy sigh from the sleepy girl.
"Mm..what time is it?"
Gamzee shook his head slowly, his nose brushing against the side of her face. "That's not something you should be thinking about right now," he told her. "You gotta let all your worries just flutter away."
She giggled slightly under her breath. "Uh, I think I would..." She yawned. "But you have class, and-"
"Shh, shh, babe, you gotta give those worries some motherfucking wings. Watch 'em fly right out of that window right there." He pointed vaguely in the direction from where the light was creeping into the room.
"But you've already missed class like, uh, three times this-"
"Wings, Tav, wings," Gamzee reminded her.
She turned her head to face him completely, and smiled. "Okay, okay. I'll let my worries, uh, fly away. Metaphorically, of course, because-"
She was interrupted by a kiss, but she wasn't about to protest. Gamzee's lips were warm, slightly chapped, and the best thing imaginable.
"You're just too motherfucking precious, you know that?" Gamzee told her once he pulled away.
She buried her face back in her pillow instead of answering, her cheeks obviously flushed. Gamzee chuckled under his breath and sat up.
"I'm thinking it's time to up and fill our rumbly bellies with some wicked breakfast, and it ain't my way to go against what my think pan cooks up, y'know?"
Tavros knew better than to question Gamzee's antics, so she just mumbled something which sounded vaguely like an agreement. It was good enough for Gamzee, who was up and out of the bed moments later, wearing only his atrociously polka-dotted boxers and stretching his long limbs.
Tavros rolled onto the warm indentation Gamzee had left on the bed and snuggled deeper under the covers. "I'll get up, uh, soon."
Gamzee waved his hands as if brushing aside those pesky worries he had been talking about earlier. "Just follow your nose when you smell the sweet aromas of deliciousness."
"Uh, I will make sure to, do that."
He laughed and was out of the room. Tavros heard him rummaging in the kitchen through the pots and pans.
It took a long time for her to convince herself to get up and when she finally did, she just stood for a while with the thick blanket around her. The floor was cold under her feet and her arms were covered in goosebumps even with the blanket. She would have wondered how Gamzee was able to walk around in only his underwear, but she knew from experience that it would have to get below freezing for him to even notice.
When she finally tossed the striped comforter back onto the bed, she headed straight to the dresser where she opened Gamzee's messy drawer and grabbed the biggest, softest, purplest hoodie she could find and slipped it over her head. It reached a few inches over her knees and her hands were lost in the ridiculously long sleeves, but she hugged it close to herself, marveling at how much it smelt like Gamzee.
After pulling on a pair of sweatpants and thick socks, she was at last prepared to face the morning. The scent of sizzling eggs wafted from the kitchen and she happily followed it. Gamzee turned to grin at her when she sat down in one of the mismatched chairs around their round kitchen table. He wore the pink apron Karkat had once gotten him as a joke, and Tavros noticed he had on a single sock.
Gamzee's normally unfocused eyes suddenly lit up and his face split into an even wider smile than usual as he strode over, spatula still in hand, and leaned over the table to press their lips together firmly. Surprised at the unexpected kiss, it took a moment for Tavros to react, but she finally reached up to tangle her hand in Gamzee's wild hair.
By the time they pulled apart, Tavros was breathless and the hoodie she'd put on earlier had slipped a bit, revealing a tan shoulder. She kept her hand in Gamzee's hair, and their faces remained close. She noticed a bit of smudged makeup from the facepaint Gamzee often wore, and she reached over to wipe it off with her thumb.
"Uh, that was-what was that, uh, for?" she asked under her breath.
"Don't need an excuse to kiss the most beautiful motherfucker in the world, do I?"
Tavros felt her whole face burn red. "U-uh, I do not think-well, I mean-thank you, but-" She was interrupted by Gamzee's hand over her lips, gently but effectively cutting her off.
"Now I'm not one to be interrupting a motherfucker, but somehow I'm getting the feeling you're not realizing how fucking beautiful you are." He wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, his eyebrows were slightly knitted together, and it was probably the most put off Tavros had seen him for a long time.
Tavros gave a sort of half apologetic, half sheepish shrug. It was true that she didn't have a very high opinion of herself, not only in her appearance but in her general being, but somehow she felt that wasn't what Gamzee wanted to hear.
"But I'm gonna tell you the real truth, 'cause I don't like seeing you not knowing how you're making me feel." He nodded for emphasis before continuing without prompting from Tavros. "When I turned 'round and saw you sitting there all wrapped up and snuggly in my hoodie, I think my heart couldn't handle it and had to skip a few beats to process the motherfucking miracle that you are."
Tavros listened to him, eyes wide and cheeks bright as a tomato. She was lost for words, but it seemed Gamzee wasn't finished anyway.
"And then I'm just standing here and thinking all like, woah, you're my lil' miracle sitting right there in our kitchen that we up and bought together. And you're all sitting there with your huge eyes that're like some delicious chocolates 'cept even better, 'cause they're glittering like lil' diamonds or some shit and big as the motherfucking moon. And there's your lips, and they're soft like motherfucking kittens and feathers and clouds, and I get to kiss them, and wow, you're sitting there in my sweater."
Finally he seemed to be at the end of his speech, and Tavros raised her eyes, long lashed and chocolatey brown as Gamzee had described, and met his for the first time since he'd suddenly gotten serious. He was smiling again, slightly, but he seemed to be waiting for something.
Tavros was often speechless. She was never good with words, and she faltered even during her most confident moments. But Gamzee was looking at her with his encouraging smile, and his hands were rested gently on either sides of her face, as if he would pull her to his lips at any moment.
"Uhh, Gamzee, I-wow-I am-I am not exactly sure-" she stopped herself for a moment, taking a deep breath before swallowing hard. "You're, uhh, pretty much a miracle as well. Well not, uh, not pretty much, you're very much a miracle, and I'm not very good at saying it, but, uh, I love you a lot."
He was back to his wide grin, lips spreading from ear to ear. "I love you too, motherfucker."
As predicted, he pulled her to him, but she leaned in to meet his lips halfway. She wanted to get closer, but the table was in the way. It didn't seem to stop Gamzee though, because a few seconds in he was sitting right on the tabletop, never breaking the contact.
It wasn't long until his tongue slipped past her lips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She felt bolder, suddenly, more confident even. There was even a moment where she sort of nipped at his lip, which earned her a pleased sounding gasp.
She was fairly certain she had just died and floated off into heaven, except she doubted that even heaven could be so utterly Gamzee.