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The winter morning was always too cold, and quite frankly, it was even worse when Romani would sleep and wake up at the same location as where he was last working. His neck was sore and he felt a sharp pain as he tried to sit up properly. A small groan escapes his lips and he slumps back over on his desk.
I’m so tired… Romani’s eyes slowly closed again before groggily blinking a few times. He was just super exhausted. There was so much that he had to do, so much that he had wanted to do, and he was honestly unsure about which task to handle first. There was just so much on his plate. He slowly sat up, rolling out his back and stretching his arms slowly as to help circulate blood easier.
As he stretched out his arms, he felt a little bit better. The pinch in his neck wasn’t as bad and he didn’t feel like his limbs were disconnected from him. He sat still for a few moments. Romani wasn’t quite ready to start the day, and judging by how the Command Room was nearly empty save for the few early starters. They gave him a tired nod and a soft smile before returning to their respective jobs. Romani smiled in return and slowly pushed himself off of his chair.
Honestly, he wouldn’t even be surprised if he suddenly became one with his chair and desk. There was already evidence that he’s slept there if the small pillow and flimsy blanket draped on the back of his chair and his armrest. He grabbed his empty coffee mug from last night and dragged himself out of the command room and towards his own room.
On the way back, he took a quick detour to the kitchen, dropping the cup off at the wash station before shuffling back out. Romani’s steps were sluggish, and anyone looking at him could tell that he was in desperate need of a good night’s rest. But really, Romani wasn’t quite sure if he could afford to take a break.
I still need to file those reports… and tell Da Vinci to set up the system. I should also do a health check up for Mash and [Name]. At the mere thought of you, a soft smile touches upon his lips. I wonder if [Name] is asleep still.
Romani shook his head fondly and mumbled, “I hope so.”
However he’s shocked when he sees you walking towards him. You had an empty tray of what he would assume was breakfast and upon noticing him, the smile on your face was bright and filled with joy.
“Good morning, Dr. Roman!”
“Good mor-”
A yawn cuts him off and he doesn’t even bother covering his mouth. You could see the dark circles beneath his eyes. He weakly lifted his arm in an attempt to wave to you, but you’re almost certain that it was only through pure willpower that Romani was even standing right now. You quickly rushed to drop off the tray and came back out to find Romani staring at you sleepily.
“Good morning, [Name],” he softly chuckled. You smiled and shook your head, “Did you stay up late again?”
“I don’t know if I slept,” he yawned once more and murmured, “I’m tired.”
“Come on, you should take a nap.”
“But work-”
“You can have Da Vinci cover you. Can’t have our only doctor burning himself out, now can we?”
Romani didn’t bother arguing or pushing for his point, especially since the feeling of your hand on his back was so warm and cozy. He almost wanted to put all his weight onto you. You glanced at him again and laughed, “Here, let’s bring you to my room instead.”
Now that nearly woke him up. He had groggily nodded in agreement before realizing with a start that he’d be in your room. “Wait, but [Name]-”
“It used to be your secret hideout right? Come on, you can get some rest in there without anyone bothering you.”
Romani’s eyes widened slightly at the memory of your first meeting and he lowered his head in resignation. A small laugh slips through and he smiled, “Okay.”
***
The next time Romani opens his eyes, he’s covered in a pile of blankets. Each one was of different fabric or texture. But the one he was literally wrapped up in was soft and fluffy, it almost reminded him of clouds… or Fou’s fur. It was so soft. As his vision got adjusted to the darkness of the room, he found that the warmth on the bed was not just from the blankets, but also because you had fallen asleep curled up on the other side of the bed. Much like him, you were also cocooned in a blanket, with the only thing visible being your face.
He almost laughed at the situation. Somehow or another, both of you had slept in, much more than what the original nap was supposed to be. But instead he gently rolled his own burrito just a bit closer to yours and after much squirming, freed his arms. As carefully as possible, he shifted you into a more comfortable position that wouldn’t give you any strange pains in weird areas.
He didn’t want to wake you up, especially since you deserved all the rest you could get to. But as he attempted to slide off the bed, he felt your hand grasp at his through the blanket. Your eyes were slowly blinking away sleep and you murmured, “Stay for a bit longer?”
It was one of the few times you’ve ever asked him to stay, how could he possibly refuse? He sighed and curled back in bed to lay beside you and smiled, “Okay, but if Da Vinci gets mad…”
“I’ll just say I stole you away, it’ll be okay,” you chuckled as you snuggle up a bit closer to him.
It was cold in the morning when he was all alone at the Command Room, but it sure did feel nice and toasty to be laying in bed with you again.