64 Prompts, 50
Title: Murmur
Genre: Romance, fluff
Pairings/characters: US/UK
Rating: PG
Warnings: Mention of past sex (just in passing), risk of diabetes
Summary: Alfred has his secrets, even if they seem to have everything to do with Arthur.
50. Murmur
Alfred doesn’t tell Arthur a lot of things. Most of the time, these things are unimportant, like the fact that Arthur habitually touches his mouth when he’s not paying attention in meetings, and besides, Alfred likes watching his fingers press into his lips until they turn a slightly darker pink. Sometimes it’s something that Arthur shouldn’t know, such as the truth of the matter being that Francis threatened Alfred within an inch of his life when they started dating, because Arthur would never look at (or slap) Francis the same way if he found out the Frenchman actually gave Alfred the Shotgun Speech.
But one of Alfred’s favorite secrets from Arthur is one of those little things that Arthur would deny he does, but one that also warms the cockles (or whatever) of Alfred’s heart, so he can’t actually risk Arthur trying to stop it. The thing is, Arthur talks in his sleep.
A great majority of the time, Alfred thinks Arthur might secretly read the Sleep-Talkin’ Man blog, because he says random shit just like that guy. But Arthur has his own pattern that is less about badgers and cats, and more about pixies and Scottish nuisances. There are days when Alfred stays awake to hear what Arthur might mumble in his sleep, then when he does speak, Alfred has to lock a hand over his mouth to keep from waking Arthur as he has a mostly-silent giggle fit.
What he loves, though, absolutely cherishes beyond all comprehension, is the stuff Arthur says so quietly Alfred has to be mouth-to-ear to catch. For some reason, every time Arthur gives one of his incredibly sappy professions of love or appreciation or faithfulness, he can hardly be heard. Still, Alfred scoots down close to him when the murmuring starts and sometimes Arthur all but brings him to tears with the things he says.
And the way he says them, too. God, Alfred’s never heard as much sincerity in Arthur’s voice as when he’s whispering things in his sleep that he would never say out loud in wakefulness. Asleep, Arthur calls him lovely and mo chroí, says things like no one beautiful like you, Alfred and you make me so happy. A lot of the time they’re simple, or broken fragments, and Arthur sometimes speaks in old languages so Alfred has to google them later and just blush happily at his computer screen. But it’s worth losing sleep over to hear these things from Arthur, because he never says them outright otherwise.
Still, Arthur is so fussy, he’d probably try to find a way to…gag himself as he sleeps, or something, because his pride is a thing that Arthur clings to almost too tightly at times. Alfred will never tell him about his sleep talking; he likes it too much. And it’s been useful in the past. There’s a reason Arthur was abruptly woken in the middle of the night after he and Alfred first slept together, lips occupied by an inexplicably ecstatic Alfred kissing his breath away. It’s the same reason Alfred waited so patiently for Arthur to say he loved him out loud, and why Alfred looked far more pleased than surprised or relieved.
These days it’s calmed enough between them that Alfred doesn’t feel the need to kiss Arthur awake every time he murmurs something heart-meltingly sweet in his sleep. It’s no longer an impatient, passionate race as if they’re each afraid the other will disappear. Now, Alfred takes the time to feel the pleasantly warm butterflies he always gets from hearing Arthur profess his love, and with all the leisure of someone who knows the Brit almost as intimately as he knows himself, Alfred always kisses him softly enough that Arthur won’t wake up, but his lips will infallibly turn up in equal contentment before he falls silent for the night.
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A/N: Only one today, but then again, I think I bogged people down with my cosplay stuff, so it evens out, right?