Work Text:
Title: Good Night's Sleep
Fandom: Pacific Rim
Characters: Hermann Gottlieb, Newton Geiszler
Word Count: 412
Rating: G
A/N: AU before the events of Pacific Rim
Warnings: n/a
Summary: They've been sleeping together for years.
Newt paces back and forth in the lab, ranting and raving about one theory or another. Hermann listens with half an ear, throwing in a comment or two as Newt pauses to take a breath. They go through this routine every time Newt hasn't slept in days. When the pauses grow longer and more frequent, Hermann finally stops what he's doing. He carefully climbs down the ladder, grabs his cane from the desk as he passes, and walks over to where Newt is standing.
The smaller man is running his hands through his hair, making it even wilder than normal. Hermann can see Newt's body trembling from not enough sleep and too much caffeine. He reaches out, wrapping his hand around Newt's upper arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. Newt takes a deep breath before giving Hermann a shaky smile.
Once they leave the lab, they head to Hermann's room. Newt is practically dead on his feet, occasionally stumbling as they walk. Hermann is always there to help keep him upright. He's practically holding Newt up by the time they reach Hermann's door.
They shower together because Newt once fell asleep while bathing in this state and hit his head on the wall. The result was a bloody knot on his temple the size of a golf ball, which sent Hermann into a panic until he could get the bleeding under control.
The second drawer in Hermann's dresser has some of Newt's sleeping clothes. Hermann tosses Newt a pair of boxers and a ratty band shirt before grabbing his own pajamas. Newt calls them 'old man pajamas', but Hermann doesn't care. They're well-worn and comfortable.
Hermann gets into bed first, making sure he's comfortable before motioning for Newt to join him. They discovered years earlier both of them sleep better when they aren't alone. They never do anything other than sleep because Hermann's really not interested. Newt's fine with that. He likes having someone to snuggle as the darkness pulls him under.
When he wakes, Newt goes to his room and get dressed for the day before wandering down to the cafeteria to get them both something to eat. They have breakfast together at Hermann's table, sometimes even eating from the same plate while making small talk. Maths and Kaiju are never mentioned while food is on the table. Once they leave Hermann's room, they'll go back to bickering and fighting as usual. For now, they simply enjoy one another's company.