[Synopsis: It goes without saying that a random act of thoughtfulness has the potential to go a long way. Especially between those in love...EngiGnome fluff!]

[Location: Gnome and Engineer's house]

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"Unh...Is it...morning already...?"

Engineer woke up with a bit of a headache, reluctant to push the covers off himself and too tired to face the day just yet...He'd been up for a good portion of the night working in his lab, and the last time he'd checked the clock before going to bed, it'd been almost two in the morning. Come to think of it, he didn't even remember leaving his lab and going up to bed. Did he zonk out that hard?

Barely managing to keep his eyes open, he looked over at the digital clock on his night table to check the time again, and groaned when he saw it.

"9:17...Uuugh, I don't even feel rested."

The rattle of the doorknob caught his attention, and he slowly raised his head to see the bedroom door open up and a familiar face peeping in.

"...Morning, sleepyhead," the figure cooed, her voice like that of a dove.

"Hi, Gnome..." he responded, letting out a pretty big yawn right afterwards.

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Ugh...Not really. I-I really need to stop working so late and get my sleep schedule back on track...I know you worry about that sometimes, and..."

He sighed, shamefully hiding his face in his hands for a moment as he wiped some of the sleep from his eyes.

"Man, Gnome, I...I'm sorry I do stuff like this to myself."

She stepped the rest of the way into the room and headed over to the bedside. Only then did Engineer notice the tray of piping-hot food she had in hand; two fried, peppered eggs, a slice of buttered toast and a sausage patty, served up with a steaming cup of green tea...A smile inched across his face; Gnome remembered all of his breakfast favorites.

"Are ya hungry?" she asked him. The sight of the food by itself made his mouth water, but once the smell hit him, he swore he was in heaven.

"Sure am...Thank you so much, Gnomey," he said to her as she gave him the tray and sat down beside him. "I dunno how I ever got along without you...I-I hope I'm not being a burden somehow, really."

"You? A burden?" she echoed. "Oh, Engie, you're not a burden on me."

"Not at all?"

"No, silly, I enjoy doing all of the things I do for you! Wanna know why? Because I love you, and I want nothing more than to see you happy. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do, babe. It's just...I dunno, I've been lying in bed all morning so far, and you went out of your way to make me this, I..."

He sighed and looked away, feeling slightly ashamed of himself; if only he hadn't been up so late working in his lab...Gnome caught sight of his gloomy expression and slipped her hand into his, squeezing it lightly. His smile returned almost instantly, and he regained the will to face her again.

"...What did I ever do to deserve you, Gnome?"

"All you had to do was be yourself," she replied. "You didn't have to do anything special...I was just drawn right to you because of who you are."

"...Really?"

"M-hm. And if you're worried that you're spending too much time working in your lab, I'll help you sort things out; once we get your work schedule on the right track, we can start getting your sleep schedule back to normal, too."

She nuzzled her visor into his cheek, and he reached out and pulled her a little closer with his free hand in response.

"I'll always be there for you whenever you need me."

"...You promise you'll never leave me, Gnome...?"

"I promise, Engie...I'll stay with you for as long as I live, no matter what happens."

Engineer smiled...Gnome was nothing short of one of the driving forces in his life that urged him to keep pressing forward, no matter what.

"...Thanks, babe."

"No problem...Now go ahead and eat your breakfast before it gets cold, okay?"

"Oh. Right. Heh heh..."

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...

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"Whatcha doin' Engie?"

"Oh, uh-Just looking to order some crystallized carbon," he responded, quickly switching over to a different tab(which had potassium hydroxide samples listed on it instead).

"Oh. Well, when you're done there, and if you're not too tired still, I was wondering if you'd like to go out and take a stroll through the park, maybe? I saw on the forecast that it might rain later today, so this afternoon would be the best time for that."

"Some fresh air might do me good...Sounds like a plan! Just give me another few minutes, and we can go, okay Gnomey?"

"Okay, Engie!" she chirped as she headed into the other room. "Love you!"

"Heh heh...Love you too, Gnome."

As soon as she was gone, Engineer went back to the tab he'd had up before...He hadn't lied to her; he WAS looking to buy some crystallized carbon. But judging by her reaction, odds were Gnome didn't know what exactly that was.

Man, I'll have to apply for as much overtime at MIRA as I can over the next year if I wanna afford a decent one. And that's if I'm frugal, he said to himself. ...But this is for Gnome. It'll be worth it every penny.

He turned the computer off and headed off to find Gnome and tell her he was ready...Just the mere thought of her name and the image of her face in his head made him feel warm inside.

...It already is.

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WELP, you probably know where this is going now. XD

Sorry this one was so short; there are longer works in the making though, don't worry!