Chapter Text
One night, you're extremely sleepy. So drowsy, so tired from the day.... You can barely keep your eyes open. Today was so damn exhausting... Too exhausting. And that one battle... With that weird wanderer? It had drained the life out of you, it felt like.
So when you return from the gruelling shift and put the keys in and turn the door to your apartment, you don't waste a moment before stumbling tiredly in, throwing your dusty bag aside.
Kicking off your boots, you sluggishly strap off your holster, and the rest of the various gear attached to your body. Your phone pings softly, but you pay it no mind... You'll check it later...
Your mind has a single focus, after all. Sleep. You're too tired... So tired...
The phone pings again, so you fish it out of your pocket and throw it to the side as well, and it lies haphazardly abandoned on the couch. First, you need to get dressed down. Ugh... Your eyes are closing already. You make a mental note to take the phone with you into the room once you're... Done... Here....
....
So tired....
Wait, what we're you even supposed to be doing? Ah... You snap out of it. You were dozing off standing, it seemed. And all these clothes were just weighing you down... Plus you had to eat, you had to... Ugh... Change... Shower... Sleep... Work... Reply to messages... Sleep...Check emails and work... Sleep....
You shake your head. Wow. You really couldn't go a second without thinking of sleeping? It was like your brain was shutting down in real time... You yawn... That wanderer wasn't even a tough fight... But... All you want to do ever since the fight is rest, and the sensation just keeps.... Getting.... Stronger... Sleepy... Ugh. Sighing again, you take a few steps towards the kitchen. Food... You were supposed to....
But .. you're so.... Sleepy...
Before you know it, your steps that you intended to head towards the kitchen with, just lead you to your room. You stop in front of the cupboards.... Why...? Why not just sleep? Sleep.... No... Wait... right. A change... Of clothes? Yeah... But..
Was it when necessary? Was it even worth the effort? Sleep... Just sleep. It was so much easier.... The thought wouldn't stop flooding your mind, slowly starting to replace every other with its persistence, a silent, mounting pressure on your skull weighing every fibre of your being down...
Your hunter's watch beeps in the distance.. oh. You need to check it. Where was it again? You realise left it behind in the hall... When you'd haphazardly rid yourself of your gear... Along with your phone... Ah... But... You'd have to walk all the way back...
Why were you feeling so drowsy? Too drowsy...
You sit on the bed, holding your tired face in your hands. It was like your head had started to turn so heavy... All you could thing of was sleep. Other thoughts were leaving your mind... Not like it mattered much... Change... Of clothes? Not like you hadn't... Taken a quick nap in these ones before...
Nap... Sleep... Mm... Your head felt heavy. Do heavy... You lay back, and it's like the bed is enveloping you. Sink... Mm... Feels so good... Sink deeper... And... Sleep... Ah. It's like the sound of the sheets rustling under your weight itself is an exquisite lullaby for your tired brain...
And the lyrics repeat only one word in an oppressive melody. Sleep... Sleep... Sleep...
All thoughts are rapidly floating out of your grasp, as the sweet temptation of rest claims your exhausted body. So tired...each limb feels so heavy. Wait... Weren't you supposed to... Change... Clothes... Sleep... Eat food... Sleep... Check... Messages... Sleep....
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.....
You sigh, unable to fight the weight on your head anymore. Your expression relaxes as you allow your eyes to remain shut without fighting to open them, and a sort of relief floods your brain. Oh... Why hadn't you given up earlier... Wait were you struggling earlier? You hadn't noticed.
But currently? It was finally time... To ... Sleep... A short nap, then you do all the other tasks... Yes... So you ignore some odd feeling that was nagging at you and give in to the blissful embrace of the bed.
....
You don't know how much time passes, but the first time you stir, it's because you're being moved and repositioned. Everything you feel is so hazy... You blink your eyes open, but they're so heavy, and all you can see through them is a hazy blur of blonde hair... And white... Clothes...
"Xav...Xavier....?"
"Oh? You're awake? I came to check on you... You can go back to sleep... I just saw how you were sleeping... You look so tired... So I'm shifting your position... But wait... Why did you..."
He talks a bit more. You're sure he does. You try to focus on his face as his expression turns a bit concerned? Questioning? There's a frown on his face as he seems to notice just how sleepy you are. And then he stops talking, gently running his hand o er your forehead, and wow... So soothing... That luls you back to sleep... Your eyelids flutter shut... Wait was he still talking? Was... He... M...
But nothing matters... You're safe... It's just Xavier... You can go back to rest... So sleepy... So tired... And then you black out, with pleasant images of the blonde prince flashing through your mind....
So many cute memories and moments with Xavier play in your brain like your own personal movie... So warm and comfy....
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...
The next time your eyes blink open slowly, you immediately sigh and shut them again. You feel a tight grip on your hand, and a presence howering over you.
"Hey... Wake up... Hello... Can you... Hear..."
Zayne...? You can't make out what he's saying much... Ugh. Doesn't he know that you're clearly sleeping? Why are they disturbing... And the light is so harsh... You wince, and your hand twitches to try and cover your face, but one is gripped in a warm hold and the other...
Feels so heavy like lead... Refuses to move... Ugh... Sleep. You're sleepy... So sleepy... You wince again, but then whoevever... Was looking over you blocks the lights and your expression relaxes. Zayne...?
You somehow blink your eyes open for a very brief moment, catching flashes and glimpses of black hair... A concerned frown... An icy gaze... His lips are moving, but you can't understand what he's asking anymore.
"Zayne...lemme... Sleep... So... Sleepy..."
You manage to mumble. Atleast you think you do. Zayne, the ever composed, has an odd expression cross his face just before you close your eyes again. His gaze pursists, lingers in the cozy darkness for a while.
Zayne is always so efficient... So hardworking... So diligent, you thought, as a smile crosses your face, as you drift off to beautiful memories of the warmest ice man you know... Zayne...
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...
The next time you awaken, you know it's from a beautiful dream where you were happily underwater, but something was trying to interrupt it... Ugh... You could feel heat trying to force it's way up your palm, your fingers being squeezed in a desperate grip...
Why won't they just let you sleep? You can feel the attempts to resonate like flames trying to lap at the edges of your consciousness... But you just wanted to go back underwater. You whimper uncomfortably, your eyes fluttering open just enough to be catching a brief glimpse of the man desperately squeezing your hand, holding it up to his lips, his head bowed to press against it like he's doing a prayer.
"Raf...Rafayel... Ngh... You'll burn... My... Hand... Let... Me sleep..."
"Miss bodyguard! You've slept long enough! Wake up!"
You think you hear him demand more, a suddenly intense gaze directed right at you, but the burn stops... And so, your eyes close again, even the pretty multicolored and panic filled ones of the cute painter not enough to keep them open.
And besides, why was he being so stubborn anyways? Should just let you sleep... Mm... He's so cute... Was he worried...? You'd do... Whatever he wanted later... Your cute painter... Perhaps you both should head out to the sea together, you thought, returning to your beautiful underwater dream with the images of your handsome fishie filling your brain... Ah... Swimming together would be so... Fun... The corals would be so colourful, so beautiful to explore... Still not as pretty as his eyes, though...
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...
When you stir next, you feel a heavy hand on your forehead, pressing down, as the cool sensation of metal dangles and brushes against your face.
"Pipsqueak... Wake... Up.... How can you decide to nap... Like this... without me? This can't be happening...."
Your eyes blink open, catching the glimpses of the familiar dogtags gently brushing against your face with every movement of its concerned owner hovering above you... A smile crosses your face as you remember when you'd bought those for Caleb...
Caleb... Caleb was here.... A warmth floods through you, a rush of nostalgia and emotions, thoughts of family, of shared ice creams, and summers, and delicious apples... À constant presence, a weight that currently felt like a warm heated blanket lulling you back to a lovely sleep... With thoughts of comfort and everything Caleb floating through your mind.
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...
Next time you stir, it's to the uncomfortable sensations of something sharp constantly poking against your cheek. You whimper, your eyes scrunching up... The sound of wings flapping all but echoes near your ears, but the poking sensation is quickly soothed away by a warm, big hand, and your face relaxes slightly.
Though, the culprit of the poking seems to have shifted targets to your hand, constantly poking at it. Your hand twitches, but you barely have strength to move... And the warmth now cupping your face gives you enough comfort to ignore everything else... You just want to sink back into the comfort and close your eyes again.